Color Options from American Patchwork & Quilting June 2008

Inspiration often comes in the most unlikely forms. Crates of tomatoes at the designer's local farmer's market inspired this quilt's robust color scheme.

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Cute Cowboy Pillow
What cowboy or cowgirl wouldn't like quilt tester Laura Boehnke's western-theme version of "Big-Block Beauty"? The star, plaid, and bandana prints she used are from the Spirit of the West collection by Maywood Studio.

To make a 25"-square floor pillow, add sashing to one block, surround it with a 2"-wide-finished border, and sew on a backing. Stuff with fiberfill or insert a Euro-size pillow form.

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this pillow.

In this modern take on a traditional pattern, bars of saturated color form a striking counterpoint to a single floral fabric.

Bunny Bars
Quilt tester Laura Boehnke liked the simple style of "Sun- Drenched Strips" so much she repeated the quilt top pattern exactly using soft, pastel flannels.

"It's perfect for a baby quilt or for a toddler to cuddle up with on the couch," she says.

Fabrics are Bunny Luv Flannel, Woolies Light Flannel, and Tulips Flannel, all from Maywood Studio.

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.

A striking, vintage Ocean Waves quilt, this throw combines sky-blue setting pieces, scrappy triangles, and an unexpected touch of pink along the top and bottom.

X Marks the Spot
For this 40x28" version of "Making Waves," quilt tester Laura Boehnke arranged six assembled Ocean Waves X-shaped units three across and two deep.

For elegant, yet exotic style, Laura used the Moroccan Spice and Tunisia collections by P&B Textiles.

A 2"-wide-finished navy blue border sets off the lush East Indian market palette-a good choice for masculine appeal.

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.

Vintage rice-paper prints from Europe and Asia inspired these subtle Asian fabrics. An inner border made of block segments visually extends the blocks beyond the quilt center.

Tropical Party
Neon colors in bold, leafy prints with a Haitian influence make this hot version by quilt tester Laura Boehnke anything but ordinary. She kicked it up a notch with the Mambo collection by Rosemarie Lavin for Windham Fabrics.

"I wanted to show how simple it is to completely change the texture, tone and style of a quilt by just choosing different fabrics," Laura says. "This pattern's big blocks can easily adapt to lots of different color palettes."

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.

Churn Dash blocks star on a super-simple table topper.

Dash of Pink
Using Judie Rothermel's Charleston IV 1850–1865 collection from Marcus Fabrics, quilt tester Laura Boehnke created a quilt in classic pinks and browns that hearkens back to Civil War days.

"Churn Dash is such a familiar early quilting pattern," says Laura, "I wanted to reproduce it in vintage colors reminiscent of the quilts our great-great grandmothers might have made."

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.

Pieced and appliquéd flowers adorn a simple background. Make piecing the blocks easy by using partial seams.

Summer Days
Double Star blocks resemble pinwheels as they spin across a vivid wall quilt, which simply pulls out the center section of "Flower Patch" to stand on its own.

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke chose bold prints from the Gardenia collection by Linda Lum DeBono for Henry Glass & Co. and Marble Mania mottled solids by Patrick Lose for Timeless Treasures.

"I like the contrast of the stripes and dots fencing in the curvy appliquéd flower while the pinwheels stand guard," Laura says. "It makes its own fanciful little garden."

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.

A few stars and several stripes combine for a rousing rendition of the grand old flag. Rectangular blocks assembled in Courthouse Steps style mingle among welcoming homes.

Neighborly Welcome
Take out the stars and stripes and narrow the neighborhood to nine blocks to make this almost-quare throw.

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke chose prints in familiar deep, warm tones from Jo's Jamestown collection by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics.

"I wanted to come up with a hearthside look that was a bit more subdued," she says, "so I framed the quilt with a brown outer border, used darker green plaids to dim the lights in the windows, and chose strips with less contrast for the Log Cabin blocks."

Click here to download instructions and materials needed to make this quilt.