Fellow Quilters,

Wow!  It is August already – the summer months are flying by, and it is time for another edition of Quilt Block Mania, organized by Carolina at Always Expect Moore.  Summers mean warmer weather and fun outdoor activities such as picnics and barbeques, and that just happens to be the theme of this month’s QBM.  Yay for easy breezy summer cooking!

The color palette this month is soft red, light peach, limeade, dark gunmetal blue and pale putty.  When you combine these shades with a picnic/bbq theme, what do you get?!?  Well, I thought of…

Shish Kebabs!  Yep, cubes of tasty pork, juicy orange peppers and zucchini, grilled to perfection.  Pass the tziktziki please!

Beef kebabs

Then I thought “Those beef kebabs are actually brown, not red, so let’s do veggie kebabs!”  I replaced the red beef cubes with red peppers and cherry tomatoes marinated in Greek salad dressing.  Great!

Veggie kebabs

Then for a change, I thought “Can we do shrimp kebabs?”  Why not!  Salmon-colored shrimp with red and green peppers.  Shrimp on the barbie are dee-lish!  Brush them with garlic butter as they’re cooking.

Grilled shrimp kebabs

But wait, there’s more… I saved the best for last.  You guessed it – fruit kebabs!  Watermelon or strawberries, combined with cantaloupe or peach or mango, and honeydew melon or green grapes.  So many options!  Yes, fruit kebabs are the perfect picnic take-along.

Fruit and cheese kebabs

Whichever flavor you prefer, I’ve got the Kebabs pattern

Kebabs block pattern by Patti’s Patchwork

for you.  It is my modern abstract take on kebabs – fresh and fun!  This one is pretty quick and easy, just like summer cooking.  You can download it here. I used some tantalizing batiks from Banyan Batik’s Essentials, then threw in some peach-colored Carnivale by Linda Hahn, a bit of citrus Codes & Circuits and sizzling red Bouncing Balls.

It makes a terrific runner!

A 4-block 48″ x 12″ runner looks fun and fresh!

This month 14 other designers have also designed free blocks using this theme and palette.  You can find their blocks at the links here:

Hamburger Block at Always Expect Moore
Popsicle Picnic at Slice of Pi Quilts
Picnic in the Park
Let’s Fly a Kite at PhoebeMoon Designs
Picnic by Inquiring Quilter
Picnic Bouquet by Blue Bear Quilts
Kebabs at Patti’s Patchwork
BeeHive by Mom and Me Quilting Co.
Picnic Basket at The Quilting Room with Mel
Watermelon Wedge from QuiltFabrication
Labor Day Picnic
I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing
Picnic Fun at Perkins Dry Goods
“Cheers!” at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Lemonade FPP Block at Penny Spool Quilts

And here is a super-easy tasty recipe for a dip to go with fruit kebabs.

Fruit Dip

Prepare one 4-serving box of instant pudding with only 1 cup of milk.  Add ¼ cup liquor and half of a large container of Cool Whip.  Chill until set, approx. 30 minutes.  Good combinations:  vanilla pudding with peach or raspberry schnapps, chocolate pudding with Kahlua or crème de cacao (ask me how I know).

If you missed my blog post on August 1, pop on over to it for more free block ideas and mushroom tips.  And please hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss news about a couple other cool things happening this month.

See you soon,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is August 1 and that means another free block in the Monthly Color Challenge!  If you’re hopping over from Jen Shaffer’s 2021 Monthly Color Challenge, a warm welcome to you!  Feel free to browse through earlier posts and pop back in on August 3 for my post that’s part of the Quilt Block Mania monthly blog tour (can you say “free quilt blocks”?!?). If you hit that Subscribe button on the right you’ll get my quilty tips and tricks automatically when I post.  You can also subscribe to my newsletter at www.pattispatchwork.com for insider info on new patterns and subscriber-only specials – the link is at the bottom of the website main page.

