Two for One

That’s right, quilters, you can have two of my quilt designs for the price of one magazine!

Quilting Quickly, an off-shoot of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting, showcases quilts made with pre-cuts: 5″ charm squares, 2 1/2″ strips, 10″ squares, and fat quarters. This is the first time I’ve been published in this magazine, and I’m delighted two of my designs were chosen.

“Nocturne,” pictured on the left, is made with a layer cake of 10″ squares. The line is “Night Music” by Amy Butler for Free Spirit. It is a quick and easy pattern that lets the fabric do the talking. You might engage your granddaughter or other young sew-er in making this fun design as an end of summer project; they can finish the quilt before returning to school this fall.

“Cross Check,” pictured to the right of the magazine cover was made with a Jelly Roll of “Figures” (Zen Chic for Moda). With additional yardage for background and outer border, just look what you can make with one Jelly Roll!

The folks at F+W Media have graciously given me two copies to give away to blog readers. To be in the drawing, please leave a comment below stating which quilt you would more likely make. What appeals to you more, making a Layer Cake quilt or a Jelly Roll quilt? The drawing will be on 15 August.

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Magazine Winner

July 31st, my how the summer is flying by! Today is the day for drawing a winner of Easy Quilts, Fall 2018. Thanks, one and all, for your compliments on “Lieutenant.” If you make the quilt, please send me a picture of it so I can share with blog readers. (It’s actually very helpful to the magazine editors when you send a picture of yourself holding a published quilt. This alerts them to the type of quilts that interest you.)

The winner is Cheryl G.! If you did not win, and your newsstand does not stock Easy Quilts, you can order a copy from The Quilting Company.

 

“Chain of Hearts” Kit Sale

Are you a subscriber or follower of The Quilting Company blog? The Quilting Company (TQC) is the online presence for many of the quilting magazines you enjoy: Quiltmaker, McCall’s Quilting, McCall’s Quick Quilts, Easy Quilts, Fons & Porter Love of Quilting, Quilting Quickly, and Quilty. Each day TQC emails me announcements and previews of newly released magazines, advertisements for quilt related goodies like tools and kits, and/or blog posts with fascinating articles.

Today’s ad for marked down kits included my “Chain of Hearts” table runner which was published in the January/February 2018 issue of McCall’s Quilting. The kit was originally priced at $59.99 and is now selling for $26.40. Such a deal! Click here to see for yourself.

In case you’re wondering, I don’t receive a commission if you purchase a kit, but I am excited to share this great deal with my faithful blog followers.

“Lieutenant” Published!

Great news! My patriotic quilt, “Lieutenant” was published in the Fall 2018 issue of Easy Quilts. Easy Quilts is published quarterly and is a subsidiary of Fons & Porter; both are under the umbrella of The Quilting Company.

All the quilts in this issue exemplify the motto of Easy Quilts, “Quick/Simple/Fun.” Several were designed for children, a couple cater to cat lovers, and mine meets the measurement requirements for Quilts of Valor. You will love them all!

In addition to the featured patterns, the magazine contains a “Sew Easy – How to Make a Quilt” section. Tutorials include Quick Hourglass Unit, Row Alignment, Paper Foundation Piecing, Windowing Fusible Applique (helpful info for the “Lieutenant” quilt!), Quick-Pieced Flying Geese Units, and Quick Triangle-Squares.

This issue goes on sale July 24. If your newsstand does not stock Easy Quilts, you can order a copy or sign up for a yearly subscription at The Quilting Company.

The Quilting Company graciously sent a copy of the magazine for a lucky blog reader. Leave a comment below if you would like to win. The drawing will be 31 July.

Karla’s Scrappy Makes

Karla sent several pictures of scrap projects made over a rainy 4th of July holiday. She tackled her overflowing bin of orange and black fabrics and produced a table runner, His and Hers place mats, and “Charmville” mug rugs.

First up is the Log Cabin table runner – decorative for a fall table or Halloween celebration. Made with college team colors, wouldn’t this be a fun gift for a dorm-living student?

The idea for place mats was presented as a freebie with my “Travel Plans” table runner published in McCall’s Quick Quilts April/May 2017. I love the lime green rectangle in the center, don’t you?

     

And now for the cutest of all . . . “Charmville” houses mug rugs. “Charmville” was the cover quilt for McCall’s Quick Quilts, February/March 2014. It’s still a favorite design with many of my quilting friends!

Thanks, Karla, for sharing pictures of your inspiring projects!

Read more about these projects on Karla’s blog, mysewfulretirement.wordpress.com.

I would love to see what you are working on, be it a scrappy project, a UFO, or a WIP (Work in Progress). Email pictures to aby dot quilts at gmail dot com

QQ Magazine Winners

Thanks for your congratulations and comments on the publication of “Americana” and “Stepping Stones” in the June/July 2018 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts.

As promised, I held a random drawing for two winners of free copies of the issue. The winners are Gail Randall and Janeanne Weidl. Congratulations! I know you will enjoy all the projects patterned in this magazine issue.

If you are not already a subscriber to Quick Quilts, click here to link to the subscription department of F+W Media. Click here to order a copy of the magazine.

You might be interested in details about the quilting of “Americana.” I quilted it on my longarm machine. Generally, when longarming, I begin at the top of the quilt and quilt toward the bottom. However, for this quilt, I began about 10″ down from the top. I chalked a wavy line using a curved ruler as a guide. After quilting the line, I echoed above it until the quilting ran off of the top of the quilt, keeping the quilting lines roughly 1″ apart. Then I echoed below my initial line until I needed to roll the quilt in order to reach the next section. I chalked a line in the next section for uniformity, but  I did not worry if my quilting did not exactly echo or if the spacing was not exactly 1.” After all, when the wind blows, flags ripple a bit unevenly.

Trinity and I intentionally designed “Skipping Stones” with three diagonal bands of negative space knowing that quilting would best be seen in those areas. I quilted a spiral design all over the quilt, and I love the texture that shows up in the white areas. Click on the quilt to zoom in and view the quilting. My grandson was pleased to pose in front of the quilt (with his Hotwheels cars).

The 4″ patchwork units comprising this quilt are quite versatile. They can be found in several traditional designs. For example, I incorporated them in the patchwork blocks for a table runner and pillow cover.

If you make either “Americana” or “Skipping Stones,” I would love to see a picture of your quilt!

 

 

Quilts Published!

Exciting news! Two wonderful quilts from my studio were published in the June/July 2018 issue of McCall’s Quick Quilts! You can find this issue now on newsstands and in fabric stores.

“Americana,” a 64″ x 40″ wall or lap quilt is on the magazine cover. It was constructed entirely from half square triangles – how easy is that! And you can use charm packs of 5″ squares from Wilmington Prints as I did. Wait until you open the magazine to page 28 and see the flag photographed as a wall quilt along with the instructions. You will love it!

Super exciting for our family is the publication of “Skipping Stones,” a quilt designed by my daughter Trinity and me. It’s our first quilt published as a “design team,” although Trinity usually gives me candid feedback on most of my design ideas. You’ll find “Skipping Stones” on page 8.

Trinity stays particularly busy in the fall and winter as a substitute mail carrier, so I undertook the construction and quilting of this quilt last fall. Moda graciously provided quarter and half yard cuts of a variety of yellow, green, gray, and black prints from “Pepper & Flax” designed by Corey Yoder. I employed a speedy technique for making the “square in a corner” units. Check it out!

McCall’s provided me with two copies of the magazine to give to lucky blog readers. If you’d like to be in the drawing which will occur on May 15, leave a comment below stating which quilt you would make first, “Americana” or “Skipping Stones.”