More Christmas in September

It might be a bit too early to start thinking about Christmas in the rest of the world, but in the quilting world, the time is now!  We've got 3½ months to gather ideas, shop for fabrics, and make quilted projects to decorate our homes and to give as gifts.  Plenty of time!!

And I've got a great place for you to start!  Quilters Newsletter's latest special issue, Best Christmas Quilts 2016, is available in print or for download now at the Quilt and Sew Shop and wherever quilting magazines are sold.  It's a beautiful issue, with 26 projects of all shapes and sizes to help you celebrate the Christmas season.

I've got a couple of fast and fun projects in Best Christmas Quilts 2016.

On page 58, you'll find my Mittens oraments.  

These darling little mittens are easy and so much fun to make, and the best part is that you can stuff them with treats just like a stocking!  Use them to decorate your Christmas tree, string them up as a garland, or tie them to a gift.

Each mitten takes only a fat eighth of fabric plus a small scrap for the mitten's cuff, so you can easily make them with fabric from your stash.  And you can use your imagination for the hanging loop—try cords or ribbons in white or other colors, or even metallics.  Careful though, these mittens are addictive!

My second project is found on page 60 of Best Christmas Quilts 2016.  It's a 12" x 20" pillow called Sweater Weather that was inspired by Nordic sweaters and perfectly named by my daughter.

I love the monochromatic color palette of this blue on blue version of my pillow, but I think it would look beautiful in burgundy, red and ivory:

Or maybe traditional red and green:

Or a more modern red and green:

Or even blue and gray:

And if solids aren't your thing, this pillow would also look great in batiks or prints—the possibilities are endless!

Happy quilting!

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!

Holly Bright - Free Pattern

41 days until Christmas!  It's frightening to write that and hard to believe, but it's true!  Somehow time seems to go by faster every year, but I've discovered that one of the best ways for me to slow down and actually enjoy the holidays is by sewing a holiday project.

And I've got a great one to share with you today...

Holly Bright is a "Web Extra" for the December/January 2016 issue of Quilters Newsletter -- currently available wherever quilt magazines are sold.  But if you want to get started right away, the free pattern for Holly and Bright is available on QN's website.

Holly Bright is a 36½" x 36½" quilt -- the perfect size to decorate a wall or table.  The design is pretty traditional, but it's amped-up and made new with gorgeous batik fabrics.  I love the tone-on-tone "poinsettia" blocks in the center of the quilt, but my favorite part of Holly Bright is the holly leaf border, complete with hand-appliquéd holly berries.

I also love the richness and contrast of the black background batik that I used, but just in case black isn't for you, here's a look at what Holly Bright might look like with a white or cream background:

or with a gold/tan background:

Hmmm, kind of love that one!

Whatever your style, I hope you choose to make Holly Bright!

41 days until Christmas!?  Plenty of time!!

Little Squares - Free Pattern

It's the end of yet another gorgeous day here in New Hampshire.  Seems crazy to write that!  But it's true.  The leaves are finally coming in and they are the most amazing shade of chartreuse (yeah, I'm a quilter).  There's a breeze blowing in through my open windows and the air just smells sweet.  And best of all, it sounds like a bird sanctuary outside.  I love spring!!  It's definitely the time of year to minimize your time indoors with quick and easy quilt patterns.

Case in point:  my Little Squares table runner.  It's a "Web Extra" for Quilters Newsletter's June/July 2015 issue — currently available wherever quilt magazines are sold — and it's a snap to make.

The blocks couldn't be simpler:

And Little Squares takes less than a yard of a background fabric and one mini charm pack and one charm pack of your favorite fabric collection.  I used "Marmalade" by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics — perfect for spring — but this quilt would be great no matter what you choose.

Make it with solids:

  Or make it with a gray background fabric:

Or maybe even make it with navy:

Just make it!  To download the free pattern for my Little Squares quilt, visit QN's website.

Happy quilting!

Quilters Newsletter's Best Kids Quilts 2015 blog tour - Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of Quilters Newsletter's Best Kids Quilts 2015 blog tour!

