Stitching for the Seasons: Meet Little House!

Little House—Winter

Little House was born as a Christmas present for my mom.  My mom is also a quilter and the person who taught me to sew, bake, paint, knit and generally be creative.  And because she's a fellow maker, I wanted to give her a small handmade project that evoked the warm, cozy feeling of winter (and Christmas!) in New England.  I'm a sucker for all things miniature, so I decided that a little house, surrounded by little quilt blocks and little embellishments was the perfect idea.  (Hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe I was making the perfect gift for me?!)

I had so much fun making Little House for my mom and was thrilled with how it turned out, so I made a second one for my sister.  And because I was sad to part with the Little Houses at Christmas, of course I made a third one for myself.

And then I got carried away.  I started to wonder what life would be like at Little House during the other seasons—what color palettes, blocks and embellishments would best represent spring, summer and fall?  I sketched out ideas for the different seasons and experimented with color and stitching and over time Little House became a series.

Little House—Spring

I realized that it wasn't just the darling end result that I loved about the Little House series, but also the process of combining of my favorite quilting and handwork techniques in one tidy package.  Paper piecing made easy work of the miniature quilt blocks, and simple wool appliqué and embroidery added warmth and interest and helped to tell a story.  And as I worked away with the four seasons and quilting and wool and stitching circling around in my brain, I began to think that maybe I had an idea for a book.

Little House—Summer

  

I remembered once hearing an author say that she wrote the books that she wanted to see on her bookshelf.  And I definitely wanted to have a book of seasonal quilt projects that combined patchwork, wool appliqué and embroidery!  One that was full of color and charming details—eye candy that would get me busy creating and might even inspire me to try something new.

Little House—Fall

So with an idea in mind and a quartet of Little Houses that would inspire and inform my journey, I set out to write Stitching for the Seasons.

Stay tuned to read more about how four Little Houses turned into a book!

—jen

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 9

❆❆❆Update:  The complete pattern for Deck the Halls is now available for download in my Etsy shop.  The pattern includes material requirements, step-by-step instructions and full color diagrams to help you on your way.  Click here to view the pattern.❆❆❆

Welcome back for Day 9 of the Deck the Halls QAL!

For our final day we're going to be adding a ribbon border to our medallion quilts using the split quarter square triangles blocks that we made on Day 6.  I love how this surprisingly easy border frames and finishes the quilt—definitely worth the trimming we did last week!

...

I've loved making a medallion quilt for the QAL this year!  It was so much fun to see the quilt unfold with the addition of each border.  All that's left now is to decide whether to hang my Deck the Halls quilt on my wall:

or to display it on my kitchen table:

Hmmm....

And that's a wrap for the 2018 Deck the Halls Quilt Along!  It's been an absolute pleasure sharing this project with you and connecting with you via email and social media.  I'd love to see pictures of your quilts when they're finished, so please tag me @jendalyquilts when you post your quilts or even send a photo to me at jendalyquilts@gmail.com.

If you weren't able to quilt along with us this year, but you'd like to make your own Deck the Halls quilt, the QAL posts will be available on my blog through the month of January.  The complete (and compressed) pattern for Deck the Halls will also be available in my Etsy shop in the new year.

Thank you all so much for following and quilting along!  I wish you all Happy Holidays, a Happy New Year, and Happy Quilting!!

Cheers!  jen

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 8

Welcome back for Day 8 of the Deck the Halls QAL!♬♫♪

Today we're adding an Hourglass border to our medallion centers, and the extra time we spent carefully pressing the seam allowances on our Hourglass blocks on Day 3 is going to pay off big time!

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 7

Welcome back for Day 7 of the Deck the Halls QAL!  ♪♫  Today we're moving on to assembly!!!

Here's where we're headed...

This year we're making a medallion quilt!  And what a center medallion it is—wouldn't it be beautiful on its own as a mini quilt or even a pillow?!

