They also had a ceiling of quilts… very cool!

You never know what will be around the corner. This unusual display was in the Happy Hollow Designs booth …

Just down the aisle from P&B Textiles was Prairie Sky Quilting. Susan had a new ruler for making folded corners, and I especially liked the quilt on table…. she used one of my Florenzia fabrics for the border.

I stopped by the Kona Bay booth to see Mr. Kona Bay… Doug Eagleson. But he was off somewhere…

A little bit later and there he was. I alway enjoy seeing Doug … he has the best chocolate!!

It’s almost time to take down the booth… we have a lot of stuff to pack!

The party is over! Everything is packed and we’re ready to go… finally!!

Another great show… I’m already looking forward to the fall Quilt Market in Houston!

After breakfast and a coffee run to Starbucks… we transported a billion last minute boxes to the convention center… okay, maybe not a billion… but there were a LOT of boxes. By the time we got the last box to the booth, the rest of the crew had opened the really big crates and started putting up the back drops…

P&B Textiles has four booths, two on each side…

It may not look like we’ve gotten much done… but we’re farther along than some people!!

A few hours later and we’re making progress… at least the tables have all been draped.

Still a lot to do on this side…

After 8+ hours of work… this side has been transformed….

But the other side still needs work… I think we’re waiting on a couple quilts…

As you can see… there is still lots to do!! But we one more day of set-up and it will all come together in the end. Thursday will be another long day… On the bright side, I have two schoolhouse presentations and I’ve already seen lots of friends. Watch for more photos from Quilt Market!

Growing up, I loved this quilt and often asked my mom if I could have it when I left home. The answer was always the same… the quilt had already been promised to my sister. I fell in love with scrap quilts as a child and started making quilts when I was in my 20s. When I started collecting vintage quilts, I often thought about this quilt. Years later, I couldn’t believe it when my sister asked if I remembered the “pink” quilt and was thrilled when she offered to give it to me. She warned me that the quilt wasn’t in very good condition, but I didn’t care!!

My first step was to take the quilt to a quilt conservator and have it professionally cleaned. The pink background and the yellow and purple squares are found in many quilts from the 1930s. However, when I looked closer, I noticed there was a green print (often the same green print) in the center of each arc. A yellow piece was placed on each side of the green piece, and then scraps were used for the rest of the arc.  A bit of red is sprinkled throughout the quilt.

The quilt was used and loved for many years. It’s fabrics are faded and worn; the batting is showing in a few places and the binding is frayed along one side. After all this quilt has been through, I’m amazed that it still exists.

Great-grandma Carty

Needless to say… I still love this quilt and it holds a special place in my heart. Quilting gives me a strong connection to my great-grandmother… not only are we both quilters, but we also share a name!

 Combine these terrific star blocks with patriotic fabric to make a wonderful Quilts of Valor.

Or, substitute Christmas fabrics to make a great holiday quilt…

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother’s Day! ~Nancy

In the 20 years I’ve been attending Spring Quilt Market, I’ve met lots of wonderful people. I’ve seen changes in the quilting industry and tons of new products. One thing that hasn’t changed is the hectic week (or two) before market. It’s a bit like getting ready for Christmas… too much to do and not enough time… one last present to purchase or make! This year is no exception. The big brown truck delivered this wonderful group of fabrics from P&B Textiles yesterday.

Love Lives Here is a new fabric collection by P. Carter Carpin for P&B Textiles that will be available in quilt shops in the next few months. I have six days to turn this stack of fabric into a finished quilt for the booth at Quilt Market. Yikes!! I better get busy…

This is one of my favorite GFG quilts and was probably made for a twin bed. I love the scallop border on two sides and the orange binding. (Since the scallop would have be hidden by the head and foot boards it wasn’t needed on the short ends.) The hexagons are about 1″ across and many of the blocks feature motifs that were “fussy cut”…

The block with cats and bunnies always makes me smile.

Here’s another 1930s Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. The hexagons are much larger, 1 3/4″ across and the design is much busier without the white background. This is a summer quilt — top and back only, no batting.

Not only do I collect GFG quilts, I also have blocks… someone else’s UFOs! This collection of blocks included lots and lots of 3/4″ hexagons (prints and solids) already cut out and ready to sew. I even have the original metal template just in case I need more hexagons.

I love the black center in these blocks… for some reason I only have 3 blocks. Hmmm…

Not sure where this block came from, but the stripe is really outstanding… these hexies are about 2″ across.

