A few days ago I had a voice mail from Sandy, a retired teacher and volunteer extraordinaire.  She said something about a horse looking for a new herd—that it was free from disease and well mannered.  Hmm…..

Then, yesterday I got home and this bag was on my porch.

I brought it in and found this Dala horse and a letter inside.  It read, “Dear Karen, I am so happy you are going to let me join your herd!

“I came to the United States in 1971 on a big airplane (I think) locked in Mi Britt’s suitcase.  For a few days there were lots of parties and welcomes for the person who brought me.  I thought this was the way I would live forever.  But, I was wrong and soon was given to a lady in a big building.

“I was put on a shelf and there were lots of young people who came in and out.  Many of them picked me up and that felt so nice.  And, they exclaimed how pretty I was and wondered about my ancestry.  I lived there for many years and mostly was quite happy.  Sometimes there were pretty long periods of time when no one much was around.  I think they were called vacations.  But, even then sometimes, the lady I was given to would come in and once in awhile she even picked me up and talked to me.

“Then, one day, for no reason that I knew I was put in a box with some of the friends I had made while sitting on the shelf for all those years.  We were all confused because we didn’t do anything wrong so why were we being locked up?  At first we were in the box in a warm place so it wasn’t too bad.

“Later we were put in another place that was kind of cold and we were really scared so we huddled together and tried to be content be we weren’t successful.  We had heard of a fellow who just went to sleep for many many years so that is what we tried to do.

“Just a few days ago the lady came and opened our box and we were so relieved to see light.  She picked us up and talked to us again and that felt really good.  Now, she has told me that I get to live with another very nice lady who has a whole herd of my kind and I am very excited!  Thank you so much or letting me come live with you and my new herd.

“Your new friend.”

And so it has come to pass.  Here’s the new member of the herd making the acquaintance of some of “his kind.”

He found a comfortable place among his new friends.

I think he’ll be very happy here.  Thank you, Sandy!

From Sweden’s second largest island, Öland, we went to Sweden’s largest island, Gotland!

That meant a three and a half hour ferry boat ride.

The main city in Gotland in Visby, an ancient walled city.

Once we figured out how to get into the city, we were fine.  However, we didn’t know that cars weren’t allowed inside the city!

It’s not that fun dragging bags over cobblestones, but it CAN be done!  And once we found our room, it was nice to be able to walk the cobbled streets without worrying about traffic.

Some of the streets were rather steep, but the views were amazing.

Buildings were a combination of wooden structures…

…and those that had been stuccoed.

But one of the most amazing features of the city was the ruins of St. Karin’s Church, which towered over everything else.

Gotland is famous for its sheep.  If you don’t want cars on your street, you could just put up a concrete barrier, but a stone sheep is so much cuter!  These were everywhere!

After a late dinner on our first night, we were walking back to our hotel just as the sun was setting.  I’m just a point-and-shoot photographer, so I was delighted to get this photo!

Our second day on Gotland found us outside the city walls, exploring the countryside.  We stopped at the church in Bro.  There was a great sign that gave the following information, “The first church was built on this site in about 1200.  Only the tower remains of this structure together with a large number of building stones, incorporated into the present nave.

“The high Gothic doorway of the nave has interesting figure sculptures.

“Several 5th century picture stones are incorporated in the south wall.

“In the interior there are medieval and 18th century mural paintings.

“The Romanesque font is from about 1200.”

I thought the door and lock were pretty cool, too.

We stopped at a pretty little lake.

There was a cottage there about the same size as the Swedish cottage in our woods.  I’ve been telling Bob I’d love to have a sunporch on our house.  He isn’t convinced we need one (who said anything about “need?”).  Perhaps we should put a sunporch on the cottage instead!

This cottage even had a deck!

There were wildflower everywhere!

The color of these poppies was so intense!

And these pink flowers were like a groundcover.

Imagine my excitement when we discovered Bunge, open air museum!

It was on the north end of the island.

It showcased farmsteads from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

There was a variety of architectural styles…

…including some half-timbered houses.

Here’s a charming little building.

