Category Archives: Quilt Therapy Quilt Patterns

Make a Barn Quilt Block #1

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The first block to make is the basis for all of the other blocks in the quilt, although the other blocks are larger.  Make FOUR (4) Shoo-fly blocks for the four corners of border #2 on your quilt:

Block will be 7 1/2″ square finished and 8″ square unfinished.  Seam allowances are 1/4″.  Press toward the darkest fabrics.

Cutting Instructions:

  1. Dark Blue:  Cut ONE (1) 3″ square
  2. Background Fabric:  Cut FOUR (4) 3″ squares
  3. Dark Blue:  Cut TWO (2) 3 3/8″ squares
  4. Background Fabric:  Cut TWO (2) 3 3/8″ squares – draw a diagonal line, corner-to-corner ONE (1) time on the back of each of these squares.

Putting the Block Together:

  1. Using a Dark Blue and a Background Fabric 3 3/8″ squares, right sides together, sew 1/4″ on EACH SIDE of the line you drew, then cut the half-square triangles apart ON the line you drew.  You will end up with TWO (2) half-square triangles.  Repeat so you have FOUR (4) half-square triangles.
  2. Sew the individual rows together first, using the image above as your guide.
  3. Finally, sew the rows to each other so you end up with a Shoo-Fly block!

Remember, the instructions above are for ONE (1) block.  You need FOUR (4) of these blocks for the borders.

 Stay Tuned Tomorrow for the Next Block Instructions!

Make a Barn Quilt Fabric Requirements

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To make this barn quilt, here are the fabric requirements (look closely, you are making TWO (2) of the same blocks for this quilt):

  • Most of the blocks are designed for scraps – use what you have and enjoy them in another quilt!  1/8 to 1/4 yard of scraps per two blocks are needed.  The fabrics below are the amounts used for both the blocks and
  • Background Fabric for blocks and border #2:  4 yards
  • Blue sashing and border #1:  1 1/2 yards
  • Dark Blue binding:  1/2 yard

 Stay Tuned Next Week for the Instructions to Make the Barn Quilt blocks!

Make a Barn Quilt

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Unless you live under a rock, you are probably well aware that barn quilt blocks have been the latest rage in showcasing a non-quilted quilt block design on barns.  Folks are having contests to get barn quilt block designed, there are maps in various counties who show where all of the barn quilt blocks are in their area, etc. etc.

I spent a couple of weeks in Iowa the past two summers and, since I believe I read that barn quilts originated in Iowa, we definitely saw a lot of them!  Even if they didn’t originate there, they have taken off like a hot potato and MANY barns have barn quilt blocks adorning their structures.

In case you do not know what a barn quilt is, here is an image of one:

(image credit)

It got me to thinking about how much fun it would be to cruise the gravel roads and highways and design a quilt based on the barn quilts I saw along the way – sort of a memory quilt (although I can sketch while riding in an auto, I would never remember where exactly I saw the barn quilts at).

So, let’s make an actual barn quilt – not a block to put on a barn, but a quilt that has the barn quilt blocks on it!  And if you have taken photos or drawn sketches of barn quilts, you can use those designs to create your own.  I was the driver the last time we were taking a road trip through barn quilt country so was unable to do either – so, my barn quilt will be based on traditional designs set in a shoo-fly quilt block pattern:

The following is the quilt I’ve put together for you.  Please note, if I could have photographed the many barn quilts we saw in Iowa, I would be putting THOSE designs in the center.  Since I was unable to do so, I have designed the following quilt:

Stay tuned for the fabric requirements and patterns for each of the blocks used in this quilt!

Disappearing Nine-Patch Tutorial

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I have had a number of folks ask me how to make a disappearing nine-patch block, so figured I’d put together a little pictorial tutorial for you.

It is SEW simple!

 

  • Make a Nine-Patch Block.  Be sure to use at least three different colored fabrics.  You can make your squares any size you want, as long as they are equal in size:

  • Once your block is sewn together, cut it evenly as shown in the illustration below:

  • Now, sew the squares back together in the following manner:

  • Finally, put all of your blocks together to make a disappearing nine-patch quilt top!

And Yet Another Use for Ugly Fabrics

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A couple of months ago, one of the ladies in our quilt group did a class on borders.  I figured that was yet another great way to use an ugly fabric, especially one with a repeating geometric pattern.  I fussy-cut the fabric out in the following example, and used a courthouse steps pattern to make the blocks.  If I were making a whole quilt like this, I would probably applique something in the center of the blocks, just to add another dimension to the quilt!