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A Great Hack for Block 4

Fellow Quilters,

Happy Saturday and welcome to Day 4 of the Time to Quilt quilt-along. Did you post photos of some of your blocks on Northcott’s Facebook page yesterday for a chance to win some swag? At least one of my followers is a winner – a shout-out to Dixie! I popped onto Northcott’s page today to see the winners and also see some of the blocks that quilters have posted. There are some lovely fabric combinations being used. The next chance for some swag is next Friday, so you’ll have another 7 sets of blocks to choose from to share on Northcott’s Facebook page or on Instagram with the #timetoquiltfigo.

Have I got a cool hack for your today! As I mentioned on Day 1 all the blocks in the Time to Quilt quilt-along are based on a 9-patch grid and Block 4 is no exception. Here is the black & white line-drawing of the block.

Block 4 as a 9-patch with and without patch lines

When I looked at the block, I saw diagonal strips however. Can you see them? If I remove the patch lines it is more obvious. I was trying to figure out how to cut the diagonal strips with the funny angled end. I had it pretty much figured out and I was working on my diagrams for my instructions when I had a light bulb moment. You’re gonna love this!! For the 9-patch version, we cut 4 larger squares and 6 smaller squares of each fabric for the hourglass and half-square triangle units (total of 20 pieces).

Make 2 dark-light-dark rail fence blocks and 2 light-dark-light rail fence blocks

Instead, I cut 6 rectangles of each fabric (total 12 pieces) and made 4 rail fence blocks – 2 with light-dark-light and 2 with dark-light-dark. Then I cut them into half-square triangles as shown and assembled the block as an hourglass block.

An hourglass block made with 4 half-square triangle units from my rail fence blocks

It was lightning-fast!

There are 2 caveats with this block: #1 – the edges of the block are bias. I will keep this in mind when I assemble the quilt and use the BOB (bias on bottom) or Baggy Bottom rule. Thanks to Bonnie L for sharing the BOB tip on my March 30 blog post.

Today’s 1^st tip: I press my block going with the grain of the fabric. In this case I am pressing it from corner to corner, not from bottom edge to top edge or side to side because that is the direction of the bias. I am much less likely to distort my block if I press in the direction of the grain. This holds true when I press half-square triangle blocks as well – I don’t press along that diagonal seam. Rather, I press from bottom to top.

Caveat #2 – the size of the pieces for the mini and super-size versions is not a nice round number but it’s a fairly easy work-around. I instruct you to cut width-of-fabric strips that are a scant 1⅝” for the mini or scant 3⅜” for the super-size. What does this mean? In this case (and I have included a note in the pattern below the cutting chart) scant is half-way between the 1⅝” line (for the mini version) and the next smaller marking on most rulers, which would be 1½”. For the super-size it is half-way between 3⅜” and 3¼”. If your ruler has 1/16” markings you’re good to go. Otherwise here is what that looks like.

Cut scan 1 5/8" strips by cut half-way between 1 1/2" and 1 5/8"

Cut scant 1 5/8″ strips by cutting half-way between 1 1/2″ and 1 5/8″

Today’s 2^nd tip: I find it easier to line up the lines of my ruler with the lines on my cutting mat, not the edge of my strip. It is easier to see if the 1⅝” and 1½” hash marks are equidistant from the vertical line on my mat where my fabric is aligned.

I find I get more accurate cuts when I align the ruler with the mat, not the edge of the strip.

Here are my finished blocks, hot off the press.

Block 4 done!

Alright then, let’s get those blocks done. Whichever method you choose, enjoy your sewing time. If you try my method I welcome your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment below.

My instructions for Block 4 can be found here.

On the Banyan Facebook page today the blocks are made with my friend Daphne’s Tapa Cloth fabric collection. Daphne has done up some quilt design options using the block with and without sashing, and also as a border around one of her fabulous Tapa Cloth panels – check out her blog post.

See you tomorrow!

Cheers,

Patti

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Time to Quilt Block 3 (and Block 2 too)

10 Apr

Fellow Quilters,

Yesterday was not the best day. I am scrambling to get my Time to Quilt daily blocks done, write the pattern that includes the 3 size options and then get a blog post written to share the pattern with you. My goal is to get everything done at least a day in advance so the pattern is in your Inbox when you start your day, not at dinnertime. I’m hoping to be there by Sunday. Hubby says I’m like a mini tornado tearing around the house. Half-way through dinner last night I realized I had an epic fail on yesterday’s blog post. Did you have a hard time finding my instructions in my blog post yesterday? Of course you did, because I forgot to provide the link. So sorry! This is not supposed to be a “hide-and-seek” kind of thing – the download link is supposed to be quite obvious. Hubby says I need a checklist. Recently I watched a short TED talk video about the importance of checklists and how it reduced deaths during surgery by a whopping 47%. I now have a checklist. Guess what’s on the top of the list? Yup, include the pattern link. I updated yesterday’s post to include the link in not one but 2 places, and I am including it here as well. I’m also going to make it easy for you to find the daily download by placing it at the end of each post in a very obvious spot in addition to earlier references in the post. Now on to today’s block.

Block 3

Block 3 is a pretty 9-patch block with lots of sew-and-flip triangle corners.

Sew-and-flip corners

We place a square in the corner, sew diagonally through the square and trim away the excess fabric in the corner.

Easy peasy! The downside is that it wastes some fabric, unless we keep those trimmed-off corners for another project.

wasted trimmings

It’s a trade-off between accuracy/ease of construction and cost of fabric. When I was working on the calculations for the cutting of my 3 options, I used Northcott/Banyan/FIGO’s pattern for Block 3 as a starting point. The yardage requirements given are “fat ⅛yd or 6 inches”. As a rule, I use a size of 20” x 9” for a fat ⅛, and a size of 40” x 4½” for ⅛yd. I couldn’t cut the required pieces from either of these sizes. I needed a 6” x width-of-fabric strip. But I want to use a fat ⅛, so how can I squeeze the pieces out of it?

A square-in-a-square block replaces sew-and-flip corners in the center of Block 3

I re-gigged the center square to construct it from one smaller on-point square and 4 half-square triangles – a square-in-a-square – so my instructions are once again different than the Northcott, Banyan and FIGO ones on Facebook or Instagram. I also needed my fat ⅛ to measure 21” wide instead of 20”. Because I am using my Vino batiks, this wasn’t a problem. When I am using regular printed cottons, I occasionally use part of the white selvage for my seam allowance (I did this on my super-size Shimmer Block 1).

I used part of the selvage for my seam allowance in my Shimmer Block 1

I just don’t use ALL the selvage. The edge is where the tightness is, and I want to avoid that.

