Pole Twist - String Block Style!

Yes, I'm still playing around and tinkering with string blocks - if you haven't seen it - check out my other string block post here: String Blocks and More!

One of the quilt layouts I had drawn up was to arrange the string blocks in a pole twist (twisted ribbon) style quilt. This quilt is essentially made with 90 String Block Half Square Triangles.

With a 9 HST across x 10 HST down, three borders: the quilt measures about 84" x 91".

UPDATE: Don't forget to go to the bottom of this post to check out the finished quilts by Mary Santos and Celeste Gannon!

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make simple Half Square Triangles out of String Blocks:

String Blocks AND More!

My first string block swap I participated in was back in 2015 when Rhoda Forbes hosted the exchange for the quilting group: JUQ. I finally finished my quilt with all those blocks!!! Yay!

I really like how the blocks pop with the black sashing.

Makes the blocks seem like they are on point.

I have the pleasure of hosting my first ever String Block Swap in our online group: Life's A Quilt. We started in April of 2019, and string blocks will be flying across the world until the end of June! We have members from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand keeping the postal service busy!!

My first set of string blocks I received in the mail...

Two Charms & Two Yards - Disappearing 9-Patch

Two Charms and Two Yards - A Disappearing Nine Patch Quilt

My local group of quilt ladies has agreed to take on donating quilts to five different local organizations - They are that awesome!!!! Even better, my local quilt shop, Aunt Judy's Attic, has been hosting a Charity Sew Days weekend - the first weekend of every other month (January, March, May, July, September - 2019).
**Update: So many charity quilts were made and turned in, November charity sew day has been canceled**

For the March Charity Sew Days, I was going to be missing the first day - so I wanted something quick. I remembered I had helped pick fabrics from the color wall for an in-shop, custom made charm pack and there was going to be one leftover. I decided to grab it up and have a go at making something out of it.

Snowflake Magic Block Of the Month

I was so excited to be hosting a Block Of the Month! My very first, a success! Now that it is complete, I wanted to share some of the new and exciting things that happened!

This BOM made a quilt top that measures 55" by 60" tall. This large wall hanging has 24 different snowflakes and three different sized trees, all made using a raw edge applique with a machine satin stitch. AND each of the snowflakes has a name!

BOM Finished Wallhanging Quilt Top

Applique! I know many starts to panic at the mention of applique, but at the same time I was hosting this BOM, I was also teaching everyone how to satin stitch applique with a sewing machine. There was immediate assistance whenever one got stumped! - and you can still get help now if you wanted!

A Cowboy's Life

This year,

Aunt Judy's Attic

is participating

in the 

Row by Row Experience 2018

Sew Musical!

I just love designing for my local quilt shop!!!

A Cowboy’s Life

– Written by Gerry Billings, 2018

A cowboy’s life is a lonely life and a rough one I’ve been told.

With the forlorn howl of a wiley coyote as he camps there in the cold

He sits by the fire and picks his guitar while they sing to the man in the moon.

And he dreams of home and his loved ones dear and hopes to be here soon.

This year's row featured a cowboy sitting with his guitar at a campfire while out on a cattle drive. In the background, there is a coyote howling at the moon. I was honored to have a poem written by Gerry Billings that described the row perfectly!

Some close-ups as I was making the row.

Feel free to check out our past Row by Row Experience Patterns 

• Home Sweet Home 2016
• On The Go 2017
• Sew Musical 2018 (kits)

Not sure what the Row By Row Experience is?

As you travel around the United States, Canada, AND Europe this summer, take a minute to stop by participating brick and mortar quilt shops and pick up a free pattern for a row. No two quilt shops have the same row pattern! 

AND if you have time, make a quilt using eight (8) of those rows and be the first to take your completed quilt to one of the participating quilt shops to win a prize of 25 fat quarters (about $70 worth of fabric)!

Added Bonus: use the row from the quilt shop you take your quilt to and get a BONUS prize!

