Snuggles Quilts

Snuggles Quilts

MENU

What’s Your Quilting Inspiration?

At times I like to talk about what inspires people to create things,  specifically what inspires people to create quilts.  So I want to share with you how I got started quilting, with a peak at my earliest quilt, and things that keep me inspired. I want to hear from you too! I’ll ask a few questions at the end of this post. Answer them in the comments and I will choose a commenter as a winner of a free pattern for the upcoming holiday season.

Inspiration

Inspiration to start quilting can come from a lot of sources. A family member who quilts, especially a parent or sibling in the same home, is how many people are inspired. Sometimes it can be a aunt/uncle or grandparent that you visited often when growing up. And, of course, there are your friends.

My grandmother was an avid quilter, but she was several states away and we saw her maybe 2 times a year. Also, she passed away when I was 9 years old, so I did not have a lot of time with her. My sisters had no interest in sewing and my mom could barely hem a pair of pants. So sometimes it surprises me that I do what I do.

How did I catch the quilting bug? I actually landed on quilting because I was looking for something to do as a newlywed while my husband played league softball. I saw a catalog from the local community college advertising an adult education quilting class. So I said “why not?”. The fact that I chose a very difficult pattern, the LeMoyne Star, and a queen size quilt for the class was definitely a rookie mistake but it did not deter me. The fact that the class requirement was to construct it all by hand almost did. Here it is (with Addie as a model!)

Those colors! You can definitely tell what year this quilt was made by those 80’s colors. I sure have evolved when it comes to picking fabrics for my quilts. I also tried my hand at hand quilting, however you can tell I didn’t quilt it enough by all the bare spaces. Since the quilt is the first one I ever made, I can’t bring myself to ever give it up no matter how ugly I think it is. The kids used it over the years to cuddle in while watching TV and now Addie seems to like it.

This class hooked me on quilting, but I did buy a sewing machine so I didn’t have to hand piece blocks ever again!

What inspires me today is the large variety of beautiful Civil War reproduction fabrics and paging through books of antique quilts. That fabric is my favorite to use and when I find a new line, it inspires me even more. The antique quilts I find in the books often have many traditional blocks like Log Cabin or Churn Dash. I love looking at these books and dreaming up ways I can put a new “spin” on these blocks.

Here are two examples of quilts where I took traditional blocks and worked them into a new design.

For Rail Fence Blooms on the left I used the traditional rail fence block to create a large center star, including the star points. I added one of my favorite things, floral appliqué, to give it a unique flair. For Wildflower Lane on the right, I took a traditional log cabin block and put it on point to create a hanging garden basket look for the flower appliqués. 

Here’s a few other unique log cabin inspired designs:

Another inspiring block for me is the Churn Dash block. I have used this block in both large and small quilts. In the quilt, above left, I even combined a churn dash with a log cabin design for some extra design fun! Here’s some of my churn dash inspired quilts.

The first two quilts, High Prairie Blooms and Bountiful, have a churn dash block with a star in the center as the principle design. For Star Dash, I had a little fun making the large, center churn dash block scrappy. 

Other Design Inspiration Sources

Other places I have found design inspiration are not related to the quilting world. I find inspiration is interesting things like buildings, sidewalks, windows, etc. Some of these things have inspired the blocks and design for the quilt top center or for the borders. Here’s a few examples.

The design on the right has obvious inspiration for a border. A checkerboard pieced border with a plain border on each side to frame a quilt like I did here in Constellations:

The design on the left inspired a scallop border design for a pattern I designed for a magazine:

Another inspiration was this pattern I saw on some upholstery. It led me to design a pattern with a chevron design, Celebrations:

Design Inspiration from Antique Quilts

Finally, I like to page through books of antique quilts to find inspiration. Some of those inspirations came from album or autograph quilts like this one with this block below. The traditional name for this block is the Album Cross block.

The block above (right) is from an album quilt made in the 1840’s in New York state. Quilts made from these blocks were usually presented to someone who was leaving a community. Friends and family of the person receiving the quilt would write or embroider a message in the block. 

But of course for me, I wanted to find a way to make this block easier… translation, with NO “Y” or set in seams. I hate doing those so I do not like to design quilt patterns with those types of seams. Here is the block I came up with:

To make the block above, I created this unit below, left. And when I made four and stitched them together, I got the look of the vintage Album Cross block (right) without the stress of set in seams.

This group of blocks turned into the table runner on the right in Scrap Basket Duo.

So that’s it for my inspiration that started and sustains my quilting and some of my favorite design inspirations. Let me know in the comments the answers to these questions below and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Wrap it Up.

Here’s the questions:

  1. What inspired you to start quilting?
  2. What block or design inspires you?
  3. Any other things not related to quilting that inspires you?

The drawing will be on Monday, September 21st. ***We have a winner! Congrats, Janet Riley!***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 9

Welcome back to block of the week! We have reached the end of the sew along with this block. I can’t believe the time has flown so fast. If you are just joining in, you can find the last post for block 8 here and then find the previous weeks with the links in each post from each week.

