Color Options from American Patchwork & Quilting®October 2009

Intricate color play, carefully pieced units, and a striking setting play up the versatility of the much-loved Log Cabin block.

Friendship Star Log Cabins

Vivid red star points jump off the quilt while muted gold star points recede, forming a single, large Friendship Star. A four-in-one print from the Happy Campers collection by American Jane for Moda Fabrics provided a fussy-cut middle border featuring the ABCs.

Download instructions needed to make this wall hanging.

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Though there is high contrast between blocks in executive editor Jennifer Keltner's quilt, it's the subtle color variation within each block that provides interest. "You can differentiate the pieces because the prints I used have a variety of scale," Jennifer says. Fabrics are from the Authentic collection by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics.

Add a new technique to your skill set by learning to piece curved seams with ease. Bold prints and bright white combine to make a stunning bed quilt.

Melon Patch Circles

Warm and cool colors blend beautifully in these Melon Patch blocks that use Sunshine Cottage's Stonehenge collection for Northcott Fabrics. The fabric's simple print allows the form to be easily seen.

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Interactive editor Lisa Schumacher followed quilt tester Laura Boehnke's lead and focused on the pattern's circular design. Lisa pieced each of her blocks with a pair of fabrics from Alice Kennedy's Apple collection for Timeless Treasures.

A scrappy assortment of signature blocks makes a heartwarming keepsake throw to keep or give as a gift.

Autograph Kid's Quilt

Create a keepsake for a child's birthday party by making a table cover quilt out of Chimney Sweep blocks that partygoers can sign. Fabrics are Mary Lou Weidman's Happiness Is collection for Benartex.

Download instructions needed to make this tabletop quilt.

Editor Elizabeth Tisinger loves the graphic possibilities of the Chimney Sweep block. She created an Amish-inspired quilt using solid black and Prism II basics by Brian Evans for Quilting Treasures.

While just two simple blocks compose the quilt center, the varied mix of prints makes it look like puzzle play. A fusible-appliqué border of windswept blooms provides an unexpected finish.

Kid's Quilted Play Mat

Keep the quilt's intended use in mind when planning fabric placement. This children's quilt is expected to be used as a play mat, so the border panels from Melissa Saylor's Fun on the Farm collection for Wilmington Prints face out on all sides.

Download instructions needed to make this kid's quilt.

Administrative assistant Mary Irish made a quick-to-piece throw (for herself!) using just the center portion of Everything's Blooming and the Bluebird Dishes and Watermark collections from Fine Lines Fabric.

Challenge yourself to re-create this antique quilt top-a stunning mix of scrappy stars on a double pink background. You'll be an expert at templates and setting in seams when you're done.

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Batik Triangle Stars

The same pattern is used to create the four blocks in this wall hanging. Careful fabric placement creates the illusion that the blocks are different. Using Tonga Batiks from Timeless Treasures' Fire and Ice collections resulted in a graphic quilt.

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Download a coloring diagram for this project.

Laura Boehnke had so many ideas for this pattern that she made a second color option. A variety of sherbet and bright tone-on-tones emphasize the block's wheel or sunray design.

The interplay of lights and darks gives this wall hanging a three-dimensional feel. Don't worry about binding outside and inside corners-there's no need! The quilt top is stitched to the backing with right sides together before it's quilted.

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Log Cabin Table Topper

The colors in these Log Cabin blocks are similar in value, but each round is clearly visible because the colors are opposites on the color wheel. The festive four-block table topper features the Holiday Splendor collection by Yolanda Fundora for Blank Quilting.

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"I love graphic prints based on nature," design director Nancy Wiles says. While she was excited about the Arcadia collection by Sanae for Moda Fabrics (modafabrics.com), she was unsure how the prints would look cut into this quilt's small pieces. She utilized tone-on-tones for the smallest areas and was pleased with the result.

Using a bit of hand appliqué and beading, transform scraps of cotton, wool, and velvet into a funky floral needle keeper.

Folk Art Needle Case

Cotton prints mixed with wools, delicate beads, and a careful choice of threads give a needle case a vintage flair. Stitch around the appliqués with contrasting thread and the flowers may appear whimsical; matching thread may yield a more romantic, traditional look. Cotton fabrics are from the Sachet Potpourri line by Faye Burgos for Marcus Fabrics.

Download instructions needed to make this needle case.

For a project that's even quicker than fusible appliqué, senior graphic designer Elizabeth Stumbo cut the patterns from scrapbooking paper and adhered them to cardstock with brads and eyelets. She finished the piece with a frame made to hold 4x6" photographs.

Add Log Cabin-like borders to adjoining edges of Maple Leaf units for pieced blocks that can be twisted and turned into a mazelike quilt. A scrappy assortment of dark and medium prints produces a cozy, seasonal throw.

Buy this quilt pattern here.

Maple Leaf Log Cabins

Each leaf in this wall hanging stands out from its low-contrast, neutral-tone frame. The high-texture fabrics are from Lonni Rossi's Black and Tan and Peppermint Party collections for Andover Fabrics.

Download instructions and materials needed to make this throw.

Assistant editor Jody Sanders drew from her stash of batiks-many with leaf motifs-to mimic the view when looking up at a beautiful blue sky on a crisp fall day.

Cleverly cut and place stripe batiks to form a basket-weave effect. The use of contemporary fabrics results in an updated version of a traditional Amish design.

Radiant Squares Wall Hanging

It's not always apparent how medium- or large-scale prints will look when cut up. View each black-and-white print of the Sketchbook collection from P&B Textiles through a 2-1/2"-square window template to see how dark or light "gray" it appears.

Download instructions needed to make this wall hanging.

A subtler shift in color and value appears in editor Jill Abeloe Mead's version made from a variety of printed and woven stripes. "The deep orange and yellow remind me of sunsets back home in Northern California," Jill says.