And another.

I loved this window detail.

This is a barn with a shaggy thatched roof.

A typical fence from the area.

I’m always fascinated to see how people eeked out a living.

Here’s a mill.

People were so clever–using a hollow log for a bee hive…

…or a birdhouse!

There were several kinds of windmills.

An early “A” frame!

This one had really thick walls and was 16 sided!

Bob liked looking at the mechanics of things!

I watched a great demo on how flax was processed into linen.

Extremely interesting were some Stora Hammars Stones from the Viking Age!  They depict battles, sacrifices, etc.

It was a great outing!

We left Malmo and traveled north along Sweden’s east coast.  The views were beautiful.

There were lots of orchards and fields of grain.  Along the edges of many of the fields there were wild poppies blooming.  What a joy to see!

Our destination was Öland, the second largest island in Sweden.  It’s 85 miles long and 9 miles wide.

Öland is famous for its windmills, mostly built in the same style.

There used to be over 2000 of them!

Now there are only 333.

The remaining windmills are protected and preserved.

This one, considered a “Dutch” windmill, is for sale!  There are only 3 Dutch windmills on the island.

The most notable thing after the windmills is the stone fences.

They are everywhere.  I love looking at them, but I think of all the work that went into clearing fields of stones and I’m overwhelmed!

We stayed in the seaside village of Borgholm.  The architecture there was very special.

There has been a bathhouse on this site since the early 1800′s–although it’s had to be rebuilt a few times after damaging storms.

I loved this flag display at the Strand Hotel.

Nearby is the ruins of Borgholm Castle.

The first castle was built on this site in the 1100′s.

Through the centuries it was damaged in wars and rebuilt several times.

It was finally abandoned in 1709.  That’s more than 300 years ago!

It’s hard to believe there’s anything left!  I guess those castle builders knew their stuff!

After leaving the castle, it was time for “ficka”–a Swedish coffee break!  Luckily, there are wonderful little Kaffestugan everywhere.

Isn’t the blue and white china charming?

In this one, all the tables were decorated with wild flowers.

They were so cheerful.

😉

I love open air museums, and Öland has a great one called Himmelsberga, which is an eighteenth and nineteenth century farming village.

The details always fascinate me.

I wonder how old this gate post is, and who took the time to do some decorative carving on it?

The corners of this little building are made from tree trunks.

In this part of Sweden, it’s common to see thatched roofs.

Of course they made good use of all those stones!

Another stone fence. Notice the mill wheels propped up along it.

Here’s a stone water trough.

What else would you make your picnic table from!?!

I love how no one mows down the daisies.

This house had a sweet little fenced garden….

…with a thatched roof bee hive!

Now you know how pole beans got their name!

The interiors were as interesting as the exteriors.

I’m in love with these stoves called kakelugn.

At one time they were very prevalent in Sweden.

They are amazingly efficient—a small fire is built in the fire box then the smoke is routed like a serpentine, helping heat the tiles.  The tiles then radiate heat into the room.

Sweden has great painted furniture.  Notice the painted wainscoting, too.

A painted clock from the seventeenth century.

A fancier clock from the eighteenth century.

Here’s a fabulous painted door.  The walls are stenciled.

Stenciling was very popular.

Someone added a hand painted decorative border to this wall.

Here’s a more elaborate stenciled design.  Before wall paper was readily available, stenciling was the way to go!

I guess it was too much trouble to do partial designs, so this stenciling quits before the corner!

Spatter painting was also popular.

This was probably a bride’s chest.

Wouldn’t you love to know what treasures were packed inside when a young woman got married?

Here’s the last installment of Tah-Dahs from the Spring Quilt Escape.

These bright blocks were made by Sue.

I love the tall, skinny Churn Dash blocks that Nan was making.

Chara made this baby quilt with lambs in the borders.

I think these snowball blocks belong to Karen J.

Stephanie made this striking quilt top.

That’s Connie, looking quite coy, behind her polka dot creation.

Pat made the quilt tote that I demonstrated.

She did some fabulous free motion quilting on it.

