Another day, another way with Fairy Frost. Actually, a continuation of yesterday and those lovely hexagons. Let's see some of the beautiful hexagons in Fairy Frost and Gingham Play. I cut my fabrics and then stitched a lot of hexagons. This photo shows the orange block done. Sweet, huh? Block parts with a single block finished I am not going to add the outer solid hexagons on the sides of these blocks. I'm going to float them on a background made up of various light colored Fairy Frost. I only have fat quarters, so that limits me. I like that sort of challenge! I'm going to try and recreate some version of a quilt I've made a few times before. The one in this picture was made with class samples from several years ago. I had four rectangular blocks and when I put them together the center was too boring! I added a fifth block to that center and it filled in the space beautifully. One of my students, Lori, said this was her favorite quilt from the workshop. I named it afte

More blocks, more quilts, more sparkle using Fairy Frost . I'm back with some hexagons and English Paper Piecing. I've been working on these blocks for a few years. Not sure where I'm headed, but I am just along to enjoy the ride. And it's such a lovely ride to be working with lovely fabrics. This is Gingham Play by Michael Miller . I shared some of this in 2019 and I was using Cotton Couture with it. But I couldn't find quite the color match from the bundle I received, so I had an "aha" moment and grabbed some of my Fairy Frost. Aren't these SO beautiful together?!! Fairy Frost and Gingham Play It looks like candy, doesn't it? I began to cut it up to make more of my Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. Oh, you haven't seen those? Allow me! First, this is what I used for my blocks which I started in 2019. Gingham Play and Cotton Couture I made a few large blocks using 2" hexagons. Here is my purple/lavender set. Various 2" hexagons

I was taught early in my professional quilting career to "sew for the camera." That means to let the fabrics do the work so that viewers can see the various prints and want to BUY them! Magazines weren't published to entertain only; they needed advertisers to keep the doors open and that meant inviting fabric companies to come along for the ride (and pay for admission!) I have made the Flying Swallows quilt several times. It's currently a class I teach for the Sewing Expo. ( Next class is in Akron, Ohio .) The most recent version used Fairy Frost . Here are a few of the 45 degree diamonds I cut. Diamonds cut from Fairy Frost No - I did NOT use templates. Pull out your acrylic rulers and do you see those 45 degree lines that run along a diagonal? Yep! That's what I used!  Makes it very enjoyable for my students. I cut two different sizes of triangles from more Fairy Frost - and then BIG triangles from that dark blue. Now, what does it look like when put together?

I have been a huge fan of Michael Miller's Fairy Frost for many years. It's been around since 2001, in fact! I had a bit here and there and then I was sent a HUGE fat quarter bundle from their warehouse in 2020. What do you think? What? You can't really see them? Well, here are a few I pulled out for some projects. There's just about any color and hue that you might need. I selected these for my Festival of Lights quilt which I made in 2018. Two blues, a yellow, a gold, a red and the perfect white! And how do they look? Perfect, I think you'll say! First, the individual paper pieced units. I was also using the Festival of Lights fabric collection. And here's my quilt. Do you like how I turned one fourth of each block so that it looks like there's a 5th block in the center? Festival of Lights quilt quilt: 44" x 44" Here are just the fat quarters: Fairy Frost fat quarters And the project I'm currently working on using the delightful Gnome to Fa

English Paper Piecing with hexagons is a great take along handcraft. I have been working on some blocks off and on for a few years. I just pulled them out of the closet and realized that I used more of Laura Heine's Potpourri Collection for the background squares. Do you remember the fabrics? Potpourri by Laura Heine for Windham Fabrics They were released last June and I've made a few different projects with them. My latest is playing with more paper piecing. I like to have handwork to take with me if I'm at the park with my quilt guild or am sitting on my deck after dinner. Here is a simple Grandmother's Flower Garden using some older Windham Fabrics with a fussy cut motif from their Paper Dolls Collection (from almost 10 years ago!) I added another row to this and then appliquéd it to a 14-1/2" square from Potpourri. Aren't those the sweetest dragonflies? Grandmother's Flower Garden block using 1-1/4" hexagon papers I actually took the last of those

I always like looking back on the dozens of projects I designed for various fabric companies. I realize that I inevitably use traditional patterns to feature those newly released collections. I combined a simple 9 Patch with a Rail Fence and then put them on point. I let the fabric do all the work! This was made for Blank Quilting in 2008. I created 3 different colorways in their Chantal collection. Click the links and you will go to the free pattern. Chantal in aqua: 57" x 57" And the second colorway: Chantal  in black multi: 57" x 57" And one more in mauve: Chantal  in mauve: 57" x 57" I made two more quilts using this collection. They appear in my books. The first one was in my Supersize 'Em Quilts book (2009, Martingale). The blocks are 20" and the quilt is 46" x 46" Diana's Rose Garden And the next one appeared in my last book, Paper Piecing Perfect points (2013, Martingale). This quilt is NOT for the beginner! There's a lo

Getting ready for my Christmas in July posts. One is with Windham Fabrics and their Merry and Mod collection. I am combining it with their new Diamond Dust blenders (released in 2020). Diamond Dust by Windham Fabrics Merry and Mod is releasing to quilt shops this month (June 2021) and it a fun, fresh and colorful group of Christmas fabrics. This was designed by the VERY talented Natalie Barnes (one of my favorite fabric designers!) Merry and Mod by Natalie Barnes for Windham Fabrics Let's see another shot of these fabrics. Isn't this the greatest with the three Buffalo Plaids (green, black/red and black/white)? They are an unusual - but perfect - accompaniment with those fabulous prints! I used one of my tried and true patterns and was able to use 6 of the prints in my yet to be revealed 30" x 30" quilt. Remember, I am working with fat quarters, but I can do wonders with those cuts and you will love to see my creation. Yes, I still have several of the other prints l