Here’s a little background on the design process for my block. My preferred technique is foundation piecing. Unusual angles, straight lines and sharp points work well with foundations.  With that in mind, I looked for inspiration in nature, in museums, in books, on the internet–virtually everywhere.

Perhaps it would be in a carpet design or tile. Check out these floor tiles.

The Victorian reproduction floor tiles in the Rochester cathedral.

Maybe I’d find something in a poster, an ad or another artist’s work? M.C. Escher’s art always intrigues me.

Order and Chaos II (Compass Card) by M.C. Escher

I often start with geometric shapes–squares, triangles, diamonds or circles. Ice Crystal (block #122 from volume 2) and Whoopsy Daisy (block #417 from volume 5) started with circles that I dissected into sections.

Ice Crystal (block #122) started in a circle

Whoopsy Daisy (block #417) line drawing

The deadline for volume 7 was quickly closing in, and I still didn’t have a concrete idea for my design. Instead of “writer’s block,” I felt “quilter’s block.” (Or would that be “quilter’s block block?”)

As Carolyn mentioned in her blog post on Monday, inspiration can come when you least expect it. And that’s what happened for me. I was looking for an embroidery stitch on the internet when I spotted a feathered star design that looked a little something like this:

What caught my eye was the area where the points of 2 stars met. Instead of seeing just the stars, I saw Sawtooth points surrounding a diamond. I made a quick sketch and then drew this out in Electric Quilt 7.

The design had a southwestern look that appealed to me, so I colored it with turquoise, orange and brown. I printed out the foundations and rummaged through my batik scraps to make this version.

For block #615, I brightened it up using Timeless Treasure’s gorgeous Tonga Batiks. Aren’t they beautiful? That turquoise makes me drool!

Santa Fe Star block #615 by Eileen Fowler

If you don’t have your copy of 100 Blocks volume 7, here’s another chance to win it. Leave a comment below by midnight MST on Friday, May 24th telling me what colors you enjoy using the most in your quilts. (A quick look at your stash is a dead giveaway.)

We host a simple contest for U.S. readers—in fact we’ve done so for each of the seven issues we’ve published.

The contest for Volume 7 is going on now.

You’ll find details on page 98 of the issue and on the contest page.

The contest involves correctly identifying the designers of the block elements shown. To narrow the choices, there is a list of designers on the contest page.

So all you need is your copy of the issue, access to the internet and a few minutes to enter.

This online contest is open to U.S. residents only and runs until July 2. We’ll look forward to receiving your entry.

Please help us spread the word by clicking one of the share buttons below. Thank you!

1. Gently clean the lint/dirt/debris from all areas of your machine as instructed in the owner’s manual. Oil the machine according to the instructions.

2. Put in a new sewing machine needle and throw the old one away.

3. Change the blade in your rotary cutter and throw the old one away safely.

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Now you’re set. You’re Tuned-Up on Twenty! If you completed these tasks, leave a comment by midnight Wednesday, May 22 and let us know. We’ll pick a winner and send them a little bundle of quilty fun.

I want to share a little bit about my block Engine Ready with you.

Engine Ready, block #650

I used fabrics from Timeless Treasures for my block—mostly Soho solids and Sketch, along with a few batiks. My youngest son is a fire fighter, and I wanted to design a block incorporating something fire related. Our graphic designer Denise designed Rescue No. 1 for 100 Blocks, Volume 6 and that got me thinking.

I decided I wanted to show a fire truck in the station, all ready to roll. So I went online and looked for different images of fire trucks to see what the front of one looked like. I found that the fronts of fire trucks are all very different! Some have ladders on top.

Some had a little too much detail.

Some were a little too old.

I was having a little trouble finding exactly what I wanted, until I was visiting with my 2-year-old grandson Parker. Uncle Tim had given him a fire truck for Christmas, and it was just what I was looking for.

Parker’s fire truck

This was the inspiration I was looking for to design my block. Sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it! What inspires you? Leave me a comment by Tuesday, May 21st at midnight about what inspires your quilt designs for a chance to win a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 7.

The winner is Linda Webster (comment #9)! Thank you for participating!

The featured Scrap Squad quilt in Quiltmaker’s May/June issue is Mandarin Express, below.

It was designed by Robin Waggoner from Spokane Valley, Washington. Robin and Sandy Odeen pieced it, and Robin quilted it. The batiks are from Hoffman California Fabrics.

Carol Hubacek from Schererville, Indiana

Today’s featured quilt is by Carol Hubacek from Schererville, Indiana. You’ll hear from Carol in her own words below.