This wonderful, scrappy quilt top is made from 3 1/2″ hexagons. Most of the fabrics date from the 1930s, but some are much earlier, and a few of the fabrics are almost sheer.

Although we associate hexagons with the 1930s, quilters were using hexies to make scrappy quilts decades earlier. The fabrics in this quilt top range from 1880 to 1920 and the hexagons measure 3″ x 4″. Unfortunately, this is one of those quilt tops that will never lay flat… which could be the reason it wasn’t finished! 

Last, but certainly not least, is one of my favorite quilt tops! The hexagons are elongated and measure about 6″ long by 5″ wide (at the widest point). The fabrics are fantastic and range from 1880 to 1930.

Hexagons are as popular today as they were in the ’30s. If you’re thinking of making a hexagon quilt, be sure to look for English Paper Piecing by Vicki Bellino.

In this best-selling book, Vicki presents a delightful selection of English paper-piecing quilt patterns, including several darling hexagon quilts. Below are two quilts from her book.

As you can see, hexagons can be used to create a variety of quilt designs, including Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilts! So, have you caught the hexie bug yet? I may just have to get out my hexagon stars …

This quilt is a great stash-buster and would look terrific in any color combination. Although the quilt looks to be a bit complex, the piecing is quite easy. Each block uses the same dark brown center square, framed by four Square-in-a-Square blocks and four pairs of rectangles that form the “cage.” Terri recommends that you piece the Squirrel in a Cage block first. Then, lay out the four light-value triangles for each of the alternate blocks along with the border and corner block pieces before sewing everything together. That way you can make sure the fabric are arranged properly, to create the illusion of squirrel blocks floating on the background.

Happy Friday and have a wonderful, quilting weekend. With less than two weeks before I leave for Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City… I’ll be sewing all weekend!!

I’ve always loved books and magazines that focus on blocks and was delighted when Quiltmaker asked for submissions for another issue. Volume 2 came out in the winter of 2010 and my Sunburst block was on page 63.

Can you tell I like circles? For volume 3 (Summer 2011), I wanted to do something different, so I combined applique with a familiar pieced block to create Posy Patch.

I used Twiling Star and Posy Patch blocks to create Posies and Pinwheels for Quilts from Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks. Instead of 30s fabrics, I chose a dramatic combination of orange and green for this quilt.

I also used the Posy Patch block to create a table runner and lap quilt. I’m teaching these projects at Quiltmaker’s Block Party in Williamsburg, Virginia, August 2-4, 2012. There are still a few spaces available but the class is filling up… so don’t wait too long to sign up!

Last, but certainly not least… Cornflowers was on the cover of Volume 4 (Winter 2011) and on page 41. I decided to create a block that had a little bit of applique, a little bit of piecing, and a little bit of whimsey.

I used the center of the block to embellish this fun tote bag that was shown in the Designer’s Gallery. The bag was also on display at Quiltmaker’s office.

Then, I created two charming projects for another Quiltmaker’s Block Party class. In the class, I’ll show a variety of projects that use the techniques you’ll learn in this fun class. You can use my colors, choose you own colors, or make it scrappy! Sign up now, before the class is sold out!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I have. Remember the Quiltmaker’s blog tour continues through Friday, with lots of great giveaways every day.

Thanks so much for visiting me on my blog tour day. I enjoyed reading all of your wonderful comments about my block. The winners of a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, vol. 5 are….. Kathy O. in GA and Cathy H. in CA!

My block, Round and Round, is on the cover. It’s the purple block with a circle in the center.

I enjoy combining patchwork and applique, and I especially like appliqued curves. To make this block, I painted the seam allowance along the curved edge on the dark-purple pieces with starch and then pressed the seam allowance over a heat-resistance plastic template. I applied water-soluble glue to the seam allowance and then centered each dark-purple piece on a background piece.

I set up my sewing machine with monofilment thread on the top, 60 wt cream thread in the bobbin, a 60/8 needle, and an open-toe embroidery foot. I use a very small blanket stitch (on my machine I set the stitch width to .9 mm). Then I carefully stitched along the curved edge of each piece.

After making the flying-geese units, I lay out all the pieces. I start by joining the pieces in horizonal rows. I join the rows to make the center unit and then sew the outer pieces to the center unit to complete the block.

Months later, my block is shown on page 42.

