Fellow Quilters,

How is your summer going?  For many in my area, this is the first summer in 3 years that we are allowed to gather in groups larger than 5.  Hubs and I have 2 events this weekend that involve larger groups, however they are likely going to be outdoors where we can enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve been having.  Our summer is too short to be indoors.

Do you have a Summer To Do list?  In addition to working on my golf game, my list also includes repainting some window frames, designing some new quilt projects, and writing 4 patterns for Color Play, my new fabric collection for Northcott, shipping to stores in a few short weeks.

Color Play patterns available late Summer

I am super-excited about this collection because it is a “learn to free-motion quilt” collection, and I’ll also be working on some YouTube how-to-videos using the various motifs in the collection.  If learning to free-motion quilt (or practicing free-motion quilting) is on your bucket list, be sure to check out my YouTube channel and your local shop for the videos and fabric.

Color Play is a learn-to-machine-quilt fabric collection available in August

So today is another great round of blocks in the monthly Quilt Block Mania blog tour, and the theme this month is Jungle.  My first three block ideas – snakes, leaves, tropical flowers – were already taken by other designers.  You can find them in the links here:

Hippo Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Emerald Tree Boa from Inflorescence
Tiger at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Snakes, Slugs and Snails at Scrapdash
Stacked jungle animals by Appliques Quilts and More
Palm Leaf by QuiltFabrication
Margaritaville by Inquiring Quilter
Chameleon Block by BoBerry Design Co.
Monkey Business at Patti’s Patckwork
Tropical Bloom
Jungle Vines
Toucan Quilt Block by Purple Daisies Quilting
Teal Gorilla by Blue Bear Quilts

So I brain-stormed with Hubs and came up with a fun block that makes me smile.  My Monkey Business block has a bit of applique along with piecing and includes a couple of partial seams.  No worries though – partial seams are not hard!  I have demonstrated partial seams in the last 2 blocks for the For the Brave/With Glowing Hearts Quilt-along event – you can watch the YouTube videos for Month 5 and Month 6 to see how I transform partial seams into “im-partial” seams – haha.  Download the Monkey Business pattern here.

My Monkey Business block for August ’22 Quilt Block Mania’s Jungle theme

It would make a terrific cushion for a young child and reminds me of the Curious George story books from when I was a kid.  Hands up if you read them too!

Speaking of Jungle-themed quilting stuff, I hear tell there are a handful of spots that have opened up on next February’s Hawaiian cruise with World of Quilts Travel.  Organizer Deb Roberts was able to secure additional sewing machines so there are a dozen extra spaces now available if you’d like to join us.  You can find the details here.

Until next time,

Patti