When I saw Lucy Boston’s Patchwork of the Crosses the first time, it appealed to me immediately, and the fascination grew when I realized that the blocks were made with only one shape—the 90 degree hexagon—and the blocks are linked with squares.

The hexagons are available in two Inklingo sizes:

• 1.0 inch sides
• 1.5 inch sides

There is a size comparison in a PDF at the bottom of those pages.

There are several one-patch layouts in Electric Quilt, but this is not one of them, so we decided to prepare it for you.

   EQ7 Project File

This new Electric Quilt project file includes the traditional POTC block with 24 hexagons. I also included three other variations with fewer hexagons.

  EQ7 Project File

We are hoping that 20 Inklingoists will submit designs in the June Club EQ Challenge. The theme is Twenty for the 20th anniversary of EQ. You can use these EQ project files even if you don’t have the Inklingo Shape Collections.

There are several more EQ7 Project Files free to download from this blog too.

Kathy Timmons was inspired by Lucy Boston too and she has created many beautiful blocks with Inklingo (see more). Just like Lucy Boston, she is an artist with fabric.

She fussy custs many of the shapes. (There are tips for fussing cutting and fussy printing on the blog and in my book too.) You can see all of Kathy’s POTC, QD, and other blocks in her albums on Webshots and in the Inklingo Yahoo group.

Traditionally, these hexagons would have been sewn with English Paper Piecing, but Inklingo provides the cutting and stitching lines, so you don’t need templates and you can sew by hand or by machine. 

When you use Inklingo to print the shapes on the wrong side of the fabric with an ordinary Inkjet printer, it is faster and simpler.

Lucy Boston was famous for her gardens at Hemingford Grey in England.

The Patchwork of the Crosses gives some information about Lucy Boston, but if you would like to know more about her life, her children’s books, her quilts, her ancient manor house (built about 1130), and her famous gardens, you need The Patchworks of Lucy Boston by Diana Boston. It is one of my favorite quilt books even though it doesn’t include any patterns. The story of her life and the photos of her quilts are beautifully presented. The book is full of inspiration for quilts made with simple shapes, and many of them are inklingoable.

(I buy the book directly from Diana. There are only a few left in stock.)

Russ is the gardener here, but he lets me pick the colors. Blue salvia, mauve wave pentunias, and cascading white lobelia will fill the pots on the patio in a few weeks. They are certainly getting enough rain!

Every comment for Kathy will be forwarded to her. Thank you for visiting!

Linda & Monkey

PS Don’t forget to enter Tilde’s 15 Minute Challenge . You could win in the next draw on June 30!

New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares  in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.

I will never forget it.

The Quilt Show BOM with Inklingo by Mary

Mary is too quiet and unassuming (and too busy quilting!) to do this herself, so I have collected most of her Inklingo quilts and works in progress here. She sewed some by hand and some by machine. Some are completed quilts, and some are blocks laid out on the floor. Some are traditional, and some are not. All are wonderful!

Lone Star with Inklingo by Mary

Mary taught me how to hand piece with freezer paper templates in January 1998, when we were both spending every winter in Naples Florida. We had already been friends for several years, although she lived in Wisconsin and I lived in Ontario. She was the first person I ever heard use the strange word “Paducah,” and the first person I ever knew who had a “stash.” 

Seven Sisters with Inklingo by Mary

Mary has had a huge influence on my quilting life from the beginning, and she was the one who convinced Russ that I should get a new computer, so I could get online. Early in 1996 (or 1995?) she cunningly showed Russ (the chef) some cooking sites on her laptop, but he said he already had more recipes than he could ever use.

Russ famously told me, “Of course, you can get a new computer, but what are you doing to DO with it?”

We still tease him about that. I did not jump right away, but in 1996 I signed my Christmas cards as linda@no_net.yet and russ@bahnet.com. Mary had convinced me. We got online in 1997.

Red Toile

Alabama Beauty

Alabama Beauty laid out on the floor.

Alabama Beauty laid out on the floor.

Farmer’s Delight (from Dresden Plate Fancy) in Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

Farmer’s Delight, ready to quilt.

Snowball

Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC)

Lucy Boston Octagon quilt

Lucy Boston Octagon quilt (detail)

Half Square Triangles (HST) by machine.

Mary sometimes pieces by hand and sometimes by machine.

LeMoyne Star

LeMoyne Star

Green Toile

Grandmother’s Flower Garden (GFG) flowers

Farmer’s Wife Sampler (FWS)

Farmer’s Wife Sampler (FWS)

Flying Geese

Drunkard’s Path

Leaves you speechless, doesn’t it? 

Mary is also the first quilter to tell me, “Inklingo is the next revolution in quilting, equal to the rotary cutter, paper piecing, acrylic templates, and Internet lists.” That favorite quote is on the back cover of The Inklingo Handbook.

After all these years, Mary continues to keep me inspired. I will make sure she sees any comments you leave here, but Mary is one of the very talented, quiet quilters in the Inklingo Yahoo group, so you can leave comments and ask questions there too. Maybe we can find out what she will do next!

I don’t think anyone can catch up to Mary, but if you would like to try Inklingo now anyway, there is a way to get a Quick Start (free).

I am very grateful to Mary for her friendship, and for letting me share her photos here. Aren’t you glad you came for a visit? Quite an amazing amount of inspiration this time, don’t you think? 

Linda & Monkey

You can buy tickets online to see From Time to Time, the new movie based on Lucy Boston’s famous Chimneys of Green Knowe.  It just keeps getting better and better for fans of Lucy Boston, especially those who are making the Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC) with Inklingo.  Read on!

