2007 About.com Anniversary Sampler Quilt

The Flying in Circles quilt block is made from three simple units: flying geese, half-square triangle units, and a plain square of fabric. Quick piecing techniques help you assemble the block quickly and accurately.

Use my easy sandwich method to make the half-square triangles required for this pretty basket quilt block. Be sure to read the instructions before you cut fabrics, because you might decide to make your squares oversize and then trim units back after assembly -- that ensures they'll be perfect, every time.

The third block in the 2007 Anniversary Sampler Quilt is a variation of the traditional Rocky Mountain Puzzle quilt block, with a pieced center square surrounded by ten half-square triangles and plain squares in two corners.

The Scrappy Framed Star quilt block features a pinwheel at its center, made from four half-square triangle units. The pinwheel is surrounded by darker star tips using "flying geese-like" units. A scrappy patchwork frame is sewn around the block's outer perimeter. This is one of my favorites from the Sampler Quilt series.

The fifth block for the About.com 2007 Anniversary Sampler is a variation of the traditional Chariot Wheel quilt block. It's partially strip pieced to speed things along, and is made with squares and bars -- you won't find even one stretchy selvage edge in the entire block!

If you're familiar with Queen Charlotte's Crown, a traditional quilt block, you'll know immediately that this design looks absolutely nothing like it. But Switching Crowns does have that block in its ancestry. As I drew Queen Charlotte's Crown, I knew I wasn't happy at all with it, so I started adding units and flipping them around. Switching Crowns is the result.

The Odds and Ends quilt block is the seventh in our Anniversary Quilt series. I found the block it in Electric Quilt 6, and designed it with a combination of green and pink florals. You can play around with fabric placement if you like, placing the lighter long bars on the outer perimeter of the quilt or switching around the value placement of the four patch units that rest in the corners. Assemble all of the units, and then experiment a bit before you sew everything together.

The Cut Glass Dish is made up of half-square triangle units and three four-patch units. There are quite a few pieces, but the block is not difficult to make. Cut on grain to avoid stretch and watch your seam allowances and pressing so that the block doesn't "shrink" or become skewed during assembly.

The Girl's Choice quilt block is a little more involved than some of the other sampler quilt blocks, but if you are a beginner you won't find it difficult at all if you take care when cutting and sewing.

I love how the brightly colored paisley fabrics look against a neutral background. This combination works for lots of themes, but be sure to choose fabrics that "fit" your sampler quilt.