Learning to speak English can be confusing. Those of us who speak English as our first language might disagree but think of all the words that sound alike but have different spellings and different meanings—right and write, their, they’re and there, two, to, and too are some of the simple examples. Also, we have words that have a dozen different meanings although the word is spelled and pronounced the same.
For example—- Block can be–1. city block.. a geographical space defined by streets…the prettiest garden on the block. 2. a child’s toy….the wooden blocks had numbers and letters on the sides. 3. a movement... to keep someone from advancing as they wish, physically or socially/professionally…the football player blocked the quarterback or her boss blocked her advancement into the management level. 4. a practice in theater of determining the best location on stage for the actors in a particular scene…the director blocked all the scenes to emphasis the lead actor’s role. 5. a set time period during the school day…she taught math three blocks every day. 6. an auctioneers stand...all the painting were put on the sale block. 7. (from Britain). A group of apartments in a larger structure.…She lived on the top block of apartments in the Rex building. 8. a chopping block… from the days of corporal punishment, literally having one’s head cut off, now meaning something very serious and not good is about to happen…Her job was on the chopping block. 9. butcher’s block…large thick surface for cutting animal carcasses into small pieces…the butcher’s block table was an antique. 10. block and tackle…a series of pulleys with ropes designed to lift a heavy load…the warehouse had a series of block and tackles to move the pallets off the trucks.
But for this blog post, block can only mean one thing–a quilt block!!! The basic unit of a quilt can be a cut piece of fabric or it can be made up of many small pieces of fabric sewn together to create a design.
It can be almost any size. Traditionally, quilt blocks are from 6″ to 15″ squares, but there are many exceptions. This handy chart gives guidance on creating different sized nine patch blocks.
The quilt may be only one block or several different blocks to create the over all design.
The quilt designer enlarged a very popular star pattern for one block to be the entire quilt. ( Check out diaryofaquilter.com for great tutorials and some free patterns. She is one of my favorites.)
Can you count all the different blocks in this sampler? Some blocks are repeated but by using various fabrics they appear to be different. This purple and lime quilt is 48″ x 65″ $175.
Hundreds and hundreds of different block designs have been created, evolved and named. Blocks have been named after flowers, states, historical events, Biblical stories, causes, and every day items. And for each block there are many different variations.
The most basic of blocks, the four patch is name for it’s construction—four squares!
These placemats feature the four patch alternating with solid blocks of the same size. Measuring 12″ x 14″, the set of four is $40. The backing is the same as the binding.
The simple nine patch block–three squares across and three rows can be made to look very different by the placement of the various fabrics.
I would guess the star block has the most variations of any block. Who doesn’t want a quilt that twinkles with stars.
This scrappy blue and brown blocks in this quilt is the “center” of the well known Hunter’s Star. It is also known as the Lemoyne Star. 55″ x61″. $200
The center block is an Eight Point Star with sashing. 11″ x 33″. $40
This beauty was donated to Quilters at First. The complex star block is the Ozark Star.The quilt is hand quilted and is edged with Prairie Points instead of binding. $200
Susan’s variation of the Friendship Star has a Pinwheel in the center. Half Square Triangles can create almost anything! $40
Saw Tooth Stars in vintage prints are imposed on Four Point Stars in “that 30’s green” fabric. 67″ x 78″. $250
A simple but versatile block is Flying Geese. Quilters either love or hate to make them.
The Flying Geese Block needs no explanation on the origin of the name! (It has been bound now!) 60″ x 76″. $175
Grandmother’s Flower Garden goes back a century or more. This vintage quilt is the most unusual shape, but makes a great table covering. $75
SOLD
I wonder how this block was labeled Garlic Knots? It is really a simple 4 x 4 square patch–the orientation and color placement create the interest.
$200
You don’t need to tell people the colorful wall hanging in your home is Drunkard’s Path. The symmetrical placement of circles and the strong colors creates motion. 28″ x 28″. $60
The framed blocks are French Braid or Strip Braid. The quilt is 67″ x 86″ and $125.
Come to the Quilts Etc Sale in October and make a game of identifying as many different quilt blocks as you can. Don’t hesitate to tell us if you know the pattern by a different name. Block names are just another fascinating part of quilting!
Quilts, Etc. 