Nothing better than a new Christmas magazine arriving in October, This gives me plenty of time to drool over the designs and actually get one made before the holidays. I think I am going to tackle the cover quilt from Lisa Bongean and Alysha Haran. The quilt is made using 2 1/2″ jelly roll strips so it should be fast to jump on in. Fingers crossed.
The magazine has lots of great quilts/projects including projects from Wendy Sheppard, Annette Plog, Katie Hennagir, Jerome Thomas, and ME!! Yes the quilt shown here is mine. I am in love with how the team at APQ styled and photographed the quilt. Here in Texas with the temperature still close to 100, I can’t help but dream of such a delightful scene with ice skaters in the background.
There is also a great feature about Amanda Niederhauser, her home and studio.
I am so super excited that one of my quilts is featured in the December 2016 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. I may have to have a Holiday Party and invite everyone over to help me celebrate. But since I can’t do that I will just have to share my Holiday Party Quilt on the newly redesigned cover of this wonderful issue.
If I were to have a party I would need to borrow all of their props to use by my quilt and I would need to clean my house, so I doubt that is going to happen anytime soon.
I thought I would share how this quilt came to be. Do you remember the old commercials from the 80’s for doublemint gum?
Two..
Two..
Two Quilts in one.
I wish it was that easy.
The quilts shown below that were APQ Quilt-Along features were the inspiration.
I drew out the Holiday Party using some of the math from my Burgoyne Surrounded shown below and added in leftover pieces from my four patch quilt to get some what of a morphed holiday version. Once I connected the dots and added a few more squares to fill in the holes, the Holiday Party quilt came to life.
Now I have the jingle from the 80’s commercial stuck in my head. Double Fresh, Double Smooth, Double Pleasure waiting for you……..
All images provided courtesy of American Patchwork and Quilting
It is that time again for a quiltalong.
As you may know last year I was fortunate enough to have one of my quilts featured as the first APQquiltalong. (see here) I am more than thrilled to be back this year with a few of my friends joining me. Edyta Sitar of Laundry Baskets Quilts and April Rosenthal of Prairie Grass patterns have both created 4 patch quilts, so the talented brains at APQ named this article, Go Four It!
Edyta Sitar, the queen of scrap has created this incredible quilt with the te-tiniest rainbow of prints and batiks.
April’s version is just screaming summer picnic with a graphic layout.
It is kind of funny how this all came to happen and I wanted to share a bit of the back story. One of the editors at APQ, Elizabeth Tisenger sensed a trend of four patch quilt projects during her quilt submission process. Instead of choosing, she thought what the hey, each one is so different in size and construction, let’s feature them all.
Look for the April issue on Newstands or your favorite store February 3rd for the complete instructions on all 3 versions.
So now it is up to you to pick your favorite technique and design, choose your fabrics or use this project as a scrap buster and quiltalong with us.
Be sure and share your progress with us by using the #APQquiltalong. I also have a pinterest board where I post as many pics as I can find across the world wide web. http://www.pinterest.com/modalissa/apqquiltalong/
Here are just a few of the quilters that you will want to follow along as they share their version of the #APQquiltalong.
Is Quiltalong one word or two? I guess it depends on if you are using a hashtag or not, right?
Other than in the social media world, I believe quilt-along should be 2 words or at least hyphened, since you need more than one person to quilt along with you.
This is one of my favorite quilts for many reasons.
1. It is scrappy!
2. It uses a bunch of different moda designers’ fabrics.
3. It was inspired by a new friend’s antique quilt.
4. It makes me happy just to look at it.
5. I am going to have a few friends, old and new making this quilt right along with me thanks to the team at American Patchwork and Quilting.
(thank you Jennifer and Elizabeth)
6. I got out of my box and tried something new.
Some of the crew that will also be doing the APQ quilt-along
is the über-talented,
Camille Roskelley of Thimbleblossoms.
The queen of shabby greatness
Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill.
The gal that invented the energizer batteries,
Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life.
The quilt/wordsmith that is sure to entertain us all,
Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie’s.
Big or small, this one does it all,
Lisa Bongean of Primitive Gatherings.
The princess of fat quarters,
Kimberly Jolly of the Jolly Jabber.
Any low volume/neutral project, should include
Amy Ellis of Amy’s Creative Side. side note: Amy is a new designer with……Moda! Yes, you heard it here. more info coming soon.
How about quilting from down under with
Jane Davidson of Want it, Need it, Quilt?
(APQ is also available as a download so everyone can quilt-along)
There may even be a surprise as one of the APQ editors quilts-along.
