Category: monday morning designs quilt pattern

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Twinkly Stars Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

Throughout my quilting years, over 11 now, I’ve noticed that the majority of quilts I’ve made have a light-colored background. Actually, most quilts do. But, being one who loves color, I wanted to design a quilt that shows mostly that—color! I also wanted it to showcase stars and as a result, my latest pattern, Twinkly Stars.

Twinkly Stars is the classic sawtooth star surrounded by various colored backgrounds bordered with the same color of the stars. Often times I go for bold and bright, but I wanted to lean toward muted colors for this one.

The plan was to make a queen size for my bed (another one?) using only solids. Since I’d need a variety of colors and hues, I raided my solids stash first.

A while back I’d purchased a Bountiful Blooms Coordinates fat quarter bundle by Moda, and this was the perfect project for them.

The pattern is designed for fat quarters, yet yardage works too, so I used both. I needed more than pictured above so I purchased a fat quarter bundle of New Century Solids by Andover Fabrics, and it is gorgeous!

The queen size quilt requires a whopping 72 blocks, so I had a lot of cutting to do.

Since there was quite a bit, I didn’t cut and make all the blocks at one time, I did them in batches of 5 or 6 stars.

The stars are made using flying geese so there’s plenty of opportunity for chain piecing to speed things up.

Here’s a look at a few star centers from the Bountiful Blooms Coordinates.

These were from my stash…

This was definitely a project that I worked on at my leisure. It was very relaxing because of the simplicity of the blocks. While I was in no hurry to finish, chain piecing the blocks made the process go faster.

Here’s a finished block in one of my favorite colors. 🙂

Once all the blocks were complete, trimmed and starched, it was time for layout. Because there were so many tone variations in addition to several different colors, I used this placement method for keeping like-colored blocks from one another:

To start, I kept approximate blank spaces on the floor for rows and columns. For layout example, because there were 2 same-colored blocks for most colors (stacked in pairs) I would lay out a block say ‘first in the first row’ and to keep it separate from it’s mate, I’d lay the second one say ‘sixth in the fourth row’.

I would continue with this process until I filled all 72 spaces. Additionally, I’d coordinate ‘next to’ colors with blocks already laid. For the most part, I didn’t have to make many adjustments once my layout was complete. Here’s the first row finished.

Here are more rows with sashing…

And so on…

Once my top was finished, I had the dreaded task of trimming threads off the back. Every quilter must dislike this tedious job, but it’s very necessary for a nice, crisp front. Take a look at my back all trimmed and ready for longarming.

For a nice soothing feeling, I chose a serpentine quilting motif. I really like the outcome!

I also chose a violet solid for the binding.

I love this quilt and it’s so nice to have it on my bed so I can enjoy it daily.

Twinkly Stars is a great pattern for quilters of all levels. The pattern is available for purchase in my Etsy shop. It’s written for 5 sizes: baby, throw, twin, full and queen. Definitely a fun make and a great stash buster too!

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2024 Project Recap

Deb Gehringer

Every new year I look back at all the projects I’d made the previous year. Some years I’m surprised how much I did; other years I’m surprised how much I didn’t make!

2024 was a year where I really didn’t make a whole lot, partly because I was running out of room to store quilts. I wanted to part with some but needed a good cause. I ended up donating 4; three to Hurricane Helene victims in NC and one to fire victims in LA. I strongly felt they needed quilts much more than I needed them sitting in my curio cabinet, so off they went to new owners.

Here’s a look at what was accomplished last year…

In January I released my Classic Plaid quilt pattern; one that I had written a few years prior. It’s beginner friendly and is a really quick sew. It’s available in my Etsy shop. The quilt is also for sale!

In May, I made a cute little clothespin hanger for the drying rack I use outside. It’s nice to make useful items for around the house.

To add to that, I made some decorative pillows for my bed. I had the yardage for a few years, just waiting for the right project and these were definitely it.

In June, I made another Wee Three Trees with leftover fabric from my Winter Woodlands quilt. I ended up selling this mini on Etsy, but it’s always a fun make. Wee Three Trees has been my most popular pattern since its release!

In August, I listed my Love to Sew cross stitch pattern. Again, I’d written it a few years back but somehow didn’t release the pattern then. It was enjoyable to make something different. I’m thinking about a new cross stitch pattern, just got to put the pencil to the paper…

In August, when it was way too hot for any outdoor activities, I’d decided to take a few hundred already trimmed HST and sew them together. I thought I’d make a throw quilt for myself but then realized there weren’t enough HST for anything larger than crib size. I ended up selling this on Etsy.

In November I released my Merry Little Stars mini quilt pattern. One of my all time favorite fabric collections is Evergreen by Basic Grey for Moda. I had just enough left to make the stars and I was lucky enough to find yardage for the borders and binding. I loved having this displayed on my coffee table during the holiday season.