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There was a time when I thought that replicating a Jane Stickle quilt would be a good idea. I’m not feeling that quite as strongly now, so I begin pulling fabrics from my stash of Civil War reproductions to use in Mandarin Express. I choose a beige in enough quantity to be used throughout the quilt.

Paper piecing triangles can lead in two directions. Option One – you’re in the zone, all is going well, and productivity is evident. Option Two – you get the size of the scrap wrong, you get the angle wrong, the silly thing decides to fold and you create pleats. Lord, give me the serenity…and let these babies increase in number.

Not as many things go wrong with square in a square, but it would be wise to trim more carefully. Baby steps!

Who knew that retirement would be so busy? I’m in Costa Rica for nine days. We are sharing sewing and knitting ideas with some ladies near San Jose in Alajuelita and Cartago.

Their pastor, Rev. E. Retana, invited a Mission Opportunities Short Term (MOST ministries) team to share projects and materials. The church provided housing and meals. There were blessings for everyone involved.

Busy, busy. The list goes on. Now I have two weeks in Texas. My grandbaby is a year old.  We have a wonderful visit, a happy celebration, and are looking forward to baby brother in August. Wonder how long it will take to regain momentum on my Mandarin Express back home in Indiana?

I seem to have a healthy collection of pinks and browns. When was it that these kits were so inviting that I needed two?

There should be enough choices for the Four Patches and the half-square triangles.

Squaring up is never my favorite task, but trying to correct wonky edges by eyeballing an appropriate seam line usually results in disaster. Ask me how I know.

I decide to ramp it up and set it on point.

The negative spaces in this layout are small and awkward for quiting individually, so I decide to divide the center into nine equal squares for quilting purposes, completely ignoring blocks and seam lines.

I choose a large ribbon border and center it around a Celtic knot.

Both motifs were taken from Quiltmaker’s Quilting Motifs Volume 1, enlarged and traced on Golden Threads paper.

Clamshells are a reliable go-to for the outside border. I didn’t do the best job attaching my borders and will have to make an effort to accommodate the extra length that has “materialized.”  This quilt will lead to smiles and comfort rather than perfection and prizes.

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Isn’t this a pretty quilt?! In spite of Carol’s busy spring with traveling for ministry and family, she’s right: this lovely quilt will lead to smiles and comfort! It’s like we say at Quiltmaker: “Finished is better than perfect.”

We’re nearing the end of the Mandarin Express quilts and then we’ll be off on another scrappy adventure!

When I design a block like this, I use Google images to search for examples. It helps me with colors, proportions and details. I did the same thing for Rescue No. 1 in Vol. 6 and when we design our Patch Pals.

Sample from Google Images

I’ll be doing a new image search very soon as I get ready to design my block for Volume 8 – coming in mid-November. Be sure to stay tuned.

As we continue to celebrate this issue of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, let’s give away a copy of Volume 7! Leave one comment below telling me what inspires your quilting by midnight MST, Friday May 17 for a chance to win.

The winner is Connie German (comment #43)! Thank you for participating!

And if you can’t wait to get your own copy of Volume 7, click here to purchase a print copy or click here to purchase and download a digital PDF.

I don’t think I have ever seen this block before, and Mary hasn’t either. She is in search of more information about the block, so I offered to ask Quilty Pleasures readers what they might know about it.

We aren’t sure how the block should be oriented. In the photo above, it resembles a kitty: arched back, two ears on the right, front paws on the lower right. No tail!

In this orientation it reminded us of a bird. He’s heading to the left with a large beak, one wing is up and the other is down—can you see him?

The quilt itself is rectangular however, which means if you put it on a bed, the blocks would be oriented like this:

Or like this:

All of the blocks are oriented the same way in the quilt. And each block is made from just two fabrics: a background and a print. (In the hustle of cleaning up after the guild meeting, I didn’t get a full shot of the quilt.)

Mary and friends have looked through Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and haven’t spotted it, but with thousands of blocks to look through, it’s possible to miss something.

If you recognize the block and could offer any insight, please leave a comment and let us know. Thanks so much for your help.

Let’s sweeten the pot. The first person to identify the block and offer documentation (something definitive that’s been published and is verifiable) wins a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 7 and a little bundle of quilty fun.

We’ve really had some fun with the hexagon focus in our May/June issue. If you missed these posts, you’ll want to have a look.

