New year, new pattern! I couldn’t wait to get everything together to have this pattern, Star Shimmer, released in January. I finished the quilt top last year but it’s finally ready for purchase in my Etsy shop. đ
Star Shimmer is an instant PDF download chock-full of easy-to-follow and colorful diagrams. It’s a fat quarter friendly pattern available in 3 sizes: baby, small throw and large throw.
My quilt (above) is small throw size made with Kona Cotton New 1930âs collection. I envisioned it in pastels and this fabric did not disappoint!
Star Shimmer is suitable for a confident quilter and above. The blocks are on the larger side so they come together rather quickly. Plus it’s just a fun one to create.
And, if you’re always wondering what to do with cut-away cornersâthere’s no worries as they’re used to make half square triangles resulting in very little waste! Always a win.
Envisioning yours in your favorite fabric line? Grab some fat quarters and give it a try. There are so many color options that would definitely make this one shine.
This Christmas season I bought a little 4â pre-lit artificial tree to brighten up my sunroom. At first, I wasnât going to do much but light it, then I decided to add a few decorations but keep it simple.
First, I hung a variety of colored bead strands then added crocheted snowflakes my daughter made me a while back. Wanting a rustic look, I found a lightweight star ornament with a deer scene thatâs perfect for my âin the pinesâ setting. My husband easily made a wire spring, drilled it into the bottom and voilĂ âa star topper is born! đ
Once Iâd gotten to this point, I knew a tree skirt would be in order. Years ago, I purchased a 10â Dresden ruler for making mini tree skirts I gave as gifts, so already having that was great. I also had leftovers from five holiday fat quarters from last yearâs stockings. It ended up I was able to get two Desden cuts from eachâexactly what was needed.
I used a tonal white-on-white flower print (leftover from my Scrappy On Point Four Patch quilt) for contrast fabric, and luckily had enough Kona Red solid to make the bias binding. I was ready to go!
Sewing the Dresden pieces together goes really fast. I think it took me more time to press the fabric and cut them. đ I used a metallic holly berry print with a green background for the backing, also a leftover.
Figuring how to quilt it was a bit more of a challenge. On the others, I quilted a tree in each section but that required a lot of hiding thread ends that I didnât want to do. I thought of going around circle after circle, but was afraid it would look like a spider webâŚso I let that idea rest for a few days.
Nothing else came to mind so I decided to give circles a try after all. To start, I quilted about ½â down from the center. I set up my walking foot guide to 1 ½â and continued from top to bottom.
The quilting ended up looking nice, and I donât think it looks anything like a spider web. đ
Next was attaching the binding. Since I lack experience with sewing circles, I knew my sewing skills would be put to the test, but overall it was a good turnout!
I now have a scrappy mini tree skirt and this little tree is decked out for the holidays!
If youâve got a small tree, I suggest giving this project a try. Itâs fast and easy. Also, these little tree skirts make great gifts, too.
It’s nearly back to school and for a lot of quilters that means back to the sewing machine! Just in time to kick off sewing season, I have a fun and quick pattern for you â Stitches & Stars. It’s now available for purchase as a PDF download in my Etsy shop.
Everyone loves the sawtooth star, don’t they? In thinking so, I’d decided it was about time to design a pattern highlighting this famously loved block. To give it a new and innovative twist, I added stitches around the blocks to create a defining, unique look.
My quilt shown is throw size yet the pattern is also written for baby, twin and queen sizes. I made mine using beautiful Art Gallery Fabrics Nature Elements in jewel tones for the stars, and from the same collection in gray for the stitches. I used Bella Solids Bleached White PFD for the background.
It’s also designed for a quick-sew in mind…the stitches are larger pieces strip pieced and chained pieced then cut smaller. The stars are made with flying geese, using the 4 at a time method. It goes together fast!
Here’s a look at tester’s quilts…
There are so many color version opportunities with this one, why not give it a try?!?
Just in time for Christmas in July, here’s my pattern for this upcoming holiday season, Christmastime! Now available for purchase as a PDF download in my Etsy shop.
