DISAPPEARING NINE PATCH

 What to do with LEFTOVERS? Once I completed Game On! from the PRINTS KIT, a lot of fabric remained. 

Rather than put it in the closet with all its' friends, I cut a bunch of 5" squares and made a DISAPPEARING NINE PATCH QUILT. This is a very easy way to make a baby quilt or a charity quilt, fast, easy, interesting, a great use of 5" squares.

This is 39" square and will be used as a baby quilt the next time I need to give one of those to someone. Here it is, basted and ready to quilt:

There are many online videos/tutorials for this simple block. Here are the steps I used:

1. Cut a lot of 5" squares in various colors, light, medium and dark. Since I wanted 9 blocks, I cut 81 squares, 5" each.

2. Arrange 9 of them into a 9 Patch, being sure there is contrast among the fabrics. The four corners will remain whole, use your favorites in that position. The center will become 4 small squares, use something that cuts up well there. OR use the SAME FABRIC in the center of ALL your blocks--this provides continuity. The fabrics at North, East, South and West will become Rectangles.

3. Sew into a big 9 Patch. I pressed the top and bottom row to the left, the middle row to the right, so the seams nest with each other. That is my personal preference. Do as you please.

4. Cut into 4 quarters, placing the 2.25" line on the ruler on the seam that joins the first row to the middle row. Turn the two halves and repeat, to create 4 squares:

5. Play with a variety of block layouts to find your favorite. Sew into a FOUR PATCH:

Option 1

Option 2

6. Lay out all the blocks, I made 9 of them, to create a fun quilt top. Warning: you WILL rearrange them a lot before deciding which layout you prefer. It really doesn't matter:

On the table as I arranged and rearranged them

Final arrangement--can you FIND the block I used above for this demo?

Once you decide on the FINAL Layout: TAKE A PICTURE! You think you'll remember, you think you won't get something turned upside down but you will...

Because mine is 39" square, I won't add a border so the back can be made from one fabric, 1.25 yards. No piecing of the back is necessary.

One of my most popular WORKSHOPS in recent years is DISAPPEARING PATCHWORK. It's a little more complicated because we first make pinwheel blocks. I challenged myself to make a quilt in all NEUTRALS, it wasn't easy, but I am very satisfied with this. And it has been a really popular workshop:

Workshop Sample: DISAPPEARING PATCHWORK

At this point, I want to USE MY FABRIC, not store it, so this was a good way to use some of the leftovers from Game On! and have a baby quilt ready to go. It also makes a great quilt to practice MACHINE QUILTING on. 

I will show that when it's done.

Let's quilt.

Barbara

BLOCK OF THE MONTH OUTSTANDING QUILTS Part 2

Every year since 2008 THE QUILT SHOW has presented a beautiful BLOCK OF THE MONTH quilt project FREE for Star Members. These quilts have been created exclusively for The Quilt Show by the various designers, available only for that year from this worldwide quilting community, an Internet based show. 

These quilts always provide excellent instruction for exceptional designs. Everyone who completes one of these quilts has learned a lot and can be proud of their accomplishment.

Here are just a few of the many BOM quilts that have won awards at quilt shows around the world. Enjoy and be inspired:

 2021 COLOR MY WORLD designed by Wendy Williams. When I first saw this design, two years before it was our BOM, I loved it and knew it would be a success. The taping for the January 2021 show had to be done in August 2020. Do you remember the PANDEMIC? It was clear in April that Wendy would not be able to travel from Australia to the US to tape the show. I was sent the kit and had 8 weeks to make it, quilt it, and travel to Dallas for the taping. Here is mine:

                                                        

This quilt has won MANY awards at shows worldwide. It often wins VIEWERS CHOICE. This next quilt deserves special recognition. Carole Berry made this as her FIRST QUILT EVER. And she used WOOL! 

As she was making it, she shared progress photos on the FORUM of The Quilt Show. When it was complete, I told her she simply had to enter it in major competitions. So she did. 

