Boxes and Bows - Free Charm Pack Pattern

It's another gorgeous summer weekend here in New Hampshire—sunny and warm—and wouldn't you know it, I'm thinking about Christmas!

That's because today, my new quilt Boxes and Bows is a featured recipe at the Moda Bake Shop.

Boxes and Bows is a fast and fun 15" x 42" holiday table runner that's made with only one charm pack, a bit of background fabric, and 1⅓ yard of backing/binding fabric.  

And speaking of fabric, I made my quilt with Kate Spain's colorful North Woods collection and it really is beautiful!  (the fabric, that is, although my quilt's not bad either!)

North Woods features cranberry reds, warm linen, and three shades of green that range from citron to turquoise—yum!  In fact, I loved Kate's fabric so much that I couldn't bear to discard even the 1½" scraps from the project.  Here's a sweet mini quilt that I made with the leftovers:

The center of this little quilt is comprised of 25—1½" squares, surrounded by a ½" (finished) white border.  The outer border is made of 8—1½" x 3½" rectangles and another 4—1½" squares.  I stitched down the middle of the white border with perle cotton for fun, but at 8" square, this quilt really doesn't require any quilting.  And check out the heart in the center of the quilt...

Looks like fussy cutting, right?  Nope, the heart ending up smack dab in the center of this little square was a coincidence, a happy accident as it turns out, because I built the little quilt around it!

If you'd like to make your own version of Boxes and Bows, my free tutorial is available at the Moda Bake Shop.  You'll find complete instructions for the project and lots of photos to help you along the way.  Have fun!

Tiles - Free Pattern

The June/July 2016 issue of Quilters Newsletter is now out and available both on-line and wherever quilt magazines are sold, and my quilt Tiles is a "Web Extra" for the issue.

First of all, I apologize for the somewhat obvious name, but when I finished the quilt, it so strongly resembled a tile floor, that I had no other choice but to name it "Tiles."

I made Tiles with shot cottons by Marcus Brothers and the fabrics were amazing to work with.  They're woven fabrics with a lovely texture and the drape of the finished project is beautiful.  I found the striped border first and then chose the solids to go with it.  I was pleasantly surprised by how contemporary and almost masculine the finished quilt feels.  Definitely a different look for me and a reminder that you never really know how a quilt is going to turn out!

I realize that contemporary and masculine might not work for everyone, so here's a link to a blank coloring page for this quilt.  I thought it might be fun to give you a way to experiment with some different color palettes!

If you'd like to make your own version of Tiles, the free pattern is available for download on QN's website.  Enjoy!