Mom, Can I Have These Quilts?

Gee's Bend Housetop 4 Block Quilt

She came. She saw. She took away two quilts. Why not? It's a quilt museum here!

My daughters like the modern looking quilts. I designed 8 renditions of Gee's Bend quilts for Windham Fabrics (yes! with permission of the Gee's Bend ladies). They've served their purpose and I got paid for my work.

She promised me she would actually hang these. I'm going to check up on her when I visit in January. Oh, yes I am!

From my No Sneaky Peeky class

This one, she says, will go in my two grandsons' bedroom. The first one will hang in her office.

Now I'm going to look for replacements. Remember I said that my house mimics a quilt museum. Can't have a bare wall, now can we?

Stay tuned for the first block in the Galaxy of Stars Block of the Month for 2015. It comes out January 1. And Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas!

Cookie Cutter Trees quilt and candle mat

Merry Christmas to all. I wish you a wonderful year of sewing, quilting, crafting and all things creative.

More trees!

Thank you for making my blog a happy place for my quilts. They send their love and hugs to you!

Galaxy of Stars Supply List

Galaxy of Stars Block of the Month

Galaxy of Stars as it appeared in Quilt Magazine 2006

Well, I have seen (and heard) all the enthusiasm for this 2015 Block of the Month. The elves have gotten busy and informed me that the Supply List should be given out before January. They even included a coloring/planning chart for you to consider your colors.

January Block, Evening Star, is NOW UP!

Remember: this is not a club; you don't have to sign up. You can always remain anonymous. I will not be teaching paper piecing, so if you don't want to make a particular block with paper piecing, just make another one of your favorite rotary cut ones! I may even share some extra blocks I've made for the workshop I taught that are not included in this quilt but use the same colors and are the same size.

Here is the 3 page pdf of supplies (simple supplies; I've included both pictures of the quilts and the planning chart). Choose your own colors. Go wild with scraps. It's your quilt!

Invite your friends and guild members to join in. Please ask them to come to my blog to get each monthly installment. (They may have to sign up to "follow", but I don't hassle my followers, do I?) Don't print and distribute the patterns or I'll get Willy and Nilly to come after you (my copyright protectors).

Galaxy of Stars Supply List

Galaxy of Stars Block of the Month 2015

Galaxy of Stars Quilt - 80" x 80"

I'm considering a Block of the Month for this blog based on this quilt. I have used it for classes and even an Atlanta quilt shop BOM. There are twelve 12" star blocks, four 6" star blocks (in the corners) and a GIANT 24" star block in the center. The Twisted Star in the center is very easy to cut and piece, I promise.

What say you, blog followers? Are you interested? I would start the first week in January with one of the 12" stars. Some of them require paper piecing. I assume you either know how to paper piece or can find resources online. I won't be able to walk newbies through that process.

Here's how it appeared in Quilt Magazine:

Galaxy of Stars as it appeared in Quilt Magazine 2006

All files are in Acrobat pdf. I will give yardage requirements in January. Each month I will offer tips for pre-cutting that month's patches. I also have a line drawing planning sheet for the 14 blocks.

The last month will be a whirl with the finishing and assembly information.

I've done all the work. Just need to tweak this for an online version.

Let me know if you're interested. Ask your friends to join in, too. I only want to be sure that this is not printed and then handed out willy-nilly (don't know Willy? He's my copyright protector and will hunt you down and . . . you get the picture).

Leave me a comment if you think you'd like to join the fun. This is not a club; you don't have to sign up. You can always remain anonymous. I'm just trying to get a head count of those who might want to take the plunge.

Of course, if you're impatient, you can buy the CD for $10, plus postage. But it's free if you are OK with one block a month!

BOOK SALE!

Supersize 'Em Quilts

Martingale is offering my book as an eBook for $6.00! Yes, you can buy it and download it with every single page as it appears in the 110 page print version. It is in pdf format. You can see all of the quilts here:

Supersize 'Em Quilts

There are 6 quilts for paper piecing, so you can print the foundations right from your computer. There is so much in this book. Sale ends at midnight December 21, 2014.

And the quilt on the cover? Would you like to see the inspiration for this?

From the Metropolitan Home Magazine - January 1982!!

I tore this page out of the Metropolitan Home Magazine years ago. I carried it with me from house to house. I was so inspired by those spikey points that I just called it The Spikey Thing (though it is called "Flower Pots and Stars", circa 1920.

Here's your chance to get this pattern (minus the pots) along with 21 others for ONLY $6.00.

Check it out, even if just to look at the quilts: Supersize 'Em Quilts

Sale ends at midnight Sunday, December 21.

Christmas Quilts, Day Three (and free pattern)

Antique Rose Block: 10"

Today I feature a lovely, traditional applique block called Antique Rose, 10" x 10". It is very similar to one of the two blocks featured in my very favorite Christmas quilt shown below. I remember beginning this quilt thinking I would hand applique. Ha! After a few stitches, I tossed the whole thing in the trash, pulled out my fusibles and happily stitched it by machine. Loved every minute.

Antique Rose and Wreath Quilt

This is an antique block given to me by my then editor, Jean Ann Wright, at Quilt Magazine. It is a whopping 36" square (before borders). What do you think? I added the triple border with Nine Patch to finish it out. And, of course, I machine quilted it!

Antique Rose Quilt

What? You don't have time to sew before Christmas? Well, just save this for those crazy January days when you're housebound with snow. What? You don't get snow where you live? OK. Just save the pattern for when you have the time!

Antique Rose pattern

You can get the pdf file (for more accuracy) here: Antique Rose Pattern

Let's see if I can find more quilts in my Christmas Quilt Vault!