So, fellow pattern designer Jen over at Patterns by Jen has been hosting a Monthly Color Challenge for a while now.  This year’s challenge is based on fruit and vegetable colors and includes a free block each month in both a 12” and 6” option – hop on over to Patterns by Jen to download the pattern and even watch the handy video on how to create the monthly block.  Each block pattern is free for that month, after which it can be downloaded from Jen’s site for a very small fee.

August’s theme is mushrooms, and the color palette is taupe-ish, just like cremini mushrooms.

August’s 12″ block in Stonehenge Gradations Onyx shades

Similar to mushrooms, it comes in a larger and smaller size – think “button” and “portabello”.  I put the block into my Electric Quilt EQ8 designing program – it was super quick to draw, with just 4 flying geese.  Then I downloaded some mushroom-colored Stonehenge Gradations fabrics from Northcott’s website and started playing.

To make my 6” block the same size as my 12” block I simply put four 6” blocks together.

Four of August’s 6″ blocks sewn together to make a 12″ block

Initially I thought this block was ho-hum but boy, was I surprised when I put it into a 48” x 60” 20-block lap quilt!  It is a workhorse of a block!!  It is a “come from behind to win the race” type of block.  Let’s take a look at the 6 variations I made.

Version #1 has alternating large and small blocks.

Version #1 – alternating large and small blocks with one type of mushroom (one color)

In version #2 I tossed in more cremini mushrooms (added darker brown),

Version #2

and in version #3 I rotated the small blocks.

Version #3

In version #4 I used just the large blocks, rotating every other block – wow!  Look at those cool spinning stars that are created where the blocks meet!

Version #4 – all 12″ blocks, with half of them rotated

In version #5 I used just the large blocks, keeping all blocks vertically aligned.

Version #5, with the illusion of shading

This gives the effect of a vertical strip quilt and I am really liking the illusion of shading created by the light and dark triangles.

For my last version (#6) I replaced one column of large blocks with small blocks – the shading illusion is still there and the quilt has even more interest.

Version #6 with some 6″ blocks included

So many good options!

Jen has rounded up some of her pattern-designing friends to show their version of the monthly block and also to share a tasty recipe using the monthly ingredient. Hop on over to the other blogger’s sites to see what they’ve done with this month’s block and to get their fave mushroom recipes:

Jen at Patterns by Jen
Andi at True Blue Quilts

Anja at Anja Quilts
Sandra at Utah Quilt Appraiser
Raylee at Sunflower Stitcheries
Crystal at Daybrook Designs
Ashli at Quilt 2 End ALZ
Kate at Katie Mae Quilts

And pop over to Patterns by Jen for your chance at one or more of these awesome prizes being offered this quarter – simply make a block and post a pic in the link-up by the end of the month to be eligible for these prizes:

So, let’s talk about mushrooms!  I fried some up last night to have with a BBQ’d steak dinner – so delicious! I’ll share my go-to mushroom tips with you.

1)  Don’t wash the mushrooms – they are like sponges and will absorb so much water.  To clean them, simply wipe them with a damp paper towel.

2)  Saute them without any butter until they release their liquid.  Then add some butter and minced fresh garlic for the last 3-5 minutes.

3) Add a splash of sherry at the very end and give them a quick stir.  This elevates sauteed mushrooms to the next level.

My other mushroom tip comes from a beyond-gourmet pasta dish that I had at a hole-in-the-wall trattoria 12 years ago in Gubbio, in the heart of Umbria Italy, renowned for truffles.  The dish was very simple – linguini in a mushroom sauce – but the flavor was out of this world!  In fact, I still salivate at the thought of that memorable meal.  The secret was truffles, and I  sought out truffle oil in the next town to add to my pantry.  Thankfully it is readily available in most grocery stores in my area, and I would recommend storing it in a cool area to preserve it.  It is quite pungent – just a bit will fully flavor your dish – but what a flavor!   A small bottle goes a long way.  Here is a recipe that most closely resembles the epic pasta I devoured that day.