Today’s tip: When sewing the center square-in-a-square block, we align the corner triangles so that they extend ⅜” beyond the top and bottom edges of the square.

The upper and lower tips of the triangle extend 3/8″ beyond edges of square

Our ¼” sewing line starts and ends on the triangle, not at the edge of the block.

Sew with a 1/4″ seam

After adding triangles to opposite edges of the square, I finger-press my seams toward the triangles.

When adding the adjacent triangle it crosses the upper and lower triangles 1/4″ from the right edge for perfect placement.

When I add the triangles to the remaining opposite edges, they are correctly aligned when they cross the previous triangles ¼” from the edge. We saw this with yesterday’s block – when 2 seams cross at opposite angles our ¼” seam goes right through the “V”. If we lay both triangle pieces on the square, the overlapped part in the center will be a square.

The overlapped part is square

If it’s a rectangle, one of the triangles isn’t correctly positioned.

The overlapped part is a rectangle – not good! The triangle on the right is too high.

Here are my finished blocks. The Midsommar block units were SMALL! I slowed my sewing speed right down and took my time with them, and they came out perfect – yay😊

Block 3 is done!

As promised, here is the link to my multi-sized Time to Quilt Block 3.

I’ve got a short checklist for you today:

1) You’ll want to check out my friend Daphne’s blog post today too. She shares some great tips and some pretty layouts for quilts made with today’s block.

2) Share your best blocks for this week on Northcott or Banyan’s Facebook page or on Instagram, tagging FIGO, for a chance to win free fabric! Don’t forget to add #timetoquiltnorthcott, #timetoquiltbanyan or #timetoquiltfigo

We’ll see you back here tomorrow for Block 4. Have a great day!

Cheers,

Patti

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Day 2 of Time to Quilt

9 Apr

Fellow Quilters,

How are you today? Where I am it snowed last night. Just a bit, and it melted quickly so it’s gone now, but this tells me it’s too early to think about planting flowers. I’m glad it was cold enough to snow because Hubby put the balance of our homemade moose lasagna dinner outside to cool down before putting it in the fridge, and we (he) left it out all night. Thankfully the squirrels didn’t find it. Or the deer. Or the coyotes – I think we would have heard the coyotes if they had found it.

My blog posts for the next 23 days will center around the Time to Quilt quilt-along. I’m pretty pumped – in 3 weeks time I’m going to have the blocks for 3 quilts done and ready to be assembled! There’s the wall-hanging/crib-size Midsommar make-it-mini version that is 32” x 41”, the throw-size Vino ice wine version that is 69” x 89”, and the super-sized Shimmer queen version that is a whopping 94” x 118”. Crazy me for doing a quilt for each of Northcott’s divisions AND for making each one a different size block – the standard 9” that the other participants at Northcott are using, the super-sized 12” and the make-it-mini 4½”. What size are you doing? Are you challenging yourself by doing more than 1 size as well? Please leave a comment letting me know – I would love your feedback. Please also share photos of your fabric choices and your blocks – you can email them to me at patti.pattispatchwork@gmail or post them on my Patti’s Patchwork Facebook page.

The link to my instructions that include the 3 size options for Block 1 was in yesterday’s post. If you’re doing the standard 9” option you can also find the instructions on Northcott, Banyan and FIGO’s Facebook and Instagram pages, along with ideas on how to use just the daily block to make a quilt. Some of the quilts are pretty awesome! My good friend and colleague Daphne is also posting daily on her blog using her Tapa Cloth collection. Lots of ideas and inspiration for you.

So let’s get to today’s block. You will find my instructions here. When I design or make a quilt I’m all about simplifying, eliminating unnecessary steps or seams, and making the process more efficient.

Can you see flying geese units?

When I looked at today’s block I saw flying geese units. Can you see them too? While I could make the flying geese unit using 2 half-square triangle blocks, my efficient brain wants to eliminate the center seam connecting the 2 half-square triangle blocks. Looking at today’s block I see 2 light-colored flying geese and 2 dark-coloured flying geese.

The no-waste method of making flying geese units.

My favorite way of doing flying geese is the no-waste method where I use 1 large square for the geese fabric and 4 smaller squares for the sky fabric, resulting in 4 identical flying geese blocks. Now, there are only 2 of each geese in today’s block so this might not work. But wait!

Between the positive and negative blocks there are 4 light and 4 dark geese

In the alternate block there are also 2 light-coloured and 2 dark-coloured flying geese blocks – perfect! We can do this 😊.

Today’s tips: 1) When laying the smaller sky squares on the larger geese square, lay the upper sky square on top of the lower square to prevent the presser foot from getting caught on the leading edge of the lower square.

Position the upper square on top of the lower square

2) My favorite marking tool for drawing on darker fabrics is the Clover white marking pen – it makes a very thin line and disappears with a drop or 2 of water or with a quick swipe of the iron. The line takes 10 seconds to appear so if you mark the line several times in the first 2 seconds thinking it’s not working, you’ll have a REALLY obvious line in 10 seconds. Voice of experience here.

The Clover white marking pen is my favorite way to mark dark fabrics.

3) In step 2 of my instructions, when you lay the sky square on the unit from step 1 the square will be centered between the 2 sky triangles.

The sky square is centered between the 2 sky triangles

I pinned my piece to ensure it stayed correctly aligned as I sewed the seams. Your sewing lines will go right through the “V” where the sky patches intersect. This will give you a perfect ¼” seam allowance between the tip of your geese and the edge of the unfinished unit.

Your sewing lines will go right through the “V” where the sky patches intersect

With my Midsommar blocks I knew I wanted to use some of my gray background in these blocks since they are on the outer edges of my quilt center. Unfortunately the no-waste geese method didn’t work because I did not have 4 of each geese unit in my block.

I had to cut my large and small squares diagonally

I cut my large and small squares diagonally and assembled them the old-fashioned way – it was slower and more tedious.

I made these flying geese units the old-fashioned way – slow!

I much prefer the no-waste method.

Once the geese units were done, I sewed 2 matching units together for the square-in-a-square part of the block, pressing the seam open to reduce bulk, then quickly assembled the block.

Sew 2 matching geese units into a square then sew the block together

Ta da! Another set of blocks done! In case you missed it earlier, the pattern for Block 2 is here.

Block 2 done

Are your quilting peeps joining you in the Time to Quilt quilt-along? You could challenge each other! I invite you to share my blog post with them – the more the merrier 😊

We’ll see you tomorrow for Block 3.

Cheers,

Patti

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Image

Time to Quilt-along!

