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Civil War Legacies
Lauren’s Hat Pins
  #248
Lauren’s Hat Pins

© 2010
31” x 37”

Lauren, my beautiful and talented niece, has sung and danced in numerous musicals with national touring companies performing with the Pittsburgh Musical Theater. The tiny framed 4” shoofly blocks in this quilt remind me of the small pins she uses to secure her costume hats during her energetic dance numbers.
Milton’s Musket Balls
  #247
Milton’s Musket Balls

© 2010
25” x 31”

Civil War soldiers like Milton had to make enough musket balls to fill their leather pouches before going into each battle. The soldiers used the campfire to melt lead in an iron kettle. Then, long-handled ladles were used to pour the hot liquid into a tool that contained a mold to form the metal balls. During the battle, Milton used gunpowder and rag patches to load and shoot the balls one at a time from his musket. Use your favorite Civil War fabrics to create the 5” musket ball blocks for this quilt.
Carriage Wheels
  #246
Carriage Wheels

© 2010
60” x 78”

When I saw this block in an antique quilt, it reminded me of a wheel with a fancy hub, perhaps like one that might have been found on carriages in the mid 19th century. The 33 blocks which measure 6 ¾” x 6 ¾” are set on point in a zig-zag layout.
Lizzie’s Tents
  #245
Lizzie’s Tents

© 2010
32” x 37”

There are numerous reports of women who secretly served in the Civil War in order to be with their husbands and boyfriends (see my pattern named Mary Smith’s Dishrag). Lizzie Compton, a woman who secretly served in Kentucky and Michigan cavalries, moved from tent to tent seven or eight times when she was discovered and ejected from one regiment and then joined another as soon as possible. The triangles in the 3 ¾” x 5” blocks look like tents that she might have camped in.
Land of Lincoln Sampler
  #244
Land of Lincoln Sampler

© 2010
60” x 60”

The names of the 9-inch blocks that make up this sampler quilt are related to places and events in Abraham Lincoln’s life. The rail fence setting blocks continue the theme and are a good way to use pieces of lots of your favorite fabrics in one quilt. This quilt is block-of-the-month club friendly!
Remembrances
  #243
Remembrances

© 2009
65” x 75”

Remembrances is a quilt to commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial—the start of the Civil War 150 years ago. The centers of the 9-inch weathervane blocks are cut from printed yardage from Marcus Fabric’s Civil War Tribute line and contain scenes, portraits, battles and flag motifs from the Civil War. The patriotic striped border fabric includes small stars with names of major battles printed on them. Use your favorite reproduction fabrics to create a historical record of this important event in our country’s history with these easy to construct blocks.
Allie Beane
  #242
Allie Beane

© 2009
32” x 37”

Regardless of what name parents select for a child, it seems that family members always come up with affectionate nicknames. Such is the case with our granddaughter, Allie. Her daddy began calling her Allie Beane when she was tiny, and the name has stuck. The 4 ¼” x 4 ¼” blocks for this quilt remind me of the flowers that Allie Beane wants to smell, touch, and pick regardless of whose yard or in what park they are growing.
Gettysburg Sun
  #241
Gettysburg Sun

© 2009
29” x 36”

The three-day Battle of Gettysburg was fought under the hot sun of July, 1863. Imagine how uncomfortable the soldiers must have been while running, fighting, and carrying heavy equipment in their dark-colored wool uniforms of blue and gray. This quilt is made of 12 sun blocks that finish at 5 ½” x 5 ½” and are framed by sashing and quarter-square triangle cornerstones.
Goober Peas
  #240
Goober Peas

© 2009
25” x 31”

A songwriter named Pindar composed the popular Civil War song Goober Peas. A sample verse is included in the pattern along with the chorus, “Peas! Peas! Peas! Peas! Eating goober peas! Goodness how delicious, eating goober peas!” What are goober peas, you ask? They’re peanuts! The 3” x 3” blocks in this quilt are easily made using charm packs or scraps. Use a variety of browns for the peanuts!
Mary Smith's Dishrag
  #239
Mary Smith's Dishrag