In December I’d gotten back my Winter Woodlands quilt from my longarmer. It’s quilted in swirls and lovely snowflakes. I released this pattern last year, and it was a favorite both seasons. It’s very simple and all you need is a jelly roll and some background yardage. I used Merry Little Christmas by Bonnie & Camille for Moda.

For now, that’s all I can share. 😉

Upcoming, I have a queen sized quilt to be featured in American Patchwork and Quilting. It’s a pattern that allows for so much color and it’s designed for fat quarters. I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone.

Happy sewing in 2025!

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Winter Woodlands Finish

Deb Gehringer

In November last year I was so eager to release my Winter Woodlands quilt that I did so before it was completely finished. The pattern cover photo is just the quilt top, but now that it’s professionally quilted and a completed quilt, I’ve got a new cover shot for the pattern.

As I normally do, I had it quilted with thread that blends into the background; in this case, white. The edge-to-edge quilting motif is Becker’s Winter Wonderland by Urban Elementz.

The snowflakes are really detailed and are perfect for this treed pattern. I especially like how they are ‘correct’ snowflakes, having 6 points. I see a lot of 8 pointed snowflakes out there, but, ummm, they’re not right! And I’m speaking from decades of living in a snowbelt region. 😉

Because this pattern is designed for 2 1/2″ strips, I used strips from the jelly roll for the binding. It’s a nice transition from print to print, which coordinates well with the stripey trees.

The backing is a really fun print called Frosty Merry Mints by Wilmington Prints. I just love these snowman gents! The quilt top fabrics are Bella Solid White and Moda’s Merry Little Christmas by Bonnie and Camille.

Winter Woodlands is a one size throw quilt pattern and is great for the confident beginner quilter. And in celebration of my finish, I’m offering the pattern 20% off for the entire week.

It honestly doesn’t take too long to make as it’s a cozy size (55″ x 60 ½”) and it’s an excellent choice for the holidays and chilly winter nights!

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Scrappy Holiday Hemlocks Kits

Deb Gehringer

There’s plenty of time left to sew a holiday quilt, right? If you’re with me on that, why not check out these beautiful kits from Batiks Plus More.

Julie put these together with, you guessed it, batiks, and what lovely, rich colors. 🙂 She’s still got a few in stock so now’s the time to go shopping. 😉

I released this modern quilt pattern a couple of years ago, offering it in two versions. The original, Holiday Hemlocks and a scrappy version, Scrappy Holiday Hemlocks.

Either version is suitable for the advanced beginner quilter, and it’s so fun to watch it come together.

Both patterns are available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Whether you sew a kit or use your own stash, Holiday Hemlocks is a great quilt to make for getting into the holiday spirit!

Christmas, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, PDF pattern, quilts, Uncategorized

Merry Little Stars Mini Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

In plenty of time for the holidays, my latest pattern is available in my Etsy shop—Merry Little Stars.

Designed with cuteness and beginners in mind, this little mini is so easy. Here’s why. The stars are made using the stitch-and-flip method so there’s no points to line up or worry about sewing the points off! The triangles on the top and bottom borders are also stitch-and-flip, giving the stars a bit of flair easily.

As far as fabric requirements go, it doesn’t require much; 2 fat quarters, one 10″ square & yardage, but 2 1/2″ precut strips can easily be substituted for the color fabrics. Even scraps will do if you want a scrappy look. And it can be sewn up in a day or weekend.

Here are a few photos of how I made mine. Quilted lines were sewn 1″ apart using a longer stitch length to give a more sophisticated look. The lines are at a 45 degree angle marked with my hera marker. The results are petite squares on point. 🙂

For the stars, I used fabric from Moda’s Evergreen collection by BasicGrey. This is one of my all-time favorite fabric lines but unfortunately it’s long been out-of-print. The triangles around the stars are Riley Blake’s Blossom in silver. The backing is Frosty Merry-Mints by Wilmington Prints.

I wanted a folk pattern for the striped borders (and binding) to coordinate with the green folk-inspired star fabric, so I purchased a BasicGrey red and white dainty print from the Pine Valley collection. I love all the pretty Christmas symbols included.

Merry Little Stars measures 10 1/2″ x 30 1/2″. It’s versatile because it can be displayed as a wall hanging, laid out on your holiday tablescape or set out as a table runner.

With that one finished, I’ve got another one in the works. I used BasicGrey (a huge fan!) Grunge Seeing Stars in yellow and green. Perfect! The striped borders give a candy cane vibe in classic red and white.

I’m excited to put mine out for the holidays and I’m also thinking about making another with non-traditional holiday colors. I think it would look great in any color combo, wouldn’t it?

