A simple, yet effective design, this one from about 1820-1840 from the New Jersey project. I've used variations on this pattern several times. Here's one from my book Making History done in William Morris reproduction prints. The block is a basic square in a square, published with names in the 1930s but much older than that. It's #2375a in the old BlockBase and the new BlockBase+. But what makes the quilt above work so well is the shading trick, alternating color emphasis, a design technique called counterchange. What's dark in one block is light in the next. And if you are successful you get a secondary pattern of a star. Quilt from about 1890-1925 With three shades the star becomes more prominent. I have been drawing it up in EQ8 in my Ladies Legacy Civil War era fabrics from Moda.... Inspired by this antique from an online auction. But when I look at the shading on this one I realize it's even simpler. A pattern so basic it doesn't have a name. Nobody ever published it so it's Unnamed and Unknown in BlockBase+ But at least it's in there. Certainly quilters made it with or without a published pattern. This one maybe 1900-1920? Once again a simple shading change makes a more complex design and a more interesting quilt.The unnamed X blocks are all shaded the same but rotated. And the alternate squares are shaded in dark and light rows. Think in rows. Took me a while to figure that out in EQ8. 10-inch Layer Cakes cut into 4 triangles with two cuts will give you a finished block about 9 inches. (I'm guessing.) Well then I saw this red, white and blue fragment on eBay. Looked familiar but it's not what I first thought. Once again it's a simple block alternated with a plain square shaded counterchange fashion It's NOT in BlockBase+. Rats. But if it were it would be #1000 as a set for a simple four-patch on point... Block maybe 1900-1940? ...which once again is so basic nobody ever published a pattern so it's not in BlockBase (where it should be #2380.5) What next? Ladies' Legacy is perfect for this pattern with all its red, white and blues. All the four-patch blocks are shaded the same but rotated in rows. The plain, unpieced squares are dark in one row, light in the next. Pretty simple, pretty cool. Now I keep saying "simple" but if you are thinking of making these square-in-a-square blocks you need to be careful to get your points to line up at the block seam. It's easy to blunt them. A challenge but it will be good practice in points. See a post I did a while ago on these two block designs: https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2019/12/square-in-squarediamond-in-square.html Other patterns we've done for Ladies' Legacy. Look for Patriot Dream Quilt Pattern by Wendy Sheppard. And Squared away by Nova Birchfield for It'sSewEmma.

Wow, three days of 15+ quilters / artists in the house and the ideas just started flowing. Gwen was under the weather the first day. She did her intro, pinned up her Small Studies samples and then went back to her room. And we got busy. These first 4 pieces are some of my favorites of Gwen's work. I just love the shot of turquoise that jumped into this piece. Here is the collective work of our class. WOW. I watched people share their ideas, their formulas, their methods. It was a room that was busting with ideas and creativity. You can see my pieces on the bottom left. First piece as too much print in it, the second one got a shot of pink and the small piece on the bottom left is the beginning of ?????? These two are made by the same quilter, in fact, she had 3 pieces finished by the end of day 3. It wasn't' a race or a competition, and I have to tell you, I learned SO MUCH watching KM work. I have already starting thinking in a different manner about piecing and quilting design in general after these three days. Close up of KM's third piece. This picture is twisted, but see next picture. Great work by this quilter. Here is the second piece right side up. I love the curve in the top right corner and how it plays with the straight outside edge of the borders. I had the pleasure of having Tom at my table. It was fabulous to watch him work. He's spent his career surrounded by line and design and has recently started playing with textiles. Unfortunately, I did not capture his first piece that was superb. In this picture, he re created the piece on the left side, which is a chenille creation of his. The upper left was his 3rd piece of the workshop. My goal was to test every technique Gwen had to offer. I came home with a stitched sample of each method she uses and I can now refer back to these pieces for reference. That was my goal, I achieved it and am very pleased with my pieces and my ability to move forward onto a second and third piece. And if you've stayed with me, here is the info on Gwen's new book. I can't wait, and I'm positive it will be one that becomes dog eared and coffee stained in my studio. Thank you Gwen, for a life time of creating and sharing and teaching. I've learned so much from you! Sharon

Square Root is a fun, fast, and versatile pattern, perfect for Jelly Roll™ lovers or those who simply want to manicure their fabric stashes. To appliqué or not to appliqué, that is the question! It would be cute either way…there are lots of possibilities with this one! This pattern is the paper version that will be mailed to your house Jelly Roll friendly. The finished size quilt is 54" X 70".

The latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting is hitting the newsstands and mailboxes this week. I'm sure subscribers are anticipating this new issue, especially considering the times we are living in right now. It's jam packed with great projects and I'm thrilled to be part of this issue. I can't imagine all the puzzles the staff had to solve to get this to your doorstep. I hope you enjoy every page of it! I first blogged about this project here. Photo courtesy of American Patchwork & Quilting Used with permission © First I must give a big shout out to Barb, from Fun with Barb, who hosted this fantastic swap. I also have to thank my stitching pals who offered up their scrap bags so I could get such a variety of prints and colors for the 16 patch blocks. Even Jody (editor of magazine) sent me a goodie bag of scraps. The best part of participating in a swap is getting that envelop in the mail, and anticipating all the different colors and prints that will become part of a quilt. I knew I could not let these star blocks get tucked away in a box or bag so I got busy right away. Here I am testing out the 16 patch blocks with swapped star blocks. Look at all those prints and colors! Testing out more 16 patch blocks and realizing that I need to keep the lighter squares away from the corners of the blocks. Once I had all my blocks made I started playing with the layout. One challenge is balancing out both color and value. The other consideration was spreading out the blocks based on whether they were all one fabric or two toned. Using the black and white setting on your cell phone is the best way to work out the values of all the star blocks. I love the name the team at American Patchwork & Quilting gave this quilt. It's perfect for this swap block quilt. Photo courtesy of American Patchwork & Quilting Used with permission © When deciding on the quilting, I wanted to keep it very simple and clean. The fabrics are the star of this quilt and I didn't want to detract from the huge variety of prints and colors. Straight lines and neutral thread did the trick. The cover quilt is pretty fabulous, along with many other patterns in the issue. "Meet the Maker" is also a great section to introduce you to quilters that might be 'new to you' There is a lot going on in the design world right now, and AP&Q have captured a lot of it and packed it into this issue. I hope that you take some time to enjoy this issue. Maybe you will find a project of two that you can start prepping for and work on during the upcoming fall months. All the staff at AP & Q have stayed hard at work under these challenging times. A big thank you to them for always making my work look so good! Please share any projects and tag the maker. Me, you can always see whats happening on my Instagram page #grassrootsquilting Hop over there, follow along, and tag me on any of my projects. I love to see how others interpret my patterns. Stay safe, mask up and keep stitching. We are all in this together! Sharon

A square root spiral looks like thisWe follow these steps to form itMark a center point O.From point O, draw a horizontal line OA of length 1 cm.From point A, draw a perpendicular line AB of length 1 cm.Join OB, here OB = √2.Now, from point B, draw a line perpendicular to OB (Use set squares) of le

My upcoming free pattern for the upcoming Imprint collection has this above block as the focal point of the quilt. I named it Rooted bl...

Oh how I love to quilt feathers. This was the perfect opportunity for me to load up a quilt with feathers. Look at the tiny 1/2 sq triangles in that one block. They were hand pieced into this top. All 36 into that one block. Wow. MH wanted either feathers or Baptist Fans, and since my BF is done with templates, not a board or a computer, I chose to free hand feathers and do curves in all the smaller triangles on this very large top.. The backing was a beautiful print, but the quilting still showed up nicely. There is a lucky guy out there getting gifted this amazing quilt. I hope he appreciates all the time that has been put into the making of this quilt. The colors and fabrics are gorgeous, one continuous background and then a variety of blues and greens. The greens are very random and really make this pop. If you want hand guided feathers on one of your quilts, please consider me for the quilting. I am quilting full time and can be contacted via my email.  I hope you get some stitching time in this weekend, Sharon

Square Root - Pantograph / E2E © 2017 Sarah Ann Myers PAPER: A single row is 6 inches - printed with one row - 144 inches long DIGITAL (computerized quilting systems): Zip file includes: BQM, CQP, DXF, HQF, IQP, PAT, QLI, SSD, TXT, WMF and 4QB or PLT. Most designs also include a DWG, GPF, PDF, PNG and SVG. SELF-PRINT: A single row is 5 inches - printed with one row.