Finishing at 31 Âź” x 30 Âź”, Christmastime sews up in no time. Just choose your favorite colors and create a festive quilt â great as either a wall hanging or a table topper. And here’s a fun fact, I designed the tree construction in a non-conventional way that’s oh-so-easy with fewer seams and a smoother finish!
For my version of the quilt, I went bold with Kona Cotton solids which kind of gives it a Dr. Seuss look. đ
Here’s a look at two of my testers quilts…Barbara went full-on Christmas which is just beautiful!
Janine chose solids and created a delightfully fun color scheme! And her choice of quilting is spot-on.
This is my first pattern of wall hanging or table topper size giving even more choices in my Etsy shop. If you’re looking for something fun to whip up that’s also whimsical AND original, give Christmastime a try!
Pinwheels Galore quilt pattern is available for purchase in my Etsy shop. My last post introduced Pinwheels Galore Mini quilt but if you’d like to try it in a larger size you now have four choices – baby, throw, twin and queen.
My sample shown above is a baby quilt made with Blossom fabrics by Riley Blake.
Here’s some information about the pattern: the pinwheels use 10″ squares making it layer cake friendly and the cut-away waste is minimal. And of course, there’s always the option of going scrappy!
The pieced sashing requires small amounts of yardage. Like the mini, this also goes together quickly because it’s designed for strip piecing and chain piecing.
With so many size options available coupled with a quick finish and cuteness, there’s got to be a perfect size for everyone!
Every year I like to take a look back at the projects I completed. While there were plenty of quilts and small projects, there was also a significant pause where I made absolutely nothing. Just needed a break I guess. đ
I started the year off with a new pattern, Floriography. I designed it for a layer cake and tested it with one I’d had since 2015. The original pattern had square-in-a-square blocks in the sashing but once I made it I thought it might be too much fuss and if I thought so, other quilters would too. I still may offer it as Floriography II if there’s enough interest.
After completion, I ended up altering the pattern and offsetting the blocks so this is Floriography as it is today. The pattern is still layer cake friendly and is available for purchase in my Etsy shop. So far it’s been pretty popular and it’s so versatile with fabric cuts and colors, I used fat quarters!
Next, I played around with my Triangle Twizzle pattern by making a baby quilt first. Doing so helped me get the design where I wanted it. I really liked this one, especially the lovely pastels.
After tweaking the pattern, I ended up with my final version of Triangle Twizzle which is available in my Etsy shop with three size options: baby, small throw and large throw. It’s very easy and great for the beginner quilter.
For this quick finish I used various 2 1/2″ strips for an outdoor quilt as per my daughter’s request. She wanted it just big enough to sit on or cover up with and nothing fancy. All I did was gather a bunch of strips and put them together for a super scrappy look. The backing was a mix of gray pieces in random sizes which didn’t matter since it would be used primarily on the ground.
For the quilting, I experimented with a short zigzag stitch and really liked the results.
By early March I finished my Playful Pastels baby quilt for the Fall 2021 issue of Quilts and more. This pattern will be available when I have my copyrights back, making it the end of February 2022. I’m excited to release this pattern, renamed Pinwheels Galore; it’ll be available in four sizes: baby, throw, twin and queen.
Used with permission from Quilts & More magazine. Š2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
I made The Ghost Quilt by Pen + Paper Patterns and along with it I made a few minis. It was a fun one, but it was also a ‘one and done’ one!
This was an ongoing quilt that I made using 2 1/2″ squares I cut as leftovers, although I did have to buy some yardage for the background. I absolutely love this quilt…except for the quilting…it just isn’t what I’d hoped for but it was a fun make and will someday be used on my queen size bed.
Other projects included reusable grocery bags, wine bottle bags, a pillowcase, fall leaf minis, Christmas stockings and table napkins. (A PDF wine bottle bag tutorial will be posted soon!)
I also have two other patterns nearing completion. Here’s a peek at one entitled Christmastime. It’s wall hanging size and will be available in July! The other quilt will be available in several sizes and features the ever-popular sawtooth star.
