April Block

Crossing Seas is a paper-pieced block. The following are some pictures to illustrate the instructions in your instruction handout. These photos are just a guide. Refer to your handout for complete instructions.

Begin by placing fabric A and B on the blank side of the foundation pattern as shown. When you hold the foundation to the light, the A square should completely cover the center #1 space. Pin B in place so that when it is flipped it completely covers space #2, including an extra 1/4" extending past the space.

 After you flip and sew the line between 1 and 2, fold the foundation pattern back out of the way and use your rotary cutter and ruler to trim the excess fabric away. Be careful not to cut the paper foundation.

Press that B triangle. (Don't chop off the corners like I did when cropping this photo! Haha!)

When you become comfortable with the technique, you can place and sew two triangles at one time. Way more efficient! Just be sure to be accurate with your positioning.

First round of triangles complete.

The start of the second round (C triangles).

Placement of the D & E triangles is really critical. Your triangles are oversized to help, but you still want to take your time and double-check with your positioning pins along the sewing line before you sew.

And Ta Da! The completed Crossing Seas block for you to enjoy!

March Block

Changing Nature reflects the brilliant beauty of Fire. While it can be a destructive force, the very act of destruction can lead to rejuvenation. The same forest fire that lays waste to a natural habitat, chasing woodland animals from their homes, can also serve to regenerate the area by removing low growth and dead trees, germinating seeds, creating a better habitat for animals, and returning minerals to the soil. It depends on your perspective.  

Brilliant warm colors--purple, pink, orange, and gold--sparkle like the facets of a crysal's fire.

January and February 2012 Block of the Month

For Elemental Alchemy, we will be making three sized blocks: 8", 10", and 12". The blocks will get more complex as they get bigger. For January-April, we will be making 8" blocks for each of the four elements.

January began with Air and appropriately enough the block is called Wild Air. Periwinkles and cornflowers and hyacinth colors twirl and swirl in this 8" block.



The depths of February's winter called me to design a block for Earth. How could I resist using a multitude of greens during this colorless time of the year. (There is a subtle beauty to the winter landscape in the Pennsylvania countryside, but by the end of February I am longing for green shoots.)

2011 Block of the Month

Ta da! Here's the culmination of 2011's Impressions of Monet. The top picture shows almost the entire quilt. The bottom picture gives a better sense of the colors.

December Block

And so another Block of the Month year comes to an end for me. Yesterday I unveiled the finished quilt to the Monday groups. It was very exciting to show how all the blocks will come together to create the finished quilt!

The quilt, as I designed it, required 13 blocks, so this month you get to make two blocks--one for December and one "bonus" block. The December block pattern tells you just what fabrics to use and where to use them, but the bonus block allows you to use your leftover strips however you wish!

For December, I forgot to take a photo before the quilt was finished, so here you get a glimpse of the beautiful quilting by Deb Kerr. 

For the bonus block, choose your remaining strips and cut thirty-six 2 1/2" squares. Arrange them as you desire. You can see that I chose a gradated approach for my block.

I will post the finished quilt tomorrow or later today (as soon as I can get a good photo taken). This was a very fun quilt to design and make and I am so glad that I am able to share it with you!

November Block of the Month

November's block is similar to October's, in that they both have a double-chain, but November's block has a more dynamic design. The four quadrants are diagonally split into dark/light halves, which adds a layer of interest and complexity. The piecing is actually simpler than you would think: there are five four-patches to make and then four "house" units.

 Because of the visual interest in the design, it creates a very interesting quilt. Here you can see 25 blocks tiled (five rows of five blocks). The blocks have been rotated to create the secondary designs. Not only do you see the two chains, but diamonds abound in the quilt. It looks far more complex than it actually would be to make!

As always, if you get inspired by this design, please share your quilt with me. I'd love to see it!

September and October Blocks

Here you will find a terribly belated picture of the September block! It's a fun one to piece, using the partial-seams method, which you probably already know having pieced it for our October meeting. (I'm very sorry for the problems this delay may have caused you.)


So here then, without further adieu, is October's block. You can see that is is a double-chain block (the squares that run through both diagonals). And it is also a quick-pieced block.

And here is a simple quilt design from this block. Each block is repeated and rotated to form the secondary patterns established by the two chains.


I wanted the chains to be a stronger element so I created an alternative value study of the block. In this, you can see there is one dark chain and one light chain. The remainder of the block is similar to a Log Cabin with one half dark and the remaining half light.

When we use this value study to create the same layout, you can see how a very strong chain pattern emerges. It reminds me of argyle. This would be a very fast quilt to make because you could use strip-pieced methods to speed the construction. It's on the pile of quilts I'd like to make. If you make one before me, please share!