Join back on the November 25th as I share
about how I got out of my box and tried something new.
In the meantime use the hashtag
#APQquiltalong to keep informed.
and
7. I would be thrilled if you decided to quilt-long with us.
Did you know that in the US alone there are over 800,000 children in foster care?
Many of these children move from place to place with
very little
and certainly nothing to carry their
few belongings in.
Just imagine if each child had a fun pillowcase.
Recently All People Quilt issued a challenge to vote on your favorite FREE pillowcase pattern.
I guess it is fitting that the train pillowcase won.
There seems to be an inspiring comparison between
the winning pillowcase
and the Million Pillowcase Challenge.
So, I have taken the liberty to give this pattern a new name, the little engine that could.
That’s perfect, right?
APQ’s little engine has made it up the hill
to the half million mark.
Now is the time for everyone to throw some
coal in the engine and help.
So, today is the day many people are posting
their version of the train pillowcase pattern and
donating it to a local charity.
Here is my pillowcase.
The sample yardage from Arrin Turnmire’s, Little Things Organic
had arrived and I was dying to sew with the organic cotton.
I choose a fun striped print for the body of the pillowcase and then pulled
pieces from my scraps to make the train parts.
I must say, sewing on the organic was dreamy.
You can make your own version of the train or any pillowcase.
To download the train pillowcase pattern, click here. Lots more free patterns
SIDE NOTE: I would like to announce that since my granny square quilt, I have actually learned to crochet. I have made my fair share of scarves, but I guess I just prefer fabric over yarn.
This quilt started out as a color exercise for me. I wanted to see if I could mix Kate Spain fabrics with Kansas Troubles fabrics. How would Barbara Brackman play with Me & My Sister? Can polka dots and reproduction fabrics peacefully co exist in the same quilt? What is the difference between modern and traditional? Could it be classic?
My only color rule was to make the center diagonal row of each block the darkest. This color choice was relative once I started putting the blocks together adding pops of texture and shading throughout the quilt. I sliced a piece from many layer cakes as a collected “scraps” for this quilt. It was so much fun. Many nights I didn’t want to stop sewing so I could see how the next block of colors would stitch together.
Just imagine how many skeins of yarn I would have to buy to crochet something like this.
I hope you enjoy this quilt as much as I did making it.
Have you ever worked on a quilt project that you just couldn’t sleep? You were so excited to see it all come together that you would sneak off to your sewing machine for hours at a time?
I make alot of quilts but I must say that this happens to me a couple of times a year. I even dream about sewing the quilt when I do sleep. I know this may seem extremely odd to some of you, but for those that have caught the fever they will know exactly what I am talking about.
While I was making this quilt, I thought I should name it When Harry Met Sally. You all know the hiliarious movie starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal?
If you read my blog often you know that I like to mix different moda designers lines to challenge myself on fabric combinations. I choose two totally opposite groups, Little Gatherings by Primitive Gatherings and paired it with Etchings by 3 sisters. Just like the movie where two total strangers meet, these two fabric lines seem strange to include in the same project.
But I love it!
As I sewed the dark browns, blacks, tans, blues and greys on one side and then mixed the soft romantic floral on the other side, I couldn’t help but think of this movie and the power of opposites attracting whether in a chick flick, real life or a patchwork quilt. Throwing in some medium fabrics on both sides for the “Clash Factor” helps make it all interesting.
The Log Cabin block is one of my all time favorites. I made larger blocks for a graphic look. The color and layout options are endless. You can find all the instructions on how to make this quilt in American Patchwork & Quilting, but I have taken those same blocks and given you several layout options below.
I didn’t name it When Harry met Sally for the magazine but will probably always refer to it as that.
So with any quilt I make I have a few scraps left over. It isn’t enough to make the quilt but it will get you started and I am giving it away here along with a copy of the magazine.
Leave a comment and tell me your favorite quilt block.
I will pick a winner Saturday night the 5th of November.
Make sure you have an e-mail address that I can contact you.
my beautiful scraps
this isn’t a great picture but I had to introduce Bo’s new puppy, Cassie. A black lab with huge feet just like my boys!
Thank you for stopping by. Good Luck and Happy Quilting.
COMMETNS FOR THE GIVEAWAY CLOSED.
The Winner is
charlotte said…
I love the idea of mixing two such different lines. How clever of you to have come up with that. It never would have occurred to me. I love the log cabin. I also love the simple 9 patch.
This design is just as yummy in classic blues and tans as shown in the color option featuring Windham fabrics.
