The Fat Quarter Shop is getting ready for a free block of the week sew-along called Sewcialities! They’ve asked 18 designers (me included) to each contribute two blocks that can be made in three different sizes, 3″, 6″, or 9″. You’ll get one block a week for 38 weeks. The fun starts Friday, September 25th, and runs through June 25th, 2021! June 2021 will be here before we know it!
The blocks are all pieced, and each one is rated for difficulty. The Fat Quarter Shop will be using the “Homestead” fabric line by April Rosenthal. I love that each block is 2 fabrics. I am making the 9″ blocks and they go together very quickly.
At work, we have been playing with Bella Solids lately. Michelle White and Carrie Nelson were creating different color ways and I fell in love with one of the color assortments and thought it was perfect timing to use for my version of Sewcialites. We had all kinds of great names for the colors and this one Michelle named Mellow Rainbow. I don’t know what it is but it reminds me of my youth and the colors of the 70’s and 80’s.
Mellow Rainbow- Bella Solids
204 PLUM
218 INDIGO
135 MARINE
234 EVERGREEN
232 SAFFRON
292 AMBER
294 PERSIMMON
298 CAMEO
106 EARTH
I usually don’t use all solids but I have made the goal to work on my precision piecing on this quilt. If you are off the least little bit when using solids it shows more, but I am not scared.
Of course, you can also pull from your stash. You can find all the information you need on the Jolly Jabber blog. So many sizes to choose from. Get that triangle paper ready if you choose the 3″ size.
During the pandemic, several different people on social media starting having outdoor quilt shows by showcasing one of their quilts in their yard or on their front porch, etc. Jenny Doan starting doing this also and I thought I would do the same each weekend.
I dug this schoolhouse quilt out of my stack to symbolize the return to school, even though it was virtual.
Several of you have messaged me wanting this pattern so I decided to do a quick blog post
so I can share it with everyone.
The pattern does have templates for the roof, so be sure and set your printer to actual size.
Choose 6 fat quarters and 3 1/2 yds background of your choice.
I made mine using 6 different Bella Solids.
I also want to make it using denim, blues and greys.
I know my neighbors probably think I am crazy but I have enjoyed my own little quilt show.
My blog post would not be complete without a mock up of a little red schoolhouse quilt.
Yesterday started the local in-school learning after 3 weeks of remote classrooms. When I submitted this block 9 months ago, I did not have a name or description. There was no Covid yet. Things were normal. Fast forward and the name of the block and description fits today’s landscape. My kids, friends, students and teachers are all coming together as we try and begin a normal school year, so I am wishing all of them a safe adventure.
COMING TOGETHER
During this time of isolation I look at this block and can’t help but think about how much I miss coming together with my friends and family. I just want to hug everyone’s neck including my mailman, but I can’t. I look at the big shapes as people and that someday we will all be joined socially together again.
To download these instructions, please click here.
Read more…….
I have not decided what layout I am going to do. I have an assortment of block sizes but the majority of them 8″ and 4″.
So many decisions!
We are already on block 35, I better decide my layout so I can plan what size blocks to make the rest of the way.
One thing I love about the Blockheads is the access to so many patterns and the inspiration from the designers and the amazing Facebook group. The blockheads project started out to be a sampler quilt but I am love so many of the blocks that I plan on using some of the designs for a complete quilt. I decided to play with this block in a couple of different layouts.
I combined the 8″ and 4″ blocks to make a row quilt. This one looks very Scandinavian cross stitch depending on what colors you use. Wouldn’t it be yummy in grey and reds?
This layout combines a 12″ block and 2-6″ blocks sewn into rows and then repeated. I love all the secondary designs this layout and block creates. SQUINT, tell me what you see.
At first I saw lots of white doves throughout, then it was Santa beards and the one I can’t get out of my head is a clown face. (I will help you on that one- the 2 small plus signs are eyeballs and the white area is the clown’s facepaint smile.
Okay maybe it is just me, but this is how I entertain my self.
Do you see any secondary designs?
I hope you have fun making this block your own. Please visit each of the designers listed below for their take on the Coming Together block.
This is what our family always called our Charlie’s Angels picture. The picture was taken one summer of my mom, my sister and myself. I was about to be a freshmen in high school, Angie was about to leave home and would be a freshmen in college. When she left for college I got her room. In her closet was a piece of paper that she listed what she wore each week. This list lasted for an entire month, every month. She worked to not wear the same thing for an entire month. She did not have a large wardrobe but she would make new things just to make sure she kept it fresh.
Fast forward…. my sister graduated with a home ec teaching degree and went on to get married and have 3 sweet sweet boys. The first year that Angie and Joel were married they decided to make a quilt as a wedding gift for some friends using the quilt as you go method. Angie lived in Lubbock and I lived in Dallas so we mailed the blocks back and forth so I could help piece the blocks. Joel helped quilt them and I remember he had the most beautiful small stitches, 12 to the inch just as he had been instructed.