If you've been following the tour, then you know that QN's latest special issue, Best Kids Quilts 2015, is full of fun and colorful projects for kids of all ages.  For a look inside the issue, check out QN's website.  And if you'd like to purchase your very own copy, Best Kids Quilts 2015 is now available at quilt shops, bookstores, and newsstands or online at Quilt and Sew Shop.




This was my first time designing projects specifically for kids and it was so inspiring -- definitely an opportunity to forget the rules and just play!  I'm thrilled to have two projects in this fun special issue.

My first project is found on page 49 of Best Kids Quilts 2015.

It's called, not surprisingly, Under the Sea.  I mentioned in a previous post that after my family's annual vacation in Maine last summer, all I wanted to make was fish quilts -- hence the cheerful and colorful Under the Sea.  I made this quilt using a layer cake of "Grunge" fabrics by BasicGrey for Moda.  The subtle texture of the "Grunge" fabrics doesn't fight with the solid blue background and the colors are GORGEOUS.

Under the Sea is a twin size (66" x 88") quilt and I think it works well for both girls and boys, but you could change up the fish colors to suit one or the other.

And Under the Sea is such an easy quilt to make -- the fish blocks couldn't be simpler and the checkerboard border is strip pieced to save time.

Best of all, if you'd like to make Under the Sea, you can buy a kit at Quilt And Sew Shop -- this is the first time one of my quilts has been made into a kit!  So exciting!

As much as I love Under the Sea, my next project is one of my all time favorites.  You can find it on page 76 of Best Kids Quilts 2015 and it's a travel checkers game made with gorgeous Cotton + Steel fabrics.  Killer combination in my opinion.

I made the checkers for my portable game with multiple layers of blanket stitched felted wool.  On the back of the checker board, there's a zippered pocket for storing the checkers.

And when you're done playing and stowing away the checkers, you can roll up the board and fasten it with attached straps and buttons.

I loved the campy feel of the Arrows fabric from Melody Miller's "Mustang" collection for this quilt, and the Cotton + Steel Basics in navy, aqua, and orange were the perfect accompaniment.  But the color and style options for this fun project are really unlimited.

Now that we've taken care of business, let's talk about prizes, shall we?  If you'd like a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Cotton + Steel Basics fabric -- and really, who wouldn't?! -- please leave a comment on this post by clicking the word "comments" below.  You'll be redirected to a "Post a Comment" window.  Once there, either scroll to the bottom of the window or click "Jump to Comment Form" and follow the directions to leave your comment.  This contest will remain open until 11:59 pm MDT on Sunday, May 10th (Mother's Day -- don't forget!).  I'll draw one name at random, so please make sure I have your email address.

  

Cotton + Steel Basics - Berry

By the way, if you haven't already done so, it's not too late to enter the contests hosted by other designers participating in the Best Kids Quilts 2015 blog tour.  You can find links to the Day 1, 2, and 3 designer blogs on the QN website.  Don't forget to check out Barb Cherniwchan's blog today for a look at her project Game On.  And tomorrow, Day 5, there will be three more projects showcased:  Kate Colleran's ABC 123, Mary Kate Karr-Petras' Ducklets, and Kim Hanson's Sweet Dreams.

Good luck and happy quilting!

***This contest is now closed.  Thank you so much for all of your comments!***

Quilters Newsletter Best Kids Quilts 2015 Blog Tour

Just wanted to give you a heads up that Quilters' Newsletter is hosting a blog tour this week to promote their latest special issue, Best Kids Quilts 2015.  Check out the QN blog every day this week from Monday to Friday for links to designer blogs.  You'll have a chance to learn about some of the great projects in this issue and, even better, two chances a day to win a prize!

And make sure to check back here on Thursday, May 7th.  I'll be posting about the two projects that I have featured in Best Kids Quilts 2015.  Can't wait!

"Hothouse Flowers" - Free Pattern

Happy Spring!

And I say that with a grain of salt.  It's been sunny here, but windy and cold.  There's a chance of snow in the forecast, again, and I don't even want to talk about how deep the snow is in my yard.

