Fellow Quilters,

Happy Thursday!  This is another fun and exciting day here at Patti’s Patchwork – today is my day to share my block for the Quilt Designer Shop Hop.  I was beyond thrilled to be invited to join this event with some very well-known designers.

What is the Quilt Designer Shop Hop, you ask?  Well, it’s one of the best quilty deals around!  Ten uber-creative quilt designers joined forces to bring this fabulous FREE event to you.  Each designer has designed a unique block in Electric Quilt (one of my absolute essential quilting tools) using the theme “Moving forward …separate but working together, inspired by life under quarantine!”  These have certainly been interesting and challenging times – we are separated right now, however we are moving forward and reaching out to each other virtually instead of in-person.  Our blocks are different takes on this theme. But there’s more!  Each designer has taken the 10 different blocks and designed a unique quilt layout for them.  Not only do you, fellow quilters, get 10 fabulous blocks, you also get a plethora of ideas on how to put them together to make an awesome quilt.  It has been so much fun to see the blocks and the quilt designs.  The Quilt Designer Shop Hop started July 13 and runs through to tomorrow July 17, and the blocks are FREE until Saturday July 18, so be sure to pop on over to the other designers’ blogs to pick up the patterns and layout ideas.  After Saturday the blocks will be $2 each, which is still a fabulous deal for a multi-block quilt.  There are other online events of this caliber but most of them are not free.

So, let me tell you about my block, To the Stars and Beyond (now available at Patti’s Patchwork).

To the Stars and Beyond

If you are one of my regular peeps you know I am a lone star fanatic.  My block starts with a star, because we are all under the stars.  Then I added some funky folded triangles to the expanding corners of the block to show that we are reaching out to each other.  These folded triangles are kind of like inverse cathedral window – we tuck the fabric under the bias edge of the triangle instead of folding it back.

Fold the bias edge of the triangle under to create a curve. I think it’s time for a new ironing board cover!

Then we hand- or machine-stitch the curved edge in place.  It adds an interesting twist to the block.  I like to use an open-toe foot to give me maximum visibility.

Invisibly stitch the curved edge in place

To make the lone star I used my E-Z Miter & Lone Star tool because it helps me quickly and accurately mark the exact spots to start and stop sewing the diamonds and setting pieces. My block was done lickety-split.  I used Northcott’s Dream Weaver ombre for the star – can you see the ombre effect in the diamonds? – and the coordinating Dublin linen-look texture for the background.

I was a bit nervous watching the quilt layouts that the other designers showed in their blog posts – what if one of them did the same design as me?!?  So far, they’ve all been different – and great!  So here is my layout.

My layout for the Quilt Designer Shop Hop

I used 2 of each block for a total of 20 blocks.  The quilt, including the 2” sashing and 6” border measures 70” x 84”.  There are tall people in my house so this could be a generous throw, almost a twin-size.  I originally used white in the block backgrounds and gray in the sashing, then I switched it around and was much happier with the result.  I think it gives the quilt a more contemporary look.

If you’re visiting today from one of the other designer’s blogs I would love if you could click on that Follow button up near the top.  You can also subscribe to my newsletter on my Patti’s Patchwork website.  I usually only post on my blog and newsletter once or twice a month – I’m too busy designing!

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the other designers’ blogs, here are the links to collect your block patterns (free until Saturday).

July 13 Tamarinis https://www.tamarinis.com

July 13 Laura Piland https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/

July 14 Sherry Shish https://poweredbyquilting.com

July 14 Amy Friend https://www.duringquiettime.com/

July 15 Kate Colleran https://seamslikeadream.com/

July 15 Becky Jorgensen https://patchworkposse.com

July 16 Leanne Parsons https://www.devotedquilter.com

July 16 Me!  https://pattispatchwork.com/

July 17 Swan Sheridan https://www.swanamity.com

July 17 Cherry Guidry https://www.cherryblossomsquilting.com

Please show them some quilty love for the work they’ve put into their blocks and designs.  Check out their websites, subscribe to their newletters and peruse their patterns and notions for sale.

I would love to see YOUR version of a quilt using these blocks.  Which layout did you like the best?  Which color combination most appealed to you?  Please share your thoughts and feedback.  We love hearing from you 😊

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is a busy day here – I am participating in 2 exciting events.  If you’ve hopped in from the Christmas in July Pattern Parade Blog Hop, welcome!  If you’re one of my blog followers and are thinking “Patti, what are you talking about?!?”, allow me to explain.

Carole from My Carolina Home has organized the Christmas in July one-day blog hop with 22 participating bloggers:

Table Toppers, Home and Kitchen
Inquiring Quilter
Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Cooking Up Quilts
The Quilted Diary
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Morning Glory Designs
Scrapdash
Days Filled With Joy

Small Projects
Geeky Bobbin
Sunburnt Quilts
Tamarinis
Tuning My Heart Quilts
Prairie Sewn Studios
Puppy Girl Designs
Ladybug Buzz
Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio

Traditional and Modern Quilt Patterns
Ms P Designs USA
Quilt 2 End ALZ
Patti’s Patchwork (that’s me)
Cotton Street Commons
Brown Bird Designs
From My Carolina Home

Today each blogger will be posting a free pattern in their blog.  This could be for a holiday-themed project such as placemats, a table runner, tree skirt, lap or bed-sized quilt to decorate your home for the holidays.  Or it could be a quilt-related project – table topper, home or kitchen décor, lap or bed quilt – that is not holiday themed, that you could make as a Christmas gift.  From personal experience I can tell you that the best time to start making a holiday décor project or a holiday gift is NOT mid-December – it is July!  Hence the well-known phrase “Christmas in July”.  And with 22 projects to choose from, you’ll likely want to make several between now and mid-December.

