Welcome to the first month of the first ever Create with Claudia Mystery Quilt Along. I hope you have a great time and that you love the quilt you make! Here are the January mystery block instructions.
We are kicking things off with an easy nine patch that will measure 6 ½ inches by 6 ½ inches square. You are going to need eight total. Don’t worry though. It may sound like a lot, but these blocks go together in no time.
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I am not sure exactly what it is about the gingerbread man, but around Christmas it is one of my favorite motifs. This adorable gingerbread cookie cutter cutout quilt block is a festive way to incorporate that look into your decor.
I think these little guys appeal to my sentimental side. They take me back to my childhood where they would be found in the Christmas books and movies that I was so fond of. These days they seem to be everywhere. I figured that I would join in the fun and make my own version.
Remember making paper snowflakes when you were a kid? This technique for turning it into a quilt block, which is based on Anita Shackleford’s folded cutwork method, is a lot like that process.
If you would like a fun and whimsical wall hanging, then my Swimming Upstream quilt pattern might be just what you are looking for.
The finished quilt measures 28″ x 40″ so it is great for a smaller wall space.
Start digging through all of your fabrics. Because of the design, this pattern is an ideal scrap buster.
I used various corals for this version, but I can picture this in so many other color waves. Wouldn’t it look great hanging in a mountain cabin or beach house?
This piece was professionally quilted by Adria Good Longarm Quilting and it makes it shine. As a result of using turquoise thread, the quilted water ripples and bubbles add dimension and movement to the quilt.
I have always been a huge fan of scrap quilts and the majority of my pieces are done this way. My scrappy swimming fish quilt block is no exception. It is a whimsical block that is fairly easy to make.
I came up with this block while I was designing the quilt “Swimming Upstream”. I had a large stash of coral fabrics and, for some reason, they reminded me of salmon. The fish has a long body and I added background sashing around it to make it look like the fish was swimming in water.
In the quilt I made using this block, each fish is made up of one coral fabric and the beige sashing is from various fabrics. For a different look, you can easily make the fish out of various fabrics and keep the sashing one fabric, or you can change it any other way you would like to.
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A number of years ago I made a Christmas quilt with festive squares and rick rack. It still comes out every year, and displaying it over a railing is now part of our holiday traditions. That quilt inspired me to make this Christmas rick rack table runner which will be decorating our dining room table throughout the season.
Adding the rick rack serves two purposes. First, it adds a lovely decorative touch and second, the quilting is done as the rick rack gets sewn down.
For some reason the rick rack reminds me of a gingerbread house. I think that is because it looks a bit like the royal icing that is piped onto gingerbread men.
This table runner is easy to make and, with the right supplies, can be finished in a couple of hours. For anyone looking for a good way to use up fabric scraps, this is the ideal project. Even better, change up the fabrics and it can easily be made for any occasion.
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Here is how to make it.
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