Thank you to everyone for sharing your garden blooms with me!
Three winners were selected using a random number generator to receive a copy of the “Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks” issue, they have been notified by email and are:
Gill
Merritt
Dena
My studio is in full bloom with new projects for Spring Market next week, please stop by again soon as I can’t wait to share them with all of you!
Happy Quilting!
Edyta
Spring has finally arrived in Michigan,
and so has our ”Paint Box” fabric collection!
I enjoyed pulling the bolts from the boxes and each piece seems to be more beautiful than I remember.
“Flower Box” is one of the quilts that I have designed using the Paint Box collection.
There is so much to choose from, I hope you find something special from this collection to fill your quilting basket with.
Click here to see the full collection.
Quiltmaker’s “100 blocks” issue has also arrived and our block is in it. I would love to share these magazines with you, please leave me a comment by May 8th about what is blooming in your spring garden and 3 random quilters will receive a copy.
Happy Quilting!
Huge “Thank You” to everyone who participated in the Friendship Quilt Along, your comments are a true reflection of Quilters Friendship! Special thanks to Moda for organizing this great Blog Hop and the great prizes.
We used a random number generator to choose three lucky winners in this friendship hop, and they are:
Barbara
Lisa
Merry
The winners have been notified by email and again, thank you to everyone for participating!
Happy Quilting!
Edyta
Welcome to the second week of the Friendship Quilt along with Moda Designers. Thank you for stopping by and don’t forget to visit Kathy Schmitz and Lauren & Jessi Jung today as well!
I hope you have been following along this Blog Hop and collecting all of the Signature Blocks, they are 9″ finished and a lot of fun to make.
This one is mine, click here or on the block above to get the directions to make this cutie. Each block has a 3″ finished square that is perfect for a signature.
Lately I have been in love with basket quilts and I have created quite a few with my Paint Box Collection from Moda that will arrive in stores this Spring.
I have made some little baskets – like this “Petite Pail”.
Some big ones like “Paint Basket”.
Some with applique in “Scrappy Basket Trio” and even some from tiny patches for the “Shaker Basket”.
“Flower Box” has the glow of an 8 point star and an applique border.
I have always enjoyed baskets and especially sharing them with friends. Making this friendship basket quilt many years ago with my friend Dominique from France was so much fun. We each made baskets and exchaged them to add variety to our quilts.
I decided to use this little basket for the center of my block as a signature stamp by reducing the size to 3″ finished.
To make one of these baskets you will need:
2 light squares 1-1/2″
2 light half square triangles cut from 2-7/8″ square
1 dark half square triangle cut from 2-7/8″ square
2 dark half square triangle cut from 1-7/8″ square
1 dark strip cut on bias 1/2″ x 4″ for handle.
5″ squares are perfect to cut this block - Charm Pack friendly!
I use a bias tape maker and card stock template to create the handle for the basket.
First I made my handle with a bias tape maker and fusible tape.
I then place my template on background triangle, pin handle on one side then fuse it in place following the template.
Allow the handle to cool and piece the basket together. Once the block is assembled, I then applique the handle to the background. I find it is much easier to applique the handle after the block is assembled (easier to hold than a small triangle).
This is how my block looked when completed using the little basket as my center.
I have always enjoyed friendship signature quilts. This pair are some of the oldest quilts that I own and are two of my favorites.
Often I look at these quilts to read the names from the blocks wondering what significance they were for the quilt maker - Family? Friends? I’m sure there was a special meaning for each one of them.
I am so very lucky that my friends from Pennsylvania exchanged friendship blocks with me that I assembled into this quilt. I miss them very much and I am very glad to have this quilt to remind me of them.
A simple triangle quilt can also become a friendship quilt like the ”Triangle Star” above. I created it using all of the triangle that I received from all my TQS friends - Sisterhood of the Traveling Triangles.
I love applique and couldn’t help myself from signing this block from my Family Tree Quilt, another great idea for a friendship quilt.
Have fun collecting, making, and sharing all of the wonderful friendship blocks from this Blog Hop. Click here for the full schedule of Moda designers in this Friendship Hop.
I love to hear from all of my friends out there! Please leave me a comment by March 1st - maybe share the special plan for your friendship blocks or just say “Hi”! We will randomly choose 3 winners to receive an “Paint Box” Collection prize to help you finished your friendship projects.
Happy Quilting!
Your Friend,
Edyta
You melt my heart away with all of your wonderful comments and taking the time for voting for me on the “Golden Quilter Awards” over at SewCalGal! We have been nominated in the following categories and voting continues until Feb 28th.