Sarah has some appliqué planned for this, but I made her pose with it anyway.

Marsha got this great top finished.

Lonna was working on some beautiful indigo and cheddar blocks.

Annie got this tah-dah finished just before we left on Sunday.

Jean made this incredible quilt.

And yes, I even did a little sewing.  That bin is filled with selvedges…

…and I got a lot of blocks made, but want to do more.

As at any retreat, we had lots of goodies, but I had to share photos of these two.  Cookies from Karen R…

…and cake balls from Robin.

It was all great fun. I can’t wait until September when we do it again!

In the spirit of the 100th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy, the Shelburne Inn hosted a Titanic tea and dinner.

I went to both!

I dressed in a period appropriate tea dress, of course.

The tea sandwiches were both beautiful and delicious.

Laurie had researched what was served on the Titanic, so we were eating authentic cuisine!

Laurie is a wonderful baker, and her currant scones were fabulous!

As we arrived for dinner, we were given our boarding cards.

Of course I had changed.  A proper lady wouldn’t wear the same outfit to tea AND dinner!

Bob and I both passed inspection.  Whew!

We had lovely printed menus.

We were joined by LaRee and Andy.  LaRee has a fabulous vintage clothing collection, and her ensemble is from the period–including the corset!

I had the spring pea soup with bacon lardons and chervil.

Bob had poached spring asparagus with champagne vinaigrette.

Our pianist, Jennifer, had researched the music and gave us a program of fifty songs that were played onboard.

Everyone at our table had the filet mignon lili with spinach and country turnip puree.

LaRee did a presentation about the clothing styles of the era.

For dessert, I chose a chocolate dipped eclair with American ice cream.

Bob chose the antique orchard apple tartlet with vanilla bean ice cream and cider syrup.

Before leaving, I just had to try on one of LaRee’s vintage hats.  This one has a 37″ brim.  I think I could pull it off!

It was a fun, fabulous and scrumptious day!

A Flat Stanley arrived in our mail box recently.  He was sent to us by our grandson, Justin.  Justin enclosed a letter saying Flat Stanley was looking for adventure on the Long Beach Peninsula, and we were asked to be his guides.  Following is the story of Flat Stanley’s time with us.

We welcomed Flat Stanley into our home.

He immediately made friends with the Dala horses.

But he’d heard a rumor there were tractors in Papa Bob’s shop.  He loved Miss Alice, because she matched his shirt.

But then he decided John Deere green is really his favorite color!

He said the pretty mint green on Grandma Karen’s old Dodge was almost as pretty as John Deere green.

He took a sewing lesson on Grandma’s Featherweight…

…but decided it was more fun to play hide-and-seek in the fabric bolts.

We took Flat Stanley on a trip into town.  He wanted to drive, but Papa said, “No.”

So he rode on the dashboard and watched for the Welcome to Long Beach sign.

He was getting hungry so we went to Doogers for lunch.  Flat Stanley ate crab!

While the grownups were visiting, he climbed on the pilings….

…and hung around in the fishing net.

But what Flat Stanley wanted to see the most was the ocean, so we drove down the beach approach.

We thought about having a picnic at the pavilion, but we were too full.  And, besides, there were too many seagulls there.

Flat Stanley found a sheltered spot out of the wind and did some sunbathing and played in the sand.

He even got to ride on a silver salmon!

There are lots of things to do in Long Beach, like fly kites and go to the Kite Museum.

But one of the most fun things is visiting Marsh’s Free Museum and seeing Jake the Alligator Man.

There were lots of seashells and coral there, too.

And a great white shark!  Flat Stanley wasn’t even afraid to have his picture taken in the shark’s mouth.

It was getting cold, so Flat Stanley slipped inside this sweatshirt pocket.

Like a good citizen, he visited city hall.

He learned that the rhododendron is the state flower of Washington.

He was even more excited to learn that Long Beach is the end of the Lewis and Clark Trail, and that William Clark carved his name in a tree here over 200 years ago!

After all this sightseeing, everyone needed some refreshments, so we had a hot chocolate at Angie’s coffee shop.