Creamy Tagliatelli with Bacon, Mushrooms and Truffle Oil by Vikalinka

Buon appetito!

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today’s post is short and sweet – just long enough to share my monthly contribution to Quilt Block Mania, and the links to the other designers’ blocks.  If you’re popping over from another participating blogger’s site, welcome to Patti’s Patchwork!

So, each month Carolina at Always Expect Moore selects a theme and a color palette and invites quilt pattern designers to create a 12” finished block using the theme and palette.  This month, 18 designers were inspired to create a block with a “travel” theme.  Here are the links to everyone’s blog posts and their blocks:

Bridge Quilt block by Carolina Moore
Lucky is on the road again at Puppy Girl Designs
Scenic Route by Slice of Pi Quilts
Travel to the Woods by Oh Kaye Quilting
Embark by Inquiring Quilter
Delectable Mountains at PhoebeMoon Designs
Treasure Chest Star by Blue Bear Quilts
Wanderlust by Heidi Pridemore
On the Water by Patti’s Patchwork
Come Sail Away by Mom and Me Quilting Co.
Wish You Were Here at Pretty Piney Quilts
Pack It Up by QuiltFabrication
Me and Bobby McGee at Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
Wild Blue Yonder at Perkins Dry Goods
Take a Hike by Devoted Quilter
Into the Blue at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
T-Shirt Fun at The Quilting Room with Mel
Stitch and Flip Mountain Block

Hubby and I like to cruise.  We have also been on a few sailing vacations, so I chose sailboats for my block.

On the Water block for July’s Quilt Block Mania – Travel theme

It’s called On the Water, and I used Northcott’s Toscana suede-like texture for my palette.  This block incorporates a bit more piecing than most of my blocks, with the inclusion of the larger and smaller sailboat.  I love the effect, however, in a quilt layout.  Here I’ve used it in a vertical strip quilt.  Fun!!

On the Water block used in a 48″ x 60″ vertical strip quilt

It would also make a great toss cushion.  You can download the pattern here.

Have you been sailing?  Perhaps you prefer a motorboat.  Or another mode of transportation when you travel.  Pop me a note in the comments below.  I’d love to hear about your favorite way to travel.

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is another busy day here at Patti’s Patchwork – it is Canada’s 154th birthday, a day to celebrate our heritage and the diverse cultures that make up the Canadian fabric.  As a nation, we are like a patchwork quilt, with no two patches the same.  Many years ago I had the good fortune to see Canadian quilter Esther Bryan’s incredible Quilt of Belonging.

Esther Bryan’s stunning Quilt of Belonging

This 120ft masterpiece of fibre art includes 263 unique blocks stitched by and representing every culture that calls Canada “home”, including our many First Nations cultures as well as our immigrants that have arrived in Canada over the past 300 years.  It is a quilt of inclusivity – without any one block, the quilt is incomplete.  As such, it perfectly represents our beautiful country.

Today is also the launch of the July edition of Jen Shaffer’s 2021 Monthly Color Challenge. If you’re hopping over from another participating blogger, a warm welcome to you!  Feel free to browse through earlier posts and hit that Subscribe button on the right.  You can also subscribe to my newsletter at www.pattispatchwork.com for insider info on new patterns and subscriber-only specials – the link is at the bottom of the website main page.

So, fellow pattern designer Jen over at Patterns by Jen has been hosting a Monthly Color Challenge for a while now, and I joined in last month.  This year’s challenge is based on fruit and vegetable colors and includes a free block each month – hop on over to Patterns by Jen to download the pattern and even watch the video on how to create the monthly block.  Each block pattern is free for that month, after which it can be downloaded from Jen’s site for a very small fee.

July’s lime-colored block

July’s block is lime-colored, inside and out, and it’s even somewhat “round-ish”.  Jen’s pattern includes instructions for a 12” option as well as a 6” option – think “regular limes” and “key limes”.  I put the block into my Electric Quilt EQ8 designing program, downloaded some tangy citrus colors from Mixmaster’s Mashup by Patrick Lose for Northcott, and started playing.

