Preview 56

FOLKLORE is our block from INTRIGUE.  There are times when the busy designer fabrics need a little breathing room with some lattice between the blocks. 

This quick little quilt starts with 6 Fat Quarters.  Or you can cut 36  5"x 9 1/2" slices from scraps.  Or cut the slices from a pack of 10" squares--you will have the other half to make another quilt, either FOLKLORE again or one of our other little designs, like EDEN ROSE, PERFECT MOMENT, or PRISTINE.

Add a Center focal piece for the blocks--use 5/8 yd or cut  6  9 1/2" squares from scraps.  I can also see this working if you have a panel of squares -- cut them apart and frame them up as needed to get the 9 1/2" size.  Or, if you want a very airy look, making rings of the patchwork pieces, you could use the lattice fabric for the centers. 

The lattice takes 7/8 yard, and the quilt will finish into a 43"x 63" baby/lap at this point.  With 1 1/2 yards of border fabric, you can cut 6 1/2" border strips and the quilt will finish into a 55"x75" throw.

CLOUD NINE and SENIOR PROM sighting at Sooner Quilts

Dashing through the snow, down Highway 35 between visits to the kids, we pulled over at exit 151 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.  Sooner Quilts is right off the exit, easy to find, and well worth the stop.  Bright and light, with thousands of bolts, an amazing wall of batiks, and loads of pre-cuts and hand-picked bundles.  Lovely kit samples line the walls, ceilings, and every other surface.  I spotted several of our RoseCards made up, and they tell me they use them a lot--for models, gifts, kid projects--just like we intended!  Here are two I loved, in nice current fabrics.  Each takes 12 fat quarters and they have the bundles for them all ready to go--add a common fabric and you are off and running.

CLOUD NINE

SENIOR PROM in Simple Marks by Malka Dubrawsky for Moda

 

Preview 55

PARADISE is a very similar block to IVORY PALACE--just done in 2 1/2" strips.  Simply add 2 yards of Background and 5/8 yard of Binding.  It finishes 58"x 75" with no borders.  You will pre-cut all of the pieces, then just sit and sew.  I think you could play with colors and shading in the blocks or rows.  On the cover quilt, I picked my darkest pieces for the tallest strips and shaded towards lighter ones for the smaller pieces. 

Preview 54

IVORY PALACE has an urban flavor.  Using 3 1 yard pieces, the patchwork area finishes 43"x 52".  With 5 1 yard pieces you can add a border or two and it will finish about 52"x 61".  For our contemporary look, we used a cityscape print.  The 5"x 9 1/2" pieces in the center of the blocks could also be scrappy.

CLOUD NINE Times Two

News from Country Threads on Dec. 20 featured our CLOUD NINE pattern done in the Simple Marks fabric line.  Mary and Connie have a great newsletter featuring news from the farm and new projects, patterns, and merchandise.  Visit the shop in person or online at countrythreads.com--always a delight!

CLOUD NINE also made an appearance at The Pin Cushion in Mitchell, South Dakota.  This time in Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket for Moda--love the aqua background.
I had the opportunity to stop at this wonderful shop on our trip to Minnesota.  They had three models and counting of our patterns.  It was so nice to visit!

Preview 53

The first of our 4  2 1/2" strip patterns this season is this fun little rail spinners.  To stretch a pack of strips, we make half of the blocks with a common background fabric.  By putting the light blocks in the middle, and the darker blocks on the outside, we get an artier, built-in border look. 

You can add a border if you want.  And there are some fun little pieces left over from the strip sets that could go into a special back or could make a little 4-Patch quilt.

The basic quilt takes 1 yard of background and finishes 48" x 64".

Preview 52

Simply quick from 10 Fat Quarters.  Pick 5 for the upright slices, 5 for the crosswise rails.  Squares for the border are cut from the leftovers.  All used up and done for this 45"x 54" quilt.

This pattern is a great way to quickly make up a pretty new collection or a bundle you have and really should use.  It has also been a real workhorse for Community Service quilting.  A friend cut up tons of my old scraps into the two sizes needed and made up kits for this pattern.  Most of the time for these scrappy quilts, we just did a quick plain border.  With precut pieces, we are talking maybe an hour to piece this top.

Preview 51

With nearly all of the Fall patterns at press and a week before hitting the road to Market in Houston, it is time for previews.  This season is heavy on 2 1/2" strip patterns, as I get more of those designs ready for the a shop hop in Michigan.

This first pattern is a charmer.  It uses the 40 5" squares from your Charm pack.  Plus an additional 1/2 yard each for the 4-Patches.  In the cover model, the 4-Patches are intentionally a little blendy so they act like a background to the Charm squares.  If you make a higher contrast 4-Patch, the darks will probably connect with the charm squares, creating a little different shape. 

This little baby finishes 36"x 45" and can always be bordered for something bigger.

