Color Options from American Patchwork & Quilting June 2011

Basket and chain blocks turned on their sides and done in a monochromatic palette give a classic red-and-green quilt a modern spin.

Reproduction Baskets Quilt

If you prefer a vintage look, make over Basket blocks with 1930s reproduction prints from the Feedsack and Toybox II collections, both by Sara Morgan for Blue Hill Fabrics.To streamline her smaller version, quilt tester Laura Boehnke used a single print for the inner border instead of a scrappy mix. She decreased the length of the outer border rectangles so her five-block wall hanging would have similar variety as the original.

Go to the free wall hanging quilt pattern.

Opposites emerge on a tic-tac-toe-style throw that uses a single template.

Tropical Crossing Wall Hanging

In her tropical version of X's and O's, quilt tester Laura Boehnke modified the color placement in each block by using both royal blue and golden yellow for the triangle units and selecting light batiks for the block backgrounds. She then arranged the blocks in the "kisses" formation, so a yellow star takes center stage and blue stars have supporting roles in the corners. The featured batiks are Tonga Treats 2-1/2"-wide precut strips in color Lollipop from Timeless Treasures Fabrics.

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Pay tribute to Old Glory with a folk art-style wall hanging featuring spirited flags waving in the breeze.

Get this free quilt pattern here.

Patriotic Folk Art Quilt

For a quick take on Flying Free, quilt tester Laura Boehnke used a fusible-appliqué technique to make a one-block wall hanging. She left off the original's pieced outer border and decreased the width of the inner border (cut 2-1/2" wide) to better match her smaller quilt's proportions. Fabrics from the Canterbury collection by Country Essentials for Connecting Threads enhance the folk art style.

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Checker a bed-size quilt with an array of subdued Nine-Patch and Double Nine-Patch blocks set on point.

Floral Double Nine-Patch Quilt

Pretty pastels from Robyn Pandolph's Scarborough Fair collection for RJR Fabrics transform Nine-Patch Delight into a sweet, baby-friendly crib quilt. Quilt tester Laura Boehnke fussy-cut flower designs to spruce up the large Nine-Patch blocks. Small-scale prints and tone-on-tones add subtle interest to the Double Nine-Patch blocks and setting triangles

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A subtle shift makes all the difference. With each diagonal row, the degree of detail in the Log Cabin blocks increases.

Batik Jewels Quilt

Jewel-tone prints from Yolanda Fundora's Earthlight collection and batiks from the Sumatra collection, both from Blank Quilting, give Added Interest abstract flair. To simplify the design, quilt tester Laura Boehnke used all D blocks for her version. Careful color placement allows for a diagonal-stripe effect that's similar to the original.

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The large blocks in this Glorified Nine-Patch quilt will boost your confidence when it comes to curved piecing.

Glorified Nine-Patch Wall Hanging

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke used an array of small-scale prints from the Devon Shirtings collection by Nancy Gere for Windham Fabrics for a wall hanging that has scrappy, patriotic flair. To give her smaller quilt balance, Laura alternated the nine blocks by color.

Go to the free wall hanging quilt pattern.

Delicate quilting dances around petite appliquéd blooms to give this dainty table runner a faux-trapunto effect.

Floral Pastel Table Runner

Subtle color variations create depth and dimension on quilt tester Laura Boehnke's version of Attention to Detail. Laura used a machine blanket stitch in a slightly darker color thread than the appliquéd blooms to emphasize their outline. The textured-weave cotton fabrics in prints, stripes, and solids are part of the Sausalito collection from P&B Textiles.

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An improvisational fusible technique makes creating the twining vines easy. Simple piecing keeps the focus on the quilt center.

Appliquéd Vine and Leaves Table Runner

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke re-created the original's rectangle unit to make a fresh table runner just in time for summer. For a scrappier border, Laura used prints and florals from the Savannah collection from Fabri-Quilt for all the squares rather than alternating them with squares cut from the background fabric.

Go to the table runner quilt pattern.