Friday, May 2, 2014

Welcome Quiltmakers! It's Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 9 Blog Tour!

Hello everyone!  Thanks so much for joining me for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 9 Blog Tour.  I hope you've been inspired, visiting the awesome blogs all week long.  I'm always amazed and a little bit awed when I see the diversity and creativity in each issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks.  


I've had blocks appearing in several issues, but this is the first time I made the cover.  It was exciting for me - Woo-hoo!  I'm a cover girl.  


Here's my block, Triangle-O-Rama.  It's block #897, at the very end of the issue.
I will be sewing a quilt featuring this block in the near future.  Stay tuned!


Today I'm going to share a little insight into my design process.  My designs usually start like this:  some doodling in my design notebook.  I've had the same notebook for years.  It's fun to look back and revisit old ideas.  Sometimes new ideas are sparked in this way.  I drew these at the park one day, while my boys were playing on the jungle gym.


As you can see, I came up with eight different ideas.  After drawing and coloring by hand, I take my design notebook to my computer and start playing around with my EQ7 quilt design program.  The end result rarely looks like my original drawing.  Then, the actual sewing of the block can produce more changes.  It is so much fun to see how each design progresses from beginning to end.  


Thanks so much for joining me today!  I hope to see you here again soon.  To win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 9, please leave me a comment below, and be sure I have a way to contact you.  The winner will be chosen at random.

Here's the link back to the Quilty Pleasures Blog Tour page. 

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

223 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading about your design process! The block is very complex looking - I like it!

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  2. Hi Jennifer, you have a great block! Thank you for sharing your design process with us. Congratulations on becoming a Cover Girl, a huge achievement :)

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  3. Congrats on your block making the magazine!

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  4. Thank you for sharing your process and you block too. I like it. I prefer piecing and scraps.

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  5. I love your block. I'm so glad you got it published. Congratulations.

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  6. Congratulations on a fabulous block and for making the cover! How fun!

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  7. Great block. Thanks for chance to win.

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  8. Congrats on being a cover girl, happy sewing to all

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  9. Great block. Congrats on making the cover. I tend to favor more traditional quilts, so this block is a real winner for me. bakscrap@yahoo.com

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  10. What a neat block! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  11. I like seeing your creative process. You could still make those blocks, so really you ended up with a bunch of new blocks.

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  12. Great block. I love HSTs.
    auntie.clark@gmail.com

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  13. I found it interesting hat you draw by hand before you go to EQ. Glad I'm not the only one with graph paper

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  14. Great block! Thank you for sharing your process with us.

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  15. Great block! Love getting a glimpse into your design process! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  16. great block....I like pinwheels and I can see them in it

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  17. Really like your block and interesting how you drew on graph paper first.

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  18. I enjoyed seeing the photos of your creative process. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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  19. What a terrific block. Congradulations on making the cover

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  20. Love your block and seeing your hand sketches

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  21. Congrats on making the cover. I like your block a lot and the colorway. It looks complicated but I am sure with your directions it will be a delight to make.

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  22. Congratulations on making the cover and I love your block. This blog tour has been so much fun.
    Thank you for the chance to win
    thim3@hotmail.com

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  23. Love the geometry of your block. Congraduations!

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  24. Loved learning about your process. Great block!

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  25. congrats on making the cover!! i can only imagine how thrilled you were to find out you were a cover girl. i love your block and i an a new follower via bloglovin. keep up the great work! babscorbitt@gmail.com

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  26. Love your block and thank you for showing us how you make a block. Congrats on being on the cover

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  27. I loved reading through your process! Thanks for sharing.

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  28. Love your block! Thanks for showing us how you put together your block!

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  29. Congrats on your block making the cover!

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  30. Great Block - Congrats on being a "Cover Girl"! Thanks so much for the chance to win. :) Debby E
    samtaylorcjsmimi at yahoo dot com

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  31. That's just my kind of block. Congrats on the making the cover.

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  32. What a fun block, can't wait to see the quilt. Thanks for the give away!

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  33. This is a pretty block. I'm looking forward to seeing the quilt you will be making with it.

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  34. I love your block! The colours you have chosen for it are great also, no wonder it was chosen for the magazine!

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  35. Love your block! Thanks for the giveaway!

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  36. Congrats on being a cover girl! Love the block!

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  37. Congrats on that cover...girl! ;-) What a fun block.

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  38. Great Block - Congrats on being a "Cover Girl"! Thanks so much for the chance to win :) Debby E
    samtaylorcjsmimi at yahoo dot com

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  39. What a great block! I love the 100 Blocks issues and would love to win one! Thanks!

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  40. Congratulations on the cover. Neat block. Thanks!

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  41. Wow! Now that is a block I will have to make!