I popped the block into my layouts from last month.  The first iteration has off-set vertical rows – I used 12” blocks, switching up the colors of the blocks.  Then I put 12” blocks and 6” reverse-color blocks in an on-point layout.

Next I put large and small blocks in a straight layout.  So many options!

But wait!  There’s more!  I continued playing, this time combining same-color large and small blocks in an on-point setting, but this time I made the background of the small blocks the darker value. This one is my favorite, and so easy to create with the click of a mouse in EQ8.  What about you?  Which one of the 6 quilts do you prefer?

Hop on over to the other blogger’s sites to see what they’ve done with this month’s block and to get their tasty lime recipes:

Jen at Patterns by Jen

Kate at Katie Mae Quilts

Brenda at Songbird Designs

Lisa at Love to Color my World

Raylee at Sunflower Stitcheries

Andi at True Blue Quilts

Crystal at Daybrook Designs

Anne at Said With Love

Ashli at Quilt2endALZ

And pop over to Patterns by Jen for your chance at one or more of these awesome prizes being offered this quarter – simply make a block and post a pic in the link-up by the end of the month to be eligible for these prizes:

Did someone say recipe?!?  We are in the heat of summer in my neck of the woods, and I can’t think of anything better than outdoor cooking on the BBQ (no air conditioning at our house), especially since Hubby does the outdoor cooking.  I found the perfect lime-infused recipe for Honey, Ginger, Lime and Rum-glazed Shrimp over at SpruceEats.com.

Honey, Ginger, Lime and Rum-glazed Shrimp

Mmmm…. Looks like shrimp are on the menu this week!  Enjoy 🙂

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

It’s the first Tuesday in June and that means another edition of the Quilt Block Mania blog tour – yay!  If you’re one of my blog subscribers, you’re probably thinking “But Patti, you already sent me a blog post today”.  Why, yes I did, because I’m also participating this month in the 2021 Monthly Color Challenge, hosted by Patterns by Jen.  If you’re just popping in from the Quilt Block Mania tour and aren’t a subscriber yet, I encourage you to check out my post from earlier today, because it’s also about a free monthly block pattern plus a tasty recipe.  So much quilty goodness!!

I hope you’ve been enjoying the Quilt Block Mania tour for the past several months, collecting the free blocks each month from the 20-30 participants.  Carolina over at Always Expect Moore does a fab job coordinating it.  I certainly enjoy it, as it gives me the opportunity to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my creative muscle to design a block that fits the monthly theme.  This month is no different.  The theme this time around is International, and the color palette is whatever we want.  Several of the other designers chose a rainbow palette so I went with that idea too.

When I think of International, I think of all the places around the world that I’ve have the good fortune to see.  In fact, 2 years ago Hubby and I cruised on a segment of a world cruise and visited roughly 20 countries during our leg of the cruise.  Naturally, the Trip Around the World quilt/block theme came to mind.  But how to take a block that has an odd number of rows/columns and fit it into a 12” square?  Hmmm.  I started changing the sizes of my rows and columns and before I knew it, I had a cool block that, when colored with a rainbow palette, sort of resembles a globe, with the green being the earth and the blue being the oceans.  I call it World Trip.

Toscana version of World Trip

In the pattern I colored it in a selection of Northcott’s Toscana tone-on-tone textures, and to test the pattern I used my leftover scraps of Bliss from my Splendid Split Stars pattern.

Bliss version of World Trip

Either option looks great!  You can download the pattern here.  You can also find the other bloggers’ patterns at these links.

