Celebrate This Week with a Block Party!

Around the Block

Today is a day of celebration in my favourite part of the world -- it is Canada Day and so I imagine lots of festivities will be happening around the neighbourhood. Likewise in the United States on Friday this week when they celebrate their 4th of July holiday.

I just realized that so far I have not created a pattern for a quilt block called Fireworks, (note to self -- get on that to be ready for next year), so as a second idea I am featuring Around the Block. I figure that block parties might be happening -- perhaps in your neighbourhood this week.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Quotes about Celebrating

• "Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!"
  ~ Amanda Bradley


• "Everything is created from moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator contemplating the eternal Fourth of July of your absolute splendor."
  ~ Francis Lucille


• "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
  ~ Oprah Winfrey


• "Celebrate what you want to see more of."
  ~ Thomas J. Peters

_{Around the Block quilt image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
Fireworks image - public domain}

Aunt Nancy's Favorite

Aunt Nancy's Favorite (or as I prefer to spell it ... "Aunt Nancy's Favourite") is an easy to intermediate level quilt block to produce. This four patch block is only difficult due to the number of pieces used to create the block. But, it is well worth the effort. Also note that some of the pieces are constructed as mirror images of others.

Aunt Nancy's Favourite

Download the free quilt block pattern.

As you probably know by now, to be a successful quilter, all you need is to be precise in your cutting and piecing. So on that note I thought it was appropriate to feature some quotes today about success.

Quotes about Success

• "If you want to be successful, it's just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing."
  ~ Will Rogers


• "Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
  ~ Charlotte Whitton


• "Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things."
  ~ Frank Clark


• "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
  ~ Theodore Roosevelt

_{Aunt Nancy's Favourite image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com} 

For the love of flowers

Peony Basket

I can't see the logic in the name Peony Basket for this quilt block, but then I was not the person who chose the name. So, that being said, this is a easy quilt block to make and perfect for those quilters who like 10" blocks. The components of this block are squares, rectangles and half square triangles -- all very common units and easy to work with.

This five patch quilt block is sewn together as an uneven nine patch block -- the nine patch being (probably) the most common style of quilt block. Download the free quilt block pattern.

Peonies and Sunflowers

Quotes about Flowers

• "There are always flowers for those who want to see them."
  ~ Henri Matisse


• "Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into."
  ~ Henry Ward Beecher


• "Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet."
  ~ Jeremy Bentham


• "Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts."
  ~ Sigmund Freud

More Flower Quilt Blocks

_{Peony Basket image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
Flower pot image courtesy of dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net}

The Blacksmith -- aka -- the Monkey Wrench

_{Monkey Wrench}

The Monkey Wrench quilt block has been around for a long time. History tells us that quilt patterns were used as codes to help escaping slaves reach Canada along the 'Underground Railroad'. The Monkey Wrench quilt block pattern was designed to represent the blacksmith (named for the inventor of the tool -- a London blacksmith named Charles Moncke), and was one of the many quilt blocks used in the code.

By hanging a quilt with a certain pattern over a railing -- supposedly to dry -- the slaves were directed to a certain location on their road to freedom, with no one in authority being the wiser. Download the free quilt block pattern.

Today's Quotes about Tools

Eli Whitney

• "Science is a tool, and we invent tools to do things we want. It's a question of how those tools are used by people."
  ~ Margaret Atwood


• "Men have become the tools of their tools."
  ~ Henry David Thoreau


• "One of my primary objects is to form the tools so the tools themselves shall fashion the work and give to every part its just proportion."
  ~ Eli Whitney


• "Don't force it ... get a bigger hammer."
  ~ Arthur Bloch

_{Monkey Wrench image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
Eli Whitney image courtesy encyclopedia.com}

Starry, Starry Night

Twilight Star Quilts

The Twilight Star quilt block is based on the Ohio Star block with more patches added in the corners. There is nothing difficult in the making of this quilt block other than it has more pieces, therefore, more seams and so you must pay close attention to sewing an accurate seam allowance.

This quilt block is wonderful when you choose to make it a scrappy version. Just make sure to have lots of contrast in your chosen pieces. Download the free quilt block pattern.

Quotes About Stars

The Starry Night painted 1889, by Vincent van Gogh

• "For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."
  ~ Vincent van Gogh


• "Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering."
  ~ St. Augustine


• "If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare."
  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


• "No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."
  ~ Helen Keller

_{Twilight Star quilt image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
'The Starry Night' image courtesy Van Gogh Gallery}

Variation on the Nine Patch Square Quilt Block

Nine Patch Square - Variation

I was looking through some of my published quilt block patterns and liked the look of the Nine Patch Square - Variation. So, today that is the featured block.

At first glance, this looks like it would make an uninspiring quilt, but with a bit of imagination, you can create a stunning heirloom for future generations. Click the link above or download the free quilt block pattern here.

A Potpourri of Quotes for Today

• 

  Julia Child in action

  "The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."
  ~ Julia Child


• "Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody."
  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


• "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
  ~ Steve Jobs


• "I value the friend who, for me, finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar."
  ~ Robert Brault

_{Nine Patch Square Variation image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
Julia Child image public domain}

A Shout-Out to all the great Moms out there - Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Choice

It's Mother's Day on Sunday so I thought it only appropriate to celebrate all those Moms out there with the quilt block called Mother's Choice. This quilt block is a little more challenging than some, but only for the reason that there are many pieces in the block. If you are precise in sewing your quarter inch seam allowance, your block will turn out fine.

This block contains only common patches -- the half square triangle, the flying geese patches  and some squares.

Now of course there will be quotes for all you Moms out there, just so you know how important you are in the lives of your family.

Quotes about Mothers

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom

• "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."
  ~ Oscar Wilde


• "I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her"
  ~ Ellen DeGeneres


• "God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."
  ~ Rudyard Kipling


• "Mothers are the necessity of invention."
  ~ Bill Watterson

It's All About the 5

Crazy House

Monday, the 5th of May, is known as Cinco de Mayo -- a day observed in the United States and Mexico to celebrate the pride and heritage of the Mexican people.

So on that note, today's post is about celebrations and the number five -- more specifically, quilt blocks that are deemed to be five patch blocks.

Today's featured block is called Crazy House and I chose that for the simple reason that I imagine  there will be a lot of craziness going on during the 24 hours of Cinco de Mayo. Click the link above or download the free quilt pattern here.

Quotes about celebrating

• "Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!"
  ~ Amanda Bradley


• "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
  ~ Oprah Winfrey


• "Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey."
  ~ Barbara Hoffman

and finally a quote about Cinco de Mayo


• "Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America."

  

  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

  
  ~ Joe Baca

_{Crazy House image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
Cinco de Mayo Image courtesy of KEKO64 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net}