My quilt’s on the cover!!

Fellow Quilters,

Happy August!  This summer seems to be flying by.  Between visiting with friends, squeezing in some outdoor activities like golfing, and designing new patterns, I have spent almost no time in my sewing room.  That’s going to change very soon, as I work on 2 projects for upcoming issues of Quick & Easy Quilts and Quiltmaker magazines.

Speaking of magazine quilts, I was over-the-moon thrilled to have my Candy Corn Slice table runner featured on the cover of the current (September/October) issue of McCall’s Quilting.  I used Patrick Lose’s Midnight Magic collection for Banyan Batiks for this seasonal splash of color that was inspired by a picture of “corn-on-the-cob” sections made with candy corn and marshmallows – how fun!  This issue is on newsstands until early September while available or you can purchase the digital edition here.

Sail with me next February aboard the Eurodam

What else have I been designing, you ask?!?  Well, how about projects and lesson plans for upcoming cruises!

I am delighted to be cruising once again with Deb Roberts of World of Quilts Travel.  From February 14-24, 2024 Deb is hosting a Quilt Bee at Sea aboard the elegant Eurodam.  Ports of call on this fabulous itinerary include Grand Caymen, Belize, Cozumel, Jamaica, Bahamas and Key West as we sail through the southern Caribbean for 10 glorious days.  Think of this as a Valentines gift to yourself (a little self-love 😊).

Make Lucy Goosy, a flying geese sampler, with 10 methods of making geese

I’ll be teaching 3 project-based classes that incorporate my many tips and tricks I’ve gleaned over the years.  In my Lucy Goosy class, we’ll try 10 different methods of making flying geese with perfect points.

Learn to master curves ahead with Fanfare

If curves are your nemesis, join my Fanfare class as we make pretty fan blocks for a wall quilt.  And banish your fear of mitered borders in my Borders and Bindings class.

Borders and Binding is one of my favorite classes, with pain-free mitered borders

You’ll leave the cruise with some new friendships, wonderful memories and a technique toolbox chock-a-block full of new techniques.  Find out more information here for this terrific opportunity to see these unique ports on one cruise.

In addition, I’ve also been designing this month’s block for the Quilt Block Mania blog tour.  It seems rather apropos that the theme this month is “circus” since my life feels like a 3-ring circus.  I joined 12 other designers in creating something “circus-y”.  What to do?  I started with the idea of 3 rings and then thought that circuses have lots of balloons.

My Balloons block for the August edition of Quilt Block Mania

I contemplated piecing this block but then decided to applique the circles in place instead.  By doing that, I could tuck the ends of the “string” under the edge of each balloon.  I could also overlap some of the balloons, making the image more realistic.  It reminds me of my overlapping “3-ring-circus” life – haha.  You can download this easy Balloons block pattern here.  I included a couple of tips for making those balloon circles oh-so-smooth and round.

You can find the other 12 participating bloggers’ blocks and patterns at these links:

Flaming Hoop Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Elephant by Inquiring Quilter
Circus Popcorn by Inflorescence
Wagon Wheel
Big Top Banners by Sugar Sand Quilt Company
Peekaboo Clown by QuiltFabrication
Balloons by Patti’s Patchwork
Big Top by Penny Spool Quilts
Top Hat by Crafty Staci
Day at the Circus at The Quilted Diary
Big Top at Patchwork Breeze
Giggles the Clown by Appliques Quilts and More
Clowning Around by Epida Studio
Merry-Go-Twirl
Dresden Three Rings

One of the items that missed being included in my 3-ring-circus life was my Christmas in July sale at Patti’s Patchwork.  No worries – it’s still coming 🙂  The link for the Christmas in July-ish sale will go out to Patti’s Patchwork newsletter subscribers this week, now that most quilt shops have received all their Christmas fabrics.  Before we know it, the cool Fall weather will be here, coaxing us back to our quilting space.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and do what you love,

Patti

PS.  I had the pleasure of being interviewed by fellow cruise passenger Steve Dutton, a.k.a. Sailor Steve, this past Spring while cruising around the Mediterranean/Europe.  Watch the video here.