• A Bit About the Infinite Hexagon
• Moda’s newest precut: Honeycombs
• Inklingo Hexagons with Linda Franz
• Pieced Hexies

While looking for interesting hexagon-related quilt projects to go with this issue, I discovered Hickory Nuts.

Hickory Nuts come in sizes Small, Large and Extra Large. For this test, I used the small set.

Each set is two pieces. The center is the “nut” and the outer piece is called the “shell.”

You need two fabrics for this quilt-as-you-go method. Here we’ll make just one finished hexagon Hickory Nut. Cut one hexagon using the Nut and one hexagon using the Shell as shown above.

You also need to cut a piece of batting using the smaller template. I just pulled a scrap out of the bag I use for dusting. You did know that batting scraps are great for dusting, right? Happens annually at my house. But anyway…

Lay the larger hexagon right side down and put the batting in the center of it with the smaller hexagon on top. I offset it so you could see it better. In reality you want them lined up nicely and centered.

Using an iron without steam (ask me how I know), fold one side of the hexagon so that the raw edge touches the raw edge of the small hexagon and press.

Continue around, pressing one side at a time, until all six sides are pressed in.

Now comes the fun part—you get to sew. I secured the small hexagon and the batting in place with a pin and used thread to match the large hexagon. (I removed it before I snapped the photo.) One at a time, fold each side toward the center again and blindstitch it in place.

I used a Clover Wonder Clip to keep things in place.

In this photo, I have sewn down three sides and half of the fourth. Two sides remain.

When you’re finished, secure the stitching  and cut the thread. You have the cutest little framed hexie!

At this point my imagination started to fire. I thought it would be fun to try some machine quilting. I stitched each hexagon in the ditch and then I did some decorative free-motion quilting.

This one got a spiderweb-type design.

The next one got a flower. This one’s a little wonky but I think with practice I will improve.

The last one got a Star of David.

Remember, these have batting in them, so at this point they are finished and you can do whatever you want with them. I think they’ll make adorable Christmas decorations. I also want to try printing a photo on the small hexagon—a grandchild’s photo would be fun!

I decided to join these three with a zigzag stitch from the top. I butted them together and used invisible thread. I set the stitch very short and narrow. The stitching became almost invisible.

These are small. They’re 3″ from point to point and a little over 2.5″ from side to side. The length of this three-piece unit is just over 7.5″.

They were a little small for machine quilting. You really don’t want your fingers that close to the needle. Next time I would join a half dozen of them first and then do the quilting.

I’m anxious to try the bigger sizes. The Large size finishes at 4″ from point to point. The Extra Large finishes at 7.5″ from point to point. It fits perfectly on a 10″ square if you’d like to use precuts.

I would recommend this method. It’s easy and relaxing if you enjoy handwork. The instructions indicate that all of the work can be done on the machine if you prefer.

With a little practice I think they’ll come out beautifully. Wouldn’t this be a perfect long-term project made from scraps? I can hardly wait to get started.

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Find Hickory Nuts online at Hickory Hill Quilts & Sewing Center or visit them in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Generally I do wool appliqué for my blocks, but this time I decided to make a pieced block using Aspen Frost by Basic Grey from Moda. I love to play around with blocks – I am a total block nerd. I have a stack of block books by my bed, all dog-eared and highlighted and covered with sticky notes. At bedtime I love to browse and think and squint and rotate the pages, looking and imagining different ways to play with the blocks. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this.

Block #646, Winter Village

I started out with a typical block, called “Fanny’s Favorite.” It’s a pretty block, and one we’ve seen around with a few different names and looks.

Fanny's Favorite

When I squinted, the first thing I saw was that the flying geese could look like the roof of a house. So, what if you colored those squares under the flying geese to make houses? And then colored the squares and triangles green to look like the houses were in grass, kind of like a hill.

But what if you took out the green squares, and added brown trunks, to make the trees? Then you have little houses in the forest.

Then…if you want to make a little village, put 4 blocks together. When you start putting the blocks together you also get a pretty cool secondary design. You could go all kinds of directions with this!

So, next time you feel like some bedtime reading, grab yourself a block book, squint (or take off your readers—ahem) and see what YOU can imagine!

Let’s do another Volume 7 giveaway! Leave a comment telling me your favorite block, OR your favorite bedtime reading material by midnight MST, Tuesday May 14 for a chance to win an issue of Volume 7, and keep watching Quilty Pleasures for more staff blocks all month long.

The winner is Lisa Marie (#27)! Thank you for commenting and be sure to check back for more QM staff blocks!

