I hope you’re taking part in the Summer Bow-Tie Quilt Along.  We’re making a Bow-Tie Block each day of summer!

The previous post on my blog has a tutorial for making the traditional Bow-Tie block–which is a simple Four-Patch with a couple of sew-and-flip corners!

But I thought you might like to learn how to make a 3-Dimensional Bow-Tie!    With this block, the center of the Bow-Tie 3-D.

To make the block, you need:

2) 3-1/2″ squares of light fabric

2) 3-1/2″ squares of dark fabric

1) 3″ square of dark fabric

Normally, all three dark fabrics would be the same, but I thought it was easier to see the construction if I made the center a different print for this tutorial.

Fold the 3″ square in half, wrong sides together.

Place the folded square on a dark 3-1/3″ square.  Long raw edges should be even with the top, and short edge should be at the right side of the dark square.

Place a light 3-1/2″ square on top.

Stitch down the right side, catching the folded square between the 3-1/2″ squares.

Turn squares out of the way, as shown below.

Place edge of folded piece even with edge of  remaining light 3-1/2″ square

Cover with dark 3-1/2″ square.  Stitch.

At this point, your stitched pieces should look like this.  Press the 3-1/2″ squares to the dark.

Line up the top edges of the squares.  As you do this, a little “pocket” will form from the folded piece in the middle.

Pin, lining up the raw edges of the folded piece with the top edge to be stitched.  Stitch.

When you open your block, the 3-D center will be formed!

Voila!

I like to press my last seam open. And, actually, I kind of like the different color center!

Last summer, we had such fun making a Nine-Patch block everyday.  Well, summer is upon us again.  This summer, let’s do Bow Tie blocks! These are soooo simple.  It’s basically a four-patch.  What could be easier?!?

I’ve set up a Facebook page so you can share your progress, post photos and get more ideas on what to do with your blocks.  CLICK HERE to become a fan!

Now for a quick tutorial for a 6″ Bow Tie block

For each block you will need:

1) 3-1/2″ x 7″ light fabric

1) 3-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ dark fabric

Cut the light fabric into 2) 3-1/2″ squares.

Cut the dark fabric into 2) 3-1/2″ squares and 2) 1-1/2″ squares.

Put the two small dark squares on a corner of the light squares.

Sew diagonally from corner to corner on the dark squares.  These are so small, you don’t really need to mark them.  If you’re not comfortable eyeballing them, you can finger press the small squares in half and sew down the crease.

Trim 1/4″ away from the stitching.

Press the little dark squares over.  Now, all you have to do is piece your four-patch!

Stitch along the vertical seams.  Press toward the dark fabric.

Join the horizontal seams and you’re done!

I do like to press the last seam open to reduce bulk in the center.

If you want to make 3″ finished blocks, cut your “large” squares 2″ and your “small” squares 1″.  In fact, you might want to make some of both sizes.  They can be very cute in the same quilt!

OMG! OMG! OMG!

I am in love!

I found these photos on flickr.com

As much as quilters frown on cutting up perfectly good, vintage quilts….

…what a great look this is.

I’m ready to start re-thinking my new furniture purchases…

…and they haven’t even arrived yet!

According to the flickr poster, this furniture was seen at Patricia Wood & Company, 120 E. Main St., Harbor Springs, MI. 49740

Here’s the last of the show-and-tell from our retreat.

This is Sue showing off the Desert Nine Patch.  She bought the kit at the retreat last fall.

She got this Crossroads quilt done from start to finish this time.

Pat was working on this Bargello during the retreat.  It was great fun to watch its progress on the design wall.

This is one of the quilts she brought for show-and-tell.

Here’s another.

She went way outside most quilters’ comfort zone with this quilt made from all kinds of great fabrics.

With this quilt she did a matching pillow case.

Sarah finished a UFO–this graphic Boston Commons.

This is the quilt Sarah did at the last retreat–all finished now.

She needed a refresher course on how to use the Hunter’s Star ruler.  I’d say she has it figured out!

