Wedding Bells

5 Nov

Fellow Quilters,

The past 2 months have been a whirlwind of activity for me.  September started with 2 back-to-back Alaskan cruises with the Watergirl Quilt Co team (sew much fun!),

The Watergirl crew and I with Jan of Changing Tides in Juneau AK

The Watergirl crew and I with Jan of Changing Tides in Juneau AK

followed immediately with a stint in the Northcott booth at the Missouri Star Birthday Bash – always a good time!

Showing our Sock Hop spirit at Missouri Star Birthday Bash

Showing our Sock Hop spirit at Missouri Star Birthday Bash

Then I was called into service to help make some quilts for Northcott’s booth at Quilt Market, the Fall trade show in Houston TX (including this FIFA2026 one)

FIFA qiult

One of my FIFA 2026 quilts

, all while designing 5 new patterns, writing instructions for several others (my favorite is

PC312Cat-tails, followed closely by PC314 Shades of Autumn) and doing 5 workshops/lectures for local guilds.PC312 Cat-tails front cover

In the midstPC314 Shades of Autumn front cover of all that, my son asked me to make a quilt for his upcoming wedding – 4 weeks before the wedding!!!  Need I mention that he’s been engaged for 2 years?!?

What with all the wedding plans these past few weeks, when the call for the November Quilt Block Mania came out, I was in full wedding mode.  The theme this month is Market/shopping, so my block depicts – you guessed it – a bridal shop.  Patti Carey - Wedding BellsIt’s mostly pieced, with a bit of fusible applique for the bride and the wedding bells.  In fact, Wedding Bells is the name of my block.  You can download the pattern here.

Fourteen other designers also rose to the challenge and designed blocks for this theme – you can find the links to their blocks below:Market Themed Quilt Blocks

Money Themed Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Pet Shop by Patchwork Breeze
Quilt Shop by Crafty Staci
Santa’s Toy Shop by Inquiring Quilter
Market Bag by Scrapdash
Concession Stand by QuiltFabrication
Wedding Bells by Patti’s Patchwork
Lucky Clover Quilt Block by Brown Bird Designs
GIft Card by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Flower Shop by Cristy Fincher
Pinching Pennies by Elizabeth DeCroos
Gift Bag by Oh Kaye Quilting
Ice Cream Cart by Appliques Quilts and More
Market Stall selling Gifts by Victoria Peat
Bag Lady Market Bag by Around the Bobbin

So what quilt did my son and his darling sweetheart choose?  My PC145 Salt & Pepper fat-quarter pattern in the lap-size (thank goodness!), to be used as a guest book at their wedding. 

front of quilt

Salt & Pepper quilt for the newlyweds

The guests were asked to sign the back of the quilt, so a light-colored backing was required. 

back of quilt

Guests signed the back of the quilt

While their choice of quilt was likely unintentional, it was so appropriate – the block in this quilt has 2 opposites that come together, like 2 people in a marriage.  The wedding was just a few days ago, so I’m still coming down from the buzz.

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My son and his beautiful bride

I have an extra copy of PC145 Salt & Pepper to give away.  This fat ¼ friendly pattern includes 4 sizes from runner to queen-size.  For a chance to win a copy, please leave a comment below offering up your best advice for my newlyweds.  What’s the best advice you’ve received?  Or what advice do you wish you’d received? All comments entered by November 12 will go into the draw.  Good luck!

Cheers,

Patti

Sweets for my Sweet…

1 Oct

Fellow Quilters,

What is your go-to snack?  Do you prefer sweet or salty nibbles?  I’m a sweets lover – I’ll take chocolate over potato chips any day!  And not just any chocolate – no!  I want the good stuff, a.k.a. the expensive brands that have their own shops, where the chocolates are sold individually, and one is never enough.

I’m also a sucker (no pun intended) for candy, especially if it’s chewy.  Jelly BellyMy colleague Susanne has a weakness for the tiny Jelly Belly jellybeans, except the cantaloupe and pear flavors, so my job is to search through each bag to remove them (and eat them of course!) before she mistakenly pops one into her mouth.

Sweets is this month’s theme for the Quilt Block Mania blog tour, so I googled ‘sweets” for inspiration and found an old favorite – salt water taffy!   photoThese chewy pastel-colored treats are not in fact made from salt water.  Through the pulling process, which makes the candy lighter and chewier, air is added by stretching out the mixture, folding it over, and stretching it again.  The fruit-flavored candy is then cut into bite-size pieces and wrapped in waxed paper to keep it soft.  Here is my Salt Water Taffy block

Patti Carey - Salt Water Taffy

Salt Water Taffy quilt block by Patti’s Patchwork

You can find the pattern here If you want to try your hand at making a batch of salt water taffy, here is a recipe that I saw online.

