3 Reasons You'll Love the Grand Traditions quilt

The "Grand Traditions" quilt, featured in the August 2017 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting, has it all: 

A quilt a guy would snuggle under (no frou frou flowers!)

Oversized blocks (goes together quickly!)

Fat quarter friendly (easy yardage requirements!)

We love this quilt and think you will too. Designer Roseann Meehan Kermes of Rosebud's Cottage used the Waddington Road collection by Barbara J. Eikmeier  to piece this quilt, destined for a couch, a bowl of popcorn, and a movie. (Bonus: Start it now, and it'll be ready by the time those cool fall days roll around!)

 Designed by Roseann Meehan Kermes of Rosebud’s Cottage.
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2017 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. 

We asked Roseann to tell us about her design and sewing process. As a bonus, she included some links to her Instagram account from while she was sewing. 

Q. What attracted you to the Waddington Road prints?

RK: I loved the rich colors and the style of the prints ... especially the red and black ones. And the gold ones. And the blues, too!

Q. How did you choose what block to use?

RK: I've made this block in a 6" version. I came across a large version of it in my sketchbook and felt it would show off the prints in Waddington Road. Plus it's easy to sew ... any skill level should be able to make it.

Q. Tell us about the layout you came up with.

RK: The layout is actually a quilt block called Patience Corner. The blocks are placed a certain way within the layout to form the zigzag style sashing. Using this layout gave me the chance to show off the deep red fabric in the line. I love red, so it was a great choice! I've used the Patience Corner block to lay out many quilt tops ... it's a fun way to show off the blocks.

Q. Can you talk about how you combined prints for each block?

RK: I went through the fat quarter bundle and matched up color combinations, putting them in order of the background, contrast, and focus fabric. The first block was the hardest so I played it safe. It's in the second row on the right side. I laid the blocks on my floor as I completed them and then readjusted my combinations so that I didn't have too much of one color appearing stronger than the others. That's why some of the blocks appear to have less contrast than others.

Two things that helped ... after I chose the fabric combos, I labeled them A, B, and C. The other thing I did was create cutting charts. They're included in the article and are also labeled by letter. When you're using fat quarters, you want to make sure that you'll have enough fabric, especially if you miss-cut. Before I began, I decided which ways I needed to cut the fat quarters and did it the same way each time.  I always make the largest cut first because I can always subcut it into smaller segments. Also, I only made one block at a time so the cutting chart was helpful in remembering which way to cut each fabric.

Q. What do you like best about this quilt?

RK: I had a very short time frame when I made this quilt plus I had to get it quilted. I loved that it went together quickly.

The other reason I loved making this quilt is because I got to use my favorite tool ... the Folded Corner Clipper! I'm horrible at the technique of half-square triangles where you draw a line and sew next to it, creating a corner flip. My units never come out correctly. With this tool, you trim off the corner before you sew ... the seam allowance is included. I sewed those cut off triangle units together, too as I sewed the block units and have enough to make a couch pillow. It's fun to use up every last piece!

Q. Can you tell us about the quilting decisions?

RK: Haha ... here's my quilting decision ... I hand it off to Randi Helling at Jubilee Quilting and do what she suggests! I had sent her a photo before I got there so she had some ideas for me when I arrived. We discussed thread colors and I gave her a few choices. The rest was all her! Randi has quilted my professional and personal quilts for years. I trust her judgment.

Q. What do you envision this quilt being used for?

RK: I thought American Patchwork and Quilting read my mind about how this quilt would be used! I have a family full of 'boys' and imagined any one of them snuggling under this quilt. It's the perfect size for that.

Q. How else could this pattern be used?

RK: My daughter-in-law wanted to make a baby quilt so I sent her the directions to try out. She made four blocks and skipped the sashing so it wouldn't be too big. It was so cute! I'd do four blocks with the sashing to make a table topper or a picnic quilt.

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

Learn more Waddington Road designer Barbara J. Eikmeier here.

Learn more about quilt designer Roseann Meehan Kermes here. 

Find American Patchwork & Quilting magazine here. 

Blogging Design Ring: The 20-Minute Block

Happy July!

We'll be sharing a few summery, patriotic projects with you in honor of the July 4th holiday. First up is a pinwheel picnic quilt by Blogging Design Ring member Roseann Meehan Kermes of Rosebud's Cottage. This quilt design uses oversized pinwheel blocks to create a quick quilt top, and the red, white and blue palette makes the "Sparklers!" name just right. 

Here's Roseann! 

Hi, I'm Roseann over from Rosebud's Cottage. If you need a table covering for your picnic, a place to nap under a tree, or a throw to snuggle under while you watch the fireworks, "Sparklers!" is for you! With its fast piecing method, and large pieces, it is perfect for a last-minute Fourth of July project. Best of all, the directions are linked below in pdf form, so you can print them out and take them with you!

Tonal prints create the perfect backdrop for beautiful machine quilting. Visit Roseann's blog for some alternative quilting ideas, as well as helpful tips for creating this red, white and blue beauty.

The fabrics used--all small tonal prints--come from a variety of Fabri-Quilt collections:

Roses are Red

Indigo Blues

Marblehead

Marblehead Global Brights

Tone on Tone

This quilt uses a great shortcut method to make half-square triangles--try it, you'll love it!