Then we went to Uncle Sidder’s grocery store.

Uncle Sidder let Flat Stanley play with his baseball bat collection.

Flat Stanley knew all about cranberries because Papa Bob used to be a cranberry farmer.

He looked in the vines for some cranberries, but it was the wrong time of the year to find any.

But it was still fun to be at the bogs.

Flat Stanley asked if he can come back in October for harvest.

Then we went to the port dock in Ilwaco, where the fishing fleet is moored.

Flat Stanley got to go onboard a boat!

But just as we were leaving, Flat Stanley was snatched up by a giant condor!  Luckily Papa Bob was quick and grabbed Flat Stanley out of the condor’s mouth.

Grandma and Papa were worried that Flat Stanley had been hurt by the condor, so they called an ambulance.

The paramedics put Flat Stanley on the gurney and took him to the hospital.

The doctors in the emergency room checked Flat Stanley out.  Luckily, he was okay.

And he was very glad get back to Grandma and Papa’s house after his big day!

The end.

Well, except for this one…..I don’t know who needed it more, Flat Stanley or Grandma and Papa!

There were lots and lots of projects finished at our quilt retreat.  Each time one got finished, it got held up for a big, “TAH-DAH!

Isn’t this a great pattern to showcase a bold print!

Several ladies made thread-catcher/pincushions for their work spaces.

Joy is “pretty in pink.”  And lime!

Julie and Carol (daughter and mother) made these for Julie’s two granddaughters.  The girls had seen them in a magazine and wanted them.  There was no pattern, but Grandma and Great-grandma couldn’t say, “no!”

Several people were working on Hunter’s Star quilts.

And while they may not have gotten finished….

…I thought you might like to see them.

Sharon’s Off Center Bow Ties are striking.

I asked Marsha to pose by her 6100 Quilt, and pose she did!  She’s done this before, me thinks!

Sarah was making striking quilt with the Lil’ Twister tool.

I think this bright beauty was Sherrie’s.

Chara brought back a quilt that she made at the last retreat–all quilted now and just waiting for binding.

Connie sewed up this Double Delight quilt top for me.  There are kits on my website!

I love the shadow effect on this quilt by Sherrie.

Chara was making a stack of circles for a Rob Peter to Pay Paul quilt.

Stacey took this mystery class from me, hmm, a “few” years ago.  I was so glad to see it getting put together.

Julie stitched up this sweet quilt.

Mary, Penny and Denise also made 6100 Quilts!

We did a Block Swap with the Crossroad to Jericho blocks, and Pat put hers together during the retreat!  Way to go, Pat.

Barbara was ready to put the borders on her polka-dot quilt.

This is Anina’s own design, Geese in the Forest.  She sells the pattern on her website.  I think it’s stunning!

Karen J. was nearly finished with this charming bird pincushion.

Sarah made this baby blanket with “opportunity cloth!”

Kathy spent many hours on this fabulous beauty.  This is 1/4 of it.  She’s getting there!

I have one more batch of photos from retreat to post, so check back!

Quilt retreats are all about fun!  When I host a retreat, we usually have between 45 and 55 women.  I bring along my trusty staff–also known as Connie and Robin.

They’re there to lend a hand. like whenever someone finishes a project.  We make sure they hold up their quilt and get a big, “Tah-dah!”  I thought I’d share the recent Tah-Dahs with you.

This is Kathy’s Friendship Star.  I love the Twisted Ribbon border.

Denise’s quilt is Pretty in Pink.

Sue is obviously in love with her 6100 quilt.

Penny finished her Garden Twist.

This is Barbara’s Watermelon quilt.  I think it would make a great table topper.

It was April Showers for Judy.

Marsha started this quilt at the last retreat, and now it’s finished!

Isn’t this the most adorable bib you’ve ever seen?

Here’s Kathy’s pretty Star Sampler.

Nan finished her Plaid quilt.

Jean was piecing and appliquéing these whimsical barn blocks.

Mary got this Alphabet quilt finished.