Christmas, fabric project, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting, Uncategorized

Wee Three Trees Revisited

Deb Gehringer

During the 2019 holiday season, I released one of my favorite patterns, Wee Three Trees. It’s been nearly 5 years now so I thought I’d revisit the pattern and make a new one.

I decided to use leftover fabric from my Winter Woodlands quilt. Since both patterns are 2 1/2″ strip friendly, I was able to use strips from my Merry Little Christmas jelly roll by Moda.

For my new version, I made a slight alteration by easily changing the direction of the right-hand border. By doing so, it gives a bit of a different look which shows that you can take this pattern and add your own little touches.

In addition, I chose solid white for the background instead of tone-on-tone.

I crosshatch quilted my original Wee Three Trees mini as I did this time, too. I love how crosshatch quilting on a rectangle creates diamonds. Classy and timeless!

Otherwise, nothing else differed. This cute little mini quilt goes together relatively quick—you can finish it in a day or it makes a great weekend project. The pattern is suitable for a confident quilter yet is fun for quilters of all skill levels.

Wee Three Trees mini quilt pattern is available for purchase in my Etsy shop, as a PDF download or paper copy.

Remember, it’s not too early to start that holiday sewing!

modern quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilts, sewing

2023 Project Recap

Deb Gehringer

At the beginning of the new year, I like to take a look back to see what projects I completed or am close to completing, for the last 12 months.

Earlier in the year, I wanted to decorate with toss pillows. Given that I have quite a few fat quarters on hand, it made perfect sense to use them for small chair pillows.

I also had some yardage so I made 16″ square pillows for my daybed.

The one in the middle back was made using the pillow sham that came with the comforter. I didn’t want to set out a bed-sized pillow so I put it to good use otherwise.

This little mini was made from cut-away squares from the ghost quilt. I didn’t want to throw them away, but the small size of the HST made for a sewing challenge!

I really enjoy making a colorful Stitches & Stars quilt, so I decided to make a baby version and have it for sale in my Etsy shop. It’s a fun fat eighth friendly pattern and it’s very versatile.

I released two kitten related projects last year, which is kind of funny because I don’t even own a cat! Because they’re such cute blocks to make I guess I couldn’t resist.

On the left is my Spooky Kittens throw quilt. It’s beginner-friendly and the pattern offers two options, yardage or fat quarters. It’s fast and fun!

On the right is my Cozy Kittens mini. It makes a nice wall hanging or table topper, and it’s designed for the confident quilter and above.

Because I wanted to give appliqué a try and couldn’t find a tree pattern, I designed (with some technical help) my Big Tree and Little Tree PDF outline patterns. Big Tree is great for a wall hanging, advent countdown or decorating in your own style. Little Tree is a fun, whimsical tree for appliquéing onto a pillow, clothing or whatever else suits you!

Much like my Pinwheels Galore quilt (seen below), I wanted a leisure project so I made a postage stamp like quilt. I’ll write a blog post about it once finished, but here’s a look at piecing four patches, getting the quilt underway.

This quilt was one that just came to me, so I decided to make it and release the pattern. It’s a nod to Wee Three Trees, it’s like Wee Tree Trees grows up. 😉

It’s called Winter Woodlands and is geared for a jelly roll and makes a quick finish. I made mine using Merry Little Christmas by Bonnie & Camille. You can see it’s only a quilt top…I’m waiting for a local quilt shop to open and will take it there for longarming if they offer it.

I always make a handmade pillowcase for my husband in bird fabric. Last year’s was no different!

Lastly, my Pinwheels Galore finish! I started this in 2022 as a quilt with no timeline. I finally got it pieced and ready for longarming in the spring of 2023. For no good reason, I didn’t send it out until late summer and finished it in late fall.

It’s queen size, and it makes the second one of that size I made for myself. I’d like to be able to switch quilts throughout the year so this will give me the option to do so.

That wraps up 2023!

To date, I have three patterns for release, two quilts and a holiday table runner (a first for me). I hope you’ll stop back and see what’s in store for 2024.

modern quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, PDF pattern, quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

Classic Plaid Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

I like to start off every year with a new pattern release and this year it’s Classic Plaid. I finished this pattern (and quilt) nearly 5 years ago but kept pushing it back because I’d get a new idea then start that, etc., etc.

The main reason why I designed this quilt is because I feel we quilters need a quilt pattern geared toward the masculine side. While this one is very versatile, it’s a perfect choice for a man, after all, men need quilts too!

So…here it is!

Classic Plaid is designed specifically for the beginner quilter, but you don’t have to be a newbie to make it; it’s suitable for quilters of all levels. It’s oh-so-easy as there are only two blocks to make. Assembly is really fast because you’ll use techniques such as strip piecing and chain piecing, making it go together in a snap.

There are three sizes to choose from: throw, twin and queen. Only four different colored fabrics of yardage are needed. Easy, right?

Often times the most simple designs make the most interesting quilts and this one is definitely a great example.