Fellow Quilters,

What’s been under your needle lately?  After several months of travelling, I am finally back home – it feels good to sleep in my own bed on my own pillow and enjoy my gardens, now that summer has arrived.  After unpacking (and laundry, of course) it was time to survey the carnage in my sewing room, and there was plenty of it!  My travels over the past 6 months took me on 2 fabulous quilting cruises where I had the opportunity to share my passion with many quilters, and then my annual teaching gig at A Mountain Quiltfest.  For each of these events, samples needed to be made, with no time to spare, so my sewing room looked like a tornado had passed through.  I booked a date with myself and got everything put back in its rightful home.  I also found a bit of time for some much-needed sewing therapy, whipping up a couple of my favorite roll-up tote bags (from my Tote Bag Trio PC249 pattern) with a yard of recently-purchased nylon fabric. My previous bags had worn out. 

My new Go-To Roll-up tote bag made with some nylon fabric and my Tote Bag Trio pattern

I have also used batik fabric to make these – a great way to show off my stash – although the nylon ones roll up into a more compact unit to tuck into my pocket or handbag when shopping.  They hold a ton of groceries, with their gusseted sides.  I always keep a couple of the batik ones in my car for impromptu shopping errands.

I took some time to test some new patterns:

New patterns at Patti’s Patchwork

Just Beachy PC293 showcases scenic fabrics (I used Northcott’s Beach Therapy) and can be made with seaside or not-so-seaside scenic collections.  Edenvale PC290 has a panel in the center, an ombre print in the border to make the quilt luminous, and some smaller “panels” that are taken from a coordinating tote bag panel from Northcott’s Morning Light collection – so pretty!  I also recently finished Sashed PC294 featuring the Wild Night collection by Stephanie Brandenburg of Frond Design – this is a great pattern for any ombre print or 24” panel.  And lastly, I tested Christmas Album PC291 (featuring Northcott’s Christmas Wonder) – another very useful pattern for panels or scenic prints and their large-scale coordinates.

I also made my block for the July edition of Quilt Block Mania – fun!  This month’s theme is quilting – so many options!  I chose something quilt-related that has been travelling with me on my last 3 cruises.

My hand work project for cruising

  My Clover mini-iron is part of my portable hand-applique project that I work on while cruising (when not writing patterns, that is).  Irons are not permitted on cruise ships, but my mini-iron likely looks like a curling iron in the luggage scanner.

I tried a few different design options for my Pressing On pattern and settled on a variation of the classic Winding Ways block. 

My Pressing On block replicating Clover mini-irons

I chose a light silver Shimmer for the irons and a pewter Shimmer for the ironing board fabric.  Both have hints of metallic.  My initial process for piecing the block was modified once I tested it.  I often find that I tweak my pattern instructions once I test them.  The curves in this block are quite manageable. Just a heads up: the corner units create a jagged edge on the quilt block. No worries though – they are covered by the seam allowance.

You can download the Pressing On block pattern here.

I played with some different layouts and color options.

Different color options for Pressing On quilts

The other designers in this month’s blog tour came up with some great designs.  You can check them out and download them at the links below:

Carolina Moore block by Carolina Moore
Wonder Clips by Inquiring Quilter
Wonder Clip by Inflorescence
Spool and Bobbin
By the Bolt by Sugar Sand Quilt Co.
Rotary Cutter by QuiltFabrication
Pressing On
Spool by Penny Spool Quilts
Sewing Scissors by Crafty Staci
Cat Nap by Kathryn LeBlanc
Sue’s Quilt Shop by The Quilted Diary
Vintage Machines
Singer
Color Me Bobbin by Around the Bobbin
Stitching Together at Epida Studio
Quilt Terms at Patchwork Breeze
Happy Hours at Chickenscratch
Pin Cushion

Congrats to Laura M who commented on my June post.  She receives a pretty pack of FIGO fat quarters for her stash or next project.

I hear tell a Christmas in July sale is coming soon to the subscribers of my Patti’s Patchwork newsletter.  If you’re not a subscriber yet, you can sign up here.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll chat again soon 😊

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Greetings from the happening city of Pigeon Forge TN!  What is happening, you ask?  “A Mountain Quiltfest” of course 😊  Yesterday was the first of 4 days of classes, and my students did an a-MAZE-ing job with their offset flying geese for their Panel Pizzazz quilts.  Yay students!!!  They all received gold stars.  The equally amazing quilt show opens today, with so many spectacular quilts – I pity the judges.  The show runs until Thursday and it’s free – yes, free!  There are 47 vendors and many demonstrations each day – so much to see.  If you are within 2-3 hours of here, I highly recommend a road trip with a quilting bestie or two.  Pigeon Forge is nestled in the foothills of the popular Smoky Mountains National Park.  The scenery is truly inspiring.