Today is the first day of the blog tour that takes you on a week long trip through cyberspace to find out more about the designers and their blocks. If you haven’t already, be sure to visit Quiltmaker’s Blog, Quiltly Pleasures for more information about the tour and the various giveaways.

Giveaway… I have two copies of the magazine to giveaway. Leave a comment before  11:00 am on Tuesday, May 1 to enter the drawing!

Thank you for visiting and I hope you’ll visit again. You can subscribe to my blog by clicking on the subscribe button!

The Earthtones fabric collection was designed by Norman Wyatt, Jr from Art in Motion for P&B Textiles. The fabrics are gorgeous, with just a touch of gold metallic. And they are being shipped to your local quilt shop RIGHT NOW!!

Be sure to check back on Monday, April 30. I’m kicking off Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks blog tour. I’ll be showing how I made my block and there will be a giveaway! Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Quilting!

In 1994, I made a Tumbling Blocks quilt using English Paper Piecing and lots of wonderful plaids. The quilt is also hand quilted and it took about 2 years to complete.

Close up of Angle of Repose

About that same time I made a block using hexagons as a sample to demo English Paper Piecing … class samples are exempt from being called UFOs. (wink!)

I was enchanted with English Paper Piecing and when I found an illustration of a block called Seven Sisters … I decided it would be my next project!

I thought I’d make a lap quilt or a large wallhanging and I, foolishly, decided to use really small diamonds! Fast forward almost 20 years and I have a grand total of 20 blocks. Yep, that’s an average of one block per year!!

The hexagon stars measure 2″ on each side and, you’ll notice, I’ve strayed from the original design. I’ve made a few more stars and I have some stacks of basted background diamonds around here somewhere (I think!).

Maybe some day in the distant future, I’ll put everything together to make a SMALL wallhanging. Or one day, a lucky quilter will be browsing through an antique store and find a box with MY unfinished project. I’ve purchased quite a few UFOs from the 1930s and I’m thrilled when that happens, because I found a treasure!

To tie up a few loose ends… the lucky winner of a Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing book is Sheila! You can still listen to the recording of my interview with Pat Sloan on American Patchwork & Quilting radio.

I’ll be talking about my newest book, Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing, and why I love paper-piecing. Plus I’ll share a paper-piecing tip or two!!

Don’t forget to tune in at 4:00, and if you hear loud, ear-piecing screams in the background… that would be my cockatoo, Prince, telling everyone hello!! He likes to be included…

To win a copy of Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing, leave a comment at the bottom of this post before 8:00 pm on Tuesday, April 24. Drawing is open to US and Canada mailing address only. If you have already have a copy of the book, I would appreciate a review on Amazon.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to visit Paris in the Springtime? Just imagine early morning walks along the Seine and lunch at an outdoor cafe. Although, I can only dream of a trip to Paris … at least this spring … I can offer a little inspiration with this week’s free pattern Paris in the Springtime. 

I designed this quilt using Hoffman California Fabrics and the pattern includes yardage information for all three colorwarys.

The Willow fabric collection by McKenna Ryan was used to create Springtime Willow. It’s really fun seeing how the quilt looks different depending on the fabric colors.

Enjoy your day and have a great weekend!

I love Paris in the spring time
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles

I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
~lyrics by Ella Fitzgerald

I love the fire-and-ice effect between the coolness of the blues and the heat of the orange, with just a touch of green. So, after digging around in my stash… here are my fabrics.

I chose blue fabrics that range in value from a dark navy to a light aqua. I’m going to use two orange fabrics (just for variety), one green, and a white-on-white. I like how the white in the soap dish adds a bit of crispness to the other colors. I might need to add a little yellow, but I can decide on that later.

Well, it’s time to heat up the iron and start cutting out the blocks. Watch for a few in-progress photos… since this quilt is for a magazine, I can’t reveal too much of the quilt. In the meantime, here’s one last photo for color inspiration… I might need one of these!!

I’m sure I could find a use for it…. maybe fill it with jelly beans and keep it next my sewing machine. It’s too cute to put outside! What would you fill it with?

Although the colors are faded, the quilt is in very good condition. The hand applique is well done, with a bunch of French knots in each flower center.

There is no evidence that the quilt was made from a commercial kit, but it’s certainly possible. I can’t decide if the bow goes at the top or the bottom. Either way the quilt would have been lovely on a bed.

The talented quiltmaker used a white fabric on the back and a thin cotton batting. Then she beautifully hand quilted a 1/2″ grid across the entire background. White binding completes the quilt.