Let her tell you how this quilt has done in competition. Don't think she is bragging, she is humble and gracious and deserves all the awards this quilt has brought her way:

Carole Berry "HOME"  Quilted by Cindy Paulson

FROM CAROLE: Attached is photo from the 2024 AQS Daytona Beach Show where I got first place in my category of Wall Quilts-Moveable Machine Quilted and Viewers Choice.

Other accolades "Home" received:

 

2023

AQS Grand Rapids 2nd Place

Maine Quilts 1st Place, Exceptional Handwork, Viewers Choice

Cocheco Quilters Guild 1st Place, Exceptional Merit, Viewers Choice

 

2024

Road to California 2nd Place

AQS Daytona Beach 1st Place, Viewers Choice

AQS Branson 3rd Place

AQS Paducah 3rd Place

AQS Lancaster 3rd Place

 

2027

AQS Engagement Calendar 

Thank you for encouraging me to show this quilt! I never imagined all the places it would bring me and the wonderful people I would meet. I’m currently working on a temperature quilt to commemorate our travels in 2024 following Home around the country. 

Here are photos I was sent from The Quilt Show members: 

Barbara Colvin York Quilters Guild

Karon Rufenacht  Natrona County WY fair - People's choice, 1st place and sweepstakes ribbon.  WY state fair - blue ribbon

Cec Larsen

Jacquelyn Jacobi 1^st place ribbon at the Victoria (BC Canada) biennial judged quilt show. In the bottom left I have substituted the Parliament Building in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, and in the bottom right I have substituted the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls Ontario, my home town. 

Jan Aji Ribbon Winner at her local show. 

Sandra Bonomo kept hers round when she had printing trouble and decided this was large enough. It is hanging at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier. She made a facing and adding tubing to create the perfectly round shape for display.

Several people made this design their own by changing the Skyscrapers in the four diagonal corners to represent buildings important to them.. Here is one of my favorites, made by Sunday Sew and Sew Donna Daniel. She added her church, the bell tower at the University of Alabama, the Saturn V Rocket at the Space Center here in Huntsville and the Washington Monument:  

                                            

2022 GARDEN PARTY DOWN UNDER designed by Irene Blanck. The taping for this BOM was August 2021 and guess what? The world was still on lockdown and Irene could not travel from Australia to Dallas for taping. So, once again, I had 8 weeks to make this quilt, quilt it and travel to the taping.

This was only possible with the help of my Sunday Sew and Sews. And since the kit would not be available for months yet I used my own fabric. Over two long days Joan Cook helped me cut kits for 9 of us to use--each person made one pieced block and one appliqued block. They had exactly one month to complete their task--all met the deadline. In the second month I made the borders, assembled, basted and quilted it. This is one of my most favorite quilts because of the friendships that made it happen. Here it is on the set of The Quilt Show in Dallas:

                                                

Others I was sent:

Barbara Colvin Best Use of Color, York Quilters Guild

Janet Miller, Best of Show, 1st place Large Appliqué Quilts, and Best Domestic Quilting, The Arapahoe County Quilters, Festival of Quilts, 2023. Located in Colorado.

Liz Anderson Viewer's Choice and Best of Show, Cadiz, Ky show

2023 HOMEWARD BOUND designed by Sarah Fielke: 

Susan Wolak Quiltfest Rochester NY 2024

Joyce Cambron On Display at Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show 2025

2024 PICK A PETAL designed by Jen Kingwell:

Pick a Petal by Jen Kingwell 

2025 LAUREL RIDGE designed by Lynne Wilder:

Barbara Colvin York Quilters Guild, First Place and Best Traditional Quilt  

Evelyn Spaudling, Teal Time, Fanfare 2026 Huntsville AL 

2026 GAME ON! designed by Becky Goldsmith--this is the current year's BOM so no one has entered it in any shows yet. I expect to see ribbons on this design in the future too:

I recently completed both the SOLID and PRINT tops: 

2027 FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE, designed by Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson. This is a spectacular design that will teach you a LOT! I am learning things. Patterns will be released monthly starting in January 2027, FREE for Star Members Only:

OCEAN WAVES Colorway

MOUNTAIN MEADOWS Colorway

I will be helping to teach this project with lots of tips and suggestions. I sure hope you will join us on this Joyful Journey!