Mountains seem to be a recurring theme in my life these days.  Hubby and I just returned from an epic cruise through the jaw-dropping fjords of Norway above the Arctic Circle.  My photos cannot capture the impact of sailing through these narrow passages of towering snow-capped cliffs.

Geiranger Norway

The best ones were in the Geirangerfjord.  I had booked a kayak excursion that was unfortunately cancelled due to inclement weather (quite cool and rainy), so I memorialized my missed adventure in this month’s entry for Quilt Block Mania.  The theme this month is places and, of the 35 or so ports of call on our cruise, the Geirangerfjord topped my list.

My Geirangerfjord paper-pieced block

My block is a departure from my usual style – it is paper-pieced, with 11 sections.  No worries, though, if you find paper-piecing daunting – these sections are fairly simple, and I included a link to an online tutorial that I found quite helpful.  I completed the block by adding a canoe, though I contemplated trying to draw a cruise ship (my drawing skills are too rudimentary☹).  You can find my Geirangerfjord (pronounced GUY-rang-er-fyord) pattern here.

Click on these links below to find the blocks from the 16 other participating designers this month, and thanks to Carolina at Always Expect Moore for hosting this fun monthly event:

Cruise Ship Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Beach by Inquiring Quilter
Rose Garden by Inflorescence
Glimpse of Home
Rainbow’s End by Sugar Sand Quilt Co.
Cabin in the Woods by QuiltFabricaion
Geirangerfjord by Patti’s Patchwork
New Mexico by Paleofish Designs
Lighthouse by Appliques Quilts and More
On the Lake by Crafty Staci
Welcome to Sunshine Village
Blue Hole by Sallys Sewing Circle
Welsh Castle at Flowerdog+Co
Are We There Yet? at Purple Moose Designs
Going to Ohio at Epida Studio
Beach Scene by Patchwork Breeze
House on the Hill by Robin Kinley Designs, Etc
Coffee Shop Quilt Block by Happy Hippie Studio

For 3 days, as we visited Honningsvag and Hammerfest, we were above the Arctic Circle, where the sun didn’t set.  Here’s a photo from my balcony at 1am.

The land of the midnight sun

Surreal!

Of course, I was always on the lookout for local quilt shops and I found a must-visit shop in Trondheim. Quiltegarden shop owner Siw Elisabeth By gave me a tour of her lovely shop, chock full of pretty quilts and fabrics to entice quilters near and far.  Her creative displays were fresh and inspiring, featuring everything from Japanese taupes to homespun yarn-dyes and linens to some FIGO basics and True Kisses!

Shop owner Siw and I in Quiltegarden in Trondheim

Hubby patiently poked around while Siw and I talked shop.

Do you search out quilt shops on your vacations?  Have you found a must-see shop?  Drop a line in the comments to share your find.  I’ll randomly draw a name from all those who leave a comment by midnight June 15^th for a prize pack of FIGO fabrics.  Good luck to you 😊

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Do you have leisure activities other than quilting?  For me, quilting is all-consuming – I live, breathe and dream quilting (lol – sad but true!).  Hubby is an avid reader, and I used to read stacks of books when I was a kid.  I think university cured me of any reading habit, at least for many years – chemistry and economics textbooks are so boring!!!  Lately, though, I’ve been working through a pile of easy-read novels by Nora Roberts and her crime sleuth alter-ego J. D. Robb, that my friend loaned me.  I must admit that, once I start one, I can’t put it down until it’s finished.

I just read an older one from 2009 entitled Vision in White, about 4 joined-at-the-hip friends.  At the same time, I was also working on my design for the May Quilt Block Mania series.  This month’s theme is friendship, and the timing couldn’t have been better.  The novel clearly influenced by block design and got me thinking about friendships and how they are woven through the fabric of our life.  I’ve had the very good fortune to lecture and teach quilting in a variety of venues, from local and not-so-local guilds to national conferences and quilting cruises.  In all cases, I have met some of the nicest people on this planet and shared many memorable experiences, some of them involving jewelry (hello Betsey and Pam), or late-night wine (hello Michelle), and all of them involving quilting.  I wouldn’t trade them for the world, and they keep me coming back to these fabulous events/classes/cruises that take many hours of planning but are worth every minute.

