And we are back with the next instalment of the Safari Block of the Month! I hope you enjoyed working on the little giraffe in January.
This month’s block features an ostrich. Ostriches are the largest living birds. They cannot fly, but they can run incredibly fast. While they are farmed all over the world, they are native only to Africa.
Here is a fun fact I discovered while designing this block: ostriches have only two toes. I noticed their feet looked unusual when I was studying pictures, as I somehow expected them to have at least three toes. Before finalizing the design, I double-checked and confirmed that they indeed have just two.
I had the assembled block sitting on the ironing board for a few days before I found the time to stitch down the pieces. Every time I walked by, I could not help but laugh at the silly face looking back at me.
For this block, I decided to make the ostrich pink and purple because I wanted something more colourful than just black and white. Interestingly, the black and white ostriches I usually picture are males, while females have brownish-grey feathers. Huh, the things you learn while designing quilt blocks!
The pattern is available for free download until the end of the month—here is the link. Have fun with it! And if you have a picture of your finished block, I would love for you to share it with me.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
Happy New Year 2025! I hope it brings joy and creativity to you all. I am excited to introduce my brand-new Block of the Month project, Safari. This year’s format will be a little different from my previous ones. Instead of twelve blocks, there will be nine, running from January to September. In October, I will share the finishing instructions, and in November, the full pattern will be available. We will take a break in December, as it is such a busy time for everyone preparing for the holidays.
Safari is also different from my previous Block of the Month projects. Instead of one animal featured in different scenes, each month will showcase a different animal. All nine animals are inspired by those you might encounter on an African safari. While they will have a whimsical cartoon style, they will not display any human behaviours.
The layout will be similar to previous years, but this time it will feature a 3×3 grid instead of a 3×4. The finished quilt will measure approximately 52 inches square. The finishing instructions will be available as a free download in October, provided as a separate pattern. I always enjoy seeing pictures of your finished blocks! My email address is on the cover page of every pattern, in the lower left corner, so feel free to share them with me.
On the cover page, I have included an estimate of the amounts of background fabrics needed if you plan to use the same fabrics for all nine blocks. For the animals, simply dive into your scrap bin and see what you can find. The exact colours are not important—just work with what you have and, most importantly, have fun!
Our first animal sighting is a giraffe! Here is a picture of my sample block. Isn’t he just adorable with his big head, wobbly legs, and cheeky grin?
The free pattern will once again be available only in English with Imperial measurements. All other rules remain the same as in previous years, and here they are again as a quick reminder:
A new block will be published on the first day of each month at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard/Daylight Time. If any unforeseen circumstances require changes to this schedule, I will announce them here on the blog. Since I am in the Pacific time zone, it may already be the second day of the month for some of you. I kindly ask for your patience and request that you refrain from emailing me about the timing of the next block. I do not schedule posts to go live in the middle of the night, as this allows me to address any potential issues with the pattern files immediately rather than waking up to dozens of messages. If you do notice a problem, please do not hesitate to contact me so I can resolve it as quickly as possible.
Each block will be available as a free download during the month it is published. Once the next block is released, the previous block will move to the store section, where it can be purchased for a small fee. If you miss a block, you can buy it for just $2 CAD (approximately $1.39 USD or €1.34 at the time of writing—less than the cost of a decent coffee these days!). Please do not email me asking for a free copy, as such requests will be ignored. I also kindly ask that you respect my copyright and avoid sharing the pattern with others who may have missed the free download. Sharing patterns in this way discourages designers from continuing to offer free content in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read through all this. Without further ado, here is the download link for the first block—enjoy!
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
Edit: Bedauerlicherweise muss ich die deutschen Versionen meiner Anleitungen mit metrischen Maßen nun endgültig einstellen. Schon seit einigen Jahren habe ich diese zusätzliche Arbeit nur in kleinere Projekte investiert, aber mit der Schließung von Makerist zum 1. April 2025 entfällt mein Hauptvertriebsweg für deutsche Anleitungen, sodass sich der Aufwand für mich nicht mehr lohnt. Die bereits existierenden Anleitungen biete ich weiterhin über meine Website zum Verkauf an. Bei Interesse bitte dem Link zum Pattern Store folgen, die englische Version bestellen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke diese dann per E-Mail. Für zukünftige Projekte, einschließlich des Safari Block of the Month, wird es leider keine deutschen Versionen mehr geben. Ich danke für Ihr Verständnis.
If you are interested in my previous Block of the Month projects, they are still available for purchase here:
I have been hinting at a new Block of the Month (BOM) project for a while now, but I wanted to wait until everything was finalized before making an announcement. Well, the wait is over! I am thrilled to announce… drum roll please… Safari, my new BOM for 2025!
This BOM will be a little different from the last few years. I have decided to go with just nine blocks instead of twelve. A new block will be released each month from January to September. The finishing instructions, which will still be available for free, will follow in October, with the full pattern available for purchase in November. Since December is always such a busy time, we will take a break for Christmas, and—if all goes well—I hope to have another BOM ready for 2026. I already have something in mind, but for now, let us enjoy the adventure of a Safari!
The Safari quilt will feature a different animal each month. Each design will showcase the animal in a whimsical, cartoon-inspired style—just the animal, without any human-like behaviours. There will be no monkeys or hippos in this quilt. I think we have had our fill of monkeys, and with my Happy Hippo Hop quilt and matching pillow already in the mix, it is time to explore new options.
I am so excited to start another BOM, and I hope you are just as excited to join me!