Here's the perfect example of ca. 1960 style Rules: Any color goes with any color In a time of new dyes giving us new colors quilters embraced every shade with enthusiasm. The pattern: A variation on Grandmother's Pride from the syndicated Laura Wheeler column. A kind of art-deco update to the fan design. "Laura" (a fictional human being) showed a triangle at the bottom of the design... Which the seamstress ignored in the quilt at the top of the page. She had some rules though. Plains in the center patches, prints next and the squares are all variations of geometrical plaids. BlockBase #3341 Quilters Newsletter named it Empress in 1978. It does look like a crown. The Laura Wheeler patchwork patterns began in the 1930s and were widely syndicated until the 1970s. This one seems to have been popular.

Quilts made with disappearing blocks are intriguing—and oh-so-fun! But just what are they and how are they made?

These two pillows are perfect companions to the Putting Down Roots Quilt. We have made two of them – one with a solid peacock background, like the quilt, and the other in country red. The pillows use two of the small flower blocks from the quilt and only need small amounts of fabrics for the appliqué. Finished Size21in (53.3cm) square

This is the Emilie Quilt, named after my daughter Emilie and the quilt that I made for her arrival. The Emilie Quilt is made up of nine traditional Ohio Star quilt blocks. The quilt block itself is not an original design by The Stitch Saloon. The Ohio Star is a classic quilt block design rooted in the American Civil War era. This pattern has been written to provide simple direction on creating a nine-patch quilt in various sizes using the Ohio Star quilt block design, with a simple sashing between each block to help your fabrics shine.It is a beginner friendly pattern that takes you through a few fundamental methods in quilting, being the half and quarter square triangles and a nine patch block. It is also perfect for the seasoned quilter wanting a quick make to show off those beautiful fabrics that you've been saving in your stash! The pattern is fat quarter friendly but you will need yardage for the background.The pattern provides direction for Baby (37" x 37"), Small Throw (46" x 46") and Large Throw (64" x 64") sizes.Be sure to check out the #emiliequilt hashtag on IG to see what other makers have made!* PDF DOWNLOAD*After purchasing, you will be sent an email with a link to instantly download your pattern. You’ll have a limited number of downloads. Please save to your computer before opening on other devices. You will need to open on a non-mobile device.If you don’t receive your email/link, first check your junk folder and then contact me for assistance.Copyright 2021 The Stitch SaloonYou may sell items made with this pattern on a small scale with credit to The Stitch Saloon.

This 71-inch square quilt was made during a Color and Line workshop with Sujata Shah of The Root Connection. The 144 blocks made from purples, blues, and some greens are organized from the blues to the purples. It has been quilted in a purple ombre thread around the vertical and horizontal seam lines. The binding is blue. The backing is made from 2 geometric fabrics. This quilt is machine-washable and dryable on the gentle cycle.

I think I should call it Houses made of sticks and stones. It is truly made out of what I would have otherwise discarded in a heartbeat if it wasn't for Bonnie Hunter's lecture at our guild couple of weeks ago. I was so impressed by her quilts, all traditional and made from scraps cut in itty-bitty pieces and strings. I bought one of her books for some inspirations. I was already feeling as if she was speaking my language. I have hard time throwing away scraps but I end up making mostly improv string quilts with them. So after hearing her talk, I came home and decided to organize my scraps the way she explained and give a traditional quilt a try. Well, that didn't go as well as I imagined. Few squares cut out of scraps and I was done with that "cutting up my scraps and putting them away for later use" method. I had to make something right away. So I started this project by cutting them up into 1 1/2" strings. The only problem, I had mix of all kinds of scraps, dull and brights. To make things easier and since I had vowed to not take contents of the scrap bins back into the sewing room, I decided to make two of the same quilts at a time. A woman's handkerchief quilt and a man's handkerchief quilt. My husband loves the version below. Current size: 22"X 45" Needless to say, I had more of dull and old looking strings from forever ago! These blocks are the same size as the bright ones. I like the contrast and real handkerchief look of these blocks. And, in a way they are made out of sticks and stones. Almost insignificant prints and colors compare to my current taste in fabrics. I wouldn't have given them a second look. But yet, here they are... Sitting pretty next to each other.At least that's what I think. I can easily see these quilts as an ongoing project. I am not going to rush this one. I will make these blocks as I gather scraps from my other quilts. That way I will keep my bins under control and will know exactly which quilt they will go to. I think it's great idea! Don't you? Choose a block or a pattern, and keep cutting away pieces for that quilt.Thanks, Bonnie! Finished block 7.5" X 7.5" Here is how the block is made. Start with a 3" square. The numbers in the picture represent the cut size. The strings are 1 1/2" wide. When I cut them from leftover scraps, tried to get two strings from the same piece. For example, 3 and 4 inch and paired them up. Longer strings were cut out of longer chunks. Little ones from the smaller pieces. You get the idea. No rhyme or reason where they all go as long as there is some what contrast in the piecing. That's all! Want to make one? It goes really fast once you have cut strings. Since I am not preplanning the quilts, it will be itneresting to see how the colors and prints of the blocks evolve with time and with scraps at hand. I guess we all will have to wait and see! I also cut more of my red and yellow hsts. Keeping busy while not sewing with yummy food and company of friends. Life is good!