That wraps up last year and here’s looking forward to a quilty 2022! đ
When this quilt pattern came out 4 years ago (The Ghost Quilt by Pen + Paper Patterns) I knew my daughter would ask me to make her one. What I didn’t anticipate was that it’d take that long for me to actually do it. đ
Once fabrics were decided upon, ordered and received, from start to finish it took me a couple of months, mainly because I worked on other things in between and those cute little ghosts could be a challenge to line up!
The quilt itself requires 25 ghost blocks, but I decided to go through my gray fabric and having enough, I made 4 extra blocks, added a small border and made them into minis to give as gifts.
…I did keep one for myself though. đ
For the throw size quilt fabrics, I used Kona Solid Gotham Gray for the background and Kona Solid Crocus for the binding which looks great paired together and they’re definitely in the spirit of Halloween. For the minis, I used Kona’s Gotham Gray, Coal and Metal for the backgrounds and School Bus for bindings.
For quilting, I ran a vertical serpentine stitch about 1 1/2″ apart. You can see how it gives the quilt movement and a bit of a spooky vibe.
The backing is a fun black and white asterisk print that worked perfectly because the asterisks kind of look like mini spider webs.
I think this pattern is one of the cutest ones out there. And it’s a fun make too. I’m glad I finally got around to seeing this project through even if it was on my list for a really, really long time.
I’m happy to say that my baby quilt Playful Pastels is finally published!
I say ‘finally’ because it was quite a long process. To start, it was early June 2020 when I submitted my project for publication consideration to Better Homes & Gardens’ quilting magazine, Quilts & more. Whenever I do so, I know it’ll take a while to hear back, but when I did it wasn’t until the Fall 2021 issue that there was a spot for it. The timeframe was perfectly fine, but wow, that seems like forever ago!
Used with permission from Quilts & More magazine. Š2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
After accepting the terms and working out the details, I had to make the quilt. Since it was a baby quilt, I wanted to use pastel colors so I chose the Blossom collection by Christopher Thompson. I usually lean toward small prints and this line is just background color with a small white design that looks like tiny flowers. As for the timeline, it was early February 2021 when I requested fabric from Riley Blake Designs.
The fabric arrived quickly but because I had a deadline of March 10, 2021, I started on it right away.
Playful Pastels is a really quick make so I was able to finish by the end of February. Here’s what makes it go so fast…there are only 9 main blocks, the pinwheels. The sashing around them is strip-pieced, meaning you sew the pieces together when they’re long, then cut them down to the size you need. That way you’re not sewing small pieces together.
For the quilting, I did a 1 1/4″ crosshatch design. I learned (the hard way) that you need to use a lot of pins when quilting, so I made sure I did when basting. Constantly moving the pins was pretty time consuming, but the results made it worth the effort.
I was able to ship my quilt out early March; then I could finally relax. đ
Months previously I’d submitted instructions along with diagrams. Once everything was ready to go to print in June, I was given an electronic copy for proofing. It all looked good, so the rest was just waiting until publication in August.
Last week I received the photos I was permitted to use. Here’s a look…
Used with permission from Quilts & More magazine. Š2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.Used with permission from Quilts & More magazine. Š2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
Cute, right? I really like this set up! đ
The Fall 2021 issue of Quilts & more is available for purchase August 6th. There are a lot of nice projects included so be sure to get a copy!
Most of the time I have only one quilt in the works as I’m better focused and organized when I stick to a single project. But that’s most of the time. đ There are occasions when I work a few projects at a time, mainly if I know a specific quilt is going to be a long process. My most recent example is my scrappy on point nine patch quilt.
For Christmas 2018 and 2019 I’d given my kids queen size quilts, so 2020 was the year to make one for myself. I decided on a scrappy nine patch so I could use a big share of the 2 1/2″ squares I always seem to be accumulating. And to give it a bit more style, I decided to make it on point using various white tone on tone background fabrics instead of plain white.
To get started, I determined the size I wanted then designed the layout in EQ8. Using 2 1/2″ squares resulted in relatively small blocks (6″ square finished) so the pattern required a lot more blocks than I’d imagined…a total of 242! Of those, 132 nine patch were needed and 110 white squares. Additional background squares were required for the blocks around the edge that were cut larger and in half. I also added a 2 1/2″ border.
