This is a repost from 2019. It's worth revisiting because we all have bundles of Jelly Rolls! I love blues, turquoise in particular. I designed a few dozen quilts for Blank Fabrics and came across this lovely one I called Seminole Steps. This features a bundle of 2-1/2" strips (a jelly roll). You have one (or a dozen), right? Lovely set of 2-1/2" strips in turquoise I made more than one quilt with this Inspiration Collection. Let me show them to you before I reveal the FREE pattern. Is that ok with you? These don't use 2-1/2" strips, but larger pieces from this collection. First, a pincushion using a small scrap, some rick rack, stuffing and a tuna can (yes, it is!) A little hot glue keeps that stuffed top in the can. I made several of these. Now you have a reason to not only eat tuna, but to save the cans! Tuna can disguised as a pin cushion Next is a quilt I've made several times using a widely published block pattern. I call it Delectable Mountains. I simp...

In the Northern Hemisphere today is the longest day of the year - Summer Solstice - when the daylight hours seem like forever (and we love it). Windham Fabrics released a gorgeous collection of fabrics called  Solstice  in late 2020 that really captivated my quilter's heart! Here are just a few of the prints designed by Sally Kelly. Solstice has 28 prints! I used those fabrics to make another of my Spiroglyphics quilts (see mine done in batiks here). I donated this to my local quilt guild's charity endeavors. No borders! SpiroGlyphics quilt: 30" x 30" I put my Solstice blocks all together last summer. Same center as the quilt above; I added inner and outer borders. I just love this! Waits patiently to be quilted. Solstice SpiroGlyphics quilt: 40" x 40" But, along the way, I made another quilt. This is my Nosegay quilt using Solstice. I had to get creative with the setting square and triangles since I only had fat quarters! I also dipped into my Fantasy Colle...

It happens all the time (to me). I do not typically "count the cost" before I jump in and start sewing with a quilt in mind. Then I run out of fabric to finish the number of blocks I need, say, for a 3 x 3 block quilt. That's what happened here in my Mistletoe Shark's Teeth quilt. Under the Mistletoe: 10" blocks; 38" x 38" quilt The fabrics are from Benartex, 2016. I made several cute items for my grandkids and they loved them.  Mistletoe postcards And a vest or two: Kid's vest I had a few scraps left over and proceeded to make some paper pieced Shark's Teeth blocks. Mistletoe fabrics from Benartex I used 4 different light background prints and some red, green and yellow fabrics for the spiky points. I had to get creative with that bottom center block because that's ALL I had. And I still only got 7 blocks - 7 blocks! Here's a photo of the 4 units after I removed the foundation paper. 4 parts of a 10" Shark's Teeth block I pul...

I came across a set of designs based on my Double Star pattern . I was proposing patterns for Windham Fabrics in their Nordic Christmas line (2015). I first offered them my Princess Feather quilt: Princess Feather They didn't like it (are they crazy?). I had done a Princess Feather for them in 2006 that knocked their socks off. It's still a free pattern at their website . Of course, the quilting is beyond glorious here, done by Leslee Evans of Atlanta, GA. Princess Feather : 56" x 56" Now, back to Nordic Christmas. I used my Double Star pattern to play with the fabrics. Tell me which block you like: Block 1 with center red star and radiating black print diamonds   Block 2 with center green star and radiating black print diamonds Block 3, same as Block 2 but used a red/cream print in outside triangles Block 4, same as Block 1, but used the red/cream print in outside triangles Block 5 with color changes again- black star in center Block 6 So, what's my Double Star ...

I came across a stack of kids' cloth book panels several years ago and I only have about 3 sets remaining. I think some fabric shop dumped all their extra inventory at this local thrift store. I felt like I hit the jackpot! I cut the panels apart based on an equal size for each section. In this case, mine yielded 8-1/4" squares. It is based on that fabulous book I read to my 3 daughters a zillion times: The Poky Little Puppy. Here's the blurb from Amazon: The Poky Little Puppy  was one of the original twelve Little Golden Books published in 1942, and went on to become the bestselling picture book of all time. The story of a curious puppy, who digs holes under fences and who has to go to bed without any strawberry shortcake, has delighted families for generations. it is, quite simply, an icon. Delightful to read aloud,  The Poky Little Puppy  is a cherished story that every child should know. Here is a photo of the whole panel. At least the pages are numbered so we knew wh...

Here are two VERY happy quilts, to no longer being relegated to the closet where it's dark and stuffy and crowded. They yearn to be open and lying flat and impressing others with their beauty. They went to live with a Cuban family who escaped Cuba last year with only the clothes on their backs. Seems like the father was a threat to the government because he was talking about Jesus and how He offers people real freedom. No, no! You can't say that in a communist/socialist country. He was on their short list for jail. We are helping them set up housekeeping nearby. Bedding, kitchen things, you know the drill. This first I've shared before. I found 40 of these hand-pieced Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks in a thrift store in Cape May, New Jersey about 35 years ago. FREE PATTERN ! This can be converted from hand piecing to English Paper Piecing. Just use 1" hexagons and the results will be the same.   Cape May Flower Garden : 82" x 88" My oldest daughter is ...

We all have them: bundles of fat quarters that we don't know what to do with. They are exciting fabrics but we begin to think that having only a piece 18" x 22" is going to restrict us in what we make. Well, I had this fun FQ bundle of Rumble by Windham Fabrics since 2015! FQ bundle of Rumble fabrics by Windham Those lions and tigers and elephants and birds were screeching so loudly last week that I had to pull them off the shelf and start cutting! They told me that they waited enough and it was TIME to Rumble! I was able to make not one, not two, BUT THREE little kids' quilts from the four animal prints, the blenders and some random fabric in my stash. First, I made a 4 block quilt using an old pattern I made for Quilt Magazine 17 years ago. I altered the center squares so I could get more cuts from the leftovers. The striped border is not from the collection. I quickly realized I didn't like sewing with so many triangles, but I had already cut things out and the...

Twisted Hexagons is my favorite "go to" pattern for little kids. You can capture a fabulous motif in the center hexagon and then finish it off with 6 half-hexagons. No y-seams (you know the story). I used just about the very last of the collection with only ONE fat quarter remaining. Aren't these fun fabrics from 2012? Sockey the Monkey and his fabrics Here's a single block from a previous quilt. Don't those monkeys look happy? I finished my last set of blocks last weekend (actually, on Memorial Day). I put the 3 horizontal rows together and then scoured my stash for borders. Don't you just love the black and white dots?! The blocks are 10" high, with a 5" high center hexagon. 9 Block Twisted Hexagon quilt: 40" x 46" OK. You're probably wondering what the "making do" in my blog title has to do with this. Well, let me show you. I needed two more half-hexagons in the red with yellow bananas. And so I pieced the fabrics. Here - ...