Red Hot Flash - FREE pattern

We're still in February, the month of LOVE, and I have been asked several times in the past month for the Red Hot Flash quilt I designed for Blank Quilting in 2012. I no longer have my free patterns available as I am slowly migrating them over to another server, but this link will take you to a 3rd party site which makes available the pattern pdf.

Red Hot Flash by Debby Kratovil for Blank Quilting

This is what I said in 2012:

Well, I guess it's the nature of my age, that I would name a quilt after how I feel all the time. Why doesn't my husband understand that I need to have the AC turned down to 50 degrees? This pattern is for a brand new quilt I designed and sewed for Blank Quilting using ONLY one set of 2-1/2" strips.

One set of 40 strips (2-1/2")

Their sets of 40 strips are called Fabrications and other than the binding and a black and white swirly background print, I used all of the 40 strips for this 59" x 70" quilt. You can download the pattern here: Hot Flash Pattern. Any set of red strips will do, of course!

Here are a few of my sample blocks before cutting up the strips above. These Spiderweb blocks are made with NO templates!

Spiderweb Blocks

Take a visit to Quilting Land to see one she made. It's just as striking as mine above. Who doesn't love a 2 color quilt?!

Photo Corner Blocks and Tutorial

This post appeared several years ago when I featured the Avignon Collection by Benartex. I revisited a pattern I've used several times. This uses my Photo Corner technique which was the focus of a workshop about 10 years ago called Rainbow Strips and Curves.

Here is the first quilt I made with this. Yes, very bright, I know!

Rainbow Curves

Then I wanted to fussy cut some holiday birds and make them the focus of the blocks. These are my Holiday Birds. I like that the birds aren't dead-center, but are arranged "organically" inside the frame. What do you think?

Four Block Christmas Birds: 9" blocks

Now, you may be thinking: I can't think of Christmas. It's only February! But think about some of those awesome prints in your stash that are just begging to be centered within these photo corners. I'll wait while you go dig them out.

Are you back? Let's move on to a non-Christmas set of bird blocks, shall we? What kinds of birds might you have in your stash?

I had a few bird books in my bookshelf to help me identify my backyard visitors and then my daughter said that she wanted them for my little grandsons so they could bird watch. What fun!

Who's visiting today?

Here are the Avignon fabrics I received from Benartex.

Avignon Collection by Benartex Fabrics

Next, my simple photo corner templates, which can be found in my Holiday Birds pattern.

Photo corners traceable templates

I used freezer paper to trace the simple template. I made two so I could cut quickly.

Iron templates to fabric that ALREADY has fusible interfacing on back

 Yes, you first have to iron fusible interfacing (NOT double sided, like Wonder Under) to the wrong side of fabric. This stabilizes the raw edges for machine appliqué.

Interfacing ironed to wrong side of fabric

Cut out squares and then use freezer paper templates to cut out photo corners.

Iron freezer paper to right side of fabric, then cut out.

Two photo corners cut out. Funny little shape in center: discard or find some clever use - your call!

I plan on 4 blocks. I need 8 photo corners of each color:

Photo corners cut out and ready for the birds!

I asked for 1/2 yard of that awesome main bird fabric. I wish I had asked for more, but it worked out! I needed to fussy cut four birds, so I needed a "window" template. Freezer paper to the rescue.

I created a window that mimicked the opening that the photo corners would create on a 9-1/2" background square. I cut a 9-1/2" piece of freezer paper and traced the photo corners as shown; then I cut out the center. Now I can see the bird fabric and find out where to place this template for cutting.

Window template drawn; now, to cut it out

Now I can see where to place the cutting template. Centered this bird . . .

Bird #1 centered and ready to be cut

Iron the template to the fabric (so it doesn't shift when I cut)

Bird #2 ready to be cut out on the OUTSIDE of the freezer paper square

I used my 9-1/2" ruler to do the chopping

Don't worry birdie; you're safe inside that ruler. I'm only cutting the outside fabric

And how do they look, waiting for the stitching?

Auditioning one bird with green corners

 And how does the same bird look with orange corners?

I like this one better

I placed the photo corners on the 9-1/2" background squares and then used matching thread, zig zag stitched them down. I also trimmed away the excess background fabric from behind each photo corner (before I added the sashing).

Simple zigzag stitch; trimmed away background from behind photo corners

Added sashing (from another Benartex collection), then that luscious fruit fabric for a border.

Song birds in my backyard: 30" x 30"

You can get the pattern here: Holiday Birds. This works for the Avignon quilt, too. Same size blocks.

Free Pattern Day: Frosted Blocks (and more)

Don't think Christmas! Just because you see Frosty the Snowman doesn't mean he only comes around at Christmas time. When there's snow, there's Frosty! This is a delightful 1930s print that is Winter themed (ok, I know you see gingerbread houses and Christmas stockings and candy canes - what can I say?) This is Frosted Blocks.

Frosted Blocks: 56" x 65"

This uses my tried and true pattern which I call Tilt. I first made this style of quilt in 2002 when I looked at the Tri-Recs ruler and figured I could "tilt" some charm squares. I called it "The Talking Quilt" because the squares are novelty prints that would get the interest of a child and get them to "talk" about each one. Don't use this for nap time - they won't go to sleep!

The Talking Quilt

Then I made it again for Windham in 2007:

Tumbling Dice - FREE pattern

Then I made it again using another Windham Fabrics collection called "Cream and Sugar."

Cream and Sugar quilt

And again for P and B Textiles (2017) and that is a FREE pattern, too!

Where the Wild Things Are - FREE pattern!

