You're a grand old flag

I saw a very cool flag quilt in Volume 2 of Better Homes and Gardens Sew Scrappy magazine. Around the same time, French General's Panier de Fleurs collection had arrived at our quilt shop. I knew that I had to make this flag quilt using the gorgeous reds and blues from French General. Just one problem - the kaleidoscope blocks were made with templates, and I try to avoid having to use templates. I found a set of acrylic templates to make the block and tried my hand. My points came nowhere near meeting in the center!

So my grand old flag project was shelved. Until I ran across this post on Pam Kitty Morning's blog. She was also doing a kaleidoscope block and had found a kite shaped ruler, but she also linked to Sugar Stitches blog, where Jennifer had held a quiltalong using another ruler, called the Kaleidoscope Smart Plate. I ordered a smart plate and waited anxiously for it to arrive.

With the Smart Plate Ruler, you make ordinary pinwheel blocks using half square triangles and using the lines on the ruler as a guide, trim off the edges to make a PERFECT kaleidoscope block!

I whipped this together in less than a week. Thanks to PKM and Jennifer, I have a beautiful French General flag quilt. My final finish in 2011.

Happy New Year everybody!