Falling in Love

February begins tomorrow, which means that Valentine's Day is fast approaching! But there's still time to sew some heart-themed projects--either fabric valentines or a wall hanging, table topper or snuggle quilt for the one you love. 

Need fabric? 

Our Painter's Palette Solids includes a wide range of reds, pinks and purples. 

Mouthwatering!

 

Stephanie from Spontaneous Threads used some our Painter's Palette Solids to create this sweet valentine, which she calls the Wholehearted Block. She's sharing a tutorial for making this heart (just three seams!) over at her blog. Head over to check out her tutorial and her second valentine--we love them!

Bet you can't make just one! 

Find Stephanie's heart tutorial here.
Visit our Valentine's Day Pinterest board for fun food and quilting ideas for this heart-themed holiday!
See our entire collection of Painter's Palette Solids here and ask for them at your local quilt shop.

Rooster Parade!

Brighten up your table with some cheery roosters! 

Colleen Tauke used the Rooster Inn prints to make a fun table topper, which was featured in Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts. We asked Colleen to tell us more about her design. 

"Rooster Parade Table Topper" designed by Colleen Tauke;
featured in Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts Spring 2017

Q. What attracted you to the Rooster Inn collection? 

CT: Our family has in the past had a fun Christmas game. Put in the gift, draw numbers and pick a gift - the kicker is you can steal from someone if you like their gift better. One year a "Rooster" cookie jar was put in the mix. Well, said cookie jar was thought to be the hot potato - it moved around quite a bit during the game. In the end, the person with the rooster found a $50 bill stashed in the lid! It was a memorable game that everyone laughs about years later, and it was a memory that could be commemorated in cloth with these fabrics!

Q. Do you have a favorite print in the collection?

CT: My favorite piece in the line is the chicken wire. It reminds me of the fence piece my dad used to put over the shed windows on the farm - thinking that it would protect the windows from my siblings putting a baseball/softball through them. It never did work very well. :)

 

Q. The shape and design of your table topper is unique—can you talk a little bit about how it came to be?

CT: The shape of the table topper comes from using the Fons & Porter template set. The wedge design has you create eight "crazy pieced" sections that fit together perfectly.

Q. How did you choose the fussy-cut roosters?

CT: The fussy cut roosters are not all identical. I selected those of similar size, but keep in mind - the project is yours and you are free to have some fun with the process.

Q. Any tips for working with template pieces and fussy cutting? 

CT: A tip for fussy cutting - If you are unsure of your cut or how the piece will appear in your project, take the five-sided shape and place it in the middle of a piece of paper. Trace the shape and cut out the shape, leaving the page intact. The "window" will assist you in deciding how to cut the design. Do remember that a 1/4" seam allowance will be used along each side of the window.

Q. Can you talk about your fabric choices?

CT: I chose the black/gray for the center to create a strong center - knowing that a candle, bowl or other items may be displayed on top of the project. The gold was placed as an accent to the black. As for the red binding, I love red bindings and in this project it just "fences" the edge perfectly.

Q. What do you like best about this topper?

CT: I like the unusual shape, the quick method for creating each wedge with the template set and that the fabrics are timeless.

See the entire Rooster Inn collection here.

Find the Fons & Porter Wedge Templates here.

Find the spring 2017 issue of Easy Quilts here.

Cock a doodle doo!

Start your morning out right with a loud and cheery "cock a doodle doo!" 

The handsome birds in our new Rooster Inn collection offer a cool twist on a classic morning (and kitchen) icon. 

The collection includes 6" square blocks for fussy cutting--perfect for quilt block centers, hot pads, and maybe even an apron pocket! 

A few close-ups!

Love this allover print that combines designs from all of the different fabrics! Stitch some new placemats, kitchen curtains, or topper for your table.

Hello, roosters!

Find the entire Rooster Inn collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop. 

You Bug Me!

Creepy crawlies...spiders, lady bugs, ants, dragonflies, crickets, butterflies.

If it has six legs (or eight!) we've got it covered in our new You Bug Me! collection. 

What can you do with these fabrics? 

Try the classic "jar" quilt. (Here's a tutorial for one.)

Sew a drawstring bag for your favorite little bug lover. 

Make an "I spy" quilt. 

Create some larger-than-life stuffed bugs! 

Or...try our free quilt pattern, "Eek!" by Jessica Toye!

