On The Road Again....

Hello, quilters!

  Are you enjoying the Road Rally? It’s the last day for the Quiltmaker’s 100 BlocksVolume 16 Blog Hop but I know you are still finding fun and interesting stuff on the designer blogs!   

As a child, I used to play with that folded-paper fortune teller with my friends!  Remember those?  It was fun to make up answers (or fortunes), fold the paper origami-style and, finally, get an answer to some silly questions. 

When I finished making my block for Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, the on-point squares reminded me of a paper fortune teller.  I soon discovered that it’s also called Whirlybird - like a helicopter!  Well, with the movement the triangles create in the block, I had to call it Whirlybird! 

You can use this block in so many ways.  Sew a dozen of these blocks and you can easily make a lap size quilt with three blocks across and four blocks down.  Add a little border to frame it and, voila, you have a really neat quilt with pinwheels everywhere!  Here it is made with fabrics from the Improv Collection by Benartex.

You can add sashing for easier construction and add a neat border print.  Here I’ve used the Surf’s Up collection from Northcott fabrics.  Isn’t that a neat quilt to cuddle with at a beach house?   

Red Pinwheels or Blue Pinwheels???  

One of my favorite design elements is an unusual sashing.  I could not resist creating one to go with this block!  Can you tell what the sashing looks like from this quilt picture? (Sashing picture below!)

(Garden Party fabrics by Michael Miller)

I purposely created this sashing so that none of the seams match any of the block seams!  It makes sewing the quilt go so much easier.   Here's another version:  

Can you figure out the sashing yet?  

Here’s what that sashing looks like:

It is constructed of two 3” finished Square in a Square units, separated by a 1” x 3” finished rectangle with a 2 ½” x 3” finished rectangle on each end.  The main thing really is to make sure the points on those Square in a Square units don’t get cut off when you sew the quilt together.  So, you will need a good 1/4” seam allowance at those points. 

Mark a 2” unfinished square (white in the picture below) on one diagonal.  I typically use a mechanical pencil for this.  It’s pretty accurate as it has a fine point and the line comes out just the right skinny width.  Using a regular No. 2 pencil is tricky because the line usually ends up being too wide.  You will be using this line as a stitch line so it’s really important for the best accuracy that this line isn’t wider than your thread.

Place this square on one corner of a 3 ½” unfinished square (green in the picture).  Match up the raw edges and sew just a tiny hair’s breadth to the left of your marked line.  When you fold back and press the sewn triangle, it should match up the raw edges.  When it does, you can trim the extra layers underneath.   If it doesn’t match, you may want to unstitch and re-sew it again.  

Repeat marking and sewing on all four corners of the green fabric to get a Square in a Square unit. 

If you want a bed quilt, a quick way to do it is to alternate the block with a pretty print square.  Set it on point and you will see this block from a whole different perspective! 

(Washington Depot Collection by Free Spirit Fabrics)

 So, what’s your favorite setting and the colors you would most likely use for Whirlybird?  Leave a comment with your answers and please be sure to include a way for me to contact you (you can’t win if you leave a no-reply comment!).  US only please.  I will be choosing two winners who will both receive a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks Volume 16, one from me and one from Quiltmaker! 

Click here to get back on the “road” to “rally” on to thenext designer’s blog!  

Just one more...

Happy Trails!

The Fons and Porter Experience

I'm so delighted to report that I have projects in a couple of Fons and Porter publications.  The first, "Orange You Sweet?", is in the Love of Quilting September/October 2017 issue and is also available as a kit or a pattern.

The quilt is made with fabrics from the Bleecker Street and Harmony Collections from Quilting Treasures and wonderfully machine quilted by Anne Cowan.  

I was also invited to appear in the second episode of the current 3000 TV Series!  It was quite a thrill to do the filming - it was my first time to film a tutorial and, to get comfortable, I just did my best to imagine all my quilter friends and students behind the cameras!  Everyone was so friendly and fabulous.  I can't thank Vanessa, Diane, Colleen and Sara enough for their patience in guiding a newbie through this process!

You can contact your local PBS station to find out if and when they are airing the Fons and Porter Love of Quilting TV Series or you can get the DVD of each season.  I saw some of the other projects in the 3000 series and I am in awe!  It's well worth getting the DVD. 

A second project, "Hillside Harmony", appears in Quilting Quickly September/October 2017 issue.  It is made with fabrics from the Harmony Collection from Quilting Treasures.  More on this in a future blog.  In the meantime, here are both quilts with the magazines and the TV series DVD with Mini, my cat, enjoying them!

Truthfully, Mini just wanted to get in any picture I was taking that day!  Cats have minds of their own!

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...

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!

My Sweet Hearts Quilt and other projects

It has been quite a busy last 3 months, filled with travel and family visits and, of course, holidays.  It's hard to believe but I found myself with doing maybe half an hour of sewing in all that time!  I logged in lots and lots of digital sewing, however, putting my EQ7 to work!

One of the first projects I picked up this month - when I finally had time to sew - is the Sweet Hearts Quilt.  Read all about it on the AccuQuilt Blog.

I really enjoyed making it especially since AccuQuilt makes cutting those triangles so perfectly easy and precise.  I love that the dog ears are removed, right at the start.  I love that I can piece quarter square triangles together for the border and they come out the perfect size!  I love that I didn't have to spend much time cutting and subcutting.  Can you tell I love my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter???

Last year (before my little sewing hiatus), I made Prismatic from a couple of Northcott's Sandscapes jelly rolls and it is now available as an Exclusively Annie's quilt pattern from Annie's Catalog.

