County Fair

County Fair quilt block

County Fair is a block I had never seen before and it would be a choice if you want a bit of a challenge. Blocks within a block is how you might describe County Fair as there are four distinct star blocks within the larger block. All in all that means lots of pieces.

The good news is that your quilt can go together faster since you make larger blocks and therefore, need fewer in the end.

County Fair quilt

By switching up the colours for the background you can make a really striking quilt. Or why not try using a unique layout for the blocks to achieve another interesting look for your special project.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Fun at the Fair

• "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
  ~ John Lennon

Make that a double ...

Double Links quilt block

As in a Double Links quilt block...

This block might be considered challenging by some, but only because it contains so many individual pieces. However, the patches are all common ones -- half square triangles and quarter square triangles. By sewing a precise quarter inch seam allowance, you will find that this is not a difficult quilt block to make -- it might just take a while due to the number of pieces. In the end though, you will be pleased with the result.

Double Links quilt

I had great fun playing around with the quilt settings and this is one of the quilts I came up with. Not only do you have a really interesting quilt block to feature, but you also have ample free space to feature your quilting skills.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

P.S. to Maria -- does this block look familiar?

One Smart Guy

• "Creativity is intelligence having fun."
  ~ Albert Einstein

_{'Double Links' images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}

Pretty in Pink

Princess Charlotte sample quilt

Well the day after my last post, wouldn't you know it but I came upon a quilt block called Princess Charlotte. I don't recall ever seeing it before (at least with this name) but it may have been around for a while, or perhaps it was created to welcome the newest member of Britain's royal family.

Princess Charlotte quilt block

Whatever the case, I think it is a wonderful choice and it has lots of possibilities when you put it into your quilt. An added bonus is that it is an easy quilt block to make. What could be better?

Download the free quilt block pattern.

The sweetness of babies

• "Having a baby is one of the most wonderful things in your life, as well as the hardest thing in your life."
  ~ Nuno Bettencourt


• Whenever I want to laugh, I read a wonderful book, Children's Letters to God. You can open it anywhere. One I read recently said, "Dear God, thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy."
  ~ Maya Angelou

_{Images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}

The bookies got it right ...

It's all in the name. The royals have chosen a name for the newest arrival and it is as predicted ... Princess Charlotte.

Kate and Princess Charlotte

So, the closest I could get to that was to feature a quilt block called Queen Charlotte's Crown. It's all royalty after all, and perhaps she will actually be a queen someday.

This quilt block is also appropriate for today, which is Cinco de Mayo, celebrated on the 5^th day of the 5^th month. What is the connection you ask? Well this block is a five patch in construction, meaning it is created on a 5 x 5 grid.

Queen Charlotte's Crown quilt block

This block is not seen all that often, and in fact it was new to me when I created the pattern. I find it is always fun to try something new, so perhaps you will enjoy it as well.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Today's Bit of Celebration

• "Royalty is completely different than celebrity. Royalty has a magic all its own."
  ~ Philip Treacy


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

_{'Queen Charlotte's Crown' image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
'Kate and Princess Charlotte' image courtesy Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters/Landov}

Spring has sprung - There are "Birds in the Air"

The Birds in the Air quilt block has endless possibilities. At first glance it seems ... nice ... but nothing special. Well, that is where you are wrong.

"Birds in the Air" quilt block

Using 90 degree rotations of the blocks, you can achieve all sorts of quilt layouts. Adding sashing to your quilt will provide additional interest. This four patch quilt block is made entirely of half square triangles, using two different sizes of those triangles. By experimenting with colour placement of the triangles ... well ... the sky is the limit of how your quilt can differ from another quilter's project.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Today's "Ah Ha" Moment

• "Did you ever see an unhappy horse? Did you ever see a bird that had the blues? One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses."
  ~ Dale Carnegie

_{'Birds in the Air' image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}

Crown of Thorns Quilt Block

Crown of Thorns quilt block

Who comes up with these names anyway? I guess the "thorns" are all the points of the half square triangles in the block. You will get lots of practice making these patches, but the construction is easy, as the only other shape used in this quilt block is the square.

This is a 10" quilt block, which is a favourite with quilters because it makes the math easier. It is also in the category of  5 patch block (so named because is is made on a 5 x 5 grid), and is sewn together as an uneven nine patch.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Today's Insightful Quote

• "If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."
  ~ Katharine Hepburn

_{'Crown of Thorns' image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}

A Quilt Block Fit for a Queen

Mocking the Royals

"Everyone likes flattery; and when you come to Royalty you should lay it on with a trowel."
~ Benjamin Disraeli

Coronation quilt block

Today's featured quilt block is along the lines of royalty, as you may have guessed. It is the Coronation block.

Using a larger quilt block can speed up the process of making your quilt. In that case, this block is a good choice as it can be made as a 16" block.

When making any given quilt block that contains lots of pieces, it can be a little easier to construct when the individual pieces are not too small. For those wanting to make a block in one of the common sizes, I have also given instructions for making a 12" block. Any smaller than that, and you will be working with very tiny pieces, which can create a lot of bulk because the seam allowances are still the same quarter inch.

What I noticed when I set the blocks side by side, is that a secondary pattern emerged. See if you can see the additional small stars that appear with this type of layout.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

More Large Quilt Block Patterns

_{'Cornation' quilt block image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}

I'm on a Roll ...

Today's featured block is called Rolling Stone and last time I featured a quilt block called Rolling Pin. (This is where you groan at my sense of humour.)

Rolling Stone quilt block

What I noticed is that both blocks use the same patches, but changes in colour and reversing the direction of some of the patches makes an entirely new block.

Moving on from that concept, I thought it would be interesting to design a two block quilt, using these blocks and see what I come up with. The sample quilt below illustrates this. Two block quilts are used mostly to create a secondary pattern so it is difficult to pick out the individual blocks. See if you are successful in finding the two different blocks.

Rolling Pin and Rolling Stone two block quilt

One of my next projects is to create a series of two block quilt illustrations using the blocks I feature on the Patchwork Square quilt site. If you have suggestions for blocks you would like me to feature, please comment below.

Quote for Today

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."
~ Mark Twain

_{Images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com}