I hope Bob doesn’t see this John Deere quilt Vicky made.

She was on a roll with this pattern…

…and it looks great with all her fabric choices.

Here’s a BQ she did.

She had just finished this owl quilt.

She did the Out of the Darkness block of the month.

This quilt of Evelyn’s is another one that was fun to watch as it progressed.

She’s started sample blocks out of these fabrics.  So pretty.

Josie is part of the staff at Falls Creek.  Last year she brought a quilt to share with us, and I thought she had done the same this year.  As it turns out, she just “borrowed” this from Nana Pat for the first night of show-and-tell…

…and this one from Robin for the second night!

All in all, it was a great retreat.  Thanks to everyone who came and shared.

More photos of quilts from the talented ladies who came to Spring Retreat!

Patti made this pretty floral quilt.

And also this star with log cabin blocks.  It’s gorgeous!

She was working on the colorwash cross–and it was giving her fits.  But, she persevered!

Susan brought this cute chicken wall hanging for show-and-tell.

Pat finished up this signature quilt while at retreat.

And she made this lovely BQ3.

I got my Christmas Memories blocks set and the pattern written.

And made this donation quilt with the strips from my Quilt Trim Ruler demo.

Marsha was making this for her granddaughter.  I know she’ll love it!

She was also working on the split stars–another UFO nearly finished!

Joyce lives at the beach and brought this nautical quilt for show-and-tell.

She also had this rag quilt in progress.

Don’t you love her sorting method?!?

Pat brought a lot of embellished bags for show-and-tell…

…as well as this quilt with circles.  I’m going to do a circle quilt someday!

Becky made a Twelve Step Program quilt from my book Fat Quarter Fun.  Don’t you love my subtle ad!

She was also working on the wonderful Friendship Star variation…

…and this pretty pinwheel quilt.

We had two scrapbookers at the retreat.  This is my sister, Sally.

She had done a book about her Christmas decorations–which are amazing!

I think this is her Sweden album.

Karen was our other scrapbooker.

She had several books to share.

My favorite was the one with her son’s birthday parties.

Ann brought a stack of Dresden Plate blocks.

She spent most of the weekend working on this cute frog quilt.

Judy was making this quilt to replicate a family one that is worn out.

She’s using vintage fabrics from the family, so this will really be an heirloom.

More to come…..

This is the first of three posts showing the fabulous show-and-tell and works-in-progress from our recent retreat.

Here’s Stephanie with her first show-and-tell.

And she brought this table runner made from my Center Piece pattern.  I love the black she added to hers!

Here’s a nice charm quilt she made.

And a great abstract quilt.

She also made something fun for Halloween.

And she got these three cats pieced and fused during retreat.

She was very busy!

It just shows you how much you can get done at a four day retreat!

Joy was a new quilter when she was at our retreat last fall.  She was working on this table runner and brought it to show us in its finished state.  Way to go, Joy!

This was another project from the fall retreat.  Karen was working on it then and also brought the top back finished.  Don’t you love that word, “finished!?!”

This was one of Karen’s projects at this retreat–two quilts for twins!

Nana Pat came to her first retreat and brought this table runner for show-and-tell.

Judy did this very fresh looking lemon quilt.

She brought a recently completed quilt for show-and-tell.  Beautiful colors!

And she made this amazing pincushion to look like a chocolate candy!

Connie came all the way from Arizona for the retreat.  She got this top made from cutting to borders while she was there.  It’s for her grandson who is about to move into his “big boy bed.”

Robin always brings a quilt to sleep under, and she brought one of my favorites–her nasturtium quilt.

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

This was a block swap she participated in with string pieced squares.

Lots of attendees thought she was crazy because she was working on this quilt made of over 6000 1″ squares!

Here’s a photo of it last week after she came to visit and got it quilted on my long arm!  And now she’s going to give it away.

She was putting borders on one of her niece-and-nephew quilts.  This one uses 2″ scraps!

Sherrie made this pretty BQ quilt.