Suzie got the borders on this great Star quilt.

This Log Cabin/Star quilt by Sue really pops!

Judy made this Princess Lunch Bag for a co-worker!

If I remember correctly, Pat P1 made this bag that holds a hot iron.

Anina was working on these tiny Log Cabin blocks with yummy Provence fabrics.

I think that’s Tracey behind this pretty quilt.

Pat T. made her Quilt Tote start-to-finish during the retreat!

Karen J. made this cool tote.

Denise got her black and white quilt finished.

…and this was the first of Stephanie’s Tah-dahs!

I just love seeing all the happy, proud faces!

At my recent Studio Open House, I had all my quilt kits on sale for 15% off.  I thought it would only be fair to offer the same deal to those of you who aren’t close enough to visit.  So, this week only, you can enjoy the same savings I offered to those who stopped by.  I thought I’d put photos of all the quilts here, like a mini quilt show!

These kits are all made from my different lines of fabrics.  I’m nearly sold out of some, and the fabrics from the line are gone, so if you’ve been thinking about one of these, now’s the time–plus, you get at least 15% off!  Many of the kits can be customized.  If you’d like a different fabric for the borders, just say so!  If you click on the name of any of the kits, the link will take you to the website to see that specific kit.  If you’d like to see them all, CLICK HERE.  Enjoy the show!

At Play – This kit includes everything you need to make the darling At Play Quilt–the panel fabrics for the quilt top, the two fabrics for the sashing, cornerstones and border and the binding. The quilt is made with the blocks in the At Play panel. Use the panel fabric “as is” or embroider over the design. I only embroidered the children and the daisies and left the rest unstitched. Finished quilt is 51″ x 63.” Regular Price $59.99. SPECIAL 49.99

Bavarian Rose – This quilt, the Bavarian Rose, is a perfect way to show off the folk art prints from my Bavaria line of fabrics.  The red roses that are appliqued on the inner border are adapted from a design in one of the prints.  The applique is done with fusible web and machine buttonhole stitching.  The finished quilt is 60″ x 70″.  Kit includes over 6-1/2 yards of fabric to make the top and the binding.  Regular Price $69.99.  SPECIAL $59.49.

Bears Outside My Window – Green – For this adorable quilt, I cut my bear panel into four sections and framed them with an Attic Window’s setting. Then I surrounded them with Bear Paw blocks and a final green border. The finished quilt is a generous 53″ x 60.” It’s perfect for a crib quilt or wall hanging. Kit includes all the fabric for the quilt top and simple instructions. If you would like to add the binding and backing for just $10.00 more, put a note in the Comments section of your order and I will add it. Regular Price $39.99. SPECIAL $33.99.

Bears Outside My Window – Red- Here’s the same quilt as above, but with the predominately red panel and red borders.   If you would like to add the binding and backing for just $10.00 more, put a note in the Comments section of your order and I will add it. Regular Price $39.99. SPECIAL $33.99

Butterfly Nine-Patch – Sometimes simple designs are the most charming. And while this is a simple nine-patch, it’s showing off just a bit with it’s scalloped border, striped bias binding and blocks set on point! I have a delightful vintage quilt made like this and it’s one of my favorites. I hope this quilt becomes one of your favorites, too. Kit includes magazine with pattern, all the fabrics to make the top and the binding–approximately 10 yards! 80″ x 93.” CUSTOMIZE YOUR KIT! If you would like a different color border, just ask. I can usually accommodate you! Regular Price $99.99. SPECIAL  $79.99  Just 3 left!

