Sew Scrappy… Easy Double Hearts Quilt Blocks

Scrappy Double Hearts Quilt Block Pattern

Scrappy Double Hearts Quilt Block

We’re planning a Super Bowl Sunday Sew-a-Long over at the About.com Quilting Forum. One of the quilt blocks chosen for that event is Straight Patch Nine Furrows, a design that I’ve always called Split Nine Patch (it has other names, but don’t they all).

Misha, my Forum Hostess, suggested the block because it’s made with a combination of squares and half square triangle units — perfect for scrap quilts. So the ladies (we don’t have any gentlemen members right now) have been digging into their stashes to find already-assembled triangle squares (so much easier to type) and fabrics they’d like to use for both those units and the plain squares.

I’ve been fooling around with different layouts for those two patchwork shapes, and the Double Hearts quilt block is one result. And timely, since we’re getting very close to Valentine’s Day. The triangle square units are easy to make and squares are a cinch to cut. Grab your stash and look for patches you’d like to sew into a heart — they needn’t look like mine.

You’ll find cutting and complete instructions for four block sizes, from 6″ x 6″ to 15″ x 15″.

Make Scrappy Double Hearts Quilt Blocks

Frayed Sawtooth Star Quilt Blocks, Always a Winner

Frayed Sawtooth Star Quilt BlockSawtooth Star quilt blocks are an all-time favorite, and the ‘Frayed’ version adds some extra design elements that let you play around with fabrics — change the contrast from block to block to create a scrappy variety of looks.

Frayed Sawtooth Star finishes at 12-inches square and is very easy to make, because all of its patchwork components are assembled with quick piecing techniques. I’ve included a few extra color options to help illustrate how easy it is to alter the design by simply varying  the fabrics.

Frayed Sawtooth Star Quilt Block Pattern

You’ll Love These Easy Dresden Plate Quilt Blocks

Dresden Plate Quilt Block PatternI wrote this easy Dresden Plate quilt block pattern for Joy, one of the hostesses in our Quilting Forum — she’s hostessing a swap for the scrappy quilt blocks.

Don’t worry about turning under the points of those blades as you work — not going to happen. This easy Dresden Plate method zaps that task away and makes it easy as pie to sew the blocks.

Follow Joy’s guidelines if you’d like to be in the swap, or use a totally different set of fabrics if you plan to work on your own. And you know what… this is so easy that you might just find yourself making multiple Dresden Plate quilts. I’d love to see one made with bright fabrics against black or navy blue. Or in the watercolor style, with florals that melt into each other. Or maybe even with batik fabrics.

Quilt blocks finish at 12″ x 12″.

Easy Dresden Plate Quilt Block Pattern

Quilt Block & Photo by Joy

Easy Scrap Quilt Pattern, Make an X’s and O’s Quilt

X's and O's QuiltMaking an X’s and O’s quilt — or you could call it hugs and kisses —  is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make a big dent in your leftover stash of fabric. The quilt blocks are quick pieced, and go together in a flash. Setting up a chain piecing assembly line speeds things up even more.

The original pattern is called Paths to Piece… not nearly as fun as X’s and O’s, and you can vary the original somewhat too. I’ll explain in the pattern, but it all depends on the triangles sewn to corners of the four larger squares that make up a quilt block. Don’t worry, those triangles are quick pieced — just like we create triangle tips for the corners of Snowball quilt blocks. X's and O's Quilt

Choose one type of corner triangle and the X’s and O’s that emerge in your quilt will be chunky, like the example to the right. Choose a different size and they’ll be a bit more delicate, like the example in the upper left. Which do you prefer? And would you like to make a quilt that flip-flops the lights and darks? That’s very doable, too, as is a different layout for the quilt block itself. My pattern explains many of the options, and includes the info you need for three quilt sizes. Beyond that, you’ll see that customizing an X’s and O’s quilt is a super easy task.

X’s and O’s Scrap Quilt Pattern

Super Bowl Sunday Scrap Quilt Marathon

Nine Patch Furrows QuiltsThe pattern is ready to go now, but our Quilting Forum members are getting together for a Scrap Quilt Sew Along on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2nd.

The quilt block is easy, and you’ll find there are plenty of options. Choose any block size that suits your scraps and play with the layout — there are loads of possibilities. Thanks for Misha for the variations shown here — they’re a fantastic preview of design choices.

Make as many quilt blocks as you like. Dig through your stash for unused half square triangle units and squares — I’ll bet you can work them into this pattern. And hey, you can even watch the Super Bowl while you sew these blocks. I might even have it on in the background, depending on which teams are playing

Sew Along Scrap Pattern
Quilting Forum Discussion

2014 New Year’s Day Mystery Quilt, by Janet Wickell

2014 Mystery Quilt PatternOur annual mystery quilt event will take place on January 1st, 2014. You can follow along with others in our quilting forum, or sew entirely on your own.

It’s always a fun day, especially if you take it at your own pace — remember that construction is not a race. Fabric suggestions and initial cutting instructions have been published for awhile now, but it’s certainly not too late to join in the fun. Many of our quilters wait until the last day to cut fabrics. In fact, I always recommend you NOT cut all fabrics for ANY pattern until you’ve made some  sample units. I hope you’ll join us on January 1.

New Year’s Mystery Pattern
New Year’s Mystery Forum Discussion
Prequel to the New Year’s Mystery (an older forum discussion)

48″ Square Ohio Star Quilt Pattern

Ohio Star Quilt PatternLooking for a not-so-huge project? Try my 48-inch square Ohio Star quilt pattern, sewn from two quilt blocks. The primary block is Ohio Star, but you might not recognize it immediately. I’ve shifted the contrast a bit from the ‘traditional’ layout and placed the blocks on point. Four simple X-like blocks rest in the center of the quilt and link up with the Ohio Stars at block corners. You’ll find the pattern at my About.com Quilting website.

Ohio Star Quilt Pattern

Easy Country Roads Quilt Block Pattern

Country Roads Quilt Block PatternCountry Roads is a quilt block pattern you’ll find on my About.com Quilting site. It’s super easy — all  straight-grain patches that are beginner friendly (but with enough layout variations to make the design interesting to quilters of all skill levels). Choose entirely different colors and colors values to change the design in any way that suits you, and go completely scrappy if you like.

Country Roads Quilt Block Pattern

Stitch a Batch of Wonky Log Cabin Quilt Blocks

Wonky Log Cabin Quilt BlocksCall them wonky or call them freehand, but not matter what they’re called these log cabin blocks are easy as can be to sew. No templates and no precise cutting… just grab a background and some strips of fabric and sew. Your blocks might look entirely different than mine, and that’s fine, the more unique the better. The log cabin blocks are sewn using simple string quilting techniques, and you’ll find the pattern at my About.com Quilting website.

Wonky Log Cabin Quilt Block Pattern

Easy String Pieced Quilt Blocks

String Pieced Quilt Block PatternString quilting is a super easy technique that’s absolutely perfect for a scrap quilt.

Even though their fabrics vary, string layouts can be somewhat structured, like the block shown here, or sewn in an entirely random way. String blocks can also be cut into triangles (or other shapes) after sewing to create lots of variety when they’re re-assembled into a quilt.

The pattern for this quilt block is published on my other quilting web site, About.com Quilting, along with general instructions to help you create additional string projects. Give the technique a try the next time you want to make a simple, stash-busting quilt.