Starts June 21st, 2018 - Ends October 31st, 2018

Click here to find out: 

• Row by Row Rules
• Map of Participating Quilt Shops
• Important Dates
• Row Layout sizes
• Travel List
• Picture List
• FAQ
• And More Programs...

Look Into My World - Polaroid Quilt

One thing I ALWAYS do when I visit a quilt shop is I try to buy some of their novelty fabrics, may it be a fat quarter or yardage - depending on how much I like it. I have a TON of large print fabric with no real rhyme or reason. Wheeelll - it's one thing to buy them, and another to actually find a pattern to use all of them.

I figured it was time for me to make good use of them in a sort of "I Spy" quilt. One of the things my friend wanted to do in her group; Life's A Quilt, was to have a Polaroid Swap. A swap where all of us swapped squares of fabric that represented our world.

Ribbons and Stars Quilt of Valor

Update: May 1st, 2018 - Quilt of Valor was awarded to Felix - Korean War Vet, US Army, 92 Years Young!

Back at the beginning of February 2018, I had the opportunity to participate for a day in a Quilt Of Valor sew weekend at Aunt Judy's Attic, my local quilt shop. I would have loved to have stayed for the 2nd day, but on the second day, there was only a four-hour window to enter my other quilt into a quilt show that was two towns over - another story, another day...

Rhoda's Tea Time Quilt Pattern

This pattern was inspired by my dear friend, Rhoda Forbes, who had passed away unexpectedly in the early part of the year of 2017. As a way to help mourn the loss of our friend, and more importantly, remember what a wonderful person she was, I created this pattern and hosted a Rhoda's Tea Time Swap in the online quilting group she created: Life's A Quilt.  

She was always thinking of projects to keep us busy and loved to host swaps. For Rhoda, it was a way for us group members to get to know one another, a fantastic way to learn a new skill or highlight a new pattern. Rhoda had mentioned several times how she wanted to host a Teacup Swap. She imagined it all; a large teapot surrounded by teacups. She even had an image of teacups stacked with a bird perched on the stack. 

Dedicated in Memory of Rhoda Forbes, this pattern was designed around a few of her favorite things. Her favorite colors are Purple and Pink. She loved making scrappy quilts and she loved to grow her flower garden.

Stacked Stones Table Runner and Quilt

Back in January 2017, I had the most fun hosting my first Mystery Project. I hosted it in my online quilting group, Life's A Quilt, and hosted it at the local quilt shop! It was a short mystery. The participants had the fabric requirements and only three weeks of clues. Embarking on this mystery quilt project is the perfect opportunity for beginner quilters and those who have never attempted a mystery quilt before.

Prairie Sunflower Dresden Plates

Lately, I've had quite a fascination with Dresden plates... I had been dying to make a sunflower dresden block quilt, which I had the perfect opportunity when I was participating in a Mystery Adventure called Caroline's Cabin hosted by Bev Brummond.






I had always wanted to make a black, white and yellow quilt. Perfect opportunity!

The best thing about this mystery was the adventure of reading a short story tied into the mystery pattern. We were given a piece of the adventure before each of the clues. My first mystery adventure!

With any mystery, one just HAS to try possible layouts after each of the clues...

When time for the next clue came around, I just knew it was the perfect opportunity to play with dresdens!

Of course, I've never been known to follow a pattern, not even my own - so I took off on a tangent with my flower garden from the mystery.

I set to work creating the twenty flowers needed to finish my quilt.

As part of the mystery, we were encouraged to name our flowers. I always love it when there is a deeper meaning to a quilt. Out here in Southern New Mexico, we have these wild sunflowers called Prairie Sunflower.

So it seemed only fitting to name my flowers the Prairie Sunflower, Native to New Mexico and Colorado - helianthus coloradensis.

It took me a while as I was trying to grow my sunflowers in side my log cabin. I live in the mountains and our growing season is short. I had them all planted, I just needed a little watering (sewing) to make them grow.... <--Silly shenanigans we do while we are giving updates on our sewing projects...

Final quilt top layout.

Click here to download your copy of the Double Dresden Flower Pattern.