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 6

Welcome back to the Deck the Halls QAL! ♫♪  It's Day 6 already and our last day of piecing blocks!

Today we'll be making Half Square Triangles and Split Quarter Square Triangles, which means marking and trimming, BUT because it's Friday we have an extra day to finish the blocks.  Funny how that worked out!  :)

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 5

Welcome back for Day 5 of the Deck the Halls QAL!  ♪♫

Today is the mid-way point in the QAL—I can't believe how quickly time passes in December!  As promised we'll be making Mystery Block B and a familiar friend, a Pinwheel block.

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 4

Welcome back for Day 4 of the Deck the Halls QAL!!  ♫♪

Today's block looks kind of like an aloe plant or a succulent—more abstract greenery— but we're going to call it a "mystery" block.  And because it's the first of two mystery blocks, we'll call this one Mystery Block A.

Coming Soon! Stitching for the Seasons

Coming Soon!

I'm so excited to announce that my first book, Stitching for the Seasons, will be released in January 2019!! Inside you'll find four colorful collections of projects that combine cozy patchwork, warm wool appliqué, and sweet stitching to celebrate the best of each season. Each collection includes a pillow, a mini quilt, a table runner, a lap quilt, and a charming little wall hanging. The projects vary in complexity and incorporate many different techniques including traditional piecing, paper piecing, raw-edge and dimensional appliqué, wool appliqué, and simple embroidery—perfect for building your skills!

Stitching for the Seasons is currently available for pre-order from the following book sellers:

C&T Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Can't wait!!

—jen

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 3

Happy Friday and welcome back for Day 3 of the Deck the Halls QAL!  ♪♫

Today we'll be making Hourglass blocks!  Easy right?!  But even if you're familiar with how to make Hourglass blocks, be sure to read through the tutorial once because we'll be changing up the seam allowance pressing a bit to suit our purposes.

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 2

Welcome back for Day 2 of the Deck the Halls QAL! ♪♫

After a big day of cutting on Monday, we're going to start with some easy piecing today.  We'll use stitch-and-flip corners to make little holly leaf blocks.  Ok, they may look like diagonal lines right now, but they'll make sense later.   Try to think of them as abstract holly leaves—very artsy!

Deck the Halls QAL - Day 1

❆❆❆Update:  The complete pattern for Deck the Halls is now available for download in my Etsy shop.  The pattern includes material requirements, step-by-step instructions and full color diagrams to help you on your way.  Click here to view the pattern.❆❆❆

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮 Deck the halls with boughs of holly! 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅰 Fa la la la la la la la la 𝅘𝅥𝅮𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥

𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅮 Tis the season... for the the Deck the Halls Quilt Along!

This year's quilt along is inspired by the garlands and greenery, holly and berries, wreaths and ribbons that we use to decorate our homes for the festive season.  And because I'm thinking of hearth and home, this year I'm using rich cranberry reds and forest greens to give my quilt a warm, cozy look.

Once again, here's a list of the materials that you'll need for this year's quilt along:

• ⅞ yard background fabric
• ⅞ yard dark red/burgundy print for piecing and binding*
• 2 fat quarters red prints—one should be a medium red print and the other a lighter/brighter red
• 3 fat quarters green prints—one dark, one medium-dark, and one medium
• 1⅛ yard fabric for backing
• 40" x 40" piece of batting

*If you'd like to use a contrasting fabric for your binding, you'll need only ⅝ yard of the dark red/burgundy print and ⅓ yard binding fabric.

I'll be posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between now and Christmas and we'll finish on December 21st.  With each post, I'll reveal a new block or component and we'll assemble the quilt during the last week of the QAL.  Some of the pieces we'll be working with are small, but this project is suitable for most quilters.

Ready?  Set?  Let's get started!

2018 Christmas Quilt Along Coming Soon!

Yay!  It's quilt along time again!  And the theme of this year's quilt along is "Deck the Halls" — I'm thinking garlands and greenery, holly and berries, wreaths and ribbons...  

