In the course of the past twelve years as a serious quilter I have had several opportunities to make some Memory Quilts composed of signature blocks. Quilters have been doing this for almost 200 years and will continue to as long as there are people to love and quilts to make! I have used a variety of traditional blocks from Cracker, Puss In The Corner, Shoofly, and Sawtooth Star, as well as several from the 1800's which have renamed unnamed. I have included nine blocks here which I hope will start your creative juices flowing. They all finish to 6". Whether it be a square, triangle, or rectangle, there is room for not only the name but also in some cases a personal sentiment to be written on the muslin. I have found that a permanent fine line Pigma pen is best to use as it doesn't bleed into the fabric and doesn't wash out.

The first Remember Me block (Block 1) is a traditional block seen in many antique Friendship quilts. For the central square, cut one 4-3/4" square of muslin. For the eight surrounding triangles, cut two 4-1/4" squares of contrasting fabrics. Cut these squares into four triangles each (bisecting along both diagonals). Following the block diagram, sew pairs of triangles together first. Then sew pairs to all four sides of the muslin square. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

The second Remember Me block (Block 2) is a variation of Block 1. For the signature triangle cut out a 5-1/8" square of muslin. Sub-cut this once along one diagonal to yield two triangles. Our block uses one muslin triangle. The two triangles which attach to the signature triangle are two contrasting fabrics. Cut out one 3-7/8" square of each fabric. Cut each along one diagonal to yield two triangles of each fabric. Our block uses one triangle from each fabric. For the four outside triangles which square up our block, cut two squares of a third fabric measuring 3-7/8". Cut each into two triangles. Attach the four triangles. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

Our third block is called Cracker. This is a favorite of mine. The central square is made up of three equal sized rectangles (like a Rail Fence Block). Cut one of these rectangles from muslin and two from the same print 2" x 4-3/4". Seam these three together, wedging the muslin between the two print rectangles. Press. From muslin cut one 3-7/8" square, cut along the diagonal to yield two triangles. Attach to two opposite sides of your rail fence center. From your print cut one 3-7/8" square. Cut along the diagonal to yield two triangles. Sew to the remaining two sides. Press. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

(Click here to see Piecing Diagram for Puss In The Corner, Shoofly, and Roman Stripe Blocks)

Puss In The Corner is our fourth block. For the central muslin square cut one 3-1/2" square. For the four print rectangles cut four strips 2" x 3-1/2". Cut four 2" squares for the outside squares which can either be muslin or of a contrasting print. Refer to block diagram for piecing. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

Roman Stripe is a bonus block because you can actually get two different color variations out of one set of piecing strips. For the muslin signature triangle cut one 6-7/8" square, then cut it once along one diagonal. Use one of these muslin triangles. To quick-piece the striped triangle, seam together three strips of various colors cut to 1-1/2" x 44". Press seams. Trim this to a 4-3/4" width so the template will fit. Make a template by first cutting out a 6-7/8" square of paper. Cut this once along the diagonal. Use one paper triangle to cut out a template from cardboard or template plastic. Line up the long edge of the triangle template with the bottom long edge of the three-color strip. Cut out a triangle. Turn the template upside down and cut out another three-strip triangle. Repeat until you reach the end. Half of your three-strip triangles will be one color sequence, the other half will have the opposite color sequence. Either mix the two sets together or use one set in one quilt and save the other set for another quilt. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

Our Shoofly Block is the quickest of all. The central square of muslin is cut 2-1/2". Cut four 2-1/2" squares of one color/print. For the half-square triangle corner blocks, cut two 2-7/8" squares of one print and two 2-7/8" squares of another. Cut each of these four squares into two triangles for a total of eight triangles. Pair up triangles, seam together according to block diagram. Sew block together. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

(Click here to see Piecing Diagram for Sawtooth Star, Variable Star, and Album Blocks)

Sawtooth Star has a central muslin square cut 3-1/2". To make star points: cut four 2-3/8" squares from dark fabric. Cut each of these squares along one diagonal to yield a total of eight triangles. Cut one 4-1/4" square of a medium fabric. Cut this into four equilateral triangles (cutting along both diagonals). Sew two dark triangles to one medium triangle. This is like piecing a Flying Geese unit. Make a total of four of these units. Sew a three-triangle unit to the sides (left and right) of the plain muslin 3-1/2" square. Cut four 2" squares of medium fabric. Sew a 2" square to the short side of the remaining two three-triangle units. Join these units to the central unit to complete our Sawtooth Star Block. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

Variable Star uses a 2-5/8" square of muslin surrounded by four triangles cut from a 3-1/8" square. The 3-1/8" square is cut into four equal sized triangles. Sew these to all four sides of the muslin square. Finish with the star points sewn as directed in the Sawtooth Star block. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

The traditional Album Block is sewn in the same manner as the Sawtooth Star, except the central square is made from three equal sized rectangles. Cut one muslin and two colored strips 1-1/2" x 3-1/2". Seam these together beginning and ending with the colored rectangles. This forms a 3-1/2" square (unfinished). Continue piecing the star points as with the Sawtooth Star. Unfinished size is 6-1/2".

There are many other traditional blocks which can be used in album quilts. As long as there is a spot for a signature and/or personal sentiment, your choice is almost limitless. There are a variety of ways to arrange these blocks into a quilt. Setting them block to block will create delightful secondary patterns. Adding simple sashing strips with setting squares will give them a uniform effect. Consulting quilting books will also yield many possibilities.

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