Week of February 24, 2019 – Shamrock pattern
Here is a quick and easy pattern for you to make just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 
It can be a simple and small quilt with just one shamrock (14” x 14”) as pictured which only uses a fat quarter of green and a fat quarter of cream. Or you can make four of the blocks and put them together into a nice wall hanging (28” x 28” – see below). Each little inner square finishes at 1.5”.
To make the single shamrock quilt you need to cut 20 green 2” squares. You also need to make 12 green and cream 2” (unfinished) HST – Half Square Triangles. Cut 32 cream 2” squares and you are ready to sew. Lay out your squares and HSTs to match the picture and sew them together in rows and then sew the rows together to make the quilt top.
Next cut out two 2” x 12.5” green strips and sew one on each side, then cut two 2” x 14.5” strips and sew them to the top and bottom. Add a 16” x 16” batting and backing and quilt as desired (I would suggest stippling the shamrock in green thread and the background with cream thread). Now you can add a green single fold 1.25” binding, put a label on the back and you are finished – just in time for March 17.
If you want to make your quilt even more interesting, you can make it totally scrappy. Use a variety of greens and an assortment of creams to make your shamrock.
Here is another suggestion, if you have a little more time. Combine four blocks to make a larger quilt. This quilt will use 1/2-yard cream and 3/4-yard green. It is the same blocks as above, but you rotate three of them, so each block has the stems pointing to the middle. The measurements are all the same for cutting. Sew together your four blocks. Cut two green 2.5” x 24.5” strips and sew to the left and right of the quilt. Then cut two green 2.5” x 28.5” strips and sew to the top and bottom. Quilt as desired, add binding, a label and perhaps even a hanging sleeve – if you want to hang it on the wall.
Enjoy your new Shamrock creation!
Just for You – Quilt Quote: Today I thought it might be more fitting to share an Irish saying with you “May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart and warmed by the smiles of the people you love.” And because there are so many wonderful sayings I just had to share another: “These things, I warmly wish for you – Someone to love, some work to do, a bit o’ sun, a bit o’ cheer. And a guardian Angel always near.”
If you have any comments or questions, please contact Phyllis at: MtnQltr@aol.com