But in honor of the "official" start of spring, here's my Hothouse Flowers quilt.  It's a Web Extra for Quilters Newsletter's April/May 2015 issue and you can find the free pattern for this distinctly unwintry project on QN's website.

Hothouse Flowers is a scrappy 30" x 30" quilt featuring oversized hand appliquéd flowers.  I originally made it as a wall quilt, but this month, in defiance of the weather outside, I've been using it on my kitchen table.  I'm kind of a rebel.

I love the gorgeous colors of the batik flowers and their fussy cut centers, but I have to admit, the best part of making this quilt was naming it.  As usual, I asked my family for name suggestions and this time they were particularly inspired.  The following names were the top contenders:

Flower Power (seen it)

Floral Fantasy

Petal Power

Petal to the Metal (clever, but a smidge masculine)

Lazy Daisy (been done)

Bellicose Rose

Mum's the Word

Crocus Pocus (seriously, the flowers look nothing like crocuses!)

Gerber Fervor

Pistil Sizzle (in case you're having trouble remembering your plant anatomy, the pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower)

Flamin' Stamen (you guessed it, the stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower -- obviously my family was getting a little out of control)


And finally, and perhaps the most outrageous:

Pollination Quilt-Nation


Clearly I was on my own; so "Hothouse Flowers" it was.  Maybe it's a bit sedate compared to some of the above, and it's certainly not as memorable, but at least it's appropriate and doesn't conjure up memories of high school biology... shudder.

Feel free to choose one of my family's suggested names for your version of Hothouse Flowers.  I mean, how could you go wrong with "Pollination Quilt-Nation?"

Happy Quilting!

Quilters Newsletter's Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts blog tour - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of Quilters Newsletter's Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts 2015 blog tour!

QN's Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts special issue is now available at quilt shops, bookstores, newsstands, and on line at Quilt and Sew Shop.  Inside you'll find a great article by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, 6 helpful designer tips, and patterns for 21 beautiful projects.  At the core, all of the quilts are traditional, but each has a twist that makes it unique, new, and surprisingly modern.

My quilt, Cornflower Crossing (p. 16), is a fast and fun project made using only one block.  That block is based on a simple nine-patch block -- so easy and one of the first blocks quilters learn to make -- what could be more traditional?

And my twist?  I've kept the block construction the same, still 9 patches, but I've changed the sizes of the patches to create an asymmetrical nine-patch block:

I also rotated the blocks to give the quilt interest and a sense of motion.  As is often the case, rotating the blocks created an unexpected secondary pattern -- if you step back and squint at the quilt, you can actually see cascading leaves:

Another twist:  I chose to use only 2 colors for this quilt.  There is a subtle linen texture in the French General "Le Bouquet Français" fabrics that I used, but they read as solids.  I chose these fabrics rather than prints because I was concerned that prints would fight the design rather than showcase it and because I wanted to keep the quilt from becoming too busy.

Blue and white not your thing?  I played around in EQ to give you a few more color options...

A buttery yellow would have been my second choice because I've always wanted to make a yellow and white quilt:

And here's the yellow and white inverted, hmm...:

Here's red and white, maybe for Christmas:

And here's a 3 color version, that I'm kind of liking.  It reminds me of plaid:

Choosing a quilting pattern for this quilt was tricky.  With such a graphic, geometric design, my mind went immediately to linear quilting patterns that would echo the lines of the quilt.  But instead of accentuating the design, the linear patterns seemed to muddy it.  I had an aha moment when I decided to go in a completely different direction and try a curvy, meandering quilting pattern.  Anne Bright's "Wild Mouse" pattern dances across the quilt without detracting from the clean, simple design.

There's one final, fun twist to my quilt.  Look closely at the photo and check out the backing fabric:

Here, let me help:

It's an oversized toile-inspired floral -- totally traditional and definitely unexpected on the back of a modern, graphic quilt.  But I love the juxtaposition of business in the front and party in the back (at least on a quilt!!) and I couldn't help myself.