Added to the ever growing "needs binding" list, here is Square Root. The sun shining through lets you see you back at the same time as the front. Maybe I should hang it backwards to I can shoot from the other side of the pool? Here is a shot of the back so you can see the quilting a little bit. it kind of looks like a topographic map to me. I just cut up a pile of binding strips, so I guess I will work on that a while. There was a Royal Pains marathon on TV while we were away, so I have entertainment for hours of handwork just sitting in the DVR waiting. I think the main goal for today though is to get my sewing room organized a bit more. I have a bunch of those plastic drawer organizers that I am going to use to hold precut strips and squares. They are in bins now in the laundry room, but I thought they might be more accessible sitting under the quilting frame. There is certainly a lot of room there. I guess whatever it is I'm going to do, I'd better get started. Have a happy Monday, it should be a nice three day weekend for those in the U.S. that still work during the summers. For me it looks a lot like yesterday which will look a lot like most days for the next 5 weeks. Sigh, summer is half gone. I'd better get busy.

Since I love applique, I'm always searching them out at quilt shows. The ones with hand quilting really catch my eye and I'm always happy to see the hand work being shown. Enjoy Part 2 of this quilt show. Sorry, I didn't turn this picture. I liked the layout of this one, the sashing and border really pops the blocks. Pat Sloan pattern? I think so. Bright and cheerful! The color choices on this were lovely. This pink/green/white appealed to me. I love the balance of color and the design really shines with the bit of dark used for star points and little hourglass blocks. And I loved the very pretty, and clean lines of the quilting. They didn't fuss it up with a ton of thread, but really accented the patchwork. Oh how this one caught my eye, and the eye of many other viewers around me. The compliments were flying both times I went to look at this piece. So much color and great placement of flowers and leaves. Plus the background choices really helped the applique pop. I was so surprised to read the card beside this quilt and not recognize the quilter's name. I was so sure I knew who created this piece, both the fabric choices and quilting felt familiar to me. Then I ran into Nifty Quilts and she asked if I saw her plaid strip quilt. Duh....I read the wrong card. Of course this is her work. Fabulous baptist fan quilting with black perl cotton. I purchased this fan template after seeing Nifty show some work on her blog. I am mentally designing a quilt top that I can use this stencil with. You can purchase it here. I'm not affiliated, I just know it's a great online shop and the service and product is terrific. close up Stellar secondary designs were added with the machine quilting. And those circles are actual faced holes with a background layered behind them. I've seen this technique years ago without a background, and it still mystifies me as to the technical steps to achieve this look. Fabulous piece. Simple blocks with great results. All patchwork does not have to be complicated and time consuming and stressful and laborious to be fabulous. This is the perfect example. I don't know who's quilt this is, but I love it! Another great liberated modern piece. The color choices are fantastic in this one, and it drew me in for a closer look several times. I'm a bit biased on this last piece, as I did the quilting on it, but I truly love it. Nifty Quilts sent this to me in the new year and I loved working with her on this one. Keep it simple and whimsical and not a lot of quilting on this, she said. These are left over parts and pieces, the leaves are string pieced, ala Susan McCord, the outer blocks are from Organized Chaos. (remember the piece from my last post?) Big string pieced baskets. Both machine and hand applique is used, and borders got their bang from the prints in the fabric. The striped Kaffe really shines next to the outer border. This piece is big, it's fantastic, and it is totally a Nifty creation. One of a kind! I hope you enjoyed my mini version of a fantastic show. Now if only they call me and tell me I won their raffle quilt, it will have been a perfect day. Minus the torrential rains that Tonya A. drove in to get us there. She's also a great quilter, check out her latest pattern in Quiltmania. Keep stitching, Sharon

