Valentine Winning Comment

Tokens of the Past: Gathering In Red pattern

My little Valentine quilt sure has motivated me to display a few red & light quilts to decorate the house.  

A few vignettes here and there are plenty to make a cheerful Valentine display.  Red and light quilts are so versatile!  They are perfect for so many holidays: Valentine's Day, Memorial Day through July 4th, and are so gorgeous with Christmas displays.  

The quilts above are two of the three quilts included in my Tokens of the Past: Gathering In Red pattern.  And...I have just a few kits left with all original fabrics to make all three quilts....and....it's on SALE!  

Click here for more details.

Now, on to the important stuff.....

Loris is the winner of a Valentine kit!  

She commented: Morning is my go to time for sewing as well although I have recently found some time after the afternoon dog walk before dinner! That early morning before the world gets up is the best time of day though!
This is such a sweet Valentine quilt. Thank you for sharing :-)

Congratulations, Loris!  

I had such fun reading your comments.  I'd say about half of you said you are able to make time for some sewing nearly everyday.  The other half have many things that take up your time...like those pesty but necessary jobs, or caring for children or elderly parents, or a myriad of other things that fall under the label of "Life gets in the way."  We all know that feeling!  

No matter what the situation, we all have things in common.  That is the thread that binds us!  
(Pun intended!)

Thank you all so very much for taking the time to not only read my blog, but to comment.  Means so much to me.  

Enjoy your weekend and hope you find some time for some soul stitches...you know...the kind that feed your soul and make you happy!  

Many Thanks!

Many, many thanks to all of you who placed an order over the weekend.  

My little Valentine quilt kit was a big hit and I'm so jazzed that you like it!!  We're working hard to process all the orders and get them out to you.  Please give us a few days to get through them all.  I assure you, they will all be going out this week.  

Snow fell again here last night after a couple of days of warm weather.  It was a nice break from the bitter cold.  But....Mother Nature is reminding us that winter has a long way to go yet!

For the last few months, I've been getting up very early to sew an hour every morning on a very big secret project.  Trying to squeeze it in each day while I work on all the other goodies in production.  It is a great way to start my day and I am amazed how much I get done in just one hour.  Because it's so early, the house is quiet, no phones, no interruptions.  It makes me feel so good starting the day with sewing time that I don't know why I haven't been doing this all along!  I've got a feeling I'll always make time for at least an hour of sewing each day from now on.  

Do you dedicate time each day to sew at least a little something?  

Leave me a comment on my blog by Friday night to win a Valentine kit!!   

(I'm sorry, but I am unable to ship outside of the US.)

A little "Me" time sewing each day.....It's a very good thing!  

Something Sweet and FREE!!

Valentine quilt ~ FREE with qualifying purchase!

Remember the poll I had on my blog about a month ago?  Valentine quilts were at the bottom of the list, so.....I thought I would design one.  Your candy dish needs a little quilt to make a cute vignette!  

This sweet little Valentine quilt pattern/kit may just be coming to your home absolutely FREE!!  

Valentine quilt size approx 9" x 14"

* Place an on-line order for at least $15 to receive the pattern FREE!

* Place an on-line order for at least $35 or more and receive the pattern AND fabric kit FREE!!

(NOTE: Qualifying total does not include shipping.)

(Sorry....candy not included.  My son ate it all!)

Here's how this will work....

 ~ Qualifying orders placed Friday, January 19th through Sunday, January 21st are eligible.  

~ Your freebie will be added to your order when we package it up.   The Valentine quilt is not found on my website so don't worry about having to place it in the shopping cart.  

~ Similar fabrics may be substituted.  

~ One offer per person.   

~ The total of items purchased determines your free gift.  Shipping charges are not included.

There are lots of new things on my website to order!!  

My brand new fabric collection....Tall Grass....is now on the website.   Fat Quarter bundles are ready to go!!

I have re-stocked kits for all three of the Tokens of the Past: Two Color Classics quilts!

There are loads of patterns, fabric bundles and fabric by the yard.

Check out the notions section, too.  

Bloc-Loc rulers are in stock along with many more very useful items!

You can piece this little quilt and have it ready to enjoy on Valentine's Day!

Thank you for your continued support of my quilt designs, patterns and fabrics.  You make it possible for me to continue doing what I love and I appreciate it more than you know.

Click here to browse Heartspun Quilts!

Happy Shopping!

Pieceful Pines Quilted

It's a snowy day here in suburban Chicago and the clouds make for a good day to photograph the quilting of my Pieceful Pines quilt.  

While the dim lighting is great for capturing the quilting details, keep in mind it makes the fabrics look much darker than they are.  

Pieceful Pines is not your usual Christmas quilt in that I chose and designed fabrics that still look historic, not full of Christmas-y motifs.  So, when my quilter and dear friend, Ronda and I were searching for quilting designs, I didn't want a lot of Christmas quilting designs either.

