This is a terrific quilt for beginners. The blocks are very easy and are made larger than needed and trimmed to size. The leaves are all connector corners sew to plain blocks. This means that all of the leaf points will be sharp as there are no crossed seams to cut off the points and all of the blocks are a uniform, perfect size which makes the quilt assembly a snap. For those of you who are more experienced, this quilt goes together very quickly and is perfect for a quick gift. The angled border is optional. I've taught this class many times and have seen it done in pastels, thirties and was adorable in brights. Check out the Gallery for photos of other color palettes. Quilt measures approximately 65" x 80".

Union Blues is a lesson in "Making - Do". What is "Making - Do" you say? Well, we find these charming blocks in antique quilts when the quilt maker set out to make her quilt in a particular color palette but because fabric was so scarce she ran short of fabric and had to "make-do" in order to complete her quilt. My quilt uses a blue and brown color palette, and I created make-do blocks with some unlikely paring of fabrics in some of the blocks. While you certainly don't have to create "make-do" blocks for your quilt, it is fun and can be a bit of a stretch out of your comfort zone. Students in my class have loved the idea and the results and I think you will too! Union Blues was named for my love of Civil War history and features blocks from that era, the Churn Dash and Shoo Fly. Quilt measures approximately 82" x 82".

Union Blues is a lesson in "Making - Do". What is "Making - Do" you say? Well, we find these charming blocks in antique quilts when the quilt maker set out to make her quilt in a particular color palette but because fabric was so scarce she ran short of fabric and had to "make-do" in order to complete her quilt. My quilt uses a blue and brown color palette, and I created make-do blocks with some unlikely paring of fabrics in some of the blocks. While you certainly don't have to create "make-do" blocks for your quilt, it is fun and can be a bit of a stretch out of your comfort zone. Students in my class have loved the idea and the results and I think you will too! Union Blues was named for my love of Civil War history and features blocks from that era, the Churn Dash and Shoo Fly. Quilt measures approximately 82" x 82".

Cotton Blossoms was created from necessity. I teach a machine applique class and needed to find a pattern that had all of the basic elements of applique for a beginner. I thought, 'why not create one'? Cotton Blossoms has all of the basic shapes: flowers, leaves, free form circles, perfect circles, a star, square, triangle, heart (hiding as one of the leaves), stems, bias strips, and large, easy curved shapes. While this pattern was created for that purpose, anyone can make it using any applique method they like! Quilt measures approximately 25" x 27".

I wanted to design a quilt that could be pieced rather quickly because, like most of you, I sometimes need a quilt, and quick! But... it was important that it have a simple design, was pretty and used fabrics I could gather easily. Ah ha! Use either Moda charm packs or a Moda Layer Cake™ along with some additional yardage for the borders!! That's how Done in a Jiff came to be. Cut a bunch of squares, minimal piecing and a bit of additional yardage for a few borders and Voila! No matter what Moda collection you use, it will work! Of course, you can choose your own fabrics right from your stash. No matter what, the name says it all!!! It will be Done in a Jiff!! The quilt measures approximately 61" x 61".

Rootbeer & Cotton Candy shows my love affair with pink and brown fabrics and is so soft and cuddly. It features three different blocks: two have pinwheel units and one has square-in-a-square units. The square-in-a-square block is made using Open Gate's Fit to be Square ruler, which makes construction a breeze and guarantees perfect units! These three blocks give the quilt interesting movement. The quilt reminds me of seersucker pajamas I wore as a young girl and perhaps would have been at a sleep over, staying up all night on a sugar high, drinking soda and eating candy like... you guessed it!! Geez... I could never do that now!!! Rootbeer & Cotton Candy is also fat quarter friendly! Quilt measures approximately 86" x 86".

I had this idea... choose four blocks that, when set either alone or with 'friends' would play well together by making some interesting secondary designs and Voila! Four different quilts from four easy blocks! Actually... swap the blocks around for yourself and the playful possibilities are endless. Quilt one uses only one block, quilt two uses two, three uses three and.. well... now you get the idea. Any fabrics or color way work great. Give it a try and make a John, Paul, George, Ringo or all Fab Four quilts for yourself! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!). Each quilt has only 13 blocks and uses 3 yards of fabric or less. I recommend using Open Gate's Fit to be Square ruler to make the Square-in-a-square units. Quilts measure approximately 36" x 36".

Raid your stash or use a wonderful fat quarter bundle of a favorite collection to make this easy quilt as it would look great in any fabric you choose! How about homespuns, reproductions, thirties, batiks??? Just be sure to use high contrasting fabrics in your blocks. The blocks are made with a nine-patch in the center, triple rails and squares... easy, right! The sashing is sewn to the block before the quilt is assembled. Fritzie's Closet is fat quarter friendly! Quilt measures approximately 73" x 84".

