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Thursday, June 25, 2020

A Circa 1880 Nine Patch Find!!

A few weeks ago, the folks at Marcus Fabrics warehouse were cleaning and rearranging things and found an entire box of my original Circa 1880 Nine Patch kits, complete with Aged Muslin background, the original red print border and a fat quarter bundle of the original Circa Prairie Basics and Shirtings!!  
They asked me if I wanted to buy them?  Heck, yeah!
The kit comes complete with the Circa 1880 Nine Patch pattern and template set, too.
The Circa 1880 Club also has a private Facebook group for club members.  (You must purchase the Circa 1880 Nine Patch quilt pattern and template set for entry to the private club.)  We share loads of tips and tricks for organizing and piecing your quilt.  How members can trade blocks if they like, and see how everyone's quilt is progressing.  Many have already completed their Circa 1880 Nine Patch quilt!  Some have made theirs using different setting fabrics, some have made theirs king size!!  It's a great place to share your Circa experience!  

It was a real find coming upon this box of Circa goodies and it won't happen again.  I only have this limited amount of original Circa kits while supplies last.  

The Circa 1880 Nine Patch pattern, template set, Aged Muslin (a one-of-a-kind by Marcus Fabrics)  and small club quilt pattern set is available in a variety of ways.  

Click here to browse my Circa 1880 Club offerings.  

The piecing and writing of my new BOM continues.  Gosh...I'm in mad love with these fabrics.  I can not wait to show you the fabrics, the quilt, and tell you about the program.  I hope I can in a few weeks after Marcus Fabrics releases the news.  They, of course, have first dibs on showing off!  

My friend and sewing helper, Deb (who is an awesome piecer!) is merrily working on the new quilt using Plumberry.  I'll be posting photos of the blocks very soon.  It's always so fun to see the fabric in real quilt blocks.  

I have found time to fit in a new surprise freebie for you.  I'm almost done and will likely post it July 1st.  Stay tuned right here to my blog..., although, I am planning to show a sneak peek on Instagram before July 1st...so follow me on Instagram!  

Other than that, I am trying to really enjoy my summer.  I make it a point to be outside on the patio at least once a day.  We had a whole lot of rain over the weekend, so now the lawns look lush, and the flowers are happy.  (I was pretty happy too, not having to water them all!)

I hope you are enjoying your summer as well, and getting to stitch at least once a day.  The bummer of this summer is that we just don't have those picnics and grad parties to attend because of you know what.  It's sad not to have these things to look forward to.  Are you feeling the same way?  Chicagoland/Illinois, where I live, will be progressing to phase 4 tomorrow.  I'm not so sure I'm ready to be in big crowds just yet.  My heart wants to, but my mind says caution is a good thing.  We'll see as time goes by.

As always, I hope you stay safe, keep stitching and most of all, be well.

Friday, June 19, 2020

Antebellum Sew Along ~ Part Four


I don't know about you, but I feel like these past weeks have just flown by.  Here were are at our final week of the sew along.  I'm really hoping you enjoyed this one as much as I have?

Let's make our last batch of Half Square Triangles.

Using (20) light print and (20) blue print 2 1/4" squares, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the light print squares.  Match each with a blue print square and sew 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line.  Cut them apart, press to the blue print.  Make (40) Half Square Triangles trimmed to 1 1/2" unfinished.

To complete our Antebellum quilt, sew (9) Half Square Triangles together for each side border; press seams open between HST.  Each side border should measure 1 1/2" x 9 1/2" unfinished.  Sew the side borders to the quilt center; press to the plain red border.

Then, sew (11) Half Square Triangles together for the top and bottom borders.  Like before, pay specific attention to the two HST on the ends of the bottom borders as they are turned differently than the others.  Each border should measure 1 1/2" x 11 1/2" unfinished.   Sew the borders to the quilt center; press to the plain red border.

Cut (2) 1 3/4" x 11 1/2" light print strips for the side borders, and (2) 1 1/2" x 14 1/2" strips for top and bottom borders.  Sew the plain light print border to the quilt center.  Your quilt should measure 14 1/2" square.  Bind with red print fabric cut 2" wide for single fold binding.  

I hand quilted my Antebellum quilt only in the light parts of the HST.  I'm still a beginner at hand quilting, and I don't really know how to fit a border design just yet.  It's plenty of quilting to keep it all together and enjoy it for the summer.  

I'd love to see your Antebellum quilt!  If you post it on social media, please tag me @heartspunquilts and use the hashtag #antebellumsewalong

Enjoy your weekend and Happy Father's Day to all our dads out there!  

Stay safe, keep creating and be well.....






Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Introducing Plumberry

It's always a fun day when I am able to introduce you to a new fabric collection!
Plumberry ~ Designed by Pam Buda for Marcus Fabrics
I chose many of my recent favorite prints to recolor in shades of lavender to eggplant.  Oh what fun!  Believe it or not, all of them are historic reproduction prints from antique quilts c. 1850.
I do love purple and plum historic prints.  I'd really be missing those plums in my scrappy quilts!  The problem is....not many fabric companies create historic repros in shades of purples, therefore, they are hard to come by.  It's not that purples weren't made in the 1800/1900...they were.  On the old quilts, many of the dyes have gone rogue, and are no longer purple, but I know that's not the reason they're not created now.  Fact is, I don't know why....but no worries, because I do!

