Once the blocks started going up on the wall, they drew a lot of attention.  That led to a conversation about block swaps, and before you could say “Crossroads to Jericho” we decided we would do a block swap at our next retreat!

Robin and Mary’s blocks were so striking yet so simple that we decided to do this block for our first swap.  You might want to organize a swap with your friends, too!

Blocks finish at 8-1/2″. Here are the fabric requirements for each block.

Black: 5) 2-1/2” squares

Four different bright prints: 1) 2-1/2” squares of each and 1) 5-1/2” squares of each cut once diagonally.

When you cut your large square diagonally, you will end up with two triangles.  You only need one per color per block, so set half aside for another block.

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Lay out your squares to form a nine-patch with the black in the middle and on the corners.

Match the triangles to their companion prints.  I love how this forms an arrow.

Once you have the nine-patch sewn together, line it up with one of the triangles as shown below.  Make sure an equal amount of fabric is visible on each side then stitch.  I like to do opposite sides first, press, then do the remaining sides.  On the nine-patches, I press toward the dark.  On the triangles, I press toward the triangle.

Voila!  Your finished block.

If you set the blocks straight, the black forms a chain through the bright arrows.

If you set the blocks on point, the nine-patch is more visible.

Every swap needs a few rules.  Below are ours.  The last one is the most important!

Your pieced block should measure slightly more than 9”.  There’s a little wiggle room here, so blocks can be trimmed to 9”.  If your block is smaller than 9”, it isn’t acceptable.  Either restitch with slightly smaller seams or make another one to swap.

Don’t trim your blocks.  Let the person receiving them do the trimming.

The black can be a solid black, or a black-on-black print, but be sure it “reads” black from a distance.

Bright means bright, clear colors.  Nothing muddy!

You may make all your blocks the same, or use lots of different blacks and brights.

Have fun!

Patriot’s Dream by Barbara Shrout,  The name is inspired by a line from America the Beautiful—“O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years…”  I love the curved edges.

Barn Raising by Lauren Semple.  Isn’t it amazing what can be done with half-square triangles!

Standing Strong by Sharon Dixon.

The Secret Life of Dancing Tulips by Jeanne Brenner.  The title refers to the dancing tulips subtly quilted into the border.

I love the shading achieved by different tones of the same color.

Sunflowers 2 by Charlotte A. Hickman.  I think sunflowers are such happy flowers!

Black-Eyed Susans and Yellow Mexican Hats by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert.These two flowers grow wild along the roadside in Texas.

Portraits of Flora by Timna Tarr.  What a great use of many, many fabrics!

This next quilts wasn’t at the show in Houston, but there’s a reason I’m showing it here.  It’s called Checkerboard Vortex, maker unknown.  It’s quite famous in the quilting world, appearing in many books and at the recent Red and White quilt exhibit in New York.  This quilt was made around 1920!  In the book Twentieth Century Quilts 1900 – 1950 it’s described as, “Extraordinarily contemporary in its design, this amazing quilt is a triumph of precise design and piecing, and it it an astonishing precursor to the art of Vasarely.”  Like many others, I’m in love with this quilt.

Incredibly, Nora Ronningen has made her own version of the quilt which she calls Vortex in Variation.

I could hardly pull myself away.  It was stunning!

Preserve Nature, Preserve Self by Susie Johnson.  Did you know the gingko tree has been around for 270 million years!?!

Redwork Revisited by Susan Dague.

The maker used old kitchen transfers for the designs on this quilt.

I think the sashings are great, too!  They are just half-square triangles.

One of the exhibits was called Text on Textiles.  In the display area were several old typewriters.  Wow, an orange one!

Ethel’s Diary by Eileen Campbell is a great use of photos and words on a quilt.

I remember pressed tin toy typewriters like this one!

This adorable portable is a lot like the one we have that Bob’s grandfather used in his “Tailoring Parlor” in Libby Montana in the early 1900′s.  The carriage flips forward and the whole thing fits into a case!

Salvaged Words by Jette Clover.  There are pages from vintage books used on this quilt!

I’ve used words and photos on labels, but not as the main focus of the quilt.  This is from my Dearest Brother quilt, which tells the story of Anna Lena’s life.

Hmmm, that might make a good blog post!

One week before I was leaving for Quilt Market, I got my sample fabrics–2 yards of each.

