| January - February - March - April - May - June - July
August - September - October - November - December
(select month to go to the Block of the Month)
Orchestrated by the Vice President, a "Block of the
Month" pattern is prepared once a month. Members
are invited to make one block - or as many as they
wish;
then bring the block(s) to the guild meeting. Each
block counts as one chance to win all the blocks
in the group.
This year, in deference to your Vice President's
lack of piecing skills, we will be doing paper pieced
patterns.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BLOCK SIZES ARE NOT ACCURATE.
TRIM YOUR BLOCKS WITH A 1/4" SEAM ALLOWANCE.
DON'T TRIM THEM TO THE FINISHED SIZE.
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Help for
those not familiar with paper piecing
This list of websites is not intended as endorsement or advertising; it
is merely a reference for Guild members |
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Paper
piecing hints (courtesy of Mary Worrall)
Use a shorter stitch length (1.5)
Sew three to four stitches before and after intersections (where two pieces
of fabric meet)
When sewing two sections together, sew with a basting stitch, check to
make sure seams meet, then re-stitch with the shorter stitch length |
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December
- Christmas ornament
Select image for larger view |
It's
Christmas time! I found a Christmas ornament to paper
piece. Let's make the background a green Christmas print;
use a metallic print if you like. The ornament can be
any color; print or solid. The signature area should
be white or muslin, and don't forget to sign your ornament.
The block
pattern is 4" square.Maryann Beattie is the designer;
visit her Ornament
Swap page for ideas on how to use the blocks. |
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November
- Coffee Cup
Select image for larger view |
This
month is a friendly coffee cup. The Coffee Cups quilt
block first appeared in the Kansas City Star newspaper
series of quilt blocks on January 12, 1935. This version
is from Debby
Kravotil's site; she offers it as a free pattern.
She explains how to make a small quilt here:
www.quilterbydesign.com/lessons/coffee_cup.htm.
The pattern for the cup is here:
www.quilterbydesign.com/lessons/coffee_cup.pdf (PDF).
It's your choice of colors, though I suggest a solid or tone-on-tone or
batik background and a contrasting print cup. The instructions describe
how to applique the handle; I made the handle three dimensional so that
it lifts off the background. You decide if you want to make the handle
three dimensional or not. |
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October
- Vice President's Quilt
Select image for larger view |
We
are doing the Vice President's block, another copyrighted
pattern from Marchia Hohn's Quilter's
Cache (new page will open). I obtained permission
from Marcia to link directly to her pattern Vice
President's Quilt (new page will open). The colors
are chosen from my scrap basket; a periwinkle blue
and a flowered pink. The blocks print out somewhat
larger if you're using a Mac/PC; unfortunately I don't
know how to fix that. It should be an 8" block. |
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September
- Small Flower
Select image for larger view |
This
month we will use a second pattern from Threads Magazine
Mini-quilt patterns. The patterns are at http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00127.asp (new
page will open). There are 4 patterns, and for September
I chose the small flower, in summer colors of
yellow and green. Seam allowances are NOT printed on
the pattern, so you will need to add a 1/4" seam allowance
around the outside edge of the block.
The Threads article has information on, and links to, two foundation
piecing programs, which I thought some of you might be interested
in. If you would like to go directly to the patterns, see http://www.taunton.com/threads/pdf/miniquilt.pdf (new
page will open). |
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August
- Crazy quilt blocks
select image for larger view |
I
love crazy quilting, so we're going to foundation piece
a crazy quilt block this month. Crazy blocks need to
be pieced on muslin for stability, as they will get a
lot of handling while being embellished. A paper foundation
would tear away and not provide a good base for embellishing.
So you will need to print these blocks out on muslin.
The blocks are from files located at the FoundationPiecers
Yahoo group; used with permission from "freakybrowngirl@yahoo.com".
Steps for printing on muslin:
1) Iron muslin onto the waxy side of the freezer paper
and trim to 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.
2) Determine which side of the paper prints. Write
your name on one side of a piece of paper and put it
in your printer writing side down. Print something.
If the side with your writing has computer printing,
your muslin backed freezer paper should go muslin side
down. If the printing is on the opposite side of the
paper as your written name, put the muslin side up.
3) Print the crazy quilt block onto the muslin backed
freezer paper.
There are 4 different crazy blocks. You can do one or all 4, but if you
do more than one block, use more than one pattern. Use fabrics and colors
that you like, use up your scraps, use whatever you have handy. Crazy quilting
is, well, it's crazy!
