2019 Merry Little Christmas Stitch-Along Coming Soon!!

I'm so excited to announce that it's almost time for the 5th Annual Jen Daly Quilts Christmas Quilt-Along!

In the past I've kept the quilt-along project a mystery, revealing one step at a time with a big finish, but this year I've decided to change things up a bit.  I'm going to give a sneak peek of the project that we're making before the quilt-along begins.  I'm hopeful that having an idea of where we're headed will help you choose a color palette and materials more successfully so that you'll truly love your finished project.

I've also decided to call this year's quilt-along a "stitch-along."  As the name suggests, this project will require a bit more stitching than quilting—perfect for working on by the fire with a glass of eggnog at your side and a Christmas movie playing on the tv.  I don't know about you, but the thought of a little slow stitching and a break from the holiday hustle and bustle is infinitely appealing to me.

So without further ado, allow me to introduce the...

  Merry Little Christmas Stitch-Along!!

Throughout the month of December, we'll be stitching charming Christmas icons and ultimately assembling them into a throw pillow—perfect for your holiday decor.  I made my traditional sample using a variety of felted wools, but during the stitch-along I'll be making a bright and colorful version using solid flannels in place of the wool.  Choose wool, flannel, even printed quilting cottons—whatever you like!


Here's what I'm planning to use for my bright pillow...

I'm using a variety of fabrics from the Vintage Holiday fabric line by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabrics:

I'm pairing them with solid flannels in colors inspired by the Vintage Holiday fabrics:

I've chosen embroidery floss in colors to match the flannels I'm using:

And I've gathered some darling buttons and beads to embellish my flannel appliqués:

And just because I'm so excited about how these materials work together, here's a little more eye candy...

Yum!!!

The Merry Little Christmas Stitch-Along will begin on Monday, December 2nd and continue every other day through the month of December, wrapping up on the 22nd.  There's no sign up required for the stitch-along—as we progress, I'll make each pattern or set of instructions available on the blog and on the stitch-along page.  The patterns will remain on the blog/website throughout the month of December and in January I'll make a complete pattern available in my Etsy shop.  I'll also do regular posts on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #merrylittlechristmassal.  If you post pictures of your progress, be sure to tag me @jendalyquilts and use the hashtag #merrylittlechristmassal—I'd LOVE to see what you come up with!

To help you get started, here's a link for a printable materials list for the stitch-along.

Have fun gathering materials for the project and if you have any questions, feel free to email me at jendalyquilts@gmail.com.  I'll see you back here on December 2nd!  Can't wait!!

—jen

New Patterns for Fall and a Giveaway!

The fall weather and scenery is gorgeous in New Hampshire right now and it's making me want to bake, consume vast quantities of apple cider and donuts, and above all, do some fall quilting!

I've got a couple of new patterns for fall to share with you and, even better, a giveaway!

First off is my Monster Mash quilt.  This little quilt first appeared in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine last fall, but the pattern is now available in my Etsy shop.  This quilt is 19½"—a great size to hang on your front door to greet your trick-or-treaters!

Next up is my brand new pattern Pumpkin Patch.  I love the scrappy pumpkin and Shoo Fly blocks on this one.  It's a super simple pattern—perfect for a beginner.  I made mine for fall, but if you change up the color palette by substituting in some black and purple for the tan and brown, it would be great for Halloween.  The pattern for Pumpkin Patch is also available in my Etsy shop.

And now it's time for the giveaway!  My Holiday Twinkle lap quilt is featured in the current issue of McCall's Quilting magazine and to celebrate, I'm going to give away a copy of the magazine and a little something extra.  

Holiday Twinkle is a fun-to-make sampler quilt that finishes at 66" square—a great size for draping over the arm of a chair or couch or for curling up under with a good book.

I've got a little fabric left over from this project, so I'm also going to give away two little charm square bundles.  Each bundle contains 12 - 5" squares of fabric from the "Merry Starts Here" collection by Sweetwater for Moda—clearly not enough to make the quilt, but definitely enough for a bit of fun! 

