Lori Allison of Allison Quilt Designs uses her home ec teaching experience to write patterns for novice quilters.   The instructions are clear and detailed and are paired with lots of illustrations.  Her designs take simple blocks and make an amazing impact with the use of vibrant color or selective value placement.  The wow factor in many of her quilts will also draw more experienced quilters.

Candy Queen is a 92″ x 92″ quilt.  Strip piecing (three blocks at a time!) makes construction quick.  So full of light – it looks like the sun is shining through the middle of the quilt.  I’d love to do this one with blues… very, very light blue in the center and deepen to violet blue at the edges.

The skill level is easy for this fun, Funky Stripes quilt!  Perfect for a teen’s room or for that new college student’s dorm room.  Instructions are included for three sizes: Lap 46″ x 60″, throw 60″ x 75″, or twin 75″ x 90″.

As the skill level for this one is very easy, it will be a piece of cake to make – Fruit Cake!  You can use  layer cakes or yardage of big beautiful prints.  And by the time you are finished with this twin sized quilt you’ll be a pro at making prairie points.

Color My World is made from lots of Trip Around the World blocks.  Construction is a breeze so you can concentrate on having fun playing with color for each of the “trips”.  Adjusting the size of the quilt is easy, too – from throw to king, whatever you need.

Allison also has patterns for table runners, totes, placemats and even a feathered (quilted feathered, of course) vest.

I remember the first time I saw a Bargello quilt.  All the motion just stopped me dead in my tracks.  I’ve yet to make one (all those pieces!) but this might be the pattern that get’s me to finally do it. 

I Used To Be A Layer Cake is so named because it just takes one layer cake (you know, those 10″ precut packs of fabric) to make any one of three Bargello designs, each measuring 41″ x 57″.  That’s a nice sized lap quilt.  If you want a larger bed sized quilt, just make 2 or 4 identical quilts and stitch them together. 

Most bargello quits do the wavy thing, but they do it in an orderly manner.  This pattern has so much more freedom to the design.  It rather looks like a flag waving in the breeze.  The variation in the curves gives it even more movement that a regular bargello design. 

Version 1, done in solids, has a bold look.  The small prints in Version 2 give a more blended, smooth look to all the curves.  All the white in between the colors in Version 3 makes the colors look as if they are floating.  The thin lines try to tame the look of the quilt, but it just can’t be done!

With all the options, this pattern will keep you busy for a long time, but you might also want to check out Nancy Altsman’s other bargello quilt, Jelly Bargelly, that she also designed for Black Cat Creations.  This one is made entirely from jelly roll strips.

More than just a pattern for a quilt, this book is a collection of thank you letters and photos from children who won ponies by selling subscriptions to The Farmer’s Wife magazine in the early 1900′s.   Laura Hird selected 90 letters from the lucky pony winners and chose blocks inspired by the stories and photos.  The sampler quilt consists of 90 traditional 8″ blocks to make a large queen sized quilt.   Though the blocks are traditional, many of them will be blocks you don’t see used over and over.

As Laura states, “these endearing, poignant, and sometimes hilarious letters provide a unique window into the lives of children in rural America at the turn of the 20th century”.   

Following the letters is a section with complete, detailed assembly instructions and illustrations for each block.

  The book includes a CD with templates, foundation patterns where needed, and full sized line drawings of each block.  There are assembly diagrams for not only the queen size, but also king, lap and twin. 

Sampler quilts are always interesting to make and this one is even more so.   Just two blocks a week and you’ll be finished this time next year even if you take a few weeks off.   The Pony Club Sampler Quilt would make a great project for a quilt guild and would provide for interesting conversation.

You may want to join the Yahoo group “The Farmer’s Wife Pony Club Quilt“.   There you can chat with other quilters about your progress, post pics of your finished blocks, and view pics of other members’ work.

Laura Hird has been collecting copies of the Farmer’s Wife magazine and has one of the most complete collections in existence.  You can follow her blog, The Farmer’s Wife Quilt, where she posts excerpts from the magazines, and discusses upcoming projects.