© 2009
23” x 27”

There are numerous reports of women who secretly served in the Civil War in order to be with their husbands and boyfriends, and how their female identities were discovered. On September 10, 1861, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Mary Smith was discovered in the 41st Ohio Infantry when she gave “an unmistakable twist to the dishcloth in wringing it out that no man could ever successfully counterfeit.” This quilt is made of 20 dishrag blocks (otherwise recognized as a unit found in the Kansas Troubles block) that finish at 4” x 4”.
Papa's Birds
  #238
Papa's Birds

© 2009
22” x 28”

Our three-year old grandtwins have learned that their grandfather, whom they call Papa, likes to go bird watching. When he’s not at home, they ask if Papa’s out with his birds. These scrappy 3” x 3” blocks are made using the darting bird pattern and are set with alternating plain squares to showcase their flight.
Uniform Blues
  #237
Uniform Blues

© 2009
29" x 29"

Faded uniforms, new uniforms, worn uniforms, soiled uniforms—the colors of blue on the battlefield were as varied as the blues in this quilt made of 4-inch Jacob’s Ladder blocks with a scrappy pieced chain border.
Juliet's Ribbons
  #236
Juliet's Ribbons

© 2009
52” x 57”

This strippie quilt, composed of 35 pieced blocks that finish at 5 inches each, is named after Juliet Opie Hopkins (same last name, but we aren’t related), a Civil War nurse. A wealthy woman, Juliet sold her estates in New York, Virginia, and Alabama and donated the money to establish hospitals for sick and wounded soldiers. There is no mention of her having been a quilter, although she did have the carpets in her home cut up to make blankets for the soldiers. Ironically, she lost the remainder of her money during the Civil War and lived the rest of her life in poverty. However, her efforts were so greatly appreciated that she was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Myron’s Campfire
  #235
Myron’s Campfire

© 2008
17” x 19”
Our dear family friend, Myron, worked hard at building the perfect campfire at the lake where we spent childhood weekends from spring through fall. There was always a spot of warmth and brightness waiting for us during cool evenings, much like the red slivers in the blocks of this small scrap quilt.
Brass Buttons
  #234
Brass Buttons

© 2008
19” x 21”

The small squares in the scrappy 4-patches in this quilt remind me of the buttons that decorated soldiers' uniforms during the Civil War.
Abigail’s Gowns
  #233
Abigail’s Gowns

© 2008
27” x 33”
This quilt, made of twelve 4 ½” pieced blocks set on point, is named for my niece Abby (previously introduced as one of my “little nieces” in Civil War Legacies pattern #202). She has a collection of lovely gowns made of beautifully colored fabrics that she wore to various high school dances and proms. If Abby had lived during the Civil War era, the fabric choices for her gowns may have looked like those showcased in the blocks in this quilt.
Alexander’s Bean Pot
  #232
Alexander’s Bean Pot

© 2008
36” x 42”
Had my brother-in-law, Alex, been a soldier in the Civil War, his culinary skills undoubtedly would have earned him the job of cooking for his fellow soldiers. Even if the available supplies were limited to dried beans, as was often the case, he would have figured out how to make a tasty meal! The round shape in the 4 ½” block reminds me of a pot, and coincidentally, the border fabric has a motif that even looks like kidney beans.
Hooker's Hat Patch
  #231
Hooker's Hat Patch

© 2008
29” x 33”

If you’ve made any of my previous patterns, you know that I usually name my quilts after family members and friends. So perhaps you’re curious about who the hooker is! Well, there’s no scandalous family story here (at least not that I know of). General Hooker was an officer in the Civil War who rewarded the valiant efforts of his troops with a red patch to be worn on their hats. (Sort of reminds me of the stickers on college football helmets for outstanding plays in a game!) Perhaps Hooker’s patches looked something like the 3” red blocks in this quilt.
Minnie's Moustache
  #230
Minnie's Moustache

© 2008
23” x 28”