8 Apr

Fellow Quilters,

Guess what time it is? It’s the Time to Quilt quilt-along organized by my favorite fabric company! Northcott, Banyan Batiks and FIGO Fabrics have put together a fun, no-threads-attached quilt-along to help carry us through the next 24 days of self-isolation. The event starts today and runs through to May 1, with weekly prizes every Friday just for posting your best blocks on the Northcott or Banyan Facebook page, or the FIGO Instagram page. Find the link to the daily pattern on the Facebook/Instagram pages each day. I’ll be using Northcott, Banyan and FIGO fabrics for my blocks and you can use whatever fabrics you want – they don’t even need to be from Northcott/Banyan/FIGO. Now, if you happen to like the fabrics in my blocks I’d be happy to point you in the direction of a quilt shop that purchased them (most shops are offering mail order or drive-by shopping so we can all stay safe and healthy). I’ll also be sharing links to the social media sites of some of my colleagues who are participating as well, so you can see what their blocks look like. We’re all using different fabrics and these quilts are going to look mah-velous!! Christina at FIGO is using Lucky Charms and ColorWorks, fellow Banyan designer Daphne Greig of Patchworks Studio is using her Tapa Cloth collection, Banyan creative director Karen is using various pinks and blacks from Banyan Essentials, Susanne is using Banyan teal Essentials for 1 quilt and Northcott tan & black Basics for another quilt, and Hania is doing Canvas multi-colors.

Vino fabric palette

So, let me explain a bit about MY version of the Time to Quilt quilt-along. I deliberated over which fabrics to use – should I use Northcott, Banyan or FIGO? I am a Banyan designer so I should of course use my Vino fabrics, however the prototype quilt (Susanne’s teal Essentials version) is made with Banyan fabrics.

Banyan Essentials version

My fellow modern quilt guild members expect me to use FIGO (of course!) and I didn’t want to disappoint, however Christina is using Lucky Charms. Perhaps, then, I should use Northcott, though Susanne and Hania are working on Northcott Basics versions. While scouring the shelves of the Northcott sample room my eyes fell upon a stack of luscious, gorgeous, delicious Shimmer samples.

Shimmer fabric palette

Without any self-control I reached out and coveted them. Okay, I admit it – I fondled them, actually. It became apparent that I would do 3 versions of the Time to Quilt quilt-along.

FIGO Midsommar fabric palette

I quickly snapped up some scraps of FIGO’s Midsommar with coordinating Lucky Charms and got to work on my plans.

Vino block 1

The size of the block in the daily pattern link is 9” finished (9½” edge-to-edge). The quilt-along has 24 different blocks and each block is made twice – there is a positive and negative for each, so you cut the exact same pieces from each of 2 fabrics to get 2 positive/negative blocks.

After 24 days, we’ll have (48) 9” blocks, enough to do a 54” x 72” quilt, or 69” x 89” with 1” sashing and 5” borders. To do this 9” version you’ll need (48) ⅛yd pieces or (24) fat ¼’s plus fabric for sashing and border. I think this size would look great with the Vino ice wine collection and I selected 12 different fabrics, ¼ – ½yd of each plus some extra cream border/sashing fabric to use in the blocks as well.

Now, not content to leave well enough alone, I thought “Wouldn’t it be more interesting to do a different size block for each of the 3 versions I’m doing?” If you’ve made any of my patterns, you know I usually include 2-3 size options in each pattern (I like to add value to the pattern). I got out my calculator, opened up my Electric Quilt file for the quilt-along, and played. Each block is a variation of a 9-patch so in the 9” block each “patch” is 3”. What if I increased the “patch” to 4”? By super-sizing the block to 12” and increasing the sashing to 1¼” with a 7¾” border I can make a 93¾” x 118½” quilt. Nice, with nice big blocks! The Shimmer samples would work perfectly for this size, combined with solid black ColorWorks. It will be stunning. For this size option I am using 2 fat¼’s or ½yd of 24 shades from the Shimmer collection, perhaps adding some black in the blocks since the shipping samples are only 14” x width-of-fabric.

What other size options would work? If I reduced my “patch” to 1½” my block would be 4½” for a 27” x 36” quilt, or 32½” x 41½” with a 2¾” border and no sashing. This would make a darling wall quilt or baby quilt. Would this work for the fresh happy Midsommar collection?

Midsommar make-it-mini quilt

The small pieces would definitely challenge my pedal-to-the-metal sewing style, however I’m willing to give it a go. For this size option I have roughly a fat⅛ of 24 fabrics, though some of my fabrics are truly scraps so I will substitute my gray Lucky Charms border fabric in some of the blocks and place those blocks around the perimeter of the quilt before adding the border. I love this quilt!

I have revised the Northcott/Banyan/FIGO instructions to include the super-size 12” block and the make-it-mini 4½” block and you can find them here. Today’s block is easy – 8 half-square triangle units and one square.

Sew 1/4″ each side of the line

We sew these the easy way, by placing 2 squares right sides together drawing a line from corner to corner and stitching ¼” away from each side of the line, then cutting along the line to make 2 half-square-triangle units. I find it is faster and easier to feed these squares under the sewing foot than when I cut the squares into triangles first, then pair up the triangles, especially when I chain-piece them.

Today’s tip: After cutting my 2 fabrics into strips, I paired up a #1 and #2 strip and placed the strips right sides together to cross-cut them into squares. This saves a step!

Stack strips right sides together then cut squares

Chained pairs

Cut along line

Your blocks will be done before you know it 😊. And just like that I have 2 each of my first block done.

Block 1 done!

I’ll see you back here tomorrow for Block #2.

Cheers,

Patti

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Loose ends, free classes, Quilt Candy and a new Quilt-along

5 Apr

Fellow Quilters,

How are you doing? Are you hanging in there? In my neck of the woods further restrictions have been mandated to limit almost all movement outside our homes – travel only to the grocery store or pharmacy and only when necessary, and basically stay at home or away from other people. This kind of redefines cocooning, doesn’t it? Let’s put a positive spin on this. Has your sewing/quilting space become a place of refuge? Mine has! I sewed a dozen masks the other day for an occupational therapist friend who had run out of her regular supply of masks. I used batik for the mask part and non-batik quilting fabric for the ties. My friend was thrilled, reporting that they worked very well. Unfortunately I forgot to snap a photo before I dropped them off at her door. Fortunately I have several containers of batik fat quarters so I have ample fabric for more masks.