Another GOLD MEDAL

Dear Stella's IT'S A SHORE THING was perfect for our little GOLD MEDAL.  There were 6 crisp blues and 3 navy blues.  I love how Dorothy chose to use the navy squares--one print across each row.

PERFECT MOMENT Ooh La La

Jessica pulls a great combo from the Ooh La La collection by Pillow Maxfield for Michael Miller fabrics.  The clean graphics of the prints simply shine.  The horizontal sashing strips are fussy cut to march along in a clean line.  We have a few kits left--at a great sale price, too.

Day Off = 2 Quilts

Took the day off yesterday--no orders to fill, no quilting for hire, no starting the car, nobody home but me.  With that kind of time--I made 2 new RoseCard models, start to finish--cutting to binding.  They are that easy.

First, a little INTRIGUE with Amy Butler's Cameo.  Love all of her new patterns and color.  It is more than a bit busy, but I like busy.  And I admit, that if I had not wanted to stay true to the pattern to make it a good model, I would have added some white solid lattice. Kits are ready.

Quilt 2 is Tula Pink's The Birds & the Bees in GOLD MEDAL.  There are so many luscious colorways in this collection, it was almost hard to choose.  I went for one that worked with the pattern and allowed me to use 6 different prints for the Fat Quarter strips.  And I thought the optical stripes would make great squares--and it did.  The Lazy Stripes design is solid enough to make a good contrast punch, but it cut up interestingly enough to give a little different taste in each square.
The kit is listed on our website now.
In piecing, I placed the fabrics in the same order as the cover quilt, so I did not have to lay it all out and pick it up.  It was like doing a code puzzle.

Even though it is not gold, I just might have to sub this model on the next printing.

CLOUD NINE Carthage

On our last little detour to Texas, on the way home from Minnesota, I was able to stop at Block by Block in Carthage MO.  We followed Amy's instructions on her highway billboards--"Scream till your husband stops the car!".  Amy has been a fan since my first season, especially with OPENING NIGHT, which she called her 4 hour $40 quilt.  I got to meet some of her sewers getting things done in the cool classroom.  And see more of the RoseCards made up...always a thrill for me. 

I loved this cheery CLOUD NINE. 

LILLIAN Batik

LILLIAN is a must-do in batiks.  In fact, I must re-do the cover in batiks.  I knew my cover quilt, much as I love it, would be too busy to show off LILLIAN's style.  But I was in a hurry to publish, and knew I would replace the cover quilt--someday, if not sooner. 

Idena's quilt top here shows LILLIAN at her best in Hoffman's Bali Pops.

EUREKA Coccon

Valori Wells' Cocoon--had to do something with it quick--it is just too wonderful.  This colorway has enough contrast in the six pieces to work in EUREKA.  So we have a fast little quilt with a cute little kit.

Going to link this one to Quilt Story's Fabric Tuesday.

Preview 50

Twelve Fat Quarters and Four Patches--two favorite things combined.  Add 1 yard of Contrast and you have an nice and easy throw quilt 54"x 72".

I used Joel Dewberry's Heirloom/Ruby.  It is wonderful in batiks, next on the to-do list.

Preview 49

When you really, really can't cut it.  As with those fabulous prints, like Laura Gunn's here for Michael Miller.  There is so little math involved, you don't waste any of your precious fabric.

Take 2 yards and only slice it once.  Insert a row of 6 simple blocks and you have a quilt top.  Additional yardage is 3/4 each of the Frame, Centers/Binding, and Background.  The Background can be light, so the blocks stand out in the row.  Or it can be a color to blend with the Theme fabric, or even the Theme itself, so the blocks float.

The quilt top finishes 54"x 69", and with only 6 blocks, it finishes fast. 

Preview 48

SEASHELL started as a way to float 5" Charm Squares in a background.  To accomplish that I thought setting the squares at the end of a 5"x 9 1/2" slice would do the trick.  I didn't want the same background with all of those seams, so I chose to make it with 2 different, but similar, background fabrics.  A strong contrast in the backgrounds would create a stripe effect, which, in the right combination of fabrics might work.

The cover model was made with Salt Air squares by Cosmo Cricket for Moda, with two creamy batiks for backgrounds.  The SEASHELL rose name was perfect for it.

Then I am thinking, that this pattern is really a Bricks and Blocks.  Usually that pattern is done in 2 1/2" or 3 1/2" wide Bricks, but why not our big 5"?  We love to show off our pretty, larger prints.  A little pack of 10 Fat Sixths--our Sheet Cakes (12"x 22")--will cut perfectly into 40  5"x10" pieces.  A single light background will work for the squares, though I used a Tonga Creamsicle pack.  A favorite quilt was born from Amy Butler's Lark...

Preview 47

A little quickie, made from 10 fat sixths (12"x 22"), or 20 10" squares (half of a layer cake).  It is one single simple block, intended to make a sweet little scramble of a collection of fabrics.    Add a border to make it bigger than the 36"x 45" here.  Or, add lattice, between all or some of the blocks.  Or, use the blocks to frame a panel. 

