February EQ Doodles

Over on our sister site we choose a block each month and then explore some colour and quilt setting possibilities. This month the block is Pine Tree – one of several with this name. We thought you might also like to try making some of these blocks so each month here on our Meadowside Designs site we will host the free cutting instructions as well as the colouring pages.

This is the default colouring of the Pine Tree block from Electric Quilt as well as the greyscale.

We have included both 6 inch and 12 inch rotary cutting and templates in our free downloadable PDF.

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Quick Update

The index to the free block patterns we have posted is now up and live – look on the menu bar to find it. You may have to scroll a long way to find ones at the end of the alphabet but that seemed the easiest way to arrange them. Each has a picture by the side so you have an idea of what the block looks like – its not always obvious from the name. Admittedly many of them are the 6 inch blocks we featured all last year but there are links to all the Dresden Plate blocks, star blocks and others we have featured down the years; blocks like these –

and to make these

Happy New Year

. . . somewhat belatedly! Things are happening behind the scenes at Meadowside and eventually there will be a new page with links to all (or most – we may have missed a few) the free blocks patterns that have appeared here over the last seven-plus years, but it will take a while.

In the meantime over on the Chris and Barbara Quilts blog we started the new year with January EQ Doodles featuring a block called Stars and Lilies which looks like this.

If you fancy having a play with it you can download the PDF from here which has colouring pages, rotary cutting measurements and templates to make a 12 inch block.

Asking EQ to play with colours produced these two – among many

And we will have to add this to the long list of blocks on the new page too – once we get as far as S in the alphabet (we’ve reached J so far)!

Yet another block

It’s (almost) the end of the year and we finished our marathon journey through six-inch blocks on Christmas Eve. You can now download the links to all the blog posts and to all the block instructions.

But we couldn’t leave without wishing you all a very Happy New Year and – as we couldn’t find a block called New Year – we leave you with a block called Year’s Favorite.

As a 4-patch block it is not really suited to being a six-inch one so why not go bold and make it 12 inches (each unit will finish at 3 inches). This is what it could look like made up into a quilt in wintery blues for January.

And now Meadowside Designs is going to lie down in a darkened room for a few weeks! We will be back with more makes and ideas before long – once they’ve occurred to us.

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 51

Congratulations if you have stayed with us all year! We have reached the final three letters of the alphabet and you can download the patterns for X, Y and Z together.

We cheated a bit for X and found a block called (The) Xquisite which would be a great one for using up scraps whether you add corner triangles to the odd shaped centre or do stitch and flip squares. Download it’s instructions.

Our Y block is that old favourite – Yankee Puzzle. This one uses half-square triangles rather than Flying Geese so again gives lots of colouring opportunities. The Yankee Puzzle instructions can be downloaded here.

Our last block is Z for Zig-Zag which again features lots of half-square triangles and your choice of making large triangles for a nine-patch block or small triangles for a 36-patch block. Download the instructions.

Finally – have a very happy Christmas and a bonus block – the Xmas tree (no pattern as we’re sure you can all draw one of these!

We will back at the end of the year with a full list of all the blocks and blog posts that you can download and keep for reference.

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 50

We’re nearly there! Two more blocks beginning with W first though for this week.

Winding Ways is a curved block – gentle curves so on larger blocks it is possible to piece them on the machine – at 6 inches though by hand is probably easier and quicker! Download the Winding Ways instructions.

Our second block in another Windmill block – there are many blocks called windmill or pinwheel but this one has so many possibilities. Download the Windmill block instructions.

Next week (Christmas Eve) we reach the end of the alphabet – promise!

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 49

There are just so many blocks beginning with W that it has been hard to choose just a few – I’m afraid we couldn’t resist bringing you another three blocks this week, starting with Waterwheel.

Download the instructions (and they include a block to colour don’t forget).

Next up is Weathervane. We had fun with colouring this one as it reminded us a bit of a flower – so green ‘leaves’ and pastel petals – you can have fun colouring in if you download its instructions.

Finally this week is Wheel of Destiny with its spiky points; no rotary cutting for this one, just templates. Download its instructions here.

Yet more W blocks next week!

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 48

The last month of the year and we’ve nearly reached the last letter of our alphabetical journey – this week we start a look at blocks beginning with W.

You can download the applique pattern for the letter here.

We have two pieced blocks for you this week which both use the same units but each puts them together in a very different way. The first is called Wampum Block and you can download it’s instructions here.

The second may be slightly more familiar and is called Wandering Lover. Download its cutting instructions here.

There will be a few more W blocks before the end of the year and the end of the alphabet.

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 47

This week we visit Virginia in our search for blocks beginning with V. Before we go looking though, download the applique pattern for the letter V here if you are collecting these.

Our first block is simply called Virginia and is basically a double star – but take care with the piecing. Download the instructions here.

Next up is Virginia Reel – a close cousin of Dutchman’s Puzzle – with lots of Flying Geese units. Download the instructions here.

Finally we have Virginia Worm Fence which is a version of Rail Fence with two strips per unit instead of three or four. You can of course turn the blocks around to make pinwheels as well as zig-zags. Download the instructions here.

A new month and a new letter and yet more blocks next week.

Saturday Six-Inch Sampler 46

We are nearing the end of the year and the end of the alphabet as we look at blocks beginning with U. Although we are only going to bring you one before we move on to the next letter. But let’s start with our applique pattern which you can download

As our one and only block beginning with U (there are plenty of others but this is one not too difficult to make at six-inches) we have chosen Union Star. Download the instructions here.

Next week a couple of blocks beginning with V.