Holland Windmill by Carolina Moore
Dutch Mill Tulips by Perkins Dry Goods
International Airport by The Quilted Diary
Three Amigos by Heidi Pridemore
Making Memories by Blue Heron Quilting
World’s Fair by Blue Bear Quilts
Highlander by Orange Blossom Quilt Design Studio
Love One Another by Faith and Fabric
International Space Station by Duck Creek Mountain quilting
Friends by QuiltFabrication
World Trip by Patti’s Patchwork
Hollyhock Flower by PhoebeMoon Designs
Olympic Rings by Slice of Pi Quilts
All Together Now by Inquiring Quilter
Butterfly Block by Oh Kaye Quilting
Coming Together by Cotton Street Commons
Friends Around the World by Appliques Quilts and More
Greek Cross by Mom and Me Quilting Co
Caracalla by Pretty Piney Quilts
Walking Together
Mystery Quilt: The Kids

Now, sometimes I give away free stuff, such as fabric (I am with Northcott, after all 😊).  This month I would like to know about your favorite international place that you have visited or lived in – somewhere outside your own country – and why it is your favorite.  Hubby and I travelled to central Italy several years ago, visiting a few (okay, more than a few) wineries, and I used those memories as inspiration for my Vino fabric collection for Banyan Batiks.  One lucky commenter will receive a packet of Vino fat quarters.

A packet of bordeaux fat quarters from my Vino collection – comment for a chance to win these

To be eligible, please leave a comment below by midnight June 7.  Good luck, bonne chance, in bocca al lupo!

Last month’s giveaway was a packet of the upcoming Bouncing Balls and Rose Parade fabrics from Banyan Batiks and the winner is shadesofrandom – congrats! (please pop me an email with your name and full mailing address).

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is a busy day – I have 2 fun events that I’m participating in this month and they both start today!  If you’re hopping over from Jen Shaffer’s 2021 Monthly Color Challenge, a warm welcome to you!  Feel free to browse through earlier posts, check out my other post today that’s part of the Quilt Block Mania monthly blog tour (can you say “free quilt blocks”?!?), and hit that Subscribe button on the right.  You can also subscribe to my newsletter at www.pattispatchwork.com for insider info on new patterns and subscriber-only specials – the link is at the bottom of the website main page.

So, fellow pattern designer Jen over at Patterns by Jen has been hosting a Monthly Color Challenge for a while now, and I learned of it late last year.  I thought “How fun!” and signed up for a couple of the months.  This year’s challenge is based on fruit and vegetable colors and includes a free block each month – hop on over to Patterns by Jen to download the pattern and even watch the video on how to create the monthly block.  Each block pattern is free for that month, after which it can be downloaded from Jen’s site for a very small fee.

June’s pumpkin-colored block

June’s block is pumpkin-colored, and even sort of pumpkin-shaped.  Just like pumpkins, it comes in a larger and smaller size.  I put the block into my Electric Quilt EQ8 designing program and started playing.

I wondered how this block might look in a modern setting, so I put it into a vertical strip quilt layout.  In the diagram on the left, the zigzag space between blocks seemed uneven so I added sew-&-flip triangles onto the corners of each block – what a difference!

Vertical strip quilt options

It’s now hard to tell where the blocks start and end.  I also used 3 shades of pumpkin in my blocks. Fun!

Then I played some more.

1st iteration of on-point blocks

I put the block into an on-point layout (left diagram), then recolored the alternate blocks a lighter shade of pumpkin (center diagram), then added sew-&-flip corners to my setting triangles to balance the hourglass “blocks” created where the 4 blocks meet.  So many options!

But wait!  There’s more!  I continued playing, this time combining the smaller blocks with the larger blocks in an on-point setting.  Initially, all the blocks are the same shade of pumpkin (left), then I recolored the smaller blocks and added darker triangles around them to change the look of the larger blocks – very interesting!

2nd go ’round of on-point blocks

Finally I gradated the shades of pumpkin in both blocks – light-to-dark in the larger blocks and dark-to-light in the smaller blocks, with light and medium-shaded triangles in the small block frames.  This one is my favorite, and so easy to create with the click of a mouse in EQ8.  What about you?  Which one of the 8 quilts do you prefer?

Hop on over to the other blogger’s sites to see what they’ve done with this month’s block and to get their fave pumpkin recipes:

Jen  Patterns by Jen

Wendy  Pieceful Thoughts

Crystal (available June 3rd)  Daybrook Designs

Fawn  Quilty Creations by Fawn

Raylee  Sunflower Stitcheries

Andi  True Blue Quilts

Ashli  Quilt2endALZ

Joanne  Everyone Deserves a Quilt

And pop over to Patterns by Jen for your chance at one or more of these awesome prizes being offered this quarter – simply make a block and post a pic in the link-up by the end of the month to be eligible for these prizes:

Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio – Goodie Bag*

Bea Quilter – PDF Pattern

For the Love of Geese – PDF Pattern

True Blue Quilts – Book: Monochromatic Quilts Amazing Variety*

Make Modern Magazine – 6 month subscription

Island Batik – Fat Quarter Bundle*

Benartex – Fabric Bundle*

Quilters Dream Batting – 60 x 60 Dream Poly*

The Warm Company – 90 x 108 Warm and Plush 100% Cotton

Appliques Quilts and More – $10 gift certificate

Fat Quarter Shop – Gift Certificate

DayBrook Designs – 2 PDF Patterns

Patterns By Jen – Tucker Trimmer 1® ruler*

Those marked with * are for US residents only. Prize laws vary throughout different countries.

Did someone say recipe?!?  So, typically we think of pumpkin as a Fall food, but no reason not to enjoy that pumpkin goodness throughout the year.  I found the perfect recipe for lazy Saturday mornings at the cottage/cabin/campsite – Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes, courtesy of Tasteofhome.

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Cooked up with some bacon or sausages, they make for a mighty tasty breakfast before a day of canoeing/hiking/cycling.  Or maybe serve them with cinnamon-spiced whipped cream – yum!  Better make a double batch!!

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Can you believe it’s been a full month since we’ve chatted (and I mean full!)?  I meant to check in with you mid-month but the days turned into weeks and…that’s how it goes sometimes.  Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Today is the first Tuesday of the month and that mean Quilt Block Mania blog tour day 😊.  The theme this month is graduation.  You can find the links to the blogs and blocks here.

Award Ribbon by Carolina Moore
Graduation Day by Sarah Marcina
Super Grad by Heidi Pridemore
Class of 2021
Wise Owl by Blue Bear Quilts
Dear Mr. Vernon . . .
Graduation scroll by Duck Creek mountain Quilting
Grad Cap by QuiltFabrication
Graduating Steps by Patti’s Patchwork
Butterflies are Free by PhoebeMoon Designs
Lucky graduates from Puppy Academy
Party Banner by Slice of Pi Quilts
Success by Inquiring Quilter
Hooray for Me!
Graduation Cap at Oh Kaye Quilting
Up, Up, & Away by Pretty Piney Quilts
I DID IT by Cotton Street Commons
Owl Graduate by Appliques Quilts and More
Shining Star by Color My World

Most of the 19 participants designed applique blocks however I prefer a pieced block.  But how to incorporate that theme?  The color palette is cream, gray, steel blue and wine.  So I had some (wine, that is) and created my Graduating Steps block.  How do you like it?

Graduating Steps by Patti’s Patchwork

It’s a play on words.  You can graduate up to your next scholarly endeavor or onto your career path.  You can also graduate in color/value from dark to light, which is what I did with the steps in my block.  I chose two complementary Banyan Batik collections – Bouncing Balls ships to quilt shops in December, and Pat Fryer’s new Rose Parade ships in February 2022.

My range of light-to-dark fabrics

Getting the fabrics in the correct dark-to-light order is key.  I pondered whether the 2^nd & 3^rd darkest ones needed to be switched.  Here’s a trick to help determine the correct “value” of our fabrics.  Take a photo with your phone, then view it in grayscale.

