What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

 Hi Quilty Friends!  The calendar said yesterday was the first day of Autumn.  Most quilters are stitching up fall leaves, pumpkins and bat quilts, not me, I'm loving the bright happy colors of Spring.

Island Batik's August Challenge is simple. Make a mini quilt using the fabrics and techniques of your choice in a size not to exceed 24" on any side.

Here is my response #1

Goddess Lakshmi's Feet

It is a simple response to a simple challenge. If you are familiar with Hindu culture, this image needs no explanation. But I want to explain so please humor me.

Goddess Lakshmi is often called the Goddess of Wealth, but that is not entirely correct. She is the Goddess of Prosperity. The difference may seem subtle, but Prosperity includes well-being and happiness ...

Whisper
June 2024

I’ve been focusing my quilting this year on using what I have in my scraps and stash, and to avoid (as much as possible) buying new fabric. Between these two sources of fabric, I probably have enough to make a few dozen quilts! This quilt, like All Star and Homecoming that I made earlier this year, was also inspired by an orphan block that I received from Jocelyn over at Happy Cottage Quilter. The inspiration block for this quilt is on the left side, immediately below the fold (row 3, column 1). If you look at ...

Every year the Dutch Modern Quilt Guild organizes a Quilt Along (QAL) with a Block of the Month (BOM) and I normally don’t participate. There are various reasons for that, one being that I prefer working on my own projects. This year the guild decided to try a different ‘…of the month’, namely colors! Ohhh that sounds so liberating! No specific blocks to do, just a monthly color to use in any of your blocks or projects.

That is FUN!

That I can do!

I am adding a personal challenge on top of the color requirement. I want to ...

Explorers

April 2024

These cute little explorers were among the fabric I received from Jocelyn over at Happy Cottage Quilter. I fussy cut them, and then dug into my scraps bins to make the string and four-patch blocks. The backing fabric is a print of boats, telescopes and compasses – everything an explorer needs for a grand adventure.

As a sailor, backpacker and general fan of the great outdoors, this saying speaks to me:

“Not all who wander are lost”
                            — J.R.R. Tolkien

Well in my case, not always. There was one backpacking trip when my husband and I were ...

The new pattern is out in the wild! I've called it "Gummies".

I've included 5 sizes: Throw, Twin, Full, Queen, and King.

(In reference to my previous post, I researched quilt sizes ad infinitum, and finally chose what would work for the size of blocks and sashing in the pattern.)

One of my 2024 goals is to significantly reduce all my scraps. What do you classify as "scraps"?

Over here, anything that is too small to fold and put away is a scrap. I also don't save very small pieces of fabric.  I have friends who will gladly adopt these.

My first step was to take ALL the scraps and cut them into 2.5" wide jelly roll strips. I was AMAZED at how many strips I ended up with! I then sorted them by color because I am not a "just grab one" kind of girl. "Intentional scrappy-ness ...

Finishes have been few and far between the last couple of years. In fact, my last list of completed projects was for 2016!

I saw a quilt like this at "show and tell" at my guild and it spoke to me. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out the design, since no one seemed to know which pattern was used.

I partially chose this design because I have a whole tote full of 2.5" strips that need to go ...

All Star

February 2024

For the past two years, I’ve been making an effort to use only my stash and scraps for making quilts and quankets, as I have no shortage of either! I do bend this self-imposed restriction when my artistic-self tells me that purchasing that ‘just right’ fabric is necessary.

Last month, my design of Homecoming began with orphan blocks and was then rounded out with scraps. This quilt – All Star – also started with orphan blocks that I had received from Jocelyn over at Happy Cottage Quilter. She had given me two blue and two beige/golden ...

No, this isn't the first time, but I still feel giddy every time I see my name in print, even if it is digital. 

Kashvi was published in Make Modern #55. 

Kashvi, 60" by 80"

It is a jelly-roll pattern made using Island Batik collection Vintage Charm.

It is a lovely floral collection - airy, delicate and bright. Start this quilt now and you will be celebrating Spring in style.

Instead of choosing a white/black or gray background, I chose the Island Batik Solid - Cobalt Blue.  Isn't it refreshing?  

Bright & Beautiful

The backing is Frosting from the Island ...

