Black Tie Event quilt block

Well I tried. I was going for a monochromatic quilt block but I just had to add a spark of colour. I'm a person who just adores colour everywhere, and as a result, it is difficult for me to stick to a single colour family in a quilt block. So, I just added a touch of colour -- my favourite colour -- to this block. I think it makes all the difference.

Black Tie Event quilt block

I took some liberties with this block -- making slight changes to another block created by Michelle Bartholomew, which she called Doves in the Daylight. I removed a few seams, thereby reducing the bulk and added the red corner squares. Michelle's block was also based on another quilters' favourite called Doves in the Window. Can you see how quilt blocks evolve over time? You start with one block, make some subtle changes, and voilà -- a new block is created. In this case, I have named it Black Tie Event.

I really had fun designing the quilts using this block. By introducing the sashing strips, I was once again able to include the tiny spots of red to brighten up the result. I think this colour combination lends itself to a special gift for the man in your life --  (at least that's my opinion). Your thoughts?

Black Tie Event sample quilts

<sub>All images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com

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Flowers in the trees - Magnolia quilt block

Well you know it is springtime (and in my "neck of the woods", that phrase is followed by the word finally), when the Magnolia blossoms appear.

Magnolia quilt block

I selected the colours for this seven patch block by admiring the magnolia tree in the backyard of my friend. These beauties were gorgeous in ivory with touches of a medium shade of pink and of course, with the dark green leaves. All of these blossoms were showcased against a beautiful, blue sky.

I chose to construct this block with fewer seams in order to create less bulk. I also like to sew blocks in what I call "chunks" whenever possible, rather than row by row. This block is no exception and so I designed the pattern by sewing as an uneven nine patch. However, you may prefer the row by row method so that is an easy adaptation to make at your end.
The two sample quilts shown below are set with the most commonly used layouts -- a side by side setting and an on point setting. Both quilts have the blocks separated by sashing strips in order to introduce more colour.

Download the free quilt block pattern for Magnolia

More Flower quilt block patterns

Sample quilts using the Magnolia quilt block

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Rocky Garden quilt block

The Rocky Garden quilt block is a simple nine patch, but it is also a lesson in using half square triangles as cut pieces, rather than the usual method of making a square from two of the pieces.

Rocky Garden quilt block

Along the way, you will also be constructing a few flying geese units as well -- just for good measure. All in all, this quilt block would make a good choice for a quilting class for beginners.

When deciding on the layout of one of the sample quilts illustrated below (the side by side setting), I chose to reverse the colours in half of the sewn blocks. I just liked the way that option looked. The second sample quilt uses an on point setting and I added sashing between the blocks. As you can see this produces a very different quilt.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Rocky Garden sample quilts

<sub>All images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com

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Mother's Own quilt block

Mother's Day is arriving soon -- Sunday, May 14^th to be exact. There is not a moment to spare if you want to create a special quilt block for the big day.

Mother's Own quilt block

This quilt block is an easy one. Even though you see triangles in the block (creating the star shape), they are sewn using only squares, with the "sew and flip" method which is favoured by many quilters. It's a five patch block, so an added bonus is that the math is simple!
The two sample quilts illustrated both use an additional fabric for sashing strips between the blocks. This is entirely optional, but I just liked the look.

Download the free quilt block pattern.

Sample quilts using the Mother's Own quilt block

More quilt blocks to celebrate Mothers:

• Mother's Choice
• Mother's Favorite

<sub>All images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com

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Woven Four Patch quilt block

Well hello again. It's been a while.

Actually, I have been blogging all along, but I had deviated on a different course, which divided my focus. Now, after much thought, I just wanted to get back to my first passion -- and that is making quilts.

Woven Four Patch quilt block

Today's featured quilt block -- Woven Four Patch -- is one that could not be simpler to sew -- as it contains only squares and rectangles. The fun begins when you make lots of these blocks and then start to play around with the layout of the quilts.
In the two sample quilts illustrated below, you will notice how very different they look from each other. The quilt on the right looks (at least to me) kind of like a plaid, while the quilt on the left had a border made of three quarter square triangles giving a look of a "picket fence".

Woven Four Patch sample quilts

Download the free quilt block pattern and see what I have also included in the way of extra instructions as a bonus!

<sub>All images © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com

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Easter is almost here

Easter Basket quilt block

The Easter Basket quilt block is a relatively easy five patch block with half square triangles and a couple of rectangles thrown in for good measure.

The fun part of using some of the basket style blocks is that the motif is usually pointing at a 45 degree angle and therefore this leads to opportunites in your quilt. What is that you say?

By rotating the blocks by 90 degrees, they then work together creating a secondary pattern. This is usually a surprise because at first glance, that would not be evident.

So, download the free quilt block pattern and see what I am talking about.

An Easter thought for you

• Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.
  ~ Janine di Giovanni

It's All About the Green Today

I'm a little late in getting started on this blog post today, because I was already out and about today joining in the festivities of celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Judging by this picture, all ages enjoy a good time.

Well what could be more Irish (in terms of quilting) than blocks called Irish Puzzle and Danny Boy? So, I thought I would present you with both, and of course, I went with making them in the obvious varieties of green.

Danny Boy is a simple nine patch block using mostly half square triangles, but the centre patch is the square in a square -- adding to the interest.

Irish Puzzle is a four patch block that is more of an intermediate level, due only to the number of pieces in the quilt block.

Time now to get out your green and start searching for some gold (at the end of that rainbow) and celebrate your own version of these blocks.

A salute to St. Paddy's Day

Irish Sayings

( ... how interesting that all of the authors are unknown)

• "It's no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking."
  ~ Author Unknown


• "There are only two kinds of people in the world. The Irish and those who wish they were."
  ~ Author Unknown


• "Irish diplomacy is the ability to tell a man to go to hell so that he looks forward to making the trip."
  ~ Author Unknown


• "May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping."
  ~ Author Unknown


• "If you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough!"
  ~ Author Unknown

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X marks the spot!

X and Square quilt block

Thanks to my great friend Monika for giving me the (obvious) title to this blog post. (For some reason, I did not think of it!)

X and Square is the block. From this image shown, you can see where it gets its name. However, while playing around with the block, I made a version with four colours as well, and it looks quite different. You will have to check out the free pattern to see that variation.

I was having fun playing with this block (which at first glance looks rather boring). It always surprises me when those boring blocks make interesting quilts.

So, fun often leads to funny.

Mark Twain

Quotes to make you laugh today

• "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
  ~ Oscar Wilde


• "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."
  ~ Erma Bombeck


• "Be good and you will be lonely."
  ~ Mark Twain


• "Ah Mozart! He was happily married - but his wife wasn't."
  ~ Victor Borge

<sub>'X and Square' quilt block image © W. Russell, patchworksquare.com
'Mark Twain' image courtesy of public domain

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