Poor Man’s Pineapple

A simple block made from squares.

Pineapple block

Choose a light and dark fabric for best contrast. When making the quilt with only two colours, remember to alternate the colour of the centre square.

Method

  • Cut two squares of contrasting fabric in any size (4″. 5″, 6″)
  • On wrong side of fabric to be cut (not the centre square) draw diagonal lines (see pattern download below for diagrams)
  • Right sides together
  • Sew all around the squares
  • Slide scissors between fabrics and cut along the diagonal lines
  • Open and press out

Pineapple quilt

Download the full pattern here.

Disappearing pinwheel

A simple quilt block using a layer cake (10” squares)

Disappearing pinwheel block

For each block you’ll need a 10” plain and a 10” print block

Method

  • Sew together 1/4 inch around all the 10” squares
  • Press and cut on the diagonal in both directions
  • Open out all the pieces, press to ‘print’ fabric
  • Sew four of these together to create a pinwheel
  • Press seams. Measure 2 1/4” from centre seam and cut top to bottom on both sides of centre seam
  • Move the outside pieces around bottom to top
  • Sew new sides to centre

Disappearing pinwheel block

Download the full disappearing Pin Wheel pattern

Modern squares quilt

Modern square quilt

Thank you to Eleanor Marsden for the following pattern.

You will need:

  • 5 fat quarters in colours of your choice
  • 2m fabric for the background and bindings
  • 1 ½ m backing fabric
  • Wadding 45 “ x 54′

From each fat quarter cut:

  • 1 x 9“ square
  • 2 x 4½“ squares
  • 2 x 1½“ squares
  • 3 x 3½“ squares
  • 3 x 2½“ squares

From your background fabric cut 25 rectangles 9“ x 11”

Make 15 of Modern quilt block 1 and 10 of Modern quilt block 2.

Arrange your blocks in a pleasing way and sew together in strips first, then sew the strips together. Make the sandwich, quilt and bind.

Scrappy brick quilt

Scrappy brick quilt

Use many multicolour fabrics randomly. Cut oblongs 3.5 inches x 6.5 inches (¼ inch seam allowances throughout).

Start in the centre and work outwards, sewing longer strips together before attaching to the previous section.

You can do as many rounds as required (making it oblong or square) and then add:

  • plain border – 2.5inch for the layout below
  • strippy border – 3.5 inch for the layout below
  • plain border – 2.5 inch for the layout below and then bind
  • or use a plain border in between the multi patterned borders

 

Quick scrappy quilt

Quick scrappy quilt

This is a very quick quilt to make, and can easily be made in a day.

Requirements
Cut 9 x 6½” squares of novelty fabric or similar
Cut 9 x 6½” squares of plain fabric
Cut 2 strips 36 x 6½” of contrasting plain fabric

Construction (use ¼ inch seam allowance throughout)
Make 3 strips from the 6½” squares. For each strip join 3 novelty and 3 plain squares, alternating them as you go. Press each strip.

Join the long strips in between the 6½” square strips so they are alternating. Press the top.

Sandwich together and quilt in your preferred quilt pattern. Add a binding.

Scrappy quilt

Scrappy quilt

This is a good way of using up larger pieces, left over from making a quilt, that you don’t know what to do with and is very quick and easy to put together.

Requirements
Selection of fabrics (can be novelty or various patterned fabric)
Plain fabric for the dividers.

Construction
Cut your chosen fabrics to the same length. Widths may vary as you can see below. You can use as many as you please. Cut your plain fabric 2½” by the same length.

Starting with a plain fabric join all the strips together, alternating between the plain and your chosen fabric. End with a plain strip. Press.

Cut a plain strip 2½” by the finished length of your joined strips and join them to the top and bottom.

Depending on the length of your strips you can add a border. In the picture below the length of the quilt was 35” so a border was only joined at the top and bottom to increase the width.

Sandwich, quilt and add a binding.

Adaptable quilt

Adaptable quilt

You can use as many different fabrics as you want. This pattern is for a quilt roughly 32” square. For larger quilts increase the number of 18” squares.

  • It is made up of 4 units
  • Start with 4 x 18” square pieces of fabric (use contrasting fabrics)
  • Stack the 4 pieces on top of each other
  • Cut through all layers as shown in the diagram below

Adaptable quilt diagram

Reassemble the squares with the colours as evenly distributed as possible.

  • Sew 4 rectangles together and 3 squares together
  • Sew the 4 joined rectangles to the sewn 3 squares.
  • Sew the 4” x 18” oblong to the sewn 3 squares.
  • Sew 2 reassembled squares together so they are the opposite way up. Repeat with the other 2 squares. Join the 2 sets together.
  • If you wish to rearrange the squares in a different way they may need to be trimmed.

Wavy ripples

Wavy ripples blanket

Approx 150/200 gm of DK yarn

With 7mm (UK size 2) needles cast on 120 stitches and knit 7 rows
Change to 3mm (UK size 11) needles and knit 7 rows.

Alternate the needles every 7 rows until work measures approx 26” ending with the 7mm (UK size 2) size.
Cast off.

If you do not have 7mm needles, this pattern is still quite effective using 5mm (UK size 6) and 3mm (UK size 11) needles but the edge will not be quite as wavy.

Triangles blanket

Triangles blanket

Approx 150/200 gm of DK yarn. With 4mm (UK size 8) needles, cast on 102 stitches. Knit 18 rows.

Knit the first and last 9 sts of each row to create a garter stitch border, while working the following pattern on the centre 84 sts:

Row 1 Knit 11, Purl 1
Row 2 Knit 2 Purl 10
Row 3 Knit 9 Purl 3
Row 4 Knit 4 Purl 8
Row 5 Knit 7 Purl 5
Row 6 Knit 6 Purl 6
Row 7 Knit 5 Purl 7
Row 8 Knit 8 Purl 4
Row 9 Knit 3 Purl 9
Row 10 Knit 10 Purl 2
Row 11 Knit 1 Purl 11
Row 12 Purl 11 Knit 1

Repeat pattern and garter stitch borders until work measures approx 24”. Knit 18 rows. Cast off.