Homecoming
January 2024

Since receiving a box stuffed full of various fabrics from Jocelyn over at Happy Cottage Quilter back in 2022, I continue to incorporate her scraps where I can. The box she sent was stuffed to overflowing with small scraps, a few orphan blocks and a few larger backing-sized fabrics. I’ve featured two of her orphan pinwheel blocks in the center of this baby quilt and made two more of my own to complement her two. I then used other orphan blocks from past projects of mine, including some from, Onshore Breeze and Palahdee. I think that ...

These scrap fabrics landed on my cutting table today to start a new project.

Over ten years ago, I made This Little Blessings Baby Quilt 

for my grand-daughter with this fabric.

I have saved the scraps for a special quilt for another special baby.

Time to sew that special quilt.  

I will have to add more fabrics from my stash to make all the blocks. 

My plan is to make this new quilt sewing along with the ...

Corinne & Cecile 2024 QAL Challenge

A few years ago, I participated in this annual challenge

 and the quilt that resulted is one of ...

Happy New Year everyone. 

No sooner had I dropped my mum and dad at the airport on 27 December than I started getting inspired on Instagram.  Often I will start a Christmas themed cross stitch between Christmas and New Year, but this year I started a Christmas quilt and I had the whole top pieced in just seven days.  

But I used the brighter colours from this Christmas gift bag:

The photo I liked was by Edyta Sitar so I used her Laundry Basket Quilts PDF pattern for a Trip Around the ...

One of the most common questions on livestreams and social media is what you can make with what you already have. The FREE Enchanted Stars Scrap Quilt Pattern is a great way to use leftover fabrics from your quilt projects to create a new quilt! Keep reading to learn more about the quilt and my plans for sewing it next year.

For the last few years, I’ve challenged myself to reduce my fabric waste by using scraps from my quilts, and I know many of you have done the same. Throughout 2023, I’ve been sewing the Star Streams ...

Humpty’sTulips
December 2023

This year has been a year of many changes. Back in January, my Dad relocated to an assisted living facility that is 200 miles closer to me than where he had previously lived: he’s now about 15 miles away. With him being closer, I now not only get the time to hangout and visit with him more often, but I’m also available to help him with his doctor’s appointments, which are abundant. As such, my time has become much more limited this year for my hobbies — sailing, sewing and gardening.

But, this wasn ...

Are you looking to get creative with your fabric stash this September? I’m sharing my favorite FREE scrap quilt patterns for Scrappy September this year. Using fabric scraps cuts down on waste, saves money and amps up creativity with different color combinations and designs. Read on to see the ones I love most!

My Favorite Scrap Quilt Patterns

When looking for the perfect pattern for my leftover fabrics, I usually want a quilt that calls for almost entirely small pieces in the fabric requirements or cutting guide. Some advice for you, consider the size of your scrap stash and ...

Seashore Treasures
June 2023

I made this Simply Serene quilt using scraps from my scraps bins and scraps that I had received from Jocelyn over at Happy Cottage Quilter. While I missed the cutoff to include this quilt in this year’s Hands2Help Challenge, hosted by Sarah over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, I plan to include this with the other three quilts I’ll be sending to Little Lambs Foundation in Utah. Little Lambs Foundation provides backpacks full of comfort items for children from newborn to 17 who are transitioning into foster care, emergency shelters, or hospitalization. This ...

Here we are at Springhouse Retreat! What a fantastic house, and while we are 12 - the house is very roomy, and we are not on top of each other. There is a beautiful bank of cupboards in the pantry area, so all our crap is nicely contained, and with two fridges, we have loads of room. 

I confess that I did NOT get much done yesterday. I arrived at 10:01 and got some of my stuff into the house. But then we spent a lot of time catching up, which is what retreats are all about. But I did ...

Download this easy scrappy quilt PDF pattern today and make a masterpiece using your own fabrics or your favorite collection.

Here and There quilt pattern

Introducing my latest pattern: Here and There. It is easy, fast, and perfect for beginner quilters. The quilt measures 53″ x 67″ – the blocks finish at 6″. You will make half-square triangles and Stitch and Flip squares onto rectangles. That’s it!

I chose batiks from the Tonga Mariposa collection by Timeless Treasures because I loved its palette! However, this stash-buster pattern will make a good dent in your fabric ‘collection’. This fabric line is ...