Mini Quilt Show!

Throughout the year, I make quilts for a variety of publications.  It's a good bet that I hardly remember when a project is actually published because of the lead time.  So, I may be making a quilt in March for publication in October!  Or making a winter quilt in the middle of summer.  It can get really confusing!

But, sometimes, it can be utterly wonderful when several projects are published or become current at the same time!  So, in this post, I give you a mini-quilt show of several of my current projects!  

If you have received your Fons and Porter Love of Quilting November/December 2017 issue, you may have seen Cornerstone.

November/December 2017 Issue.  Picture courtesy of Fons and Porter Love of Quilting.

Sneak peek at Cornerstone.  Picture courtesy of Fons and Porter Love of Quilting.

 Cornerstone is a lap size quilt that was pretty easy to assemble despite how complex it looks!

By the way, here's a picture of Hillside Harmony from Quilting Quickly September/October 2017 issue.

Hillside Harmony.  Picture courtesy of Fons and Porter Quilting Quickly.

Hillside Harmony is a scrappy quilt that I had a lot of fun designing.  I just love how the yellows and reds pop against the blue and green background fabrics.

I have single patterns available right now through Annie's Catalog.  One of them is Christmas Cookies, a lap size quilt that Annie's Catalog is offering as an Exclusively Annie's Quilt Design.  

Christmas Cookies.  Photograph by Annie's Publishing. Used with Permission.

Another pattern is a favorite of mine, Drifting Snow.  It is a table runner that is also being offered as a Exclusively Annie's Quilt Design.

Drifting Snow.  Photograph by Annie's Publishing. Used with Permission.

In the Winter 2017 issue of Quilter's World, is City View.  It has a geometric and modern feel in shades of blue and green (even the background is a pale blue!).

City View, Quilter's World Winter 2017.
 Photograph by Annie's Publishing. Used with Permission.

City View was published with complete AccuQuilt die-cutting instructions.  It was so easy and fast to use my fabric cutter to cut the pieces for this project.  I confess, I use my AccuQuilt fabric cutter more and more these days.  The cutting just goes so much faster and, with the accurate shapes, the piecing is just so much easier!

Speaking of which, also check out my project tutorials on the AccuQuilt Blog!  The latest is a pattern for a Christmas Bell Pull!    I used silk, wool and cottons and I added some beading for that extra bling!

I hope you enjoyed my mini-quilt show here!  I am off to Quilt Market this weekend and I can't wait to see what's new in the quilting world!  

Latest news!

It's been an eventful few months!  But, here's the latest news.  Last week, I did an AccuQuilt demo at our local guild, County Line Quilters.  It was a wonderful experience!  AccuQuilt provided a prize package consisting of a GO! fabric cutter, a GO! Qube and a strip die.  


It was TO DIE FOR!  The winner would only need to "add fabric" and for us quilters, you know that's really not a hard thing to do.   Drawing the winner's name was the very last thing we did that evening and Pat K., who really wanted it, actually won the prize package.  So, it went to a great home!    Congratulations, Pat!


This week, the 2017 Row by Row Experience began.  At our local quilt shop, The Round Bobbin (in Ambler, PA), everyone has been busy sewing the samples and putting kits together.  "From Sea to Shining Sea" is the shop row and you can check it out on Facebook!   Here's a sneak peak!

While I wrote the pattern, it is based on Susan S.'s idea (she also made it!) and Susan A. machine quilted it perfectly! 

Speaking of Susans, my latest AccuQuilt blog tutorial using the GO! Sunbonnet Sue die has been published. 

Sunbonnet Sue is such an iconic quilting figure, it was a puzzle to come up with new ideas to present her.  Family events this past spring finally inspired my project.  I have three sisters (including another Susan!) who I do not see often.  It's even harder for us to all get together in one place at one time.   So, the blog tutorial this month is a "portrait" of my sisters and I as Sunbonnet Sues!  Check it out!  

More news to come soon!  Watch for it!  Until next time...

Serendipity

I'm sure you have heard of Edyta Sitar (Laundry Basket Quilts) by now.  She of the lovely quilt designs in patterns and books.  Well, add AccuQuilt dies and embroidery to the list!

With the GO! Qube Specialty Set - Serendipity by Edyta Sitar, you get dies and an embroidery CD to make a couple of her designs.  Plus, you can use the the applique and geometric dies to cut shapes for your own quilt.

For my most recent blog tutorial for AccuQuilt, I made patriotic placemats using some of the applique shapes!

After making the star placemat, I wanted to play with some of the floral appliques to make the flower placemat.   I love the way these turned out!  So, if you would like to check these projects out, head on over to my tutorial!

Christmas in July!

I don't know about you but I'm never ready with presents and projects in time for Christmas!  For once, I've made an early start.  On this hot July weekend, why don't you join me and dive into Christmas projects?   And, boy, do I have a cute project for you!

