Old Windmill quilt block

I've just finished the latest quilt block calculator - Old Windmill - which is entirely half square triangle units. You have the option of making the units with squares or using a right triangle ruler to cut them from strips. Once I learned how to use the right triangle rulers, I was hooked. You no longer have to figure out the weird seam allowances - just add 1/2 inch, cut a strip and cut out triangles.

Things I learned about quilting

Quilters are probably always learning of new ways to do things, at least new to them and here are some things I've learned that have helped me tons...


Sandwiching and quilting: A guest on Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts (whose name escapes me now) showed how to sandwich a quilt smoothing the seams, borders and blocks square, pushing excess to middle. The quilting will take up the slack and your quilt will be square, and hang better.

Quilt block calculators

Block calculators up and running...

1. Jewel Box: block, quilt
2. Ribbon Star: block, quilt
3. Four Square ^New!: block, quilt, potholders
4. Dancing Pinwheel (a.k.a.Trailing Star, Mosaic, Mosaic #1, Old Poinsetta and Spinning Stars: block
5. Balkan Puzzle: block, quilt
6. Half Square Triangles: block
7. Four Patch: block
8. Starflower: block
9. Ohio Star: block
10. Quarter Square Triangle: block
11. Clay's Choice ^New!: block
12. Jacob's Ladder ^New!: block
13. Nine Patch: block
14. Nine to Four: block
15. Eight Point Design ^New!: block

While doing research on the history of different quilt blocks, I found a website (Hart Cottage Quilts) that shows some copies of quilting publications from the early 1900's. It's fun to look up these things and actually see old documents and I hope to find more.

Have a Great Day!

Jeanne