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!

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!

Quilters Newsletter's Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014 Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 4 of QN's Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014 blog tour!

If you've been following along with the tour, then you know that Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014 is full of colorful and beautiful quilts and projects for your home.  If you'd like to take a look inside, check it out on QN's website.  And when looking turns to buying, Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014 is now available at quilt shops, bookstores, newsstands and on line at Quilt and Sew Shop.

I'm thrilled to have two projects in Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014!  First off is my "Fresh as a Daisy" pillow found on page 16.

This cheerful 12" x 16" pillow is made with a mini charm pack, fabric scraps and a half yard of additional fabric.  I chose to make mine with Kate Spain's "Daydream" fabric, yum.

And this project is fast!  With pre-cut squares, the preparation is minimal, and the only hand work is the embroidered "joy."  I appliquéd the flower by machine using pink thread and left the edges of the flower rough for a shabby chic look.  Here's a close-up of the flower petals:

To quilt the pillow, I machine stitched 1/4" on either side of each seam.  This project is easily accomplished in a day – give one as a gift or, even better, make one for yourself to brighten up your sewing room!


My second project is "True Colors," a lap quilt found on page 84, and may I say, one of my favorite quilts that I've made this year.

I was inspired to make this quilt by a birthday card that I received that featured striped candles atop a birthday cake, but when I finished the quilt top, I was immediately reminded of Fruit Stripe gum...

Photo:  givetogrant.org

I almost ended up naming this quilt "White Stripes" a kind of artsy reference to the "negative space" that my brilliant (just in case he reads this) husband came up with, but alas "True Colors" prevailed.

This improvisational quilt was fun to make from start to finish, but choosing the fabric may have been the best part.  For each of the 8 rows, I got to choose a dark, medium and light fabric – that's 24 gorgeous colors – and the stack of fabrics was so beautiful that I was afraid to cut into it.

I used a foundation method to make each strip of the quilt and I was a little nervous about it, but it worked beautifully and was surprisingly fast.  In fact once I had all of the fabric strips cut and organized for each row, I finished this quilt top in a single weekend.

Here's a picture of the finished quilt top – pre-quilting – draped over my railing late last winter.  And eek, sorry, that is snow behind it.  If you're not looking forward to winter, look away!

And now the fine print: For a chance to win a fabric bundle from Quilters Newsletter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm MDT tonight (11/13/2014) 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.  This contest is only open to those who haven't won something from QN in the last 90 days.

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 (11/14) for links to other designers' blogs and more chances to win!  Good luck!***

Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014 Sneak Peek

Quilters Newsletter's latest special issue, Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014, is now available in quilt shops, bookstores and on news stands.

And to celebrate the release of Best Fat Quarter Quilts 2014, Quilters Newsletter is hosting a blog tour this week starting at 8:00 Mountain Time tomorrow morning, November 10th and running through Friday, November 14th.

I'll be blogging about my Best Fat Quarter Quilts projects on Thursday, November 13th, and yes, you'll have a chance to win a prize!!

But in the meantime, head over to QN's blog for links to other designers' blogs.  Quilter's Newsletter is showcasing project by 12 designers -- that means 12 chances to win!

Good luck and I'll see you back here on Thursday!

Christmas in August!? Free pattern and upcoming contest!!

Sadly summer is winding to a close.  With three kids, two of whom are teenagers (shudder), it seems shorter and faster every year.  But the upside is that it's about time to get back to quilting (and blogging)!  And what better way to celebrate a return to quilting than with a contest!  Check back here on Monday, August 25th for a chance to win during Quilters Newsletter's Best Christmas Quilts 2014 blog tour.

In the meantime, here's a little Christmas project to get you in the spirit.

This sweet little quilt (and no, it's not a potholder, don't even think about using it as a potholder!!) measures 7 1/2" square and it's embellished with mini buttons and a bit of embroidery.

To make this scrappy quilt you'll need:

10 red 2" x 2" squares
8 green 2" x 2" squares
18 tan 2" x 2" squares
2 tan 1" x 6 1/2" border strips
2 tan 1" x 7 1/2" border strips
8" x 8" piece of batting
8" x 8" piece of backing fabric
red fabric for binding (I used a single fold binding cut 1 1/4" x 38")
5 green buttons
4 red buttons
green embroidery floss (I used Valdani hand dyed 3 strand floss)


To make the pinwheel blocks:

On the back of each tan 2" x 2" square, draw a line a scant 1/4" from either side of the diagonal.

Pair each tan square with either a red or green square.  Each 2" x 2" square pair will result in 2 half square triangles or half of a pinwheel block, so you'll need to matching sets of pairs for each pinwheel block.  I used only one background fabric and one red or green fabric for each pinwheel block, but feel free to make it scrappier.  Place each tan square on top of each red or green square with right sides together. Stitch on each line.