NOTE: A few of the photos were taken from the GALLERY on The Quilt Show. There are many quilts there to inspire and educate you. 

To see the Block of the Month quilts from 2008-2020 see PART 1

Let's quilt.

Barbara

BLOCK OF THE MONTH OUTSTANDING QUILTS Part 1

Every year since 2008 THE QUILT SHOW has presented a beautiful BLOCK OF THE MONTH quilt project FREE for Star Members. These quilts have been created exclusively for The Quilt Show by the various designers, available only for that year from this worldwide quilting community, an Internet based show. 

These quilts always provide excellent instruction for exceptional designs. Everyone who completes one of these quilts has learned a lot and can be proud of their accomplishment.

Here are just a few of the many BOM quilts that have won awards at quilt shows around the world. Enjoy and be inspired:

2008 BOUQUET FOR A NEW DAY, designed by Sue Garman. I had to hunt to find a photo. This was made by Ann Shibut: 

2009 STARS FOR A NEW DAY, designed by Sue Garman. This is my version. It was included in the book 500 TRADITIONAL TREASURES, published in 2014. Can you find my mistake?

2010 Sue Garman designed two for this year, STAR CRAZY and HUGS AND KISSES:

Hugs and Kisses by Sue Garman

Star Crazy by Jill Buttel 

2011 RUFFLED ROSES designed by Sue Garman. This is my version, completed in 2019, won Best of Show, Fanfare 2019, Heritage Quilters of Huntsville. Quilted by Lois Kindley:

2012 SEDONA STAR designed by Sarah Vedeler. Here is a spectacular example:

My, My, My, My Sedona! made by Alice Alinson

2013 TWO OF US designed by Sue Nickels and Pat Holly: 

made by Karen Boe Quilted by Barb Simons

2014 A TO Z FOR EWE AND ME designed by Janet Stone: 

Made by Barbara Colvin, First Place York Quilters Guild

2015 MY COUNTRY HOUSE designed by Lynette Anderson:

My Country House by Lynette Anderson

2016 RAJAH QUILT REVISITED designed by Lessa Siegele. This is a remake of an historic quilt with ties to England and Australia. This is my version:

Rajah Revisited by Barbara Black 

2017 HALO MEDALLION designed by Sue Garman. This started a lot of good things for me. The Sunday Sew and Sews group was formed, meeting in my home once a month for guidance on this project. Sue was quite ill and passed away January 8, 2017 so I was asked to help with the FORUM since I was making the quilt. I'm still here. Here are three especially great versions:

Janet Noever made this as a Sunday Sew and Sew. She made it her own by adding her beloved Seminole Piecing to a couple borders.

Brenda Miller got the Sunday Sew and Sews started when she asked me if I thought she and her sister, Joanne, were "capable" of making Halo Medallion. I offered to help guide them and the rest is history. Notice Brenda's lovely First Place Ribbon

Joanne Miller, sister to Brenda, and co-instigator in getting the Sunday Sew and Sews going also earned a ribbon on her quilt. All of these were featured at Fanfare 2019 Heritage Quilters of Huntsville

2018 THE PATCHWORK BARN designed by Edyta Sitar.

The Patchwork Barn by Sandra Thomas

2019 SIZZLE designed by Becky Goldsmith:

SIZZLE Made by Terri Taylor, quilted by Patty Wilson

2020 AFTERNOON DELIGHT designed by Sue Garman. A tribute to Sue after her passing, this pattern of hers is the only time a published pattern was used for the BOM.  

This beautiful example won BEST OF SHOW at the SW Florida Quilters Guild earlier this year:

AFTERNOON DELIGHT made by Terri Saarinen

This takes us through the first 13 years of Block of the Month Quilts from The Quilt Show. Have YOU made any of these?

Next week will feature the remaining past 5 years. I asked members of www.thequiltshow.com to send me photos of their winning Block the Month quilts and I received MANY from the most recent 5 years. See you next week!

NOTE: A few of the photos were taken from the GALLERY on The Quilt Show. There are many quilts there to inspire and educate you. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara