Tag: #quilttechnique

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Curves on a straight line

The Snails Trail block is based on the Square-on-square block with 5 layers, combined with a Four-Patch. The Four-Patch is inserted as the center block. By changing the colours the Snails-Trail is created.

Square-on-square
Four-Patch
Snails-Trail

A block that is sometimes confused with the Snails Trail is Monkey Wrench. Can you see the difference? Monkey Wrench is based on a four layered Square-on-Square.  The Four Patch in the center is now turned on-point.

Square-on-Square
Four-patch
Monkey-Wench

And then there is the Pig Tail Block. It is based on a six layered Square-on-square block. It doesn’t have a Four Patch in the centre.

Square-on-Square
Pig’s Tail

When you combine four Snails Trail blocks, the pattern is called Virginia Reel.

Virginia Reel
Virginia Reel

Snails Trail can also be combined with other blocks to create interesting secondary patterns. Combining Snails Trail, Monkey Wrench or Pigs-tail with Storm-at-Sea, the illusion of curves is further advanced.

It is almost impossible to believe these quilt patterns are made without curved piecing.

Monkey Wrench was first published in 1922 as part of the Lady’s Art Quilt pattern. Snails Trail was first published in 1928 in the same collection. The first references were made to the Virginia Reel in 1930.

Other patterns that use Snails Trail and or Monkey Wrench are:

  • Romantic Trail by Tammy Vanderschmitt
  • Let’s Dance – published by Beaquilter
  • Sea Scapes by Shirley Sickenger
  • And the scrappy friendly version Tornado, published by QuiltingDaily.com

My last design for the day is a design that might pass for a modern quilt using Pig-Tails and Storm-at-Sea.  Using 12” blocks with 4 ½” sashing these finishes at 95” x 95” for a big queen. 
I call it Dragon Star.

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How to make a widows knot

With hand stitching and boro making a comeback in the slow stitching movement, it is good to relook the tricks of the trade as they were used a couple of hundred years ago. One of these techniques is the Widow’s knot. The prime purpose of the widows knot is to keep the thread in the needle, once you start to work and therefore not worry about to keep the thread in the needle’s eye while you work.

To sew by hand can be one of the delights in our day. A simple frustration like to pull the thread from the needle while you sew, as a result can frustrate you and steal your peace.

The widow’s knot is used to when working with silk, as the thread can easily slip from the eye of the needle due to the jumpyness of the thread. I have for instance, taught it to children that learns to thread the needle, and to a couple of friends whose eyes have deteriorated where they too, battle to thread the needle. It also works beautifully with cotton thread as well.

How to make the widows’ knot

Fold the thread over the needle to make a little loop
Fold the thread over the needle to make a little loop
Place the eye of the needle over the loop
Place the eye of the needle over the loop
Pull the loop as big as the needle
Pull the loop as big as the needle
Pull the loop as big as the needle
Fold the needle through the loop
Pull the threads to form the knot
Pull the threads to form the knot
Pull tight to form a tight knot at the base of the needle eye.

You now have needle with thread that won’t slip out. You can, as a result, fully concentrate to make beautiful stitches.

Blue grass Table Runner
Blue grass Table Runner

Contact me to book a class. I teach classes from beginner to advanced techniques.


This post is part of Lenad Quilting and was written by Danél Muller, Pretoria, South Africa, 2020