Sweet Shoppe Quilt-Along - Day 1

❄❄❄Update:  The complete pattern for Sweet Shoppe is now available for download on 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 to Day 1 of the Sweet Shoppe Quilt-Along!!  I'm so happy that you're joining us for the fun!

The inspiration for this year's quilt-along is Christmas candy—candy canes, peppermints, anything sugary and sweet, as long as it's red, green and white.

These are the fabrics that I chose for my Sweet Shoppe quilt.  The green isn't quite a mint green, but I just love yellowy-green right now and I couldn't help myself!

Just in case you missed my last post, here's a complete list of what you'll need for this year's Quilt-Along:

• 3 fat quarters - red prints
• 3 fat quarters - green prints (you can get away with 2 fat quarters and 1 fat eighth)
• ⅛ yard gray print
• 1½ yard white fabric for background (I'm using a solid)
• ⅓ yard fabric for binding
• 1⅔ yard fabric for backing
• 26" x 60" piece of batting

I'll be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between now and Christmas and we'll wrap up on the 22nd—no pun intended!  I'll reveal a different block or component with each post and we'll work on assembling the quilt during the last week.  Some of the pieces we'll be working with are small, but this project is suitable for most quilters.

So, without further ado, let's get started!

2017 Christmas Quilt-Along Starts this Friday!

♫It's the most wonderful time of the year♫... time for my annual Christmas Quilt-Along!!

The Quilt-Along starts this Friday, December 1st.  This year's project will be pretty straightforward—with standard piecing and blocks suitable for all quilters.

Here's what you'll need for this year's Quilt-Along:

• 3 fat quarters - red prints
• 3 fat quarters - green prints (you can get away with 2 fat quarters and 1 fat eighth)
• ⅛ yard gray print
• 1½ yard white fabric for background (I'm using a solid)
• ⅓ yard fabric for binding
• 1⅔ yard fabric for backing
• 26" x 60" piece of batting

Wondering what shades of red and green to buy?  Here's a hint...

This year I'll be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between December 1st and December 22nd, that way you'll have the weekends to catch up if necessary.  You can follow along with the Quilt-Along here or on Instagram and Facebook @JenDalyQuilts.  

I can't wait to get started and hope to see you back here Friday!

Wool Appliqué - Free Pattern

Tomorrow I'm teaching a Wool Appliqué class at a local Sew-op and I've had so much fun stitching up samples for the class, that I thought I'd share the love and make the appliqué pattern available to all!

Here's a peek at the pattern:

Here's one of the finished samples popped into a 5" x 7" frame:

And the second made into a 12" x 16" pillow:

I cut the background fabric for both projects into an 8" x 10" rectangle.  To stitch the samples, I used two strands of embroidery floss and a Blanket Stitch for the topmost shapes and a single strand of embroidery floss and a Whipstitch for the stem and the larger, bottommost shapes.

To finish the framed version, I layered the stitched project with a thin piece of batting, wrapped both around the glass that came with the 5" x 7" frame, and inserted the unit into the frame.  

For the pillow version, after stitching, I trimmed the background down to a 5" x 7" rectangle and added scrappy squares and strips around it to make it into a 12½" x 16½" unfinished pillow top.  I used an envelope closure for the back of the pillow and inserted a 12" x 16" pillow form.

If you'd like to make your own little wool appliqué project, you can find a pdf of the pattern here.  

Happy Stitching!

Halloween Candy revisited

Looking for a quick Halloween project for this weekend?  Here, again, is my Halloween Candy pillow featuring "Hocus Pocus" by Sandy Gervais.

Halloween Candy Tutorial

Find the link to my Moda Bake Shop tutorial in the original blog post, as well as a downloadable pdf of the embroidery pattern.

Have fun!

Etsy Shop Now Open!!

Sunflowers

The leaves are just beginning to change here in New Hampshire — hints of red, orange and yellow are peeking out of fading green.  But because I'm not quite ready for fall, and because these beauties are still in bloom...

 

 

 

... I think I'll keep my Sunflowers table runner out a little while longer.

You can find the pattern for Sunflowers in the current issue (Fall 2017) of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine.  It's a great one for beginning quilters and perfect for late summer!  Happy quilting and enjoy the last days of summer!

Hocus Pocus

It's a gorgeous summer day out there, but today I'm thinking about Halloween!

My Hocus Pocus table runner is featured in the September/October 2017 issue of McCall's Quilting available now online at the Quilt and Sew Shop and wherever magazines are sold.

Photo by McCall's Quilting

My starting point for designing this quilt was the Snail's Trail Blocks.  While making a variation of Snail's Trail blocks for another project, I realized that the swirly, twisting quality of the blocks could be kind of creepy—almost like arms reaching out—and I decided to try to use them in a Halloween project.  I tried them in the center of the quilt first with mixed results, but when I decided to use the Snail's Trail Blocks as a border, I loved the spooky result!  Using colorful Grunge fabrics by Moda for this quilt added texture and sparkle without detracting from the overall pattern.  

Hocus Pocus screams Halloween, but the pattern is surprisingly versatile.  On page 31 of the magazine, the McCall's team shares a lovely and scrappy Christmas version of the quilt, and here's a summery idea made with beachy blues:

It's a totally different feel, but just as fun!

If you'd like to make the Halloween version of Hocus Pocus, McCall's Quilting has exclusive kits available at the Quilt and Sew Shop.  In the kit, you'll find everything you need to make the quilt, including backing fabric.

Happy Quilting!