I call this week’s block Pinwheel Star. It’s a relatively simple block so you can make as many as you want in a large variety of colors. Several of these blocks alone would make a charming quilt! While we’re on the subject of color, I will be sharing tips on color for the tips of the week section. Let’s get started!

Th

Block of the Week – Block 9

Here it is:

Find the free block pattern instructions here: 2026 BOW Block 9.

Now here is the block with the dark background:

Tips of the Week – Color

Whether you are shopping your stash or going to the quilt shop, here are some tips for choosing what colors of fabric you want for your latest project.

Tip #1: Look at the quilt photo on the cover of the pattern or the quilt displayed in the shop. If you like the colors, use that as your guide. But you may not get those exact fabrics unless the quilt shop has kits made up, so be prepared to choose others.

Tip #2:  Before heading to the quilt shop, first look through your stash to see what you have that will work with the pattern and “audition” them by laying them out like this:

By laying the fabrics out like this, you can see if they all “play” together well. Stand back and look at your collection and see if a fabric stands out like a sore thumb. You can then remove that one and replace it with another. Do that until you like your collection.

Tip #3: Make a few sample blocks with scraps from your stash in the color combinations you are considering for your blocks. These do not have to be the exact fabrics you use in your quilt, but similar colors. Here’s a few examples of samples I made before moving on to my actual project:

By doing this, I can see what colors I want, or don’t want, in my blocks.

Tip #4: If you need to get fabric from the quilt shop, you can audition fabrics by stacking bolts or fat quarters of the fabrics in a well lit area. I like to use fat quarters for this step because they are easier to handle and look at as they’re laid out. Just make sure there is a corresponding bolt of fabric available (since you may need more than a fat quarter) before you choose one for your “audition”.

Tip #5: Choose a fabric that you really like. Then take that around the quilt shop with you to match it to the other fabrics you need. You do not  have to stay in the same line of fabrics for them to look good together. To help, look at the selvage of the fabric you have chosen. You will often see something like this:

Those dots on the selvage are the colors that went into making this piece of fabric. You can take that piece of fabric around the shop and use those dots to find a green, orange, red and blue that will go well with this fabric. This is often used by quilters when they’ve chosen a “focus” fabric. That’s the fabric they build from to create the color scheme for their whole quilt. Here are three of my choices:

Tip #6: Another way to find new color combinations is to copy or draw a picture of the quilt block that makes up the quilt and use colored pencils to decide on a color way you prefer.

So that’s it for my color tips. If you make test blocks, you can use those to make a fun sampler for a gift or use just one block to make a small table mat. Then they won’t be laying around in your UFO stash!

Quilt Block History

The Pinwheel Star block is also referred to by a few other names: Constellations, Walking Star and Spinning Stars (named by Nancy Page). The base of this block is the center pinwheel design so here’s a bit of history on that classic block.

Versions of this block appeared in the early 1800s. There is a quilt in the Smithsonian that dates back to about 1812 that has blocks made from several pinwheels arranged in a nine-patch design.

The pinwheel was a simple and practical pattern that was used by pioneer women to make quilts for beds and curtains for windows. These blocks were probably popular because they could be easily made with scraps from the fabrics the women saved from old clothing. The pinwheel pattern gained wide popularity in the mid 19th century in the west as those women moved there with their families. Finally, during the depression in the early 20th century, this was a simple block design used often to make quilts from feed sacks.

So that’s a wrap on my 2026 Block of the Week sew along. I hope you enjoyed making the blocks, my tips, and also learning a bit of quilt block history on the side.

Feel free to share some of your finished quilts whether you turn it into a sampler or just use one block to make a bigger quilt. You can share your photos by email to: snugglesquilts@hotmail.com.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 8

Welcome back to block of the week! We’re onto block 8 so only one more block pattern after this one. If you’re new to my block of the week posts, here’s a link to last week’s post and from there you can work your way back to week 1.

I have named this week’s block Diamond Star because of the diamond pattern surrounding the center star that emerges when the block is pieced together. This block is a little more involved than last week’s block, but the units that make it up are all ones you have made before, like flying geese and HSTs. Since this block is one that has interesting movement, I thought I would review some tips on secondary design. Time to get started!

Block of the Week – Block 8

I made this block in two different backgrounds again. You can choose to do it that way or just make it with the background you prefer. Here’s Diamond Star:

Find the free instructions for this block here: 2026 BOW Block 8.

Now here is the same block with the dark background:

Tip of the Week

Now on to the tip of the week. Secondary design. Have you ever looked at a quilt or a quilt block and saw more than one design emerge? That’s secondary design. Sometimes it’s intentional and sometimes the designer just gets lucky and two blocks they decide to place next to each other combine to make another design.