Select one block to print and piece, or print and piece all 4:
one - two - three - four (new
page will open) |
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July
- Square within a square
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This
month I have permission from Threads Magazine to use
their Mini-quilt patterns. The patterns are at http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00127.asp (new
page will open). There are 4 patterns, and I chose the Square
within a square for July, in July colors of course
(red, white, and blue). Seam allowances are NOT printed
on the pattern, so you will need to add a 1/4" seam allowance
around the outside edge of the block. This one is small
and simple, so I hope to see dozens of these at the August
meeting!
The Threads article has information on, and links to, two foundation
piecing programs, which I thought some of you might be interested
in. If you would like to go directly to the patterns, see http://www.taunton.com/threads/pdf/miniquilt.pdf (new
page will open). |
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June
- Corncob
©
Quilter's
Cache |
June's
pattern is a corncob, a copyrighted pattern from Marchia
Hohn's Quilter's
Cache (new page will open). Please note that this
is a larger block than we've been working with-it's 10
inches long (& approx. 5" wide). I obtained permission
from Marcia to link directly to her pattern Corn
Fed! (new page will open), so that we have a paper
pieced corn block for all those Tanana Valley Fair Small
Quilt Auction quilts I know you're going to make! The
picture on Marcia's site shows two corncobs, but I encourage
you to get creative and combine a single corncob with
other vegetables (look through Marcia's site and the
links above), or make a corn stalk with multiple cobs,
or a basket of corn, or... come up with your own idea!
Marcia does request that any pictures posted on the web are clearly marked
as a copyrighted pattern from the Quilter's Cache, with a link to her website
(see the line below the corn on the left). And I hope to have a bunch of
pictures of your quilts to post!
I suggest traditional colors-green cornstalk and leaves, yellow corn (but
there's lots of different yellows-go crazy!), with a sky blue background.
You may make one cob, or as many as you please.
Comments: If you have a Mac, as I do, you may need to hold your
mouse over Template A and click to enlarge the pattern.Thanks to Mary
Beth Juday for bringing this to my attention!
Other corn blocks; for personal use only! not for the Block of the
Month exchange!
http://members.aol.com/heart2hnd/Nov.html
http://www.yvonnes.dk/sweetcornpattern.htm
from Quiltmaker May/June 2000, No. 73, pp. 27-31: Garden Patch pattern,
which includes an ear of corn, is for sale at www.quiltmaker.com/special/gardenpatch/index.html (you
can also buy the back issue). Thank you to Jan Cannon for sharing this! |
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May
- Butterfly
 |
May's pattern is a butterfly (new
page will open) from Paper Panache.
I just didn't have time to draft a pattern this month, and I wanted a butterfly
to welcome in Spring. This pattern has a lot of small, fussy pieces, and
looks complicated, but it is very well designed and easy to put together.
I hope it will challenge our more experienced quilters but not intimidate
those of us who are not so experienced at paper piecing.
Use a cheerful, spring-like print for the background and a coordinating
solid for the butterfly. Leave the paper on to bring to the May Guild meeting. |
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April
- Laced Star
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April's pattern is more complex than our past patterns
have been. When you view the pattern, you will see
that you need to make 4 triangles and then piece the
triangles together. The pattern pieces are labeled
with piecing order and colors. I suggest leaving the
paper on until you've pieced the 4 triangles together.
This month there is only one pattern.
6" finished size (approximately)
Instructions
Background: solid blue
Star: yellow solid or fabric that looks like a solid yellow from a short
distance away
Coordinating print fabric |
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March
- Fan
 |
March's pattern is a fan; very simple but so much fun
because there are so many ways to set this one.
This month there is only one pattern.
4 1/2" finished size
(pattern only, no instructions; new page will open - PDF)
We will be demonstrating paper piecing at the March guild meeting,
so there won't be any instructions |
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February
- Heart
 |
This month we will paper piece a small heart. Although
it looks complex, this is actually a very simple project.
Give it a try; I bet you'll be surprised!
This month there is only one pattern.
4 inch heart (pattern only, no
instructions; new page will open - PDF)
Brief instructions (instructions
only; new page will open) |
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January
- Tree (or you could place it sideways and turn
it into an arrow)
 |
All patterns are PDF format, and a new page will open
for each one.
4-1/2" finished
size
8-1/2" finished
size
You will need to download the brief instructions
Brief
instructions
(includes 4-1/2" block)
Detailed
instructions
(no block pattern)
You will need to download the block pattern of your
choice |