The next step was choosing colors. Because 11 color blocks were needed in each row, I figured I’d need 11 different colors for a balanced look. The colors I used were: coral, pink, orange, green, gray, mint green, teal, yellow, neutral, aqua and red. I averaged 12 blocks per color, but I had more of some colors than others. For example, I had a lot more yellow and pink than mint green and gray.
Here’s a look at my stash before I started.
It doesn’t look like I had much, but I got most of what I needed from what was already cut. How many squares did I need? 660! A lot. This was a really fun step, but it was kind of perpetual…as an example…I would be one square short of orange, so I’d have to cut a strip from a fat quarter for it then I’d end up with more orange in my box. That said, the next picture doesn’t look like I made much of a dent, but I really did.
Once I chose enough colors for a fair amount of blocks, it was time to get sewing.
While I had a several white tone on tone fabrics cut into 2 1/2″ squares, I had larger pieces I needed to cut as I went long. EQ determined the quilt needed about 9 yards of background fabric altogether. Again, a lot! I knew I didn’t have enough on hand, so towards the end I’d pick up or order random fat quarters, 1/2 yard and 1 yard cuts to keep a wide variety of fabrics throughout the quilt.
In mid-November, all my nine patch blocks were finished. I barely had room to lay them out, but I managed alright. Next, I labeled rows accordingly then tackled the task of sewing this huge beauty together.
Here’s a look at the quilt top, pressed and ready for longarming.
Because of the scrappiness, I’ve no way of knowing how many different fabrics went into this, but I’m sure there’s Moda, Art Gallery, Andover, Kona Solids, Bella Solids, Michael Miller, Windham, Dear Stella, Kimberbell, Northcott and Riley Blake fabrics.
EQ calculated the finished size of this quilt approximately 97″ x 106″. Mine always come up a bit short, so my finished top measured 96″ x 104 1/2″. Since I’d wrestled with roughly 9 yards of fabric when piecing the backs of my kid’s quilts, I wanted to avoid that this time so I purchased Windham Fabrics Multi-colored Dots by Whistler Studio in 108″ wide. I think this fun fabric corresponds nicely with the colors on the front. And I’d never purchased wide backing fabric before, so this was a first.
For binding, I used what I had on hand. I have only one quilt top that I never finished (but made binding for) so I used that along with other binding I made for another project but changed my mind on. Might as well go scrappy with the binding too, right?
So finally, here’s my finished quilt!
For quilting, I chose a baptist fan motif with 1 3/8″ wide sweeps. I think the round design compliments the angular composition of the layout.
And that polka dot backing is just right…
From start to finish, there was a huge amount of time involved in making this quilt. I started in March 2020 and finished early July 2021. Even though I had it ready for longarming in January, like so many things the pandemic caused me to put the quilting on hold. I was finally able to drop it off in May and it was quilted in June, making it my latest finish.
Even though this project seemed to take forever, it was worth waiting for.
My first quilt pattern of the year is here! Triangle Twizzle is available as a PDF download for purchase in my Etsy shop. This quilt is easy, fun and a quick sew for quilters of all skill levels.
In fact, it’s so easy a beginner quilter could make it in no time! The pattern is written for a 10″ square stacker / layer cake with a bit of yardage needed for the large white triangles.
I made mine using Riley Blake’s Pastels for a bright, cheerful look.
But the color choices are endless, making it such a versatile quilt. Can you imagine one in various shades of a single color, Christmas colors, Halloween colors or rich fall hues? Anything goes!
In keeping with the modern vibe, I quilted mine with a vertical straight line every 1 1/2″ then I quilted straight lines on a 45° angle going the opposite direction of the HST seams. I love the parallelograms.
While I had to run the quilt through my machine over and over (and over) which took a huge amount of time, I’m really happy with the results.
With three sizes to choose from and color options galore, I hope there’s a Triangle Twizzle quilt in your future!
Monday Morning Designs 