Martha Washington Star

This block is named for the first First Lady of the United States.  According to her biography at US History.org, she seemed to be a beautiful but uncomplicated woman.  Maybe that's why this block is named after her.

As usual, 12" block measurements are listed first with 8" block measurements in parenthesis.  Before you start, make sure to check out the Flying Geese Tutorial to refresh your memory on our fast and easy flying geese method.  The math is done for you, but it's necessary to be familiar with the steps of construction (they are not shown here).  

Forest Paths

I know some of you are participating in one (or more) pinwheel quilt-alongs right now so I hope you don't mind one more pinwheel block. This block was so perfect for tomorrow's project that I couldn't pass it up. Hopefully you'll agree.

Hither and Yon

This block is a doozy.  I ripped a lot of seams while working this tutorial.  As you all know, I'm making 8" finished blocks for a Christmas quilt.  Unfortunately, the 8" version of this block has some strange measurements, and so we're not able to use any of the easy piecing methods we've learned.

As always, I'm listing the measurements for 12" finished blocks with 8" measurements in parenthesis.  If you're too scared of triangles, check this tutorial to make a 12" finished block using easy piecing methods.  If you're making 8" finished blocks, you're stuck with this!

Quatrefoil

Good morning everyone! It's so very early, isn't it? I don't mean to complain about daylight savings time but it's hard to be cheerful about it when I'm so tired.

But, something that did make me happy despite the tiredness, was seeing John's post about our little blog. I'm definitely a Quilt Dad fan, aren't you?

So, welcome to everyone who's here because of his recommendation. You've picked a good day because this is the block we're making this week:



This is definitely one of my favorite blocks. I'm not actually into flowers but for some reason, the pointy "petals" really appeal to me.

Corner Star

Sorry for being tardy to the party.  I'm not usually the one to make a fashionably late entrance, but this block boggled my mind for longer than usual.

The Corner Star block is made up of flying geese and square in a square units.  If you've been quilting along with us, this will be a piece of cake for you!

This tutorial lists measurements for a 16" block, since that's what we'll need for our project this week.  Measurements for the 8" block are written in parenthesis.  If you need 12" measurements, just ask!

The Dandy

This week's block is one of my all-time favorites. First, the name is just too good to be true and second, it's nearly impossible to screw it up. The points on the star don't have to match up with anything...they just float there looking all pointy and perfect. Try it, you might like it!

Sunshine

I love the look of this block-- it's similar to Sawtooth and Bear's Paw blocks, but just unique enough.  You can make this block using one, two, or four medium or dark focus fabrics plus a light fabric for the background.  My block uses four focus fabrics; if you want to use less, just adjust your cutting instructions as needed.

Just like last time, measurements given are for a 12" block.  Measurements for an 8" block are listed in parentheses.

Shoofly

This week's project requires a truly tiny block (6") so rather than drive you all crazy with truly tiny pieces, I picked an easy block. It's an oldie but goodie...the Shoofly Block:

Eight Hands Around

What a cute block!  In this tutorial you're going to get brave and sew with triangles, instead of cheater squares.  Don't worry-- if you don't press too hard and pull too much, they'll turn out just fine.  But, you're going to wish you had eight hands when it comes time to make this.

Broken Dishes

Alright everyone...we begin round two with the classic "Broken Dishes" block:

Old Maid's Puzzle

Alright everyone...this is the last block of our quilt-along! This week we'll share some ideas for modern quilt layouts but for now, I hope you enjoy making this block.

Card Trick

Card Trick relies heavily on the use of light, medium, and dark fabrics. Be sure to choose fabrics with obvious contrast, otherwise you'll just have a lot of triangles.


As the name suggests, this is an extremely tricky block. We'll be piecing this block using actual triangles instead of our easy cut-squares method. I tried to figure out how to do this using the easy method, but because of the necessary light-dark combinations, it doesn't work. Don't try it! Trust me.

Mosaic

We're almost finished with our quilt along...just two blocks left to go after today's tutorial. As you can see, the blocks are getting more complicated but not harder. This block has a lot of pieces and steps but you've done them all before if you've been quilting along with us.

Lady of the Lake

Contrast is key with the Lady of the Lake block.  Since the center blocks are so big, choose fabrics that you would like to showcase.  Here's a great resource on making Lady of the Lake and, of course, some inspiration

Lady of the Lake has a beautiful name but is kind of a pain to make.  If you're worried about your half-square triangles coming out perfect, bump measurements up to an even 3" and 9" then trim after sewing and pressing.

Antique Tile

This is one of my favorite blocks so far and in general. This is a great block for directional prints since there aren't any triangles to mess it up.

This tutorial will show you the fastest way to make this block using strips of fabric. You also have the option to cut individual pieces if you're trying to manipulate the direction of the print. This is a fun block and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Courthouse Steps

This block is a Log Cabin variation.  It's very simple and intuitive to put together.   I, of course, think it is modern in its simplicity.  We'll see if you agree!

Dutchman's Puzzle

Dutchman's Puzzle blocks are really fun because there are lots of variations. Basically, we're making eight flying geese blocks and then sewing them together. This tutorial uses four fabrics plus a background fabric. You could use from one to eight fabrics plus a background fabric (or many background fabrics). It's up to you.

There is also more than one way to make a flying geese block. My tutorial will leave you with lots of leftover triangles. I like this method because it makes an accurate "goose" and I can make four bonus pinwheel blocks from the leftover pieces.

If you want to make these blocks without the "wasted" fabric, try this tutorial. I've never made flying geese this way it so I don't know how well it works...it looks pretty cool, though and I'd like to give it a try someday.

Ohio Star

The Ohio Star block is probably one of the most common and well-known traditional quilt blocks.  You can find many variations, including the Maverick Star, which is currently all the rage around the internets.

This block is easy to make, so long as you pay attention to the details.  It's built on a simple nine-patch block, with quarter-square triangles thrown in.

Bonus (mini) Block!

A few of my tutorials will leave you with leftover triangles of fabric. There are ways to make the quilt-along blocks so there are no leftover triangles but I prefer this way for accuracy and because I like to make mini blocks.

Amish Diamond Tutorial