The quilt along will start on Monday, December 3rd and once again, I'll be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from the 3rd through the 21st.  The final project is a mystery that will be constructed and revealed in stages throughout the month.  This year we'll be doing fairly simple machine piecing (with some smaller patch sizes) making this quilt along suitable for most quilters, including confident beginners.

Here's what you'll need for this year's quilt along:

• ⅞ yard background fabric
• ⅞ yard dark red/burgundy print for piecing and binding*
• 2 fat quarters red prints—one should be a medium red print and the other a lighter/brighter red print
• 3 fat quarters green prints—one dark, one medium-dark, and one medium
• 1⅛ yard fabric for backing
• 40" x 40" piece of batting

*If you'd like to use a contrasting fabric for your binding, you'll need only ⅝ yard of the dark red/burgundy print and ⅓ yard binding fabric.

I'm going with a more traditional, warmer color palette this year—forest greens and cranberry reds set against a cozy tan background—but if you prefer brighter, more modern colors and prints please use what you love.

If you can't quilt along with us this year, be sure to follow along here or on Instagram or Facebook @JenDalyQuilts.  Hope to see you back here Monday!

—jen

Back to QAL page.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

6 inches of fresh snow on the ground is putting me in the holiday spirit!  I just checked the calendar and we've got a bit over 5 weeks until Christmas—plenty of time for some holiday sewing!  If you're looking for some ideas, here are a few of my latest Christmas projects:

The first is my "O Christmas Tree" advent calendar.  I originally made the calendar with muted flannels and assorted colors of felted wool to give it the warm, traditional look that I love.

But then I realized that the calendar would be equally cute made with a bright green tree and red, pink, and turquoise felted wool:

I'm not sure which I like better, so I may just have to hang both of them in my house this year—in different rooms, of course!  If you'd like to make your own advent calendar, you can find the pattern on my Etsy shop.

Next up is a sweet stitching project called "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."  I made two versions of this project as well.  One is a little hanging quilt—perfect for a door knob, a cupboard knob, a hook, whatever you like!

The second version is a darling pillow:

Both versions would make great hostess gifts!  You can find the pattern for these little cuties in the November/December 2018 issue of McCall's Quilting.

And last, but definitely not least, are "Jolly Janglers," my felted wool snowman ornaments.  

These ornaments are so simple and easily made with scraps of wool and homespuns from your stash. And you can give each it's own personality by embellishing them with different buttons, tiny jingle bells, or embroidery.  An added benefit:  finding the little branch arms will get you outside enjoying the wintry weather!

You can find the pattern for these irresistible ornaments in the November/December 2018 issue of Quiltmaker.  I challenge you to just make one!

All of three of these projects require a bit of handwork, which in my mind makes them perfect for this time of year.  What could be better than stitching a snowman or embroidering a felted wool penny ornament while enjoying a holiday movie—cocktail optional?!  Bliss!

Happy Stitching

— jen

The Boo Crew

Here's a fun new project just in time for Halloween!

The Boo Crew is a 16½" square quilt that's the perfect size to display on a table or wall or to finish as a pillow.

And with simple blocks and stitch & flip corners, The Boo Crew is a treat to put together—perfect for quilters of all levels or for a quick weekend project.

The Boo Crew is also versatile!  Make it your own by changing up the color placement or palette. 

Here's The Boo Crew with a background made of two shades of purple and a black zigzag:

Or here it is with an orange zigzag:

And here's a monochromatic black and white version that I just love!

The pattern for The Boo Crew is now available for immediate download in my Etsy Shop. 

Hope you have fun with it and Happy Halloween!

Turning Leaves

Here in New Hampshire the leaves are beginning to change and fall is definitely in the air!  And to celebrate this most lovely of seasons, I've got a new Moda Bake Shop tutorial for all of you fall lovers.

