Sometimes I have extra blocks from making the quilt top and rather than make a potholder or trivet (or put them into a box to languish for years), I incorporate them into the quilt backing. Here is a recent quilt finish from my Magic Triangles class. I first did the pattern for Creative Grids and then that morphed into a popular workshop. Magic Triangles using the Holiday Splendor fabric collection. 46" x 48" I had a LOT of this fabric and made several quilts from it. The first is my One Day Lone Star. This was a free pattern for Blank Quilting about 10 years ago. Here is one of the units from the quilt at the top of the page. I had a few of these left over and figured they could be much happier joining their fabric buddies than spending their later years in some box in my closet! Magic Triangles unit I had some smaller units: Magic Triangles leftover units Put two together into a vertical row (twice): I made two of these vertical units Added 30 degree setting triangles on th...

Here are a few more orphan blocks that shine in all their glory, center stage in fact. I've shared these before (and you can read more about them by clicking the links under the photos). This was a 30 year old block that I used the Windham "Fantasy" collection to complete. Isn't this lovely? Vintage Flower block  surrounded by 2" strips And then Fantasy decided they wanted to adopt another block. OK. I can do that, I said. This also was a vintage block that waited around for years. First adoption - read about it  here And just one more. I made this appliqué elephant block several years ago. Nothing happened with it. Finally, he roared out and insisted that I put it into a quilt. What else could I do? Minton Elephant : 44" x 47" Now, I hope I've inspired you to dig around in your orphan block pile and consider this very easy way to make them into simple quilts. I found a few others and one in particular has finally run out of her patience. She has be...

I can't remember how I acquired this lovely and LARGE vintage block, but I loved it at first sight. I named it One Block Rose Wreath because, well - that's what it is! It's a whopping 36" x 36" and I decided to give it a minimal treatment for borders. One Block Rose Wreath: 45" x 45" I think it's interesting that the maker put red squares in the 4 corners and the green leaves overlap in a casual sort of way. This was hand appliquéd. My 3 strips and 9 Patch borders don't take away from the beauty of the center block. Here is what I said about it when it was published: A special friend (whom I’ve never met!) buys, sells, and trades old quilts, quilt tops and blocks in Kansas City, Oklahoma. In fact, DottieMae Groves travels around the country in her quest for special quilting items to add to her antique shop’s inventory. In one of her forays she discovered a whimsical, folk art quilt block that is bigger than many wall quilts! There was nothing kno...

This is an update on a post I shared last year. I am using an Ana Griffin design from her Chinoiserie Collection (2012-13). All I'm doing is taking a lovely block and building outward with strips and squares. I made a pentagon wreath using 2" pentagon papers for English Paper Piecing. Then I centered it over that wonderful pheasant motif.  Peacock Pentagon Wreath quilt center (in process) I first blogged about this collection in 2013. Can you see that regal peacock in the 3rd fabric down?!! Chinoiserie fabrics by Ana Griffin Here is that center block in process. I fussy cut/centered the peacock motif and then surrounded it with 10 2" pentagons (fabric wrapped around 2" paper pentagons). I machine stitched the center of the wreath to that peacock fabric (papers have been removed). Now it's pinned, ready for stitching to the 13-1/2" green background square. Centered and stitched Then it's time to trim away that green background. This reduces bulk and also ...

I was the January speaker at a local quilt guild. As is true with most guilds, there was a free and giveaway table in the back of the room. Books, fabric, patterns, thread. Piles of lovely things. But what caught my eye was this lonely hand quilted block square with a few stains in the corners. We are talking OLD! It called out to me: "Please, Miss Debby, will you please take me home? No one wants me. I'm old and stained and abandoned." It just broke my heart! Abandoned hand quilted block about to get a beauty makeover She convinced me and I immediately had a plan. This would be a perfect sample for my Free Motion Quilting classes I teach for the Sewing Expo. I wanted my students to see hand quilting up close (so they know why they are learning machine quilting) and this would be awesome after her transformation. I trimmed this to a perfect 14" square as shown above. I had to deal with those nasty stains (which I don't have pictures of). I realized I coul...