The fun begins this week with your first round prompt for your blocks. Brenda is the host this week and she is bring us the Hourglass block.
What Are Some Options?
Here are 6 alternate hourglass blocks I found in Electric Quilt.
Row 1 blocks : Unknown, Hourglass Star, and Chain and Hourglass.
Row 2 blocks: Hourglass Puzzle, Uncle Sam’s Hourglass and Hourglass 1.
The first one has so many coloring options; I thought I would show you at least two of them. I didn’t find this in Electric Quilt with a specific name, and I am not sure if I made it up as I was playing (it happens that I loose track of these things…ha, ha). I do like that you get a lot of options with a nine patch of a simple block.
This is your quilt and you have a lot of options. Traditional round robins have you going all around the center block. I am not doing that. You do not have to decide on your design now, but you do need to know a few things (how much fabric you have and how big do you want to go). Here are some options you may be thinking about:
- Make enough to go all around the block, or
- Make one block each week until you have an idea of how you want to proceed, or
- Make 4 blocks for cornerstones or center in a row (cornerstones could be your next block), or
- Make enough blocks to cover 2 sides, or
- Make enough for a row, or
- Make what you have enough fabric for!
I think I am doing 9 blocks but starting with 3 in the center, 2 in the the row above and below and then a single one. However, that would mean duplicating some blocks OR making some others to follow the prompts. Since I am not convinced that I know what I am doing, one block per round is my choice right now, which gets me to 7 blocks… I will have to make up my mind at some point but not yet.
My Block Reveal
I decided on the Chain and Hourglass block. I am going to try to use blocks that relate the to the feature fabric with gears, so this appealed to me. Honestly, my favorite was Uncle Sam’s Hourglass but is it more suited to a 5″ or 10″ block than to a 12″ block, due to its grid (5). And, I wound up with an extra center hourglass, so the question is, how will I integrate it.
Here are the two blocks on my design wall.
And here is a another view. Oh, and I am up next week to prompt you! I haven’t decided on my block but I know the prompt. I will be working on it at the end of this week! And maybe even week 3, we shall see.
Remember: Link up with Brenda and show us your blocks when completed!
Some Helpful Sites
I thought you might like some links to Hourglass blocks:
- Tucker Trimmer instructions has a variety of sizes and colorings (#1 from 1-6″ in 1/2″ increments, #2 in 3/4″ increments, #3 in from 1-12 1/2″ in 1/2″ increments). You can use the charts/instructions without the ruler.
The Hostesses
Remember, check out the other hosts choices to see what else is brewing! The list is below.
- Anja @ Anja Quilts
- Brenda @ Songbird Designs
- Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
- Gail @ Quilting Gail
- Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
- Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
Don’t forget to link up at the host each week to be eligible for prizes!!
Stay at Home Round Robin 2026 Schedule
So, without further ado, here is the schedule! Remember each host has a link up for you to post your progress, but the others will also be showing her version, so you get the added benefit of seeing 6 different approaches to the same prompt!
- ✓ January 14: Each of the hosts will be sharing their center blocks
- January 21: 1st Round: Brenda @ Songbird Designs
- January 28: 2nd Round: Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
- February 4: 3rd Round: Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
- February 11: 4th Round: Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
- February 18: 5th Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail
- February 25: 6th Round: Anja @ Anja Quilts
- March 25: Parade: Your Finished SAHRRs!
Sponsors
- Lumin Fabrics (Island Batik) – 3 Fat Quarter Bundles: Playful Posies, Geometric Symphony and Paradise Palms
- Hobbs Batting: wool batt
- Sew Fresh Quilts: 3 patterns
- Aurifil Thread
- Oliso mini Iron, mat and carrying case
- Fat Quarter Shop: Gift certificate and 2 charm packs
- Devoted Quilter: 2 patterns
- Songbird Designs: 1 pdf pattern
- Grace & Piece Co: t-shirt
- Quilter’s Dream: 8 assorted batts
- Crafty Quilter: 2 patterns
We have a fabulous list of sponsors this year and really do hope you participate and support our sponsors, too.
Coming Up on the Blog
Retreat fun
SAHRR – Round 2 – 1/28/26
SAHRR – Round 3 – 2/4/26
Teal Tablerunner
Baby Panel Quilts (2)
I always like how you show us possibilities with a seemingly simple, only one option, block. I like your arrows block, which I had to study for a hot minute to break apart the rail and hourglass components!
Oh I like that block with your center block. Would you believe I made quarter square triangles yesterday! So I’m ready – lol – and I can’t wait to see your prompt next week!
I’ll be pondering how I want to use an hourglass block while I wrap up the next Project Quilting prompt this week. Do you think it would be okay for me to use two half circles to create a curvy hourglass block?
those blocks look great.
That’s a fun block, Kathleen, and you shared some great tips in your post!
I love your hourglass block. It does go very well with your centre block!
You choose wonderful colours for this year and super interesting blocks. Thanks for your nice comment at Wendys block. So much fun again to start a SAHRR! Love to work without pattern. Mine will be more unspectacular this year, solid basic work.
This is an interesting block; I don’t think I’ve seen it before. I didn’t get to comment last week but I absolutely love your center block, and your color scheme!
This is a very interesting start. Can’t wait to see where you take this. I am learning so much by participating in this year’s Round Robin. Thanks for sharing Kathleen, and anxious to see what you direct for us next week. Stay warm!
I love the direction you are going!!!
Love your new block. Thank you for all the lovely optional versions of blocks
What a fun discussion of the possibilities in the idea of an hourglass block, and I love where you ended up. I, too, use BlockBase+ in scouting out ideas and making my patterns; so glad you are aware of this resource as well. I also love the deep colors and values you have in this block, along with that pop of a yellow-green. Terrific!!
Kathleen, your block is lovely, and your post is so helpful to those of us new to quilting. Thank you!
Love the colors and the movement in both blocks. Your SAHRR is going to be a stunning quilt! So far it is gorgeous!
Okay, something weird is going on with WordPress. This is the second blog comment I have made (one on another blog and one here) and both times it tells me what I wrote is a duplicate comment, so they didn’t post it. Who knows if they will post this comment? I am only commenting this time to see what happens. I said that I love the colors in your blocks and how it has a lot of movement and that your finished SAHRR will be stunning!
I love both of your blocks 🙂
Great start to this year’s SAHRR, Kathleen! You chose some gorgeous fabrics for your project.
Looking great, Kathleen! I love how this is starting out. Can’t wait to see where it goes.