Category: Quilt Patterns (Page 5 of 8)

Image of Sample Quilt Patterns

Discover more than 50 quilt patterns designed to use both beautiful sides of fabric.

Firstly, you’ll find a variety of styles, techniques, and genre of quilt patterns that use both sides of fabric. Some quilts are made using a fusible broderie perse method. Also, find designs made only from paper templates. Additionally, find unique pieced patterns that require only a few fabric selections because they use the reverse as the block background fabrics.

Learn how to audition both sides.

Moreover, in addition to making fun quilts, you’ll discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition both sides of fabric. The magical key to this fun way to make quilts is VALUE. It’s easy to choose your fabrics and make easy works of art when you know how. Each of these quilt patterns comes with a guide for auditioning fabrics.

Choose from a variety of size of quilt patterns.

As well as a using a variety of techniques, you’ll find designs in sizes that range from miniatures to large quilts. Some smaller patterns are ideal quilts to make for gifting or holiday decoration because they are so easy and fast to make. Larger designs generally feature a single block which make them great quilts to make at retreats or other group settings.

Most importantly, make quilts that sparkle!

Finally, when you use both sides of fabric, you add a dimension of interest to your quilts that is difficult to achieve otherwise. Your eye catches the similarities of the fabric motif and color as well as the difference in value. When you learn how to use both sides by using these quilt patterns, you can apply your skills to all your future quilt fabric selections.

image of river heritage reveal

River Heritage Mystery Quilt Reveal

October 8, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table of contents

River Heritage Mystery Quilt Reveal!

The long awaited mystery quilt reveal for the River Heritage Block of the Month Quilt is here!

image of river heritage reveal
The Mighty Mississippi River at dusk. Photo by Anastasia Gonzales.

The sunset over the Mississippi River is your final clue that the mystery has ended.

First, let’s take the mystery out of this right away. Here is a digital photo of the grand layout of this quilt. As you know, the monthly block patterns have each had a connection to life by the river. Finally, it’s time to take all of those wonderful blocks and set them in this really fun, fast design.

Image of Mystery Quilt Reveal
River Heritage

In addition, Watch for the River Heritage quilt on YouTube! SUBSCRIBE today!

Most importantly, be assured as you look at this mystery quilt reveal, that this quilt goes together quickly and easily! It’s sew much fun.

Firstly, let’s review the blocks you’ve made starting at the center top and moving clockwise.

The nine blocks.

  • Eagle’s Nest
  • Hovering Hawks
  • Lighted Bridge
  • Tree Line
  • Railroad Crossing
  • Trail of Tears
  • Port and Starboard
  • Flock of Geese
  • The center-most block is Paddle Wheel
Image of Mystery Quilt Reveal River Heritage

Click here for printer-friendly River Heritage Setting Instructions: River Heritage Setting Instructions

Image of Eagle's Nest Block
Eagle’s Nest/North
Image of Rail Road Crossing Block
Railroad Crossing/South
Image of Port and Starboard/West
Port and Starboard/West
Image of Lighted Bridge Block
Lighted Bridge/East

In addition to getting the full pdf instructions, browse through these images of the mystery quilt reveal. You’ll see how simply and easily this quilt goes together.

Image of Flock of Geese block
Flock of Geese/Northwest
Image of Hovering Hawks block
Hovering Hawks/Northeast         
Image of Trail of Tears block
Trail of Tears/Southwest
Image of Tree Line Block
Tree Line/Southeast

Image of Back of Quilt
Prairie Point Hanging Method

Furthermore, the Prairie Point Hanging Method is included in the quilt finishing instrucitons.

Obviously, I used the Prairie Point Hanging Method for this wall hanging. It’s the best kept secret and a mystery quilt reveal of its own! However, instructions for this wonderful hanging method are included in all 50+ of my Creative Bee Studios patterns!

River Heritage Takes a Ribbon!

Image of Quilt with Ribbon
River Heritage takes Third Place at the show!

In conclusion, I hope you’ve enjoyed making River Heritage! I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful ribbon on my quilt this weekend at our local quilt show!

Of course, I’d love to see your finished quilt! Please share your quilt pictures on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag: #riverheritage in your post!

Last but not least, most of the blocks in this quilt are classics, found in many books and other sources. I created Paddle Wheel, Tree Line, and Lighted Bridge are blocks to fit our theme and the setting. Moreover, the setting is adapted from the book, Circle of Nine by Janet Houts & Jean Ann Wright. I love this book and recommend it (available on Amazon)!