For a chance to win, simply look for the giveaway posts on either Facebook or Instagram and enter there.  I'll announce a winner on Monday, October 14th.  Good luck!

—jen

Three New Quilting Projects for Summer

Happy July!  And happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends and family!

In honor of the gorgeous summer weather, I've got three fun summer quilt ideas to share with you today.

First off is "Chirp Crossing."  I live in the country in New Hampshire and this pillow was inspired by the little families of birds that I often see crossing the road and, of course, my own three kids.

You can find the pattern for this 12" x 20" pillow cover featuring paper-pieced bird blocks in the July/August 2019 issue of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazine.  I made my pillow with brightly colored Alison Glass wovens, but you could make this quick project with whichever prints or color palette you chose.


Next up, here's "Beach Day."  For years my family has vacationed on the coast of Maine during the summer and I can never get enough of the beach.  This quilt was my attempt to bring the beach back home so I could enjoy it every day.

Beach Day originally appeared as the July quilt in the 2018 American Patchwork & Quilting Calendar, but the pattern is now available for download in my Etsy shop.

All of the Beach Day blocks are fun and easy to make, but my favorite part of this quilt is the gradation of the sea and sky.  I used a range of blue and tan Buggy Barn Basics fabrics to create the gradation in my quilt.

And finally, here's my "Sunflowers" table runner—one of my all-time favorite summer quilts!

This pattern has been available in my Etsy shop for a while, but because I received so many requests, I've just released a new version of the pattern with information for making four larger sizes of the quilt.  The new and improved pattern includes material requirements, cutting instructions and quilt assembly information and diagrams for the following quilt sizes:

My daughter is in the midst of making the 63" x 78" long lap quilt and I'll be sure to post a picture of her quilt when it's finished!

If you're looking for more summer quilting projects, check out the summer collection in my new book "Stitching for the Seasons."  Inside you'll find patterns for a pillow, a mini quilt, a table runner, a lap quilt and a Little House wallhanging—not just for summer, but for all four seasons.

In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine!!

Little House—Summer from "Stitching for the Seasons"

International Quilt Market Spring 2019

I'm just back from attending my very first International Quilt Market and my head is spinning from the experience!  But having had a bit of time to process and look over my hundreds of photos, here are my 5 biggest takeaways from Market.

1.  Starstruck!

I arrived in Kansas City on Wednesday evening and after checking into my hotel, my first order of business was to get my bearings and scope out the Convention Center.  So I pressed the button to call the elevator and the doors opened to reveal Bonnie and Camille.  As in the amazing mother-daughter team of Bonnie Olaveson (Cotton Way) and Camille Roskelley (Thimble Blossoms)!  I walked with them to the Convention Center and they were both so lovely and kind.  They left to begin work on their booth and I left the Convention Center more than a little starstruck, and that was just the beginning!

In no particular order, here are some of the other amazing designers/quilters/teachers/authors that I encountered at Market.  Some I heard speak, some I saw from a distance, but all made me feel like a giddy fangirl.

Pat Sloan

Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Jo Morton

Gail Pan

Jenny Doan

Jan Patek

Dawn Heese

Bonnie Sullivan

Corey Yoder

Sherri McConnell
Robin Pickens

Alison Glass

Amy Smart

Edyta Sitar

Weeks Ringle

Tula Pink

2.  Creativity

Walking the floor of Market was an amazing experience.  The sheer amount of creativity on display was overwhelming, but inspiring.  Each booth had its own distinctive look and feel and you never knew what you'd find when you turned a corner.  Here are a few of my favorite booths:

Joy's Studios little cafe scene — I was in Paris a couple of months ago and now I'm a sucker for all things Parisian!

Tilda's booth.  The quilting on the plum and sage green quilts was outrageous!

Jillily Studio's farmer's market scene was charming, right down to the baskets of berries on the farm stand.