Photo courtesy of Annie's

 One of my quilts, Sunspots, also managed to land on the cover of a book, Bargello Quilts and Beyond!

Photo courtesy of Annie's

It was a lot of fun and easy to make, using non-traditional bargello methods.   So fun and easy, I used the same methods to come up with Robin's Egg Blue, which is also in the same book.  

Photo courtesy of Annie's.

Doesn't it remind you of southwestern turquoise and silver jewelry?  I hope it does for that was my inspiration for it!  Anyway, I can visualize this quilt in dramatic red, white and black, too.

For now, I have one more project to share with you - my Bollenvelden table runner  that appears in Quilter's World Magazine Spring 2016 issue.  Google assures me that "Bollenvelden" is Dutch for tulip fields and that's exactly what I was going for in this quilt.

Photo courtesy of Annie's.

Think Spring!

Quick Project for Christmas

 Christmas is just around the corner!  Yes, I know it's not even Halloween yet but, still, Christmas is barely 2 months away.  That's 62 days.  Phew!  Time to get those holiday projects going....

So, are you ready for a quick project?  AccuQuilt has a fabulous  die that makes 3 different 7" snowflakes!    I used it, as well as the 8" Circle die (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!)  to come up with Ornament Hot Pads!

 Read about how I made these Hotpads here!

And, don't forget to get the free pattern here! 

You're going to love these!

Some exciting news, friends!  I recently made Pillows for AccuQuilt using their new GO! Churn Dash Dies and my blog tutorial just got posted on the AccuQuilt Blog!  Here's the link:  https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-project-tutorials/new-churn-dash-pillow-patterns/

The Churn Dash block is one of my favorites.  It's one of the few blocks that I've made over and over again.  Here are just a couple of my projects - both named after the alternative block name, Double Monkey Wrench.  It's still the Churn Dash!

Monkey Blues, Quilter's World 2014.
Jo Morton's Blue Variety Fabrics for Andover.

Monkey Business Quilt, Quilter's World 2013.

Here's the front of one of the new Churn Dash pillows.  

Quilted Front, 18" Churn Dash Pillow.

So, head on over to the AccuQuilt Blog and read how easy it is to put these pillows together!

Bobbin Along

The first day of summer, June 21, is also the first day of the Row by Row Experience 2015.  It is an exciting shop hop event where you can visit participating shops and receive a free pattern for a quilt row.  Collect at least 8 row patterns, make a quilt and show-and-tell at a participating shop and you could win prizes!  There are over 2700 participating shops from all 50 states and Canada with 107 shops in my home state of Pennsylvania.  Just amazing!

This year is the third year that our local quilt shop, The Round Bobbin is participating in this event.  Every year, I have had the privilege of designing the row for The Round Bobbin.  So, with an event theme of H2O (water!),  our row for the The Round Bobbin is the Storm At Sea!

It is a paper-pieced pattern as the pieces do get a bit small.  Susan S., the shop owner, put the row together and Susan A. machine quilted fish on it!  So wonderful!  It looks great even as a stand-alone row (think table runner!).  You just have to come and see it!!!

Our Fabric plate this year is - Bobbin Along!  I accidentally came up with it during a group discussion.

So, if you're in Ambler, Pennsylvania this summer (June 21-Sept 8), drop by the Round Bobbin, pick up your free row pattern and maybe throw in a kit and a fabric plate!

Winners and Rulers

Congratulations to Debbie E. from NJ for winning a copy of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol 11 magazine!

Congratulations also goes out to Donna W. from WI for winning not only a copy of the magazine but also a fat quarter pack of Quilting Treasures Color Blends fabrics.  

Donna shared a tip about using Mr Clean Magic Eraser to clean the bottom of an iron!   Coincidentally, not only do I currently have an iron with a dirty sole, I also had just bought a pack of Mr Clean Magic Eraser!  So, you know one of the things I'll be doing this coming holiday weekend.  

It has been so much fun participating in the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Hop!  Thanks so much for dropping by!

So, I have just received word that "Quilts Made With Rulers" is now out!   This book is all about 4 rulers - 120-Degree Triangle, 45-Degree Diamond, Single Wedding Ring Arc and Flying Geese.  You know, those rulers that end up in your ruler stash after only one project!  Well, time to dig them out and put them to use on the wonderful quilts in this book.  

Photo courtesy of Annie's.

Photo courtesy of Annie's.

My project, Buy Low, Sell High, which uses the 120-Degree Triangle (see above), is featured on the back cover.   It's scrappy and uses both gray and white as background triangles to create a shadow effect for added depth.  

Carole Whaling did a phenomenal job with the machine quilting as usual.   


Check out the book and I hope you like it as much as I do!  

Enjoy your holiday weekend and welcome 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...

SURF AND SAND

I'm excited to show you "Surf and Sand".  This is a bed-size block of the month program I created for Quilting Treasures featuring their new and fabulous blender collection, Color Blends.  

It's in two colorways - Surf (cool colors) and Sand (warm).  I will admit to liking the Surf version a little bit more than Sand!  

The best part about this project, I feel, are the "Arcs" which makes the blocks look like they are circles!  They're actually very straightforward to do with a little bit of applique and I feel that a confident beginner can make this quilt easily.   Of course, if you would rather not do any type of applique at all, it is easy enough to skip the Arcs.

If you're interested in doing this program, please contact your local quilt shop to see if they're offering it.   The Round Bobbin Quilt Shop does offer the program in both colorways.