My block above has interesting movement with the diamond design. If you put several of these blocks together, here’s the look you would get:

See how the diamond portion of the blocks create an interesting crisscross pattern? That’s the easy way to create secondary design with this block.

Look what happens when I change some color placement in the block. First, here’s the block:

Look at how the block changes just by moving where your colors are in the block. They’re the same colors by just in different places. Now here’s a quilt with them:

Now the diamond design is more prominent. Cool! Now look what happens when I add another element to the block. On each corner, I add a stitch & flip corner:

Now here is the modified block in a quilt:

The stitch & flip corner on the blocks creates another design that looks like another star block.

Other Ways to Create Secondary Design:

 Tip 1: The most common way is with two distinct blocks in a quilt. Generally, you choose one block with movement and one block that is more static. I did that with my Strips & Stars quilt. Here are the blocks:

The star block on the left has a different kind of movement than the log cabin block in the center. When you put those two blocks together in a quilt, alternating between them and flipping every other the log cabin block in the rows, you get a unique, dark stripe design that runs diagonally. Here’s the full quilt:

Also, where the star blocks touch, the checkerboard corners create another secondary design crisscrossing across the quilt. I love these types of blocks that create several secondary designs.

Tip 2: Create that secondary design with sashing. You can do this with one block quilts. The sashing will build off an element in the blocks of the quilt or it will just create a design all on it’s own. Here’s those examples side by side:

For the quilt on the left, Open Windows, there is a stitch and flip corner on two sides of the block that, when combined with the sashing and cornerstones, creates a monkey wrench design. For the quilt on the right, Summer Bouquets, the stars are created solely within the sashing.

Tip 3: Use the border for secondary design. This can be quiet like the quilt on the left or more prominent like the quilt on the right.

For Homestead Trail on the left, there is a subtle nine-patch in the sashing that continues into the border to create a frame. For Twilight Desert on the right, the border is created with flying geese with multi-colored centers for an creative, colorful border.

Fun times, huh?

Quilt Block History

Here’s a bit of history on the block that influenced mine. I saw this block, Dutch Rose, and like it immediately. I simplified the outer portion so it created the “diamond” shape. Here are the two blocks side by side:

I removed some of the intricate piecing in the 4 corners to make my block simpler to piece and to create the diamond design.

The Dutch Rose is a block design from the 19th century. Some other  names it’s known by are Carpenter’s Wheel, Carpenter’s Star and Double Star. The design is based on intricate mosaic patchwork designs brought over to America by Dutch and English settlers. They eventually simplified some of the designs to arrive at the Dutch Rose block.

This design was re-named “Pennsylvania Dutch Rose” during the 1930s quilting revival by  Nancy Cabot for the Chicago Tribune who was also using an alias for her needlecraft columns, just like Nancy Page from last week. This editor’s name was Loretta Leitner Rising. Her column began in 1932 and readers could receive a full pattern and instructions for  five cents by sending in a self-addressed envelope into the newspaper. She only participated in this column until 1938 but stayed with the newspaper writing under her own name. Like the Nancy Page columnist, she often gave new names to traditional blocks to appeal to the quilters of the day.

So that’s it for this week and I’ll see you next week for the last block.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 7

Welcome back to my Block of the Week posts. It’s time for block 7. If you are just joining in on the fun, these block patterns are free to download. If you want to download the patterns from previous weeks, here is the link to last week’s post. From there you can get to the previous weeks.

I call this week’s block Secret Star. It’s based on a block called Laurel Wreath (I will cover a little of the block history later in this post). We’re back to using a background fabric and two color prints. This one has fewer pieces than last week’s block and is easier to piece. Since many of the blocks we’ve done in this BOW sew along have bias seams, I thought I would cover some facts and tips on fabric bias and working with those seams for this week’s tips. Let’s get started!

Block of the Week – Block 7

The bulk of this block is created with flying geese and half-square triangle squares. I once again made one block with a light background and one with a dark background. Here is the block:

Find the pattern instructions to make this block here: 2026 BOW Block 7.

Now here is my block with a dark background fabric:

Tip of the Week

We’ve been dealing with bias seams in a lot of these blocks, so I thought it would be a good idea to review facts about fabrics and tips on working with bias seams as opposed to straight seams.

Fabric Grain & Bias

To understand the difference between a bias (diagonal) seam and a straight seam and why they behave differently, you need to know about fabric grain and bias. This may be a review for experienced sewers and quilters, but it never hurts to see it again.

The lengthwise grain of the fabric runs parallel to the selvage and is the most stable grain of the fabric.

The line I’m pointing to in the left photo (above) is showing the lengthwise grain. In the second photo, notice how there’s not much stretch to the fabric when I pull on opposite sides of the piece of fabric. It’s a good idea to cut in this direction for long pieces needed for the project like border strips, if possible.

The crosswise grain is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain. It’s perpendicular to the selvage (the line my finger is pointing to below). As you can see in the next photo, there is a little more stretch to the fabric in this direction, but not by much.