This quilt, composed of 12 pieced blocks that finish at 4 ½” each, brings back memories of Minnie, our family dog who loved having her own cup of ice cream when we stopped at Dairy Queen. A messy eater, Minnie usually ended up with whiskers covered in vanilla and strawberry ice cream, reminding me of the colors in this quilt.
Garnet's Envelope
  #229
Ellie's Tea Garden

© 2007
11" x 14"
When Uncle Eddie introduced us to Ellie, his wife-to-be, I thought she had a wonderful last name AND she was what I wanted to be when I grew up--an elementary school teacher. The former Miss Teegarden has always made and done special things, and then to top it off, she became a quilter!! So even though I’ve taken liberties with the spelling of your name, the pinks in this garden are for you, Ellie.
Garnet's Envelope
 

#228
Tribute to Judie

© 2007
62" x 74"

I have collected Judie Rothermel fabrics since her first line was printed in 1987. I didn’t start out with a plan to collect them, but every time she came out with new prints, I just had to have them. Twenty years later, Judie’s fabrics continue to call to me from their bolts on quilt shop shelves, and the good news is that the colors and prints all work together! I’ve always wanted to make a quilt using as many of Judie’s fabrics as I could fit into one quilt, and her 20th anniversary of designing fabrics for Marcus Fabrics seemed to be the perfect occasion. The Tribute to Judie quilt uses approximately 550 Judie Rothermel fabrics as star points, star centers, and backgrounds in 180 blocks that finish at 3” x 3” each.

Garnet's Envelope
  #227
Garnet’s Envelope

© 2007
33” x 45 ”

Garnet, my long-time quilting friend, makes wonderful old-looking quilts that always have a special feature like a pieced border or an original quilting design that makes other quilters ask, “How did you figure that out?” And her answer is often, “I just drew it out on the back of an envelope,” or “I just folded an envelope.” The 3-inch blocks in this quilt, inspired by a picture of an antique quilt, remind me of Garnet. If envelopes came printed with graph paper grids on the back, she’d really be in heaven!
Fields of Valor
  #226
Fields of Valor

© 2007
44” x 44 ”

My husband said this quilt reminds him of pictures he’s seen in which Civil War battles were fought in fields divided by rail fences. This quilt, made of 9” star blocks consisting of 3 different fabrics each, is dedicated to all soldiers who must take risks and make personal sacrifices in times of war.
Cotton Seeds
  #225
Cotton Seeds

© 2007
23” x 23 ”

Spring is here and everyone is planting seeds in preparation for summer gardens. The bright little 1” triangles that form the pinwheel blades might be cotton seeds ready to sprout wonderful fabrics for quilters. This pattern is charm-pack friendly!
Grandpap’s Cards
  #224
Grandpap’s Cards

© 2007
30” x 36 ”

I remember watching Grandpap play solitaire while he listened to the radio. He kept the cards lined up perfectly throughout the entire game. The way the pattern lines up in these 4-inch Crosses and Losses blocks reminds me of him moving the cards around as he puffed on his pipe.
Mo’s Suspenders
  #223
Mo’s Suspenders

© 2007
21” x 25 ”

Our grandson, Alik, nicknamed “Mo” by his mom, has such a little waist that his pants often end up around his ankles. We solved the problem one day with a tiny pair of suspenders that remind me of the columns of 1 ½” four patches in this quilt.
Poppy Ladies
  #222
Poppy Ladies

© 2007
37” x 45 ”

The colors of the flowers on this quilt remind me of the time my mother and I collected donations for paper poppies on Veteran’s Day standing on the front steps of a bank in Pittsburgh. I felt like such an important six year old when people dropped money into the can I was holding! The six-inch blocks are set on point and surrounded by a one inch pieced inner border and a wide outer border.
Stars to Freedom
  #221
Stars to Freedom

© 2007
31” x 31 ”

It’s been said that stars helped guide the way north for slaves who sought freedom during the Civil War. Hopefully they shone as brightly as the blue stars surrounded by red, blue and brown triangles on this quilt so that the journey was less difficult.
Small Joys
  #220
Small Joys

© 2007
16” x 21 ”

