You never know what you'll discover when you open a drawer in my sewing room! I find projects in process tucked in plastic ziplock bags and the fabrics start calling my name. Several years ago I bought a charm pack precut into hexagons.  Pre-cut hexagon charms and 1-3/4" papers I found that 1-3/4" papers fit perfectly with those charms. I think I purchased 4 packs of these in various prints. I combined the fabrics with some blenders and cut those using my triangle ruler. This is how I cut my hexagons for EPP. I don't have to be exact, but this gives me at least 3/8" seam allowance all around. If I'm unsure of the cutting size I pull out construction paper or other scrap paper and practice cutting on that. If I make a cutting mistake, it's just paper! I began stitching them using my favorite technique - no glue, no sewing through the papers. I decided to make my Grandmother's Flower Garden (GFG) Variation with the extra 2 hexagons out on the sides. Fou...

SpaceX and NASA launched 4 astronauts up to the space station today. I have a quilt (actually 2) titled "Blast Off!" Both use collections from Benartex. The pieced block is called Job's Tears and I foundation paper pieced it. It was published in Quilt Magazine about 15 years ago. Blast Off! 33" x 33". 8" block Then I made another one so I could feature these incredible motifs of astronauts walking on the moon! What do you think? Blast Off #2. 66" x 90". 12" blocks This was another Benartex Collection called "The New Frontier" from 2009. I featured this as one of the 12 quilts in my 2014 Wall Calendar of Quilts. It was first published in a Fons and Porter magazine (probably 2009 or 2010 issue). I wish our brave and talented astronauts much success in their fabulous journey and a safe return to Mother Earth!

Sometimes I just want to stitch a BIG block and let the fabrics get all the attention. I grabbed some Kaffe Fassett prints the other day and did just that. I wanted to remake a block from this quilt I made in 2007. It appeared in my Supersize 'Em Quilts book (2009). There are four 20" blocks. Dancing with the Flowers : 76" x 76" It's a vintage block from the Kansas City Star, 1933. Mine is a slight variation with whole squares in the corners and not pieced triangles. I taught this as a class in the early 2000s in Atlanta and we used both versions. I know I finished and quilted this quilt. It probably was published in Quilt Magazine. Now it lives in another home (somewhere!) Jack in the Pulpit with Roses Here is the block I made the other day. First, the parts: Parts for Dancing with the Flowers (single block) I mitered those stripes, but not the traditional way. I've shared my Magical Mitering technique here before and you can find lots of demos of that if y...

I found a new use for my 60 degree triangle ruler. I was inspired by what I did with my Tri-Recs ruler about 20 years ago and thought that the 60 degree one will do the same thing. After all, the angle difference is only about 4 degrees. Here's one quilt I made which I call Arrowheads. It was the basis for a workshop in 2012. I used my own version of the Tri-Recs ruler set. Spinning Arrowheads Here's my set (which I no longer carry). Check your sewing room drawer for a set of the Tri-Recs rulers! My version of the Tri-Recs ruler set When I make the blocks, I add an extra strip to top and bottom so that the block is square. This way I can tilt them back and forth in relation to each other. Here is a single block (from long ago). Single Arrowheads block I've made this in multi-colors (still a top hanging in my closet): And my latest quilt was made using Windham Fabrics Merry and Mod Collection and their blenders called Diamond Dust. I donated it to our local quilt guild's...

This is an updated post I ran in 2014 when I was challenged to make something for Fall Quilt Market by Windham Fabrics. They had little scraps (actually 1/8 yard cuts) that were part of their upcoming Broken Stripes Collection. They're called "Strike offs" because the fabric mill wants them to approve the colors, etc, before they print thousands and thousands of yards! Aren't these beautiful?! Broken Stripes  Collection by  Windham Fabrics THEY SAID : Laura and I were just talking about you yesterday!  Do you remember all the mini quilts we had hanging in the booth at Spring Market (2014)?  We are hoping to do the same for this Fall and wondered if you would be interested in sewing a mini quilt for us with one of the new collections? Rules are 18 x 18 inches, and be as IMAGINATIVE as you want!  :) I SAID : Sure. Just send some companion fabrics (which I ended up not using). Solids from the  New Colonies  Collection See those samples in the first pictur...

A vintage, traditional pattern was the inspiration for the next set of blocks and quilts that feature flowers. This is called the Diadem. I think it resembles a rocket ship (and you'll see one quilt that uses outer space fabrics to prove it!) The first quilt I made was in 2006-7 and I used Christmas fabrics - but they're flowers. Diadem : 56" x 56". 14" Blocks Then I chose it as a project for some workshops. I used some lovely flower collections from Blank Fabrics. Again, I wanted something special in those center squares (which are cut 10-1/2"). The pointed corners are paper pieced, of course! Same size quilt, only this time in pinks and browns. First, a single block: Single Diadem block with paper pieced corners And the 4 block quilt: I chose some blues and greens and made kits for my students. I made the block size smaller: 12", so the quilts will finish to 40" x 40". This way the students didn't have to piece their borders.  This is a ...

I love large scale prints. I never chop them into little, tiny pieces! That's why fabric companies like to work with me because I make BIG blocks that sell more of their fabric! I shared some LARGE Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks I stitched by machine back in January. Do you remember? Granny's Garden  with Japanese Chrysanthemum and Fossil Ferns These use some Kaffe Fassett fabrics with Fossil Ferns. This first one is my favorite! It is 18" x 18" unfinished. I added those top and bottom strips of Fossil Fern background fabric to "square" it up. Remember, a hexagon is wider than it is high and I wanted these to be square. And another one in pinks: Single block in Pinks with light yellow Fossil Fern background I wasn't able to fussy cut the flowers, but I did need to use my window template of freezer paper because I was really close to being short of fabric! My freezer paper window template for fussy cutting (sort of) How about a really bright pink ...