Christmas Quilts - Day Two

Baltimore Album "Cheater Cloth" quilt

Oh, I dream of having a real Baltimore Album quilt. I've even blogged about it last year at this time with my cheater panels (see post here)

This little quilt was made at least 10 years ago and I bought a small panel of pre-printed blocks, set them on point with that deep, rich red fabric, and added a triple strip border. Love this little quilt and it actually hangs in my kitchen year round. It was featured in one of Quilt Magazine's special issues and I know that made her happy!

One of my Baltimore Album blocks

Maybe I'll go looking for that UFO box and play around with them. I just love those rich colors, don't you?

 I have a few more quilts in my Christmas Quilt vault. Hope to show you some more.

Christmas Quilts - Day 1 (and free pattern)

Holiday Splendor Lone Star Quilt

I'm pulling out my trusty, faithful, colorful Christmas quilts and I remembered this one I made about 5 years ago and turned into a class: One Day Lone Star! The center Lone Star block is about 37" square. These fabrics are so sophisticated, aren't they? They are from Blank Quilting.

I created a second quilt as a pattern for Blank using their Inspiration 4 Collection. It's the same center. Would you  like the pattern?

Star of Promise Quilt

It really is possible to finish the piecing of the Lone Star center in a 6 hour class when all your strips are pre-cut. Many of my students do!

Click here for your free Star of Promise Quilt

Student Quilt - Cupid's Arrows

Cupid's Arrows by Dawn P. from Atlanta

I love seeing what my students finish, and Dawn took this class at the Quilting Live! Show in Atlanta in September. This is a Palm Block, also called Hosannah. I called the class "Cupid's Arrows" because it was part of a blog hop around Valentine's Day. This is paper pieced and is done in an off-center log cabin approach, so that there are no units to join - when you're done piecing, the block is finished.

My Cupid's Arrows class sample

If you look closely, she used a wonderful paw print in the block and also in the border. Don't you just love you she made the best use of the curvy fabric in the setting triangles? What to GO, Dawn!

The block is 7" finished. It is from my latest book, Paper Piecing Perfect Points. Students learned not only how to paper piece, but also how to set blocks on point. You can see the quilt I made for the book by following the link above. I have many several quilts using this pattern. And would you look at those pointy points? Wow!!

Thanks, Dawn, for sharing this wonderful quilt with us.

If you've made a quilt or table runner, etc using one of my patterns (whether in a class or on your own), please do let me know. I really want to feature them here on my blog.

Christmas Pattern: Tessellating Leaves

One more Christmas quilt from long ago

I remembered this post from last December and thought I'd reshare it with you. These Tessellating Leaves work with ANY fabrics, any holiday and colors. The pdf pattern is still available. If you didn't see this last year, I am happy to offer it to you. It was published many years ago in a Quilt Magazine issue and I'm so glad I have that photo!

I think this would look good in red and white. Or blue and white.

I found this picture from about 10 years ago. I gifted it to someone and I sure hope they are enjoying it for the holidays (can't remember who I gave it to). I realized that I have the pattern in pdf format and you can piece the 4" blocks either in the traditional way by rotary cutting patches or try your hand at paper piecing.

The pattern is written for using fat quarters. Don't you just love the way the shapes interlock. That's what "tessellating" means. Enjoy!

Free Tessellating Leaves pattern

Crochet 2015

Better than a magazine, the Crochet 2015 desktop calendar

My own calendar publisher, Andrews McMeel, is the TOP DOG in calendars! I didn't realize it until a few months ago when I did some sleuthing and discovered that they publish all sorts of calendars besides craft (quilting, crochet, knitting, etc). To a quilter, everything is a piece of fabric, I guess.

From their web site:
Andrews McMeel Publishing is the nation's top calendar publisher, annually producing calendars based on many top-selling properties such as Dilbert, Thomas Kinkade, and Mary Engelbreit, among other characters and titles, and selling more than 15 million calendars each year.

Anyway, I just received a copy of the Crochet 2015 Calendar and I've pulled out numerous pages of my new favorites. (Yes. Now the calendar is a mess with sticky notes, disorganized pages; who says I have to keep them in order?)

If you are a yarn junkie like me and are always looking for crochet inspiration, this calendar is for you. You can purchase it online in a variety of places, including the official Andrews McMeel calendar site.

Let's see some of the projects I pulled out to work on right away. (I received permission from AMM to use these images.)

First, I want to go beyond square potholders. I've made a few dozen square ones and it's time to work on some circles!

Scrap Potholders by Susan Lynn, Crafts and Things

And I've been working on some wristers, but I've gotten the sizes wrong. Maybe I should be following a pattern . . . ?

Shell Cuff Fingerless Mitts by Claudia Barbo (appleyarns.com)

I have a new granddaughter and her mother loves all things girlie. I've made her 6 cowls (again, a rectangle!); it's time to branch out.

A-Line Jumper, courtesy of Bernat yarns

And I'm back to hats and scarves, but with a little more personality.

Two-Tone Hat & Scarf by Jessica Elisabeth

Can I show you the FIRST hats I've ever made? I found a super easy pattern on the Lion Brand site and used Paton's wool. Easy! Made these over the weekend and mailed them to my two little grandsons. I'm anxious to see if they fit.

Wool blend hats for my little grandsons

Oh, so you're not into crochet? How about knitting? Or hey - I have a great idea! How about quilting?

2015 Quilting Block and Pattern a Day Calendar

This is the 9th calendar I've done for Accord Publishing (a division of Andrews McMeel. I've put the 2016 calendar "to bed" in August and now am working on the 2017 calendar. My brain is empty! I hope you can find it at your local big box store, quilt shop, or even online. Visit the online store of Andrews McMeel to see more about this calendar and order it!