In fact, next month I’ll be heading to Pigeon Forge TN for the annual Mountain Quiltfest conference June 5-8 to reconnect with the fabulous quilters from that area and to teach 4 classes including Panel Pizzazz, Rosebud Wreath, Starburst and Picture This. 

Rosebud Wreath 24″ wall quilt

I am looking forward to sharing lots of tips and tricks as I guide the students through these fun quilt projects.  You can find out more here.  This conference and show is a hidden gem, tucked into the Great Smoky Mountains.

I’ll also be joining World of Quilts on another Quilt Bee at Sea, this time in the southern Caribbean aboard Holland America’s Eurodam from February 14-24, 2024 – I’m so excited!  Coordinator Deb Roberts does a terrific job organizing these events, and many of the participants are past cruisers.  This time around I’ll be teaching a deep dive on borders and binding, as well as a fun flying geese sampler and a pretty project with some curved piecing.  You can find more details here.

But I digress – let’s get back to this month’s Quilt Block Mania. 

My block is called Hearts Entwined, and it perfectly represents the 4 friends in the Nora Roberts novel – their lives have become woven together into one cloth as their strong friendship developed.

My Hearts Entwined block for the May edition of Quilt Block Mania

  You can find the pattern for Hearts Entwined here.

There are 17 other designers participating this month and you can find the links to their free blocks through their blog posts here:

Friendship Heart Circle by Carolina Moore
Best Friends by Inquiring Quilter
Friendship Butterfly by Inflorescence
Mans Best Friend by Scrapdash
Circle of Friends by Sugar Sand Quilt Co.
Friendship Bracelets by QuiltFabrication
Hearts Entwined at Patti’s Patchwork
Friendship Chain at The (not so) Dramatic Life
Tea Cup by Penny Spool Quilts
Dog Paw by Crafty Staci
Scrappy Friendship Star by Katie Mae Quilts
My Best Friend’s House by The Quilted Diary
Striped Friendship Block by Kaye Collins
Circle of Friends by Applliques Quilts and More
Loving Friends by Epida Studio
Friends by Patchwork Breeze
Intersections by Brown Bird Designs
Pineapple by Emerald Falls Quilts
Friendship Bracelets by A Piece of Quiet Quilts

Looking for something new?  I have added several new patterns to my Patti’s Patchwork website, including Fanfare PC288, Picture This PC289, Rooftops PC292 (it uses fat ¼’s) and Good Vibrations Too PC295 (the lap & throw-size companion to my original Good Vibrations PC231).

I’m doing the final edits on 3 more, so watch for those in the next few weeks.

Quilt on and do what you love,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is the first Tuesday of the month, and that means another fun edition of Quilt Block Mania.  This post is short and sweet because I’m running behind (not my fault, I was born that way – just ask my mom).

This month’s theme is neighborhood, and there are lots of house blocks from the other 23 participating designers – you can find the links to their blog posts here:
Store Front Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Funky Town by Inquiring Quilter

Rail Fence by Scrapdash
Neighbors by QuiltFabrication
Neighborhood trees
House of Worship at Patti’s Patchwork

Jellybean Row by Penny Spool Quilts
Mr. Roger’s Sweater by Crafty Staci
Block Party at Lovingly, Lissa
Mid Modern Home
Home Sweet Home by the Quilte Diary
Bird House
Applique English cottage by Flowerdog+Co
Street Sign
Park Entrance at Patchwork Breeze
Good Fences by Kaye Collins
Down the street
Mr. Rogers Trolley Quilt Block by The Quilting Room
Log Cabin Garden by Epida Studio
Garden Flags by A Piece of Quiet Quilts
Charleston Palm Tree
House and Tree
A few years ago I fell in love with a neighborhood-type quilt, designed by my friend Susan-Claire of the Gourmet Quilter.  I started 2 versions of her That Town and Country quilt, and both are currently languishing in a box in my sewing room (I know exactly where).  Susan-Claire designed her quilt as a block-a-day, with 365 blocks, and you can find it on her website here.  She even wrote a book with the block patterns.