In Canada at this time of year, you can find Halloween kisses, a form of molasses taffy candy, in shops alongside the usual trick or treat offerings.  kerrs-kissWhen I was young, my siblings did not like them so I would barter small quantities of my other Halloween treats for larger quantities of their Halloween kisses – yum!  Canadians apparently either love them or hate them.  Most kids do NOT like them, however the stores sell out every Fall despite increased quantities being produced.  Maybe kids would like them if they tried making them a.k.a participated in a good old-fashioned taffy pull.  Here is a recipe for homemade Halloween kisses.

Thirteen other pattern designers also made sweet blocks for this month – you can find the links to their free blocks below.Sweets Themed Quilt Blocks banner

Donut Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Swirly Lollipop by Patchwork Breeze
Caramel Apples by Crafty Staci
Scrappy Cookie by Katie Mae Quilts
Gingerbread People by Inquiring Quilter
Sweet Hearts by Scrapdash
Chocolate Roll by QuiltFabrication
Salt Water Taffy by Patti’s Patchwork
Sugar Skull Quilt Block by Brown Bird Designs
Lollipop Bear by Colette Belt Designs
Chocolate Box by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Let them Eat Cake
Yummy Yummy
Banana Split by Appliques Quilts and More
Sweet Slice by Cristy Fincher

I haven’t given away any treats for a while, so let’s have a Halloween giveaway. salt water taffy block photo For your chance to win a packet of candy-colored Northcott precuts and some Halloween kisses, please leave a comment by midnight October 7 telling me your go-to sweet or salty snack, and whether you like (or not!) Halloween kisses if you’ve tried them.  Bonus points if you’ve made salt water taffy 😊

Cheers,

Patti

Sailing Away

3 Sep

Fellow Quilters,

juneau-alaska-pink-flowers-nature-mountains-green-blue-skies

Alaska’s breath-taking vistas

Through the wonders of technology, I am coming to you from the Pacific Ocean – today is Day 3 of the Alaskan Quilters cruise hosted by Watergirl Quilt Co/Gravitate Travel aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Sea.  The enthusiastic students are truly enjoying quilting at sea, with the spectacular scenery of the Inside Passage and the glaciers.  Since it is a sea day, I am teaching my 3-hour sashiko class before we go ashore in charming Sitka.  I am meeting up with Lisa Moore of Quilts With a Twist – we met on another quilting cruise many years ago, and Lisa now lives in Sitka, hiking and kayaking to take in the breath-taking vistas.

Beaver and Eagle quilt by QWAT

Totem quilt pattern by Quilts with a Twist

I made one of Lisa’s patterns as a “souvenir” of that trip and it hangs in my hallway as a lovely memento of the native heritage of the West Coast.

One of the best ways to see Alaska is by water.  Actually, it’s a great way to see many places in the world that are remote, including Norway and the South Pacific.  Being on the water is calming – I can feel my worries slip away with the gentle roll of the sea.  On a sailboat, it is also peaceful – the only sounds are the lapping of the waves against the hull and the wind in the sail.  It was not a stretch, then, for me to choose a sailboat for my block in the September edition of Quilt Block Mania.  The theme is transportation and, while some may not consider a sailboat a form of transportation, sailing ships have taken me to far-reaching places.

Patti Carey - Set Sail

My Set Sail block for Quilt Block Mania’s transportation theme

Here is my Set Sail block, perfect for a nautical-themed quilt, wall-hanging, table runner or even a set of placemats – just add side panels of nautical fabric.

12x48 runner

A quick table runner project

I played with the block placement, first setting the blocks in a grid with sashing (ho hum),

straight set with 1.5inch sashing 42x56

A grid layout for my blocks

then setting them in columns of offset blocks (better but confusing with the darker blue “water”),

original 36x48 quilt

My 2nd design option

and finally changing the “water” to sky color (I like it!).

revised 41x53 quilt

My 3rd design option

I sprinkled in a variety of sail colors too, all from Northcott’s Toscana blender of course 😊.  You can download the pattern here.

You can find the other participating designers’ free patterns at these links:QBM banner

Train Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Hot Air Balloon by Patchwork Breeze
Bronco by Crafty Staci
Amish Buggy by Inquiring Quilter
Wagon Wheel by Scrapdash
Go Kart by QuiltFabrication
Set Sail by Patti’s Patchwork
I heart racing by Brown Bird Designs
Scooter Bear by Colette Belt Designs
Flip Flops by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Appliques Quilts and More
Bicycle FPP Block by Julia Wachs Designs
Deep Blue See by Epida Studio
Jeep Quilt Block by Oh Kaye Quilting
“Hippie”mobile / Magic Bus
Gone Camping by Cristy Fincher

What is your preferred way to be transported?  And which of my quilt layouts do YOU prefer?  Leave a comment below by midnight September 15 (the end of my cruise!) for a chance to win some Alaskan-themed fat ¼’s.

