Who's Angie? I can't remember, but I saw a photo in a quilt magazine several years ago and I think Angie was the maker. I liked it so much, I was inspired to make my own version. I didn't have a pattern - it was just a photo, but I can figure out just about any quilt block after 35 years of this stuff! Angie's Fans: 48" x 50" Sets of 2" (finished) strips - 4 together. Then, using a 60 degree triangle ruler, you cut out triangle wedges (8-1/2" high). I was very carefree in my use of strips, but Christmas themed. I went for strong contrast. The ruler is flip flopped along the strips and you get another color strata. These were diagonally stitched together. Cut 30 degree triangles to set them top and bottom. Will I make this again? NO! But it really wasn't hard. I just pulled out some awesome border fabric and hope to sew it on this week. Or not . . . I wish I had some process shots, but I don't. I wish I still had the magazine page I ripped out...

 Yes, that's what I said! The same shapes in larger sizes, but not pieced by hand. This is a block I wanted to make from the perpetual calendar by Katja Marek. It appears on February 10. February 10 block stitched by machine Let's look at the parts:. Oh, no! There's going to be a y-seam! This is why I always make a sample block before I commit to the fabrics chosen for my project. 3 block parts in sample fabrics I was able to rotary cut the 3 patches easily. I wanted a 6" high finished block. Looks like I managed the y-seam! Here is my set of 6 pieced hexagon blocks with added triangles so that it would make a nice center: But, I ran out of the light print fabrics and had to piece one of the triangles. Do you think it will make a difference? Here it is from the front, up close and personal. I decided to add some borders. I began with a green from a Kaffe Fassett scrap pile, but didn't like it. Rip, rip! I found a wonderful stripe that goes well with the inner fabri...

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...

Just when I think I'm done with a particular pattern, it shouts at me from another room and I have to pay attention! My sister in law asked for a cheering-up quilt for a friend whose husband is going through chemo. She sits with him during his treatment and Sarah thought it would be nice to have something cuddly on her lap. Hence, she chose this Stacked Kites quilt I made a few years ago.  Stacked Kites quilt : 44" x 54" I taught a Rose Star class a few years ago and even had a simple template made to make cutting those kite shapes easier. Here is my Rose Star class sample: Rose Star table topper Here's my simple acrylic template (I have not a single one left): Kite template for 5" kites You may even have one of the "specialty" rulers on the market. They are cumbersome to operate, especially the Clearview Triangle that came with NO INSTRUCTIONS for cutting kites. I asked them about that. Crickets. (It's a $27 ruler, btw) Creative Grids Kite ruler (...

. . . for now, at least! (Check last week's posts to see the other 3 quilts I made with many of the same fabrics.) I emptied my workshop box of all the blocks and parts using the same fabrics and found that I could squeeze one more quilt out of them! Added a lovely yellow print for the setting triangles and here she is! Holiday Splendor #2: 46" x 48"  These are the units I put together with larger triangles. These went on the back: Diamonds and triangles I had lots of red diamonds with small yellow triangles. Two different reds, but when you're trying to squeeze another quilt out, it's ok if they don't "match." I put the units shown above together for the center of the quilt back! I made two of these. Found an awesome print at Joann's last week and pieced the back. What do you think? I wanted to make sure there was a rod pocket at the top but ran out of the main print. Found something with similar colors. It works and more than that - the quilt i...

What? Is my iron flat? Is it still hot? What am I talking about?! Well - this vintage inspired quilt from 2000 which I made using some lovely reproduction 1930s prints. 1930s Flat Iron: 70" x 83" Just two sizes of triangles create this 10" x 11" block. I set it with a white/cream solid, squared up the sides and then added that appliquéd border. I plan on giving this to my dear daughter for Christmas. She loves all things 1930s and it has sat in my closet for too long. I know she will treasure (and use) it! To me, this has the flavor of a Sugarloaf block. I've made several quilts using that vintage block. Here's one that is made with Christmas colors: Magic Triangles (Sugarloaf): 32" x 43" I disguised the 6 blocks by putting them together two by two. Here's one of the 6 blocks. Magic Triangles Block: 12" x 14" I made a LOT of extra block parts and pulled open the box the other day. I was able to make not one, but TWO more quilts. I...

I made this quilt 25 years ago and it now lives with a happy owner. I have no idea how I came up with this arrangement of triangles, folded hexagons and grosgrain ribbon, but I think it's cute! Bright Triangles and YoYos There's that bug border again! I must have purchased a few yards of it, because it appears in more than one quilt. I'm not sure how that green grosgrain ribbon will wash up, but I did machine stitch it down to the black background. The folded hexagons have yoyos in the center and the whole thing is delightfully 3-D! I blogged about this quilt in 2016 and gave out a FREE PATTERN for the folded hexagons. I have no idea where the pattern and art for this quilt is in my thousands of computer files. Not sure about the size either, but some little kid has enjoyed it (now an adult, right?) Check out the blog post and you'll find the link for the folded hexagons, too! And what a fun way with those 60 degree triangles!

Thousand Pyramids uses what's called a dogtooth unit with equilateral triangles. But, what if you elongated those triangles? Again, they zig zag, but what sharp teeth you have! I made these units several years ago with one of my paper piecing patterns and put them aside. They are from my New York Beauty workshop. Zig Zag Shark's Teeth: 33" x 44"  Here are some of the units using some Kaffe Fassett fabrics. They are still waiting for a quilt to live in: New York Beauty Shark's Teeth Let's get back to the Dog Tooth units for our Thousand Pyramids, ok? Why do I go off on these rabbit trails?  Dogtooth units can surround a beautiful Baltimore Album block Triangles surround a printed panel These are NOT hand appliquéd - they are printed panels from at least 15 years ago. I used the same triangles as are in the Thousand Pyramids quilts. I had to be very careful of my math! Here are 4 blocks: Now for the last Thousand Pyramids quilt for this week. I made this in 2014...

I love triangles, especially 60 degree ones. I have made several quilts in the Thousand Pyramids pattern as seen by this first one from 2001. These are 60 degree triangles and they appear to zig and zag across the face of the quilt. Bright triangles alternating with a light yellow print, then surrounded by a rainbow inner border and some great bug border print! Bright Triangles with Dragonflies Border   This next quilt was made with more novelty fabric. These are the same rows, but they are staggered so that they make a zigzag with the light dotted fabric. Both quilts use a 5-1/2" triangle. They are pieced in horizontal rows. One row has the solid colors with the triangle tip at the bottom; the next row has the solid triangles with the tip at the top. And the solid triangles are NOT aligned with each other as in the quilt above. Fun, huh? Zig Zag Safari baby quilt with matching pillows Thousand Pyramids is a vintage pattern that is supposed to use 1,000 different patches of fabric...

What? Diamonds ARE jewels, aren't they? Yes, but they are a different shape when it comes to quilting. Let me tell you a story from 6 years ago using some lovely batiks from Benartex. I  always likes to say that I let the fabrics tell me what they would like to become. Whether they whisper to me or send text messages to my cell phone - I trust what they say!  Let me share some steps from a 2016 blog post using two batik collections as directed by the fabrics. Batiks from the  Dolce  and  Rio  Collections by Benartex We were assigned to create a project for a week long blog hop. Here are the five colors I chose for my project from the lovely Dolce and Rio collections.  Five fabrics for my flowers I am still enamored with hexagon shaped blocks and patches. The most recent is the jewel (some call it a gem). I discovered how to cut it  using a standard acrylic ruler with 60 degree lines and a 60 degree multi sized triangle ruler. For a finished 6" hig...