For quilting on mine, I chose a 1 1/2″ grid to coordinate with the quilt’s design. Basic, yet it makes a statement.

Here’s a look at Barbara’s quilt. She made a throw size using blue and red bandana fabrics. They’re an excellent choice, and I’d like to mention that she’s an excellent quilter.

Barbara had her quilt longarmed in a cowboy/western motif of boots, spurs and stars. I love how she also used a darker thread for quilting, it really brings out the details. Great job Barbara, it’s a beautiful finish!

Joanna, another awesome quilter, made a throw size quilt. We all loved her version; she fussy cut the background square. I honestly have to say that I never would have thought of this which is why I love getting testers’ take on patterns. This is such an adorable quilt, excellent job Joanna!

Lastly, I have to share this photo. I had my husband hold my quilt up in front of a beautifully painted mural (in NW PA). Without realizing it, the people’s heads in the mural are poking up from the top and look as if they’re holding up the quilt or hiding behind it, which I thought was pretty funny.

Classic Plaid is available for purchase in my Etsy shop starting today!

monday morning designs quilt pattern, PDF pattern, quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

Pinwheels Galore Queen Size Quilt

Deb Gehringer

In the fall of 2022, I found myself (once again) making another quilt for my bed to use up leftover fabric. Since I’d already made a queen size on point scrappy quilt, I thought it was time to make one using my own pattern.

I had a variety of beautiful fabrics to use so I decided on Pinwheels Galore because 1. I love to sew pinwheels 2. the pinwheels are on the larger size so I knew they’d showcase all the lovely, vibrant colors.

Pinwheels Galore is an easy, 10″ square friendly pattern. Just make pinwheels, strip piece the bars for sashing and voilà, you’ve got yourself a quilt. The pattern is a PDF download and four sizes are available: baby, throw, twin and queen.

To start, I chose the most colorful fabrics I had enough of and began making HST for the pinwheel blocks. Fabrics included: Art Gallery Elements and Matchmade by Pat Bravo of Art Gallery Fabrics, Moda Rustic Weave and Grunge, Bedrock by Windham Fabrics and Blossom by Riley Blake.

Here’s a look at some HST before creating the pinwheels.

I needed 72 pinwheels which works out to 288 HST. That’s a lot! I made sure of an even balance between lights, darks and colorways.

Because of the sheer number of HST needed, chain piecing came in very handy.

Here’s a look at some pinwheel blocks…

After finishing all the pinwheels, it was time to start the sashing. I’d designed the pattern to include strip piecing, so with that there’s chain piecing, too. I can’t say enough about how easy this pattern is, and fast!

While working on this quilt I completed other projects, took breaks, etc. Start to finish time was several months which was intended as I was in no hurry. I had everything sewn together in April 2023.

Here it is after trimming threads on the back; an annoying task and time consuming, but completely necessary. 😉

In August, I sent it off for longarming. For the quilting pattern, I chose Euphoria by Urban Elementz. I love how it turned out! Here it is on the cutting table for trimming off excess batting and backing.

I had made the binding long before I sent out the quilt. I was glad of that because it was ready to go once I got the quilt back. I used different colors of Blossom by Riley Blake. While it’s one of my favorite collections because of the small print and variety of colors, it frays a lot. That said, it took me quite a while to trim the binding edge before basting it down for machine sewing.

Lastly, here’s my finished quilt…

For backing, I used a wide width due to the amount needed. The fabric here is Lava Lamps by Whistler Studio. I love that every color on the back is seen on the front.

For this photo I added pillows I made but keep elsewhere in my home. I thought they looked cute so I included them. 😉

That ends my major projects for 2023! And I doubt there’ll be any more queen size quilts in my future, but who knows…

Christmas, modern quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, PDF download, quilting, Uncategorized

Winter Woodlands Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

To end this year’s quilt pattern releases, I’d like to introduce my Winter Woodlands PDF pattern, now available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Winter Woodlands is a nod to my best selling pattern, Wee Three Trees mini quilt. For quite a while I’d been thinking about making the mini into a larger version and here it is! Just think of it as Wee Three Trees grown up. 😉

For my quilt, I used Moda’s jelly roll Merry Little Christmas by Bonnie and Camille.

This collection is so festive and is a perfect choice for this quilt. I love the traditional red and green and that teal is also included.

Since the pattern is written for a throw size quilt (finishes 55″ x 60 ½”) you can make it all from a jelly roll, including the binding!

Winter Woodlands block made from Moda’s Evergreen Collection

I know I say it a lot, but my testers all agreed this is a quick make! It’s geared toward confident quilters; yet if you’re a quilter looking to build your quilting skills, give it a whirl.

It’s the perfect time with the holiday season upon us, so I hope you’ll get your copy and add a festive quilt to your home for this coming winter.