Ronda found lots of really cool designs.  I love feathers which look awesome in the red part of the Log Cabin blocks, and really love the spray design she chose for the other half.  I think the straight lines give nice juxtaposition to the soft rounds of the feathers....and it kinda reminds me of gingerbread molding.

This little design reminded me of two things....a snowflake and the Spirograph I used to play with as a kid!  It isn't overly Christmas-y and fits in nicely....I think.

The center wreath and star blocks have some other gorgeous designs.  I love this center.  It would make an awesome table topper centerpiece all by itself.  

I hope sharing our quilting designs will help you with ideas when your Pieceful Pines BOM is completed.  

Pieceful Pines begins in April and will end in November, just in time for next Christmas!!

Please ask for Pieceful Pines at your local quilt shop!  

A little birdy told me to say you really might like to check my blog on Friday morning.   Something special may be coming your way!

Just sayin.....

Winter Means Soup's On!

I seem to be deep into 'design mode' these days and that means I don't have a lot to show you right now.  Bummer!  But...that means there will be lots to share in the coming months.

We've been in the deep freeze here these last few weeks, and with my family, it means warming up over a hearty bowl of soup on those cold wintry days.  If you're like me, you enjoy the way the house smells with a cozy pot of soup on the stove.  

So...I thought I'd share one of my favorite soup concoctions ~ Minestrone!

The thing that puts this soup over the edge are tiny meatballs.  Oh...they are so yummy!!  

Making the meatballs are the only real work in this soup.  One pot is all that is needed for this soup so there aren't a lot of dishes to clean up either.  Win, Win!!

I made my meatballs a bit larger than a marble. They will shrink some when cooked and I just want them to fit on the spoon.  

The rest of the soup ingredients are dumped into the pot.  Even the pasta is uncooked when added and cooks in the broth!  Sweet!!

Garnish the Minestrone with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Better yet is the shredded Five Italian Cheese blend from Kraft.  That cheese blend is truly awesome!!  

Hope that warms your tummy!  Enjoy.

Click here for the recipe.  

I have my Pieceful Pines quilt back from my quilter friend Ronda now,  Oh, the quilting!!  I'll  have photos of the quilting to share with you next time.  

Until then....be a friend to your needle and thread.  

Enjoying A Slower Pace

Now that the holidays are over (which I enjoyed immensely!) we can begin to enjoy life at a slower pace.  I don't mind the winter months for just that reason.   Well...and I enjoy all four seasons, which helps a lot, especially since we're living in a Polar Vortex here in the Midwest.  But...I digress....

That slower pace also opens up some free time which I took advantage of this past week or so.  The little Nine Patch quilt you see has been a work-in-progress (Yes, UFO!) for more than a year.  Sad to say but I only needed five more little Nine Patches to complete the quilt as of Christmas 2016!!  Sorry to admit that it took a year to make five Nine Patch blocks and choose the setting fabrics and border.  I'm betting you have a project or two that is very close to being done, just waiting its turn.  New Years Day was quiet here, so I finished this little quilt and I'm so jazzed about it!!  I'm thinking a couple of the blocks are too dark now that I can look at it all done, but it's done, so it's staying that way!! 

In between the preparing for and enjoying the holidays, I have been very busy working on my 2019 block-of-the-month program.  It really does take more than a year to design the quilt, all the fabrics, break it down into monthly segments and several fabric shipments, write and test the directions, make the quilt and print and stuff all the patterns for the program.  I completed the fabric designing yesterday, so all my notes and samples will ship to my art director at Marcus next week.  It sure feels good to have that portion done!!  (Happy Dance)

That means several other projects waiting their turn have now made it to the top of the To-Do list.  Always fun to begin something new, and I'm happy to report that exciting things are coming.  (Watch for a new promotion from me around the 20th of January...just for you! )

In the meantime, I hope life has slowed down a bit for you as well...to relax, enjoy and take it all in.  I'm going to prepare a few hand-stitching projects that I can work on in the evenings.  And, maybe I'll be able to complete another UFO tomorrow.  Now that would be wonderful.  I know just the project, too!  Another Nine Patch quilt that only need just one applique block and will  be ready to complete.  Hhmmm.....tempting...very tempting. 

Hope you find time to do what makes your heart sing!

Bring In The New Year!

Wishing everyone a blessed and wonderful New Year!

May the coming year bring you good health, prosperity and good times with family and friends. 

I am looking forward to some exciting things happening at Heartspun Quilts,  and I sincerely thank you for your support which allows me to continue bringing fun quilty things for your stitching pleasure!

May the world be fill with peace, understanding, forgiveness, graciousness, kindness and caring for one another.  

Thank you for supporting my patterns and fabric, for reading my blog, and most of all for your wonderful and encouraging blog comments and emails.  

It all allows me to keep bringing you fun quilty projects for your stitching pleasure.  


Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!  

Quilts and Cookies

My Letters From Grace quilt made with all of the fabrics from my new Tall Grass fabrics is  bound and ready for cuddling.

My quilter friend, Ronda, added her magic and made the quilt all the more special.  

If you're like me, you're always looking for quilting ideas, so I though I'd share what we chose for this quilt.