For some crazy reason, I decided that I’d appliqué 32 roses for the quilt!

Mind you, I’m not really much of an appliquer, except for some hand buttonhole work I’ve done in the past.  But, I persevered and got them done, using a buttonhole stitch on my Elna.

I also made three other samples for Market.  A bag…

…a Laptop Sleeve…

…and a little stitchery I call Gretel.

And to top it all off, I found a vintage tablecloth at Market that perfectly matches my new collection!

I see curtains in my future!

Timeless Treasures really increased their booth space this Market, and everything looks fantastic–including this adorable line, Bavaria! ;-)

Only one yard of each print was flown into the office in New York, and it had to be cut up for 20 samples, so each salesman would have a set so they’re very tiny!

Needless to say, I’m quite fond of the Orange Crush line.

Timeless does fabulous batiks, and Mango Salsa is really pretty.

I’m thinking I need to make a circle quilt!

Isn’t this a pretty purse made from the Tonga Treat?

Everything old is new again!  My bedroom in the early Seventies was hot pink and orange.

More pretty fabrics.

Black and bright is always stunning.

Wild Ginger.

Mixed Media Mosaic.

Made from pre-cuts.

More eye candy.

This is Monica Lee’s Cardigan Girls.  I got to meet Monica this Market, and she’s a hoot!

Catch of the Day is adorable with lobsters and crab.

L’amour de la vie is a cute little French line.

Mechanical Genius is a first line from Mo Bedell.  Perfect for boy quilts!

Don’t’ you love how the selvedges are incorporated into this pillow?

Sweet on NYC by Sugar Pixie.

Bella Verona is a beautiful new block of the month.

And Timeless has an exciting new division called Dear Stella.

So much inspiration! And all this in just one booth!

Joan made this Migration quilt.

She used a gorgeous fabric on the back.

She’s been making 6″ blocks, and used 12 of them in this house quilt.

Becky has been making red, white and blue quilts to donate.

Here’s another one.

She also made this snowman quilt using wool.

Eleanor made this kaleidoscope quilt in a class at Boardwalk Quilts.

Glennys made the next two table runners.

She says they’re the same block, just turned different ways!

She also showed us the peacock sweater she made which won Reserve Grand Champion at the fair!

Deborah made this in a Paula Nadelstern class.

Jerene made the next two quilts.

Beverly made this strip pieced quilt.

Glennys made this quilt…

…and this wall hanging.

Joyce brought this Seven Sisters quilt that was stitched in the early 1900′s.

Audrey had been experimenting with piecing around a center hexagon and made this Christmas table runner.

Carol showed off her row-by-row quilt.

She also showed her recently completed Over The River quilt top, which she plans to hand quilt.

I don’t know who made this patriotic quilt.  Help?

Gloria brought this quilt that her mother made several years ago.

It was a great meeting.  After it was all over, Kathy brought this garage sale find in to show me.  I’m in love!  That’s Anna Lena Land!

This is Karen’s millennium quilt.  It has 2000 DIFFERENT fabrics in it.  Wow!

She also brought this applique sampler for show-and-tell.

I like the setting for this Redwork she did.

I thought maybe she brought this Thirties row quilt for me, but, alas, it wasn’t so.

She did a great demo on her favorite way to make circles for applique.  Turns out, it’s the same method I used for the Lollipops, like on the quilt in the background!  That’s one of the great thing about retreats, we’re always learning from each other!

Robin has a new grandson, and she made this quilt for him.  The motorcycle is an accurate depiction of the one his daddy has!

She also used the Bow Tie Block challenge to make him this matching quilt.

Robin and her mom, Mary, showed off the quilts they’d each made from a block swap they’re involved in.

These are Mary’s blocks from this years swap.  I think we may have to do this next year!

Mary also made this adorable Halloween table topper…

…and this pretty fall table runner.

She got a pillowcase finished…

…and started making a Bears Outside My Window quilt!

Connie did the Bow Tie Challenge, too.  I love her Hugs and Kisses setting.

At retreat she made 57 Halloween treat bags for her grandkids’ schoolmates.  Wow!

My sister, Sally, was there scrapbooking.  For our boutique, she brought 25 Christmas wreaths that she had made.

Even Josie, who’s on the Falls Creek Staff, brought show-and-tell to share.

I think these snowmen are fabulous!