Download the free quilt pattern here.

See the entire You Bug Me! collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop. 
Find the Eek! quilt pattern here. 
Check out our You Bug Me! Pinterest board for more fun bug ideas!

Ahhh....Flannel!

Is there any month that holds more flannel appeal than January?
February, maybe, but it would be a close finish.

Not only does flannel create cozy projects for your loved ones, but that same project will keep you warm as it rests on your lap while you sew!

We've just released our newest Cuddle Print Flannels, thirty adorable prints in all.

If you're smitten with flannel, after finding them at your local quilt shop, the next step is choosing a project. Visit our Flannel! board on Pinterest for tutorials to make rag quilts, burp cloths, pajama pants, baby blankets and more! 

See the entire Cuddle Prints Flannel collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop. 

More Waddington Road quilts!

The Waddington Road Sampler BOM comes with two bonus projects.

The first is this quilt, called "Sally's Stars." It is also made with the Magic Triangle ruler, and Barb named it after Sally, since she designed the ruler.

This table runner makes use of the leftover pieces from the BOM center medallion. It also uses the last fabric in the collection, the only one not used in the BOM. It's used as the background in the runner (it's also the print modeled on Barb's grandmother's apron!). 

Additionally, Barb has designed two quilts that are available as standalone patterns. 

This Tulip Tree applique quilt allowed her to show off the threads in her Aurifil collection.  

Look at that gorgeous quilting!

And a favorite classic block--the house block! Plaid is the perfect border for this homey quilt. The houses (plus background and sashing strips) show off all fabrics in the collection.

See Barb's Waddington Road Sampler BOM here.

See the entire Waddington Road collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.

Contact Barb to order her patterns for both retail and wholesale. 

Learn more about the Waddington Road collection here. 

Waddington Road Sampler

Ready for your first big project of 2017? 

Introducing Barbara J. Eikmeier's Waddington Road Sampler Block of the Month!

This gorgeous quilt uses the Magic Triangle ruler (included with the BOM) and comes with two center medallion options. Barb used all but one of her Waddington Road collection fabrics in it.

We asked Barb to share her design process with us.

Waddington Road Sampler by Barbara J. Eikmier;
featuring the Waddington Road collection

Q. This BOM has a medallion style setting, which is very different from your previous Vintage Sampler BOM.  

BE: Yes, I wanted to do something totally different than last time. I liked the idea of doing a medallion, so I started with that and worked out, adding block rows and smaller pieced borders.

Q. This BOM has two center medallion options. Can you tell us about that?

BE: The original center is the broken star, which you see in the main photo. It’s really not that hard to make the way it’s sewn together, but it can look intimidating. I didn’t want the center to be the reason some people chose not to do the BOM, thinking it was too hard, so I designed an optional center using larger pieces that still creates a star effect.  Both center options are included in the BOM.

 

Q. Tell us about the Magic Triangle ruler.

BE: I love this ruler! It was originally designed by Sally Schneider. The BOM pattern comes packaged with the Magic Triangle ruler. The ruler is designed for creating variations on a triangle unit called the shaded square. I created a variety of blocks for the BOM using this ruler.

Q. Do you have a favorite block in the quilt?

BE: I really love the block that almost looks like it has a circle in it. It’s in the quilt four times!  It’s also really fun to make.

 

Q. You chose a beautifully textured tan print for the background.

BE: As soon as I saw that fabric finished (as opposed to digital), I fell in love with it. It’s very mellow and not directional. I thought it would be beautiful in the background. And because it’s a medium value, I chose to use lighter prints in the background of the blocks and the center medallion, which helps them to stand out.

Q. Tell us about the pieced borders.

BE: I really like the smaller pieced borders. The flying geese border framing the center medallion creates a strong focal point. I added the red and blue QST border around the outside because it uses the magic triangle ruler for another method. They come out perfectly using the ruler.

Q. What are the details of this BOM?

BE: It has a medallion center and then sixteen additional blocks (a few are repeated). The quilt measures 90” square. It’s set up as an 8-month BOM, and shops will be starting it as early as February!

Ask for the Sampler BOM at your local quilt shop!

See the entire Waddington Road collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.

Learn more about the Waddington Road collection here. 

