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.

Today’s featured quilt is by Marti Dyer-Allison of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Aunt Marti blogs at 52quilts.com. You’ll hear from Marti in her own words below.

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I was delighted when I saw that our most recent Scrap Squad assignment called for lots of four-patch units. I had a dozens of purple and tan four-patches left over from a quilt I made several years ago. All I needed to cut were purple and background triangles.

After determining that I had plenty of four-patches, I went to work on the half-square triangles and triangle-in-a square pieces. The pattern calls for foundation piecing the triangles-in-a-square, but I took out my Tri-Recs tool designed by Darlene Zimmerman and Joy Hoffman instead. If you’ve never used this tool, here is a quick tutorial.

First, determine the finished size you need. Mine would finish at 4″, so I needed to cut 4.5″ strips of both the dark fabric and the background. (Note: this is larger than the size in the Mandarin Express pattern because I already had the four-patches finished.)

Place the top edge of the tool flush with the top edge of the strip. The bottom edge of the cut strip will line up with the 4.5″ line on the triangle tool:

Cut on either side of the tool, then flip the tool to cut the next triangle:

Continue cutting across the strip. The “Rec triangle” is cut the same way, only from background fabric:

Next, stitch the background onto the triangle. The best part about the Tri-Recs tool is the notched corner that shows exactly where to line up the background and triangle pieces:

See how perfectly it aligns?

Repeat with the second background piece:

Press toward the background and you have a perfect triangle-in-a-square unit!

A nice, scrappy block!

My favorite long-arm quilter, Ann Reinelt, did a spectacular job on the quilting. It’s hard to photograph, but here is a close-up of the quilting:

I extended the four-patch blocks into the border to continue the chain effect:

Yep, that’s Susie’s Magic Binding! (Editor’s note: You definitely want to check out this method. I can’t wait to try it!)

And of course, I added one of my “PeaceLoveandHappiness” labels from GutenTags.

I had to put off photographing my Mandarin Grape because of all the late-spring snows here in Colorado.

At last, a sunny day and a photo of the finished quilt. It will find a home with the US Marine son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law of my late friend, Susan.

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 two 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. The winner is Janet who left comment #79. She has been notified. Thanks to everyone who left a comment and got all tuned up!

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!