Elizabeth Hartman's booth—how cute and colorful is this?!  I loved the cascading leaves.

I loved the quietly colorful work of Kori Turner-Goodhart of Olive Grace Studios.

3.  Color

There was color everywhere at Market, both pastel and brilliant, but the color that I noticed most was orange!  I'm not sure if I was just in an orange state of mind—let's be honest, I was feeling pretty happy—but I felt like I saw shades of orange everywhere.  My mom will be thrilled—orange is her favorite color!!

Corey Yoder's "Sugarcreek" (Moda)

Gabrielle Neil Design Studio's "Midnight Rose" (Riley Blake)

Sherri & Chelsi's "Harper's Garden" (Moda)

Cotton + Steel

Robin Pickens' "Painted Meadow" (Moda)

Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treausres' "Wildflower Bouquet" (Riley Blake)

4.  Butterflies and Flowers

The shapes I noticed everywhere, and granted it was "Spring" Market, were butterflies and flowers.  Here's a sampling of what I saw:

"Take Flight" quilt pieced by Natalie Crabtree and quilted by Holly Seever.

See the butterflies in the center quilt?  And look, half of them are orange!

Lori Holt's "Granny Chic (Riley Blake)

Free Spirit's "Tropical Flora" quilt featuring Tula Pink's "Monkey Wrench"

Amanda Murphy's "Nightingale" (Contempo Studios)

Free Bird Quilting Design's "Indha Blossoms" quilt featuring Indha Batkis from Me+You (Hoffman Fabrics).

5.  Kindness

Perhaps my biggest takeaway was the kindness I encountered at Market.  C&T Publishing and EE Schenck were kind enough to host book signings for me and their reps at Market were generous and supportive.  The many exhibitors, designers, shop owners and industry professionals I met were friendly and enthusiastic — eager to share their time, knowledge and experience.  And the people of Kansas City, a city I've never visited before, were warm, welcoming and accommodating. 

That's me at the EE Schenck booth with the summer collection from my book, "Stitching for the Seasons".

I knew I'd come away from Market inspired by the quilts, but I didn't expect to be so inspired by the people.  Two days after I met Bonnie and Camille in the elevator, I finally had an opportunity to find their booth on the Market floor.  And as I walked toward their booth, amidst the crowds and the noise, they actually called out to me by name.  I felt surprised, pleased and as I so often do as a member of the quilting community, grateful.

—jen

Four New Projects for Spring and a Giveaway!

It's beautifully sunny here today in New Hampshire and I'm in the mood for a giveaway!!

But first, here's a round-up of four of my latest projects for spring:

1. Providence - You can find the pattern for Providence in the May/June 2019 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting.  I made my quilt with a charm pack of gorgeous Flower Garden Gatherings fabric by Primitive Gatherings for Moda Fabrics and I love the colorful result!

2. Lucky Stars - The pattern for Lucky Stars is on page 34 of the May/June 2019 issue of Fons & Porter's Pre-Cut Patchwork.  This fun quilt is also a charm pack project — mine's made with Sweet Tea fabric by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics.

3. Rise and Shine - The pattern for this sweet stitching project is available in the May/June 2019 issue of Quiltmaker.  Make this fun little project with scraps from your stash and either bind it like I did or pop it in a 5" x 7" frame.

4. Cottage Blooms - Simple paper piecing makes easy work of the sweet cottages and tulips that make up this little wall hanging.  I used fabrics from the lovely Memoire à Paris collection by Lecien — perfect for spring!  The pattern for Cottage Blooms is now available for immediate download in my Etsy Shop.

And yes, patient reader, I did mention a giveaway!

This week I'm going to be giving away one copy each of the May/June issues of Love of Quilting, Pre-Cut Patchwork, and Quiltmaker.  Look for the giveaway posts on Instagram and Facebook for your chance to win one of these beautiful, pattern-packed magazines.

I hope the sun is shining where you are today too!