I was so excited to see Carol’s Hunter’s Star quilt.  At last fall retreat I demonstrated the ruler that lets you make this quilt with no set-in seams.

Carol also made this wonderful sampler.

More to come in the next installment!

Here are the last of the photos I took at the Peninsula Quilt Guild show.

Out of the Darkness by Nellie Beasley.

2010 Block of the Month by Lynda Newell.

Flowers Block of the Month by Bev Wakeman.

Grandmother’s Dream by Dorothy Payne.

Triple Nine-Patch by Ann Saari.

Rail Fence by Winnie Tupper.

Round the Twist by Beverly Wakeman.

Blue Patch by Cherry Harris.

Palouse Sunset by Ann Saari.

Baby Nines by Vivian Herbel.

Batik Bear Paw by Andi Maroncelli.

Market Baskets by Joan Stoltz.

Twelve Step Program by ???

Desert Nine-Patch by Karen Montgomery.

Here’s a detail of the beautiful quilting on this quilt.

Family Reunion by Mary Hayden.

Broken Nine-Patch by Ann Saari.

Made Up by Bev Wakeman.

Sunbonnet Sue by Dorothy Payne. These blocks were made by her mother, and she recently finished it.

Detail of Sue.  Love her orange hat and matching shoes!

Another Vintage Sue.  I didn’t get the info on this one.

I love to compare the different Sue’s.

Dear Dorothy by me!

Blue Boxtrot by Andi Maroncelli.

Selvedge Spider Webs by Rene Newstrum.

This quilt was made by Gail Messick.  She started it at my Retreat last fall!

Spider Web  by Brooke Weller.

?? by Eleanor Will.

Holy Snowballs by Janet King.

Kaffe Kaleidoscope by Dianne Duprez.

Star Struck Hexagon by Jeri Dawson.

I hope you enjoyed the show!

I was in Bend, Oregon earlier this week.  There’s an antique mall in Redmond that I always try to visit when I’m in the area, because I usually find something quilt-y there that I can’t resist.  I wasn’t disappointed.

The best find was this quilt.

It has great 1930′s fabrics for the flowers and a true 1930′s dark green for the leaves.

I love the delicate way they are connected with the embroidery.  There’s almost an Art Nouveau feel to it.

I’ve not seen this pattern before.  Does anyone know the name or history of it?

I also came home with a few other things, like this guy cut from an old quilt.  I just love his daisy britches!

And I can never resist a batch of butterfly blocks.

I’m not sure why I was tempted by this Double Wedding Ring piece, but it came home with me, too.

Lastly, this embroidered splash was too cute to resist.

Nancy Goldworthy is a long arm quilter and author.

One of her books is Quilter’s Guide to UFO’s – UnFinished Objects.

She was the speaker last week at the Peninsula Quilt Guild.

She brought lots of quilts for inspiration…

…which I LOVE!

I never get tired of looking at quilts.

Nancy swears that all of these quilts used to be UFO’s.

They languished in her sewing room.

But eventually lived to see the light of day…

…and become finished quilts.

Some were piles of blocks.

Some were from block exchanges.

Some were set on point.

Some were tops that needed quilting.

Nancy even has a chart of what she needs to finish.

It was a real inspiration to all of us.  Thanks, Nancy.

This is a quilt I designed called Summer Fun.

The name came more from the fabric than the design.  I had this cute baseball fabric that I used in it.

The quilt uses nine fat quarters and a background.

This pattern is in my second book, Fat Quarter Fun.

In the book I also sho it in a little sample with just two colors and not much contrast.  Very sweet!  I just love to see how different the same pattern can look in different fabrics.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe they even are the same pattern.

At our last Quilt Retreat, Sue made one with purple and lavender.  Isn’t is stunning!?!  And don’t you love the blatant advertising, with her holding up the book!  She is a former Anna Lena’s employee, after all.

She stopped by today to use my long arm to quilt it.

I think the Daisy Pano is looking great on it.

If you’ve made quilts from my books or patterns, I’d love it if you’d send me photos.