This has truly been an adventure! From coming up with a theme, choosing and creating blocks, traveling to get photos and learning about my river heritage, it’s been quite a journey.

Karla

Finally, thank you all for joining me on this journey. I hope you love your River Heritage!

Image of Tree Line on river

River Heritage – Tree Line

September 10, 2018 /

A tree block is in store for the final piece in the River Heritage Block-of-the-Month Mystery Quilt.

Called Tree Line, this tree block features three trees of varying heights, making a diagonal line. Similar to a tree line along the river, these guys will take a side roll in your finished quilt.

Image of Tree Line on river
Month Nine Tree Line

The River Heritage Mystery Quilt Block Review

First, we began with the Paddlewheel block, made from a traditional block with mostly a dark paddlewheel on a light background. Next, came the Railroad Crossing and Flock of Geese blocks. These, too, are both classic blocks which fit our river theme beautifully. After that came Lighted Bridge. I designed this block based on the Bill Emerson Bridge stands over the mighty Mississippi, connecting Cape Girardeau, Missouri to East Cape, Illinois.

My favorite adventure in designing River Heritage was taking the ferry ride across the Mighty Mississippi. See the photos in Port and Starboard block post.

Karla Kiefner

More River Heritage Quilt Blocks

In addition to learning about the next block, Trail of Tears, I also learned much about the history of the trail in our local museum at the Trail of Tears Park. Another classic block followed called Port and Starboard. Getting photos for this block involved a ferry ride across the river!

Eagle’s Nest was another fun block to plan because we hiked up to a look-out for those photographs. This block will land high on your quilt! Your last block was Hovering Hawks. For this block I learned that hawks generally don’t hover – at least not in groups!

Month Nine Tree Line Block

The Tree Line block was designed with it’s placement in the overall quilt in mind. With the shortest tree to the left and the tallest on the right, a diagonal line is formed.

This block is made with six flying geese units to make the three trees.

You’ll start by making the trunks for each tree and then add the tree tops and sky to make three columns. Use your own color scheme – your trees don’t have to be green and sky doesn’t have to be blue! Remember to check your values by taking a black and white picture of your fabric choices.

Tree Line Quilt Block PDF

Image of Tree Quilt Block

Click here: River Heritage Month 9 Tree Line for a printer-friendly version!

Share your block using #riverheritage on Facebook and Instagram!

Finally, the River Heritage Setting Reveal is HERE!

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

Image of Turtle Quilt
Dakota

Quilting-Dakota Style

August 27, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Table of contents

This little turtle quilt just made the trip to two of my favorite places in South Dakota!

Dakota is a Southwest style turtle quilt made with both beautiful sides of fabric!

Image of Turtle Quilt

Choose a focus fabric that’s beautiful on BOTH sides.

Every Creative Bee Studios pattern, including this turtle quilt, comes with a guide for auditioning both sides of fabrics. First, start with your focus fabric. See how legs, head and tail of this turtle quilt (made from the REVERSE) are a lighter value but just as interesting as the RIGHT side?

Learn how to “remove” color to see only value.

Black and white photos are a great tool for auditioning both sides of fabric.

Pick a variety of background fabrics.

Secondly, audition possible background fabrics for your turtle quilt with both sides of your focus fabric. You’ll discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition both sides of fabric.

Why South Dakota?

To summarize, our daughter was working shows at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer, SD for the summer. Our treat was to watch her play the role of Laurie in OKLAHOMA!

Black Hills Playhouse & Dakota Dream

We made new friends, Kathy and Ernie, in Custer SD. They are owners Dakota Dream Bed & Breakfast & Horse Hotel.  We highly recommend a visit to the Black Hills in Custer State Park and a stay with Kathy and Ernie. Image of Dakota Dream

The Quilt Shop

On our trip we visited The Quilt Shop, Inc. in Chamberlain, SD.  Owner, Sonya Kroupa is holding Dakota and Tanka quilts below. Creative Bee Studios patterns have been featured in her very cool shop! In addition to rooms and rooms of interesting and different fabric, kits, and patterns, she has local artwork, jewelry, and beads. Visit The Quilt Shop website HERE.Image of The Quilt Shop, Inc.

Also, see this post which shows more fun things to see in Custer and the Dignity statue in Chamberlain HERE.

This turtle quilt pattern is petite design, finishing at 18 x 24 inches. It’s a great “afternoon quilt” – quick and easy. Even after making more than twenty #usebothsides quilts, I can’t decide which is more fun, choosing the focus fabric or the background fabrics. Both are vital to the charm of the quilts!