Finally, the bias of the fabric is at the 45 degree angle from the selvage. This is where the fabric is the least stable.

It’s important to remember this because any seams that are diagonal are in the bias direction of the fabric. Any seam sewn on the bias must be handled with care when pressing it or ripping it out so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it can and likely will remain distorted.

Tips for Stitching and Handling Bias Seams

Tip #1: Pinning is extra important with these seams. Pinning keeps the pieces being joined with the bias seam from shifting. If the pieces shift in stitching, your units will not measure accurately and you’ll have to re-do these pieces.

Tip #2: Because bias seams are stitched in the direction where the fabric grain is the most pliable, do not pull the unit through your machine as you are stitching. This is a good rule for any seam, but especially bias seams because the fabric can be stretched severely out of shape by doing this and then your unit will not measure correctly. 

Tip #3: When pressing pieced units, whether with straight seams and bias seams, you should take care not to stress the seam. For units with bias seams, it’s extra important not to run the iron back and forth on the seam because this can stretch that area out of shape more than with a straight seam.

Tip #4: If you have to “un-sew” a bias seam, do it very carefully because that can also stretch this area of the fabric out of shape and fray it beyond use. This is a fabric saving tip because you won’t have to cut into more fabric to replace misshapen pieces.

A Little Block History

My block is a variation on a block from 1931 called Laurel Wreath. Here’s a drawing of that block with my block to the right of it:

As you can see, I just flipped the geese units and turned the center square into a square in a square unit using stitch and flip corners. 

This block was re-published by Nancy Page in 1938 under the name North Carolina. Nancy Page was a columnist from around 1928 through 1945. This was actually a pseudonym she used to publish the quilt patterns she wrote about. Her real name was Florence LaGanke Harris, which also appeared along with her pen name when the column was published. She was a dietician and a food writer. Eventually she ended up at the Cleveland Plain Dealer as a home economics editor. She herself was not a quilter, although she collected antique quilts. She was tapped to write the column because of a quilting revival going at the time.

Her columns consisted of block patterns, color choice, quilting design and finishing for a quilt. She basically created a fictional “quilt club” where she shared the progress in making the blocks. Some block patterns that were published were actually sent in by readers of her column. The quilt column ended up being syndicated to over 400 newspapers.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy making the block!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 5

We’re on to week 5 of my 2026 BOW sew along. I hope you are enjoying making the blocks and the tips I am sharing. This week’s block is called Four-Patch Star, which is my interpretation of a block I saw in an antique quilt. This is an easy to piece block because I know last week’s block was a bit harder to piece and I think you deserve a break!

If you are just joining the sew along, this block pattern is free, along with the first 4 blocks shared in previous weeks. Click the link above for last week’s post and from there you should be able to continue on back to the first post. Like the previous weeks, I make two blocks, one with a light background and one with a dark background. Choose which way you want to go or make them both. Let’s get started!

Block of the Week – Block 5

This block is simple to piece and only has a few HSTs and flying geese. Here is Four-Patch Star:

Find the free pattern for Four-Patch Star here: 2026 BOW Block 5.

Here’s the version of this block with the dark background:

Tip of the Week

My tip this week is aligning seams. As you can see with this block, there are a lot of seams to align to get the look of the block. My example below involves piecing a nine-patch block, but the same concept can be applied to the four-patch piecing you will do with this pattern.

The key to successful alignment of seams is simple. Pinning! I don’t care how short the seam is. I pin all the time because unpinned areas can lead to uneven pieces. There can be small shifts among the two pieces you are sewing that will cause your seam to be off. And if an initial seam is off in a unit, then trying to align seams when you are joining it to another unit will be frustrating. Here’s an example:

The squares I did not pin are on the left (where I’m pointing). It’s only a little off, but if all your pieces are like that you can see how that would cause problems in aligning seams.

For aligning seams in two units you are joining, line those up first and pin, then pin the ends (photos below).

The second photo (right) shows how I lay one unit on top of the other and then I peel back the top unit a bit to make sure the seams are aligned, then I pin at the seams first before pinning the rest of the unit. After pinning and sewing, you can see how the seams line up.

Follow these aligning and pinning steps when joining units with seams and your seams will line up nicely. Practice it regularly and it will be easier each time.

A Bit of History

My Four-Patch Star is a spin on the traditional 16-patch blocks, sometimes referred to as a St. Louis 16 Patch. It’s a very basic block made up of 16 of the same size squares in at least two different colors and pieced into 4 rows of 4 squares each. If you look at the center of this block, you will see the 16 “patches”.

My 16-patch is made by joining 4 four-patch units for the center of the block. Adding the “star points” made from flying geese, turns this into a star block. 

The only basis I can find for the name  St. Louis 16-Patch is that the women in St. Louis named it for the geographic area they settled in, similar to the naming of the Ohio Star or the Alabama Beauty blocks. 

