I love quilt magazines; they are great for inspiration. They’re portable and they generally have a lot of good information between the covers. I’m enthralled by the color combinations, and the use of various patterns to create individualized looks. But the fact is, quilt magazines are pretty static; they lack the ability to change in real time, just as any print media is limited. They make great reading material for the bus, but more and more I find myself turning to the web for quilting ideas.

A few years ago, I found Quilter’s Cache, which is run by Marcia Hohn. It’s a free website and it catalogs hundreds of quilting blocks, both traditional and Marcia’s own designs. I haven’t ever spoken to Marcia personally, but I imagine it must have taken her a lot of time and effort to set up and maintain the site – each block has detailed instructions, including diagrams, to help you recreate each block. I don’t usually use the term “treasure trove” to describe anything, but there’s just no other word for this incredible site. The patterns are accessible by name, as well as by finished block size (I LOVE that!).

Like I said, I discovered it a few years ago. I can’t remember how I found it – if someone suggested it or if I stumbled across it; details escape me right now. And after a fascination that lasted for several months, I eventually forgot about it. I got busy with work and school, and while I was in the home stretch to finish my degree, quilting was left in the studio, where I seldom wandered during that time in my life.

Looking through some photos of old quilts I’ve done reminded me of Quilter’s Cache.

 

This is such an easy quilt to make – you would not believe just how quickly it goes together! This particular one is an oversized lap quilt I made for my grandmother; it took only a weekend to put together all the blocks and then sew them into the top.  The Woven Ribbon quilt block is considered to be a traditional block though I can’t recall ever having seen it elsewhere. Be sure to check out Marcia’s Terms of Use page before starting a project using blocks you find there!

I’ve been looking at the site, trying to decide what my next project from there will be. I’m definitely open to suggestions!

This is definitely one of my favorite quilting sites, and I’m glad I’ve rediscovered it.