The week after the cruise, September 18-20, I’ll be in the Northcott booth with my colleague Naomi at Missouri Star’s Birthday Bash – woohoo!!  If you’re attending, please stop by and say hi.  We might have quilter goodies (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).  Here’s hoping it’s nice weather.

And if that’s not enough, I’ll be demonstrating free-motion quilting at the Simcoe County Quilt, Rug & Artisan Fair Sept 20-22 in Barrie, ON (I’ll be manning the demonstration booth Sunday afternoon), then teaching a Double Wedding Ring workshop Sept. 28 at the Kempenfelt Quilt Guild in Barrie.

Are you participating in Jen’ Shaffer’s 2024 Monthly Color Challenge?  Each month you can head over to her site to download (for free) the month’s block.  Here’s my September block.

PBJ Sept blocks

The September block for Jen Shaffer’s Monthly Color Challenge

Just 3 more to go😊.

And lastly, I’ve added so many new patterns to my website:  snap up your favorite(s) then head to your local shop to get the fabrics before they’re gone.

new patterns

The newest releases in my Patti’s Patchwork online shop

Whew!  That’s a lot going on!  I might need a vacation – cruise anyone?!?

Cheers,

Patti

Quilting Time

6 Aug

Fellow Quilters,

Welcome to August 😊  July was a bit of a blur for me, with golf games, invites to friends’ cottages (my homemade cookies and pies help ensure return visits), gardening and some al fresco dining to take advantage of warm summer evenings.

Q197_Cobblestones flat shot F&P Quick + Easy Quilts Aug-Nov 2024

Magenta is my neutral!

Lots of work-related projects as well, including participating in the Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov double issue of Fons & Porter’s Quick + Easy Quilts with my pretty Cobblestones throw quilt made with Heather Bailey’s gorgeous Wild Abandon (find the issue here).  I’m also in the current (Fall 2024) issue of McCall’s Quilting with my super-fun Twist & Turn lap quilt (find the issue here).

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Twist and Treat with Whiskers & Wine

This “tipsy” 9-patch is made with Bonnie Lemaire’s Whiskers & Wine collection and features the adorable border print.  Of course, I use my E-Z Miter/Lone Star tool for perfect mitered borders!

I’ve also been busy writing several new patterns for hot-off-the-press fabric collections:

PC298 Panel Perfection uses one or 2 abstract art panels, fracturing and framing them for a quilt in one of 5 sizes

PC308 Window Panes

is a quick and easy pattern to showcase some of those large-scale prints.  Great for layer cakesPC312 Cat-tails front cover

PC312 Cat-tails is for cat lovers everywhere.  This much-requested pattern now includes 5 sizes.

PC133P Festive Frostings is the silver-toned version of my original Festive Frostings and includes 4 sizes

PC311 Christmas Geese uses placemats from Northcott’s Yuletide Traditions, adding interest with flying geese

Patti Carey - Watching the Time

Watching the Time for August Quilt Block Mania

I also found time to design a block for the August edition of Quilt Block Mania.  Speaking of time, my Watching the Time block fits this month’s theme of accessories.

You can download the free-for-now pattern here.  Call me old school but I am almost never without a wristwatch.  I have had a variety of watches over the years.  I went through a 3-year period where I wore a pendant watch.

Then I had a handbag shaped like an old clock face – it had a working clock as the face and was quite a conversation piece!

Currently I have 3 watches that I alternate wearing to suit my attire.  What about you?  Do you wear a watch?  What is your go-to accessory?  Maybe one of the accessories shown in the other participating bloggers’ blocks?  Here are links to them:banner

Santa’s Belt by Carolina Moore
Bracelet Quilt Block by Patchwork Breeze
Boot by Crafty Staci
Seam Rippers by Inquiring Quilter
Bow Tie Quilt Block by Scrapdash
Lipstick by QuiltFabrication
Favorite Bow by Brown Bird Designs
City Bear by Colette Belt Designs
Summer Hat by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Lingerie by Appliques Quilts and More
Necklace by Slightly Biased Quilts
Quilted Tote Bag by Cristy Fincher
Yes, M’Lady by Epida Studio
ZipZip Purse by Oh Kaye Quilting
Nail Your Style by Orange Blossom QDS

I’m off to find time to work on some new designs, and just maybe some time to quilt.  I hope you find some quilting time this week.

