Can’t See the Forest…

Fellow Quilters,

As I write this, I am cruising through Indonesia, exploring the various processes used to print batiks.

A high-end custom Javanese batik shop

It has been a fascinating journey – not only am I expanding my knowledge of batik printing (to expand my designing options for future collections with Banyan Batiks) but I am also exploring new-to-me areas of the world and gaining an appreciation of the lifestyle there, all while being pampered aboard a floating luxury hotel a.k.a. cruise ship.

Honestly, the only thing better is the option of quilting while cruising!  While I am not quilting on this Indonesian cruise, I will be doing so on a 7-day Alaskan adventure next September 8-15, 2024 out of Vancouver, BC with Watergirl Quilts/Gravitate Travel.  Michelle and Scott of Watergirl/Gravitate organized and very quickly sold out the initial cruise for August 31 – September 8 – bad news for anyone who missed out on this opportunity.  But wait!  They reached out to the team on Brilliance of the Seas and were able to secure a block of rooms for the following week, September 8-15, at the same fabulous rates – woohoo!  Instructors Paul Leger, Michelle Peters and I will be teaching the same popular classes as the previous week on fantastic Bernina machines (Michelle heard from numerous quilters who wanted to take every class but couldn’t due to time/scheduling constraints – there are only so many hours in a day).  I’m teaching 2 half-day classes – sashiko and binding techniques (including curved-edge binding!) – and 2 full-day classes – free-motion machine quilting and Skill-building Sampler (a new class 😊).  Hmmm… this cruise could be a Christmas gift to you.

So, what’s happening this month?  After taking a break last month, I am back on track with Quilt Block Mania for December.  The theme this month is Forest, and 19 designers including yours truly jumped at the chance to entice you with their free pattern for a 12” block.  I used my iconic Winter Solstice/Misted Pines pattern as inspiration for The Grove , my contribution to QBM.

The Grove, my 12″ block for the forest theme of Quilt Block Mania

Choose 3 greens and a scrap of brown to make this mini small-scale version.  You can download the pattern here.

The trick to this block is knowing how to line up the triangles pieces when sewing them together – sometimes they meet ¼” from the right edge and sometimes they meet ⅜” from the right edge.  I always make the pieces line up where they’re supposed to, instead of allowing my sewing machine to shift the fabric so that the pieces don’t line up as required.  I control my machine, not the other way around – this is super-important for consistent accurate piecing.

Redesigning my Misted Pines pattern has been on my To Do list for quite some time, tweaking it to make the piecing easier.  When Northcott revamped the Stonehenge Gradations fabric collection used in this quilt, I took the opportunity to do this.

The new updated Misted Pines 2.0 pattern has easier piecing and is available now for January shipping

I’m thrilled to announce that the new pattern, Misted Pines 2.0 will be available January 1, and you can preorder it here now.

But back to Quilt Block Mania.  You can find the free patterns for the other 18 forest-themed blocks here:

Owl by Carolina Moore
Silent Witness by Inquiring Quilter
Forest by Inflorescense Designs
Forest Tree by Scrap Dash
Bear Paw by Epida Studio
Snowy Forest by QuiltFabrication
The Grove by Patti’s Patchwork
Mushroom by Penny Spool Quilts
Reindeer by Crafty Staci
Christmas Tree Farm
Enchanted Forest by Sew Worthy Mama
Wolves by Paleofish Designs
Fat Bear Week by Sallys Sewing Circle
Chipmunk by Katie Mae Quilts
Fox by Appliques and More
Heart of Oak by Flowerdog+Co
Snowman by Colette Belt Designs
Mountain Forest by Oh Kaye Quilting
Starry Sky by Patchwork Breeze

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Patti