I showed my Dress Up Time quilt…

…and my Christmas Memories quilt, which I was working on at the last retreat.

But I was happiest about getting this top all put together!

Retreats are wonderful.  We had mothers and daughters, mothers and daughters-in-law, sisters and lots and lots of friends.  I can’t wait for March when we get to do it all again.

After that was done, I tackled the closet where I store batting, quilts to be quilted and quilts and quilt tops that are for sale.  The batting is now neat and organized.

While I was folding up “projects waiting to be quilted” to put them back in the closet, I decided I had to add one more to the web store.  It’s this pretty queen-sized Stack N Whack.

I love this quilt and I loved teaching the technique when I had my quilt shop.  Every block comes out a little different.

I fully intended to quilt this, but it’s been three years!

So, it’s now listed on the web catalog.  Maybe it can find a new home with one of you!  Maybe you need a Christmas gift, but time is not on your side!  I’ll never tell that you didn’t make it yourself.

I even have the backing pieced for it.

You can see it on the web catalog by CLICKING HERE.

I have other new and vintage quilt tops for sale there, too.  CLICK HERE to see them all.

My closet thanks you.

Mary’s favorite animal is the buffalo, so this is the perfect quilt for her.

She made this yummy batik top during the retreat.

Mary took Robin’s 1″ challenge.

Looks like she’s getting a good start!

Penny brought this beautiful cross quilt for show-and-tell.

She was working on another one during retreat.

While recuperating from surgery, she made this yo-yo table runner.  There are 78 yo-yo’s in it.  Can you imagine making enough for a bed quilt!?!

Penny and Nana Pat were both working on Hunter’s Star quilts.  I can’t remember if this is Pat’s or Penny’s!

This one is definitely Penny’s.  She did half blocks around the outside to make the start the center of every block.

Penny was also working on a layout for her split nine-patch.

Anna had several sampler projects that she brought to put together, including this pretty one.

She was framing these blocks to make them all the same size.  Smart trick!

Phyllis brought this wonderful wall hanging for show-and-tell…

…as well as this City Pavement quilt.

Barbara’s neighbor bought this quilt at a garage sale for $5.00!

During retreat, Barbara made my Center Piece Table Runner.

And from some scraps she made a bookmark!  Very clever!

Laraine showed this charming button-on-wool piece that she’d made.

She’s also made these wool hearts.

I kinda like this photo of me!

For show-and-tell, Stephanie brought this great Bear’s Paw.

During the retreat she put her Lollipop quilt top together.  This is one of my designs, and it’s so fun to see someone making things I’ve designed.

She’ll be ready for Halloween with this charming wall hanging.

During retreat, she was experimenting with the Hunter’s Star ruler…

…and got this all put together!

She also made this adorable cat block, appropriately called “Stalker.”

At the last retreat, Judy started this wall hanging, and she brought it back finished for show-and-tell.  It should help chase away the winter blues!

She also got this Halloween table runner together during the retreat.

And how about this adorable, seasonal wall hanging.  I think these blocks are just the cutest I’ve seen in a long time.

One more post, and we’ll be caught up with retreat!

She brought this jacket she made for show-and-tell.

Her sister, Becky L, was working on this quilt at the last retreat.  It’s so nice to get to see them finished.

And look at the interesting back she has on it.

At retreat she made this quilt top.  I love the bear tracks.  Once the border is on, she will applique a bear there!

Sharon brought this row-by-row quilt for show-and-tell.

She knew about the Summer Bow Tie Challenge, so brought this to show, too.  I love the asymmetrical setting.

She also brought this adorable Christmas Redwork.

Robin is always challenging everyone to do 1″ square scrap quilts, so this was a perfect show-and-tell.  Every print, both the light and dark, are florals!

Another pretty quilt from Sharon.

She did a great mitered border demonstration for us!

Diana is ready for Halloween!

She got this pieced at retreat.

Love the needlework and shading in this piece.

I did the Lemoyne Star demo…

…and Dianna whipped out this little sampler with two 12″ and three 4″ Lemoyne stars.  It’s really that easy–and no set in seams!

J
Julie made this pretty log cabin.

Pat P2 wore a jacket that she made with batik blocks.

I don’t know which came first, this quilt or the jacket!

Don’t you love the color combination in this Chain quilt?

Still more to come!