When designing Tall Grass, I made sure to have a nice range of greens from lights to darks and some with added colors and textures.  For some reason, green is a color that we use a lot, especially in applique, but is a color that is not always available in a nice range on shop shelves at any given time....so...be sure to add some to your collection!

Tall Grass will be delivered to your local quilt ship in January....just a few short weeks from now.  Yay....I can't wait!

The hustle and bustle of the season is well upon us and I'm sure you're making last minute preparations for the holiday festivities.  My daughter Nicki and I bake loads of cookies and make up trays of assorted cookies for our family and friends.  

This cookie, Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bars, is one of my favorites, is super easy to make, even at the last moment when time is short.  Let's face it....it's good anytime of year!  

Click here for the Chocolate Walnut Crumb Bar recipe.  It's full of chocolatey goodness!

My studio is closed until next week so I can just concentrate on enjoying the holiday.  Today, we will spend the day in the kitchen (as most of us will) making the last two cookies, and preparing to make two pans of my great-grandma Battaglia's lasagna.  Oh my goodness...it's wonderful, but loads of work.  While I'm in the middle of it all, I may as well make two pans and freeze one to enjoy later.  The house will smell sssoooooo good!  

Hoping all your holiday plans are full of yummy food with family and friends.  Enjoy the holiday...no doubt you've worked hard to make it all happen.  

Tall Grass Will Be In Quilt Shops Soon!

In just a few short weeks, my newest fabric collection, Tall Grass, will arrive at your local quilt shop.  

Eleven yummy shades of green prints accompanied by seven assorted light prints round out the collection that are sure to be a welcome addition to your stash!  

Click here to see all of the Tall Grass prints.

I remade my Letters From Grace quilt pattern using all the prints in the Tall Grass collection.  I'll post more photos of the quilt, the quilting and the fabric collection in a few weeks when they arrive here.  

Please ask for Tall Grass and my Letters From Grace pattern at your local quilt shop.  SO important to support your local shop!! 

Last week, I took a poll asking which holiday(s) you made quilted projects.  Here's the ranking of your answers:

(Participants were allowed more than one answer)

69% made Christmas projects
52% made Fall/Halloween projects
37% made Snowman or Winter theme projects
24% made Patriotic projects
8% made Easter or Spring projects
7% made Valentine projects

Any surprises in those stats for you?  I am surprised that only 24% made patriotic projects.  I would have thought that much higher.  

Off to bake a batch of cookies!  

Pine Tree Love

I'm so happy to report that my new Pieceful Pines Block of the Month quilt top is pieced and now in the hands of my friend and quilter, Ronda.  We have chosen the designs for the quilt and she's adding her magic.  (More photos when the quilt returns home.)  In my haste to get the quilt to Ronda, I failed to take photos of the quilt blocks to show you.  Geez, I hate when I forget important things like that....but, oh well.  What can I do?

I made an extra block to show you how cute the Pine Tree blocks are.  Hope you like it.  

The Pieceful Pines fabric collection is now on the Marcus Fabrics website.  Click here to see all the Pieceful Pines prints.

The quilt measures 80" x 80" and is an 8 month program.  Please ask for Pieceful Pines at your local quilt shop!!  Program begins in April, 2018 and is finished in November.  Perfect timing as it's just in time to have it quilted for cuddling under next Christmas! 

I am curious about the seasonal quilts we all make.  Are you like me and wish you had more seasonal quilts when it's time to celebrate a season or holiday?  We all suffer from so-many-projects-so-little-time that we just can't make them all.  I know this last Halloween, I wished I had more black and orange quilts to display, and the same thing is happening now with Christmas.

So....I added a little poll to my blog sidebar.  I'd love to hear which holidays you celebrate with quilts!!  You can click here to vote - just look for the poll at the top of the right-hand side bar.  I'll post the results on Monday.  

In the meantime, I hope you are getting to enjoy every moment of this holiday season!  

Pieceful Pines Sample Fabric Arrives!

The doorbell rang last Friday and a yummy package was left on the front porch.  My sample yardage for my newest fabric collection, Pieceful Pines arrived!!  Let the sewing begin!

Here's a first look at all the prints in the collection.

Being the traditional quilter that I am, I'm not a person who enjoys "Christmas print" fabrics with Santas and big snowflakes and the like.   

I prefer to stick to the historic prints I love to make my holiday quilts...the same way our 19th century quilting ancestors did.

I do look for prints that will reflect the feeling of the season, but could easily be used in a another quilt for any purpose.

As usual...the colors are somewhat off due to my talent for taking poor photos.  Is there a magic camera that will help me?  I should ask Santa about that!

I have to admit that it's really fun to be piecing a holiday quilt during the month of December.  Christmas is everywhere and I sure have the holiday spirit going on in my studio.  

I'll be sure to post some photos of the blocks very soon.  Hope you like the fabrics!

My Pieceful Pines Block of the Month will begin in April, so please ask for it at your local quilt shop.  

Hope your days are merry and bright!