When you receive fabric gifts from your quilting friends, the yardage will probably be made from 100-percent cotton. Gifts from family and friends might be cotton polyester blends or woven from other fibers. Or you might find a box full of unknown fabrics at an estate sale or flea market. It's important to know what you're sewing with so that you can care for your quilts correctly. This little burn test can help.

The Sarah's Choice quilt block can be assembled in several ways. We'll put it together quickly using half-square triangle units at its center and simple flying geese units (along with square corners) for the block's outer rows. I've included cutting instructions for four different sizes: 4-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch blocks. You can also preview mock-ups of the blocks set into two different quilts, one on-point and another with blocks arranged horizontally.

_{© Janet Wickell}

Our Quilting Forums are a fun place to visit when you want to talk to lots of other quilters. Put out a question or idea and I guarantee you'll get lots of opinions. Quilt swaps are one popular component of the forums, and swaps are becoming more active now that fall is almost here. If you've never participated in a quilt swap, but think you might want to give it a try, jump right in. But take a few minutes to read about swapping basics before you get started.

This traditional quilt block sometimes has slightly different components, and there are other blocks that use the same name or similar names, even though they have a completely different appearance. That's confusing, but not at all uncommon in the world of quilting. No matter what you call it, Steps to the Altar is a lovely block, and looks good with either an orderly or scrappy layout.

_{Illustration © Janet Wickell, created in EQ v6}

Here's My Heart is a 64" x 84" quilt that's a combination of patchwork and appliqué. Alternate Snowball blocks are adorned with Sunbonnet Sue and Overalls Sam -- two traditional characters that quilters seem to either love or hate. The appliqué blocks are separated by "chain-type" patchwork that helps create diagonal flow across the surface of the quilt. Increase the quilt's size by adding blocks or altering the borders, or make a quick wallhanging from fewer blocks.

_{Illustration © Janet Wickell, designed in EQ v6}

Quarter-square triangle units aren't used in quilts as often as their close relative, the half-square triangle patchwork unit. I wonder if that's partly because patchwork squares made with four small triangles are sometimes associated with the D-word -- difficult? Put that thought aside, because they are not difficult to make, especially when you use quick-piecing methods to sew them. You don't even need a pattern to assemble a scrappy quilt from quarter-square patchwork units. Just choose a unit size, assemble lots of variations, and then sew the units together side by side to create a quilt with loads of color and visual movement across its surface.

Patterns with Quarter Square Triangles

• Churn Dash with a Twist
• Ohio Star Quilt Blocks
• Clownin' Around Quilt

To take part in the monthly BBL, forum members make blocks and enter them into a drawing to win a group of blocks made by other members. There's a limit to how many blocks you can enter, but your name "goes into the hat" one time for each entry. April's event just ended, with over 200 blocks divided among four people. The BBL is managed by Sophie, one of our forum hostesses, and this year her blocks all finish at 6" square, a good size for using up your smaller scraps and perfect for every kind of quilt, from baby quilts to wallhangings to bed covers. In May, our forum members will make 6-inch Buckeye Beauty quilt blocks in a combination of green and purple. The Sneak Peekers (you can be one in June) get instructions early, and have already made about 70 blocks. I encourage you to play because these quilts are going to be spectacular.

_{Photo © Sophie}

Fabric postcards can be as simple -- or intricate -- as you want them to be. They're fun to make, and yes, you can put a stamp on them and pop them into the mailbox. Your family and friends will be delighted with these personal greeting cards. Get started now because there's still time to make postcards for Mother's Day.

The Ship at Sea quilt block is constructed from simple shapes that make quick assembly a reality. Wavy blue stripes depict the water underneath the ship and a mottled fabric represents the sky. Both fabrics give the quilt block a somewhat realistic look, but use any fabric you wish, because realism definitely isn't required. I've included instructions for a 12-inch square finished block and a small block finishing at 6-inches square. The small quilt block might be a better choice for a child's quilt.

All of these doll quilts were made by members of the Online Quilting Community, with the majority designed and stitched for a swap among Quilting Forum members. You'll appreciate the work that went into every one of these little quilts.

_{Rebecca's Basket, by Terri Coty}