Scorpion Star

Once there was a scorpion who befriended a bull. They became devoted companions, though they could not have been more different. One day a hunter came by and mistook the bull for his prey. He shot and killed the scorpion’s friend before he realized his mistake. Unmoved by the hunter’s remorse, the scorpion stung the hunter’s heel and killed him. As the hunter died he fell on the angry scorpion, crushing him. This unlucky trio was placed in the night sky as a warning to others who will not think before they act. There are many other myths involving Scorpio and Orion, but this one is my favorite. I rather like this Scorpion Star quilt block, too. I ignored the directions to make eight flying geese and drew four paper foundation subsections instead. When in doubt, I always paper piece. It usually saves me trouble in the long run.

Morning Star

In ancient times the planet Venus was called both the Morning Star and the Evening Star. Sometimes it appears in the east before dawn and sometimes in the western sky at sunset, so it can seem like two separate objects. Babylonians understood it to be one body, calling it “Bright Queen of the Sky.”  In the 1600's Galileo observed Venus has phases like the moon. Since it’s half-lit when farther from the sun in our sky and crescent-shaped when closer, he came to the radical conclusion that Venus orbits the sun and not the earth. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown claims Venus draws a perfect pentagram in the sky every four years. That’s not quite true. The path of Venus does resemble a five-pointed star, but it takes eight years to do it. And it’s far from perfect. But then, perfection is highly overrated, anyway.

Libra

Did you ever wonder why the symbol for the British pound looks like a cursive capital L? Or why the abbreviation for the weight pound is lb.? You can blame Libra. Libra, the name of today’s block, is the Latin word for “scales” or “balance.” Libra was the basic unit of weight in ancient Rome. When the pound became the basic British monetary unit, it referred to the value of one pound of pure silver. The constellation Libra is rather dim. On most cloudless nights I can pick out Orion, Cassiopeia and the Big and Little Dippers. But even here in rural Yorkshire I have trouble finding Libra. I read somewhere that there are three stars in Libra with orbiting planets. It’s an intriguing concept. Do any of those planets have an atmosphere? Water? Life? Do people live there and try to pick out our sun in some dim constellation in their night sky?

Star Bright

Once a month Heather and I spend the day with our quilting friends at church. We drag our sewing machines and irons and fabric into the cultural hall. We set up folding tables, plug in extension cords and start sewing. Sometimes we work together on a single project, like a wedding quilt to give to a new bride and groom. We have made lap quilts for wounded soldiers and tiny receiving blankets for babies born too soon. Sometimes we learn a new skill together, and sometimes we bring our own projects. There’s always a bit of show and tell involved as well. While we quilt, Heather fills her notebooks with stories and watches DVDs that she has carefully selected to share with the quilters. This month she’s bringing Hitch, Made of Honor and Corpse Bride. Today’s block is called Star Bright. I think the name suits it, don't you?

Eccentric Star

I made my first Eccentric Star block in less than half an hour. So I made two more. The first is nine inches square in muted blues and browns and a bold turkey red. I bought a fat quarter bundle from the Midnight Garden collection at ConnectingThreads.com, so I have plenty more to play with.

The second block is 12 inches. I made it with scraps from two different lines: Moda Nature’s Notebook by April Cornell, and Maywood Studio’s Wild Rose by Marti Michell. Somehow these gentle blues, greens and cream look like they were made for each other.

The last one is another 9" block, made with charm squares from Darlene Zimmerman's Clothesline Club. This variation is by far my favorite. I love the way that a slight change in color placement turns an awkward star block into a spinning paddle wheel.

Martha Washington Star

Almost everything I know about George Washington is wrong. He didn’t really have wooden teeth. He certainly didn’t chop down a cherry tree and boldly say, “I cannot tell a lie.” He never threw a silver dollar across the Potomac. I know that today is his 279th birthday and that he was Martha Washington’s second husband. Her first husband was a wealthy man more than twice her age. When he died she became a rich young widow. Martha and George never had any children together, but he helped raise two of her four children. The other two died in childhood; a common occurrence then even in well-to-do families. Martha’s daughter and granddaughters were accomplished quilters. Some of their quilts survive as museum pieces. This Martha Washington Star is for them, for Martha, and for the first president of the United States.