This blog post is to tidy up some loose ends and to share a couple of newsy items with you. Did you enjoy the #stayathomeandhop event? Me too. Did you find some new designers to follow? Me too! I subscribed to StitchedbySusan’s newsletter. Today she shared that Bluprint (formerly Craftsy) classes are FREE until April 16 – yay! I’m gonna have to check out what they’ve got, both quilt-wise and non-quilty. I hear tell they have cooking classes too – yum! The other uber-cool event that some of these designers have organized is the Quilt Candy live virtual trunk show – what?!? How?!? Every hour on the hour from noon till 8pm EST from April 1 – 10 a different designer is doing a Facebook live 15-minute trunk show. How sweet is that? We can still get our quilt show fix without leaving home. Here is the full schedule:

April 1 – All Times EST

12pm Andi Stanfield facebook.com/Anditruebluequilts
1pm Nancy Scott facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
2pm Becky Jorgensen https://www.facebook.com/patchworkposse/
3pm Carolina Moore facebook.com/alwaysexpectmoore
4pm Jackie Kunkel https://www.facebook.com/cantonvillagequiltworks/
5pm Connie Jonson Sayler https://www.facebook.com/PacificRimQuiltCompany/
6pm Laura Piland/Slice of Pi Quilts https://www.facebook.com/sliceofpiquilts/
7pm Sandra Starley https://www.facebook.com/TextileTimeTravels
8pm Swan Sheridan www.facebook.com/swanamitystudios

April 2 – All Times EST

12pm Lisa Ruble https://www.facebook.com/LoveToColorMyWorld/
1pm Beth Helfter https://www.facebook.com/EvaPaigeQuiltDesigns/
2pm Diane Bohn/From Blank Pages
3pm Deb Eggers/the cottage rose https://www.facebook.com/cottagerosequilt/
4pm Heidi Pridemore https:/www.facebook.com/thewhimsicalworkshop
5pm Kate Colleran https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/
6pm Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/

April 3 – All Times EST

12pm Darcy Hunter www.facebook.com/darcydoodlequilts
1pm Teresa Weaver www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
2pm Annette Ornelas https://www.facebook.com/southwind.designs/
3pm Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad www.facebook.com/thecraftynomad
4pm Lynn Kane https://facebook.com/puppygirllynn
5pm Geeky Bobbin https://facebook.com/geekybobbin
7pm Laura Strickland https://m.facebook.com/orangeblossomquilt/
8pm Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFabric/

April 4 – All Times EST

12pm Sherry Shish – Powered By Quilting facebook.com/poweredbyquilting
1pm Bill Locke – Bill Locke Designs https://www.facebook.com/bill.locke.96
2pm Toni Smith/Quiltoni https://www.facebook.com/Quiltoni/
3pm Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/
4pm Jennifer Fulton https://www.facebook.com/inquiringquilter/
5pm Jessica Caldwell https://www.facebook.com/desertbloomquilting/
6pm Monique Kleinhans https://www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/
7pm EST Heather Long https://m.facebook.com/Coffee-and-Quilts
8pm EST Marija Vujcic https://www.facebook.com/MaraQuiltDesigns/

April 5 – All Times EST

12pm Ebony Love https://www.facebook.com/LoveBugStudios/
1pm Bill Locke https://www.facebook.com/bill.locke.96
2pm Marlene Oddie https://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts/
3pm Sandy Fitzpatrick https://www.facebook.com/HissyfitzDesigns
4pm Reed Johnson https://www.facebook.com/BlueBearQuilts/
5pm Diane Harris https://www.facebook.com/stashbandit/
7pm Kathryn LeBlanc https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

April 6 – All Times EST

12pm Becca Fenstermaker https://www.facebook.com/prettypiney/
1pm Cherry Guidry https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio
2pm Cheryl Lynch www.facebook.com/CherylLynchFiberArts
3pm Annie Smith https://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs
5pm Reeze Hanson https://www.facebook.com/Morningglorydesigns/
7pm EST Melissa Marginet https://www.facebook.com/melissa.marginet.quilter/

April 7 – All Times EST

12pm Margaret Willingham https://www.facebook.com/EyeoftheBeholderQuilt/
1pm Kate Colleran https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/
2pm Barbara Cline https://www.facebook.com/barbara.cline.520
3pm Barbara Persing https://www.facebook.com/bpquilts/
4pm Sharon Andersen https://www.facebook.com/MsPDesignsUSA/
6pm Sandra Starley https://www.facebook.com/TextileTimeTravels
7pm Diane Harris https://www.facebook.com/stashbandit/
8pm Christa Watson https://www.facebook.com/groups/christaquilts/

April 8 – All Times EST

April 9 – All Times EST

1pm Nancy Scott facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
2pm Jayme Crow https://www.facebook.com/bellanonnadesignstudio/
4pm Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFabric/
5pm Annie Smith https://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs/
6pm Karen L. Miller / Redbird Quilt Co. https://www.facebook.com/RedbirdQuiltCo/
7pm Kathryn LeBlanc https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio
8pm Monique Kleinhans https://www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/

April 10 – All Times EST

12pm Sarah Maxwell https://www.facebook.com/DesignsSarahJMaxwell
1pm Teresa Weaver www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
2pm Karen Overton https://www.facebook.com/TheQuiltRambler
3pm Alison Stothard https://www.facebook.com/hexadoodlequilts
5pm Pat Sloan https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuiltWithPatSloan/
6pm Cherry Guidry https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio
7pm Toni Smith/Quiltoni https://www.facebook.com/Quiltoni/
8pm Marija Vujcic https://www.facebook.com/MaraQuiltDesigns/

You can even watch the earlier ones that have already happened by clicking on the links.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts and comments on my blog posts during the blog tour a week ago. Time to give out some prizes! In my first post I asked for feedback on workshops, and the responses were as varied as the workshops I teach. Sashiko seemed to draw the most votes.

Sashiko close-up

Here is a close-up photo of a project I’m working on. I can’t reveal any details right now but I will in a future post. I’m doing Sashiko with some luscious variegated Eleganza thread from Wonderfil. I find handwork very therapeutic, particularly Sashiko. It becomes rhythmic. The prize up for grabs for this post is a packet of beautiful Botanica fabrics and the winner is Vivian L – congrats!

In the second post I asked what size of quilt you usually make whether it’s for a bed or not. Queen-size seems to be the most popular for beds even though a number of you have king-size beds. Hubby is 6’4” so it’s king-size for me, though I tend to make more queen-size, just like you. Lap-size won out overall, however, as the most popular size. In this post I also shared pics of my Covered Buttons quilt on the cover of McCall’s Quilting magazine. I had numerous emails about it this week so I thought I’d whip up some alternate color options to whet your appetite in case turquoise doesn’t fit your décor.

Covered Buttons options

I’m rather smitten with the charcoal/magenta option combining Dream Weaver with Northcott’s Dublin linen-look texture, though the charcoal/acid is a close second. Which one do you prefer? So, the recipient of the packet of Dream Weaver fabrics is Gloria M – congrats!

