Category: quilts

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…

halloween, modern quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilts, Uncategorized

Making My Spooky Kittens Throw Quilt

Deb Gehringer

My last entry was about the release of my latest pattern, Spooky Kittens. Since this quilt has gotten quite a bit of interest, I decided to post a write-up with photos for a more in-depth look at my process.

I’d like to start by mentioning that not only is this pattern beginner friendly, it sews together fast and instructions include 2 fabric choices, either fat quarters or yardage. And also for beginners, there are no half square triangles which can sometimes be a challenge!

To make my quilt, I used yardage since I had most of the solids I wanted to use on hand.

Kona Cottons from L to R – Morning Glory, Black, Citrus, Quicksilver

Once my colors were chosen, it was time to get started. In a nutshell, this pattern consists of making two mirrored kitten blocks, adding sashing then putting it all together. All testers agreed—it’s a quick make.

And here’s why…throughout the pattern there are several places where you can chain piece: when assembling the kitten heads and again when attaching sashing strips. It’s no secret that chain piecing is an excellent time-saver. 😉

You can also chain piece when attaching kitten heads to background pieces, as I did here…

And again when sewing the kittens blocks together making finishing blocks a breeze.

Once the blocks were sewn and my layout was complete, it was time to sew the blocks and vertical sashing strips into rows. At this point, everything was coming together as I envisioned so I was pretty happy about that. 🙂

With rows completed, the last thing to do was attach the sashing. Here’s a tip for handling the sashing strips; once they’re sewn into long strips, wrap them around something sturdy so they will unfold nicely when you’re attaching them to rows.

I used comic book cardboard backing boards for wrapping and it worked great. (I happen to have a whole pack for wrapping and storing my solid fabrics). If you don’t have any on hand, cardboard or anything sturdy will work just fine.

Once my quilt top was complete, I had to pause a while waiting for a fabric order. I wanted something Halloween themed for the backing and I found the perfect fabric. It’s from Free Spirit’s line Spell Bound and it features black chains on a festive orange background. It was the perfect compliment to the quilt front.

With my quilt top complete, my backing fabric cut, sewn and pressed, it was time to sandwich and pin baste my quilt. Not a favorite part of the process but I managed to get through it easily enough. 😉

After basting, I needed to decide on a quilting pattern. Since the kittens are shorter blocks, I thought the quilting would showcase best by running horizontally. And because the kittens are a bit ‘spooky’, I decided the quilting should give that sort of vibe, too. That said, I chose a three-stitch zigzag with the lines spaced 1 1/4″ apart.

I used medium gray Aurifil thread (2605), and was pleased with the results.

Since the binding is the finishing touch—I consider it ‘framing in’ the quilt, kind of like choosing the right frame for a piece of art—I wanted something to set it off.

I also wanted to use a common Halloween color so I went with purple.

So here it is—my version of Spooky Kittens complete!

One last thing…I had my test block leftover so I decided to make it into a mini quilt. For this, I used the serpentine quilting motif sewn with a lighter gray thread. I also used Kiwi Kona cotton for the binding. It’ll make a great wall hanging in a small area.

There you have it, easy and quick! And a great quilt to add to your Halloween decor. I hope you enjoy this fun Halloween quilt and you try one out for yourself.

halloween, modern quilts, PDF pattern, quilts, Uncategorized

Spooky Kittens Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

It’s nearly back to school and that means back to the sewing machine! With Halloween just a mere 78 days away, you’ll have more than enough time to whip up my latest quilt pattern, Spooky Kittens. It’s now available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

To all the Halloween lovers out there, this quilt’s for you. Spooky Kittens has a lot to offer…first of all, it’s beginner friendly. The pattern is written for throw size; it consists of just two mirrored blocks, sashing, and presto, it’s done!

Another bonus is that the pattern comes with two fabric options—yardage or fat quarters.

I made mine using yardage. For the back, I went with a really fun print with black chains on an orange background. With all the seasonal fabrics out there, you’ll surely find something to make yours unique!

I’d love to see your version of this fun and easy quilt! With either fabric option you choose it’s sure to be a Halloween favorite. 🙂

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

Stitches & Stars Baby Quilt Finish

Deb Gehringer

Finally, another quilt finish! While this is only my second quilt for the year, I do have a couple of new patterns in the works that I’m excited to share fairly soon.

Yesterday I finished a baby version of my Stitches & Stars pattern. I decided to make this to help use up some extra fabric, mostly solids. I also had on hand a variety of colorful bindings from other makes. I attached them all together and came up with a myriad of colors. It’s definitely a fun look and certainly adds some brights, too.

For this baby version, I used soft-colored solids for the stars. The sashing, the “stitches”, are made using a tone-on-tone print by Art Gallery Fabrics. I feel accenting with gray is always a good choice. 😉

Since it’s for baby, I thought I’d soften the whole look by using an off-white solid on both the front and back. And to add some extra flair, I sewed together the cut-aways and made a fun stripe on the back.

For the quilting, I ran a vertical serpentine stitch every 1 1/2″ which gives it that lovely, crinkly-quilty look.

I released Stitches & Stars in 2022. It’s a really fun pattern to make, and if you’re one who loves star quilts it would be a perfect pattern for you.

I have decided to put this for sale on my Etsy shop hoping a cute baby will receive it soon!

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

Star Shimmer Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

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. 🙂

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 1930’s 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 corners—there’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.

Christmas, fabric project, quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

A Mini Tree Skirt

Deb Gehringer

This Christmas season I bought a little 4’ pre-lit artificial tree to brighten up my sunroom. At first, I wasn’t 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 that’s perfect for my ‘in the pines’ setting. My husband easily made a wire spring, drilled it into the bottom and voilà—a star topper is born! 🙂

Once I’d gotten to this point, I knew a tree skirt would be in order. Years ago, I purchased a 10” 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 year’s stockings. It ended up I was able to get two Desden cuts from each—exactly 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. 😉 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 didn’t want to do. I thought of going around circle after circle, but was afraid it would look like a spider web…so 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 ½” down from the center. I set up my walking foot guide to 1 ½” and continued from top to bottom.

The quilting ended up looking nice, and I don’t think it looks anything like a spider web. 😉

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 you’ve got a small tree, I suggest giving this project a try. It’s fast and easy. Also, these little tree skirts make great gifts, too.

Merry Christmas!

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

Stitches & Stars Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

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 – 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?!?

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

Christmastime Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

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 ¼” x 30 ¼”, Christmastime sews up in no time. Just choose your favorite colors and create a festive quilt – 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. 😉

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!

baby quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, patterns, PDF pattern, quilting, quilts

Pinwheels Galore Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

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!

monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

2021 Project Recap

Deb Gehringer

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. 😉

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. ©2021 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! 🙂