As far as the four-patch block history, it’s one of the oldest and simplest quilt block designs dating to the late 18th century. It was created mostly out of necessity to use up fabric scraps that were available to make a quilt. Pioneer women cut squares from old clothes and sewed four of them into a block. By making several of these blocks from their scraps they could quickly assemble a quilt for use. Quilts at that time were mainly for use and not display.

So that’s it for this week. Come back next week for block 6. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions about the block, tips or the history in the comments below.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 4

Welcome back to my 2026 Block of the Week sew along! This week’s block is really fun. I call it Blazing Star. If you missed any of the previous block of the week posts, here’s a link to last week’s post and from there you can find the previous week’s post links.

This week’s pattern is free, just like all the others. By the end of this sew along, depending on how many of each block you make, you can have enough blocks for a wall quilt, lap quilt or even a bed size quilt. I’ve decided to make two of each of the blocks, one with a light background and one with a dark background. I’ll have to decide at the end if I’m making one big quilt or two small ones. So let’s get started on Block 4!

Block of the Week – Block 4

This block combines HSTs and flying geese to make a  unique star block that looks like it’s “blazing”, hence the name. Here it is:

Find the free pattern for blazing star here: 2026 BOW Block 4.

Now here’s  my version of blazing star with the dark background.

Now let’s move to the tip of the week.

Multiple Flying Geese 

Last week I covered the techniques to make multiple half-square triangle squares. In week two, I covered the traditional way to make one flying geese unit. This week, I will talk about the multiple, no-waste flying geese method that you may or may not be familiar with. This method comes in handy when you have a quilt with a lot of flying geese in it.

This method makes 4 flying geese units at once and has the added benefit of wasting no fabric. There will be no excess seam allowance to trim off like in the traditional method I showed in week two. Each grouping of fabric will make 4 flying geese at once. 

Step 1: It’s important to get the fabric pieces cut to the right size to begin. You will need 1 large square (base) and 4 smaller squares (wings).

For this example, I want geese units for my quilt that measure 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ (this measurement includes the seam allowance). The finished size will be 2 x 4″. When you hear someone say “finished size” it means the size of the unit after it’s sewn into the block or quilt. So here are the calculations to cut the pieces needed:

The large square needs to measure 1 1/4″ larger than the finished width of the geese unit. My finished width is 4″ so:

                4″ + 1 1/4″ = 5 1/4″

The 4 small squares need to measure 7/8″ larger than the finished height of the geese unit. My finished height is 2″ so:

                 2″ + 7/8″ = 2 7/8″

Step 2: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 4 of the small squares. Then lay a small square face down on the upper left corner of the large square as shown:

Step 3: Place another square face down on the bottom right corner. The drawn lines should match up and the squares will overlap in the center. Once positioned, be sure to pin the squares in place so they don’t shift while stitching. Sew 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line.

Step 4: Cut the unit apart on the drawn line and press open:

Step 5: Place another square face down on one of the units from above. The corner of the square should line up with the edge of the unit and the opposite corner will overlap as shown. Sew 1/4″ on each side of the drawn line and cut the unit apart on the drawn line. Repeat this step with the remaining square and other unit.

Step 6: Once you press open all the units, you will have 4 flying geese.

Finally, measure the geese unit and trim if necessary. Be careful when trimming the top because you do not want to cut off points when you piece your geese into a block or quilt. There should be 1/4″ from the top of the point to the edge of the geese unit (last photo).

Like with the multiple HST technique I shared last week, I recommend using scrap fabric and practicing this technique before cutting into your good project fabric.

A Little History

I could not find this exact block in my search of block history books. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exists somewhere. But this is something I designed by stacking flying geese radiating out from a central square and added the HST accents so a unique star design appears. Let me know if you find a block that looks like this in your searches.

The closest historical block I can find to mine is the Odd Fellows Chain from the Ladies Art Company in 1897. Nancy Cabot renamed the block San Diego in 1935 in a pattern published in 1935 in the Chicago Tribune. Here are the two blocks side by side. My blazing star is on the left.

I shrunk down the center flying geese, which moves in the HSTs on the corners and added the plain strips on the outside.

This is an example of what pioneer women often did. They would make a block and, if they didn’t have a pattern, they considered it an original design. Then they would give it a unique name, one that had meaning to them or represented something in their daily lives. The block they designed may have existed somewhere else with another name, but they often had no way of knowing that in the 19th century. This is why you will see some quilt blocks with several different names.

That’s it for this week. Like I said above, do some research yourself if you like. If you can find my variation of the block somewhere with another name, I’d love to see it. See you next week.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 3

Welcome back to my Block of the Week sew along. If you  haven’t figured out the theme to the blocks yet, you will soon. These blocks are all fun to make and, although some are a little more involved, I still think they are easy enough even for beginners. If you missed the start of the BOW sew along, you can find the first two posts here: BOW 1 and BOW2.