After viewing the other Quilt Block Mania blocks, and thinking of Susan-Claire’s quilt, I decided that the neighborhood should have a church or house of worship.  I even used the heart wreath block motif from my Color Play fabric collection as a mural on the side of the house – it’s a house of love 😊.  You can find my House of Worship block pattern here.

My House of Worship block

The cross is appliqued on after the block is pieced, so it can easily be left off if desired.

This month’s blocks would make a terrific neighborhood quilt when combined.  I especially like Lovingly Lissa’s Block Party block – haha – so clever.  And the 2 blocks that reference Mr. Rogers, a Canadian icon.

Please pop back here in a week or so – I’ll be posting again with an update on all the stuff going on (so much exciting news).  Better yet, if you click on that subscribe button you’ll get the next post automatically.

Chat very soon,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

I had a delightful taste of Spring last week alongside my colleagues in the FIGO booth at QuiltCon 2023.  We escaped Toronto just before a snowstorm and enjoyed the “light jacket” weather in Atlanta GA as a reprieve from winter.  Even our booth was Spring-like, particularly the section featuring Heather Bailey’s gorgeous Local Honey collection.  Heather spent 2 days at the booth chatting with her fans.  It was a thrill for me to have the opportunity to meet the designer behind 2 of my favorite collections, True Kisses and Local Honey.

Designer Heather Bailey delighted QuiltCon attendees in meet-&-greet sessions

Speaking of Spring, the theme for this month’s Quilt Block Mania is flowers.  Who doesn’t love flowers?!?  I almost picked up a bunch while grocery shopping yesterday – they instantly brighten the day 😊.  While there is still snow on the ground, I know that the first flashes of color will come from the crocuses as they pop their cheery purple blossoms through the snow. Crocuses are among the very first flowers to bloom each spring.  Crocus flowers come in Easter-egg colors of purple, yellow, lavender, cream and white.  With that in mind, I designed a delightful block featuring this harbinger of Spring.

Crocuses block by Patti’s Patchwork

Here is my Crocuses block , made with 4 lovely lavender shades of Northcott’s Toscana.  You can find the pattern here.

To test my block, I used some handy scraps on my cutting table, left over from my Faster & Fabulous Bargello class on the Quilt Bee at Sea Hawaiian cruise last month (I still haven’t unpacked one suitcase!).  These scraps were from the peach/orange/red Dream Weaver ombre by Northcott and a few Patrick Lose Mixmaster blenders.  Once everything was cut, I was ready to press my ½-circle flower bases.

My Crocuses test pieces are cut and ready to go

I trimmed my plastic template used to cut the bases, removing the seam allowance, and starch-&-pressed the curved edge around the template – a nice crisp edge!

A spritz of sizing helps set the crisp smooth curved edge

Once the bases were stitched in place, the blooms went together quickly.

This version of Crocuses looks more like tulips

My test version of the Crocuses block looks like tulips, another Springtime favorite.  Choose your favorite palette and create your own bouquet.

You can also combine this block with one or more terrific blocks from the other participating designers this month – there are 26 blocks this month!  You can find the links here:

Chubby Daisy Quilt block by Carolina Moore
Violet by Inquiring Quilter
Dahlia by Inflorescence Designs
Poppy by Boberry Design Co
Summer Poppies
Coronation Bloomd
Rose of Sharon by QuiltFabrication
Irises by Paleofish Designs
Lavender by Palm Creations
Crocuses at Patti’s Patchwork
Tulip by Penny Spool Quilts
Improv Pansy at Lovingly, Lissa
Daisy by Appliques Quilts and More
Cone Flower
Summer Flower by Crafty Staci
Mother Nature’s Memos
Kaye Collins- Big Blossom
Flower Shop
Star Flower Quilt Block
FPP Flower at The (not so) Dramatic Life
Spring Tulip by Around the Bobbin
Pretty Pot
Happy Sunflowers by Blue Bear Quilts
Poppy by Sallys’ Sewing Circle
Reversible Flower Block | Happy Hippie Studio
Primrose Pinwheels by A Piece of Quiet Quilts
Flower power

For an earlier Quilt Block Mania post, I designed another floral block – a rosebud wreath

Rosebud Wreath by Patti’s Patchwork

– and this block was the inspiration for one of my upcoming classes at A Mountain Quiltfest June 5-8 in Pigeon Forge TN.  I am teaching 4 different classes this year, and am joined by some other world-class teachers, including keynote speaker Jacqueline de Jonge of Be Colourful.  You can find the full list of classes and show details here.