Working at Northcott, I can tell you that we time the arrival of our holiday collections so that they ship to quilt shops in June/July because that’s when quilters are planning their holiday projects.  Quilt magazines also feature holiday-themed projects in their Summer/early Fall issues.  When Northcott’s holiday collections come along I jump at the opportunity to design with them.  Between holiday projects for my Patti’s Patchwork pattern shop and for quilt magazines, I design and make 2-3 holiday/winter quilts every year.  I have lost count of how many holiday quilts I own but if I had to guess I would say at least 30.  Christmas quilts go onto the beds in my home December 1.  Holiday lap quilts come out to be tossed over the back of chairs and couches, and holiday wall-hangings replace artwork hanging on walls.  The more the merrier!  Can one have too many?!?  I think not!!

For my Christmas in July Pattern Parade project I chose the gorgeous The Scarlet Feather collection by Deborah Edwards for Northcott.  The stunning 24” x 42” wreath panel had me at “hello”.  Anyone who knows my quilting style knows I’m a sucker for panels.  But I also want you, my fellow quilters, to experience the joy of having holiday quilts on your beds at Christmastime, so my pattern is for a bed-size quilt.  Queen-size actually.  And it won’t take you from now ‘til mid-December to get it done.  No siree Bob! The quilt is a classic lone star (yes, I’m a sucker for lone stars as well) with enormous setting squares and triangles, and nice W-I-D-E borders.  Here’s a picture.

Grand Holiday Lone Star by Patti’s Patchwork

Isn’t she a beauty?  You can download the Grand Holiday Lone Star pattern here.  This quilt uses 6 panels, so just a heads up that you’re going to want to get your fabrics soon before the stores sell out.  Northcott has THE BEST feature on their website to help you find the fabrics you’re looking for.  The Product Finder is toward the top right corner of each collection’s page.  When you click on it and click on your preferred state/province, a chart pops up listing the shops that received the collection and which fabrics from the collection they received.

Find a shop with checked boxes for the fabrics you’re looking for

Simply find a shop that received the specific fabrics you want and check with them for availability.

The Scarlet Feather 24″ x 42″ panel

Each panel has a lovely 8” wide poinsettia border on the selvage edges so you’re going to have a few of these left over.  What can you do with them?

• Use them as bands on matching pillowcases for your bed – you’ll need an additional ¾yd – 1yd of coordinating fabric for each pillowcase, depending on whether you use the panel strip for the band lining or use the coordinate for the band lining.
• Use them for an easy table runner. Triangle Frenzy or The Quilt Company have some patterns using 60° rulers that would be perfect.
• Use them for projects by the other bloggers today
• Use them to customize ready-made or store-bought items such as hand towels, aprons, toss cushions, etc.

The Grand Holiday Lone Star pattern is perfect for using my E-Z Miter & Lone Star tool, the handiest gadget ever for fast foolproof mitered borders and foolproof lone stars.  You can find a YouTube video on my website or watch a (fuzzy) Facebook Live tutorial on making mitered borders with the tool (it was my first Facebook Live recording and my practice round was crystal clear).  I will be adding a video soon for making lone stars with the tool.  Of course, you could make this quilt the old-fashioned way without the E-Z Miter & Lone Star tool but once you’ve used it, you’ll understand why I’m such a fan of it.  In the pattern I include a helpful tutorial on how to use directional border prints for your quilt borders – it’s at the end of the pattern.  You can use this same concept on most directional border prints.

The Grand Holiday Lone Star is not the only quilt I’ve designed using Northcott’s The Scarlet Feather collection.  Check out PC252 Stellar Medallion.

PC252 Stellar Medallion (includes wall, throw & queen)

Here are some other Christmas patterns from Patti’s Patchwork:  PC242 Carpenter’s Star(a split lone star),

PC242 Carpenter’s Star (includes wall, throw & queen)

PC224 Gifts Galore,

PC224 Gifts Galore (includes wall, lap, throw & double)

PC185 Stacks of Presents,

PC185 Stacks of Presents (includes wall, throw, twin & queen)

PC147 Holiday Gifts, (a fat quarter pattern)

PC147 Holiday Gifts (includes lap, twin & queen)

PC144 Poinsettia Medallion,

PC144 Poinsettia Medallion (includes wall and queen-size)

PC133 Festive Frostings

PC133 Festive Frostings (includes lap, twin, queen & king)

and the ever-popular PC119 Oh Christmas Tree (a jellyroll pattern).