All these patterns are free too! That  makes it even more fun. By the end of this sew along, depending on how many of each block you make, you can have enough blocks for a wall quilt, lap quilt or even a bed size quilt. As you will see below, I am making two of each blocks, one with a light background and one with a dark background. I may put them all into one big quilt or I may make two wall quilts, one light and one dark. We’ll see! On to block 3.

Block of the Week – Block 3

Once again I am using two of my favorite quilt designs in this patterns, churn dash and stars. This is kind of a reverse of block one with a twist. Here it is:

I call this block wagon wheel. Find the free instructions for this pattern here: 2026 BOW Block 3.

Here’s my version of the block with the dark background:

On to the tip of the week. 

Making Multiple Half-Square Triangle (HST) Squares

This tip will not only come in handy this week (if you’re  making multiple blocks), but may come in handy with other BOW blocks and other quilts you are working on.

Most of us know the standard way to make HSTs two at a time and the instructions for this are in the block pattern. But if you want to make even more at one time with less waste, here are the instructions. If you are applying this to a pattern you are working on that does not use this method, it may take a little math on your part to re-figure fabric needs.

Four HSTs at a Time: To start, you need to know the size of the unfinished size HST you want to end up with to know what size to cut your fabric pieces for this technique.

If you need your HSTs to measure 2 1/2 x 2 1/2″ (that includes the seam allowance), you divide that number by .64 and then round up to the nearest whole number. Here’s how that formula looks in action:

2 1/2 ÷ .64 = 3.906  – that number is then round that up to 4″

So, you will cut two squares each 4 x 4″ from the two different color fabrics you want for your HSTs. (first photo below), lay the two squares, right sides together, on top of each other and then stitch with a 1/4″ seam around the outside (last photo).

Since my thread doesn’t show too well on the above photo (finger is pointing to the seam), here’s a drawing of what it should look like:

The final step is to cut the unit apart as shown below and then press open the resulting units for four HSTs.

Since the size of the squares used here are rounded up to make these HSTs, they may need trimming to measure the unfinished size needed for the pattern you are making. Be sure to lay the 45 degree line of the ruler you are using for trimming on the diagonal seam for accuracy. 

Eight HSTs at a Time: If the quilt pattern you are making has a large amount of HSTs made from the same color combinations, then the eight at a time method will be more efficient for you. Start with 2 squares that are each 2 times the size of the HST square you are making plus 1 3/4″. For an HST squares that measure 1 1/2 x  1 1/2″ (includes seam allowance) , here is the calculation:

 1 1/2″ x 2″ = 3″

3″ + 1 3/4″ = 4 3/4″

So, you need two squares each 4 3/4 x 4 3/4″.

Draw two diagonal lines on the wrong side of one of the squares (photo on the left below) and then place your squares right sides together like in the four HSTs at a time instructions above. Pin the unit and sew a scant 1/4″ on each side of each drawn lines (photo on right below).

Cut the unit apart into 4 squares and then cut each square apart on the drawn diagonal line. You will have 8 units (last photo)

Once all the pieces are cut apart, you can use your Quilt in a Day triangle square up ruler like I do to make sure they measure correctly. If you don’t have that ruler, press them open for your eight HSTs and trim if needed with a traditional ruler.

So that’s all to making multiple HSTs! I recommend practicing with scrap fabric prior to cutting into that new fabric you just purchased to make sure you have the technique down.

A Little History

Half-square triangle squares, or HSTs, have been used in quilts as early as the 1790s with blocks designs like Broken Dishes or a simple Pinwheel. The 18th and 19th century way to make HSTs was to cut individual triangles, not the 2 square method we use today. Since this exposed the fragile bias edges, they often used paper templates to keep the fabric from stretching. Another method was to carefully cut two squares in half while they were right sides together and then hand stitched the seam on each set with as little handling as possible.

Sounds tedious! Thank the stars for sewing machines. But, we still need to be careful when handling these bias edges, especially if we have to “un-sew” some HSTs. You also need to press them open carefully, no back and forth ironing, so you don’t stretch the seam that way.

That’s it for this week! Join me next week for block 4.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 2

Welcome back! I hope you had fun making the first block in the 2026 BOW series. If you missed last week’s introductory post, you can find it here. All the patterns for these nine blocks will be free and I will share stitching tips and, sometimes, some historical information as we go.

Like I said last week, these blocks will give you the opportunity to play in your fabric stash. You can make one of each block or as many as you want. I will be making the blocks with a light background and a dark background for some fun. You can choose either or you can make both variations like me. So let’s get started on the second week of this sew along.

Block of the Week – Block 2

This block builds upon the star block from last week and adds in some more flying geese to make the radiating design. I call the block “star burst”. Here it is:

Find the free instructions for the block here: 2026 BOW Block 2.

Now here is the same block with a black background:

This block with the reds and greens would make a really striking Christmas quilt. Hmmm cool idea?

Tips for Making Flying Geese

Making these involves working with bias seams. They need to be handled with a bit more care, especially if you have to rip out seams. That’s why it’s good to sew these carefully so you do not have to do that.