Speaking of colorful, I am filming my learn-to-free-motion-quilt tutorials next week using my Color Play learn-to-quilt panel and want to address issues that quilters have while learning to quilt.  If you have tried f-m quilting and are still not comfortable with it, or haven’t tried it because you are afraid to take that first step, I’d love to hear from you.  Please post a comment below and let me know what’s holding you back, or which technique/design/skill in f-m quilting you’d like to learn.  I’ll tailor the videos to your requests.  As a thank you, everyone who comments by March 20 will get a chance to win this month’s giveaway – a cheery fat ¼ pack of X’s and Oh’s by Northcott.

This month’s draw prize for those who leave a comment about free-motion quilting questions

Good luck to you!

Cheers,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Aloha!  Greetings from the beautiful islands of Hawaii, where I am spending 18 glorious days at sea on the Quilt Bee at Sea cruise aboard Holland America’s Koningsdam. Together with roomie Michelle of Watergirl Quilts and 71 other quilters, we are having a quilt retreat like no other.  After 5 days at sea with 5 days of classes, we took in the sights of Nawiliwili on the island of Kauai today.

Kapaia Stitchery shop owner Jean with roomie Michelle and me

Our stops included The Kapaia Stitchery where we chatted with owner Jean and her friendly staff.  Of course, we couldn’t leave empty-handed – fabric souvenirs are the best!

Today’s “souvenirs” from Jean’s shop

I am having sew much fun connecting with the quilters during my classes.  In fact, connecting is the theme of this month’s Quilt Block Mania.  The design in my modern block may not appear to be a connection unless you are familiar with one of the first methods of connecting.

My “Hello” block for Quilt Block Mania

Yup, it’s Morse code for HELLO – how fun 😊.  You can find the pattern for Hello here.

And here’s a modern lap quilt using 4 different sizes of the Hello block.

A modern lap quilt using the Hello block

I’m not the only blogger in the Quilt Block Mania blog tour that used an alternate language.  One of the other blocks is braille – very cool.  And most of the blocks feature Valentine colors or theme so you can use several of the 27 blocks for a seasonal sampler quilt.  You can find the links to the other bloggers’ blocks at the following sites:

Heart and Star
Woven Heart by Inquiring Quilter
Puzzle Block by Inflorescnece
Connected Hearts by BoBerry Design Co.
Mardi Gras Geese
Chain Link by Sugar Sand Quilt Co.
Linked by QuiltFabrication
Irish Chain
DNA by Palm Creations
Hello at Patti’s Patchwork
Lover’s Knot at Lovingly, Lissa
Double Hearts by Appliques Quilts and More
Key to my Heart
Connections by Penny Spool Quilts
WiFi Signal by Crafty Staci
With Love By Sew Cute And Quirky
Text Me!
Braided Love by Kaye Collins
Celtic Tree of Life By Sallys’ Sewing Circle
Hearts Together Block by Sew Worthy Mama
Sunshine Village Church by Sarah Marcina
Braille Block
Left and Right Block at The (not so) Dramatic Life
Love Encircled by Jessica of Blue Sky Modern Craft
Celtic Hearts by A Piece of Quiet Quilts
Half Friendship Star with Heart by Blue Bear Quilts

Speaking of connecting, if you’ll be in Atlanta GA for QuiltCon February 23-26, please stop by and say hi to me and the FIGO design and marketing team in the FIGO booth.  We’ll have some make & take items as well as some engaging games in which you could win some mag FIGO swag.  See you there!

