Quick pieced half square triangle units make up the majority of this scrappy basket quilt block, with rectangles and single triangles completing the mix. The block goes together quickly and pieces are small enough to cut from patches in your scrap bin.

_{© Janet Wickell}

I received lots of positive emails in my response to the question, would you like a baby quilt version of the Cozy Chains quilt. So here it is. Called Baby Chains, the quilt is made with 6" square blocks (half the size of the original) and finishes at 36" x 48" with a border, or 30" x 42" if you omit the border.

I see several more of my larger quilt patterns that could be converted to baby quilts, and might spend a bit of time working on that.

I'm from Missouri, so I wanted to write a pattern that shows off one of the blocks named to commemorate the state. This one is made with Missouri Puzzle, and is a square quilt with sashing and cornerstones between blocks. The blocks finish at 11-1/4" square and the quilt itself is about 66" x 66". I'm adding directions for a single 30" square Missouri Puzzle block, but have to run a few errands before I get that online. I've had requests for more big blocks, so watch for them throughout the year. You can use big blocks for wallhangings, table covers, (big) throw pillows, medallion centers or in any other decorative way.

Pretty in Pastels is a 30" x 42" baby quilt that's made entirely with the traditional Clay's Choice block. I felt that pastels suited the design, but you can change the quilt's character by working with vibrant colors. Place darks or very warms where my blues are, and then use cool colors for the outer squares of each block -- the design will shift significantly with those simple changes.

_{Janet Wickell}

Cozy Chains is a layout that's somewhat like last week's Easy Framed Nine-Patch Quilt. The two are made with different quilt blocks, but are similar in that the same block is used throughout each one (in two different colors to create definition where the blocks are sewn together). The Cozy Chains quilt has dark squares than run diagonally through all of the blocks, adding another bit of visual texture.

Quilt blocks finish at 12-inches square, and the quilt measures 70" x 94". I included half-size blocks for the Framed Nine-Patch, and (if there's an interest) could add those instructions for this quilt too -- the result would be a baby quilt that measures about 25" x 35" (for a quilt without borders).

_{© Janet Wickell}

Here's a miniature quilt that finishes at 22" square. Its pictorial center medallion is framed by a dark, narrow border and large triangles. Strip pieced nine-patch and bar blocks, plus very dark triangles, complete the center section of the quilt. I chose a house pictorial for my center block, but the quilt would be wonderful with a Christmas theme -- maybe Santa surrounded by your favorite rich colors. Experiment -- it will work with any theme you choose, and you might prefer to use more contrasting color values from piece to piece. If you make this little quilt, I'd love to put it in our Online Quilt Show, so I hope you will send me a photo.

More Quilt Patterns

A Joyous Celebration, wallhanging with star blocks and snowballs
Catching the View, kitty cats sitting in watercolor windows
Stretching to the Stars, an easy stretched stars block surrounded by sashing

Friendship quilts have been popular forever, but they don't all have signature panels like the centers of these 6" patchwork star blocks. The blocks are easy to make and the dark star tips and center bars don't require much fabric at all -- it's an excellent pattern to help you use up your scraps. If you'd rather make the quilt all by yourself, use the open panels to honor family members, or sew a darker strip in those slots if you'd prefer to do away with signatures.

_{© Janet Wickell}

Newsletter subscribers saw a fun new feature today, our Quilting Show & Tell. It just became available to me yesterday, so I haven't had time to brainstorm all the ways the feature can be used. I'll still compile the popular quilt photo galleries that have been online since I began writing the site, but this new "tool" is a way for you to share info with the quilting community directly, without waiting for me to sort through photos, resize them, and then match the quilts up with permission forms.

Here's the First Show & Tell:
Your First Quilt -- stories and photos about the very first quilt you ever made. Several people have already shared their quilts and I expect to see more stories every day (click on each photo for a larger view). You'll also find a link to use if you'd like to show us your own first quilt.

The smallish illustration makes it a little difficult to see the details of this quilt, so click through for a larger view. It's made from easy nine patch blocks that are surrounded by frames -- dark bars on opposite sides and light bars on the two remaining sides. Adjoining blocks are flip-flopped when sewn into horizontal rows -- it's the change of orientation that creates the somewhat stairstep-like appearance you see here.

I've included instructions for two sizes, a bed quilt made with 10" square blocks and a baby quilt made with 5" square blocks.

School Girl's Puzzle is a traditional patchwork quilt block. This 12-inch version is made with four different fabrics, and their positions (plus the shape of the pieces) results in lots of visual movement across the face of a quilt once the blocks are sewn together. I've included two quilt layout examples -- one with straight-set blocks and the other with blocks placed on-point.

_{Janet Wickell}