Think outside the box!

Imagine all the different “turtle “fabrics you could use!  Your turtle could be playful with children’s motifs, realistic with mottled dotty fabric, or wild with large florals or geometrics! In conclusion, anything will work as long as the reverse passes the audition!

Image of Bison Quilt Closeup

Read about Tanka quilt pattern HERE!

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

Image of Bison Skull Quilt

Wild West Quilts

August 20, 2018 /

Tanka is a bison skull quilt made with a rugged flare.

This bison skull quilt was inspired by a visit to South Dakota.

First, as a mid-westerner, the beauty of this state is like nothing I’d ever seen. Particularly in the Black Hills, there’s wildlife everywhere, incredible terrain, and bison strolling along the roadside. It’s not surprising that animal skulls are a popular item. When I found this fabulous feather fabric with white background, I knew a bison skull quilt would soon be born!

Image of Bison Skull Quilt
Tanka Quilt Pattern

Finding the focus fabric is the first step.

First, the fabric I chose, from The Quilt Shop in Chamberlain, SD, was a feather toss on a white background. Since the feathers are made using a fusible broderie perse technique, I knew the background around the feathers would be cut away, leaving only the colored feathers.

Turn the fabric over.

Second, choosing a great focus fabric means auditioning both sides! Turning this fabric, I saw that the feather motif showed just enough to give the skull interest. It didn’t overpower the feathers from the RIGHT side.

The skull is made from the REVERSE side of the focus fabric while the hanging feather decoration is cut from the RIGHT.

Mix it up with background fabrics.

The background fabrics for this quilt were really fun to play with! Don’t you just love that black and white fence row fabric at the bottom?

One of the fun parts of making these quilts is mixing up the background fabrics. This one has batik, southwest, gold circles on gray (but reversed), grunge and a fur look to really give interest to the quilt. It’s all about VALUE.

Tanka, in Lakota, means “big, great”.

Image of Bison Quilt Closeup

Read about our trip to the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park, statues, monuments and, of course, quilt shops in “South Dakota Quilts & More” (click here) !

It’s so much fun to #usebothsides of fabrics.

In conclusion, using both sides of fabric is a great way to learn about the nuances of value. You won’t look at fabric the same way again!

Shop HERE more than 50 patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides!

Image of Deer Quilt
JACK Quilt Pattern
image of hovering hawks

River Heritage – Hovering Hawks

August 13, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

The Hovering Hawks quilt block is the featured design for month eight of the mystery quilt, River Heritage.

The Hovering Hawks quilt block is another classic quilt block that’s been around a long time.

Variations on the history of this quilt block.

Of course, it’s easy to understand why hawks would be commonly seen along the river. But the meaning of this block has numerous variations. Some accounts simply say the block pays homage to the common bird of prey scene in everyday life.

Additionally, the Hovering Hawks quilt block is considered to be from the family of the Jacob’s Ladder block variations.

Finally, another explanation of this block relates it specifically with the Civil War. It is said that the facing triangles symbolize the foraging soldiers on each side of the war.

There’s an interesting history lesson by Barbara Brackman HERE about the block and it’s symbolic meaning with the civil war.

The past months of the River Heritage Mystery Quilt has given you seven blocks that each have some connection to life along the river. Such is the case with this one. Image of Hovering Hawks Month

I think you’ll find this quilt block is fun to make. 

Photographing actual hovering hawks proved to be quite a challenge!

First, the red-tailed hawk (which is likely what lives here) doesn’t actually hover, according to the experts. They may appear to do something similar, but experts say it isn’t actually a hover.

Furthermore, the hawk is usually a loner, not flying in groups like turkey buzzards. I’ve learned a lot on the adventure through the River Heritage quilt! I hope you have, too!

 Image of Hawk

Here’s the overall description of the Hovering Hawks quilt block.

Hovering Hawks is made from sixteen squares, ten of them made from half-square triangles. This block has been made over the years using lots of different fabric and value combinations. I played with my fabrics quite a while before making my final choices for this block.  Use your own color scheme to make your block. Remember to check your values by taking a black and white picture of your fabric choices.

Image of Hovering Hawks Quilt Block
Hovering Hawks

First, you’ll arrange half-square triangle blocks with single blocks. Therefore, the piecing is easy and familiar.

Use your value tests to help determine placement of fabrics.

The challenge for me was deciding where to place my fabrics. However, testing the values really helped me have confidence in my fabric choices.