Cheers,

Patti

My Colorful World

1 Aug

I love color.  No doubt about it.  Can’t get enough of it.  From my fabric stash (of course!) to my wardrobe, shoes, even my cars.  No neutral palette for me!  Turquoise is my go-to blender – I can successfully pair just about any color with turquoise.  It is my happy place, and for good reason.  Who wouldn’t love to find themselves on a white sand beach lapped by warm turquoise water? Ahhhh, tropical bliss!  Picture any beach and, alongside the turquoise water, you’re sure to find a rainbow of color on the beach.  Beach towels and bathing suits of every hue line the sandy shoreline.  The flora and fauna also add bright splashes of color.

One of my favorite pastimes in these tropical beach locales is exploring the colorful world below the surface of the water.  This is easily done with a mask and snorkel and often provides me with hours of entertainment as I marvel at the life in these underwater gardens.

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Maui snorkeling tour

The expansive variety of brightly colored fish is surpassed by the even more expansive variety of colorful coral in a healthy reef.  It is truly an inspiring sight.  If given the opportunity, I will don a scuba tank and explore these underwater parks up close – they are teeming with life.  It is exhilarating to swim alongside sea turtles or find yourself surrounded by a school of hundreds of fish.
Last month I mentioned a fun colorful monthly online event in which I’m participating.  Jen of Patterns by Jen (PBJ for short) is hosting her annual Monthly Color Challenge.  The theme this year is tropical fish, and each month Jen picks a fish and uses that fish’s color to make that month’s block.  The pattern for the block is free for the entire month, after which it is $1.  You can sign up here to automatically receive an email each month with a link to the free pattern.  Jen also does a free how-to video showing how to make the block each month.  Here is a link to the Monthly Color Challenge main page listing each month’s color and fish.
I am helping Jen out by blogging about the August block.  This month’s color is purple (which pairs beautifully with turquoise and is also one of my favorite colors), and the fish is a purple dottyback.

purple dottyback

A purple dottyback

Yowza!  I love the color of these fish!!

I pulled out the light and dark purple fabrics from my stack of FIGO Stash fabrics (not quite as bright as a dotty) and quickly whipped up a pair of the August block from Jen’s blog post (the blocks are quite easy to do 😊).  If you read my blog last month, you saw the luscious range of colors in Stash that I’m using for my blocks.

IMG_8270

My stash of Stash by FIGO

I am making one light/dark block following Jen’s pattern and also one “color”/background block per her instructions.  My background is FIGO’s Serenity gray dot on white – a great blender for my Stash palette.
So far, I’ve completed the blocks for January through August – just 4 more months to go.

January blocks

January – green tiger barb

February blocks

February – discus

March blocks

March – cherry barb

April blocks

April – electric blue hap

May blocks

May – electric yellow lab

June blocks

June – harlequin rasboras

July blocks

July – silver dollar

Jen will be providing a set of finishing instructions at year end to turn your monthly blocks into a nice-sized lap quilt using the light/dark block from each month.  Because I have 2 blocks each month, my year-end quilt is going to be larger – queen-size in fact.  I hope you’ll follow along with me each month as I post photos of the current month’s blocks.
I’ve also been participating in a couple of magazine issues.  My Cobblestones quilt, featured in the joint Aug/Sept and Oct/Nov issue of Fons & Porter’s Quick + Easy Quilts, showcases the dee-lish and oh-so-colorful Wild Abandon by Heather Bailey for FIGO.

Q197_Cobblestones stylized shot F&P Quick + Easy Quilts Aug-Nov 2024

Cobblestones made with Wild Abandon

In this fat ¼ friendly throw-size quilt, I use magenta as my “neutral” – who knew that it could be a neutral?!?

Q197_Cobblestones flat shot F&P Quick + Easy Quilts Aug-Nov 2024

Magenta is my neutral!

You can find a digital copy of the issue here.
I am also featured in the Fall 2024 issue of McCall’s Quilting with my Twist and Treat lap-size quilt made with Bonnie Lemaire’s Whiskers & Wine collection.

MQ472 Twist & Treat_ST_SQ_1080

Twist and Treat with Whiskers & Wine

The tipsy cats in this adorable collection are a perfect fit for this quilt.

MQ472 Twist & Treat_FL_SQ_1080

The lengthwise border stripe makes a purr-fect border

Quick + Easy Quilts is hitting newsstands today or you can get a digital copy here.

