The full alphabet, in upper and lowercase, plus numbers, punctuation, and math symbols, turned into pieced quilt blocks: that is the idea behind Lori Holt's fourth book. A hundred blocks let a quilt actually spell something, whether that is a name across a baby quilt, a single initial on a pillow, or a whole conversation worked into a sampler. Eighteen picture blocks, an apple, a bee, a sailboat, a sewing machine, a typewriter, round out the set, and every block comes in two sizes. The look is scrappy and cheerful, with a vintage schoolhouse feel that stays playful rather than precious.

What the Book Includes

This listing is for the printed pattern book, not a kit or a finished quilt. Fabric, batting, backing, and notions are not included.

Inside are complete instructions for 100 blocks, each given in both a 6-inch and a 12-inch finished size: the full uppercase and lowercase alphabet, numbers zero through nine, twenty punctuation and math-symbol blocks, and eighteen picture blocks. The book also includes eighteen projects across 193 full-color pages of instructions, photos, and diagrams. A semi-concealed spiral binding with a covered spine lets it lie flat at the machine.

The Projects

The book includes eighteen projects with full instructions:

• Six quilts: the Alphabet Sampler (the cover quilt), Picture Day, Name, Vintage Life, Counting, and You Are My Sunshine
• Twelve mini quilts: Jersey, Cake, Hello, Home, Sew, Bloom, 100% Cute, Y'all, #Awesome, I Heart You, and Smile minis, plus a set of flash cards

What You'll Need

The letters, numbers, symbols, and picture motifs are built with conventional patchwork, rotary-cut and pieced from squares, rectangles, and triangles. Every block includes cutting for both the 6-inch and 12-inch size, and the smaller blocks are a natural way to use scraps and fat quarters. Full fabric amounts for each project are inside the book. A rotary cutter, mat, and ruler are the core tools.

Perfect For

• Quilters who want to spell names, words, and dates into quilts, pillows, and gifts
• Anyone who wants a full pieced alphabet, numbers, and symbols in two sizes
• Makers of personalized baby, wedding, and graduation gifts
• Fans of a vintage schoolhouse look, from flash cards to a full sampler

Why You'll Love This Book

An alphabet changes what a quilt can do. Instead of a repeated block, the design can carry a name, a birth date, a single monogram, or a short phrase, which makes Spelling Bee a natural for personalized and milestone gifts. Every letter, number, and symbol is charted at both 6 and 12 inches, so the same alphabet works on a tiny flash card or across a bed-size sampler.

The blocks are built with straightforward patchwork piecing, rotary-cut squares and rectangles that keep the letter shapes crisp and the sewing approachable. The eighteen picture blocks, from an apple to a typewriter, add a playful counterpoint to the type, and the eighteen projects range from quick mini quilts and flash cards to the full Alphabet Sampler on the cover. There is room here for an evening make and for a long, satisfying build.

The 193 pages are full color throughout, with clear photos and diagrams, and the semi-concealed spiral binding with a covered spine lets the book lie open flat next to the machine. It reads like a friendly schoolhouse lesson plan, and it earns a permanent spot on the shelf because there is always another word worth spelling.

Product Details

• Brand: It's Sew Emma
• Item #: ISE-916
• Authors: Lori Holt
• Category: Quilt Pattern Book
• Skill Level: Confident Beginner to Intermediate (conventional patchwork piecing throughout; the letter and number blocks use a number of small pieces)
• Technique: Conventional Patchwork
• Number of Designs: 100 blocks (each in 6-inch and 12-inch sizes) and 18 projects
• Finished Sizes: Blocks finish at 6 inches and 12 inches; project sizes vary and are listed inside the book
• Pages: 193, full color
• Format: Printed Pattern Book
• Made in the United States