This is a wonderful quilt! Did you notice that one of the tulips around the outer edge is not facing toward the center? We’ll never know whether it was intentional or an accident … but, I love it!!

So, without further ado, this week’s free pattern is my quick and easy Happy Days quilt.

This fun quilt is a great weekend project and a perfect way to showcase any large-scale prints. Use different colors or make it scrappy… you can’t go wrong with this happy pattern.

Gotta run … almost time for class. Have a great weekend!!

Start by estimating the finished outside dimensions of your quilt top, including the borders. Add 3″ to 4″ to this length and cut your border strips. Mark the center of your quilt-top edges and the border strips. Measure the quilt top through the center to determine its width and length. Place a pin at each end of the side border strips equidistant from the center to mark the length of the quilt top. Repeat to mark the width of th quilt top on the top and bottom borders.

Pin the side borders to the quilt top, matching the centers. Line up the pins at either end of the border strip with the quilt edges and pin the border strip to the quilt. Stitch, beginning and ending with a backstitch 1/4″ from the raw edges of the quilt top (this is important!). Repeat with the top and bottom borders. Press the seam allowances toward the borders.

Now comes the tricky part… mitering the corners! Lay the first corner of your quilt top right side up on your cutting mat. Align the edge of one strip with a line on your mat, overlap the loose ends of the strips, and align the edge of the other strip with a line on the cutting mat.

Place a square ruler on top of the overlapped strips. Align the edge of the ruler with the raw edges of the strips and the 45 degree line with the outside corner.

Use a rotary cutter to trim the ends of both strips.

Turn down one side, forming a diagonal fold in the quilt top. Align the raw edges of the two borders, right sides together. Align the 45 degree line on a ruler with the outer edge of the border strip. Place the ruler’s edge along the fold, making sure its aligned with the corner.

Use a pencil or chalk to draw a line along the edge of the ruler. Pin the borders together, making sure to match any seam lines (or lines in the fabric strip). Sew on the drawn line, beginning at the inside corner with a backstitch and removing the pins as you sew; end with a backstitch.

Open the quilt top and look at the front, make sure the seam lies flat and that the lines match, if applicable. When everything looks good, refold the quilt top, right sides together, and cut away the extra border fabric, leaving a 1/4″-wide seam allowance.

Then press the seam allowances open to reduce bulk.  Repeat the process to mitered the remaining three corners!

Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Chocolate for everyone!!

This is one of several quilts in my collection that were kits. The background is one piece of white fabric that was stamped with the design. Apparently, this quilt was never washed (or even used) as the blue marks are still very evident.

The hand applique and embroidery is nicely done. I love the two-tone leaves and the bold pansies are about 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″!

Even the quilting design was stamped on the background. A white backing, cotton batting, and dark green binding complete this 74″ x 88″ quilt. This quilt would look stunning on a bed.

If you’re looking for a book with big beautiful flower quilts, be sure to check out my book Fast, Fusible Flower Quilts.

Daisy Vines 

Until next time… Happy Quilting!!

The rose garden has 215 varieties and 650 roses are displayed.

There are sculptures scattered throughout the garden. Doves of Peace is located at the entrance to the white garden.

As you wander along the paths, you never know what surprise awaits around the corner.

This weekend, I plan to spend a little time in my own garden and, of course, my sewing machine is calling my name. If you plan to sew this weekend, create your own garden oasis with Nara’s Garden.

I used Asian fabrics to create my garden. You could use different floral fabrics to create a rose garden or a perennial garden or a … you get the idea! Post photos on my facebook page… I’d love to see you garden quilt!

I have a several drawers of scraps and leftover bits of this-n-that. I keep my yoyos and English Paper Pieced project in this drawer, along with some bags of half-square-triangle units, and some other ”in-progress” projects.

I also have baskets of scraps… hmmm… there’s some really old fabrics in here!

A box (or two) for my batik scraps…

 And several boxes and drawers for my 30s scraps…

I have a trash can for tiny scraps, bits of batting, and thread. I’ll use these scraps as the stuffing for a doggie bed. The beds are donated to a local animal shelter.

When I’m buried by scraps and I want to start fresh… I give my scraps to my friends. Leila makes lots of community quilts and string quilts.

Between the doggie beds and my friends… nothing goes to waste, and I’m guilt free! So, what DO you do with your scraps??