In the third post you told me which style of quilts you like to make. For the most part you are traditional however you are being tempted by modern – yay! Me too!! Maybe we’re all sisters from another mister. And you tend to be intermediate skill-wise – good for you! You should have no problem with some of the modern designs I see out there – some of them definitely require an intermediate skill level. So, a packet of ethereal Swept Away fabrics will shortly be on its way to Cathy B – congrats!

In the final post you shared your favorite sewing/quilting tips, and there were some great tips. If you haven’t had a chance to read them, take a look here. I take quilting classes every chance I get because there is always something new to learn, a better way to do something, or an idea I hadn’t thought of before. If I can learn one thing from a class, in my mind it was worth the price of admission. One of my favorite parts of my Taste of Napa Valley book is the “A Few Notes” section where I share 4 pages of tips and suggestions.

A Taste of Napa Valley and tempranillo fabrics

A copy of the book and a packet of Vino tempranillo is going out to Delaine – congrats!

So, what’s on my agenda for the next week? Ohhh… I’m super-excited to share that Northcott has organized a Time to Quilt quilt-along designed by Northcott sales manager Stephanie Prescott.

It runs for 24 days from April 8 through May 1 so I will be posting every day with my versions of blocks from Northcott, Banyan Batiks and FIGO Fabrics. I’d love for you to join me as we create a 48-block quilt with fabrics of our choice. You can use your stash, though of course I’ll be using Northcott/Banyan/FIGO. Some fellow Northcott/Banyan/FIGO staffers will be joining me. We’ll need about 1/8yd of 48 fabrics (or 1/4yd of 24 fabrics). If you run out of fabrics (hahahahahaha – that’s your husband/dog/cat laughing hysterically) I bet your local quilt shop can arrange a delivery. Mine can – a shout-out to Michelle at Simcoe Sew & Quilt, Sue at Thimbles & Things, John at All About Sewing, and Shannon & Cynthia at Country Concessions. I’ll give you a couple days to clean off your cutting table, finish up your current project and gather your fabrics, then I’ll see you back here on Wednesday. PS. There are weekly prizes. Let’s do it together!

Cheers,

Patti

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Still Staying at home and hopping – Dips, Tips and Sips

30 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

Congratulations! We made it to the 4^th and final post of the #stayathomeandhop virtual hop. I hope you have enjoyed this event as much as I have as we isolate ourselves in our homes. It’s been great chatting with you and getting your feedback on a variety of quilting topics – thanks to each of you who have taken the time to post a comment. PS. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late – simply leave a comment on Saturday’s blog, Tuesday’s blog and Friday’s blog (on each day I asked for feedback on a particular topic) and your name will go into the pot for some fab free stuff. If you’ve just popped over from another blog, welcome! Go ahead and check out those earlier posts – I’ll wait. 😊 While you’re at it, why not sign up for my blog (over on the right) and my newsletter (scroll to the bottom), and follow me on Facebook. My regulars will confirm I post once in a blue moon, though the plan going forward is to post once a month. There – I’ve put it in writing so now I’m committed.

Did you find some creative new pattern designers? I have the names and websites of the last 9 designers to share with you, including the designer who organized this event – hats off to Linda Sullivan of Colourwerx. I quilted Linda’s Mod TV and Spikey patterns for Northcott’s Quiltcon booth 2 years ago. If you have enjoyed this blog tour please hop over to Linda’s blog and leave a comment letting her know. Also a shout-out to my friend Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream, who mentored me when I set up my website. Kate’s Braid template is the bomb!

DaySpring Quilt Company https://www.dayspringquiltcompany.com

Ms P Designs, USA https://www.mspdesignsusa.com

Stitchin’ at Home http://www.stitchinathome.com

Sew Joy Creations https://www.sewjoycreations.com

Ships & Violins https://www.shipsandviolins.com

Your Sewing Friend https://www.etsy.com/shop/yoursewingfriend

The Geeky Bobbin https://www.geekybobbin.com

Colourwerx Designs https://www.colourwerx.com

Kate Colleran Designs https://www.seamslikeadream.com

Alrighty, let’s get to the 4 things I’m sharing with you during the #stayathomeandhop tour – a newsy item, a quilting tip, an easy tasty recipe from my personal collection and a chance for free stuff.

Today’s newsy item is my newest pattern, Arctic Adventures, just added to my website today.

Working on piecing Arctic Adventures

I spent the past few days testing the pattern and getting as far as I could with the bits of fabric that I “borrowed” from Northcott’s sample room.

Just missing the outer border

The collection is Arctic Wonders designed by the inimitable Barbara Lavallee, an Alaskan artist with a fabulous sense of humor. I met Barbara at a quilt shop in Juneau several years ago and have been a fan ever since.

PC192 Snow Much Fun & PC240 Quilting with Mama

I have designed patterns with 2 previous collections by Barbara (PC192 Snow Much Fun and PC240 Quilting with Mama) and I jumped at the opportunity to work with Arctic Wonders. Since the fabric has polar bears on it, I included some Bear’s Paw blocks and selectively placed them around the fantastic center panel. Alternate snowball blocks use the pre-printed 10” cameo motifs.

PC251 Arctic Adventures

By alternating these 2 blocks I reduced the number of Bears Paw blocks required, making this quilt faster and easier.

Arctic Adventures twin size

On the largest size option in the pattern I placed Bears Paw blocks in the outer corners of the border. In these 4 blocks I replaced half the background with the border fabric – what a difference it makes!

outer corner Bear Paw blocks

It adds so much interest to these blocks and to the quilt – the splash of light in the corners keeps the viewer’s eye travelling around the quilt instead of focusing on the center.

Today’s quilting tip relates to the inner border on this quilt, included on the throw and twin sizes. Instead of using single strips of fabric for this border I made narrow blocks and added sew-and-flip dark triangles to pair up with the snowball corners of the pre-printed 10” blocks. It completes these elements of the quilt. The other reason I didn’t do single strips in this border is because the fabric used in this border is directional. To have the bears in the design correctly aligned I would have to cut lengthwise strips approximately 65” long and use only a portion of the width-of-fabric.

Cutting the directional polar bear fabric

By using blocks instead, I could cut several shorter lengthwise pieces from the width of fabric. As a result, I need only 1⅛yds of fabric instead of 2yds. So, long story short, if you have a fabric that is directional and you want to use it in a border, make that border a pieced border instead of a plain border.

Have you had a chance to try any of the recipes I’ve shared so far? I asked Hubby to choose today’s recipe and he suggested I select one from my A Taste of Napa Valley quilt book I wrote several years ago.

Napa cover and index

This book includes patterns for 14 quilt projects based on wines from the Napa region and a recipe to go with each wine. The index of the book lists the quilts and the recipes. My copy of my book lives with my cookbooks and is well-used.

