The Jacob’s Ladder quilt block is a simple block consisiting of two four patches and two half-square triangles.

Changing the placement of the light and dark can significantly change the look of the block, and by extension, the look of your quilt.

From easy piecing you can acheive great and varied results.  Here’s a few patterns that make use of the versatility of the Jacob’s Ladder block.

Uniform Blues  by Carol Hopkins Designs finishes at 29″ square.  It’s a great project for blue scraps.  The chosen placement of the darks creates squares of different sizes.  The smaller squares in the inner border repeat the size of the smaller squares in the body of the quilt, but their on-point placement repeats the on-point setting of the largest squares.

You have to look closely to see the Jacob’s Ladder block in this one.  Clever placement of colors creates stars in Stars and Ladders!  Pattern includes instructions for a lap sized quilt (63″ x 63″) and for a table topper (35″ x 35″).

Alternating the dark half of the HSTs from the outside of the block to the inside creates a strong diagonal pattern in Sweet Liberty. Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts says this is a great pattern for charm packs.  This quilt is 30″ x 38″ – in the right fabrics it would make a great baby gift.

 
No Jacob’s Ladder here, just a Lizard On A Ladder. It’s cute though, isn’t it?!

There are a few more quilt patterns with Jacob’s Ladder blocks.  Have some fun with this easy block.

Don’t you just love the look of a table all dressed up for a meal?  Family supper, kid’s birthday party, casual brunch, formal dinner, romantic meal…. the table dressing sets the stage.

Any Occassion Tablerunner & Placemats would look great at a Sunday brunch, or tea time with friends.  Choose your color scheme but this green and pink looks really pretty.  The center blocks are great for showing off your favorite large scale prints.

What little boy or girl wouldn’t love to have these Cupcake Party placemats at their birthday party?  Or use them anytime to make a dinner special.  Pattern includes full-sized pattern pieces.

Easy Elegance from Designs To Share With You uses a quilt-as-you-go method for curves so you’ll be dining in style before you know it.  Perfect for a dinner party, or just for making your family’s evening meal a little more civilized.

Frosty Table Toppers will work all winter long.  The Tablerunner includes snowmen, pine trees and stars.  Use any of these designs to make your placemats to match.

Go as bold as you dare with Rainbow Crystals.  So easy to make – just stack, slice, and mix.  No paper piecing and no templates.  Grab your colorful solids, tone-on-tone, or batiks and make a set for yourself.  You’ll probably find the process so quick and fun you’ll have to make more to give away.

The Rosey Posey pattern is lovely.  Tablerunner and placemats feature appliqued flowers, leaves, and vines that are accented with delicate stitchery.  A stitchery pillow pattern is also included.

Browse the rest of the placemat patterns and start dressing your tables!

>We might not be having fall weather yet, but it is September so we all know that it’s coming.   The summer adventures are behind us and we’re looking ahead to fall activities and holidays.   During the ‘in-between’ you have time to make a wall hanging to dress your home for the season.  Here are just a few suggestions . . . .

This scarecrow looks like he is thinking about job security!  If the farmer sees all the birds hanging around he just might be getting his pink slip, so he’s hollering Shoo!, apparently to no avail.

Nothing says fall like apples and apple picking.  This Apple wall hanging measures 22″ square.   A combination of patchwork and applique, this quilt pattern is also available with fabric: Apple Complete Kit.

Soon we’ll be treated to the annual Autumn Cascade of colorful leaves.  We love to see the colors on the trees, and watch the colorful leaves floating to the ground.  Raking them, well that’s another matter altogether!  Enjoy them on your wall – no raking required!

Book 3 in the Table Topper Series is Fall.  Susan and Mary Jane of The Quilt Branch provide instructions for three fall themed table toppers.  You can make one for each fall month.

This Fall Sampler wallhanging pattern also includes instructions for a scarecrow table runner pattern.  Two patterns in one!

Visit the Fall Quilt Patterns section of our website to see lots more patterns.

Country Manor by Paula Barnes for Marcus Fabrics is a collection of browns, roses, and creams with a soft romantic look.  

 They would look great in a living room or bedroom.  And we’re giving away a bundle of FIVE FAT QUARTERS!  All you have to do is leave a comment (the comment button is just above the title of the post), and tell us what is your favorite fabric collection – besides this one, of course!  