Click here for printer-friendly version: River Heritage Month 8 Hovering Hawks

Share your block using #riverheritage on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

In summary, like the glimmer of “river” in my “Eagle’s Nest” photos, we’re gonna say that the bird shown above is a hawk and it is hovering!

Most importantly, have fun making this Hovering Hawks quilt block!

River Heritage Month Nine

SHOP more than 50 patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric HERE!

Deer Quilt Pattern

Meet Jack-the Deer Quilt

July 30, 2018 /

It’s a boy! Jack is a deer quilt made with BOTH camouflage sides!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Table of contents

JACK (buck) is deer quilt wall hanging that’s made with both sides of one camouflage fabric on a scrappy background.

The focus fabric for this deer quilt is camouflage.

I found this Mossy Oak fabric at my local quilt shop. I tested the value of both sides, auditioning the fabric right there in the shop.

First, I made sure RIGHT side was plenty dark, so the deer head shape would be crisp. Next, I checked that the REVERSE was light enough to use as antlers and highlights for the ears, eyes, nose, and throat.

Deer Quilt Pattern
JACK (buck) Quilt Pattern

Fortunately, camouflage fabrics seem to be a staple in the fabric market every year.

Some camouflage fabrics aren’t the normal quilting quality. It’s okay for this type of quilt hanging. I thought this one was a stiff when I pulled it off the bolt, but after a quick wash and dry, it was great to work with! (I normally don’t laundry the fabric for a wall hanging.)

The backgrounds are scrappy.

Additionally, having a wide variety of background fabrics is key. This helps draw the eye through the quilt. Also, it adds an element of interest. This deer quilt sports a variety of fabric types including beige batik leaves, grassy geometric, beige stone, white on white floral, sandy batik, and painted grass.

Image of deer quilt
Hunter Orange spots JACK (buck)!

The deer quilt comes to life.

When quilting this deer quilt, I added “scribble” quilting with black thread to the eye areas. However, even before that, the features of his face just appeared, almost magically. VALUE is key for using BOTH sides of fabric, especially for JACK (buck)!

deer quilt in mountains
JACK in the Rocky Mountain National Park

See The Marine Behind the Quilts.

The Jack quilt pattern comes with:

  • Complete, detailed instructions.
  • Full-size paper template.
  • Guide for auditioning focus and background fabrics.
  • BONUS: Prairie Point Hanging Method.

SHOP JACK and more than 50 patterns that use BOTH sides!

Image of Sea Turtle Quilt

Meet Sandy, the Sea Turtle Quilt

July 16, 2018 /

Sandy, the sea turtle quilt, is super fun to make!

Table of contents

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

This sea turtle pattern is for those who love summer and salty air, the sound of sea gulls and crashing waves. And, of course, sea turtles!  

Sandy the sea turtle quilt is made with BOTH beautiful sides of fabric.

Image of sea turtle quilt
Sandy the Sea Turtle Quilt Pattern

The first reason Sandy is so fun and easy to make is the focus fabric! You only need to pick ONE. The RIGHT sides makes her shell and the binding. The REVERSE makes her legs, tail and head.

Add a fun, scrappy background.

Secondly, the background fabrics can be bold and fun. A variety of background fabrics can make this quilt sparkle with interest!

Audition BOTH sides of fabric.

image of turtle quilt
Sandy Sea Turtle Quilt Pattern

Furthermore, you learn HOW to audition BOTH side so fabric. You’ll start with your focus fabric. Next you’ll audition your background fabrics with BOTH sides of your focus fabric. The guide in the pattern tells you what to look for and how to use value to make your choices. See How to Use Both Sides.

About Sea Turtles

Did you know? Cooler sand temperatures produce more male and warmer sand produces more female sea turtles.

The sea turtle eggs hatch almost simultaneously, making the sandy nest look like boiling water. Instinctively, the babies find their way to the water with the help of the slope of the beach and the moon and star reflections on the water.

The large number of turtles hatching and moving to the sea all together helps protect them from predators. That’s why its a good idea to remove chairs and umbrellas and fill all holes at night during hatching season so they have a better chance at making it to sea safely.

Image of Seahorse Quilt Closeup
Learn about the Sally Quilt Pattern.

Shop for Sandy on www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey.

image of eagles nest view

River Heritage – Eagle’s Nest

July 9, 2018 /

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

The Eagle’s Nest quilt block gives you a bird’s-eye view!

