As you are probably aware, I am a quilt workshop classroom teacher and I enjoy it a lot! Unfortunately, I haven't been inside one of those classrooms since March 13 in Atlanta. The Sewing Expo is gearing up with a full calendar of 10 events across the USA, beginning in March 2021. I have been teaching for them since 2007 and it's the major part of my income source! What do you think about this bold move? The SURVEY  is short with 6 questions and there's room for you to add extra thoughts. Big Block Hexagons was on the 2020 schedule. I was only able to teach it in Atlanta. I'm bringing it back this year.  Big Block Hexagons Class Then there's my Folded Hexagon Flowers class. I made up kits for 3 cities and was only able to teach it in Atlanta! Folded Hexagon Flowers Flying Swallows was the Saturday class cancelled in Atlanta. Students had their fabric cut out and were ready to sew! Alas, we all had to empty the convention center by midnight Friday. Flying Swallows Cl...

My Block a Day perpetual calendar was first published in 2007. It remained a favorite for 10 years. I still sell the CD with all 366 blocks in 2 sizes and 12 quilts. To say it was a lot of work would be an understatement! I worked on it for the better part of a year (and other things, too). Here are the blocks for December 21 (Winter Solstice and first day of Winter) through the day after Christmas. I want to thank Patricia Bryant of Australia for these photos. She made every single block for the entire year! Garrett Window - December 21 block. 6" Alpine Cross is the December 22 block. 10" Market Square is the December 23 block. 8" Market Square Holiday Leaves is the December 24 block. 12". Hey! What's with those bugs, Patricia?!! Holiday Leaves Christmas Star is the December 25 block. 15". Shooting Star is the December 26 block. 8". Santa's waving bye-bye until next year. Here are some of my vintage Christmas decorations from at least 35 years ag...

 It happens at 5 am here on the East Coast of the USA. Now we can have more sunshine each day! I will share just a few quilts today. Yesterday's quilts were my true Winter Solstice quilts - all stars and double stars. You have probably noticed that several of my quilts this week have used the same fabrics. Like this one, which uses Festive Season and Season's Greetings (Benartex). Those diamonds are 3" English Paper Pieced. What a fun wreath!  Star Wreath I blogged about this amazing Cardinal Table Topper a few years ago. It also uses fabrics from that collection. Click the link below the picture and it will take you to a page with a LOT of process photos! Festive Season Table Topper I took a lovely photo of the fabrics in this collection. They certainly will keep my mind off of the short day! Fabrics from the Festive Season Collection I even used some of those ornament prints to make some greeting cards: Well, that should do it for Winter Solstice! Winter is here for 3 m...

Today is Sunday, the 20th of December. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year (up here in the Northern Hemisphere). One or two more quilts in honor of that day. This is my Double Hexie Star in Kaffe Fassett fabrics. This is 16" high. All rotary cut. No y-seams. I stitched this in 2017. I wanted to feature a gorgeous motif in the center hexagon, which is 8" high. Double Hexie Star block I can tell you don't believe me about NO y-seams. Here are the parts of the companion block. Now can you see it? The piecing sequence of the Double Hexie Star This is only possible using a 60 degree triangle ruler to cut the center hexagon and the surrounding triangles. No need for a special size of templates! Here is the runner. The center hexagons are 8" high. Two block Double Hexie Star Here are two more blocks I found in my Double Hexie Star teaching box. They are my teaching samples. Center motif is from the Kismet Collection by Paula Nadelstern And here's the two star run...

OK. Just two more days. Today is Saturday and the dark days are coming to a close. Here is my Winter Solstice Quilt from last year. Do you remember it? First a block with little rays of sunshine surrounding an awesome kaleidoscope print by Paula Nadelstern. I pieced this in 2015. Winter Solstice Block #1 I added some borders last year and quilted it. I love using stripes in borders and bindings. Winter Solstice Quilt from 2019 I made another block into a quilt. It also uses one of these amazing motifs by Paula. I call this my Double Hexie Star. It's a fun workshop. No y-seams, by the way! Double Hexie Star I also made this in other Winter themed fabrics called Nordic Holiday. Same Double Hexie Star. Double Hexie Star So, as you can see, my stars are shining bright! Be back tomorrow with more Winter Solstice blocks and quilts! One day closer to more daylight.

Winter Solstice is on Monday. I'm so excited! My husband thinks I'm nuts, but I really can tell the difference in the days (well; it takes about 2-3 weeks, but you get the picture!) Here is another quilt that reminds me of Winter and how there is a lot of beauty in it, even if there isn't a lot of sunshine! I shared this several months ago. It uses my Twisted Hexagon pattern . Don't you LOVE these Cardinals?!! Twisted Hexagons featuring Cardinals I fussy cut one more cardinal and put it in the center of a double twisted hexagon. I think I've shared this before. I have it displayed in my small dining room. First the block: Double Twisted Hexagon block Then I straightened up the sides to make it a rectangle. I could have finished it as a hexagon, but wanted to showcase that lovely green and gold print. Double Twisted Hexagon Topper Even though there's snow on the ground, there are birds still out there. I love hearing them tweet and I can imagine them saying: ...

Just a few more days and then we get to swing back and gather a minute of sunshine each day again! I really shouldn't complain because we've had a lot of sunshine so far in December (except for the snow yesterday!) I made this block 3 years ago. It's based on a design from Katja Marek's Hexagon calendar. But I didn't want to English Paper Piece it. I upsized it and rotary cut the patches. Katja's block is 6" high (sort of). My block is 12" high and was pieced very quickly! Hexagon block I added some borders and here she is! I quilted it on my Handi Quilter Sweet 16. So nice to work on something small. Happy Hexagon Table Topper Here is the schematic I drew up. All patches can be cut using normal rulers; you don't need a specialty template. I have a few more happy Christmas themed projects to share. I have them strategically placed around my house to remind me that the dark days will soon be past.

I don't think I've shared this here before. It is from the Horse and Rider Collection by Michael Miller. I designed the digital quilt based on a pattern I taught in several workshops. This is my Arrowheads pattern which is made using a 60 degree triangle ruler (paper template included). Horse and Rider Quilt : 66" x 66" Let me show you several I made before this one. This is my latest, made with some Kaffe Fassett prints. I have since quilted it (but I can't find that photo). Arrowheads Quilt Some of the quilts as my class samples. This one uses a Tri-Recs ruler (NOT the same angle as a 60 degree). And one in blues: Here is another one using the 60 degree ruler. It's my Arrowheads in Red and was a pattern for Creative Grids (Cut Loose Press). Arrowheads in Red Now one in multi, awaiting quilting. I think I have a few more, but I need to get on with my day. Check out the FREE pattern on the Michael Miller web site: Horse and Rider .

 Just a quick post today. I want to feature my Winding Ways quilts, many of which you've seen before. Let me start with the most recent using the Sweet Wish Collection by Windham Fabrics. I made this in July. This uses my "cheater's" method which converts the 12 curved template pieces to one template and one square background piece. No kidding! You can see the steps in a recent blog post about this. Sweet Wish Winding Ways Here is a very old one I made about 20 years ago and published it in Quilt Magazine and it was also featured in my first book. I taught a workshop several years ago where we actually worked with all the templates and pre-cut fabrics. I had several samples. This next quilt uses the sample blocks I had leftover. I have since had it quilted and donated it to a local children's charity. Winding Ways made the old fashioned way with 12 patches per block! What do you think of my borders on these? Not a single fabric but strips. I like it (and it makes...