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  42. You and I design the same way--graph paper and color pencil! I like your block--its complexity is nicely ordered by the palette you chose. I am pleased for you for making the cover.

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  43. Good looking block. Lots of triangles though!

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  44. Congratulations on making the cover! Your block is great and has lots of potential for secondary designs in a quilt. Thanks for sharing and for the chance to win a copy.

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  45. Thanks for sharing how you design!

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  46. How fun... if I up size it I can make a full size quilt pretty quick

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  47. Congratulations on your block and thank you for the giveaway.

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  48. This is my favorite type of block to do-thanks!

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  49. Woo Hoo. A Cover Girl!! Great block.

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  50. Such a fun little block, it would look awesome in bright scrappy.

    just in case (m3reyna at gmail dot com)

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  51. Great idea for your block and like your explanation for creating it.

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  52. I love triangles! I learned to make them with heavy starch before cutting and glue basting before piecing. It was a great start for a new quilter. Thanks for the opportunity! notwendy gmail

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  53. Great block. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  54. Thanks for sharing the process and the giveaway!

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  55. Thanks for sharing your design process!

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  56. Great block, love the movement it has. 24Tangent@gmail.com

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  57. I love how you design blocks and your fabric choices. Cindy at cwienstroer@amuniversal.com

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  58. Great block. I love black and tan together and always happy to see some pinwheels.

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  59. Love the color scheme of this block.....can't wait to see the quilt you come up with!!

    spurr@mts.net

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  60. Congrats on making the cover. Love your block!

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  61. I like seeing how you designed the block and also the variations. I jst purchased a sketchbook of graph paper, but I hadn't thought to carry it with. Hmm-- better use of time at the playground than playing sudoku on my phone!

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  62. congrats, this is a very pretty block. thanks for the giveaway.

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  63. Love seeing your design process, it's very much like I do it. Thanks for joining the hop as that's how I find new blogs and you now have a new follower.

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  64. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Congratulations!

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  65. A beautiful block, I like the movement it has.

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  66. This is a fun tour, thank you for entering my name into the drawing.

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  67. Interesting Challenge! I'm thinking on it and trying to figure where it fits in my life.

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  68. What a lovely block! Congrats on making the cover!

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  69. Your block looks like fun. Will have to try it. antiques@eoni.com

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  70. Interesting to see your design process.

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  71. Love the block - love the name! Excited to get my issue so I can start trying out all the blocks!

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  72. I love the movement in your design - I can so see this scrappy!

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  73. Congratulations on being chosen for the magazine. You have a very cool block! It looks complicated. Thank you for sharing. cknapp3626@sbcglobal.net

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  74. Congrats on being a cover girl. Love triangle blocks. poladydwd at yahoo dot com

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  75. Congrats on being chosen again for a block in the magazine, and how wonderful you made the cover. I love the block.

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  76. Really like the block. I agree, blocks don't always turn out the way I had in mind when I started. Thanks for the entry in the drawing.

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  77. Congrats on becoming a cover girl!
    Love your block...can see using up some of my scraps.

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  78. Congrats famous Jennifer ;) I miss you!!! We should get together sometime.

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  79. How fun to have all your ideas in one notebook... i may have to borrow that idea.

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  80. Very nice block. Congrats on the cover! Thanks for the chance to win.

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  81. Fun block! I enjoyed learning about your design process. Thanks for the chance to win.un

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  82. Awesome block! Definitely one I will try!

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  83. Congratulations on being a cover girl! I love your Triangle-O-Rama block and definitely added to my to do list. Thank you for sharing!

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  84. This is a great volume of Quiltmaker Blocks! Thanks for contributing!

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  85. What interesting colors you have combined to make this block. What fun to be on the cover. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  86. I really like your block, awesome!! Thanks.

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  87. Congratulations on making it into the publication--and especially the cover! and thank you for sponsoring the giveaway!

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  88. I like the way the block spins!

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  89. Nice block, congrats and thanks for the chance to win.

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  90. I enjoyed looking thru your blog and love the Mountain Pass quilt. It is so colorful. I enjoyed seeing your design book,too. I love working with graph paper also.

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  91. I love the idea of doodling in the park. :-)

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  92. Congratulations on being a cover girl! Sweet block.

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  93. I love the batiks you used on this block. Congrats. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

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  94. Nice block!! Congrats on making the cover!

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  95. Very stunning block. And I appreciate you sharing how you start off doodling, before going to EQ7. Thanks!

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  96. Congratulations on making the cover. I like your block. Thanks for showing us part of your design process.

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  97. Congratulations on making the cover of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks! I love your Triangle-O-Rama block. Thanks for sharing your design process and thanks for the great giveaway.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  98. HI!!!! Congrats Cover Girl!!!!! Your block is very pretty!!!!!! Thank You

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  99. Great block! Congrats on making the cover.