Feta Cheese Dip (it’s almost addictive)

Feta Cheese Dip

8 oz. (250g) cream cheese, softened

4tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream

6 oz (200g) feta cheese, crumbled

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed. Great with thin crackers (Crispers, Wheat Thins, etc.) or raw veggies.

Now for the free stuff. Let’s all participate in this 😊. I want to know your favorite sewing/quilting tip. Leave a comment below sharing your tip. Your name will be entered to win a copy of A Taste of Napa Valley and a bundle of my Vino fabric collection, designed for Banyan Batiks. In your comment please tell me which of the 3 colorways you would like should your name be selected. I will randomly draw 1 winner. Please pop back in a day or so to see the comments left by everyone. I will draw for the prizes for all 4 blog posts on April 4^th so please post all comments by April 3^rd.

It has been a pleasure hopping with you – thanks for following along with me as you practice social distancing. Stay safe and healthy!

See you soon,

Patti

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Hopping with P’s – Pet comments, Panel Pizzazz and pecan pie

27 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

How is everyone doing? Are you adjusting to our new normal? Well, maybe it’s not so normal to be working from home. On Facebook the other day I saw a hilarious post about what your dog might say to you during coronavirus vs. what your cat might say. Dog: OHMYGOSH YOU’RE HERE ALL DAY AND THIS IS THE BEST AS I CAN LOVE YOU AND SEE YOU AND BE WITH YOU AND FOLLOW YOU AND I AM SO HAPPY AND EXCITED BECAUSE YOU ARE THE GREATEST AND I LOVE YOU BEING HERE SO MUCH… Cat: (annoyed) What the heck are you still doing here? Hubby and I don’t have pets however many of our friends do so I can relate to this post.

Welcome back to my 3^rd of 4 posts in the #stayhomeandhop quilt designer virtual blog tour. If you’ve been with me since the first post last Saturday, you know I’ve got lots of stuff to share with you. If you’ve left a comment on either of my first 2 posts, thank you! It makes my day to read your comments, AND you’re entered into the draws. If you haven’t, there’s still time – pop over to Saturday’s post and leave a comment for a chance to win some gorgeous Botanica fabric, and do the same on Tuesday’s post for a chance to win a copy of McCall’s Quilting May/June issue and some luscious Dream Weaver fabric. If you’re visiting from one of the other bloggers in the tour, welcome! I hope you enjoy your visit and choose to subscribe to my blog (on the right toolbar), my newsletter (scroll to the bottom) and/or follow me on Facebook.

Today I get to introduce you to 10 more designers. You may already know some of them, and you may find a new favorite (you may need to click on their Blog tab to see their posts):
Bequilter https://www.beaquilter.com/shop
Presto Avenue Designs https://www.prestoavenuedesigns.com
Cheryl Lynch Quilts https://www.cheryllynchquilts.com
Love to Color My World https://www.lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com
Hissyfitz Designs https://www.hissyfitzdesigns.com
Canton Village Quilt Works https://www.cvquiltworks.com/blogs/blog
Anjeanette Klinder Designs http://www.anjeanettek.com
Pat Sloan – The Voice of Quilting https://www.blog.patsloan.com
Said With Love https://www.saidwithlove.com.au
Orange Blossom Quilt Design https://www.orangeblossomquilt.com

During this blog tour I’m sharing 4 things with you – a newsy item, a quilting tip, a tasty recipe from my collection, and a chance for free stuff.

My newsy item today is – drum roll – another cover quilt! This time it’s on the cover of Keepsake Quilting’s latest catalog.

My PC250 Panel Pizzazz quilt on the cover of Keepsake Quilting catalog

My heart skipped a beat when I saw it. This quilt is from my Panel Pizzazz pattern using Northcott’s ethereal Swept Away collection by Melanie Samra and Deborah Edwards, shipping to quilt shops as we speak. This dreamy collection features not one but 2 ombre fabrics and I have used both in this quilt. The center is a selvage-to-selvage print that is almost an ombre, and it’s running yardage instead of a panel to make it suitable for so many quilts and projects. Fellow designer Brenda of Among Brenda’s Quilts used it in her nesting round bags pattern shown on page 3 of the catalog.

Keepsake Quilting page 2-3 with Panel Pizzazz Option #3 and Brenda’s bags

My pattern contains 3 design options, and Option #3 is shown on page 2 (it’s Quilts of Valor size). This is such a versatile pattern and looks great with just about any 24” x 42” panel or panel-type print. Here are some examples in other fabric collections.

Panel Pizzazz options made with different collections

My quilting tip for today relates to my Panel Pizzazz Option #3 design. Notice that the flying geese are only used in part of the inner light blue border and part of the outer taupe border. The rest part of each border is large chunks of background fabric. I used this technique when I don’t want to figure out the math of how many blocks I need and how big the quilt center needs to be to prevent me from ending up with ½-blocks. It’s also much faster to piece fewer blocks. Notice also that the geese in the inner border are in the upper left and lower right corners and the geese in the outer border are in the upper right and lower left corners. This adds interest to the quilt and keeps the viewer’s eye travelling around the quilt.

Today’s recipe is a special one – today is Hubby’s birthday. His birthday “cake” is always homemade pecan pie, chockfull of pecans (not just on the top) and runny filling – it’s gotta be runny.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie
4 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup golden corn syrup
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2½ – 3 cups pecans halves
One 9” deep pie crust or 10” flan-style pie crust, unbaked

Reserve ½ cup pecan halves for decorating pie. Coarsely chop remaining pecans and pour into pastry-lined shell.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour into shell. Arrange remaining pecans around edge of filling.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400° then 20-30 minutes at 325°. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Serves 10.

Because Hubby’s pie isn’t made yet I borrowed the pie photo from lexiscleankitchen – bonus! The recipe over on Lexi’s site is gluten-free.

Today’s free stuff: Let’s get to know each other a little better. What type of quilter are you? Traditional, contemporary, modern, art? What skill level are you at? Beginner, confident beginner, intermediate, or advanced? Do you quilt by hand, machine or check? Please leave a comment below for a chance to win a packet of dreamy Swept Away fabrics. Good luck! In the meantime, please hop on over to the other blogger’s sites, stay safe and healthy at home and I’ll see you back here on Monday March 30 with another tip, recipe and free stuff.