The Eagle’s Nest quilt block took us to high places! We traveled to a look-out called Inspiration Point. See photos from our adventure below.

Month Seven of River Heritage is the Eagle’s Nest quilt block.Image of Month Seven Ad

Firstly, here is an overview of the Eagle’s Nest quilt block.

This block has a few more pieces and variety than the last two months’ blocks. This block has a nine-patch in the center which is set on-point and is surrounded by flying geese sections. However, like the “inspirational” pictures accompanying this post, this block will have a high perch in the River Heritage quilt setting!

Here is a digital view of the block.

Image of Eagle's Nest quilt block
Eagle’s Nest

The Eagle’s Nest quilt block for Month Seven of the River Heritage Mystery Quilt has more pieces in it than our previous blocks. However, they are not difficult to make.

One step at a time.

If you work with one section at a time, you’ll master what might appear to be the most difficult block in the quilt. My guess is you’ll get it right the first time around!

Check values for the Eagle’s Nest quilt block fabrics.

Follow the instructions for value (light, medium, and dark) and use your own color scheme to make your block. Remember to check your values by taking a black and white picture of your fabric choices.

Learn more about VALUE here: The Tricky Traits of Value.

Image of Eagle's Nest Quilt Block

River Heritage Month 7 Eagle’s Nest (printer-friendly version)

From the eagle’s view.

Image of Rock Cliffs
Approaching Inspiration Point
Image of View from Inspiration Point
Love the reflection of the tree below.
Image of Adjacent Rocks
Image of Rocks

We ventured to Inspiration Point, in the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest. We found a breathtaking panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley. Inspiration Point is located about 30 miles from Cape Girardeau, MO, near Wolf Lake, Illinois.

First, the hike to the viewing rocks is short and pleasant from the upper lot. (The lower lot looks like a pretty tough climb.) However, if we hadn’t seen other people on the outer rocks, I’m not sure we would have ventured onto them ourselves! Fortunately, the path isn’t as treacherous as it looked from the trail.

Image of Matt and View
My darling hubby taking me on another adventure to get pictures for River Heritage.
Image of View from Inspiration Point

The mighty Mississippi must be there somewhere for this Eagle’s Nest quilt block photo!

Somewhere in the distance, one of those glimmers of water is the mighty Mississippi River, I am SURE of it! Since we made the trip and the climb to get these pictures for the Eagle’s Nest quilt block, despite a bit of fear on my part (snakes and heights), we are going to go with that assumption!

Share your block using #riverheritage on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

River Heritage Month Eight

Be sure to Catch The BUZZ and join this blog!

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric HERE!

SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel!

Introducing…Bubbles & Bonus Tips

June 18, 2018 /

Choose background fabrics that add sparkle to your quilts!

To take a look at background fabrics, first let me introduce you to (drum roll): The Bubbles Quilt Pattern!

Image of Bubbles with scrappy background fabrics
Bubbles

Notice the varied background fabrics in this quilt. The baby whale is made using both beautiful sides of Kaffe Fassett’s Paint Pots fabrics!

You might think that once you’ve chosen a good focus fabric, your work at auditioning fabric is done. But really, you’ve just begun to have fun!

Secondly, it’s important to know that background fabrics for #usebothsides quilts are what make the quilts really sparkle! When you attend one of my classes, you learn that there is a certain “feel” you are trying to achieve in the relationship between your focus and background fabrics.

First pick focus fabrics. Then background fabrics.

It DOES truly begin with your focus fabric choice – you have to pick that first and foremost. (I’ll discuss focus fabric auditioning in another post. Tips for choosing focus fabric are included in each pattern.) Once your focus fabric has been chosen, you want to achieve a balance between your focus fabric and your backgrounds.  I encourage using a mix of fabric styles and to use this quilt as an opportunity try something new. I figure, it is a fun quilt– so use fun fabrics  which may not be appropriate in your more “serious” quilt work. I’m going to use two quilts as examples. Below are Phoebee and Bubbles:

Image of Bee Quilt
Phoebee Quilt Pattern

Phoebee really makes a statement.

Notice that the bee is made from very bold fabric. She’s not one bit shy. The background fabrics can be bolder for her because her focus fabric and her character allow it. Some of the background fabrics are darker in value than I would use with my other patterns, depending not just on the focus fabric, but also the subject matter and what I want you to feel when you look at the quilt.

Image of Bubbles with background fabrics
Bubbles Quilt Pattern

Now looking at Bubbles.

