October 06, 2020

Family Ring - Quilt Block Mania

It's time for Quilt Block Mania again! This month the theme is family 💗

I remember one year I desperately wanted a daughter's pride ring for Christmas. That's a ring that has your birthstone along with your parents' birthstones and I really, really wanted one. When we got up on Christmas morning, right at the front of the tree was a wrapped ring box and you can be sure that was the first present I opened. Inside was a bubble gum machine ring! I can't remember how many other bubble gum machine rings I opened before I actually found my daughter's pride ring, but I think there were 3 or 4 😂

Thinking about that ring led me to design my Family Ring block. It's another machine appliqued block, which seems to be a theme with my Quilt Block Mania blocks (see Starfish Dance and the basketball block). The pattern is available as a free download here
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
There are 5 of us in our family, so I used 5 hearts in the ring and chose fabrics to represent our birthstones. Of course, I chose Aurifil threads to match each colour, too! The background is from Island Batik and it's one of my favourite neutrals of all time.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
Zachary's birthday is in February, so his birthstone is amethyst. I'm not sure where this batik fabric is from, but I know it's not an Island Batik one. I used Aurifil 4225 for this one.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
Nathan's birthday is in March, so his birthstone is aquamarine. This is still my favourite Island Batik fabric. I'll be sad when it's all gone, but I still have a bit left for now. I used Aurifil 5005 on this one.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
Aiden's birthday is in May, so his birthstone is emerald. I've had this Fairy Frost fabric forever, from a bundle Paul bought me years and years ago. There are only a few small pieces left of a few colours now. Aurifil 2890 is a slightly more mossy green than the fabric, but it still worked. My green Aurifil selection is pretty small still.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
Paul's birthday is in June, so his birthstone is alexandrite. This one caused more than a little confusion, lol. Apparently alexandrite is different colours in different lighting. Who ever heard of that?? It looks blue-green in natural light and in incandescent light or candle light it looks red or pink. So crazy! I chose to go with the blue-green and used this fabric from Mister Domestic's Playroom line. I used Aurifil 5005 on this one, too.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
And the last birthday each year is mine, in July. My birthstone is ruby. This is another Island Batik fabric that I love. I'm happy to still have quite a bit of it left. I used Aurifil 2770 for this heart and for the solid red heart in the center.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
I love how stitching around applique shapes makes them look so much nicer. Here's unstitched...
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
and stitched. I stitched around each heart just the same as I would if I were free motion quilting, just with no batting or backing. I guess that makes it free motion embroidery instead of quilting.
Family Ring quilt block | DevotedQuilter.com
What about if your family isn't 5 people? No problem! If it's fewer than 5, you could choose a neutral fabric for the other hearts. If you have more than 5 people, you could shrink the heart template a bit so you could make a ring with the right number of hearts.
It would also be cute to replace the small heart in the center with your family's initial in your favourite font.

Don't forget to download your free Family Ring pattern. Then go check out all of the other fun family themed blocks being shared as part of Quilt Block Mania 😊

Warming by the Fire
Paper Chain Family at Slice of Pi Quilts
Family is Love
Family Quote Pineapple Block by Blockofthemodotcom
Family Pumpkin Pickin' Day
Family Crest at Always Expect Moore
Old Rocking Chair at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Love@Home at Stash Bandit
Sisterhood by Michelle Renee Hiatt
Glimpse of Home at Scrapdash
We Are Family by Heidi Pridemore
Family Trees at Pretty Piney Quilts
Family is the Heart of Home by QuiltFabrication
Gathering by Blue Bear Quilts
Sister's Choice at Perkins Dry Goods
Every Family Has One at Patti's Patchwork
Orange Blossom Quilt
Wonky Nesting Hearts
Family Photo Block
Celtic Trinity Knot by Appliqués Quilts and More
Scarecrow
Family Ring at Devoted Quilter
Tartan Block at True Blue Quilts
FindSewingStuff.com
Flying Geese Family by Tacy Gray
Family Heart by Amarar Cracions

6 comments:

  1. a pretty block. this is a wonderful idea to use each birth months.

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  2. This is a lovely, sentimental quilt idea, and you've interpreted it beautifully. Nice work!

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  3. Great Family birth month block! Thanks for sharing. You mentioned a basketball & Starfish Dance that you designed. Where can one find these? I checked out Etsy & your blog post but couldn't find them.

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  4. That was a great idea! Thanks for your block. I like the idea of the initial, too.

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  5. I love this, what a fun idea for a hop!

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