Are you familiar with the quilts of John Sims? In this photo from 2005, he and a few Amish quilters are sewing on the piece "Civil Pi Movement." John Sims specializes in math-based quilts. In 2008, he exhibited 13 quilts in the show Square Roots: A Quilted Manifesto. Read an interview with him by noted art curator A. M. Weaver on the BOMBlog. Enjoy!

Town Square Wagon Wheels Mango Ssalsa House top and pine trees Sunset Baskets for Meera Grid-Lock The Kite Festival Confetti Inspired by the Quilts of Gee's Bend Summer of 2011 Winter Memories Kavita's Garden

This has got to be one of the cutest baby quilts I've seen. Bow Ties; such a classic pattern! This one has been updated with an extra block added to the sashing. Sorry, I don't have the pattern designer name. This was a customer quilt sent to me from RH on the east coast. I adore her color choices. These greys just allow the colors to pop and really show off the pattern. Simple blocks with great fabric = a great quilt. There are a ton of patterns out on the market. We need to support our designers, (i'm a budding pattern designer) but don't overlook a good solid classic block pattern. A little twist here and there and you can make your own great designs. And quilt backs! Oh how I love quilt backs that show up the secondary designs placed on the quilt by the quilter. As a longarm quilter, I believe my job is to make the piecer's work shine. I'm not to overshadow it. But the backs belong to the quilter! Call me a show off, but I do love a good back! Keep stitching, and I'll keep quilting! Sharon

Saatchi Art is pleased to offer the painting, "Squares and roots metamorphosis," by Victoria Potrovitza, available for purchase at $4,020 USD. Original Painting: Fiber, Pencil, Ballpoint Pen on Canvas, Soft (Yarn, Cotton, Fabric), Other. Size is 36 H x 22 W x 1 in.

The Sweet Tea Girls Rhiannon quilt kit is a beautiful quilt featuring a tree of life panel surrounded by multiple borders of celtic knots and braids. The added borders give this quilt size while still keeping the panel as the focal point. Piecing is used and this quilt would be great for a confident beginner. The final quilt measures 78" Square.Included in Kit: Pattern. Fabric for top and binding.Not Included: Batting and Backing.Backing Needed: 5 Yards.

Helena Wentzlaff’s quilts are to quilting what Mt. Rushmore, apple pie and country living represent in American folklore. Our heritage, home and roots.

I think I should call it Houses made of sticks and stones. It is truly made out of what I would have otherwise discarded in a heartbeat if it wasn't for Bonnie Hunter's lecture at our guild couple of weeks ago. I was so impressed by her quilts, all traditional and made from scraps cut in itty-bitty pieces and strings. I bought one of her books for some inspirations. I was already feeling as if she was speaking my language. I have hard time throwing away scraps but I end up making mostly improv string quilts with them. So after hearing her talk, I came home and decided to organize my scraps the way she explained and give a traditional quilt a try. Well, that didn't go as well as I imagined. Few squares cut out of scraps and I was done with that "cutting up my scraps and putting them away for later use" method. I had to make something right away. So I started this project by cutting them up into 1 1/2" strings. The only problem, I had mix of all kinds of scraps, dull and brights. To make things easier and since I had vowed to not take contents of the scrap bins back into the sewing room, I decided to make two of the same quilts at a time. A woman's handkerchief quilt and a man's handkerchief quilt. My husband loves the version below. Current size: 22"X 45" Needless to say, I had more of dull and old looking strings from forever ago! These blocks are the same size as the bright ones. I like the contrast and real handkerchief look of these blocks. And, in a way they are made out of sticks and stones. Almost insignificant prints and colors compare to my current taste in fabrics. I wouldn't have given them a second look. But yet, here they are... Sitting pretty next to each other.At least that's what I think. I can easily see these quilts as an ongoing project. I am not going to rush this one. I will make these blocks as I gather scraps from my other quilts. That way I will keep my bins under control and will know exactly which quilt they will go to. I think it's great idea! Don't you? Choose a block or a pattern, and keep cutting away pieces for that quilt.Thanks, Bonnie! Finished block 7.5" X 7.5" Here is how the block is made. Start with a 3" square. The numbers in the picture represent the cut size. The strings are 1 1/2" wide. When I cut them from leftover scraps, tried to get two strings from the same piece. For example, 3 and 4 inch and paired them up. Longer strings were cut out of longer chunks. Little ones from the smaller pieces. You get the idea. No rhyme or reason where they all go as long as there is some what contrast in the piecing. That's all! Want to make one? It goes really fast once you have cut strings. Since I am not preplanning the quilts, it will be itneresting to see how the colors and prints of the blocks evolve with time and with scraps at hand. I guess we all will have to wait and see! I also cut more of my red and yellow hsts. Keeping busy while not sewing with yummy food and company of friends. Life is good!