Until next time,

Patti

Fellow Quilters,

Today is the first Tuesday of the month, prompting my monthly post in the Quilt Block Mania blog tour.  This post is going to be a bit different, however, as I take you on a journey and whet your creative appetite.  You see, the theme this month is Barn Quilts, a topic that is near and dear to me.  Let me explain…

I live in rural Ontario, in Simcoe County.  It is a farming community with livestock farms raising cattle, sheep and horses, as well as crop farms growing corn, soy, hay and canola.  In 2017 the county decided to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial by creating a barn quilt trail of 150 “quilts” and invited farm owners to participate.  These “quilts” are 8ft x 8ft, depicting a quilt block (traditional or custom-designed by/for the farm), painted on sheets of durable metal and typically hung on old barns.  With the generous support of local businesses and community groups there are now 154 barn quilts on the Simcoe County barn quilt trail.  On my commute into the office, I pass no less than 8 barn quilts celebrating the heritage of that farm or the history of the barn on which the quilt is hung.

The Star & Arrows block in Nottawa, ON

The barn quilt trail draws visitors to our county and certainly adds interest to my commute.  The coordinator of the trail recently spoke to my local quilt guild, sharing fascinating details of the process, so that guild members can better appreciate the trail and its significance.

At another meeting a barn quilt artist also shared her work with the guild – not only does she design and paint full-size quilts, but she also makes small replicas for consumers to display in and on their own homes.  These weatherproof blocks are a sure sign that a quilter or quilt-lover resides there.  Barn quilt trails are not unique to my area – they have sprung up across North America to highlight local barns and farms.  Our artist speaker is kept busy with several trails.

Wanda Milankov’s Barn Blocks book

After running a monthly program through local quilt shop Thimbles & Things, quilter/teacher/designer Wanda Milankov selected 34 blocks from the trail, patterned them and wrote a book with instructions for making the blocks and some quilt options using combinations of the blocks.  The Barn Quilts of Simcoe County book is available from area quilt shops.

But wait – there’s more!  As the Block-of-the-month coordinator for my guild, I drew inspiration from our trail to choose monthly blocks and encouraged guild members to interpret them.  The year-end results were stellar!  Here are some of the completed quilt tops.

Some members replicated the blocks, while others changed the color, scale or layout as desired.  What fun!

Back to this month’s Quilt Block Mania block.  I selected the Celtic Knot block featured on the barn of J & J Borland of Egbert, ON.  Here is a photo of the Borland barn.

J & J Borland’s barn with the Celtic Knot barn quilt

And here is my Celtic Knot block.

My Celtic Knot barn quilt block

You can download the pattern here.

Now, in my QBM posts I usually show you a quilt layout or two where I have used my block on its own.  This month however I encourage you to make a sampler quilt with a variety of blocks from the other QBM designers as well – simply choose your own combination of blocks to create your very own barn quilt sampler just as my fellow guild members did.  So many possibilities!  You can access links to the other QBM designers here:

Barn Star Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Barn by QuiltFabrication
Independence Block
Sunflower Barn Block by Sugar Sand Quilts
Prairie Winds Block by Martha Jane Creations
Amish Star Block at Fab Fabric Girl
Squash Blossom Block by Paleofish Designs
Celtic Knot at Patti’s Patchwork
Maple Leaves by Inquiring Quilter
Goose in the Pond by Tamarinis
Dutchman’s Puzzle Quilt Block at Bonjour Quilts
Corner Star Block
Star of Hope Barn Block by Quiltblox
Meadow Flower by Inflorescence
Bright Star by Blue Bear Quilts
Bear Paw Block by BoBerry Design Co.
June’s Pinwheel Block and Quilt by Sew Worthy Mama
Tudor Rose block by Flowerdog Designs
Lucky Clover Block by Patchwork Breeze

My simple “barn quilt” block made with Color Play pre-printed blocks

Here is one final idea for “barn quilt” blocks, since some of the QBM designers’ blocks show an actual barn.  I showcased the 5” printed blocks fabric from my new Color Play fabric collection in a barn block – super simple, colorful and fun!

Here is a quick 5-block runner idea that I designed in Electric Quilt.

A 5-block “barn quilt” runner

What about you?  Do you live on or near a barn quilt trail?  Have you seen one on your travels?  If so, where is it?  Let’s share the barn quilt trail love and another way to enjoy our quilting “journey”.

Last month I asked you to share your comments about camping.  Thanks to all who took the time to comment – I enjoyed reading them.  The winner of a packet of Northcott fabric is Glenda T – congratulations!

Happy Trails!

Patti