PC119 Oh Christmas Tree (includes wall, lap & queen)

If you’re reading this before 3pm EST today I invite you to pop onto Zoom for my trunk show on Linda and Deb’s Sew What! Zoomcast.  It’s fun and free.  Log on to Zoom and find the event at Meeting No. 708 847 7971 and Password 541374.  Knowing Linda, it will be highly entertaining.  Have a social beverage in hand for your chance to win prizes.

I am blogging July 16 in the Quilt Designer Shop Hop

Finally, tomorrow is my day to blog and go live on Facebook as part of the Quilt Designers Shop Hop – 10 talented designers, 10 great website tours, 10 free blocks, and 10 creative inspiring quilt designs using these blocks.  Please subscribe to my blog today to catch all the quilty goodness tomorrow.

If you’ve read this far, I have more good stuff for you.  What – more?!?  If you leave a comment on my blog telling me what Christmas gifts or projects you make, I’ll randomly draw 3 winners to receive an E-Z Miter & Lone Star tool.  If you also tell me which of my Christmas patterns is your favorite, I’ll throw that in if I draw your name. If you prefer a different one to make as a gift, I could make that substitution.  Please leave your comment by midnight Sunday July 19 to be eligible.  Good luck!

Enjoy today’s events and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Cheers,

Patti

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Fellow Quilters,

I’ve got lots of quilty bits and bobs to share with you today.  My colleague Millie laughs every time I say this.  What are bits and bobs, you ask?!?  Odds & ends.  Tidbits.

My friend Linda Hahn of Frog Hollow and her bestie Deb Stanley host a weekly event Wednesdays at 3pm EST on Zoom called Sew What! Zoomcast – it’s quite entertaining.  Linda interviews a different guest quilting celebrity each week, then Deb does a quilt-related demo, and the hour-long zoomcast winds up with prizes.  Who doesn’t like free stuff?!?  Past guests have included Stevii Graves, Banyan Batiks Creative Director Karen Gibbs,  and last week’s guest Joyce Hughes.  Joyce thread paints on quilt panels to create truly stunning pieces of art and tells me that anyone can achieve the same results.  This week’s guest is the iconic Nancy Mahoney.  To watch, log into Zoom using Meeting No. 708 847 7971 Password 541374.  Linda has invited me to be her guest on July 15^th so mark your calendar!  Same meeting and password.

Did you see my Facebook Live post on June 16 as part of the June edition of the Designers Tips & Techniques Virtual Show?  You can still watch the rerun on my Patti’s Patchwork Facebook page.  The video is somewhat fuzzy – of course my test run was clear as a bell.  Hubby has picked up a new stronger modem so my next post should be much better.  Yes, I’m doing it again.  The July edition runs from noon until 8pm EST July 7 – 9 and my time slot is July 8 at 4pm.  The schedule is here.  I hope you’ll tune it to learn lots of quilty goodness.  I watched all the episodes last month and really enjoyed it.

Fellow designer Andi is coordinating a Patriotic Quilt Mashup – a video slide show of patriotic quilts just in time for July 4^th.  I shared videos of 2 quilts from my PC236A Panel Plus pattern.  I snapped a photo of one of the quilts taped to the outside wall of the cabin.

Happy July 4th!  PC236A Panel Plus pattern option #1

I’ll be sharing the mashup video on my Patti’s Patchwork Facebook page as soon as Andi posts it.  Fun!

I’m also participating in a 1-day Christmas in July event on July 15^th (it’ll be a busy day!).  Each of the 21 bloggers is sharing a freebie so you can get started on those quilty Christmas gifts.  What better time to start than now?  I love, love, love Christmas quilts, and will be sharing a pattern for one.  If you’re a blog subscriber you’ll automatically receive the link.

Also happening the week of July 13 – 17 is the awesome Quilt Designer Shop Hop – 10 designers – 10 websites – 10 blocks.  Each designer has created a block for this fun virtual hop and will be sharing it for free during the hop.  We created our blocks in Electric Quilt, so each of us will also be coming up with unique layouts for these stellar blocks.  I’ll be blogging and Facebooking (is that even a word?!?) on July 16 as part of this exciting event.

In my last post I shared a photo of my mammoth-leaf basil plant and asked for advice on how to help it flourish.  Well, my SIL came to my rescue and suggested that, when I want to harvest some, I prune it from the top, thereby ensuring that the plant doesn’t start to flower.  I googled this and, sure enough, if I cut a stem just above a 2-leaf split, I can force the plant to grow 2 stems where 1 existed.  I’ll let you know in a week or 2 if this is successful.

I also had to resort to google to fix my broken sewing chair.  The hydraulics were dying a quick death.  Every 5 minutes I had to lift the seat back up.  The quick fix I saw online, if I don’t mind the chair being always at a fixed height, was to remove the base, insert a length of PVC pipe and reattach the base.

My steno sewing chair with a quick fix

My handy son had a spare piece of pipe, so 15 minutes later my chair was fixed (for me).  I’m a happy camper!  I’ll eventually paint it, but for now it’s good :).

I’ll see you in a week or so.  In the meantime, Happy Canada Day and Happy 4^th of July!

Happy Canada Day! PC215 Canadian Shield

Cheers,

Patti