My fabric selection viewed in grayscale

Voila!  I had my answer.  I got to cutting the pieces and in no time flat my block was done.

Just for fun I snapped a photo of my block with my scraps and my grad photo from university.  My, how hairstyles have changed!

Graduating Steps and my grad photo circa 1985

My block has a bit of a modern flair so I mocked up a quilt using some blocks combined with some plain blocks.  This edgy 51” x 68” throw-size quilt would make a great quick grad gift for a student heading off to college.  Note that half the Graduating Steps blocks are mirror-image – the steps slope the other way.

A modern throw quilt using my Graduating Steps block pattern

Graduating Steps pattern by Patti’s Patchwork (QBM May 2021)

I have a fun giveaway for you – a packet of cuts (between 1/8yd and 1/4yd) from Banyan’s Bouncing Balls & Rose Parade collections.

The Giveaway packet of fabrics

I’m going to tie it in to a tasty student- or recent graduate-geared budget recipe I tried recently.  Hubby and I cooked up some Better Than Shake-n-Bake chicken drumsticks with the recipe we found here.  We mixed up a ½-batch and it will last for 3-4 batches of chicken.  Super easy and super budget-friendly.

Our winner chicken dinner made with Better Than Shake-n-Bake

So, for a chance to snag my bundle of red/black/gray fabrics please leave a comment below telling me your favorite cooking hack or online recipe (provide the link if you can).  Please post your comment by midnight May 10^th.

Last month’s winner of the packet of teal-colored Toscana fabrics is Debby P – congrats!

I’ve been busy this past month working on a couple of quilt-along projects, including an upcoming Northcott one for 2022 using the Quilts of Valor collections,

For the Brave QAL March – December 2022

my upcoming Cottage Sampler QAL running November 2021 – January 2022 using my Canoe Lake collection,

The throw-size of the Cottage Sampler QAL in the Misty Morning colorway

and of course my current Hexie Crush QAL.  The 4^th installment goes out tomorrow and you can still sign up here.  I’m making a throw-size True Kisses version and a queen-size Kensington Park version.

My Kensington Park queen-size Hexie Crush

The QAL posse is having a great time (as am I!) and learning so much from the weekly emails.  The next one goes out tomorrow so sign up now to join us 😊 – did I mention that there are weekly prizes?!?  We have a Facebook group (Hexie Crush QAL 2021) that you can join to see the photos.

I’ve also been working on several new patterns using shipping-soon Northcott and Banyan collections, and they’ll be up on the website shortly.  Newsletter subscribers usually get an early-bird discount so you might want to subscribe using the link here if you’re not already on the list.

Stay safe, stay healthy and happy quilting!

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Guess what day it is?!?!? Yup, that’s right, it’s Quilt Block Mania day 😊, and that means another round of free blocks from 24 generous designers.  Yay!  This monthly event is organized by none other than Carolina of AlwaysExpectMoore.  A shout-out to Carolina for her hard work.

The theme this month is RAIN.  I will admit that an idea didn’t immediately pop into my head.  Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Rather, it forced me to exercise my creative muscle.  I scrolled through the designs that had been posted by the other designers – there are some waaay creative people out there in designland!  Of course I wanted to do a pieced block, and so my block is mostly pieced with a bit of easy applique.  And I think my block plays nicely with the other blocks – always a bonus – and makes an interesting quilt on its own – also a bonus.  On my last run into Northcott, I snagged some scraps of lovely Toscana texture and also a piece of Canvas for the darkest color in my block for a perfect match.  Here’s my Pouring Rain

Pouring Rain by Patti Carey of Patti’s Patchwork

block.  I’m thinking it looks like driving rain from some very dark stormy clouds above.  I live at the base of a ski hill and we get copious amounts of precipitation (rain or snow) as clouds similar to these come over the hill regularly.

Naturally I tested the pattern (found here) to check the math and the methodology and can share the following tips for the applique.