Lincoln's Platform

He was a self-educated man, born to a poor family on the western frontier. He served a single term in the US House of Representatives, then failed in two attempts at a seat in the senate. When he became the 16th president of the United States, he filled his cabinet with men who had opposed his election saying, “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.” He led his country through its worst military, constitutional and moral crisis. He was killed only weeks into his second term in office. Abraham Lincoln remains the most beloved of American presidents. Many of us can still recite the Gettysburg Address we memorized in grade school, but my favorite Lincoln quote is: “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” This block, called Lincoln's Platform, was a good use for several tiny blue scraps.

Depression Block

One of the things I like to do with my time is family search indexing. I transcribe old handwritten documents like draft registrations and death certificates so people can find their ancestors online. I’ve only been doing it since November, and I usually spend less than an hour a day. Already I’ve submitted more than 5,000 names, mostly from the 1930 US census. I’m enjoying myself and I’m learning a lot. I find that eighty years ago more Americans lived on farms. Many had immigrant parents or grandparents. Nearly every home had a radio. There were a lot of widows but very few divorcees. It surprised me to see how many people took in lodgers to make ends meet. It was the beginning of the Great Depression, coupled with a devastating drought. So I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Today’s Depression Block is done in 1930's reproduction fabrics.

Alpine Cross

I make mistakes all the time. I make excuses for my mistakes, too. I was tired. I was distracted. The directions were confusing. The truth is I just make lots of mistakes. I usually catch myself before things get too bad, but now and then... I saw an Alpine Cross block on the Internet. There were no directions, but it didn't look complicated. When I make a block like this, I do a pencil drawing before I cut and sew fabric. This time I thought I wouldn't need to do that. Why go to all that trouble? After all, it's just a bunch of half-square triangles. What could go wrong? I finished the block before I realized I'd reversed the lights and darks. I was tempted to leave it, but I knew it would bug me FOREVER. So I took the block completely apart and started again. It’s not great, but it’s RIGHT.

Waring Square

Like most of this month’s blocks, Waring Square was designed by Marti Michell. I’ve puzzled over why she gave it this name. Waring Square is an eatery at Penn State where you can buy a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. But Marti’s from Georgia, so this isn’t a likely source of the name. Then there’s Fred Waring, “The Man Who Taught America to Sing.” If you’re old enough you’d remember his renditions of “Dancing in the Dark” or “White Christmas.” Since two other blocks in this series have musical ties, I thought this idea had merit. My third guess was the Waring Blender. It was the first electric blender on the market, and it’s still in production today. I was surprised to find Fred Waring gave his name and financial backing to this product in the 1930's. You can learn almost anything from Google. Except, apparently, the one thing you were looking for.

Shutterbug

I'm not good with cameras. I have the best of intentions, but most of my photos come out blurry, or my subject isn't framed the way I'd intended. Or I ruin the shot completely by forgetting to remove the lens cap. I'm even less satisfied with pictures other people take of me. They always make me look short and fat. How did we manage before digital photography? At least with a digital camera I can weed out the 90 shots I'd like to forget and keep the two or three worth saving. I’m getting good at taking pictures of quilt blocks. I've learned by trial and error that using a flash will give a cleaner picture than ambient light, and that mounting the block on a wall works better than shooting it as it lies on a table. This one is called Shutterbug, for the way the center mimics a camera shutter.

Rocky Mountain Chain

Our home town has an elevation of 4525 feet. We live at roughly 300 feet now. The change in altitude has had a deep impact on our lives. The air at sea level is richer here. Heather was able to dispense with oxygen tanks when we moved, and it’s a burden to go back to them when we return for a visit. Cooking is a whole new ball game when you change altitudes. Water boils at a higher temperature here, because the air pressure is higher. It’s easier to accidentally overcook things. I learned to bake in the Rockies. I had to adjust my recipes to make them work here because my first cakes, cookies and breads all turned out flat. Today’s block seemed daunting at first. But like the challenges in my new kitchen, I took it head on. It turned out to be easier than I’d expected.