Check out my blog on the AccuQuilt website to make this wonderful table topper!

Shown here On Point

It doesn't take that long to make so spend the hot day in the cool indoors and you'll still have time to sit out to enjoy the sun at the end of the day!

Summer of 2016

Celebrate summer with my Sunflower Throw Pillow that you can make with your AccuQuilt dies!  Read all about how I made it 3-D for just a little more fun.

Also, don't miss a new AccuQuilt project, Woven Bed Runner, that you can download for free!

In other news, the free pattern project for Red Rooster's Akahana collection is making the rounds in Pinterest.   It looks so complicated but it's so pretty and easy to make!  

Using the same collection, make this stunning Table Topper!

Last but not least, check out these pictures I took at the Philippine Eagle Center.  They take care of injured birds as well as try to find ways to increase breeding.   Endangered and breathtaking!  

Enzo, my nephew.

This is "Fighter".  He lost his left wing to a bullet. 

Still so magnificent.

Keep cool this summer!

ECHO

Welcome to the Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Volume 11 Blog Hop!  

If you're not hopping yet, get thee to Quilty Pleasures right away to find out what's going on.   Don't miss out on giveaways, quilt ideas, fun stuff, giveaways, more fun and more giveaways!

I am so honored and pleased to have my block, ECHO, in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 11.   It is listed on page 36 as Block 1049.  This is only the second time I've submitted a block and also the second time I've participated in this blog hop!  So exciting!  It's also a bit nerve-wracking to be on the Hop on the very first day!!  But, here we go....

I thought it would be fun to see what this block would look like in different fabrics.  So, the first thing I did is to change the background to dramatic black!  

Those bright colors really become brighter on a black background, don't they?  

Next, I wanted to see it with reproductions.  Here's a black and tan version that looks like it was made in 1890!

Are you loving a particular version yet?  How about a soft modern look?

Did you notice I changed the value placement in the soft modern version?  It makes the diagonals look more prominent.  

Last but not the least, here is a traditional version that's just a touch patriotic. I did several things different about this block.   First, I mixed batiks and regular cottons.  I have been doing that more and more these days.  You can, too!  The quilt police won't come after you for mixing them up.  I promise! Second, the color for the arcs and the circle in contrast to the red/blue really pops those arcs and circle.  Finally, I just love the transparency between the red and the blue in this one.  These 3 fabrics just blend and transition so well!

Making the blocks in different colorways is one thing.  But, really, how would they look in a quilt?  

So, I designed a 30" square wallhanging with a special sashing strip that creates a secondary pattern for a more cohesive look.  Check out the different looks:    

So, which one is your favorite colorway?  Tell me in a comment below and you will be entered in a drawing for a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 11!    This prize will come from Quiltmaker directly.


Even better, in your comment below, include your favorite quilting tip and you will be entered in a drawing for a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol 11 AND a fat quarter bundle of yummy fabrics from Quilting Treasures.   These fabrics are from the Color Blends collection with which I designed the Surf and Sand Block of the Month program.    I will be sending this prize bundle out.






You will find a link at the top of this blog (and on the right-hand side column) for quick directions to make the quilt above - especially those sashing strips.  However, these directions are intended for the more experienced quilter who knows how to make flying geese units, hour glass units and make circle appliques.  You can substitute a yo-yo for the circle applique, by the way.

Just one more - here's Echo in a table runner.

Have fun Hopping onto the other blogs!  Back to the Blog Hop...

Sochi and Quilts

Have you noticed the colorful bibs all the athletes are wearing at the Winter Olympics?  Look a little closer - doesn't that look like a quilt design?  I just keep obsessing about all those diamonds with pinwheels and triangle shapes!  I want to make this quilt now.  Think Kaffe prints especially for the reds.  Yummy!

Canberra Quilters (Australia) also noticed the same thing and did a little research.  The designs are apparently intended to show Russian arts and crafts.

Check out the blue diamonds in the forefront!
By secretlondon123 (Flickr: Ice Arena) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],
 via Wikimedia Commons

From facebook.com/jdombstravels

Well, I got a little more curious and did a bit more googling.  Next thing I found out is that the U.S. Snowboarding Team's official jacket is basically a patchwork created by Burton Snowboards. It is inspired by handcrafted patchwork quilts and the American flag.  It seems that snowboarders really love it, too! Who knew quilting and snowboarding would ever mix?!

 Here's a picture of gold medalist Sage Kotsenburg wearing the jacket and below is Shaun White with both the jacket and the bib!

By Parke Brewer (VOA) (US Kotsenburg 'Stoked' on Winning First Sochi Gold)
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

From Burton Snowboards.

Shaun White wearing the bib and the jacket underneath!
from https://twitter.com/shaun_white

It might also be worth looking into Norway's Curling Team's uniform.  Those pants look really interesting, too!

Have you seen any other quilty uniforms while watching the Olympics?