#1  – From heat-proof template plastic I cut a piece of Template 1 without the seam allowance on the curved edge and used this to press my fabric pieces to a perfectly smooth curve.

#2 – I spray-starched (using MaryEllen’s Best Pressed) the curved seam allowance prior to pressing it so that it was wet.

#3 – I used just the tip of my iron to press the seam allowance up and over the curved edge of the template plastic.  Master appliquer Karen Kay Buckley shared this tip in a workshop that I took.  Side note:  Karen Kay Buckley’s scissors are THE BEST.  Worth every penny. I have 3 sizes of them.

Here are a couple different quilt layouts. 

Straight-set quilt layout with 12 blocks

The first one is straight-set with 12 blocks and the 2^nd option is on-point with 8 pieced blocks. 

On-point layout with 8 blocks

The quilts are roughly the same size, approx. 38” x 50”.  Which layout do you prefer?  Please leave a comment below for your chance to win a bundle of these fabrics – over 2yds of luscious Toscana and Canvas from Northcott.  Comments must be posted by midnight EST April 12 to be eligible.  Good luck!

Here are the links to the other designers’ blog posts and blocks.  Enjoy!
Rainbow of raindrops by Carolina Moore
Raindrops by Perkins Dry Goods
Rainy Day Walk Home by The Quilted Diary
Raindrop by Blockofthemodotcom
I Love Rainy Days by Heidi Pridemore
Petrichor by Althea Gyde
Gray Skies are Gonna Clear Up by Blue Bear Quilts
Rain from Heaven by Faith and Fabric
Umbrella and Gumboots by Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
April Showers by QuiltFabrication
Pouring Rain by Patti’s Patchwork
Spring Crocus by PhoebeMoon Designs
Playing in the Rain by Puppy Girl Designs
Rainy Day by Studio R Quilts
Rain Showers by Slice of Pi Quilts
Rain by Oh Kaye Quilting
Doves in the rain by Sara Flynn
April Showers by Inquiring Quilter
Rain Will Make the Flowers Grow by Devoted Quilter
I’ve Got Sunshine on a Rainy Day
Let it Rain
Splish-Splash by Pretty Piney Quilts
April Showers by Cotton Street Commons
Rain on the Window

Speaking of links, the super-fun Hexie Crush Quilt-along is only 8 days away! During this 10-week online event we’ll be going step-by-step through the 6 different blocks of the Hexie Crush lap or queen-size quilt (you choose your size.  The pattern has both options).  We’ll share our photos using #hexiecrushqal for a chance to win weekly prizes (woop! woop!).   You can sign up for the quilt-along here – I’ll be sending out an email with all the details very shortly.  And don’t forget to grab a copy of the pattern here.

Also, all aboard for the Quilt Bee at Sea 19-day Hawaiian cruise February 2-20, 2022 (that’s next year).

Quilt Bee at Sea February 2-20, 2022

I’ll be teaching 7 classes on this fabulous quilt retreat/vacation.  This is THE BEST cruise for a quilting cruise – lots of days at sea for quilting, and ample time for sightseeing the spectacular ports of call in Hawaii at the perfect time of year for this.  Who won’t be ready for some fun in the beautiful sun by next February?  This cruise is almost completely sold out so please contact Deb Roberts at World of Quilts Travel to reserve your room.  You don’t want to miss the ship!

Last month I offered up a prize if you commented on the Rosebud Wreath block, and the winner from last month is Maggie Khaja.  Congrats !  Maggie wins a copy of Fons & Porter’s Quick & Easy Quilts.

So, what about the “silver linings” part of this post’s title?  Well, some of you may know that my #1 Son has been battling cancer for the past 10 months.  After an aggressive chemo treatment followed by a very major surgery recently, there appears to be no live cancer in his body.  We are over-the-moon elated, so grateful and thankful for the incredible care he received and helping him get back to normal.  Small steps forward every day.  

Enjoy this month’s blocks, good luck in the draw and we’ll see you in the Quilt-along!

Cheers,

Patti