Churn, Baby, Churn – At first glance, you might not recognize this as a Churn Dash block, but believe me, it is.  I just played with the color placement a little bit and turned the blocks on point.  I love the results!   True to form, I used Thirties fabrics–these are all daisy prints from my different Wash Tub lines.  The finished quilt is approximately 65″ x 78.”   This complete kit includes the full color pattern, all the fabrics to complete the top and the binding. To add four yards of backing fabric to this kit for just $29.00, put a note in the Comments section of your order. Regular price $79.99. SPECIAL $67.99

Dancing with Bears – Bear’s Paw blocks dance across the surface of this quilt. Made with 1930′s reproduction fabrics from my Wash Tub Bear’s line. Everything you need to make this top, plus the binding and pattern are included. Finished quilt 62″ x 78.” CUSTOMIZE YOUR KIT! If you would like a different color border, just ask. I can usually accommodate you! Regular price $89.99. SPECIAL $76.49

Dear Dorothy – This quilt is made with my Dear Dorothy panel. This panel is based on vintage blocks made by my friend Carol’s mother–Dorothy–when she was young. Just cut apart the blocks on the preprinted panel, surround them with matching fabric and put the blocks together with strips. A quick border and you’re finished. The kit has everything need to recreate Dear Dorothy Quilt–all the fabrics for the top, the preprinted blocks, the pattern and the binding. 52″ x 66″. Add the backing for just $25.00 more. In the Comments section of your order, just say, “add the backing” and I’ll include it with your kit. Regular Price $59.99. SPECIAL $49.99

Double Delight –  This fun kit has 20 different, pre-cut Thirties prints and the background included. You’re ready to sew and go! Also included is the pattern to make this 54″ x 63″ quilt. Perfect for the Thirties lover! Regular price $39.99. SPECIAL $33.99

Dress Up Time – This darling quilt uses the Dolly Dresses and Purse Panel. Just add sashing and rick rack for a wonderful effect. The kit includes all the fabric for the top, 22 yards of rick rack for embellishment, the binding and the pattern. 53″ x 56″. Add the backing for just $20.00 more. In the Comments section of your order, just say, “add the backing” and I’ll include it with your kit. Regular Price $59.99. SPECIAL $49.99

Let’s Play Paper Dolls – What little girl wouldn’t love this quilt? The quilt has paper dolls on it. Cut out the dresses from the fabric, fuse them to batting, and you can play dress-up right on the quilt. Pockets in the borders, trimmed with rick rack, are the perfect place for storing the dresses! The kit includes all fabric to make the top, pockets, binding and pattern. 44″ x 64″. Add the backing for just $25.00 more. In the Comments section of your order, just say, “add the backing” and I’ll include it with your kit. Regular Price $59.99. SPECIAL $49.99.  There is also one kit left with the rick rack.  CLICK HERE to see it.

Lollipop – You can re-create this adorable quilt for yourself. The kit includes everything you need to make the quilt top–the background fabric, all the prints and setting fabrics, the binding and even two spools of fusible black bias for the lollipop sticks–a huge time saver! The finished quilt is 62″ x 85.” Regular price $109.99. SPecial $93.49.  Only 2 left!

Magic Pinwheel – It may look like you make pinwheel blocks in this quilt, but you don’t!  Just four patches and quarter-square triangles make up the blocks.  When you sew them together, the pinwheels appear as if by magic.  This kit uses Wash Tub Prints from my first three lines.  The kit includes all fabric for the top, the pattern and the binding.  You may also order a kit with the back–and save $14.00.  Finished size 66″ x 82.” CUSTOMIZE YOUR KIT! If you would like a different color border, just ask. I can usually accommodate you! Regular Price $69.99. SPECIAL $59.49.  Just 3 left!

Redwork Flower Baskets – This complete kit includes everything but the batting–the panel fabrics for the quilt top, binding and even the BACKING! The quilt is made with the blocks in the Flower Basket panel. Use the panel fabric “as is” or embroider over the design. Finished quilt is 51″ x 63.” Regular $59.99. SPECIAL $49.99

Tea Roses – I fell in love with the simplicity of this design and just had to try it out. I think this is the perfect “Going To College Quilt” to give as a gift. If you’re like me, I like to give quilts to kids going off to college, but when I think about the abuse it will probably get there, I don’t want to send something that took me 100 hours to make. This quilt is the perfect solution. The quilt is 56″ x 69.” You can add an additional 3 1-3 yards for the binding and backing for just $20.00. Just put a note in the comments section of your order. Regular price $39.99. SPECIAL $33.99