It’s December, and once again I am asking myself where time has gone. The older you get, the faster it seems to fly. December is always busy with Christmas approaching quickly, and before we know it, another year will be over. We are not going to put up a tree as our silly cats are out to destroy it. And what’s even worse, they munch on the needles whenever they have the chance, standing there under the branches like little ruminating cows. The last time we had a tree we ended up moving it into our son’s room and kept the door closed, so it makes no sense to even buy one. But I will hang up my favourite Christmas decoration, a silly moose wreath I made a long time ago. Probably 20 years or so, and it came to Canada with us and still makes me laugh evey time I see it.
Our hedgehog friend is busy with one of our favourite fall activities – quilting! When summer is over, when the days get shorter and the air cooler, there is less to do outside, and we tend to spend more time at our sewing machines. This little guy or gal has assembled a pretty Nine Patch block. I tried to stay with fall/Halloween-ish colours but feel free to substitute for your favourite colours. As always the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released. The finishing instructions are also available now, scroll down for the download link.
EDIT: The year is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase if you missed the free download. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.
Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.
Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.
And once again I won’t be able to release the block at the first of the month at 9 am. I have appointments on Friday and might not be here all day, so I am going to release the block on Saturday morning at 9 am. If you are a subscriber you will be notified by email, otherwise please check back and remember I am on Pacific time, so way behind most of you. Thank you for understanding.
It’s November, and the garden season is barely over. I still had cucumbers two weeks ago, and I only pulled them after the last harvest because there was arctic air in the forecast and overnight frost was coming. I also had a final bean harvest of about 1 kg before the cold air arrived. The warm fall temperatures have really extended the season this year. I am happy to get a small break now as I need to plan the garden set up for next year. And I am also going to start radishes indoors today. I have been doing this for the past two years as we always need radishes for a New Year’s Eve dish, and sometimes they are hard to find at the grocery store. With a grow light they’ll be ready to harvest around Christmas.
Our little hedgehog friend is celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Canadian Thanksgiving is in October but since there was also a Halloween block, the Thanksgiving block had to wait until November and American Thanksgiving. This is the most complicated block of the year, December’s block will be easier and have a lot less pieces. I tried to just add a single vegetable instead of the basket but the only one that looked right was a squash, and it looked too much like the October block with the carved Halloween pumpkin. So a basket it is, and the pieces are a bit fiddly but you can always do less, embroider or add a cute button. I like how he turned out, and pumpkin pie is my favourite, so it had to be included in the block. As always the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.
Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.
Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.
Welcome to October! The garden season is almost over, and I pulled my tomato plants yesterday. We have a ton of green tomatoes now but most of them will turn red over time. And if not, my friend Connie makes the most delicious green tomato relish, so I would have a recipe to try if I am drowning in green tomatoes. Today I will clean up the front yard with the sunflowers. I grew Velvet Queen (a red variety) and Lemon Queen this year, and they are both still producing small new flower heads but overall the plants look pretty beaten up. Twice I saw a squirrel scurrying away with a flower head. I am growing the sunflowers for the birds and other animals, so I don’t mind that at all. It’s mostly entertainment for my cats who love sitting in the front window, watching the birds. We’ll harvest whatever seeds are left and put them in the bird feeder, so the cats won’t lose their entertainment.
As for our hedgehog friend, he has decided to dress up as a ghost for Halloween. That makes for a pretty easy block this month, although the bat eyes are a bit finicky, and you might want to embroider the orange eyes as well, not just the black pupils. It is possible to appliqué them but if you don’t like fiddling with tiny pieces, just simplify the design. As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released in November.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.
Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.
Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.
July and the first half of August were extremely busy for me with quilting for customers. Now I am finally caught up and have started working through my own project queue. Some of the things I found in my closet were quite a surprise! As for gardening, the season is winding down. We have harvested all the onions, leeks and cabbage. The tomatoes are still going strong. But the biggest success of the year were the watermelons. We have picked two so far, and they were so good! Sweet and juicy and full of flavour, the best watermelon ever. I will definitely try this again next year. For those in my area: the variety is Sugar Baby which has a shorter ripening time, and it needs to be started indoors in late April and transplanted around May long weekend, otherwise there won’t be enough time for the melons to ripen before the temperatures start to drop. I highly recommend giving this a try, you will never like store-bought watermelons again!
As for our hedgehog friend, it’s time to go back to school. He maybe looks a bit old-fashioned with his blackboard but I thought it looked cuter than having him carry around a laptop. The backpack is a bit more complicated with a lot of small pieces but I think it looks adorable. Please remember that you don’t have to do everything exactly the way I did. You can always simplify or embroider details. As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released in October.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.
Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.
Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.
I won’t be around tomorrow morning to release the next block as I have several appointments. It will still be released tomorrow but probably not until the afternoon. If you are a subscriber, you will receive an email when the block is released. Otherwise make sure you’ll check back later. Thank you for understanding.
Another month has flown by, and I wonder where time has gone. My veggie garden is keeping me busy, I am about to start the third batch of beans. The first one is done, the second one is ready to harvest. The cherry tomatoes are so sweet and yummy, and the first big tomatoes are ready as well. And I just noticed today that the first grapes are changing colour. This year I was smart enough and covered them with netting, so hopefully we will get to taste them. Last year the birds got them all. I don’t mind sharing with the crows, not even my fruit and veggies but I would like to try at least some of them myself.
For our little hedgehog friend, it is already (still?) fall, and he is busy raking leaves this month. The blocks are getting a bit more intricate, feel free to simplify the maple leaves by omitting the stems. As always the block will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase. If you just need the finishing instructions, they are still available for free download.
Für die deutsche(n) Version(en) mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem/den Kauflink(s) unten für die englische(n) Version(en) folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung(en) in der gewünschten Sprache.
Wer nur die Anleitung zur Fertigstellung sucht, kann diese nun auch auf Deutsch kostenlos herunterladen.
