Valentines roses
Fellow Quilters,
As I sit at my kitchen island writing this blog post my gaze shifts to the vase of roses just beyond my laptop, a little something from Hubby for Valentine’s Day. They are starting to fade but I hope to enjoy their gorgeous varied shades of salmon and coral for another day or two. Red roses are lovely too but I’ll take a bouquet of peach or pink roses over red any day!
The roses remind me of the color palette and theme for this month’s Quilt Block Mania, organized by Carolina over at Always Expect Moore. In her usual fashion Carolina has enlisted 25 other quilt designers to create a unique 12” block pattern around a floral theme using shades of blush, peachy-pink, rose, red and deep burgundy. The links to each designer’s blog post and free-for-now pattern can be found below.
Orchid Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Rose Garden by Slice of Pi Quilts
Happy Flowers by Carolyn Burgess
Double Flower by Devoted Quilter
Faux Flowers by Blockofthemodotcom
Mod Tulip
Enchanting Echinacea
Rosebud Wreath at Patti’s Patchwork
Flower Power – Cotton Street Commons
Dottie’s Garden by Heidi Pridemore
Poppies by Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Pretty Posies at Perkins Dry Goods
Mittens Smells the Roses at Puppy Girl Designs
Wildflowers by Studio R Quilts
Sweetheart Rose by QuiltFabrication
Flower Patch at Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
Scattered Petals by Snowy Days Quilting
Scrappy Tulip by Katie Mae Quilts
Happy Bloom Block by Oh Kaye Quilting
Buzz along
Everything’s Coming Up Roses by Inquiring Quilter
Spring Posies by Blue Bear Quilts
Four Roses
Pieceful Crocus Focus
Improv Bloom by Love to Color My World
Sue’s Field of Flowers by The Quilted Diary
I think I take the prize this month for the smallest pieces in a block – some of them finish at ½” – and also the most pieces in a block (185 – what?!?!?!). My colleague Susanne is likely laughing and rolling her eyes at me right now, because several years ago she was my piecer for a quilt made for McCall’s Quilting and that quilt had rather small blocks containing many rather small pieces. She informed me more than once that those pieces were rather tiny. When I designed Rosebud Wreath for this month’s Quilt Block Mania the pieces didn’t look that small in my Electric Quilt program.
Rosebud Wreath by Patti’s Patchwork
After testing the block, I have decided that it will make a spectacular center block for a medallion or round robin quilt. Alternatively, I could frame it or simply quilt it and hang it up as a miniature for a door that needs a little something. Or it could be a lovely table topper for a small coffee table. So many options! What will you do with yours? Please leave a comment below – I am curious to hear your ideas and suggestions. You can download Rosebud Wreath here.
In addition to my complimentary Rosebud Wreath block pattern I have one more fun giveaway for you today. I have had a few quilts published in magazines recently, including my Howl quilt in the February/March issue of Fons & Porter’s Quick + Easy Quilts.
Howl, made with Northcott’s Naturescapes – Silver Moon and featured in F&P Quick + Easy Quilts
This terrific lap-sized quilt features a panel from Northcott’s Naturescapes – Silver Moon collection (in shops now) and takes just slightly more time to cut and piece than the Rosebud Wreath block – it really is that quick! To celebrate, I am giving away a copy of the magazine to one lucky reader. For a chance to win it please leave a comment below by midnight March 8, telling me how you would use your Rosebud Wreath block(s).
And please mark April 14th on your calendar. It is the start date of the Hexie Crush Quilt-along – woop! woop!
PC263 Hexie Crush pattern coming soon!
I’m doing the final proofing for the pattern and it will be up on my Pattispatchwork.com website very shortly. There might even be a special price for newsletter subscribers so if you’re not one already, please head over to the website and scroll down to the bottom of the page to subscribe. The quilt-along sign-up form will also go up next week – I’m so excited! FIGO Fabrics has donated some cool prizes and I’m adding a couple as well. We’ll crush it!!
Chat soon,
Patti
pattispatchwork-blog.com 