If (when?!) you win, here are a couple patterns that only require four fat quarters.  That leaves the last fat quarter for the binding – perfect!

 This is the original Fat Quarter Table Runner by Out of the Blue.   With strip piecing it’ll be finished before you know it, and since it is quilt-as-you-go, when it’s finished it’s already quilted!

Sondra Davison designed several more Table Runners in this series.  Each of them only needs four fat quarters.  Here’s a few of them.

Fat Quarter Table Runner V

Fat Quarter Table Runner III

Fat Quarter Table Runner VII

Remember, to enter the giveaway, just leave a comment telling us the name of your favorite fabric collection - besides this one, of course!   The comment button is just above the title of this post.

Do that and you’ll have a chance at winning FIVE FAT QUARTERS of these beautiful fabrics…

Giveaway is open until midnight (CST) Thursday, August 30th.   Winner will be selected by random number generator.

 US residents only.

So you are ready to make your first quilt.  Excited?  Of course you are!  Choosing just the right pattern for a first quilt will enable you to finish the quilt and enjoy your success.   It’s always a good idea to start small.  Go for a pattern that features simple blocks and only straight lines, squares and rectangles.  Save the triangles for your next quilt.   A table runner, baby quilt or lap quilt are all good choices for a first project.

You’ll learn about quick piecing with Ready, Set, Go and the seam matching is kept to a minimum.   Finishing at 45″ x 63″ it’s just right for tossing on the couch so it brightens the room. 

Easy as 10…11…12 is just that easy.  These three quick quilts are in three sizes.  The smallest is just right for a baby, the medium for a toddler and the largest for a preteen.  Finish all you and you are going to be so hooked on quilting!

Easy Bake isn’t quite as quick as a cake in an Easy Bake oven but it won’t take that much longer.   And it’ll be as bright and fun as the fabrics you choose. 

Turn The Table is a table runner pattern that is so easy but so striking that you’ll probably find yourself using this pattern over and over again.  Instructions are included for the “quilt as you go” method, or you can choose to finish it in the traditional way.

The Log Cabin Star is made with only straight cuts of fabric but you’ll see angles.  The log cabin block is so easy and so versatile…. so many different layouts are possible.  This quilt measures 22″ square. Use it as a wall hanging or a table topper.

My first quilt was a log cabin design and the time I spent playing around with the layouts is when I really became hooked.  I started too large – a queen size! – but I did finish.  The quilt is on the bed in our master bedroom and I still love it, mistakes and all!

Go ahead, if you haven’t already, take the plunge!  You’ll be so glad you did!

The Creative Grids 60° Triangle Ruler makes short work of lots of interesting blocks.  This 16″ table topper went together quickly and easily.  And I want to make more!

You’ll need just 4″ each of background fabric and two fun fabrics. Let’s call the fun fabrics FF1 and FF2.

Background:  Cut 2 strips 1.5″ x WOF;  1 strip 1″ x WOF
Fun fabrics:  Cut 2 strips each 2″ x WOF

Sew all the strips together in the following order:
FF1
Wide background
FF2
Skinny background
FF1
Wide background
FF2         

(cutting instructions revised 07/11/12 8:25)

Press all seams in one direction so they will nest when you sew your triangles together.  They will; you’ll see.

Line up the bottom of the 60° Triangle Ruler with the bottom of your strip set, and make your first cut. 

 Turn your strip set the other way and lay the ruler the way it was, the ruler is now lined up with the top and the left side of the ruler is lined up with the first cut you made.  Cut the last side of your first triangle.

Rotate your ruler. Cut.

Rotate. Cut.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

You’ll need six triangles.  There will be three with FF1 at the base, and three with FF2 at the base.

Arrange your triangles in a circle (okay, a hexagon), alternating the colors.

Sew together.  If you make sure the seams nest everything will line up nicely.  Be careful not to pull too much or manhandle the edges as they are cut on the bias.  Press the seams all one way around the “circle” so when you sew the last seam everything will nest nicely.

Finished! All ready to sandwich and quilt.
Fast. Easy. Addictive.
Happy sewing!

Oh! And don’t forget to enter our Pinterest Contest!