A few years later Angie’s family moved to Ft. Worth which is about 30 minutes from me, so we got together often. At the time we both had 2 kids each under the age of 4. It was a miracle we got anything done. I even joined a quilting friendship group there in Ft. Worth so we could get together often. We did many block swaps, made things for arts and craft shows and even gift shops would sell our wares.
My sister passed away in 1989 at the age of 31 which was 31 years ago. I tell you this story because I have finished several of her unfinished quilt tops and shared them with her family. I have one more quilt top to complete.
We did a friendship swap for the square in a square block and she pieced the pink sawtooth stars to complete the designs. Each of us had the same swap block and would create completely different quilts.
I have had this quilt top for 31 years. I cannot believe that. I hadn’t completed it because I was on a mission to find enough of the navy fabric for the fourth border (shown in upper corner) I did not have to have the exact fabric just something that matched. Believe it or not this is such a rich deep navy that I had a hard time making a match.
I finally found a navy plaid that was close enough and finished the top. My quilter often has a sale on quilting during her birthday month so I was going to be ready.
I took the quilt outside to get some pictures and poked a hole in my finger.
All this time I did not realize that the back of the quilt still had the names pinned on the blocks.
Many of the swap blocks were hand pieced. Each block had to use tan in the middle, greens, then pinks and cheddars and navy on the outside. There was a plan.
I guess this is a good reason to leave your selvedges on since I can now identify the border as a Cranston Print Works/ V.I.P fabric. I don’t really recommend leaving selvedges on.
I looked through the names trying to remember each person in this particular swap. I was thrilled when I came across this block with our good friend Roxi’s name on it. After my sister passed away Roxi and I continued our friendship and that makes this quilt top even more priceless.
I am kind of sad to finish this quilt top knowing that it is the last piece of Angie’s work that I have. The quilt will go to a good home and I will always have the memories of each of the quilts.
Quilts tell a story and they last long after we are gone!
It is finally finished. I had made the goal to share this before the first pumpkins were out and I think I made it.
When I asked some of my friends to join me in the Sisterhood of Scraps project, I was very honored that Barbara Brackman said YES. She shared her Orange Zig Zag antique quilt that had been on my bucket list to make. There was no time like the present to reproduce her version.
I am in love and I can cross something off my bucket list.
I am ready for the pumpkins.
Aren’t all the shirtings so yummy?
Shirtings are generally a reproduction fabric but I am seeing more and more new styles of shirtings with the popularity of low volume styles growing in popularity.
This is what I can do all day every day!
Play with Fabric
These are just a few of my lights for this quilt. I really tried to get some bold stripes, tickings and other vintage inspired pieces. I added some dots since I think 100% of the quilts I make have dots in them.
Fig Tree and Co. has the yummiest collection of fabric, All Hallow’s Eve and I was hoarding the Orange, stock #20354-11 from this collection. This fabric was the perfect piece to use for this quilt.
These are available late 2020 and would be terrific Christmas gift to yourself!
Here is a page example from the book courtesy of Electric Quilt. I own her original book and can’t wait to get my hands on this one. This book is great for designing, as a resource and historical information.
Today is Jen Kingwell’s turn to share a quilt block pattern. The name of her block is Proposal and it has a great story behind it. To get the pattern and learn more about the block, visit Jen’s blog, HERE.
Using Jen’s inspiration for her block, I decided to use all lights to represent a diamond. My Diamond is not perfect and since there is all different qualities of diamonds I left the imperfections!! Another thing I learned while pulling fabric for this one is I must love white/cremes with tan or grey dots.
If you follow me on Instagram of Facebook then you probably have seen some of the pictures of my only daughter’s wedding. I wanted to share another story which seems fitting on the topic of proposals. My daughter has always been a city girl but she met and fell in love with a country boy. He proposed to her by carving the words into a tree on their land. The night he was planning on proposing she was late coming home from work which also meant she was tired and probably a little cranky. He insisted on going for a ride and he had something to show her. While she wanted to wait until the morning, but she went ahead and this is what she saw. (picture was taken in the morning)
I had help along the way. Do you sew in your swimsuit?
So when it came time to make her a quilt for her wedding, I could think of no other pattern than a tree block. I sent blocks out to some of their friends and family for messages and well wishes.
I think they were pretty surprised! For a few days this was their wedding quilt, now we call it the Babymaker. No pressure!!
Just in case you are wondering I used a tutorial from Amy Smart for this block. You can find the info HERE.
Visit each of the designers listed below for their take on the Proposal block.
Today is Janet Clare’s turn on the Moda Blockheads series. Her block is very clever. I love how creative she was with the sizing of the block. To download the pattern instructions, visit Janet Clare’s blog.