Stay tuned also for 8 new patterns coming to my Patti’s Patchwork website next week.  There just might be a special discount for my newsletter subscribers (the newsletter sign-up link is at the bottom of this page).
Cheers,
Patti

June ponderings and a fun new project

30 Jun

Fellow Quilters,

What’s under your needle today?  After months of being away from my sewing space, I am itching for some quilting therapy.  Today is Day 2 of a long weekend here in Canada as we celebrate our country’s birthday (officially tomorrow).  It also happens to be quite cool and cloudy, with a threat of rain – sounds like the perfect excuse to hunker down in my sewing space!  And I’ve got a fresh new project to boot!  Let me tell you about it 😊IMG_8270

A couple years ago, I participated in Jen Shaffer’s Monthly Color Challenge by blogging about one of the monthly blocks.  Jen of Patterns by Jen, or PBJ for short, has been running this free program for several years – each month she designs a 12” block and provides the instructions for it for free for that month. Once the month is over, the instructions are $1, a reasonable price for well-written instructions.  There is a yearly theme – it was veggies the last time I participated.  Late last Fall when Jen announced this year’s challenge, I signed up to blog for a month (August), then promptly put it in the back of my mind.

I popped onto the Patterns by Jen site a couple days ago to re-acquaint myself with the challenge and check out the blog posts to date.  (By the way, while scanning Jen’s blog, I also saw her terrific post from June 20 on decoding quilt patterns (or how to pre-read a pattern before starting a project) – some excellent tips!)

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FIGO’s new Stash collection, coming in August

I was very pleasantly surprised by the 2024 MCC – Jen’s posts include lots of colorful photos, cool trivia about colorful fish, and the monthly patterns also include a link to a how-to video.  Inspired, I perused the new collections at my favorite quilt shop (Northcott’s warehouse 😊) and selected the brand spanking new Stash blender program from FIGO, Northcott’s modern division, and some coordinating background fabric from Serenity.  I printed off the first 6 months of patterns (newsflash! – the June pattern is free until tonight).  Armed with fabric and patterns, I’m now heading down to my “space” for a few hours.  Happy me 🙂

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My stash of Stash, some background fabric and the first 6 months of MCC patterns – the fun starts now!

Stay tuned for photos of my progress and please join me on this fun monthly challenge.  Pop over to the MCC site now to get the links to the patterns and let’s make something fun 😊.

Cheers,

Patti

Magnificent Mountains

4 Jun

Fellow Quilters,

What inspires your creativity?  Is it a song, or perhaps an event?  Maybe a person, or special place?  I am often inspired by my surroundings, whether it’s my own backyard or something farther afield.  Hubby likes to travel and I am a more-than-willing travelling companion.  Travel is a wonderful way to recharge the battery and feed the soul!  It gives me a broader understanding and appreciation of the places and people with whom I share this world.

The past few weeks we have been exploring the Adriatic coast of Europe and all that it offers – the tantalizing tastes, fascinating culture, epic history and breathtaking scenery.

The signature white painted villages in Greece are set against the perfect shade of blue sea.

IMG_8105

The town of Fiera on the volcanic island of Santorini

The varied colors and textures of the stone in the ancient ruins and old walled cities of Greece, Croatia and Montenegro remind me of the Stonehenge fabrics used in many of my quilts. What has captured my attention more than anything else has been the jaw-dropping mountain vistas.

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A road carved out of the mountain on the way to Monemvasia

Greece and all its islands are much more mountainous than I realized.  We drove through mountain passes in the Peloponnese peninsula and Delphi as Hubby tested my nerves on countless switchback narrow gravel roads barely wide enough for one car.

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Hiking from one village to the next along goat paths on the island of Amorgos

The highlight was the delightful and charming city of Kotor Montenegro, nestled in a fjord-like valley.

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The spectacular scenery of Kotor Montenegro – there’s a castle halfway up that steep hill!

It rivals the stunning Norwegian Geirangerfjord that we visited last May and the majestic landscapes along the Alaskan coastline.

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The large cruise ships are dwarfed by the Geirangerfjord.

The iconic scenery in Glacier Bay is what make Alaska the most popular bucket list cruise destination.

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Look at the gorgeous ice-blue color of that glacier!

I have been fortunate to experience the magnificent Hubbard Glacier on 3 quilting cruises and am thrilled to get the chance to take it in again this September 8-15 with the Watergirl Quilt Co team during their Alaskan Quilters Cruise.

Speaking of mountains, it is the theme for this month’s Quilt Block Mania.  Needless to say, it was not a stretch for me to come up with a mountain-inspired block. Patti Carey - Misted Mountains My Misted Mountains is a variation of a block in my oh-so-popular Winter Solstice and Misted Pines  quilt patterns.  You can download the Misted Mountains block pattern here.

