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Monday, October 28, 2019

Circa 1880 Nine Patch blocks

Here's a new batch of Circa 1880 Nine Patch blocks.  The club is going strong.  There are quilters who have made all the needed blocks and are now assembling.  There are quilters who have made way more blocks than I and are making their quilt bigger!  There are LOTS more who are just getting started.

We'd love for you to join us!  Click here for a list of participating quilt shops where you can join.  Don't forget to join our private Facebook group as well.  So many fun things are happening in this group!

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Vintage Treasures Cover Reveal!!

I am SO JAZZED to be able to show you the cover of my 2nd book for Martingale....

Vintage Treasures!

Twelve small quilt projects for your stitching pleasure.

Coming in April, 2020!

I'll begin to take pre-orders at the end of February!  Oh...that seems like such a long time from now.  

Hope you like the cover!

Monday, October 21, 2019

Pre-Order A Village Square Quilt Kit and SAVE!!!

Village Square Quilt designed by Pam Buda 
My New Circa Essential prints and the New Circa Shirting prints will be arriving soon!  We just finished piecing the quilt, and in a big hurry, sent it off to be quilted.  It has to be on its way to fall market in Houston this week!  AAhhhhh!!!!!  I'm loving how it turned out, but I don't have any photos of the finished top just yet.  I hope to shoot a few before I box it up and send it to Houston.

I did manage to snap a few photos of the blocks just before we put the quilt together.
I think it helps to see fabrics in pieced blocks...
Then, you can see what they really look like pieced as they will be in the quilt.
Here are the fabrics for the borders and the quilt center setting.  I love them all....especially the red border print!  

I have ordered fabric to make kits, but I don't know how many I should make?  So...I thought of something new to offer you! 

Pre-order your Village Square quilt kit with a $20 deposit and you will receive the Village Square pattern FREE, as well as FREE shipping (within the US only)!!! 

I expect the fabric to arrive the first part of November.  Your pre-order assures you will have a quilt kit without having to pay for the entire kit upfront.  As soon as your kit is ready to ship (mid to late November), I will send you a PayPal invoice for the balance of the kit.  Pattern and shipping are free until November 11th.

Click here to read all the details about my Village Square quilt kit offer.

Thanks for supporting my little business which allows me to keep creating fun things for us to enjoy!  

Wishing you many happy stitches....




Sunday, October 20, 2019

Circa 1880 Nine Patch Blocks

Here's the next batch of Circa blocks.  My New Circa Essentials fabric will be delivered to your local quilt shop in just a few weeks!  You know what that means?  Twelve brand new shirtings and eighteen more little dark prints.   Yippee!!!!  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Piecing Problem Solved!

I want to share a solution to a common piecing problem in hopes it helps you as well.  

The problem:  sewing two triangles tips together where the two triangle points don't separate as they go through the feed dogs.  The points are too small to be held by a pin.  Even my favorite fine patchwork pins are too big for this job.  





The solution:  Acorn Seam Align Glue




What's different about this glue than any other fabric type glue?

It was developed to be used instead of pins when sewing your seams.  I can't say that I would use it instead of pinning, but when piecing those troublesome triangle tips together,  it works wonders!

I pin my unit together and then put a droplet of glue in between the two triangle tips (right arrow.)   Sew from the right-angle of the unit (left arrow) to the triangle tips.  The two tips will not separate when touched by the feed-dogs!

Just a small drop on the right side of the fabric at the very point will keep both fabrics glued together as you sew them.  The glue is formulated so it sets up quickly, you can press over it, if need be, you can "rip" it out and use it again.  It doesn't leave a lump of glue and does not gunk up your needle.  Washes away when you wash your quilt, is non-toxic and scent free!  
The bottom right corner of this unit where the green and light fabric meet are the two triangle points sewn.  Perfect!  Problem solved!  And, you can't see the glue at all.

Click here to order Seam Align Glue.

New Fat Quarter Color Bank Bundles


Two new brown color bank bundles.....

Two new green color bank bundles.....

And two new tone-on-tone light bundles.  A great way to boost your stash with colors you need.
More color bank bundles coming soon.  

Click here to shop my bundle collections.

And now...back to sewing.  I'm about to finish piecing the blocks for my new Village Square quilt.  Photos, fabric and quilt kit news coming very soon.  Find some time to be in your happy place today!






  

Monday, October 14, 2019

Circa 1880 Nine Patch & Rogue Blocks!!

This batch of Circa blocks feature some very cute fussy cut fabrics.  You know how I love those little surprises inside of blocks!  Well.....hold onto your rotary cutter for the next batch of blocks I want to show you!  
These two inch tiny beauties were made and given to me by my dear friend Janet Olsen (RogueQuilter)  She lives in the beautiful mountains of Utah and is a prolific quilter.  Janet writes and posts photos of the amazing quilts she makes in her blog RogueQuilter.Blogspot.com.   Seriously... a must read if you love mini quilts and blocks!  For as long as I've known Janet, she has made small quilts and very often changes things up from the original plan...going way smaller...hence the "rogue" quilter title of her blog.  And, boy....are we glad she does!
Janet is one of seven friends I traded blocks with while secretly working on my Circa 1880 Nine Patch quilt.  She is very active in the Circa club Facebook group and at Village Dry Goods Quilt Shop in Brigham City, UT where club meetings are held.  Janet began making what is now commonly known as 'rogue' blocks, and inserting them here and there into her Circa 1880 Nine Patch quilt.  The results are stunning.  Check out her blog posts to see photos of her amazing Circa 1880 Nine Patch quilt.