This is one type of unit that is constructed using the stitch & flip technique. Here’s a simple review on how to make a flying geese unit along with photos. If you are new to quilting, this will help you make them for this block.

For my example, I am using 2 squares 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ and a 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ rectangle, the photos below show the steps:

The above photos show the first steps: Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the two squares. When you lay one of the squares face down on the rectangle, pin to keep the square from shifting. Once you sew along the line, the next steps (photos below) are very important:

On the left I am folding over the square, after stitching the seam, to make sure its edge matches up with the edge of the rectangle. The center photo shows that when I measure the unit, it still measures 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ (the measurement of the rectangle) . I can then trim off the excess fabric in the seam allowance (last photo). That is a key in stitch & flip units, always fold over and measure the unit after stitching before trimming off any excess fabric. 

Repeat the above steps on the other side of the rectangle, and you will have a flying geese unit. 

Keeping sharp points when joining geese units to other blocks or units depends on accurate seams allowance. Here is an example of what can happen to your points:

If you only have a few cut-off points in a large quilt, they may not be noticeable to anyone but you. But if it’s a smaller quilt, like a wall hanging or table runner, it may be easier to notice. So, here’s some tips to practice getting sharp, crisp points.

Tip #1: When you are joining a piece with points to a plain piece, stitch with them together with the unit with the points on top. This way you can make sure your stitching doesn’t cut off that point. 

Tip #2: If you measure the seams as you go when you are piecing flying geese to make sure the top of the point is 1/4″ from the edge of the unit, it saves you from headaches later.

Tip #3: As you are stitching the piece with the point to another unit, watch the point to make sure the stitching line passes just above the point. This guarantees the point will not be cut off when you press open the unit.

See the photos below and where my pointer is and in the last two you will see how the finished seam passes above the point and how the point is not cut off when the unit is flipped over and pressed open (photo on right):

Tip #4: Finally, joining two points so they’re not cut off. First, when pinning the units together, you want to start by lining up the points of each unit and placing your first pin there.

Here are my steps (photos below illustrate): I lay the units right sides together and then pull the top unit down to get the point lined up with the point of the unit below. I slowly inch the top piece back, eyeing the points the whole time to make sure they stay lined up. Then start by pinning at that point before pinning the rest of the unit.

Then you simply follow the stitching tips from above to keep your seam line above the point. When the unit is pressed open, the points line up. The first two photos below show the seam passing over the point on both sides.

A Little Flying Geese History

The exact origin of this design is unknown, but it is thought that it emerged in the early 19th century as early quilt makers drew inspiration from the seasonal V-formation of migrating geese flying across the sky.

There is legend that it was a symbol used in Underground Railroad quilts. The quilts were said to be hung outside, on a clothesline, of a home serving as a station as a road map to the next station. Many modern quilt historians debate the accuracy of this and treat it more as folklore.

No matter the origin, flying geese are fun to make and it’s a versatile design that helps create interesting blocks.

That’s all for this week. Enjoy making the block (or blocks) and come back next week for block 3!

Happy Quilting,
Deanne

Block Party Time!

After a year hiatus… block of the week returns! I will be posting a block for you to make, along with the instructions (for free!) each week for nine weeks. You can make all of one block and make a scrappy one block lap quilt, adding more blocks, or you can make a fantastic sampler. It’s up to you!

Along with the block pattern instructions, I’ll include some other things in the post. One week it could be tips for completing the block and another week it could be some block history. You never know! I think it will be fun and in the end you’ll have a least have nine blocks to make a sampler wall hanging/large table topper. And maybe you’ll have picked up or honed a few of your quilting skills.

These blocks give you a good opportunity to use up scraps of fabric you have, like random 10 x 10 (layer cake) pieces or assorted fat 1/8s. You can also go through your fabric stash and look at what larger cuts of fabric may work in a scrap project and cut those into fats for use throughout the project. If you want your background fabric all the same, I estimate about 1 1//2 to 2 yards will cover making nine blocks.

Let’s get started with the first week’s block!

Block of the Week – Block 1

My first block is made up of two easy to piece, traditional quilt blocks. I love traditional blocks but also like to add a twist in, like combining them. The eight-pointed star and the churn dash combined makes a cool block!

I liked it so much, I decided to make a version with a dark background. If you do this too, you’ll end up with 18 interesting blocks!

You can find the free instructions for this block here: 2026 BOW Block 1.

Block History

Since this is a fairly easy block to construct, I’ll share some block history about each element of the block. 

Star: First up, the star portion of this block. This design is often referred to as a sawtooth star. It’s one of the most common and easiest to make. It’s made with one large center square, four flying geese units and four small squares.

It is also known by other names like Eight-pointed Star, Evening Star or Variable Star. Because women in the west often shared patterns but didn’t know the original name, they would many times rename it with one they liked. That’s why a lot of traditional blocks are know by more than one name. How many other names can you find for this simple pattern?