Valentine's Day

I love romantic comedies, especially the ones masquerading as family movies: Lady and the Tramp, Wall-E, Splash, Princess Bride and Enchanted. Some of my favorite rom/coms happen at Christmas, like The Holiday and Serendipity. Several have romantic settings: French Kiss, Fools Rush In, After the Sunset, and Only You. Some involve people who have died or are in a coma: Defending Your Life, Just Like Heaven, While You Were Sleeping, Truly Madly Deeply, Heart and Souls, Return to Me and Ghost Town. Some are about time travel, like Somewhere in Time, Groundhog Day or Kate and Leopold. A few have pen pals, like You’ve Got Mail, Stranger Than Fiction, Sleepless in Seattle, and The Lake House. And some I just watch because they have Hugh Grant: Sense and Sensibility, Notting Hill, Music and Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice, and About a Boy. Do you have a favorite romantic comedy? I’d love to hear about it.

Providence

This lovely block is called Providence. It might be named for the capital of Rhode Island, but I prefer to think the name suggests divine providence. It’s such an appealing term. Providence describes God’s interaction with us; not just the natural order of the cosmos which supports and includes our collective lives, but also His special intervention in our individual lives. The Latin roots of the word providence are the prefix pro- meaning “ahead” and the word videre , which means “to see.” So God is able to provide for our needs because he can see ahead. There is something very comforting about that. It’s a reminder that even those things which don’t feel like blessings are probably in the long run for our own good. That we should learn to be grateful not just for good things, but for every thing that comes our way.

Nested Ducklings

It's only February, but yesterday felt like it was on loan from April. We had blue skies and balmy breezes. We walked to town and back, passing snowdrops and crocuses as we went. All along our way neighbors had doors and windows thrown open to let in the fresh air. Today it's raining again. But one sunny day can keep you singing through several rainy ones. This block is called Nested Ducklings. The kit was available last fall from Quilting by the Bay in Panama City, Florida. I had to make my own kit because Quilting by the Bay doesn't ship to an APO address. They'd have mailed it to my UK address, but shipping would have nearly tripled the cost. Either way, my billing address is still an APO, and their website just isn't set up for such things. Ah, well. Into each life a little rain must fall...

Mexicali Rose

Today's block gets its name from a ballad written in the 1920's. Gene Autry sang Mexicali Rose, so maybe this block should be set next to Autry Square in the finished quilt. The version of the song I'm familiar with is Bing Crosby's recording. I suspect my grandparents played this for me when I was a very little girl. It's a sentimental old love song, perfect for this time of year:

Mexicali Rose, stop crying. I'll come back to you some sunny day.
Every night you'll know that I'll be pining, every hour a year while I'm away,
Dry those big brown eyes and smile, dear. Banish all those tears and please don't sigh,
Kiss me once again and hold me. Mexicali Rose, goodbye.

Kodiak Star

The traditional design in the center of today's block is a Northern Star. Kodiak, Alaska is north to most everyone. Actually, Kodiak is only a few degrees farther from the equator than our town is. Like us they get long, dark winters, mild summers, and buckets of rain. Just like Harrogate, Kodiak has only one cinema. Fried fish is as popular there as here. Both towns had heavy growth in the 1800's, and now dream of former glory. Of course, you're not likely to run into a bear or an elk on the streets of Harrogate. But we do see our fair share of foxes. I had templates for the triangles in this block, but guessed at the size and shape of the long, thin pieces. If I were to make it again, I'd have the yellow striped fabric run crosswise. It's more forgiving that way.

Hole in the Wall

Today's block is built around a basic pattern called Monkey Wrench. Monkey Wrench is one of the simplest blocks. If I were teaching beginning quilters I'd start with a foolproof Two-Patch or Rail Fence, then introduce diagonal lines with Monkey Wrench. The centerpiece and the inner border aren’t very challenging. But the outer sawtooth border was a bit harder. I'd never have tried it without the right templates. I was careful to cut the pieces so the grain would run the right way, but I'm sure this block will give me more grief when it's time to set it into a quilt top. Still, it was much easier than the block I meant to post today. I wanted to show you Fish on a Dish, which turned out to be more than I could manage in an hour or two. Maybe I'll try it another day. When I have LOTS of time.