And now, patient reader, if you'd like a chance to win a bundle of P&B Textiles' "True Blue!" fabric leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm MDT tonight (1/28/2015) by clicking on the word "comments" below.  You'll be redirected to a "Post a Comment" window.  Once there, either scroll to the bottom of the window or click "Jump to Comment Form" and follow the directions to leave your comment.  I'll draw one name at random, so please make sure I have your email address.

Good luck and happy quilting!

***This contest is now closed.  Thank you for all of your comments and don't forget to visit the QN blog today (1/29) and tomorrow (1/30) for links to other designers' blogs and more chances to win!  Good luck!***

QN Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts 2015 Blog Tour Update

Welcome to Day 1 of Quilters Newsletter's Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts 2015 blog tour!

I know you may have been expecting me to help kick off the tour today; instead I'm actually going to be posting tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28th.  But the good news is that the blog tour is now underway and there are two chances to win today.

First check out Brenda Miller's blog:  "Among Brenda's Quilts and Bags" for a look at her beautiful Skip a Beat table runner.  With its foundation-pieced heart blocks, I think it would be perfect for Valentine's Day.

Then head over to Janet Jo Smith's blog "Threads of Thought" at dyesmithy.com.  She's made a lovely two color quilt, Lady in Red, using her own gorgeous hand-dyed fabrics.

And finally, don't forget to check back here tomorrow for my post (I promise!) and a chance to win a P&B Textiles fabric bundle!

Good luck!

Looking for Summer

So I'm not starting the new year off with as big a bang as I'd hoped.  I've been sidelined for a week or so with an unidentified cold/flu/plague type illness, and with the rain and gray weather, I'm definitely looking for a lift.  I do have an idea for a summer quilt, but I been having trouble deciding on a summer color palette.

When I think of summer colors, I think of the beach, the garden, and sometimes, the 4th of July.  But each is a very different colorway -- blues/greens/beige for beach, green and every color under the sun for garden, and of course, red, white and blue for the 4th.  And trying to decide on a color palette is just the kind of thing that can stop me in my tracks and leave every surface of my workroom covered with fabric.

So today I decided to try something different -- a color palette generator.  I used Play Crafts' "Palette Builder 2.1."  You can find it at www.play-crafts.com/blog/palettebuilder2/ and it's so much fun!  Simply load an image and the palette builder randomly generates a matching color palette.  And the best part for us quilters is that it also generates suggestions for Kona Cotton Solids that match the image.

Here's an example of how the Palette Builder works:

I loaded in this picture that I took in Maine (just a smidge crooked) and the Palette Builder randomly chose the seven colors along the bottom, which are, I think a pretty good representation of the picture.  I wouldn't have seen the greeny-gray at first glance, but I love it with the navy next to it!

And today I discovered that if you're not happy with the colors that the generator selects, you can move the selection circles around on the image to try to capture other colors.  For example, here's an old photo of my son pretending to meditate at the beach along with the palette that the builder turned out.

It's nice, but I noticed that the brim of my son's hat is red and I wondered how a little red would look thrown in the mix.  So I moved one of the selection circles to his hat to capture some red and ended up with this palette:

Here are a couple more examples:

And if you don't have any pictures that approximate the palette you are considering, you can also search for images on-line to upload.

Here's a picture of sunflowers that I took a couple of years ago:

I do like the palette that the builder generated, but I was curious how the sunflower colors would look with a bit of blue.  So I googled "sunflowers" and loaded an image with the colors that I was looking for.  Here's the result:

The gold color really pops with the blue, but I still think I might prefer the more restful palette above.

I'm not sure I found my summer color palette today, but using the Palette Builder 2.1 is definitely the kind of addictive play that gets your creative juices flowing.  Just make sure you eventually get to work!

Before I go... make sure to check back here next week.  Quilters Newsletter magazine is hosting a blog tour to promote their latest special issue, Best Tradition with a Twist Quilts 2015.  They'll have stops at 9 designers' blogs with a chance to win prizes at each.  I'll be one of the designers kicking off the tour on Tuesday, January 27th.  Until then, happy quilting!