Vast Quilt - Noodlehead, a large half-square triangle quilt. Pattern from Patchwork Essentials: The Half-Square Triangle by Jeni Baker.

The latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting is hitting the newsstands and mailboxes this week. I'm sure subscribers are anticipating ...

Where was I? Last time, almost two and a half months back I was here and somehow summer months took over. From Gwen's book and collection "37 Sketches" Lynn Harris, a good friend of Gwen, a prolific quilt artist was kind to come along. Lynn has participated in Gwen's retreats since 1998 or so! Lucky Lynn! I am forever thankful for her generosity for taking the time out of her already busy life and agreeing to accompany me to the island. We started our road trip the day after my second workshop at the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild. As we got closer to the lake Michigan, I found out Michigan is another state famous for producing cherries. The orchards were loaded with fruit. On our way to Charlevoix airport we had a great time talking quilts, families, books and being a first time author. Those of you who don't know, the only access to the island is a ferry or a flight. We decided the flight would be extra fun and will save time. We were like kids in a candy store! Our ride to the island Gwen came to pick us up at the airport in her red truck! This picture alone tells how happy we all were to see each other. Gwen and Lynn Next two days we spent talking, sharing and more talking. Gwen was so generous to show us both her antique quilts, textiles from around the world and her own quilts from her numerous books. We spent time in her studio looking at her collections of antique blocks and many laughs. Gwen's Liberated Log Cabin She is all smiles! One of my favorites! Stack of Sketches A Sunset to Remember! Moments I will never forget! The Cover Girl Lynn and I slept in Gwen's guest house covered in quilts made by her. I am still in disbelief when I think of the time I spent on Beaver Island. Gwen is a gem. Not that we all don't already know it. Those of you who have had chance to attend her workshops are fortunate. As Gwen wraps up her teaching years, I am going to continue studying liberated quilting through her books. I wonder what is next for Gwen. We often talk about - What next.. I sure hope she continues writing and inspired us all. Speaking of which, Have you got Gwen's latest book A Common Thread? I highly recommend this book. It is a collection of quilts from many years, takes you on a journey through her entire quilting life. You must visit here to read more reviews of this book. There is a little bit of sewing going on my kitchen table inspired by this book. Hopefully there will be enough progress to post it here soon. Hope you all are enjoying early days of fall. I am stitching away my Square in Square quilt from the book. It is an after thought I love very much! Happy Stitching, Sujata

