“Nappy Nap” Follow-on

Thanks for your kind comments regarding the publication of my quick and easy flannel baby quilt, “Nappy Nap,” in the January/February issue of Pre-cut Patchwork.

Here’s a freebie for you to check out. The January 10 blog post by The Quilting Company contained instructions for making a flannel burp cloth to coordinate with the baby quilt. Click here to see!

The “Soft Touch” burp cloth is the first in the new column series, “Loving Your Leftovers.” I designed six projects that utilize pre-cut scraps; one will be pictured and patterned in each issue of Pre-cut Patchwork in 2019! Look for this bi-monthly publication on your favorite newsstand.

The quilt design looks equally charming in a feminine colorway. These fabrics are from “Flower Mill” designed by Corey Yoder. Just look what you can make with 5 fat quarters plus yardage for borders!

Would you like to try this fat quarter friendly design or one of the other delightful projects patterned in this issue of Pre-cut Patchwork? Leave a comment below to be in the drawing for a free magazine. The drawing will be on January 20.

 

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4th Quarter Challenge Wrap-Up

The fourth quarter of 2018 has come to a close, and, with it, our fourth quarter challenge finds closure. The challenge for this quarter was completing gifts for friends and family. The two gifts I determined to complete were placemats for my dad and step-mom and the Christmas tree skirt for my friend.

   

It feels great to have achieved my goal and to have made something beautiful for family members as well as a friend!

Marni sent a picture of her rendition of “Night Lights,” my wall quilt design that was published in the December/January 2019 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts. She enlarged the quilt to 103″ x 103.” King size! It was a wedding gift for her son and his wife. Due to time constraints, she tied (rather than quilted) the quilt – the wedding was at the end of December. What a great, time-saving idea – enlarge a favorite quilt block to giant size for a bold, one block quilt! Thanks for sharing a picture of your quilted gift, Marni.

I wonder if you have pictures of your completed gift projects to share with blog readers? If so, please send them to me: aby.quilts@gmail.com.

A New Neighborhood

New houses with landscaping are sprouting up on my design wall! I’m making a “biggie sized” “Charmville” as a workshop sample. The original “Charmville” was published in the Feb/Mar 2014 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts, You can see all the blog posts, including a quilt along, by typing “Charmville” in the search box at the upper right corner of your computer screen.

The houses in this new neighborhood are based on 2 1/2″ squares and the trees are up-sized accordingly. I’ll be teaching a workshop for both sizes of “Charmville” in the Trenton, KY area on Friday, January 11 from 1-5 p.m. If you live in the area and would like to attend, leave a comment below. There are still a few participant slots available; I’ll contact you with more information.

Other opportunities to meet up in person in the Clarksville, TN area:  “Cutting Up” lecture on Thursday, January 10 at 6 p.m. at the Methodist Church on Madison St.  “Linked” quilt workshop on Saturday, January 12, beginning at 10 a.m. (Trenton, KY area), participant slots still available.

“Linked” quilt

The Mystery of the Holiday Quilt – Clue #6

This is the big reveal of the” Mystery of the Holiday Quilt” – the end result of following Clues 1 -5 and sewing bit by bit, week by week. The Quilting Company, which produces many of your favorite quilting magazines, asked me to design a mystery quilt especially for the Winter/Christmas holidays. Beginning in mid-November, clues were posted weekly on the blog with a PDF version provided on the Facebook page.

I hope you’ll take a look at #TQCMysteryquilt on FB. I challenged mystery participants to play with the design units and come up with a solution before looking at my design in Clue #6. The options they created are equally nice!

If you join the Facebook page, you can find links for all the clues in the files section. If you have been too busy to quilt along this fall but anticipate having some sewing time over the holidays, print the clues and make this lovely medallion quilt. The instructions call for basic patchwork units and tips are given for speedy sewing techniques.

“Night Lights” Re-visited

Maridee, friend and blog follower, sent me a picture of her rendition of “Night Lights.” Isn’t it gorgeous?

I love the orange squares travelling diagonally through the quilt! And the dark navy/black adds needed strength and contrast to the design. Click on the picture to zoom in and appreciate the whimsical leaf and flower prints Maridee used as well as her choice of free motion quilting designs. Thanks for sharing a picture of your quilt, Maridee!

“Night Lights” was published in the Dec/Jan 2019 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts. You can read my blog post about the quilt here.

Holiday Mystery Quilt–Clue #2 Published

Are you joining the fun of the Holiday Mystery Quilt published by The Quilting Company? I designed the quilt with YOU in mind! Basic patchwork units combine to make a spectacular sofa quilt, perfect for gifting or for decorating your home for the holidays.

Here are my fabrics from Maywood Studio’s “Poinsettia and Pine” line. You can see that I selected a large scale print containing several colors for my theme fabric. The white tone-on-tone is for background, and then I have selected the red, black, and green prints to coordinate with the colors in the theme print. Some of the Mystery Quilt participants have posted pictures of their fabric selections on the group Facebook page: snowmen, snowy forest scenery, cardinals, as well as holiday foliage. All will work well. This design will be striking in non-holiday fabrics, too.

 

The clues are posted once a week on The Quilting Company’s blog. Last week’s post contained an introduction, fabric requirements, and Clue #1 – cutting instructions. Clue #2, hot off the press, describes a speedy way for piecing 8 Triangle Squares at a time. Check it out!

It’s not too late to begin the mystery – you will catch up quickly. The revelation of the finished quilt is 13 December. I think you’ll be pleased and surprised.

Here’s the link for Clue #2. Please join the Facebook group:  #TQCMysteryQuilt. Post pictures of your fabrics, ask questions, and encourage other participants.

Quilting Quickly Magazine Winner

Congratulations to Jennifer Johnston for winning a copy of the Nov/Dec 2018 issue of Quilting Quickly. This is the Fons & Porter magazine which features quilt projects made from pre-cuts. In fact, the magazine will change its name to Pre-cut Patchwork with the Jan/Feb 2019 issue.

If your newsstand is sold out of this awesome holiday issue, click here to link to The Quilting Company website and order a copy.

Thanks to all of you who commented with a favorite activity or game your family or group plays during the winter holidays. I’ve collected all the ideas for you to read; maybe you’ll adopt one or two for your celebrations this year.

After setting up the Christmas tree, play Monopoly. English crackers/snapper favors at the beginning of the dinner. The game Left, Right, Center with money or lottery ticket prizes. Board games and Bunco. Making candy together – chocolate covered butter toffee was a favorite. Playing music at a church service. A poem with many “rights” and “lefts” as the way to pass gifts at a quilt guild party. Ring in the New Year with a month by month timeline of momentous events throughout the past year. Fireworks at midnight. 

And now for a little eye candy . . .

As you know, my quilted table runner, “Chroma Keys,” was featured in Quilting Quickly.

I also replicated the design with a package “Hearthside Holiday” of 5″ squares. Whereas the colors of “Chroma Keys” move from one end of the runner to the other, the matching fabrics of “Hearthside Holiday” work outward from the center. No matter the way you configure your rectangles and squares, I hope you’ll try this quick and easy pattern. If you do, please send me a picture! (aby.quilts@gmail.com)

The Four Point Star design that I used when making the “Jolly Holly Days” runner (also featured in the magazine) can work wonderfully as a full quilt design. My friend Judy B. made this lovely quilt.

Happy Sew/Quilting!