Sometimes it's just the simplest of quilts that impress the most people! In 2015 I was asked by Windham Fabrics to design a pattern for their Storybook Vacation line of 1930s reproduction fabrics. I thought: Dresden Plates! Storybook Vacation Dresdens : 34" x 34" I made a few sample blocks and calculated the fabrics. These were going to be kitted with fabric and my pattern. This uses a 30 degree dresden plate template, so a full circle will have 12 wedges. It's a butterfly because I left off four wedges (2 at the top and 2 at the bottom). My first prototype Butterfly Block: 10" x 10"  I tilted the block to see what the "suits" in the offices thought. Titled Butterfly We nixed the pink fabric and went with green, yellow and orange. Auditioned with sashing Such sweet, sweet fabrics, don't you think? Here's how it appeared in the Keepsake catalog a few years ago. It sold a LOT of patterns. I now sell it in my Etsy s...

When I was a child in school (1960s and 70s - when the dinosaurs roamed), we celebrated President's Day - two of them. February 22 for our first president, George Washington. And then for our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln (February 12, I think). Now, we just combine them into one generic day and it's February 17th this year. This picture is from a Windham collection several years back. Wish I still had some! Actual fabric with this motif printed on it And some fun prints Windham sent me a few years back. Take a look at this one! George is being scolded for chopping down that famous cherry tree (which I understand is a myth). George Washington chopping down that cherry tree! And the quilt I designed for Keepsake Quilting catalog using these fabrics. The Lone Star has NO y-seams and is a 19" block. So easy to cut and sew with any acrylic ruler with those extra 45 degree lines on it (they all do, btw). This is still a popular workshop Storybook Americana L...

This is a blast from the past! I purchased some EPP papers in the honeycomb shape about 20 years ago and put them together with some of my 1930s reproduction fabrics. I take them out every few years and mull over what I'm going to do with them. These are also called Elongated Hexagons (six sides, but the length of the sides is unequal). Elongated Hexagons This is the size of my papers. I bought them from Paper Pieces . The long sides are 2" and the short sides are 1". 2" Elongated Hexagons I also did a very long article in 2002 for Quilt Magazine called "Designing with the Honeycomb" and I decided to show you what can be done with this basic shape and a few squares and triangles. This is art from a LONG time ago, but you can see the basic shape joined with some "supporting actors." The Shooting Star uses two triangles added to the long sides. Same with the Signature Block. And, well, the same with the Tessellating Leaves, b...

Saturday, waiting in line at the Dollar Store, I glanced up and saw something other than candy. (Yes, I also bought a bag of candy!) Here was this colorful set of 24 elastic hairbands, wrapped around a square with a lollypop stick attached. At first I thought it was a lollypop! And then I realized this was an awesome Log Cabin. I bought two of them (I have a little granddaughter I can pass these on to.) Inspiration from a $1.00 set of hair bands! I came home and pulled 6 colors from a stack of Windham fabric (5 are from Bedrock and one is from Artisan Cotton ). These are PERFECT, right? The orange is the Artisan Cotton because I used the Bedrock orange in this little quilt from a few years ago. Click on that link and you can see some of my steps. Paper Pieced Carrots Now, let me show you my steps. There are 12 rounds in this off-center Log Cabin. I cut all strips at 1-1/2" wide. Yellow center of 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" square. Joined my red strips next. Step 1 ...

I keep coming back to my Princess Feather quilts. The first one I made was for Windham Fabrics in 2007. It is owned by them and hangs in a prominent place in their offices in New Jersey. Princess Feather with awesome longarm quilting by Leslee Evans of Atlanta Here is a process shot of me trying to come up with an assembly: Trying out a different assembly I also made one using Kaffe Fassett fabrics and it appears in my second book, Supersize 'Em Quilts (2009). Notice the different assembly from the first one. Princess Feather #2 Then I had a bunch of leftover plumes from my playing around with this Textured Leaves collection a few years ago. Textured Leaves  by Windham Fabrics I let time get away from me (hello? how are things in YOUR sewing room?) and only cut out 10. Not to worry, the 11th one is traced. Here is what I'm up to: Freezer paper template ironed to fusible web backed fabric I drew the template onto freezer paper. I cut it out. I ir...

Yes, again. And this time with Fairy Frost ! Such a lovely combination. I am making samples for workshop proposals for 2021 (yes, that's right!) and I am revisiting one of my oldie patterns: Divided Diamonds. It was a block I had in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine in 2012. At that time it was 12" and paper pieced. I upsized it for making this using some current Michael Miller fabrics. 18" Divided Diamonds block (27" x 27" small quilt) Do you remember this luscious Tropical Batiks collection? I was sent a bundle of fat quarters about a year ago and made another of my Pickup Stix quilts . (You can see the tutorial here ). But they've been calling to me again. Fat quarters can be a bit tricky when it comes to making something of substance. I had to do some serious math to get my patches out of the main print in the center of my block. I think I got Divine inspiration this morning (Sunday) in church because I knew that ONE single mis-cut would ruin m...