I had fun making this block and couldn’t help but be inspired by my recent trip to Alaska for my daughter’s wedding. The whole family was secluded to one massively huge house with the most incredible view. Priceless!
Mr and Mrs Kearney
They stayed and honeymooned in Alaska and my daughter sent me this pic of a quilt shop they saw. I just had to share!
Visit each of the designers listed below for their take on the ZIG ZAG block.
Today is Robin Pickens turn to share a quilt block named
CORNER GARDEN.
It is no surprise to anyone since each of her fabric collections are based on the study of flowers that Robin’s quilt block would also be a flower. I had a lot of fun piecing this block even though my leaves are cock-eyed.
block #25
To get the pattern, visit Robin’s blog, but you may want to read a little further because the Blockheads have some other goodies in store for you.
I wanted to take a few minutes and tell you about the Moda All-Star series of books. Each book focuses on a specific Moda precut including anything from Jelly Rolls to Mini Charms to the newest Fat Quarter book. My name is on the cover of each of these books as compiled by, but the real talent is inside the pages. Each designer has made a project and their proceeds of book goes to a particular charity. Each of the designers listed below will be giving away the featured e-book on their blockheads post today, so be sure and click on the blue link of the designers name to find out how to enter. I have also included a link to each of the books on Martingale site for more information. With each purchase of these books you are also making a contribution to a specific charity. Thank you for that!
Scraps made simple includes quilts from Amy Ellis, Amy Smart, Carrie Nelson, Corey Yoder, Edyta Sitar, Jan Ragaller, Jenny Doan, Laura Boehnke, Lisa Bongean, Lisa Calle, Lynne Hagmeier, Sherri Falls, Sherri Mc Connell and Susan Ache. I have always enjoyed making scrap quilts or quilts with lots of fabrics but being a part of this book was where I got my first twinkle in my eye to do my own scrap book. Being a part of such a wonderful community of talented quilters inspires me every day.
A few of the other quilts in the book are as follows….
To enter to won an e-book of Scraps Made Simple, leave a comment telling me how many hours a week you are able to quilt, thinking about quilting does not count. I will notify the winner Friday, July 3rd.
Enjoy,
Modalissa
Happy Wednesday and welcome to the LUCKY PENNY block designed by Vanessa Goertzen.
I absolutely love this pattern and I am pretty proud of my workmanship. I took my time and enjoyed the process!
You can hop on over to Vanessa’s blog to download the pattern. I am sharing just a few pictures of my process and can’t wait to see yours.
I made the 8″ block and cut the pieces and did a layout so I could make sure none of the same fabrics touched each other… and really I just loved looking at all the blue and whites together.
Just so yummy, yummy, yummy. Doug Leko’s Mini Simple Folded Corners ruler came in so handy to trim my little bitty corners.
How dynamic this block would be as an allover quilt? Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gaterings probably already has a pattern for this.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my version of Vanessa’s block.
Visit each of the designers listed below for their take on the Lucky Penny block.
To read about my version and a little giveaway, keep reading along.
I have a huge fan girl crush on Laurie Simpson. Everything she touches is classic and inspiring including this weeks block.
Laurie writes in her description of her block the following, At first glance, the Hen and Chicks Block seems like another uneven 9-patch block. However, it requires a bit more sewing making this a fun but easy block. Adding 3 layers on a center square gives you many design possiblities. Mix and match fabrics and scraps, or use just 3 fabrics as pictured. So that got me to thinking of how fun this block would be as an allover quilt. So many piecing options that I played around a little bit with my block. Shown above is a repetitive block with a 1″ finished sashing and corner stones. I did not put sashing on the outside rows of the quilt so I thought it did not need a border at all carrying through the vintage feel. I rotated the blocks to create a secondary design throughout.
Squint and you can see all kinds of movement.
This looks like it could have been a vintage quilt so I did not add any borders which makes this quilt measure 53 x 62.
42 -8″ blocks set 6 across and 7 down. Of course you can make it bigger just by adding more blocks!
I love it so much!
Here is another version that is my version of Laurie’s block with 1″ finished sashing and corner stones and no other changes. I am obsessed by Laurie’s all over star print so I thought a nice big border would finish this one off nicely.
Now for the GIVEAWAY!!!
Each week I try and add a few little trinkets to my pictures. This week I added the quarantine merit badge stickers designed by Michelle White. During the past several weeks we have all been experiencing the new kind of normal and yes I have cut my own bangs 5 times and it shows. I have a couple of sets of stickers that I would like to share. Leave a comment and share one thing you learned or have tried during the pandemic and I will pick at random a few people to receive a set of stickers and a few goodies.
Visit each of the designers listed below for their take on the Hen & Chicks block
photo courtesy of Martingale Publishing