Moda has a brand new fabric cut called Honeycombs. They are hexagons perfect for making a quilt like “Sunshine Box” from my book “Scrappy Fireworks“.
I am going to have Honeycombs from my new fabric collection “Hope Chest” to be released at Spring Market 2013 and I can’t wait to play with them in my quilts!
One way to do so is to fold them in half…
…then fold one side in…
…then fold the opposite side in.
Voila, you have prairie points from Honeycombs!
I discovered this idea from one of my visits to the Grand Rapids Museum.
I love the prairie point on this antique quilt, they look so sharp and went great with the 60 degree diamonds.
I could not stop investigating and sure enough they were made from hexagons, not squares like you would normally make them from.
No matter how you use your Honeycombs, I’m sure you will enjoy them!
I better get back to my sewing, Henry is redesigning and really enjoying scraps to the fullest. I don’t get designing help like this everyday – I better take advantage of it!
Remember to stop back soon, Moda’s Blog Hop starts tomorrow, Feb 18 – Mar 4th.
Finding a Hershey Kiss on my cutting table bigger than my rotary cutter has put my Valentines Day on a perfect start!
On special days like this I like to spend some time having some fun and one of my favorite things to do is to take pictures with Anna.
My gardening tools have frozen in time - awaiting spring and the planting season.
I’m always amazed how nature can present herself no matter which season we are in.
The snow was sparkling that day so it seemed perfect to match it with one of my stars.
It was “Love at First Sight” for me this Valentines Day as the strike offs arrived for my new collection “Hope Chest” which I will show at Spring Market in a couple of months.
While we normally don’t have many decorations for Valentines Day, a couple Silhouettes hearts have made their way onto my lampshade. They made me smile each time they caught my eye today.
My buddy Gretchen has also been searching for something special today, I wasn’t sure if it was a warm spot on this cold day…
…or maybe she was looking for her favorite Silhouette. Yummy - that one looks good!
My day finished up with a nice surprise - an email that I had been nominated in the Golden Quilter Awards over at SewCalGal.
If you have a chance, be sure to swing by their blog and submit a vote for your favorite by following the link below.
http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-golden-quilter-awards-voting.html
I hope you had a Happy Valentines Day and I look forward to see you back in a couple of days for Moda’s Designer blog hop on Feb 18th!
Receiving “Spring” in a gift basket is one of my favorites, maybe because I live in Michigan and just about now I am starting to think of warmer weather and look for signs of Spring.
My soul lite up when I received this spring basket recently and I patiently waited and watched for each blossom to appear. I get the same feeling being a part of a “Block of the Month” waiting for each bundle to arrive then creating a beautiful block from it!
This year, Fat Quarter Shop is using Avalon by Fig Tree Quilts for their annual Designer Mystery quilt. The fabric is light, a little whimsical and grounded with a bit of navy, which you’ll find peppered through the quilt. For a little treat, you will receive a MINI Charm Pack of Avalon with the first month’s block, a taste of the fabric before the club kicks into full gear! Each of the twelve sampler blocks is designed by a different Moda designer and feature rows of baskets, stars, flowers and houses.
I am thrilled to be one of the designers for the basket row with Joanna from Fig Tree and Sandy from Pieces from my Heart. It has been so much fun to create this block and use these beautiful fabrics – they are so fresh and spring-like!
Don’t miss your chance to sign up for this BOM at The Fat Quarter Shop, also be sure to stop by Jolly Jabber to have a chance to join in the fun and maybe even win some prizes.
Happy Quilting!
Congratulations to the winners of our Michigan Museum Quilt Books drawing!
Beth G
Brenda C.
Nancy
Winners have been notified by email and we are looking forward to hearing from them!
I would like to thank everyone for the most amazing comments and positive feedback for our new book “Seasonal Silhouettes”, it felt like a Happy Birthday opening all the wonderful messages from all of you.
I am planning to share more with you over the next few months of how the book was created along with the laser-cut Silhouettes that will accompany it.
You have warmed my heart!
Winter has once again placed her signature on our windows.
The only blooms you can find are the “Snowballs”, perfect weather for scraps and stitching. Since it is too cold to venture anywhere I have been really enjoying my basket of bits and pieces.
One of the projects that I have finished is this log cabin.
I based this one on one of my favorite antique log cabin quilts that you can see on the right side of the picture, my version is on the left.
Now I am just waiting for the perfect border, I think one of the pieces above would do very well.
This is a little peek of the fabrics that I am working on for Spring 2013 from Laundry Basket Quilts. I love them and wish I could have them now…
…Patience, patience, I keep telling myself as I head back into my mountain of scraps and projects that I am trying to finish.
