Michaela Little's rendition of Crown of Throwns pattern (Judy Niemeyer) is rockin' the house at Quilting On The Square.
Michaela is 15....this is the 4 quilt she has made. Yep you read that right... 4th!
This quilt has won Reserve Champion at Jackson KS County Fair and at the Kansas State Fair a purple ribbon in 2012.
I am honored that she is in the midst of sewing her own Moxie Girl!
Sitting at Midway Airport waiting to board for my final "quilt trip" of 2012. It's back to Kansas City then a quick car ride to Holton, KS to Quilting on the Square. Can't wait to see Mark, Mary, Connie and the rest of the gang. Watch for a post later today/tomorrow to see what we are up too!
Vicky in Texas sent me this picture of her Pieced Hexies table runner. I asked permission and she said I could share.
As a designer, author, teacher and quilter it is when I receive pics of projects from my patterns/instructions completed or not that I just smile.
My whole idea around the format of the first (yes a second is already in the works) Pieced Hexie book is to give the “know how” and let each person apply it to their own creative vision.
Some of my favorite books in my own personal quilting library are the “Around the Block” books by Judy Hopkins (long our of print). These books provide the pattern for a block in several different sizes. No patterns. Just information. You can still find them on eBay and several sellers on Amazon. The prices reflect the treasures that they are.
I often tell my students “I will provide you with enough information to be dangerous”.
Thanks Vicky for making my day!
Oh my…I can’t believe they are seniors in college and this is it. Most likely one if not both may not even be in the country at this time next year. But that is for another blog.
So first out of the chute for quilting is an antique quilt top that I acquired this summer.
When I buy a quilt top (or blocks) they have to be special to me. And this one caught my eye first because I had never seen the pattern before and second because of the truly scrappiness of it in all it’s 30s glory.
I searched and searched, even threw images up on facebook and it seems no one has a name or source for this block.
So I decided to call it “Molly Paws” after you know who. My antique quilt tops are usually labeled with the name “ANTIQUE – (block name)” once I quilt them so it needed a name for reference.
Then I decided this block needed to live on. In studying the quilt I determined that English Paper Piecing would be the best way to replicate this block with all it’s curves and funky spikes.
Here is my replication done in fun bright fabrics!
And if you wish to purchase the pattern you can do so here on the Craftsy page. I will be putting all my PDF patterns here as I love Craftsy and their format. Plus I will be shooting a Craftsy workshop of my own in late January so nice to have everything in one place.
Molly Paws will also be a new 6 hour workshop that I will be adding to my offerings in my usual first week of January update. But if your guild wishes to book me now know that all workshop selections can be changed up to 6 months prior to my arrival.
Now I am back to the studio. Paul helped me last night with putting the next top together with batting and backing so away I go.
Sneak peak….
It’s time for some quilting fun this Fall. Over 15 weeks, 45 designers will create 12″ blocks for the Glorious Autumn Quilter’s Block Party. These blocks will be featured, three per week, on the Quilting Gallery site starting September 4th.
If you haven’t notice the Glorious Autumn Block Party info on the side bar well today is the day for my block!
Here it is!
Turning Autumn
The Quilting Gallery website is the host of this fun event. The link will take you to their website and all the other Autumn Designer Blocks! There are
You can find my designer profile, a Quilters Super Deal, and the tutorial to make this block here!
Two other wonderful designers were featured this week.
Melissa – Sew BitterSweet Designs
and
And finally if you wish to share or take a peak at some of the renditions of the blocks please do so on the Flickr Group!
Now I am back to quilting…halfway done with my first quilt!
I intended to blog on Monday and then life got in the way. Life is certainly busy and a bit chaotic if feel lately. But that is another story.
We (my good friend Cathy and I) left on Thursday and shopped our way up to The Springs in Gladwin Michigan.
Here is part of the sewing room at 7am on Saturday. I was the first one down to sew…go figure. 
At home I kitted and packed my projects. I just wanted to sew sew sew. I know my schedule is going to be crazy full with obligations and necessary projects for the next few months so I just wanted to spend a few days working on stuff for myself.
It was wonderful.
First off I kitted my Coca Cola Quilt. The Coke fabric has been living in the studio for many years and I have always wanted to make myself a Coca Cola Quilt.
I tossed in some of Paul’s blue hand dyed fabric and started to sew.
It is a super simple pattern I found in the Sept/Oct issue of McCall’s Quilting called “Grubstake”.
The magazine rendition is made using Windham’s Prairie Crossing collection…lots of reds and browns.
I saw a great way to spotlight a conversation print. Not overdone with Coke fabric everywhere. Just enough to enjoy.
I got the top 90% done at retreat and finished up the borders yesterday at home. Now it will go on the quilting pile with the plan to have it done by month’s end.
The next project in queue was my “Blue Cherries” Quilt (tentative name) of the Insane Retreat Quilt. You pick which name you like.
Here is my EQ pattern.
It was kitted up and I got the 16 yellow/pink blocks done.
I will save this project for a blog post later this weekend or next week.
Because starting today I am going to be quilting..quilting…quilting. Then binding…binding…binding. I have at least 8 quilt tops stacked up. Some Old Some New. But ALL will get done.
First in queue is this antique beauty that I have named Antique Molly Paws (a new version of this unique block is being designed).
‘til tomorrow…and the release of my Block Party Block!
The wifi connection is weak...made even weaker by the dozens of tech savvy quilters at retreat....soooo....I will save all my project pics for a blog post on Monday. See ya then!
Tomorrow I am on my way to Gladwin Michigan to attend the Quilt Babes Retreat with my good friend Cathy.
Yep ATTEND…no teach!
My very first retreat as a “retreater”.
I am like a kid waiting for Santa.
Well I am always like a kid waiting for Santa around this time of year but that is another story.
I have several projects kitted up and ready to sew.
This quilt is my No-Brainer project and I bet it will be done in a jiffy.
So then I decided it was time to tackle another palette/pile of fabrics in my studio. They too have been waiting for quite awhile to become a large bed quilt.
Here is my “Insane Retreat Quilt” (temp name for now).
The quilt will finish roughly 95x95. (I am guessing ‘cos the pattern is now in my suitcase in the studio and I am two floors above in the office and don’t feel like walking all the flights…sorry)
I always kit up my quilt projects pretty much once I dive in. It is amazing how much smaller the project space footprint becomes when you do this.
This is 46 blocks. See how small.
So we shove off in the morning. With many planned Shop Stops along the way. I will hopefully post some blogs (if WiFi is found) and/or to Facebook.
My bags are packed and I am ready to go!
Puttering around the studio today and decided to pull out my Pineapple Quilt UFO. My goal...sew a few more blocks and see where it goes from there.
For those who are Facebook Buds remember back in early Sept I posted a bundle of fabric that I was oohing and ahhhing over.
It was the Deco by Jason Yenter for In The Beginning Fabrics line that has just been released and will be finding it’s way to your local quilt shop shelves any day now.
Well I took some of those yummy small prints (which by the way are wonderful for hexies too!) and played with some stash fabric and came up with “Blueberry Spice”.
OK I know I know…48 pieces in each block…yipes! What can I say I was in a groove.
The pattern can be made for a wall hanging. (Hanging right now over my TV!)
or a table topper (I think these colors are a fresh twist on Thanksgiving!)
and you can make FOUR and put them together for a lap quilt…or 9 and go full size!
The pattern can be found here on the Fairfield site. It is FREE!
ENJOY!
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