Color Options from American Patchwork & Quilting June 2012

Designer: Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts
Machine Quilter: Leanne Olson

Look closely at this stunning patchwork throw, and you'll find its subtle star blocks form a secondary pattern that sparkles and shines.

Spinning Stars

Careful color placement in the hourglass units on quilt tester Laura Boehnke's table topper version results in a rose-color pinwheel at the center of each block. Before cutting fabric, experiment with graph paper and colored pencils to see what secondary patterns you can make emerge. Fabrics are from the 1 is One collection by Tasha Tudor for RJR Fabrics.

Go to the free quilt pattern.

Designers: Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison of Bonnie Blue Quilts
Machine Quilter: Marcella Pickett

Hone your piecing skills as you stitch neat and orderly Ocean Waves blocks and miter borders.

Batik Ocean Waves

On quilt tester Laura Boehnke's 16-block version, her triangle-squares are primarily a mix of blue and cream batiks. She substituted tan for dark brown in the block corners to create contrasting pinwheels. She also used a darker batik for the large triangles. Fabrics are from the Tonga Coco Berry collection from Timeless Treasures Fabrics.

Go to the free quilt pattern.

Designers: Sarah Maxwell and Dolores Smith of Homestead Hearth
Machine Quilter: Connie Gresham

A series of Single Irish Chain blocks in desert hues on a bed-size quilt creates the appearance of dusty paths winding through shadows and sunlight.

Classic Blue Heirloom

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke put a twist on a classic two-color combination by choosing blue and gray for her wall hanging version of Canyon Trail. Darks, mediums, and lights provide a variety of contrast. Fussy-cutting an ikat print for the outer border gives the appearance of more intricate piecing without any additional work -- perfect when you want to save time but not scrimp on style! Fabrics are from the Heirloom collection from Dear Stella.

Go to the free quilt pattern.

Designer Helen Stubbings of Hugs 'n Kisses

Playful Pinwheels and intricate quilting draw attention to the whimsical appliquéd bouquet at the heart of this cottage-style wall hanging.

Art Deco Flower

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke used a single printed stripe to make the urn appliqué appear more intricate. When fussy-cutting, she centered the stripe to look like ornamentation. For greater definition of fused appliqué pieces and an Art Deco look, Laura outlined each one with a narrow black satin stitch. Fabrics are from the Saturday Afternoon collection by Jane Spolar of Quilt Poetry for Northcott.

Go to the free quilt pattern.

Designer: Thomas Knauer
Machine Quilter: Lisa Sipes

Offset rows of triangle-squares and a punchy palette give a zigzag-pattern quilt energy to spare.

Buy this quilt pattern here.

Rustic Zigzag Wall Hanging

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke took the contemporary edge off Electric Slide with reproduction prints. To further modify the look, she laid out her triangle-squares at the quilt center, then mirrored her fabric choices on each half radiating out toward the top and bottom. The two halves' resulting mirror image creates a pleasing visual rhythm. Fabrics are from the Aubergine collection by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics.

Go to the free quilt pattern.