Lucky Day is a Moda Layer Cake™ friendly pattern. You sure don't have to use a Layer Cake! You can cut 10 inch squares of your favorite fabrics, add a pretty neutral and your all set. However, those Moda Layer Cakes are just too fun and this quilt is big on design and features very easy piecing! Lucky Day was made using the Wildflower Serenade I fabric collection by Lynne Hagmeier for Kansas Troubles Quilters. This quilt measures approximately 48" x 48".

I'll bet you think that the block is the 'X' don't you! Nope... the block has a part of the 'X' in each corner and a pinwheel in the center. Aahh... now you see it! It's fun! The blocks go together easily and the design is completed with a row of units along the outside edge of the quilt center. I added the Half Square Triangle border for a touch of whimsy. Maizie Emm is fat quarter friendly and I used fat quarters from the Bound To The Prairie & Bound To The Prairie 2 collection by Kansas Troubles Quilters from Moda fabrics. Quilt measures approximately 68" x 80".

Sometimes I get an idea for a quilt just from loving the fabrics and that is how Summer Cottage came to be. I purchased the red floral fabric and one thing lead to another and... well that's how this quilt came to be! I chose some fabrics from Lecien's Mrs. March Antique Rose line, a wonderful reproduction style collection. Once the quilt was together, it almost has a shabby chic look to it and I could picture myself on a porch swing at a lake house, (I wish!) hence the name. This quilt measures approximately 78" x 78".

The Soldier's Wife was inspired by a very old antique quilt that I saw. I had never seen this setting before and while it looks like the blocks are on point, it is actually a straight set quilt! It is a terrific two-color quilt and would look awesome in any colors you may like. I have been reading a lot of quilt history of late, and named this quilt for the many wives (then & now) who waited for their husbands to return from the war, all the while not knowing what was happening to them. While waiting for word, these women worked on quilts to busy their minds, perhaps on a quilt just like this one! This quilt measures approximately 83" x 83".

This quilt looks a lot harder than it is. Truth be told it's quite easy. There are 4 blocks in this quilt: cake stand, sawtooth star and two patchwork blocks that have the large flying geese and four patch units. That's it!! But look what happens when you place those blocks in the quilt!! This quilt is made using the Prairie Paisley collection by Minick & Simpson for Moda and I love how it turned out. When I saw the fabrics, they are obviously red, white and blue, but to me are also very feminine. When trying to name this pattern, I thought "what would be a name for an old fashioned feminist?" Suffragette was a perfect fit. I love the Prairie Paisely fabrics, but now I can't wait to make it out of reproduction fabrics. Can you see it in your favorite fabrics? Suffragette is fat quarter friendly. Quilt measures approximately 69" x 60".

This is the perfect quilt to use a lot of the fabrics in your favorite color! Construction is a breeze as the 6" blocks are made with only one Connector Corner! Make the outer border from leftover scraps and finish it off with a bunch of Flying Geese. The blocks are simple, but the end result is quite pleasing! Quilt measures approx 64" x 76"

Love homespuns? Me too! Make this quilt from a stash of homespuns or any other fabrics you like, and it will look great. Large but simple Four Patch blocks are set between sashing strips where the square-in-a-square cornerpost blocks catch your eye, and are really quite simple to make. Quilt measures approx 87" x 102"

I love the Window Pane block and it was a perfect fit to use with Moda Bakeshop pre-cuts! You can use either a Jelly Roll™ & charm pack, or a Layer Cake™ , and additional yardage. The blocks are very versatile with any fabric collection. Oh, and if you already have just the perfect yardage, there’s cutting instructions for that as well! Quilt measures approx 56" x 67"

The cute flower block I used in this quilt is called the Nebraska Windmill, and until now, was only made with templates, and sewn with a “Y” seam. Hhmmm….I really didn’t want to make it that way, so I re-drafted the block using a rectangular Connector Corner! Much easier! Oh, and Shop Girl is dedicated to all of those shop owners out there who do such a great job of stocking the best fabrics, and creating an inviting, inspiring, and creative place for us to gather. Quilt measures approx 64" x 82"

This is a pattern I’ve wanted to do for a long time and I had a blast making these 4½" to 5" block quilts. Yup, that’s right, in Wee Whimsies, there are eight different block quilts that measure just 4½" to 5" finished! Well, I just couldn’t stop…. so, I made eight more in Wee Whimsies ~ Round Two!

They look great with a simple ribbon hanger, but really, the possibilities are endless. I’ve glued them to baskets, paper mache boxes, painted boards, and have them nestled in a small display in a basket. Add one to a wrapped present or gift bag for a friend. The possibilities are endless! You can’t make just one! They would make wonderful Christmas ornaments too!

Both Wee Whimsies patterns use a variety of techniques. The Dresden plate is pieced together, then appliquéd. The Courthouse Steps, Fan block, and Square-in-a-Square are paper-pieced. All others are pieced using modern methods. They are wonderful made in many different fabric palettes. Click on the Gallery Tab to see more Wee Whimsies block quilts made in a variety of colorways.