Find the links to the 20 other participating Quilt Block Mania designers’ blocks here:mountain themed quilt blocks banner

Snow-Capped Mountain by Carolina Moore
Mountain Tunnel by Patchwork Breeze
Driving through the Mountains by Crafty Staci
Snowdon Lily
Mountain by Inquiring Quilter
Boondocking by Scrapdash
Blue Ridge Mountains Appliqué by Sew Worthy Mama
Purple Mountains Majesty by QuiltFabrication
Misted Mountains by Patti’s Patchwork
Star
Hiking Bear by Colette Belt Designs
Edelweiss by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Forest Bird by Slightly Biased Quilts
Mountain Forest by Oh Kaye Quilting
Snow Hat by Amanda Harris
Rhododendrom by Emerald Falls Quilts
Log Cabin by Appliques Quilts and More
Take a Hike by Epida Studio
Winter Night by Studio B Quilt
Sedona Red Rocks
Almost Heaven

Did you know that I offer kits for my Winter Solstice quilt pattern?

These kits contain a hand-selected combination of 12 coordinated shades of brown/taupe/gray to make a throw-, queen– or king-size quilt.  I also offer blue/green and blue/purple kits of Misted Pines in throw-, queen– and king-size.  These very popular kits sell out as soon as I add a new batch to my online shop.

Will you be travelling to Quilt Canada in Edmonton AB in 2 weeks for Canada’s annual national quilting conference/show?  If so, please stop by the Northcott/Banyan/FIGO booth and say hello.  I just might have a fabric-related treat for you!

Cheers,

Patti

Sand in my Toes

7 May

Fellow Quilters,IMG_8119

Today I’m coming to you from the Greek island of Crete, where Hubby and I are alternately trekking and dipping our toes in the Aegean Sea.

We are most certainly enjoying the delicious cuisine of this arid  Mediterranean country, perhaps some of the local beverages, and definitely the spectacular landscape.

This time last year we were also in the Mediterranean, venturing into north Africa for a brief stop in the Arab country of Tunisia.  So much of this area of the world is hot and dry – a desert.

group-tourists-going-desert-camel-safari-sahara-landsc-landscape-tunisia-56018356

Have you ever taken a ride on a camel?

In fact, the port in Tunis had some camels dressed to the nines in bright sparkling covers, and passersby were enticed to go for a short ride on these peculiar animals.

When this month’s theme for Quilt Block Mania was announced – desert – I thought of those creatures, a classic symbol of desert life.  I was not brave enough to go for a test drive on one of them, but I watched as a family with young kids took a trip around the port from the lofty height of the camels’ backs.  The kids were so very excited!

What brings to mind a symbol of desert?  Sand, most likely, stretching on as far as the eye can see.  And what better to traverse these vast tracts than a trusty camel?  Here’s my

Toes in the Sand block for this month.

Patti Carey - Sand in my Toes

My easy Toes in the Sand block for this month’s Quilt Block Mania – Desert theme

You can download the simple pattern here.

Just for fun, I colored up several blocks in non-traditional hues – how fun!  They remind me of the colorful covers worn by the Tunis camels.

48x60 quilt idea

A brightly-colored Toes in the Sand 48″ x 60″ quilt – I can’t get “Midnight at the Oasis” out of my head!

Here are some fun facts about camels:

Camels have either one hump (Dromedary) or two humps (Bactrian).

Camels are born without humps.

Camels store water in their blood (not their humps – they store fat in them) and can survive for weeks without water.

They are the only land mammals capable of drinking salt water without any ill effects.

Camels have three sets of eyelids and two rows of eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes.

A pack of camels is called a caravan.

Camels live on average 40-50 years.

Camels can maintain a speed of 25mph for over an hour.

Camels sleep standing up.

Camels have large, flat feet to help them walk on sand. The soles of their feet have a large surface area to stop them from sinking into the sand.  Camels have two toes on each foot. A hoof that looks like a toenail grows at the front of each toe. Cows, horses, and many other animals walk on their hoofs but a camel walks on a broad pad that connects its two long toes. This cushion like pad spreads when the camel places its foot on the ground. The pad supports the animal on loose sand in much the same way that a snowshoe helps a person walk on snow.

Looking for more desert-themed quilt blocks?  Here is a list of the other 18 quilt designers participating in this free monthly event – enjoy!Quilt Block Mania may - Desert

Coiled Snake by Carolina Moore
Pyramids by Patchwork Breeze
Bison Skull by Crafty Staci
Renewal (snake) by Eudaimonia Studio
Gecko by Inquiring Quilter
Cactus Rose by Scrapdash
Oasis by Appliques Quilts and More
Adobe House by QuiltFabrication
Sand in my Toes by Patti’s Patchwork
Diamondback Quilt Block by Brown Bird Designs
Desert Bear by Colette Belt Design
Yucca by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts
Arizona Poppy by Cristy Fincher
Palm Tree by Slightly Biased Quilts
Desert Cactus
A Prickly Pear in the Garden
Goldenhead Flower by Emerald Falls Quilts
Blooming in the Desert
Tucson Too Late by Orange Blossom

Have you been brave enough to ride a camel?  Share your experience below to inspire other quilters like myself.