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  100. I really like how the block spirals in the middle, gives it a lot of movement and possibilities.
    Congratulations on making the cover!

    Debbie

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  101. I like seeing the process and seeing that you use graph paper and colored pencils just like so many of us.

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  102. Like your block. Thanks for sharing your design process.

    pugpower63@gmail.com

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  103. What a nice Block. Congrats with the frontplace on the cover. You are fantastic

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  104. It cool to see your design process.

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  105. Very nice block! Thanks for sharing the process of creating the design. Inspirational!

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  106. It's great to see how a block is designed and how you pick the colors. Picking the colors that go together is sometimes difficult. Thanks for sharing.

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  107. Congrats on making the cover. I love that block as well as the colors you used.

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  108. Thanks for an interesting block, cover-girl! (SO exciting, isn't it!?) Love the movement!

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  109. I adore the block. Thanks for showing your design book. I do a 5-10 minute education blurb each month at guild. A couple of month's ago, I encouraged the members to keep a journal - even of just quilt's they like - draw blocks they see that they like - they can recreate them or modify them. We don't always have to buy a pattern, we can create our own using something else as a beginning point. We can keep ideas of what we like now and see how our tastes have changed. I created a drawing of a log cabin heart from a quilt someone made my daughter as a wedding present. Will I ever use it? I don't know. I like it and now I have it and it may get passed on to someone who will use it even though my daughter is not a quilter. Congrats on our publish. Thanks for your generosity to share with others.

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  110. Unique block...love it! Thanks for sharing your design process.

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  111. Wow, I just scrolled through your star blocks of the month. They are wonderful. I need to return for a longer visit.

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  112. Thanks for sharing your design process. So interesting. I love your block.

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  113. Wonderful block! Love the circular motion that the block creates. Can't wait to get a copy of this issue of 100 Blocks.

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  114. Amazing way of designing. Guess I need another notebook to work with.

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  115. Can't wait to see the quilt that you make using your block! I know it will be just gorgeous! Your block has so much movement and would be great to use in a placemat or table runner, too!

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  116. I like Triangle-O-Rama. It will be fun to make with scraps. I also like that you use paper and pencil to draw your designs. It's the way I like to plan out my quilts, too.

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  117. I love your block. I can't wait to get the book.

    m.vreugdenhil@verizon.net

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  118. Fun block with some little pieces!

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  119. Lovely block! Thanks for the chance.

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  120. Thanks for sharing your design process!

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  121. Congratulations on your block being selected and for making the cover. Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  122. I wish I could use your method of carrying around an notebook, but alas with my essential tremors I'm not good at hand drawing anything, so for now, I will stick totally with my EQ7 program. I so enjoy viewing other people's original designs and they inspire me to keep on creating my own.

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  123. Neat block and I like the colors you chose. Maybe it's because I just came in from watering but it makes me think of a spiderweb.

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  124. Wonderful block and congrats on being a cover girl! Thanks for a chance to win a copy of the magazine.

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  125. thank you for sharing your design process. I often wonder how creative people get from A to B. And great block!!

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  126. Thanks for the insight into your design process. Keeping all your sketches in the same notebook is a good idea--beats mine, which is to scatter them all through the house and tuck them into different books, hidden from sight.

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  127. Really like your block--thanks for the chance to win!

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  128. darlenekrystal@gmail.comMay 2, 2014 at 5:58 PM

    Wow....I was scrolling down your page and just put 2 and 2 together....You're the lady that designed the Mountain Pass block quilt for quiltworld......thanks for an awesome quilt pattern.....I'm making it......it caught my eye as soon as I saw it on digital ....and just got the printed version today....And thanks for the great blocks in Quiltmaker......QW, QM, and QN are all mags that I use for learning quilting from....keep up the great work.....

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  129. What a creative block. Lots of movement!

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  130. I love this block. I think that I need to try this out. Thanks for the chance to win the magazine and thanks for sharing your design process.

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  131. Nice block, love th movement!

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  132. Great block - thanks for sharing & thanks for the giveaway.

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  133. I love Triangle-O-Rama and it is perfect for the cover.

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  134. Nancy: rangerer@sbcglobal.netMay 2, 2014 at 6:26 PM

    I love your block and enjoyed reading about your design process. I have designed a few quilts but have never used the computer to do so. Usually I just modify existing patterns to make them mine.

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  135. I design my quilt using the same method - a spiral graph paper notebook. Nice to see that "great minds think alike!" I will check out your star block of the month next. Looks interesting.

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  136. Florence Daly (grandmafdaly@yahoo.com)

    I really appreciate the way you showed the steps you took to get to the end design, very interesting.