OK, that's enough. I have more but I'll leave those for another day. Click on those links above and you can have THREE FREE patterns that use my Tilt Block. If you have a Tri-Recs ruler, the Creative Grids Perfect Rectangle ruler or my set of Arrowheads Rulers, then these will work.

 TEMPLATES are included in each of the patterns, of course!!

Woven Danish Hearts

This is a repost from last year. Valentine's Day is coming and I have pulled my heart quilts out!

We all made these Danish Hearts in school. And I believe children are still making them! I'll check with my little grandsons in school.

Woven Danish Heart

This is just a quick set of pics to remind you of how fun these were to make and to show you that you can do it with fabric!

I realized the other day that I had made 4 Danish Woven Hearts about 9 years ago and they have been languishing in a box all that time. At first I thought I had given them away (I was de-stashing last year). But, I found the box (because I had labeled it on the outside - what a novel idea, huh?)

First woven heart almost finished

I decided to make one using some Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I love pink and green! The wrong side of the fabrics are fused with fusible interfacing (not webbing).

Freezer paper template ironed to right side of interfaced fabric #1

I cut out one from each of two fabrics:

Two heart halves cut out and the slits made.

I pinned them together,

Two halves pinned together

But I didn't like how busy that green print was. So, I took it off and cut out a solid reading print.

Trim away backing before stitching the straight lines

And here is my little mug rug finished with a few straight lines of machine quilting.

Woven Danish Heart Mug Rug: 12" x 12"

I have four of the first hearts and I plan on making a small quilt. With sashing and borders it should easily become big enough for a child's quilt.

You can find the 3 page pdf pattern at my Etsy shop: Woven Danish Hearts

Red Hat BOM: The Glove

Here it is February and we are FREEZING here in Virginia. I need to wear my gloves. I usually wear fingerless gloves, even in the bitterest of winter. But, lately I am wearing full-finger gloves because it's cold (did I already say that?)

Today I share my Red Hat glove, the second in the BOM. I have a glove for both the left and right hands. These are NOT the kind I wear when shoveling snow. These are fancy with a contrasting cuff and 3 little buttons on the side.

Gloves for both hands!

I made the left hand first. I used a simple zigzag stitch on the main red fabric first.

Then I placed the cuff and "buttons." Here's what it looks like from the wrong side.

Simple zigzag stitch from the wrong side.

Now let's see them one at a time. Left hand:

Left hand glove

 Right hand:

Right hand glove

This is available through my Etsy shop: February Glove. Remember, since I no longer have a Craftsy shop where I was able to offer these for free last year, I priced them at a low price of $1.00 (I have to pay Etsy fees).

Take a visit to my Red Hat Stepping Out Facebook page, too.

What's a Quilt with Two Missing Blocks?

I finally put together my Tea Party blocks which I featured here in 2018 - one a month. But, for some reason I didn't count yesterday when I put them into a quilt. I'm missing the November and December blocks! I didn't realize it until today - too late!

Quilt top is done and I'm NOT going to rip it apart to add the two renegade blocks. They are shamelessly hiding in my sewing room getting a big kick out of giving me more gray hair.

Here is the quilt. Very organic. Blocks are a variety of sizes, but the patterns I gave here were for a standard 10" finished size. I don't want to give you gray hairs!

My Tea Party Quilt: 49" x 56"

I compiled all 12 blocks AND color photos of each block into a 25 page pdf and I offer it on Etsy. (Remember, I can no longer use Craftsy, so all those individual blocks are gone.)

If you want to see the various posts of these blocks, and quite a few process shots of how I constructed them, go to the Search window over on the right sidebar here and look for them in each month for 2018. Or, you can find the links when you click on "2018 Tea Party" as a link in "labels.

You can get more info about this 25 page pdf by visiting the link (2018 Tea Party Blocks).

And if you happen to see a runaway Crock or Candy Dish, will you let them know I miss them!?!

The Red Hat 2019 BOM is Here!

I've been working on these blocks for two weeks now (not full-time, of course!). I wanted to have all 9 blocks finished before launching this new Block of the Month.

Here is the Stepping Out Quilt that uses the 5 different blocks (two are repeated). As I said last week, this was first a set of blocks I designed for Intown Quilters in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004. Then I incorporated them into my Block a Day calendars. I'm now shopping for a perfect blue for those sashings.

Stepping Out Quilt: 39" x 39". Block Size: 9"

These blocks are not free because, as you may remember, I've lost my Craftsy shop and am slowly migrating over to Etsy. I get charged fees on Etsy (and I am not complaining; that's how business runs!) These blocks will be $1.00 for the month in which they run. After that, they will be $3.00. I did that last year and I had no complaints. This was a lot of work (but fun work!)

Here is my Red Hat block.

January Block: The Red Hat

I gave this block away and got somewhat confused in my sewing room and began to make a second one using hot pink fabrics. But, you will understand my steps even if I used the wrong fabric (for awhile).

Freezer paper template:

Transfer template onto freezer paper and cut out; iron to right side of fabric

Iron fusible interfacing to wrong side of fabric. This will stabilize the raw edges for my machine appliqué.

I used fusible interfacing on the wrong side

Hat cut out; ready to cut out the purple plume

Two parts to the hat blocks

 Place and partially stitch the red hat; ready to add purple plume

Two hat parts

 I added the dimensional stitching on the hat, as you can see, before I added the purple plume.

Pinned and stitched

 Final hat in red. Buttons are added. You could just as easily stitch small yellow circles of fabric.

First block: Red Hat in the Stepping Out Quilt

The first installment of this BOM includes a picture of the Stepping Out Quilt (digital) and fabric requirements. It is a 2 page pdf with the full size, traceable templates for this Red Hat block.

Stepping Out Quilt and Red Hat Block