This would also be a great way to use of scraps and make lots of blocks, for quilts large and small.  Community Service quilts are calling and you have scraps to use up.

Preview 46

When you simply can't cut it up--this simple quilt might be the answer.  Even simpler yet--the yardage requirements:  3 1 yard pieces. 

Finishing 52"x 52",  it can be used as a tablecloth and would be slick to serge together.

LA FRANCE Twins

Take a Berenstain Bears Layer Cake or 4 Charm Packs.  Divide them into 2 equal groups--one boy, one girl.  If you have 10" Layer Cake Squares, cut them in 4ths, so you have 5" Squares.

Dorothy did just that.  And then with LA FRANCE, just kept going around with another full round of border, then squares.  The piecing actually needs 84 squares total.  If your Charm Packs had 42 squares each, you are set.  If cutting from Layer Cakes, you will need to come up with an additional 4 squares, from the border, binding or other scraps. 

The quilts finish 54" square and are quickly ready for giving.

Preview 45

So, my goal of showing previews before Market were not met, but better late....

The INTRIGUE block is one I have been playing with a lot this past year for community service quilts.  I was doing it to use fun focus fabrics in the middle, and then framing it with my favorite 5"x 9 1/2" slices.  It makes a big 18" block--fast.  Four to six blocks make a baby quilt.

CRIMSON GLORY is the same block, but cut smaller to make good use of fat quarters. 

For INTRIGUE, I went back to the big 18".  It can use a 10" square pack, like a Layer Cake.  My model used the Pomegranate Tonga Squares.  The quilt uses 36 of the 40 squares that usually come in those packs, and the fabrics are placed randomly.  We can also use 12 Fat Quarters.  In that case, I make 6 each of two blocks--it would be hard to make 12 fabrics random.

The Centers of the blocks use 1 yard of fabric.  I used 1/3 yard each of 3 fabrics, because I had 3 I loved with the batiks.  You could also use some of your leftover 10" squares and scraps--or even orphan blocks that are 9 1/2" from raw edge to raw edge.  Or you could use embroidered blocks or vintage linens. 

Here are a couple of my little community service quilts--fast, fast and uses up stash.

 

Preview 44

A fun little set of spinners to span a great theme print.  It takes just 6 Fat Quarters--4 for the Spinners and 2 for Backgrounds.   One yard of the theme is largely left whole to show off the print.  There is enough left from the Spinner fat quarters to make the pieced squares borders.

For this quilt I liked the 2 odd sizes of Theme strips--they are cut 8" and 23".  It gave a more playful feel and gave me more whole elephants.  I couldn't fit the notes on the pattern, but if you like symmetry better, you could cut 2 15" strips instead.  It also looks good with 4 strips cut 8".  In that case, you would have Theme strips top and bottom of the quilt, as well as in between the pieced rows.  It all might depend on the size of your Theme.

Preview 43

Love our little 6 Fat Quarter Quilts.  They show off a group of fabric and make great gifts.  Our GOLD MEDAL here cuts long strips down the 18" length of the fat quarter, so your prints are always right side up, never sideways.  The quilt top finishes 42"x 52" for a baby/lap size and could easily be bordered for a throw size.

There a many options for the Contrast Squares.  With an additional 3/4 yd, they can be all one fabric, nice and bold.  Or they can be 3 fabrics, cut from 3 fat quarters.  Those 3 can be scattered randomly through the quilt, or grouped in sections as in the cover photo.  Or they can be scrappy/blended if you use  27  5" Charm Squares.

Preview 42

Again, does this look familiar?  It's GYPSY--medallion-style.  Instead of the big Four Patch in the middle, it is a Feature fabric, framed--Center Stage, you could say.  And then we keep going with more rounds to make a throw 54"x63".  You could add a border to make it even bigger.

SHOW BIZ uses 13 Fat Quarters or 38  10" squares--or even 20 Fat Sixths or 20 5" strips.  One yard will do the Frame around the Center and Binding.  The center can be anything that you can cut or build to 15 1/2"--for this quilt, I used another Fat Quarter.  I am itching to use a vintage piece in the middle.  The frame does not have to be cut as the pattern states--you can use any piece or any size, so long as it ends up 18 1/2" before you start laying the bricks around it.  The Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild in Roswell GA used GYPSY for a community service sewing project day.  They shared photos with me--one quilter used 4 orphan Fan blocks for the center--fabulous.

Preview 41

Does this one look a little familiar?  How about CLOUD NINE done in strips.  It worked out perfectly to sub the 4 1/2" and 6 1/2" cuts for strips.  The same fun zig-zag pattern emerges with just one simple block.  Add a little pieced border on top and bottom--fun and done.

This 54"x 72" quilt takes 39  2 1/2" strips.  Any of your Jelly Rolls, Bali-Pops, Tonga Strips, etc will work.  Add one yard background and 5/8 binding.