Good things come in small sizes—fabric scraps, miniature blocks, little quilts, and in my case, beautiful twin grandbabies. This easy-to-piece quilt, made of 11 small nine-patch blocks and lots of small rectangles, would be a great way to use that fabric charm pack you’ve been saving!
Emily’s Memories
  #201
Emily’s Memories

© 2000
18” x 18”

Named after my daughter, Emily, the 4-patch blocks and borders in this quilt are easily pieced from an assortment of fabric squares and strips. This design works well in patriotic colors, too, as demonstrated in the small quilts made by students in a beginning quilting class two weeks after the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Little Nieces   #202
Little Nieces

© 2000
10” x 11”, 18” x 20”, and 36” x 48” (directions for all sizes included)

An easy quilt for beginners, this quilt is named for my 5 nieces who needed quilts for their American Girl dolls. Make the child-sized throw for your favorite little girl and a matching small quilt for her doll.
Anne’s Album   #203
Anne’s Album

© 2001
54” x 69”

The setting design for the 18 blocks in this album quilt named for my mother, Anne, is achieved through a unique combination of two different pieced blocks. The album blocks are a great way to showcase 54 of your favorite fabrics.
Uncle Frank’s Socks   #204
Uncle Frank’s Socks

© 2001
19” x 23”

A quilt that I saw more than 20 years ago, made with a block known as the improved 4-patch, looked like a pair of argyle socks worn by someone’s Uncle Frank. I’ve adopted him as a family member!
Baskets for Betsy   #205
Baskets for Betsy

© 2001
22” x 28”

Directions are inlcuded for two sizes of this quilt - one made of 4-inch basket blocks in a small wall hanging and the other of 8-inch basket blocks in a bed-sized quilt. Blocks are set on point in a scrappy zig-zag layout in this quilt named for my youngest sister, Betsy, who always mixes wonderful colors in her garden and home. Finished sizes are 22" x 28" and 68" x 80".
Nancy’s Glory   #206
Nancy’s Glory

© 2001
27” x 27”

Ever since she was a child, my sister Nancy has been drawn to things that are made in a very small scale such as dolls and glass figurines. The one-inch squares in this quilt’s pieced border remind me of something she would like. But obviously not everyone thinks small--I’ve been told that someone has used this pattern to make a king-sized quilt using the 4-inch blocks and 1-inch border squares!
Miss Mary Pinwheels   #207
Miss Mary’s Pinwheels

© 2002
32” x 32”

The two different fabrics used in the sashing around the 25 pinwheel blocks mimic those I once saw in an antique quilt. I finished this quilt during a quilting retreat weekend with friends at Miss Mary’s Quilting Cottage.
Sweet William   #208
Sweet William

© 2003
22” x 22”

The Sweet William quilt is named for my father, a sweet and loving man of strength, honor, and integrity. Select from hand piecing or machine piecing directions, both of which are included in the pattern, to make the 5 stars and pieced border.
Rosie Finch   #209
Rosie Finch

© 2004
16” x 19”

This quilt is a great way to use scraps or leftover triangles from other projects—just trim them down to the appropriate size—or start with all new fabrics! I must admit that I don’t really know anyone named Rosie Finch. This quilt is named after a tiny rose and brown colored bird that my husband and I saw during our spring break trip to Albuquerque while I was finishing the quilting on this piece.
Remembering Marie   #210
Remembering Marie

© 2004
24” x 24”

Learn tips for strip piecing this Star of Bethlehem so that you don’t end up with a volcano-like bump in the middle of your quilt. The soft turquoise and peach colors in this star remind me of our beloved Mother and Grammie. We all miss her dearly.
NEW PATTERN! Martin's Pennies  

#211
Martin's Pennies

© 2004

20” x 25”
Martin, my father-in-law, often shared pennies from his coin collection with his grandchildren. The stack of rectangles that I cut for this quilt brought back memories of my children playing with his pennies.

NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #212
Aunt Agnes' Bloomers

© 2005

13” x 18”
My great Aunt Agnes was a very prim and proper lady. From my childhood, I remember her telling the story of the most embarrassing moment of her life--the day her bloomers fell down around her ankles while she was standing in the church aisle.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #213
Michael's Victory

© 2006

27” x 35 ”
You only need an 8" square of each contrasting fabric used in the 48 blocks and sawtooth border in this quilt dedicated to my youngest son. As the vertical columns of 3" blocks change directions, a zig-zag design emerges in the horizontal rows across the quilt top.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #214
Susan's Courage

© 2006

22” x 28 ”
This quilt, made of 12 four-inch Star of the West blocks set on point, is named for my friend, Susan, who recently lost her battle with cancer. Notice that the diamond-shaped star points are really made of 2 half-square triangles, making construction of this block very easy.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #215
Grandma's Porch

© 2006

26” x 31 ”
This is one of the easiest quilts you'll ever make, and a great way to use up scraps or showcase your favorite fabrics. It's constructed of small squares sewn to the corners of larger squares to make 2 1/2" melon patch blocks that remind me of designs on the porch at Grandma's house.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers
  #216
Edward's Quest

© 2006

31” x 31 ”
This 9-patch quilt made of 3" blocks can be hung as a horizontal or vertical strippie quilt. Use coordinating fabrics from a single fabric line or mix and match your scraps to make this quilt named for my birdwatcher husband who is always on a quest to find rare species.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #217
Lincoln's Logs

© 2006

19” x 23 ”
Scraps of flannel plaids and stripes were used to make the 12 off-center log cabin blocks that finish 3 3/4". Log cabin quilts always remind me of the pictures on the can for Lincoln Logs, a popular toy when I was a child.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #218
Tomorrow, Scarlett

© 2006

28” x 34 ”
This is a great way to use your favorite striped fabric. Use it to sash 12 of these easy 5" blocks, add a large border print, and you've got an eye-catching quilt. I've often borrowed Scarlett O'Hara's famous line, "I'll think about that tomorrow," so it seemed fitting to name a Civil War era quilt with a red border after this famous southern belle.
NEW PATTERN! Aunt Agnes's Bloomers   #219
Nellie Jane

© 2006

53” x 73 ”
This quilt may look complicated, but it's really just 6" hour-glass blocks (quarter-square triangles) set on point surrounded by sashing made from half-square triangles. Use left-over triangles from other projects or make new ones in your favorite colors to create this quilt named for our paternal great grandmothers.
 
Vintage Legacies
Timothy's Song   #450
Timothy’s Song

©2003
56” x 65”

The tiny shoofly blocks that dance across this quilt top remind me of musical notes in the songs that my son Tim writes and sings. When arranged into 4-patch units separated by wide sashing, the quilt becomes large enough to nap under. The shooflys used in this quilt were the result of a block exchange with friends in which we focused on using shirtings and reproduction blues.
Dear Friends   #451
Dear Friends

© 2003
16” x 19”

Quilting friends are so special! We share the joys of talking about quilts, fabric shopping, and making quilts, and we support, encourage, and admire each others’ talents. Making this small quilt would be a good way to thank a dear friend for being the special person she is. And all it takes is an assortment of light and dark fabrics to make a bunch of half-square triangles.
Whistler's Wife   #452
Whistler’s Wife

© 2004
42” x 42”

The unusual setting for the 6-inch album blocks in this quilt eliminates the need for sashing and borders. Partial blocks around the outside edge create the appearance of a pieced border. This quilt is named for me—I am the whistler’s wife. My husband whistles while he works, plays, thinks, drives, listens to music, mows the lawn…you get the picture!
Whistler's Wife   #453
Smiles from Michelle

© 2006
19” x 19 ”

May these simple little 3" baskets, inspired by an antique quilt, bring a smile to your day the way Michelle's beautiful smile lifts the hearts of all who meet her.
Whistler's Wife   #454
Puzzles with Nana

© 2006
20” x 20 ”

The center and corner pinwheel blocks are the focal point of this small medallion quilt. Nana, with whom we worked jigsaw puzzles each Christmas, would have saved the center pinwheels for the last pieces of this quilt puzzle. Finished size is 20" x 20".