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  137. I like your block and have added it to my make it list. Congratulations on being on the cover!

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  138. Congratulations on being a cover girl! I love your block. It looks like it could use up a lot of scraps.

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  139. Love the colors you used for your block, and love your block.

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  140. Woohoo Congratulations on the cover!! That had to be fun for you to find out.
    Great block.

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  141. Very interesting to watch the birth of a new block. This is my first visit on your blog but I will be back

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  142. Congratulations on making the cover. I like your block as well as the colors you used....thank you...marta...martamanole@yahoo.com

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  143. I love your block and think the colors complement it very well. Thank you for the chance to win the giveaway!

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  144. Great block, it has lots of movement !

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  145. I really like your block as I am a big fan of triangles!

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  146. Congrats on becoming a cover girl--fun block!

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  147. Love this block! Can't wait to see it in a whole quilt.

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  148. It seems like one can always come up with new block designs using a notebook as you do.

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  149. Great block!!! Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your process.

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  150. Love your block!! Will definitely go on my 'to do' list!! Thanks for the fun design!!

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  151. Funny how it looks like a spiral--but isn't. Nice color choices, too.

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  152. congrats on making the cover, I recognized your name again!

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  153. Congratulations on making the cover of the magazine. Your block is beautiful!

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  154. That was interesting...seeing your design process. I love your finished block.

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  155. Wonderful block and I love the name of your blog!

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  156. Congratulations on having your block on the cover!

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  157. Oh what a fun block...cannot wait to give it a try!

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  158. Way to go Miss Cover Girl! Loved seeing your design process. I have used the graph paper to work out some blocks and I like the hands on and crayon approach. Thanks so much for the chance to win!

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  159. What a fun (and challenging) block - I can lots of possibilities.

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  160. Beautiful block, beautiful colors! Thanks for the giveaway. sarah@forrussia.org

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  161. Congratulations on designing a "cover girl." Great block!

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  162. What a great block, and Congrats on being a cover girl!! Thanks for the chance in the giveaway!

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  163. Great block Jennifer! Thanks for a chance at the give-away!
    Maureen
    mgw070 at shaw dot ca

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  164. Love your blog and these magazines

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  165. The movement in your block should be fantastic in a quilt...hope to see the finished product on here sometime.

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  166. I like the way the patches get bigger as they go out toward the edges! I wonder what would happen if you kept going?

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  167. I love the block that you created. It is very eye catching. Thank you for a chance to win.

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  168. I like that your block has a kind of spiral look to it.

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  169. Your block is very attractive. The colors, values and fabrics really bring it all together. Thanks for allowing me the chance to win volume 9 of 100 blocks.

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  170. Your block is lovely! Color placement certainly makes a difference. Great job.

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  171. That is the way I decide on how to make my quilts. I rarely follow a pattern as written. I am also very scrappy. Thanks for sharing how you create a block.

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  172. Am anxious to see this block made into a quilt. It has wonderful movement.

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  173. Great block and congrats on making the cover!

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  174. What a lovely block. I love the varying sizes of triangles used.

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  175. I use Quilt-Pro. I haven't doodled much with designing my own blocks, but I have fun when I see a block I like, and I draft it into Quilt-Pro. It's fun to see a similar block in the program's library, and use it to create the block I like. And of course, it's so easy to play with color on the program, because color and value can really change a block. Like you just demonstrated!

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  176. This is such a cool block! I like how the triangles are growing as they move toward the outer edge. It almost makes the block move! Such a cool design. I can't wait to try it!

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  177. Very cool block. When I first saw it, I thought "Pinwheels inside pinwheels." Congratulations, and thanks for the giveaway.

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  178. I can see why your block is on the cover. It's awesome.

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  179. Did enjoy your blog....can't wait to get Volume 9 so I will have all these block in one place.....I have made notes all week about where I found what...Thanks for sharing with us......bstewart951@nc.rr.com

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  180. Great block! Thanks for the opportunity to win the giveaway.

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  181. I have added your blog to my blog list, I love finding new blogs with new ideas. Congratulations on making the cover.

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  182. Fabulous block! Can't wait to see the quilt you make with it!

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  183. Thanks for sharing your design method!

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  184. Your block would look great made into a quilt for my 1860 log home.
    godblessamerica.jan(at)gmail(dot)com

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  185. I like all the triangles and color placement. Congrats on being a Cover Girl.

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  186. I love the block design process. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  187. Thanks for sharing your design process. I think I need to get a notebook for ideas!

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  188. Wow! what an intriguing block. I can't wait to see how you actually sew it together.

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  189. Love your block! Thanks sew much for this chance to win your giveaway! :-D

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  190. Congratulations on being a cover girl. Adore your block.

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  191. I liked seeing the design process. Congrats.

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