Using a rotary cutter, cut on the diagonal from one corner to the other in between the stitched lines.

Open and press towards the dark side.  Pause to reflect on your favorite Star Wars quote.

Trim the half square triangle to 1 1/2" x 1 1/2".

Once you have repeated the above steps to make 36 half square triangles, you can make the 9 pinwheel blocks by sewing 4 half square triangles together for each.  But I actually chose to lay out the half square triangles in rows to form the 9 pinwheel blocks (refer to the quilt photo for layout), sewed the half square triangles together in those rows and then sewed the rows together to form the quilt top.  Not sure why I did it this way, but it worked pretty well!  I pressed the seams in alternate directions for each row and then pressed the seams between the rows open.

Now stitch one 1" x 6 1/2" border strip to the left and right sides of your quilt top.  Press towards the border.  Stitch one 1" x 7 1/2" border strip to the top and bottom of the quilt top and, you guessed it, press towards the border.

Once your quilt top is assembled, layer it with batting and sew a button to the center of each pinwheel block.  Let me reassure you that behind each button on my quilt, the pinwheel points meet up perfectly -- of course you'll have to take my word for it (handy buttons!!).

Finally, using a big running stitch and three strands of embroidery floss, stitch around the quilt 1/4" from the inside edge of the borders.  Ta da!  Finished quilt top!  Layer your quilt top with the backing fabric (wrong sides together).  I used spray basting adhesive to hold the sandwich together.  Trim the edges, bind and voilà!  A little bit of Christmas in August.  Hang this little quilt on a wall or from a door knob, display it on a small table, or turn it into a pillow.  But DO NOT use it as a potholder!!

Happy quilting!

Quilters Newsletter's Best Modern Quilts Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 3 of Quilters Newsletter's Best Modern Quilts Blog Tour!!

Wow!  As a self-proclaimed traditional quilter, I never thought I would be a part of a modern quilts blog tour!  I love traditional quilt blocks -- log cabin, Ohio star (or is it sawtooth star? I can never be sure), Irish chain, and flying geese -- and my color preference typically runs to darker, more muted colors -- reds, browns, navy blues, even blacks.  But the times, they are a-changin', and when QN offered me the opportunity to submit projects for their Best Modern Quilts special issue, I jumped at the chance.

And I'm so happy I did!!  Stepping out of my comfort zone and re-imagining quilting was unbelievably inspiring.  Once I started sketching on graph paper, the ideas came fast and furious.  I found myself thinking about scale, contrast, and color in totally new ways.  Even shopping for modern fabrics was a new experience.  I felt like a first time quilter among the large, graphic prints and bold color -- which is probably why I ended up using mostly solids!

In the end, and to my delight, QN chose three of my projects for their special issue.  And what an issue it is!  It's full of beautiful, colorful, and easy projects that are sure to fill you with inspiration and may even change you as a quilter. If you don't already have a copy of QN's Best Modern Quilts 2014, it's available now on news stands, in bookstores and quilt shops, or online through www.quiltandsewshop.com.

Let me tell you about my projects...

On page 66 you'll find my Green Tea pillow.

I used machine appliqué for the first time when I made this pillow and it's such a time saver that I may never go back!  But I think it's the quilting that really makes this pillow shine.  I chose to make this block into a pillow, but wouldn't it be great to sew three of these blocks together to make a table runner!?


Speaking of table runners, check out Metro on page 64.

My daughter named this quilt "Metro" because she thought it looked like the view of skyscrapers from above.  This fun and easy pattern is the result of one of my graph paper sketches and the color palette was inspired by one of my favorite bags -- a summer tote that I bought at Old Navy probably 10 years ago.  You never know where you'll find your inspiration!


And finally, check out page 41 for my Ebb & Flow lap quilt.

I have to say, I think this was my favorite project.  The idea for this quilt literally popped into my head one morning in the shower (I do my best thinking in the shower!).  This quilt is so easy to make.  In fact, the hardest part was coming up with a name for it!  I went back and forth about how to quilt this project, initially planning to simply echo the horizontal and vertical seams.  But I remembered a sort of modern giant dahlia quilt I'd seen at the Vermont Quilt Festival that had different quilting patterns in each section.  I thought the extra texture might work for this quilt and I couldn't be happier with the result -- Joyce Lundrigan did an amazing job!!  And because I used a cross weave woven fabric (almost like a linen), the quilt feels soft and broken in, despite the volume of quilting.  I think this quilt would also be great in pink and orange.


And now, patient reader, the moment you've been waiting for, the fabric/magazine giveaway!!  If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Best Modern Quilts 2014 and a fat quarter bundle of Kate Spain's Daydream fabric, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm MST tonight (1/15/2014) by clicking on the word "comments" in the blue box below.  I will draw one name at random, so please make sure I have your email address.

Daydream by Kate Spain for Moda

Good luck and happy modern quilting!

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