Cheers,

Patti

Just Beachy

2 Apr

wasaga beach

From Wasaga Beach you can see the Blue Mountains where I live. Photo from Expedia

Fellow Quilters,

Spring is in full swing – I saw my first 2 robins yesterday 😊 – and beach days are just around the corner.  Hubby and I live on a ski hill (not beachy at all!) but the world’s longest fresh-water beach is a mere 15 minutes away.  On Georgian Bay, Wasaga Beach is almost 9 miles (14km) long, with a lovely gentle shoreline perfect for families with young children.  This iconic beach welcomes over one million visitors annually.  Perhaps you’ve been one of them!  Do you have a favorite beach?  I’ve listed my top picks below.

“Beach” is the theme for April’s Quilt Block Mania, and I had fun designing a block that is perfect for a beach tote, beachy placemats if you live in a beach community, or perhaps a fun wall-hanging.

Patti Carey - Scooping Sand

My Scooping Sand block for the April Quilt Block Mania blog tour

Here is my Scooping Sand block.  What’s a beach day without a pail and shovel to build a sandcastle?!?  You can download the free pattern here.

Twenty other designers participated in QBM this month and there are some terrific blocks.  I was surprised how many used a rainbow color palette.  You can find links to their free blocks here:QBM Beach banner

Sun Block Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Beach Ball by Patchwork Breeze
Ocean Sunset
Beach Reading by Inquiring Quilter
Follow Me Fish
Sand Castle by Appliques Quilts and More
Beach Umbrella by Inflorescence Designs
Beach Hut by QuiltFabrication
Scooping Sand by Patti’s Patchwork
Snowy Owl
Beach Bum Bear by Colette Belt Designs
Scrappy Starfish by Sewistry
Seashell by Slightly Biased Quilts
Crab by Tourmaline Thyme Quilts
Sea Lion by Emerald Falls Quilts
Seaside Horizon by Cristy Fincher
Sunshiny Days Block by Craftapalooza Designs
Buoy by Oh Kaye Quilting

Eyes on your Fries

Hubby and I have travelled to some pretty awesome areas of the world and experienced some spectacular beaches.  Some of my faves are:

Siesta Key in Sarasota FL USA – the white sand is so fine and powdery.

Ninety Mile beach in Ahipara NZ, on the western shore of the top of the north island.  It is actually a highway but only when the tide is out.IMG_1513

Byron Bay on Australia’s Gold Coast.  Watch the strong surf and the undertow!

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu HI USA – famous!  Hawaii has so many lovely beaches, including Lahaina.

Langkawi Beach in Malaysia – beautiful, and the entry into the water is gentle (no shelf)

Philipsburg St. Maarten – lovely white sand.  Truth be told, most of the Caribbean islands have great beaches.

Beaches of the South Pacific, including Tahiti, Bora Bora and Fiji

Mexican beaches including Cozumel and Acapulco

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One of the best beach days ever in the Conflict Islands

What about you?  Please post a comment below telling me about your favorite beach – I might need to add it to my bucket list.

Speaking of comments, time is running out to enter the giveaway for a scrumptious pack of 10” squares of Margo by FIGO Fabrics.  Head on over to my March 26th blog post to participate – the deadline is April 6th.

Speaking of time running out, there are just a handful of spaces left in Watergirl Quilt Co’s Alaskan Quilting cruise September 8th -15th.  Top-of-the-line Bernina sewing machines are provided for the classes – choose 4 of the 12 fun tip-filled classes taught by yours truly, host extraordinaire Michelle and the entertaining Paul Leger.  Class selection starts shortly, so reserve your spot now for the best selection on your preferred picks.

Cheers,

Patti

Behind the Scenes of Cirque de Fleurel

26 Mar

Fellow Quilters,QM_MarApr-MayJun_2024 close-up image

 

Does life have you going in circles some days?

Today I’m circling back to an email I received last summer from the editors at Quiltmaker magazine requesting designs for the March/April + May/June supersized issue.  In it, they put out a call for quilt designs that use large-scale fabrics.  Not one to shy away from such a tempting challenge, I perused the upcoming collections of Northcott, Banyan Batiks and FIGO Fabrics in search of a collection containing a variety of large-scale prints.  I zeroed in on two FIGO collections, including a bright colorful FIGO collection called Margo by Sydney-based botanical illustrator Adrianna Picker. 

Margo

The Margo collection by Adrianna Picker

The detail in this lifelike collection of fruits and florals is exquisite and the color palette is fresh and inviting.  The addition of a bold 2-color stripe sealed the deal (I cannot resist a good stripe😊).  When I discovered that the collection came in tile packs of (42) 10” squares, I jumped in with both feet (I work best with a narrow set of parameters).