Cheers,

Patti

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24 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

How are you doing? If you’re one of my regular peeps you’re thinking “What?!?!? Two blog posts in 3 days? Did that girl fall and bump her head?!? She normally blogs once every 4-6 months”. Pretty much true, I have to admit. (If you’re not a subscriber yet you can sign up on the sidebar 😊) Well, the reason for this post is the Stay at Home and Hop

that I’m participating in – it started March 21 and runs until March 31, with posts every 3 days from 40 fabulous quilt designers. Here is the list of the next 10 designers (you may need to click on their blog button to see their post):

Studio R Quilts https://www.studiorquilts.com
Toadally Quilts https://www.toadallyquilts.com
From Blank Pages https://www.fromblankpages.com
Cotton Street Commons http://www.cottonstreetcommons.com
Puppy Girl Designs http://www.puppygirldesigns.com
Phoebe Moon Quilt Designs https://www.facebook.com/phoebemoondesgins
The Devoted Quilter https://www.devotedquilter.com
Christa Quilts https://www.christaquilts.com
Stitched by Susan http://www.stitchedbysusan.com
Tamarinis https://www.tamarinis.com

If you’ve just hopped over from another blog, WELCOME! You might want to take a look at my blog post from March 21 – hint: there’s free stuff there. You can also sign up for my newsletter here (scroll to the bottom of the page) or follow me on Facebook here.

So, this fun virtual Hop was created to give quilters everywhere a quilty fix without having to leave the safety of our homes. Like everyone I know, Hubby and I are holed up in our home, only venturing outside for a brisk walk, waving to the neighbors from the other side of the street. Quilting has been my happy diversion these past few weeks, and I have enough in my sewing room to continue uninterrupted until June – 2021 that is! I know I’m not alone here – hands up if you also have a few (dozen) projects – UFO’s, not-even-started’s, etc. – to keep you going for the next year. Hands up if you also go looking for a particular item in your sewing room, find 3 long-forgotten UFO’s, pull them out to pet them, swoon over them, dream about making them, then realize an hour later that you still haven’t found the item you started looking for. Yup, me too. We’re in this together. That’s why my friend Jody Houghton calls us the Sisterhood of Quilters.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m including 4 things in each of my #stayathomeandhop posts: something newsy, a quilting tip, a mouth-watering easy comfort-food recipe from my personal cookbook, and free stuff. Let’s get started, shall we?

Today’s newsy item is jump-up-and-down exciting. Drum roll please!!! My Covered Buttons quilt is on the cover of the current (May/June) issue of McCall’s Quilting 😊😊.

Covered Buttons on the cover of McCall’s May/June issue

It is made with Northcott’s Dream Weaver collection of textures and ombres. Oh, how I love ombres! The gradual shading from dark to light mesmerizes me.

This design started in February 2019 when I received the digital files from Northcott. I loaded the files into EQ8 (Electric Quilt) and start playing. Normally I design 1 quilt from a collection, or sometimes 2 if it really inspires me. With this collection I kept thinking “Oh, but I could also do THIS with it, and THAT with it”. It was so easy to manipulate the ombre fabric in EQ8 to create a myriad of effects. After 6 quilts I had to force myself to step away from my laptop. Two of the designs

PC244 Illusion & PC245 Shadow Squares

–PC244 Illusion bargello and PC245 Shadow Squares – were selected by Northcott. When the submission call for quilts came out from McCalls in September I jumped at the opportunity to send one of the remaining designs. I was thrilled when it was accepted. I was away when the fabric came in so my colleague Susanne perfectly pieced it and long-armer Ruth Quinn of Stitching Impressions worked her magic on it. Isn’t it fabulous?

Covered Buttons by Patti Carey

It uses only 3 fabrics – light turquoise for the light circles, dark turquoise for the dark circles and binding, and turquoise ombre for the entire background. Can you believe it’s all from 1 fabric?!? How cool is that!?! Now, I know you’re wondering where you can get your hands on a copy of the May/June issue of McCall’s. It shipped to subscribers March 12 and will be on newsstands March 26. You’re also asking yourself where you can find the Dream Weaver fabric. Let me help you with that. As with all Northcott, Banyan and FIGO collections you can use the Product Finder on the Northcott or FIGO website – simple enter the name of a collection, click on the link and find the Product Finder icon on the right-hand toolbar. The very best feature of the Product Finder is that you can search for a shop that has the exact pieces that you want. So handy and helpful!

Today’s quilting tip is one that I include in most of my patterns and will come in handy when you make Covered Buttons – you will use this when you sew the light and dark triangles into columns. Tip for aligning patches for sewing:

aligning triangle patches

When you have 2 patches to be sewn together and they are sloped at opposite 45° angles, they are correctly aligned when they meet at the ¼” seam line as shown at right.

When you have 2 patches to be sewn together and only one is sloped at a 45° angle, they are correctly aligned at the top when they meet ⅜” from the edge as shown at far right. However, sew them together with a ¼” seam. I’ll throw in another tip: Just because something is done a certain way in a pattern doesn’t mean you have to do it that way. Case in point: Looking at the Covered Buttons quilt I noticed that Susanne appliqued the circles using turned applique instead of fusing them. That is, she added ¼” seam allowance and turned the edges under to invisibly machine-applique them in place.

Today’s recipe is an old standby in our house and usually provides leftovers for lunch the next day, depending on how many sons come for dinner.

Creamy Chicken & Rice

Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with Pam/non-stick spray.
Combine (1) 10 oz can cream of mushroom or chicken soup, 1 cup milk and ½ – 1 tsp herb of your choice (paprika, Italian seasoning, sage, garlic, etc) and pour into dish.
Sprinkle ¾ cup uncooked long grain rice over soup.
Place 4 boneless chicken breasts or equivalent (I like to use 1½ – 2lbs boneless thighs) over rice.
Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40 – 45 minutes.

Today’s free stuff: I have an extra copy of the McCall’s May/June issue and will throw in some fat ¼’s of Dream Weaver. For a chance to win this, please leave a comment on my blog telling me the size of quilt you usually make (runner, wall, crib, lap, bed) and the size you usually make for a bed (twin, double, queen, king). I will randomly select one respondent to receive the magazine and Dream Weaver fabric pack. If you haven’t commented on last Saturday’s post yet, head over there now for a chance to win there too.

Thanks for stopping by, have fun staying home and hopping, and please stay safe and healthy.

Cheers,

Patti

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Welcome to #stayathomeandhop

21 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

Woo-hoo! Today is Day 1 of the Stay at Home and Hop virtual tour of 40 uber-talented pattern designer’s blogs/websites. Over the course of the next 10 days I’ll be posting 4 times and providing you with a list of 9-10 other designers to check out. You’ll get a new list in each post, and 3 days to go through the list at your leisure for a dose of inspiration – these are savvy designers and you may know some of them already!