The featured Scrap Squad quilt in Quiltmaker’s May/June issue is Mandarin Express, below.

It was designed by Robin Waggoner from Spokane Valley, Washington. Robin and Sandy Odeen pieced it, and Robin quilted it. The batiks are from Hoffman California Fabrics.

Becky Ball

Today’s featured Scrap Squad quilt is by Becky Ball from Blue Springs, Missouri. She blogs at Becky’s Quilt Obsession. You’ll hear from Becky in her own words below.

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I love this design—Mandarin Express has a four-pointed star that uses the triangle-in-a-square block differently from what I’ve done before.

I fell in love with a group of fabrics that was available for a very short time. I was able to buy just two bundles. I have no business buying more reds, but I did. These were mostly fat quarters. I couldn’t use just the bundled fabrics, so I added leftovers from other red and black quilts I’ve made (see them here).

I love including even little bits of fabric from other quilts. I pulled 39 fabrics to begin the quilt, added more as I went along. This was a more controlled scrappy than I usually make.

These reds were in the bundles I purchased.

Added these reds for texture.

Blacks…they were actually darker than they look here.

Mediums and textures…

Reds on black…

All 39 fabrics—there were several changes by the time I was finished.

I drafted the quilt in EQ7 to play with fabric placement and borders.

1st plan EQ7 - some fabrics turned wrong

My final plan (tweaked many times during the process), looked really close to the final product.

Nearly final EQ7 plan

This pattern lends itself to making a lot of block components before ever starting the blocks. I began with star points. The first time I looked at the design wall I laughed at myself because I was putting them up the wrong way.

What kind of stars?

I fussed with the center for the stars. The pattern uses the stitch-and-flip method.

I used templates and fussy cut the hearts out of one fat quarter I had. Then I decided to frame them with stripes. I tried the stripes I had chosen, then tried some red stripes I had, and finally headed for the fabric store.

I found this red and white stripe with tiny black stripes in the Bullwinkle collection. I starched it heavily and then cut it so the stripes angled out from the center block—leaving bias on the outside—so I handled the patches very carefully.

Red stripe center squares

Alternate centers - they died

I made some other centers using the same fabric as the star points on the center unit’s corners. Some of the other Scrap Squad members were doing this and I liked how theirs looked. I tried it on my design wall, and the block died. I did find another use for them later.

After making a gazillion Four Patches (I kept having to find and cut more black fabric) I was ready to make star blocks. I did develop a pressing plan since the centers made these blocks directional.

On to the setting squares, simple Shoo Fly blocks. I loved how the blocks in the original quilt “glowed” because of the yellow in the centers and around the stars. With my color palette, the best I could do was add some white. I tried several ways, and finally ended up doing two setting blocks—one for the outside rows and one for the inside of the top. I used stitch-and-flip on two corners of the side center pieces of the Shoo Fly and turned them into floating Sawtooth Stars, and used the rejected centers I’d made earlier.

Floating Sawtooth star for edges of top

Center Shoo Fly block with reject square in a square

As I looked at my setting, I saw circles surrounding the side stars.

blocks on wall - no borders

I wanted to finish those circles, so I added a pieced border made of one-third of what would have been the next block. I added these pieces as I assembled the top.

Yes, I see the mistake.

I was glad I took time for a pressing plan, because the top went together easily after all the components were finished.

The final borders were easy. I had a long piece left over from cutting borders for another quilt, but it was only 8″ wide. I carefully cut it into 2″ strips and had enough for the black border—but not enough to miter corners.

The red border is a chuckle. I originally planned to use the red with black circles that inspired this quilt, but I hadn’t used any in the body of the quilt (just couldn’t cut it). I decided to continue with the batik I used in the setting blocks, a good choice.

I thought about how to quilt this a lot. I used spirals on the last quilt, but I just thought they would be great on this quilt, too, so that’s what I used. If I could quilt more things, feathers would have looked great, too. I had a red and black variegated Highlights thread for the top, with Glide red pre-wound in the bobbin.

I dreaded the binding longer than it actually took to do it. Another Scrap Squad member has a tutorial on “unstuffed piped binding” and I decided I was going to try it. I’ve had some pages of directions torn out of a magazine up on the wall for a long time, and kept avoiding it. Why?

I returned to the quilt store and bought more of that great stripe, and used it for the piping. I held my breath as I topstitched in the ditch with invisible thread and the same bobbin thread I used on the quilting. It turned out great on both sides.

It’s finished, I love it! Now if I can just keep my daughter from stealing it!

Black and white and red all over - a cliché