I hope you see a sweet, endearing “fellow”…youthful, happy, maybe adventuresome… maybe up to something. This baby whale can be a boy or a girl and you can change his or her attitude just by choosing a different focus fabric! What I am hoping you have noticed by now is that the background fabrics also have a different feel. In fact, most of the accent strips I used  are reversed to keep them from overpowering this sweet whale friend.

Once you’ve chosen your focus fabric, lay the fabric out, loosely shaped for the pattern you’re making– but with a twist. Literally, twist the fabric so that half of the fabric shows the reverse side. Audition BOTH sides of the focus fabric with your background possibilities. Each #usebothsides pattern gives detailed instructions for how to audition fabrics.

My husband and “silent” business partner just happened to name the two above quilts.

Next, compare the focus and background fabrics of these two quilts:

  • cauldron quilt
    Something’s Brewing
  • image of red truck quilt
    Merry

In conclusion, don’t want to get too serious about your fabric auditioning, because these patterns are designed to be fun, fast, and easy quilts. Plus, they make great quick gifts.

For more fabric auditioning fun, book a class or program for you next group event! Click here for more information.

SHOP more than 45 patterns HERE.

 

image of port and starboard

River Heritage – Port and Starboard

June 11, 2018 /

Port and Starboard

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Table of contents

The Port and Starboard block is our newest design for Month Six of the River Heritage Mystery Quilt!

Quilts Ahoy!

I knew from my Girl Scout canoeing days that “port” means LEFT and “starboard” means RIGHT. It’s easy to remember that the words “port” and “left” both have four letters. The same is true when looking out the front of your boat, vessel, ship, or even kayak, I guess.

Image of Port and Starboard Photo
View from the ferry ride across the Mighty Mississippi for River Heritage!

How Port and Starboard came to be.

What I didn’t know was how those terms came to be.  Here’s what I found out:

Starboard

Initially, boats were controlled by a steering oar (before the rudder was centered on the boat) which was usually on the right side of the stern. Sailors would call that side the “steering side”. Eventually, the two Old English words “steor”  and “bord” combined, which mean “steer” and “side of the boat”. 

Port

The opposite, or left side, of the boat was usually used for docking and loading the boat. Therefore, it was known as the “larboard”. Apparently, “larboard” was too easily confused with “starboard”, so the term “port” was adopted to refer to the side that faced the porters who loaded (ported) supplies onto the boat.

So there you have it! Port and Starboard.Image at Ferry Dockign

Now for the ferry ride!

While brainstorming for ways to photograph the river for this fun mystery adventure, I thought of the ferry crossing in Ste. Genevieve. I have vague memories of crossing the ferry as a kid and I remembered that my Uncle Elmer piloted the ferry for a number of years. My cousin, Bonnie, shared with me that he and 4 other men purchased the ferry in 1975 to keep it running for farmers who lived in Ste. Genevieve and farmed in Illinois. He would pilot the boat on the weekends during his retirement. 

Uncle Elmer loved the river and spent a lot of time there. If my Aunt Alice didn’t know where he was, she could find him at the river talking to fishermen and farmers. Before he married Aunt Alice, he was a river boat pilot pushing barges from St. Louis to New Orleans. Now his grandson, Jeff, pushes barges from Tower Rock in Ste. Gen. down the river as far as New Orleans.

Image of Elmer Wichern
Uncle Elmer piloting the ferry.
Image of Young Man Working the River
My dad.

Elmer’s younger brother, Bill (my dad), also worked the river as a young man. The only story I remember from my dad about working on the river is that once while in New Orleans he got an anchor tattooed on his arm. Apparently, this brought a lot of trouble from his siblings when he got home! I loved tracing that anchor with my fingers.

Watching the maneuvers of the ferry first hand made me realize just how important are Port and Starboard!

Image of Orville Wichern
My dad.
Image of River Crossing

The Port and Starboard quilt block is really fun to make!

Similar to the Trail of Tears block, this block is made from sixteen half-square triangle blocks. The difference is the layout.

River Heritage Month 6 Port and Starboard Printer-Friendly

image of quilt block

Remember to check your values.

Here you see both the color and black and white versions of my block. This is how I check the values before stitching my block together.

Image of Black and White Port and Starboard Block
Image of Port and Starboard block

Additionally, you’ll continue with your own color scheme for your fabric choices.

Image of river in Port and Starboard
View from the ferry.
Image of Vehicle on Ferry

Share your block using #riverheritage on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

SHOP more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric HERE!

River Heritage Month Seven

SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel HERE!

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