My Snow Crystals quilt was a hit Monday night when I spoke with a local guild, sharing my tips and tricks and quilter's shortcuts. Most of my quilts are vintage inspired and this was no exception. Take a look at the pattern page from the Kansas City Star in 1930. Would you like to use those templates? And sew y-seams? NO, not me! Page from the Kansas City Star Also notice that this is NOT four blocks but one. There are what seem to be 4 stars, but what's with the fifth star in the center? How did the designer think this up? Very clever, right? I made my own Snow Crystals quilt about 20 years ago - again, vintage inspired. Snow Crystals  - 24" block; 33" x 33" quilt Yes, these star units are paper pieced, but they can easily be rotary cut. I created a photo lesson for Quilt Magazine to go along with the quilt. (Yes, it says Windmill Star, which is another name for the star block). Here is the coloring chart which is a MUST for this pattern!  Snow Crystals  found...

I have been sewing with Michael Miller's  Fairy Frost  fabrics since they first hit the market. They are still as lovely - and relevant - as the first day! They are the perfect blenders with a bit of "bling" added with the subtle metallics on top of each color. Here are two stacks (with Marble in the background) that came into my studio in June of 2021. Fairy Frost  Fat Quarters  I've shared several blog posts using these lovely fabrics. If you want to revisit them, do a Search for "Fairy Frost" or "Michael Miller" in the sidebar. Today I'm talking "diamonds", though the ones below were used for my Flying Swallows class sample. Fairy Frost diamonds for  Flying Swallows quilt I used these along with some Fairy Frost background fabrics to make my quilt center. Isn't she lovely? These are 45 degree diamonds and half-square triangles (no y-seams, btw). You can see my other  Flying Swallows  quilts in my Etsy shop. Flying Swallows  wit...

Happy New Year! My Snow Crystals quilt is still one of my favorites. I have been asked about the variation called Idaho which includes sashings. Remember this? Idaho Block The first one I made has disappeared, but I remember when I made it about 16 years ago. I used purple and gold batiks. Idaho in lots of colors! Snow Crystals is also a vintage pattern and I've shared it here many times. I was asked to add the pattern to my Etsy shop and I have. It also includes a 3 page pattern for the Idaho block. It's simple: just paper piece 8 sections and then join them with strips. Here are 4 units of the 8. I standardized the center sashings to a uniform 1" finished size, but the block will not finish to a "normal" size due to working with 8-pointed stars. But, if you're making a quilt only with this block, it doesn't matter! Here's the Snow Crystals quilt . The entire center is one block. That's how the vintage pattern shows it. Snow Crystals This is pap...

Sometimes I like to revisit projects that never made it to the finish line. I was sent a bundle of Bali batiks back in 2007 and was asked to create something. The colors reminded me of all the blazing colors we see here on the East Coast of the USA in the Fall. Even that purple shows up in our trees! Stack of batiks in Autumn colors I am NOT an artist. I basically draw stick figures when my grandkids ask me to draw something. Somehow I got this tree and ground drawn sort of freeform. Leaves were easy. That little curved foot bridge is a bit wonky. The left side border fabric is just sitting there. Blazing Autumn Tree This is as far as I got. Not sure where that little sample is today. I think I put it in a giveaway pile at my quilt guild meeting. I look at this from time to time. Love the colors. I think one of the (many) reasons it was rejected by Bali is that it couldn't be patterned. It would be too big. I did play around with those bright batiks and set some of my Snow ...

Snow Crystals is a vintage block from almost100 years ago. While it looks like 4 LeMoyne Stars, it actually is a variation with a bit of a "twist." One quarter of each star is turned 180 degrees so that when four come together they give the illusion of a 5th block in the center. Here is my original quilt. Yes, the ENTIRE quilt is the Snow Crystals block (with borders added, of course). I designed it as a paper piecing pattern and it was a popular workshop for several years. Snow Crystals : 24" block (all the stars together). 33" x 33" quilt I played around with the paper pieced units using some batiks about 15 years ago. I added those purple inset strips, which again, were inspired by another vintage block. I have no idea where this block is anymore, but at least I have the photo! I made a few other Snow Crystal blocks and decided to set them on point. Here is a photo of the process and I have no idea if I even made the fourth block! Actually, that block on th...