I love creating them.  My first plum collection, Old Plum Calicos, came out several years ago and was a big hit, so we (Marcus Fabrics and I) decided it was time for another one....and Plumberry is it!

Plumberry will ship to your LQS very early in August.  PLEASE visit your LQS and stock up on these purple historic repros because they are too few and far between.  I encourage you to shop at your LQS because they need our support very badly, and we want them to be around for years to come.  

If your LQS chooses not to carry Plumberry, I will have fat quarters and yardage in August as well.  But, I always want you to buy from a quilt shop first!  


Nan's Fancy, featuring Plumberry  Designed by Pam Buda for Heartspun Quilts
This quilt, called Nan's Fancy, is the quilt I designed using the entire Plumberry collection.  I will be offering a very limited number of kits.  

If you're interested, you can reserve a kit for yourself with a $25 deposit.  Click here to read all the details and pre-order your Nan's Fancy quilt kit.  I will be showing photos of blocks and more photos of fabrics in the near future.  The quilt is being made right now.

Counting the days until I can reveal my new BOM.  I am enjoying this summer more than I have in years!  I take time everyday to be outside and take in the pleasures the season has to offer.  Flowers, the smell of cut grass, watching kids play, and sitting outside at night with neighbors (social distancing) just talking.  

Life is good.  It's still a very scary time,  so be safe out there, and keep creating.  

Be well.....

Friday, June 12, 2020

Antebellum Sew Along ~ Part Three

So happy you're back with me for week three of the sew along.  Let's get started....
With the red print HSTs you made last week, and trimmed to 1 1/2", sew (5) of them together, pressing seams in between open for the side borders.  The side borders should measure 1 1/2" x 5 1/2" unfinished.  Check your measurements before proceeding and fix any issues that may arise.  Sew them to the center LeMoyne Star block; press.  (Press the HST border in the direction that is better for the points of your HST, and that may mean press the seam open.)

Next, sew (7) HST together for the top and bottom borders.

Pay specific attention to the orientation of the HST in the top and bottom rows, and how the bottom row is different.  Not exactly sure why the bottom row has HST turned this way, but I replicated the original exactly.  I think it's authentic this way, and kinda kitschy.  I like it, but if you don't, turn your HST  as you desire.  Press seams open between the HST.  The top and bottom borders should measure 1 1/2" x 7 1/2" unfinished.  Sew them to the quilt top; press.  Your quilt should now measure 7 1/2" square.

 Let's add the plain borders.  From your red print #2, cut (1) 1 1/2" X WOF strip ~ subcut (4) 1 1/2" x 7 1/2 strips for borders.

Since you have your red print #2 out on the cutting table, cut (2) 2" x WOF strips for single fold binding.  Set aside.

From the blue print, cut (4) 1 1/2" squares for border cornerposts.

Sew (2) 1 1/2" x 7 1/2" red print #2 strips to the sides of your quilt top; press to the red print border.  

Sew (2) blue print 1 1/2" squares to each end of the red print top and bottom borders; press to the red print borders.  Then, sew the top and bottom borders to the quilt; press to the red print borders.  Your quilt should now measure 9 1/2" square, unfinished.  

That's all for this week!!  Your quilt is looking so cute!  Don't forget to post your progress using #AntebellumSewAlong    
I sincerely hope you're enjoying the sew along, and that it's happening at a nice and easy pace for you.  I am planning at least one more later in the early fall!  Always trying to plan fun sewing projects for us to make together.

I had hoped to post photos of Plumberry this week, but the fabric didn't arrive until yesterday.  So, I will most definitely have an update for you this coming week.

Presently, I am deep into writing the directions for my new 2021 BOM.  I'm busy starching the fabric, too, and can't wait to begin cutting it up.  It will be introduced in July, so watch for exciting news on this program.  I can tell you it's very traditional, multi-colored in my core colors, and has just glorious fabric prints.  The border print makes my heart sing every time I look at it.  So...enough tempting you about it...but I am bursting to share it with you.  It's so hard keeping secrets!!

I hope you are staying healthy and can get out and about in the world a bit better.  I'm headed to my patio to work on the BOM outside because it's a beautiful day today.  Then, some evening stitching there as well.  I love summer!

Stay safe and healthy, and keep stitching!

Friday, June 5, 2020

Antebellum Sew Along ~ Part Two

Welcome to part two of my Antebellum sew along.  I hope everyone enjoyed making the LeMoyne Star center block.

Let's make some Half Square Triangles.
Using (12) light print and (12) red print 2 1/4" squares, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the light print squares.  Match each with a red print square and sew 1/4" on each side of the drawn line.  Cut them apart, press to the red print.
Trim to measure 1 1/2" square.  Make (24) light/red print HST.

That's it for this week.   Not too much sewing, I hope?

I've been working on my 2021 Block of the Month program.  I will be able to debut it soon.  I think you're gonna love it and HAVE to make it!  It's a beauty and very traditional which speaks so deeply to my heart.  I am so proud of the fabric collection, and you know the quality of Marcus Fabrics....always superb!   I'll be able to show you my new purple collection, called Plumberry, later this week.  Exciting stuff!

In the meantime, turn the news channels off, and escape to your happy place...your sewing room awaits!

Stay safe, keep creating and be well....