This movie trailer was posted on YouTube.

Diana Boston was at the Premiere at the London Film Festival last October.  She told me that when I see From Time to Time,  I will see Maggie Smith stitching on the Patchwork of the Crosses (POTC) beside the fire.  WOW.  The movie did not have a distributor at that time, so I have waited until now to mention it.

The writer and director, Julian Fellowes, wrote the screenplays for Gosford Park (one of my favs) and Most Mysterious Murders (excellent).  From Time to Time was not filmed at Lucy Boston’s ancient manor house at Hemingford Grey, but at Athelhampton, which Russ and I happened to visit in 1991.  Athelhampton was a good choice for several reasons, including the topiary garden.  You can see some great photos of Athelhampton in the online guide book (in 3 parts). 

According to the entry on IMDB several of my favorite actors are in the cast. In addition to Maggie Smith, there are Timothy Spall (Oliver Twist), Hugh Bonneville (many great films, including Miss Austen Regrets and a small role in Notting Hill), Harriet Walter (many, including S & S), Pauline Collins (Shirley Valentine), and others. 

Gosford Park is another connection between Maggie Smith and Julian Fellowes. I know it so well that I can enjoy “watching” it while I am drawing Inklingo shapes on the computer.

It has always amazed me that movie makers have endless budgets for big stars, but seem to spend too little to get a competent script. In this case, the writer is the director!  Judging by Julian Fellowes’ novels and other screenplays, he knows how to tell an engaging story, plus he was given an excellent start by Lucy Boston.

(The Young Victoria will be at cinemas here in Burlington soon, and he wrote the screenplay for that too.)

I can hardly wait until I can see From Time to Time! There is no news yet about dates for North America, but if I were within a few hours of Glasgow, I would find a way to get there! Let me know if you are lucky enough to see it, okay?

Linda & Monkey

The draw was done on January 6th.  I wondered why I had not heard from Lillian TractorLewie@aol.com .  I just need your mailing address, Lillian! If I hear from you in time, this gorgeous fabric will be mailed first thing tomorrow morning from Niagara Falls NY, and you can start Inklingoing.

Thank you to everyone who commented here to enter the draw, or added an Inklingo button to a blog or web site. The majority of quilters still have not heard about Inklingo, so every time you mention it, it might be someone’s very first time and you are helping me and your quilting friend.

If you haven’t yet, you need to order and download Tilde’s wonderful FREE pattern for the Passacaglia Table Runner.

I will write more about the new Dresden Plate Design Book (free) and collections too. Stay tuned!

Linda & Monkey

I only learned the word recently, thanks to Diana and Lucy Boston, but a young boy from Virginia got it right. P-A-S-S-A-C-A-G-L-I-A Tilde was inpsired by Lucy Boston to write a beautiful pattern for it. Yesterday we announced a Give-A-Way of fabric for it. You could win. Details here. 

Passacaglia was my first gift.

I also received an e-mail alert about some short videos presented by The Morgan about Jane Austen. I am giving them to you because they appealed to me.

The Divine Jane: Reflections on Austen from The Morgan Library & Museum on Vimeo.

Next, Fran Lebowitz explain why she thinks Austen is popular for all the wrong reasons.

Fran Lebowitz: Reflections on Austen from The Morgan Library & Museum on Vimeo.

Harriet Walter reflects on playing various characters from Austen’s novels.

Harriet Walter: Reflections on Austen from The Morgan Library & Museum on Vimeo.

The Morgan will be adding more of these short videos soon. 

Companionship, music, words (we stayed tuned for more), quilting, Inklingo, Jane Austen, Lucy Boston. My Christmas Day in Burlington, shared with friends.

I’m going to join Russ now.  There are only three spellers left, including Passacaglia Boy. I hope he wins.

Merry Christmas!

Linda & Monkey

Prize Fabric "Stained Glass"

The Prize! 
Win 0.75 yards of the two fabrics Tilde used to make her blocks. It is more than enough for 4 blocks for a gorgeous Passacaglia Table Runner, even with fussy cutting, à la Lucy Boston. How cool is that?

The fabrics are Stained Glass and Gothic Arch from the Mezzanine collection from Michael Miller. (No affiliation)

Christmas Eve to Little Christmas
It starts today, Christmas Eve. This is the traditional day for gifts and Christmas dinner in my family and in Tilde’s. You can enter any time up until January 6th, which is Little Christmas (Ireland), Three Kings (Russia), or  Epiphany (Finland, Italy, Puerto Rico, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, etc.). It seems appropriate to mention all of these because Inklingo has spread worldwide thanks to the Internet.

Prize Fabric "Gothic Arch"

Enter to win for up to three chances!  
1. First chance: Leave a comment here on this post.
2. Second chance: Leave a comment on Tilde’s Blog entry.
3. Third chance: Add the button for the Inklingo Projects Blog  on your blog and write about the Give-A-Way. Please be sure to include the link to Tilde’s FREE Passacaglia Table Runner Pattern  in your message. It is http://lindafranz.com/product.php?productId=55

Of course, Tilde and I must have a way to reach the winners, so be sure to give contact info. We do not share this info with anyone.

There are two huge, tall men (virtual giants, not elves) banging around in the basement this morning, installing the new furnace parts. Hooray! They are very nice guys and we feel lucky that we will have proper heat for Christmas.  They seem to be good friends, and we have heard laughter several times, so we think things are going well. Either that, or they think it is hilarious to see so much fabric on the tables down there. (Most of my stash migrated downstairs this year.)

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Linda & Monkey