Introducing Waddington Road

If you loved Barbara J. Eikmeier's first two fabrics lines, you're in for a treat! Her latest collection, Waddington Road, was introduced at Fall Quilt Market and is now appearing in quilt shops. 

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this up close and personal look at the primitive prints of Waddington Road and Barb's story behind them. 

Q. How did this line come about?
BE: Paintbrush Studio asked if I would be interested in doing a primitive line. I said yes! But I didn't want it to be really dark--I wanted it to have brighter pops of color. The palette is a combination of warm reds and golds, with greens and blues mixed in. 

Q. Where did the name Waddington Road come from?
BE: Waddington Road is where my dad grew up, and it's where I would go and visit my grandma. I thought it would make a great name for a fabric collection. The color palette gives me that warm feeling of "going to grandma's house." One of the fabric designs was based on an apron my grandma had, and my grandma was a professional seamstress, so the buttons on another print are a nod to that. But it's as much about the warm and cozy feeling of the memories of going to visit grandma.

The actual Waddington Road where Barb's Grandma lived

Q. Let's talk about the scale of the prints.

BE: It's mostly smaller prints with a few medium scale prints worked in. And of course the plaids. I believe that primitive collections need to have a few plaids! 

Q. What excites you about these fabrics?

BE: I'm just tickled with the variety of possibilities in the color palette. You could make a red, tan and blue quilt and have it look patriotic. Or pair red and green with a little gold for a Christmas-y feel. To me, it's very versatile that way. I've been pondering making a pumpkin quilt using the oranges and tans and greens for fall. I haven't gotten tired of playing around with the fabrics--there is so much opportunity for different combinations!

Q. You also have a coordinating thread line, right?

BE: Yes! It's 50 wt thread in ten colors that correspond beautifully with the fabric line. I love the threads! They're so warm. I created an applique quilt pattern specifically for using the threads. 

On Thursday, we'll share quilts that Barb has made using Waddington Road, including a brand new medallion-style Block of the Month! 

See the entire Waddington Road collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.

Ruby's Star Flower

We're happy to report another Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures sighting! This beauty below, "Ruby's Star Flower," was designed by Jane Vaughan and is featured in the January/February issue of Quilting Quickly. We asked Jane to talk about her quilt. 

"Ruby's Star Flower" designed by Jane Vaughan and quilted by Annie Alessi;
featured in Quilting Quickly January/February 2017

Q. What attracted you to the Ruby’s Treasures collection?

Jane: I like 30’s prints and frequently use them in my quilts. The colors in this collection were so sweet and delicate.  They just fit the name Starflower.

Q. Do you have any particular favorite prints from the collection?

Jane: My favorite was the fabric I used for the border—the blue and yellow flower. I chose it first and designed the quilt from there.

Q. What prompted you to use yellow as the accent color throughout? 

Jane: Yellow is just bright and cheery.  I also wanted it to be neutral if I chose to use this as a baby quilt in the future.

Q. Can you tell us about the block that you used in your quilt? 

Jane: I've been designing blocks that look like flowers to me and this one just came about. The four-patches were serendipity! I had moved them around on the block design and when I put the blocks together, there they were! I had a few segments left over after making the blocks, so I used them in the corners of the outer border as well...it was simple as that.

Q. What do you like best about the quilt? 

Jane: The airy effect the flowers have; they just spin across the quilt.

Q. Can you tell us about the machine quilting?

Jane: Annie Alessi did the quilting for me on her long arm machine.  I told her to do something that looked like flowers.

See the entire Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures collection by Barbara J. Eikmeier here. 

Find Quilting Quickly here.

Move over, indulgences; hello, fruits and veggies!

The holidays are over, and we probably all overindulged a little too much--cookies, appetizers at parties, big family dinners...

January is a month of resolutions and good intentions. After all the holiday eating, that usually means a shift toward more fruits and veggies. But it doesn't have to be a painful switch--check out these truly appealing healthy foods (on fabric)!  

Meet our Farmer John's Garden Party collection. 

Vibrant colors, fresh delicious-ness, realistic-looking artwork.

It really makes you want to dive into a salad for dinner tonight! 

Find the entire Farmer John's Garden Party collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop. 

In the meantime, let's help each other out. What's your favorite good-for-you meal to cook? Paste the link (or recipe) below. Here's to a healthy 2017! 

Wishing you...

a healthy, happy and fulfilling 2017!