—jen

My First Month As A New Author

It's the last day of February and with the release of my new book, Stitching for the Seasons, this has been an unprecedented month of firsts.

This month, for the very first time, I saw a book of mine for sale in a quilt shop.  Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH is a bright, beautiful shop with something for every quilter. It was a featured Quilt Sampler shop in 2011, but I loved it long before then.  A couple of weeks ago, I visited the shop hoping to see my book.  I walked all around the store without finding it and was working up a little pitch about the book when I caught sight of a rack of new books near the cutting counter.  I walked over, heart pounding, spun the rack around, and sure enough, found 6 copies of my book.  What a thrill!!  I introduced myself to the shop owner and we had a great conversation about the book, during which I found out that she has her own connections to the book's publisher, C&T Publishing.  The quilting world is a small one!

For the first time this month, I found a copy of my book in a big bookstore, the Barnes & Noble in Nashua, NH.  It was a single copy nestled in among dozens of other quilting books but the binding leapt out at me at once.  And I was reminded of spending a lot of time (and a bit of money) in bookstores when I first started quilting, thumbing through colorful books filled with gorgeous projects, trying to soak it all in—those books were my eye-candy and sources of inspiration.  It was a shock and a joy to find a book that I wrote in company with so many other beautiful books.

And just last weekend, I experienced my first book signing.  My local library, the Dunbar Free Library, hosted the book signing for me and it was an amazing culminating experience.  Several of my friends, who are not even quilters, but who are unbelievably generous and supportive showed up with books for me to sign.  Quilters from nearby towns came see the projects from the book and to share their stories.  And unsuspecting library patrons took time out from their morning errands to enjoy the quilts and to chat with me.  It was the highlight of my month.

I had a great conversation with a little girl scout who was trying to decide to which seasons the mini quilts on display belonged.  She made the connection that the quilts on the table were also in the book beside them and I told her that I'd actually written that book.  When she walked away with her patient dad, I was delighted to hear her say, "I've never met a real author before!"  

I also spoke with a couple of older gentlemen who had clearly come in only to exchange books.  Because I was set up near the circulation desk, they couldn't help but notice my quilts and both seemed compelled to talk with me about how their mothers were quilters.  And I was reminded in the most poignant way of what I love most about quilting—the tradition, the continuity and the shared experience.

So as I wrap up February, my heart is full.  I'm thankful that C&T Publishing saw promise in my ideas and helped me to bring this book into the world.  I'm so happy that quilt shops and booksellers are making the book available to quilters, new and old.  And I'm enormously grateful for the support and kindness shown to me not only by my family, friends and local community, but also by the larger quilting community online.  Truly I am blessed.

—jen

5 Sew Sweet Pillows for Valentine's Day

If you're looking for ideas for quick Valentine's Day projects for this weekend, here are five of my favorites:

1.  First off is my Have a Heart pillow.  I love the interlocking hearts in two shades of pink and best of all, this pillow looks just as cute flipped over to have the darker pink on top.  You can find the downloadable pattern for this 12" x 20" pillow (and notes for a 12" x 16" version) in my Etsy shop.

2.  Here's my Love Birds pillow.  Raw edge appliqué makes quick work of two birds atop a branch silhouetted against a full heart-shaped moon.  The downloadable pattern for this sweet project is also available in my Etsy shop.

3.  Next up is my Bee Mine pillow.  This pillow features simple piecing, raw edge appliqué and embroidery.  You can find the pattern for this little cutie in the January/February 2019 issue of Quiltmaker Magazine available on newsstands now.  Print and digital versions of this lovely issue are also available online through The Quilting Company.

4.  Here's Heart to Heart, a reversible pillow featuring scrappy hearts in pink and ivory.  You can find the free pattern for this simple pillow on my blog.

5.  And finally, if you're short on time, here's a sweet pin cushion (essentially a tiny pillow!) featuring a square-in-a-square block and simple stitching.  The free pattern for this little project is also available on my blog.

Happy Quilting and Happy Valentine's Day!

—jen