Wisconsin Star

This year's super bowl is all over but the shouting. The event gets very little attention in the UK. It's hard to get excited about a game that takes place while you're fast asleep. Football here has a round ball and no helmets or shoulder pads. When we lived in the States there was usually a family super bowl party, but it was more about the commercials, half-time show and food than it was about the game. I did catch Christina Aguilera's Star-Spangled Banner rendition this morning as I constructed this Wisconsin Star block. I'm not a fan of the song. It's difficult to sing well and unrewarding to try. I'm even less a fan of her yodeling style of singing. But it's her own national anthem, and she knew she'd have an audience of as many as 100 million people. Wouldn’t you think it would be worth her time to learn the words?

Five Geese Flying

Have I told you there are Canada geese in England? It came as a surprise to us when we moved here. Someone imported them for target practice a few hundred years ago. They’re also in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and New Zealand. They failed as game birds; apparently their flight patterns and tame behaviour make them less fun to shoot. But they're successful immigrants. We see them whenever we visit York. They hang out by the castle walls or the canal. Picking our way through the goose-fertilized lawn near Clifford’s Tower makes us homesick for Victor’s Pond. This block is called Five Geese Flying, a variation on the traditional Flying Geese design. Does it look like five geese to you? I keep seeing twelve.

Chinese Lantern

I found a  tutorial for this Chinese Lantern block on YouTube. The video makes it seem really simple. Essentially you iron all the seams in the top half of the block in one direction and all the seams in the bottom half in the other. Then the two halves should lock together exactly as they are meant to do. But the tutorial doesn't address the nasty narrow points at the top and the bottom. Today's block is for Chinese New Year, which technically began yesterday. For the Chinese, the new year's celebration isn't just one day. It's fifteen! Good thing, too. We'd intended to observe the new year with flying lanterns and Kung Pao Chicken. But I forgot to thaw the chicken, and it's still too windy for lanterns. That's okay. There's always tomorrow. Or the next day.

Crazy Anna

Today's block is called Crazy Anne or Crazy Anna. It's an old traditional pattern. There must be an interesting story behind the name, but it's a mystery to me. Don't you just love a good mystery? The block itself isn't really hard to make. It's just five squares of fabric, twelve half-square triangles, and four rectangles with diagonal seams through their middles. It's these rectangular sections that make the block appear to "spin" like a pinwheel. If you cut the diagonal triangles wrong, the block will seem to turn in the opposite direction. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I adore pinwheels, no matter which way they roll.

Ground Hog Day

Happy Groundhog Day! I don't know if Punxatawny Phil will see his shadow this morning or not. Maybe he's too smart to even try. If I had a warm burrow to winter in, I don't think I'd poke my head out until the daffodils do. I've been following weather news in the States and feeling very glad to be thousands of miles away. I don't miss the snow and I certainly don't miss the biting cold. Groundhog Day makes much more sense in New England than it does here. There aren't groundhogs in the UK, for one thing. If there were, they'd be unlikely to see their shadows any day of the year. Though technically we have six more weeks until spring is here, you wouldn't know it to look outside. Grass is green, snowdrops are blooming, and squirrels are frisking about like it was April. Are you jealous yet?

Bloom Where You Are Planted

This week I was surprised with a gift of roses and carnations. I don't often receive flowers, and I certainly don't make a habit of buying them for myself, but maybe I should. I love watching the buds slowly unfurl. I love the way they grace the whole room with a gentle, fresh perfume. Flowers are such small, trivial things, but they add so much. Today's block is called Bloom Where You Are Planted. The name comes from an old English proverb. I thought it was in the bible somewhere, but have been unable to find it. I do like the idea of blooming where you're planted. It goes beyond suggesting that we should make the most of our situation, whether good or bad. Like the pansies in the song:

In whatever corner we may chance to grow,
Whether cold or warm the wind may ever blow,
Dark the day or sunny, we must try, try, try
Just one spot to gladden, you and I.