Build your favorite city as you piece and applique modern quilt blocks. Select the ones you like for smaller projects, or make the whole quilt!
Welcome to City Blocks – my first quilt book! Published by Leisure Arts and already on sale, this book features 32 blocks I designed, each portraying a place or an experience in a city. There are also six coordinating, smaller projects, many diagrams, and easy-to-follow instructions.
Those of you who have been following me since I began this blog and my Etsy store (2013!) will remember our Sew Along. We made a block every two weeks. We had tons of fun! Leisure Arts loved the quilt; the rest is history in 96 colorful pages!
I am a city girl through and through, so it was time to celebrate the places I enjoy when I walk or drive about town. I created my city using vibrant fabrics, beginner-friendly piecing techniques, and machine applique.
As I was designing the blocks, I kept thinking of how some places we visit or live in make a long-lasting impression on us, defining and adding pleasure to our routines and enriching our downtime with places to visit, learn, relax, shop, or get together with friends.
The City Girl quilt has a directory block: a map on the background (I wonder if you can guess which place that map is from!) and a list of all the ‘places’ in order of appearance on the quilt. The blocks are precut-friendly, stash busters, modern, and can be assembled quickly.
The city blocks are unique, assembled with either regular machine piecing [and] or machine applique, and measure 8″. I worked with fabrics generously donated by Blank Quilting and Studio e Fabrics. Their Basics offered a wide variety of textures—exactly what I was looking for.
With their neutral colors, the alternating chain blocks make the city blocks pop. I selected gray because of the concrete structures we find everywhere in the city. The geometry of chain blocks suited the theme, and the crossing lines reminded me of going through tall buildings downtown to get to where I wanted to go instead of just walking around blocks. It can be so much fun to forgo the straightest route!
As you piece and applique modern quilt blocks, remember that a city is not just for working! Let me take you on a tour of my favorite place to live, which has restaurants, museums, parks, markets, and theaters. I also honor daily activities such as taking the subway or a bus, hanging out with our pets, going to college, and having a hot cup of coffee or chocolate before our day starts.
I chose a modern vibe, but as you piece and applique modern quilt blocks, you can add your personal touch by choosing traditional fabrics for an ‘old town’ feel. Let’s face it: old or new, a city has a mixture of architectural styles, textures, and colors. Mimic this fusion of time and style with your selection of fabrics.
Many places have a business district, a shopping district, and a residential area. Group your blocks any way you like, changing the layout. The City Girl quilt measures 68-1/4″ x 88-1/2″. However, you are not locked into this look!
The smaller projects I designed with city blocks show how versatile they can be. They easily fit on wall hangings, table runners, totes, and wall decor. You know I love machine applique (click here to see how much), which is the technique you will use. Blanket stitch is my choice, although sometimes I use straight stitch or tiny zigzag with monofilament.
The letters, templates, and assembly instructions are all included. Select a block, dream up the words, and make a project that showcases your current favorite place in your town!
Let’s make the blocks together! In the next few weeks, I will post the blocks as I assemble them. Join me here, on Instagram or Facebook, and let’s begin construction! If you live in Georgia, Tiny Stitches Quilt Shop will be hosting a book signing event on May 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. Come see the City Girl quilt and the smaller projects and get your book signed!
When you post your creations on social media, remember to use the #citygirlquilt hashtag. I can’t wait to see what you make!
