My flying geese are improving! I still cut the points off where they meet the borders, but the inside ones came out pretty well, and the seams match up (mostly) inside the block. I’m making progress! I chose continuous curve and echoing for the quilting. I did the center square first, and had to break…
Month: September 2017
Extra Block: String Hearts Variation
This block was inspired by the blocks in Elizabeth Dackson’s String Heart quilt combined with my desire to use up some skinny scraps from other Splendid Sampler blocks. She posted the original pattern and tutorial in 2013 but I found it in 2016, so the block ended up in my sampler quilt. The free pattern…
Bonus Block: Earth Day
This bonus block was released in honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2016. To make it, I broke my rule of not using blue in my blocks (I set up that constraint to challenge myself to explore other colors, because I love blue) because the earth in the center is supposed to be blue and…
Block 40 Flights of Friendship
I love this block design, and I don’t love how I quilted it. Definitely a live-and-learn moment. The block features four happy little dancing stars. In the original pattern, the stars are colorful and the background is plain, but I saw another quilter’s variation (she is Rat Ferré from Barcelona, but I can’t find her…
Blogger’s Quilt Festival!
What a lovely idea: an online quilt festival featuring quilts by bloggers! The Blogger’s Quilt Festival is hosted by Amy Ellis (Amy’s Creative Side). I discovered it this year for the first time and I’m delighted to share Jude’s Foxes as my entry in the Fall 2017 Edition. I completed Jude’s Foxes earlier this year…
Block 18 Lina’s Gift
This is my first basket block ever! The basket is a traditional quilting design with lots of variations. I’m pleased with the colors I chose even though it didn’t come out looking basket-like. It looks more like the bear’s paw block because I chose a dark green instead of a lighter background color for the triangle…
Bright Sisters: Drunkard’s Path Units
I made 160 curved units without using a single pin. Here’s how: The Long Version Bright Sisters, the colorblock quilt I’m making for my sister, contains 160 curved patches (drunkard’s path units). On these units, the edge of the circle comes within 1/4″ of the edge of the block, meaning that the circle should be…
Block 17 Family Stars
I like the hidden star in the center of this block. It was a little fiddly to do all the tiny flying geese units (which just means I need more practice), and I definitely stunted some of the points on the stars, but I love the way it sparkles on the block. I wanted the…
Block 4 Happy, Happy
I enjoy appliqué, so this block was fun to do. When it was time to quilt it, I wanted the little flower circles to pop up and the background to recede, so I echoed around the shape of the vase and flowers and then quilted close back & forth lines in the background squares. I…