Don’t miss out on the fun starting Monday, May 2. To see the list of blogs featured each day, visit the Quilty Pleasures Blog.

Stop back and see what will be happening during the Blog Tour – Monday is my day and there will be a giveaway!

I thought you might be interested in a challenge that Tea in MO is doing…she is working through the Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks magazine Vol. 2 one block at a time and making all of them!  Check it out here at her blog Teaquilts.  There are several other bloggers who have taken the challenge as well - Judy D, Cathy, Sarah, Ellen and Karen.

Anyone else out there taking this challenge on?  I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Quilting!

Celine

If you like blog hops, stick around….next week the Mistletoe Make and Bake blog hop starts and will be a fun filled week with prizes and lots of holiday chatter and recipes!

100 Blocks Magazine winner -

laura:
Love the block. I like the blocks that appear to have movement like this one. Excellent color choice. Thank you for the opportunity.

Pattern winners are:

Gwen:
What a wonderful star block, it is a definite to do. I just love the block and the color selection.

Becky:
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful block with us!!! Love it:) Thanks too for the extra information to make the Star Dance topper! Looking forward to “losing myself” in 100 blocks Vol. 2. Again, thank you!

Julie in WA:
I love the block. It is refreshing to see a block made in more traditional fabrics! The block and the fabrics you used look like they were meant to be together, in an historical kind of way…

It’s give-away time!  Leave a comment and you will be entered in a drawing for a copy of 100 Blocks Vol. 2 or one of my new patterns released at market.

I jumped at the chance to submit another block and was thrilled that it made the cut!  I hope you enjoy it.

When I started to think about what to design, I had a pile of my favorite fabrics – a collection of Jo Morton’s lines from Andover – on the table and went to work with them.  First I chose a medium and a dark blue print, a dark brown and of course a background that these yummy fabrics would pop against.

I thought you might like a project idea, especially with the Holidays approaching.

Star Dance Topper 26″ x 26″

Click here for printer friendly version.

In addition to the yardage for the Star Dance block on page 65 in Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Vol. 2 magazine, you will need the yardage listed below.  Note: before you cut your strips into rectangles, measure your block for accuracy and cut the rectangles to that size.

Dark Brown:  5/8 yard
Tan 1/8 yard
Dark Blue 1/4 yard
Binding 3/8 yard
Backing 7/8 yard

Border #1 - Dark Brown

1. Cut 2 – 2″ strips on the width of the fabric.
2. Cut 2 – 2″ x 12-1/2″ and 2 – 2″ x 15-1/2″ rectangles.
3. Sew the short rectangles to opposite sides of the block, press away from the block.
4. Sew the long rectangles to the remaining sides of the block, press away from the block.

Border #2 - Tan

1. Cut 2 – 1/5″ strips on the width of the fabric.
2. Cut 2 – 1.5″ x 15-1/2″ and 2 – 2″ x 17-1/2″ rectangles.
3. Sew the short rectangles to opposite sides of the block, press away from the block.
4. Sew the long rectangles to the remaining sides of the block, press away from the block.

Border #3 and Cornerstones - Dark Blue

1. Cut 1 – 4″ strip; cut 4- 3-1/2″ squares, cut strip down to 2 -2″ wide strips and cut 2 – 2″ x 20-1/2″ rectangles.
2. Cut 1 – 2″ strip; cut 2 – 2″ x 17-1/2″ rectangles.
3. Sew the short rectangles to opposite sides of the block, press away from the block.
4. Sew the long rectangles to the remaining sides of the block, press away from the block.

Outer Border – Dark Brown

1. Cut 2 – 3-1/2″ strips on the width of the fabric.
2. Cut strips into 4 – 20-1/2″ rectangles.
3. Sew 2 rectangles to opposite sides of the quilt top, press away from the top.
4. Sew 3-1/2″ Dark Blue cornerstones to opposite ends of the remaining two Dark brown rectangles. Press away from the cornerstones.
5. Sew these final borders to the remaining sides of the quilt top.  Press away from the quilt.

Instructions are for personal use only.  Thanks for respecting our copyright.

Today starts the week long Blog Tour to celebrate the newest volume of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks by 100 top Designers!

Visit the Quiltmaker Blog for the list of designers featured today….and be sure to comment on those blogs.  There are lots of prizes and free magazines to be given away!

Be sure to stop back here on Thursday – which is my day!

I will be hosting my own drawing at the end of the week for a 100 Blocks magazine and an assortment of new patterns!

Kits are available at my website.  Click here for more information.

I also have table topper in this issue….Citrus Cooler.  Isn’t it fun to see what happens with a dramatically different color combination?

Kits for this topper will be available SOON in the Pink and Brown colorway.

Watch for more information on purchasing the topper kit.

I am working on a tutorial for tomorrow that you won’t want to miss.  Be sure to continue to leave comments!  I will be doing another Prize Drawing for four of my newest patterns.  If you comment before Midnight on Friday Nov. 13 you could be one of four lucky winners!

I was approached at market in Pittsburgh about contributing to the issue…I thought it sounded like fun and besides, the block wasn’t due until later in the summer.  Well, summer flew by and the deadline was upon me.  My husband chuckled and shook his head.  I guess I am pretty predictable in that way and somehow am always working against a pressing deadline!

I had just finished a project using the Frosted Memories line by Holly Taylor from Moda.  I loved the soft greens, reds. creams and tans.  I had bits and pieces left from a Layer Cake pre-cut pack, so went to work with that, determined to make it work as a scrappy block.

Here is a setting option using four Four Corners blocks – what a cute Christmas topper this would make!

Four Block Topper Yardage

Sashes:  1/4 yard
4 rectangles 2- 1/2″ x 12- 1/2″

Cornerstone:  Scrap
1 square 2-1/2″ x 2-1/2″.

Border/Binding: 1 yard
2 strips 4-1/2″ x 26-1/2″ for sides
2 strips 4-1/2″ x 35″ for top/bottom
4 strips 2-1/4″ x width of fabric for binding

The 100 Blocks magazine has setting options for larger sizes as well.  This is an issue worth having!

Prize drawing! Before you continue on, be sure to visit our website and be sure to leave a comment on this post and you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks from Today’s Top Designers. The winner will be posted here on Thursday morning!

Follow the 100 Blocks Blog Tour daily Nov. 9-13 at quiltmaker.com/quilty pleasures for inspiration, ideas and giveaways galore!

In addition to that, I will be giving away one of the issues of 100 Blocks to a lucky reader! Be sure to leave a comment on Wednesday’s post to be included in the drawing!