Churn Dash: The Churn Dash is one of the oldest block designs. It dates as far back as 1800. Since it was an easy pattern to learn, new quilters often learned to piece by making this block. It is thought the name derives from the perimeter of the block resembling a churn and the center a “dash” (the stick that was used) to churn.

What makes this an easier block to construct is it’s mostly straight seam sewing. It’s made up of a plain large square framed by two strips on each side, one the color of the “churn” and the outside one the background color, often the same as the center. Finally, the corners are anchored by four half-square triangle squares.

Final Thoughts

Some final thoughts for the beginning of this Block of the Week sew along. If you want to, just make the nine blocks and have a small wall hanging or large table topper. You can also make two of each, maybe with different backgrounds like I did, and end up with 18 blocks. With some creative sashing, you can end up with a nice lap size quilt. If you decide to make a bigger quilt, make 3 or 4 of each block for a larger scrappy sampler.

The main thing is to have fun!

That’s it for this week. Enjoy making block 1 and come back next week for block 2.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Quilt Blocks – What Inspires Me. What About You?

A little break this week from the technical, tip laden posts I usually do. I decided I wanted to delve into some of my favorite quilt blocks I’ve worked with over the years to find some history on them. I’ve got several favorites. I’ll talk about mine and then you can share your favorites with me. Let’s have some fun!

My Favorite – The Log Cabin Block

I describe this as one of my favorite blocks for many reasons. It’s easy to piece and it also has different variations. I like the traditional Log Cabin (below, left) and also the Courthouse Steps (below, right) variation the best.

The fun things about these blocks is how they can use up your scrap stash. I like to collect strips by cutting up leftover fabric from various projects. So when I decide I want to make a Log Cabin block, I just head to my stash.

Here’s a little history on those blocks. They’re thought to have been designed by the pioneer women as they moved west in the mid 19th century, inspired by the homes of logs they constructed. However, this pattern has been found in earlier quilts and on other items as early as the mid 18th century. The traditional Log Cabin has a center square with “logs” added on alternating sides. Two sides of the block is light fabrics while the opposite sides are built with darker fabrics. The center square was often a red fabric to represent the hearth of the home.

I have been known to play with these blocks to add some interesting “spin” to them. Here’s the block in my quilt, Follow the Stars:

I thought it would be fun to have a star in the center and then use a black square running through each block to create a secondary design when the blocks were pieced together.

I also turned the blocks on point in my quilt, Wildflower Lane, and added appliqué so they looked like flower vases.

I have a lot of other patterns where I have played with this block. Once you start making these, you can’t stop!

The Churn Dash Block

Looking at my patterns, you will see that this is another of my favorite traditional quilt blocks. It’s a block that has been around for over 150 years. In the nineteenth century, women would make blocks and would often name them after everyday items they used daily. Even if it already had a name. Churn dash is one of them. The perimeter of the block resembled a churn and the center a “dash” (the stick that was used) to these women.

You can also make these blocks from a scrap stash of strips and squares. Or you can gather a stack of fat quarters with tans and color prints and make a bunch.

I’ve played with this block too. I’ve turned them on point with another block for a different look, I’ve added stars to the center of the block in other quilts and I even made a scrappy version.

The Album Cross

I’ve only used this block a few times, but hope to use it in more quilts in the future. I first came across it in a couple of books on antique quilts.

This block was popularized in the 1840s and 1850s when album quilts came into fashion. The blocks were assembled into friendship quilts, fundraising quilts and even quilts that were given to a person or family leaving a community. There was usually a section of light fabric where someone could stitch or sign their name or even an inspirational quote.

The 19th century version of the block pictured had Y seams. Yikes! I do not like Y or set in seams so I set about creating an easier version that had the same look but no Y seams. Here’s mine:

My version uses the stitch & flip method I talked about a few weeks ago to create the same look. I used it in my pattern, Scrap Basket Duo:

If you are looking for some unique blocks, check out an antique quilt book. You’ll find some interesting things.

Snowball Block

Finally another simple block that’s fun to use in many different ways. The block dates back to the mid 19th century and has it’s roots in Amish quilting. It is a block that creates an optical illusion when you look at the quilt it’s in. If you stand back, the snowball blocks look like circles. It was actually created with that intention in mind.

I’ve used this block as a part of the design in quilts as small as table runners to larger quilts. It’s a good block to use as a separator between another block style and it can even create a secondary design when used that way. Here is my pattern (on the left), Carnival Time, that uses the Snowball block as more of the “star” of the pattern. And on the right, I made a variation of the Snowball Block with an open center in Addie’s Garden.

Now here’s a pattern I’m working on writing now called Diamonds in the Rough where the large Snowball Block is the accent to the other pieced block and helps to creates a secondary design.

So those are some of my favorite quilt blocks. I have many more too! Let me know what blocks you like the best in the comments below.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne