Quilt along

It’s a while since the Puzzle Quilt block of the month so it is probably time for another Block of the Month quilt-along.

The quilt we’ve chosen is the one being made this year as one of the Block of the Month options at The Corner Patch – Dancing Blocks.

There are nine blocks in total plus there will be instructions for getting those blocks to ‘dance’. The photos show the shop sample done in blues but students have been making the blocks in a wide range of colours – including a vibrant orange and green one which looks amazing.

Instructions will be posted each month on the 15th – right in the middle of the month – starting today with the Requirements list.

As you can see from these Electric Quilt ‘random recolours’ the quilt can look great with a dark background or a light one; with a mixture of fabrics or a restricted colour palette. Each month’s instructions will have a blank block to colour in to help you choose your colours. You can download a blank quilt here to colour in.

Its free to join in – just remember to check here on the 15th of each month to download the instructions and by this time next year you will have a new quilt – all ready as a Christmas present perhaps!

Simple Blocks – Card Trick

Time for another few in the Simple Blocks series now that the summer holidays are over. Today its that old favourite, Card Trick. The colouring of this block is key to making it look as if four squares are interlocking.Download the instructions for the block here. The block has Three-Triangle, HST and QST units. One key tip our students use is to always lay all the pieces out first before you start stitching – that way you can be sure you have got those colours in the right place. It helps to make one block first before you start on a quilt – that way you can be sure the measurements are correct and your colours are right.

You can make it in monochrome as above, or in rainbow colours or . . .

And the quilts you can make with this block? There’s a lot (as usual) and again, colouring and colour placement is key – so first a pastel colouring on a white background and straight-set

change the background –

or add sashing to separate the blocks –

Set on point the blocks look completely different –

or with the dark background –

And there are more ideas in the instruction sheet.

Card Trick.

Simple blocks – Key Lime Pie

This is another block that uses the 3-triangle unit and is to be found in the library of blocks that comes with ELectric Quilt. This time the unit is paired with 4-patch units to make a 9-patch block. This allows for all sorts of experimenting with colour and value placement. Download the instructions here. Instructions for piecing multiples of the unit can be found on the tutorials page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are just a few ideas, there are more in the instructions pages.

 

And then you can have fun making quilts as the 4-patch units create paths across or around the quilt depending, again, on how you colour them.

 

Sometimes you can see stars, and sometimes windmills. There are more ideas in the instruction sheet.

Key Lime Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Blocks – Turnstile

I’ve finally written up a few more simple blocks. These next few feature the ‘Three Triangle’ unit       and our first block is Turnstile, a simple 4-patch block consisting of four of these units.

You can download the instructions here.

The block can look quite different depending on the placement of your lights and darks –

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so the quilts can look quite different too

This block is sometimes also known as WIndmill, especially when the units are turned –

As blocks they look different, but when put together in a quilt it is hard to tell which you started with. But what happens if you alternate these two?

Turnstile

 

Puzzle Quilt completion

If you have been following along and making at least two blocks each month you should now have 16 blocks to put together into a quilt. You can download the instructions here.

It is your choice whether to quilt the blocks individually or in sections (quilt-as-you-go) or to join all the blocks together first and then quilt the top as a whole. Instructions are given for both methods.

You will also find some ideas for quilting the blocks, sashings and borders.

We hope you have enjoyed this Block of the Month with a difference. Perhaps you could send a photo of your completed Puzzle Quilt for others to enjoy.

Puzzle Quilt completion

Free pattern and two bags

Two new (and related) patterns have been added to the Craftsy page.

First is a little basket pincushion –

and you will find the free pattern for this on Craftsy or you can download it here.

Closely related, and ideal for keeping projects or sewing kit in are two Bucket Bags – one big and one ‘baby’.

These are reversible

and useful for all sorts of things! For your projects –

in the garden –

and the baby one for your hand-sewing project or to keep by the sewing machine –

The pattern has instructions for both bags – two for the price of one!

Puzzle Quilt Block 8

The final block for the Block of the Month Puzzle quilt is based on the Hope of Hartford block. This is a lovely little block and introduces the construction technique known as a ‘partial seam’. You can download the instructions here.

The original two blocks from the quilt are shown below –

and

Here are two further colour ideas drawn with EQ7 –

Block 8 Hartford Hope