Once the fabric collection was chosen, I started playing with design ideas.  I don’t normally combine lots of large-scale prints in my quilts – I like to offset their busy-ness with some smaller-scale or tonal solid-ish fabrics.  Working with the pack of 10” squares necessitated the inclusion of all 14 designs however, so no opportunity to save some prints for another project.  The color palette is also delightfully busy – everything but red is used.  How could I separate the prints and bring some order to the chaos of busy-ness while making best use of the 10” squares?

Around (a-“round”  – haha) the same time, I was also working on the block-of-the-month design for my local guild (I am the BOM coordinator).  This year’s theme is blocks with curves.  One of the blocks is a circle in a circle.  Hmmm… could I apply this concept to my pack of 10” squares?  How could I use every bit of each square, while still using circles?

After playing with the fabrics in my Electric Quilt EQ8 design program for a bit, I arrived at my chosen design. 

Cirque de Fleurel (EQ)

My EQ8 digital image of my proposed design

Half the blocks have neutral a.k.a. solid-ish rings to separate the prints, while others combine busy and not-so-busy prints.  The light-colored neutral sashing further gives another layer of order, while the cornerstones add a pop of fun.  One of the bold stripe fabrics adds an extra sizzle as binding.  Happily, my design, entitled Cirque de Fleurel, was accepted.  I started cutting and sewing.

QM Mar-Apr 2024 Cirque de Fleurel_Flat shot

My finished Cirque de Fleurel quilt

So, about the circle blocks.  They’re not that hard 😊!  Really!! Think of it this way – each circle block has just one seam, and each ring block has only 2 seams.  Yup – just 1 or 2 seams per block.  Easy!  It’s not fast sewing – you want to take your time – but, with only 1-2 seams, each block takes only 5-10 minutes.  The first one will take double that, but they get much faster.  Trust me 😊.  Here are my best tips for you:

Tip #1 – mark each circle, ring and block background in 8’s by folding in ¼’s and creasing (or snipping 1/8” into the seam), then folding again to mark the 1/8’s.  Four of the crease/snips will be on the straight of grain and 4 will be on the 45° bias.

Tip #2 – when pinning pieces together, check that the straight-of-grain creases/snips on one piece are matched with the straight-of-grain creases/snips of the other piece.  You really don’t want to sew straight-of-grain parts to bias parts – trust me!

Tip #3 – sew with the circle on the bottom and the block frame (or ring) on the top.  Keep those raw edges aligned with each other and also keep them aligned with the edge of your ¼” foot.

Tip #4 – if your machine has a “needle down” function, I encourage you to use it.  Stop to re-adjust the 2 layers as often as necessary.

Tip #5 – If you’re pressing the seam toward the background (frame) piece, you’ll want to make small snips in the seam allowance of the background piece on the curved seam.  Same goes if you’re pressing the inner ring seam toward the ring.  Your block will lay flatter.

Tip #6 – press the ring blocks only once the background piece has been added.  If you press them after adding the ring but before the background has been added, you may distort the ring ☹.

I cut my pieces out with scissors – my Karen Kay Buckley micro-serrated purple handle ones are the bomb! 

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I used my Karen Kay Buckley scissors but an Olfa circle cutter is a great option

Please cut exactly on the traced line.  I traced the circle and ring onto template plastic and traced along the edge of the plastic onto the back of my fabric.  If you have an Olfa rotary circle cutter, this would be an excellent opportunity to put it through its paces.  I quilted my quilt with an allover design and a lovely variegated thread, using a rayon print from the Margo collection as my backing fabric – so soft and dreamy!QM Mar-Apr 2024 Cirque de Fleurel_Stylized shot

Cirque de Fleurel is featured on page 41 of the jam-packed March/April + May/June double issue of Quiltmaker.  This fab issue hits newsstands today and includes 12 delicious projects with detailed instructions for each.  I love Toby Lischko’s Lava Lamps and Ramona’s Scrappy Braid.  There’s also a Q & A on African fabrics with expert Lisa Shepard Stewart, and Brenna Riley Gates’ Top Ten Tips for Fussy-cutting – ideal for large-scale prints!  You can download a copy of the issue here for instant gratification.

To entice you to pick up your own copy of the magazine and give Cirque de Fleurel a whirl, FIGO Fabrics has given me a tile pack of Margo 10” squares to make your own quilt. 

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A 42-piece pack of Margo 10″ squares is up for grabs

Thanks, FIGO!  For your chance to win this fab FIGO prize, please leave a comment below by April 6 telling me about your favorite curvy block that you’ve made or want to make.  Do you love or hate blocks with circles/curves?  Successes, struggles?  I want to hear it.  Please share your thoughts.  I can’t wait to read them.

Thanks for reading 😊

Cheers,

Patti