Tie One On – Bow Tie blocks can be so charming–and fun to make.  This quilt uses my Daisy-A-Day fabric line.  Scraps left over from the blocks form the inner border and binding.  CUSTOMIZE YOUR KIT. If the orange daisy border doesn’t suit you, just ask for lavender, geen or blue and we’ll gladly make the substitution.  Kit includes pattern, fabric for the top and binding.  Finished quilt 64″ x 76.” ADD THE BACK FOR JUST $25.00 MORE. In the Comments section of the order form put a note saying, “add the back” and I will include the backing and adjust your total. Regular Price $99.99. SAVE 20% – SPECIAL $79.99. Only 3 left!

Wash Tub Pinwheels – This pretty pinwheel pattern is one I designed for Fons and Porter magazine. The Thirties reproduction prints make it look like it came off Grandma’s bed. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it goes together. The lavender sashing around the outside row of blocks keeps it from being too busy. 64″ x 76″. Add 4-1/2 yards of backing fabric for just $25.00. In the Comments section of the order form, just add a note that says you want the backing. Regular Price $79.99. SPECIAL $67.99

Spring 2012 has arrived.  Whoop, whoop!  That means it’s time for the next Quilt Block A Day project.  This time, we’re doing Pyramids, also known as 60 Degree Triangles.  The quilt top pictured here is one I remade from a vintage top……but that’s another story!

You can achieve many different looks with 60 degree triangles.  One of my favorites is using scraps and a solid, like I did here.  I’ll give you lots of ideas as we go along, but here’s a tutorial to get you started making your own Pyramid Quilt!

I highly recommend a 60 Degree Ruler for this project.  I like this one by EZ.  It will make your life sooooo much easier!  If you’re like me, you probably have a lot of rulers.  Check them out.  Maybe one of the is a 60 degree ruler.  The important thing is the flat spot at the top of this ruler.

Yes, I know that there is a 60 degree angle mark on most 24″ rulers and I even know how to use it to cut 60 degree triangles!  You could certainly use one for this project.  BUT, there’s a huge advantage with a 60 degree ruler like this one that will let you nip off the ends  It will help you align everything perfectly–no guessing needed.

You can make finished blocks from 1″ to 5″ with this ruler.  I did 4″ finished blocks.  If you want to do 4″ finished blocks, too, you’ll need to cut 4-1/2″ strips from your fabric or scraps.  You’ll notice that the top of this ruler doesn’t quite come to a point.  Place this little flat end along the top of your strip.  The bottom of the strip should be under the 4-1/4″ line on the ruler.

My fabric is doubled.  You could stack four to six layers if you’re confident about your cutting.  Make a cut on each side of the ruler.

Now turn the ruler and cut again.  This time, that little flat edge is at the bottom of the strip.  Continue cutting along your strip.

You’re not quite finished with the cutting of your triangles, but this next step is what makes these pieces go together perfectly.  The triangle pieces that you just cut will have two pointy ends and one flat one.  You need to make them all flat.  If you do this, it will make it so easy to line up your blocks and find your proper seam allowance.  Place the blunt and of the ruler on your fabric so you can nip off the points.

A quick swipe with your rotary cutter and it’s done!  Do this to the remaining point.  Do ALL your triangles this way.

When you’re ready to stitch, just place two triangles, right sides together…

…and stitch along one edge, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Press.  This quilt is assembled in rows.  I press all the seams in one row to the right, the next row to the left, and so on.

Keep adding triangles…

…pressing after each addition.  Finger pressing is okay.

Since we don’t really have a pieced block, if you do eight triangles a day each day this spring, you’ll have enough for a quilt that’s 56″ wide and 62″ long!

Here are a couple of other Pyramid Quilts for inspiration.

I’m in love with the bright colors and the quilting in this quilt.  It’s from the Armchair Quilter.

I love the clean, crisp look of this scrappy quilt set with white.  I found it on Ebay.

This one is delightfully scrappy.  I found it on Quilting Adventures.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you’ll share your photos with us on the A Quilt Block A Day page on Facebook.