Nelly Vileikis has been driven to create quilts for quite a long time.  She also enjoys sharing the craft through workshops, lectures, trunk shows and private classes.  Her quilt designs are dynamic and colorful.  And they range from simple, easy quilts to more complicated showpieces.

 All Star Quilt allows you to choose a theme and then showcase it in the large center of the simple blocks.  The instructions are easy to follow.  Create a quilt that will mean something special.

Amazon Reflections takes a new approach to the stack-n-whack method.  Change your color palette and change the mood of the quilt, but you’ll still end up with a “wow” piece.

Snowball blocks and modified nine patches come together easily (even for a beginner!) to create Playful Rings.  No one has to know how easy it was to make this complicated looking quilt!

Traditional patchwork and machine applique come together to create this contemporary design, Caribbean Fiesta.  You’ll have to work a little harder for this one, but what a splash it makes, right?!   In these colors it kind of makes me want to play Parchessi.

Believe it or not, Whirligig is made up of only squares! Looks hard, but it really isn’t.  Take the opportunity to play with color, fabric and composition.

Nelly’s clear, concise instructions will walk you through the process of paper piecing this masterpiece, Sunset on Ellis Island.  Then you can say “I did that!”

From simple to complicated, all of Nelly’s designs are colorful and interesting.

Are you a bit timid about color?  Do you want to explore brighter quilts?  Do you want to stretch yourself?  A quilt from  Kitambaa Designs is the perfect answer.  Pippa Moore’s designs are bold, bright, and beautiful.

Pippa began quilting in the 1980′s.  Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.  Many of Pippa’s quilts are in private collections throughout North America.   In the last ten years her focus has been on quilts with color and energy, celebrating life.    Kitambaa Designs specializes in quilt patterns for African and other vibrant fabrics.

Under the African Sun is an adaptation of the traditional Drunkard’s Path block.  African fabrics, batiks, or bright prints will make this a stunning wall quilt. Pippa’s clearly illustrated instructions make this pattern suitable for all skill levels.

Choose hand applique, machine applique or fusible applique as your method to bring to life Zebras Crossing the plains.  Lush green grass is in the foreground and a blazing sun is in the sky. 

Kitambaa Designs has a series of Art Deco inspired quilts that each vividly portray the feeling of a single word.  Fusible applique is use for the quilt Felicity.  You could also use pastels if that expresses bliss to you. 

Hope, another in the Art Deco inspired series, is colorful if a bit more monochromatic.  To me it looks like, if something other than a floral was used for the border, it would make a nice untraditional Christmas quilt. 

Go ahead, check out the rest of Pippa’s designs and add some color to your life!

Kara Schorstein of Seams & Dreams has a wide variety of patterns.  Her quilt designs range from easy modern styles to rather intricate traditional pieces.  Whether you are a beginner quilter or have been quilting for a long time, Kara will have something for you.   And she hasn’t stopped at just quilts.  Several of her patterns are for aprons, skirts, jackets and home decor.

Marble Game uses marble fabrics to frame prints.   The fabric used for the sashing within the blocks is repeated in the narrow border.   Tiny contrasting corners in each block come together to create multi-colored diamond pieces.  This is a great quilt for you to use up some of your scraps. Instructions for crib size and queen size.

Kara Schorstein started with the traditional Irish Chain Block, modified it, and created Crossroads.  Two simple blocks that work together for a striking design.  Instructions are for a table topper with a scalloped border and a queen size quilt.

Need a summer skirt?  Need to look like you lost a few pounds?  Try the Simple Slimming Skirt Pattern.  With sizes from 6 to 18+, there are three style variations and the underskirt is optional.

Need a new purse to go with your new skirt?  Oh, you made two skirts?!  No problem!  Make one of Lizzie’s Reversible Bags and you have a different purse for each skirt!

Do you have an occassional table that you like to dress up and change with the seasons?   Seasoning The Table gives you seven options for appropriate table toppers.  Log cabin blocks grace the center of each and you can choose the layout.

This selection barely scratches the surface of Seams & Dreams quilt patterns….. there are dozens more.