Daydreaming about a little bit of sunshine and flowers.
I guess my scrappy Grandmother’s Garden will have to do for this cold winter day.
In case you are looking for a little bit of spring and a fun project, make sure you visit us tomorrow, Monday Feb 4th, for the 2013 Designer Mystery Blog Hop from Fat Quarter Shop, I am so excited to be a part of it and had great time designing a wonderful basket block for you.
If you have never done a block-of-the-month club before, this is a great one to start with. Each month you’ll receive lots of fabric and lovely instructions to complete that month’s block. The quilt is suited for everyone, from beginners to seasoned quilters.
The club is almost half full now, so sign up before spots run out!
Schedule:
2/4/13 – Basket Row – Fig Tree, Pieces from My Heart, Laundry Basket Quilts
2/11/13 – Star Row – Bonnie & Camille, V & Co., Kate Spain
2/18/13 – House Row – Kansas Troubles, Primitive Gatherings, Minick & Simpson 2/25/13 – Flower Row – Bunny Hill, Me & My Sister Designs, Sweetwater
I will be looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow!
My quilting garden has been in full bloom with all of the inspiration that I have been able to experience lately. Today I enjoyed another visit to the MSU Museum to see some Scrappy Quilts!
As much as the grey and gloomy weather was calling for a day in bed, I braved the elements and headed to Lansing, MI while King Henry kept the bed warm.
Beth welcomed us to the museum with this new addition to their collection, the tone of red in it reminded me a lipstick.
In the stamp quilt made from 9 patches, we noticed little kisses of pink.
That same pink was perfect as a star background in this scrappy beauty.
Notice what the pink offered in this quilt for centers and corners of each block.
We took a drunkards path…
…and enjoyed a trip around the world.
It was hard not to peek at what was around the corner in the next quilt.
In the end our eyes were sparkling with stars - small ones,
and larger ones.
As soon as I arrived home inspired, I pulled out my basket of 9 patches and started counting, I’m only a few hundred away from another scrappy adventure!
I picked up some books and postcards at the museum thinking of all my quilter friends that maybe would like to see more Michigan quilts. Leave me a comment by Feb 2nd to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of these fun prizes.
And speaking of books, I think it is time for a little peek of something that I have been working on this winter.
A new book called “Seasonal Silhouettes” that will be available in May 2013.
I’m hoping to fill your quilting garden with beautiful seasonal images that are colorful and fun to make.
Happy Quilting!
On the way to our January retreat we stopped at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see some beautiful quilts. This was start to the quilting journey planned for the weekend in which I couldn’t help repeating “I Love the Quilt”!
As we were making our way toward the quilts, we got distracted by rows of beautiful dresses, a girl just can’t help herself – the magic of a vintage gown was pulling us in.
In the end, it was all about quilts and our favorites were the calico dresses.
We found some nice cheddar…
…in one of the older pieces from the museum. We could have spent an afternoon in the dresses alone not to mention the 1000s of other pieces that are in the museum – but we knew the we had to maintain focus and move on to the quilts.
So we “tumbled” our way to the room of them waiting for us.
In this beauty we were quickly reminded of the dresses that we left behind.
Simple applique with an accent of cheddar that lingered in our memories.
We took a big breath with a stunning red and white star.
And dove back into an “Ocean Wave” of scraps. Notice the red/muslin half square triangle and how it anchors the scrappiness.
A delightful pineapple with the touch of red that pops like a buoy in a dark sea.
Crazy I tell you!
“I love this quilt” I whisper it again and again.
There was such a great variety of quilts.
You might be able to say “There was a boatload of them”!
We ended up at the Bermuda Triangle of applique,
and I was lost…
I felt weak in my knees to see this beauty, the fabric was amazing and the red was there again in the form of a big print.
Half square triangles - we all giggled when this quilt opened as we are in the middle of a triangle exchange.
One piece fabric large applique to muslin as white as a sail carried us to the quilt that I was waiting to see.
A quilt that one friend sent me a picture of and another made sure that I had the chance to enjoy this quilt in person – Thank you girls!
It was like seeing a mermaid and there I was again repeating “I Love this Quilt”.
We touched, we photographed, we swam in the sea of scraps.
We left exhausted and hungry for more, dreaming of another faraway quilting adventure. Fortunately, sometimes these journeys are waiting right in your back yard! If you think you might want to visit or even just donate to preserve these treasures, navigate your way to http://www.grmuseum.org/collections or contact Andrea directly at amelvin@grmuseum.org.
Bon Voyage!