My Turning Leaves pillow is made with a mini charm pack and a bit of background fabric.  It's easy to assemble and at 18½" square, it's the perfect size for either a pillow like mine or a mini quilt.

In fact, I tried a new technique with this little project that makes mine both pillow and mini quilt.  After quilting the top, I layered it with overlapping backing panels and bound it as usual.  From the front it looks like a normal quilt, but the overlapping backing panels allow me to insert a pillow form, turning it into a pillow. And best of all, when it's a pillow, the binding reads as piping.  I don't know who thought of this idea first, but it's brilliant!

My Turning Leaves pillow is made with "Spice It Up" fabric by Jo Morton—her colors and prints are just perfect for fall!

You can find the free tutorial for my Turning Leaves pillow on the Moda Bake Shop.  I've included plenty of photos to help you out and you can find detailed instructions on how to do the nifty pillow backing.

Have fun and happy fall, y'all!

Jen

I'm so excited to be taking over the All People Quilt Instagram account this weekend!  I hope you'll join me there starting Friday morning, October 12th to learn a bit more about me and to see some of my favorite quilts!  Can't wait!

jen

Monster Mash

Ready for a little Halloween sewing?!  

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2018 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved. 

Here's my Monster Mash quilt and I'm so excited to have it featured in the October issue of one of my favorite quilting magazines, American Patchwork & Quilting, on newsstands now.

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2018 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved.

This colorful project features fast and fun fusible appliqué and simple embroidery—great for a beginning quilter!

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2018 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved.

And it's versatile!  Pick your favorite faces and make a 4-block version of the quilt:

If solids aren't your thing, here's a version made by APQ quilt tester Colleen Tauke with print fabrics from the "On Maple Lake" collection by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics:

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2018 Meredith Corporation.  All rights reserved.

You can even bind a single block and attach a ribbon to make a cute little quilt to hang on a door knob or hook.

These spooky but sweet faces are perfect for mixing and matching and making your own—have fun with them!  Happy Quilting!

Set Sail and a Giveaway!!

Ahoy!!  Here's a fast and fun project that's perfect for all of you nautical types...

It's my Set Sail pillow, and you can find the pattern in the August/September 2018 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts, available now from The Quilting Company or wherever magazines are sold.  And look, there's my pillow in the bottom left hand corner of the cover!

This simple pillow was inspired by my family's summer vacations in Maine.  I love how the horizon line between sea and sky can be conveyed so simply by using two different shades of blue for the background fabrics.   And the little paper pieced sailboats are a breeze to make! 

I'm also excited about this issue of McCall's Quick Quilts because it features my short essay—"Back to School with Each New Quilt"— about what "back to school" means to me both as a mother and a quilter.

To celebrate, I'm giving away two copies of the August/September 2018 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts.  To enter the giveaway, head over to Instagram, then like the post, follow me and tag a friend in the comments section of the contest photo.  Make sure to enter by 11:00pm EST on Friday, June 29th!

Good luck!

Giveaway!

The Summer 2018 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine is now available and it features 16 beautiful projects that are perfect for summer stitching!  And on page 74 you can find the pattern for my scrappy little quilt, My Favorite Things.

I named this quilt My Favorite Things because in incorporates some of my favorite blocks and fabric colors in one tidy little package.  My Favorite Things is a stash-friendly weekend project and a great skill-builder for a beginning quilter.

And if you're wondering what My Favorite Things might look like in a lighter colorway, here it is in a springy palette with cream sashing and robin's egg blue binding...

or with green sashing and binding.

Here it is in a two-color palette...

and in a monochromatic palette (kind of love this one!).

Endless possibilities — my favorite kind of quilt!

If you'd like to give My Favorite Things a try, I'm giving away two copies of the Summer 2018 issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects.  To enter the giveaway, head over to Instagram and tag a friend in the comments section of the contest photo.  I'll pick two winners on Sunday 4/22! Sorry, the Giveaway is now closed.

Good luck!