The Day12! For my readers in Australia and other countries half way around the world, this day already begun a while ago. I am late!!! I have been a huge fan of Janet Treen since the day I discovered her blog. Her quilts are absolutely amazing. She is a dear friend, an award winning designer and quilter and a great teacher on the blog. I have learned so many tricks by reading her blog. One of the reasons for adding gentle curves to the cutting is to mimic applique patterns. The reverse applique coverlet I posted yesterday is a perfect example of tribal work done without templates and patterns can have variation in the final result. I think the technique in the book will free you up on so many things. Be curious Be bold Be spontaneous Be creative Be intuitive. When you choose design, patterns, fabrics and colors, try something new just for experimenting. Often times we are so stuck in our ways, we limit ourselves of possibilities. Cultural Fusion Quilts is filled with images of possibilities..I hope you explore more as you work on your own quilts and put your own twists and turns to the quilts. Daffodil Dreams This is my definition of balance in design, color, positive and negative space and composition. People ask me if my graphic design study comes in handy when I work with my fabrics and colors. I do have a lot to discuss about that but not today. First you must have my book. Run over to Quiltsalott and read her post. Enter a comment to win a chance to win my book. If you are a U.S. resident, you will receive a hard copy and if you are an international visitor, you will receive an e-book. If you missed any of the previous bloggers listed below, visit them too. There are accepting comments but more importantly, you will love their blogs. Friday December 5 Rachaeldaisy @ Blue Mountain Daisy Open Monday December 8 Malka Dubrawsky @ A Stitch in Dye Open Tuesday December 9 Sherri Lynn Wood @ daintytime Open Wednesday December10 Bonnie Hunter @ Quiltville's Quips and Snips Open Thursday December 11 Jake Finch @ Generation Q Open Friday December 12 Jan Burgwinkle @ Be*mused Open Saturday December 13 Janet Treen @ Quiltsalott Today Sunday December 14 Lindsay Conner @ Lindsay Sews

Note: The many photos in this post are fairly large on the screen. If you’d like to see these quilt illustrations smaller so more than one fits on the screen, try pressing CTRL and – (m…

Os dejamos los dibujos de los cojines que hemos estado enseñando estos días.

nif-ty; adjective (ti-er, ti-est) informal, fashionable, stylish: a nifty quilt!

*This post was sponsored by Cricut and Riley Blake Designs but all thoughts and opinions are my own! I started sewing when my oldest was a baby. I had told my mother that I wanted to sew baby blankets and one day she randomly showed up with a sewing machine that I could "borrow" until the day she had the desire to sew. Strangely that day still has not come.... For the next 9 years I mostly sewed blankets and crib sets. I would sell custom sets to friends and friends of friends, and I also sold on Ebay. Then I started getting more into clothing and stepped away from quilts. Crazily, the last quilt I made was 5 years ago! I loved doing wonky quilts because I could never seem to get the cuts quite nice and straight, so I was completely stoked when I heard that the Cricut Maker would cut fabric. That meant no more wonky cuts from me! My children are also getting rather giant and in need of some new "mum made" quilts. It was serendipitous that the Half Hexi Quilt is one of the 50 FREE patterns on Cricuts Design Space. It was meant to be! I went with Riley Blake's Blue Carolina line by Christopher Thompson. It's just such a pretty line and I couldn't get over the "cut. sew. repeat" print! Aevarie has claimed this quilt (aka fought all the other kids tooth and nail and came out on top...). Cutting the fabric is a breeze. It's so easy that Jude is my designated button pusher. Jude has also declared the Cricut Maker "his" since I apparently already have a machine and I should "share". Since I wanted the quilt to be bigger, I cut the quilt out twice on the Maker plus 4 more boards to equal 108 big pieces, then 24 smaller pieces because I wanted straight edges. The bigger size is 12 pieces across by 9 pieces down (not including the small pieces to even out the hem). It's not quite the size of a twin size quilt, but I think is the perfect size for a topper. I haven't quilted it yet, so I may add a border to top off the size and make it a full Twin size quilt. Heaven knows Aevarie is growing fast enough that she'll be out of this size in a flash! I cannot wait until more quilt patterns become available on the Cricut Maker as well. This took out the biggest thing holding me back from making quilts. I really do despise cutting! LOL Want to check out the other 49 FREE projects included with your Cricut Maker?! Click the pictures below to see how some of my blog buddies created these projects with their Maker! An InLinkz Link-up Want to make these projects but don't have a Maker yet? Enter through the widget below to not only win the new Cricut Maker but also the HSN bundle being released tonight at midnight! a Rafflecopter giveaway Giveaway open to residents in the US and Canada ages 18 years and older. Giveaway runs from 10/2/17-10/9/17 and winner will be notified by email no later than 10/10/17. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This experience is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of charge by the company or PR agency and I have given my honest opinion. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.