A little while ago, Janet surprised me when a package arrived in the mail, gifting me with a collection of rogue blocks.  I just had to share them with you.  The photos above show how Janet cleverly used the Endearment phrases from my Endearment fabric.  She also used a piece of the selvage to sew my name into one of the blocks.  Love, love, love them all!!  

If you'd like to make an Endearment block, which would be so cool in a label....Remember Me...you can ask for the fabric at your LQS or buy it here.
Here are a few more of Janet's rogue blocks.  Teeny Tiny pieces of patchwork wonderful!
That center square is just an inch finished!

And...if that doesn't have your jaw dropping.....
 
Surely this batch will!  Look at that Log Cabin and Pineapple block!!  And...the orange print in the center of the Uneven Nine Patch is fussy cut with the block inside the Circa 1880 Nine Patch!!  
Here's a close up of the Pineapple block so you can see the center fabric was fussy cut as well. 

Janet...you're simply amazing!  Your creativity inspires so many people and I just love what you make.  Not to mention, you're a wonderful and kind person I am blessed to call my friend.
Thank you for gifting me with these rogue blocks.  I will make a special quilt just for them!

If you're inspired to join the fun we're having with the Circa 1880 Club, it is not too late at all!  The club is on-going and will continue into next year.  You must join through a participating quilt shop.  Click here to see all the Club Shops.  You can also participate by mail. 

Be well......


Friday, October 11, 2019

My new collection, Cheddar & Chocolate will be coming soon!

Soft neutrals, sharp cheddars and yummy chocolate browns all play well together in a scrumptious collection for your piecing pleasure.
I designed two new quilts using Cheddar & Chocolate.  Can't wait to get my sample yardage and start working on them.  I'll post sneak peeks and progress photos on Instagram and Facebook, so be sure to check there often.  

Cheddar & Chocolate will arrive at your local quilt shop in January.    In the meantime, click here to see the whole collection and one of the new quilt designs.  All coming to you from Marcus Fabrics!  

Monday, October 7, 2019

Circa 1880 Nine Patch Blocks & New Bundles

I can't believe that this is our 40th Circa club week!  Time flies by way too quickly, especially when we're having fun!  Autumn is in the air here in Chicagoland....my favorite time of year.  I love the cooler temperatures, the color in the changing leaves, and the mums and pumpkins popping up everywhere.  I love all four seasons for the different things they bring.

We just cut a new bunch of shirting prints in a fat quarter bundle.  More color bank bundles will be coming soon.   I love picking up color bank bundles of fabric colors I'm in need of.  I'm always on the look-out for purples and plums and dusty pinks.  Oh...and warm golds too.  And, let's not forget good blacks!  Ok, ok....I'll stop now.  Click here to shop for bundles.

Enjoy the day and let's all take some time to feed our soul with those stitches we sew.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Meet Rachel

Rachel's Tribute 2020 Block of the Month.  Designed by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics
Sweet Rachel is finally making her debut!  

It's 1849 and Rachel, a 20 year old woman, is making this quilt as a surprise for her parents 25th wedding anniversary.  Rachel works as a teacher teaching young girls embroidery as they work their stitches on samplers.  She saved her pennies here and there to buy the needed fabric for the quilt.  Rachel works on this special quilt whenever she can, keeping it secret from her parents so she can surprise them on their big day.

Join the fun as you stitch Rachel's Tribute to her parents for yourself!   The quilt design was inspired by the many green and red quilts of the mid-nineteenth century.  It features just one lovely background print that gives the look of muslin but is much softer to the eye.  There are 9 different red prints and 9 different green prints, all designed especially for this quilt.  Each one cuter than the next!  Click here to see Rachel's Tribute fabrics.

As it is with so many of my quilt designs, this quilt looks harder to piece than it really is!  The feathered star is made with modern cutting and piecing techniques with no set-in seams.  No special rulers or tools are required.  The pieced setting triangles carry the red and green prints to the quilt edge with a chevron border giving a pretty frame to the quilt.  

Rachel's Tribute Block of the Month will be available only from participating quilt shops.  The nine month program begins in March, 2020 and will end in December.   Fabrics will be available in February, 2020.

I hope you love Rachel's Tribute as much as I do.  I have thoroughly enjoyed designing the quilt and all the fabrics that make it shine!  Rachel is being quilted right now, so watch for more photos to come.  

Rachel's Tribute will be in the Marcus Fabrics booth at quilt market, so if you're attending, please stop by to see it in person.  

It's wonderful to finally share Rachel with you.  I sincerely hope you like her and sign up to participate with your local shop.  So...next time you pop into the quilt shop, ask for Rachel's Tribute when you're there.  

Off to stitch a new quilt....Village Square...coming soon!