Today’s post includes:

Lone Star Pattern Works https://www.lonestarpatternworks.com

Cottage Rose Quilt Patterns https://www.cottagerosequiltshop.com

The Cloth Parcel https://www.theclothparcel.com

Faith and Fabric https://www.faithandfabricdesign.com

Linen Closet Designs http://www.linenclosetdesigns.com

Designs by Sarah J https://www.designsbysarahj.com

Rona the Ribbiter Quilts https://www.ronatheribbiter.com

Quilt Fox Designs https://www.quiltfox-design.com

Seam to Be Sew https://www.seamstobesew.com

You may want to go back and visit their blogs/websites again during the Hop to see what else they’ve posted. You might even subscribe to their blog/newsletter or follow them on Facebook. While you’re at it, if you’re not already following my Patti’s Patchwork Facebook page, you can hop over to do that, and subscribe to my blog here or newsletter here (scroll down to the bottom).

Here’s what you can expect from my 4 blog posts: – a bit of newsy stuff on what I’ve been up to lately, mostly quilt-related

– a quilting tip or trick. I’ve been quilting for almost 30 years now (I started when I was 3 – hahaha) and teaching quilting for about 20 years so I’ve gleaned a few nuggets during that time.

-a tasty comfort-food recipe to tide you through these stay-at-home times. I like cooking almost as much as I like quilting, and I must admit I’m pretty good at it. These are recipes I make regularly that have become family favorites. I’m sharing them with you ‘cause you’re my quilting family 😊.

– free stuff! As if free recipes and free quilting tips aren’t enough, I’ve got free fabric up for grabs. Not just any fabric, no, it’s Northcott fabric! The good stuff!! You’re going to have to work for it though. I’m looking for feedback on something and you’re going to post your feedback comment on my blog. I’ll randomly select 1 (or 2 if I get a lot of responses) to receive free fabric. Shall we get started? Yes, let’s do it!

I am super-thrilled to have my E-Z Miter and lone star tool E-Z Miter lo-rez featured in the May/June issue of McCall’s Quilting, on newsstands March 27. Let me give you a bit of background on this mini tool with mighty benefits. On the way home from a Borders & Binding workshop I taught to the Sarnia guild last April I was pondering how I could make mitered borders easier to mark – the students really got the concept of pre-cutting the mitered angles prior to sewing them on the quilt. They struggled, however, with marking the spots to start and stop sewing them. I came up with the idea of a small angled template with precisely drilled holes, and that is how the E-Z Miter tool came to be. It includes detailed instructions on fool-proof mitered borders as well as instructions on using the tool for lone star/Lemoyne star blocks/quilts as well. Simply place the tool in the inner angled corner of your mitered border to mark the exact spot to start and stop sewing. Use the square corner to mark the quilt or block, then connect the two dots for perfect foolproof mitered corners. Easy peasy! I even have a how-to YouTube video here. I demonstrated the tool to McCall’s editor Lori Baker last Fall at Quilt Market and gave her one to try at her leisure. Word on the street is that she now uses it regularly – yay Lori – and asked that it be featured in the Fresh Picks section of nifty new quilty stuff. E-Z Miter tool featured in McCall's May-June '20 Fresh Picks lo-rez

So, how do get your hands on one of these awesome gadgets? So glad you asked! You can find them at select shops or through my website here. They retail for $10.50 Canadian (roughly $8 US, though with the plummeting Canadian dollar they’re getting cheaper by the minute ☹). Now, Canada Post (I’m Canadian eh) does not let me ship these to the US for less than a parcel rate of $9 (ack!). However, for the next 2 months I have arranged a special shipping rate for my American quilty friends – enter the code EZMcCalls at checkout for $5 off. A shout-out to my friend Sara of Ladeebug Design for helping me with this. To entice you further, I’ve written a free pattern just for you that uses the E-Z Miter tool for the mitered border and the star. The Botanica Lone Star quilt is 41” square and features Northcott’s new Botanica collection including a gorgeous lengthwise floral stripe, used in the border of the quilt. Enjoy!

Now we get to the quilt tip part of my post. When I am piecing a quilt such as the Botanica Lone Star, I press my background seams toward the star – what?!?!?! Yes, because I am already thinking how I want to quilt this beauty. I have meticulously pieced that star and I want it to pop, so I am going to stitch in the ditch around the star, in the background if I have pressed the seams toward the star. My favorite pressing tool is the Clover Hera Marker and I have a quick video on Northcott’s site of how I use this uber-handy gadget. That’s two tips!

Now for the recipe – it’s a dessert because my motto is “Eat dessert first” or at least scope out what dessert is so I can save room for it.

Chocolate Orange Mousse

Melt….. 4oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Remove from heat and add… 3 egg yolks

Beat until thickened then add… 6tbsp softened butter

1tbsp orange liqueur (Gran Marnier or Cointreau)

½tsp vanilla

Separately, beat until stiff… 3 egg whites
Fold ¼ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold the chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites. Spoon into 4 dishes and chill for 30 minutes.

Now for the giveaway. I’ve got a bundle of Botanica waiting to be made into a Botanica Lone Star quilt. For your chance to win it, visit the Workshops tab on my website and post a comment below telling me which workshop you’d like to take.

Thanks for stopping by, have fun and please stay safe and healthy.

Cheers,

Patti

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“Stay at Home and Hop” coming your way

20 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

Well, it has been many moons since we chatted, and I have so much to share with you. I hope to be doing just that over the next 10 days as I participate in a quilt designer blog hop – the Stay at Home and Hop event.

#stayathomeandhop

Our lives have been turned upside down the past few weeks as Covid-19 has spread worldwide with lightening speed. Quilting events everywhere have been cancelled – both of my local guilds have cancelled their upcoming meetings and workshops until further notice. What to do? Quilters are a resourceful group and have taken to the world wide web for their quilty fix.

Enter the Stay at Home and Hop virtual quilt tour of 40 talented designers sharing their tips, new stuff and maybe a few free goodies along the way. The Hop runs from March 21 – 31 with links to new designers’ sites every 3 days and promises to be a great diversion while we hunker down in the safety of our sewing space. In my blog posts I will be sharing stuff I’ve done lately (newsy things), a favorite recipe that is easy to make and tastes great (since restaurant dining is not an option – I will even include one or two gluten-free recipes for Pat K and Pat T. Full disclosure: I like cooking almost as much as quilting and am quite good at it), a quilting tip, and a chance for some free stuff. Free stuff is the best!

I invite you to come along with me to find a few new-to-us designers, some great ideas, some new gourmet recipes and lots of inspiration. I’ll be looking for comments and feedback for the free stuff so don’t be shy. The comments make me feel like you’re right there in the seat beside me on this adventure. You are my virtual quilting peeps! Let’s do this together!!

See you tomorrow,

Cheers,

Patti