Download the pdf directions to make Roseann's Sparklers! quilt here.

Thanks Roseann, for sharing this summer pattern with us!
You can win a starter bundle of red, white and blue fat quarter prints like Roseann used to make your own Sparkler! quilt. Just leave a comment below telling us your favorite 4th of July tradition. This giveaway is open through Friday, July 5th at 11:59 EST. We'll post the winner's name on Monday, July 8th. 

p.s. Whether you're new here or an old friend, we hope you'll sign up to follow us via Bloglovin' or to receive updates by email. You can find both options in the righthand sidebar. That way you'll be the first to know when we feature tutorials like this one!

Tutorial: Mirror, Mirror Pillow

Roseann from Rosebud's Cottage is back with a blogging design ring tutorial!

She's sharing her design for the "Mirror, Mirror Pillow" using the bold Fashionista fabrics by Ro Gregg. If you've ever considered doing something a little less "by the book," we think you'll love Roseann's asymmetrical project. A little bit of piecing, a little applique, and a whole lot of fun!

Before we pass you over to Roseann, one more thing--read down through to the bottom of the post to see how to enter the giveaway!

Here's Roseann:

When Fabri-Quilt sent me the yardage of Fashionista, I knew I didn't want to make the pieces too small. They were all so cute! I was getting my hair cut and my stylist handed me a mirror to show me the back ... and that's when it hit me about how I could use the fabric ... especially the one with the faces. I love how the faces look in the mirror. The pillow is big and looks great on my bed. Now I guess I need to make a quilt to go with it!

To make this 20" square pillow, you'll need the following Fashionista fabrics:

1 fat quarter of the mottled red

1 fat quarter of the faces print

1 fat quarter of the lipstick print

1 fat quarter of the shoe print

1/3 yard of the mottled black

3/4 yard of the mottled red/black for backing

Click here to download the pdf and the mirror template pieces for the Mirror, Mirror pillow.

Head over to Roseann's blog for a few additional close-up photos, some helpful tips, and a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the Fashionista collection!

Tutorial: Around the Block Table Topper

Roseann from Rosebud's Cottage is here today, sharing her latest Blogger's Design Ring free tutorial, which includes a fat quarter bundle giveaway!

She used the Peggy Sue collection to make "Around the Block," a spring table topper. 

This isn't your typical table topper though; check out the shape!  

Love the combination of easy blocks--four-patches and half-square triangles--accented by solid white squares and placed in a unique arrangement.

Roseann quilted diagonal lines across the blocks, including cute flowers in the solid squares, a perfect pairing with the cheery Peggy Sue prints. 

To make this topper, you'll need:

1/8 yard or fat eighth pink print

1/8 yard or fat eighth yellow print

1/4 yard or fat quarter blue tonal

1/4 yard or fat quarter light blue floral

1/2 yard white solid

1/3 yard light blue print for binding

Click here to download the pdf for the "Around the Block" table topper. 

Roseann's pattern includes some tips and tricks to make sewing this project easier.

Then, head over to Roseann's blog to find the yardage and cutting for a larger version of "Around the Block," as well as the pattern for a smaller table mat she made from the extra fabric.

Plus, she has the Peggy Sue prints in stock and is offering a kit for this tutorial! 

Thanks Roseann!

Now for the giveaway. 

We are giving away a fat quarter bundle of Peggy Sue that you can use to make Roseann's table topper or any project you like. 

To enter to win:

1. For one entry, become a follower of this blog (see "Join This Site" on the righthand sidebar) or sign up to follow the blog by email (right sidebar). Leave a comment letting us know that you're a follower, and just for fun tell us which Peggy Sue print is your favorite. 

*If you already follow us, great! Just let us know in your comment.

2. For a second entry, "like" us on Facebook. Leave a separate comment letting us know. 

*If you already have, just let us know.

This giveaway is open through Tuesday, January 30th at 11:59 EST. 

Good luck!

Drumroll...Creativity Quadrupled!

We are so excited to share this big announcement with you! 

We'd like to introduce you to Rebecca, Jackie, Roseann, and Christina. 

These four incredibly talented ladies make up our new blogging design ring. They'll be creating projects with our fabric lines, posting how-tos for making them on our blog, and then offering fabric giveaways tied into the projects. 

That's right! Fresh, creative projects--from small stitched projects to quilts--featured in tutorials right here, just for you. The first post from one of blogging design ring members will go up in the next few weeks. We'll be sure to let you know when!

Scroll down to read more about each of these ladies and use the links to check out their blogs. We know you'll like what you see! 

Meet Rebecca Aikema from Our Busy Little Bunch

My full-time job is being mother to my four children and a wife to my very supportive husband, but I love to fill my spare time with sewing and quilting.  I have often said that having these hobbies is 'the glue that holds this mama together.' I love sewing anything from small accessories, to bags, to clothing for my kids.  I was introduced to quilting eight years ago by one of my best friends, and have since made dozens of quilts for families and friends.  The talented online community of quilters and sewers has been so encouraging; I love reading blogs for inspiration and to see projects with the new fabric lines.

Meet Jackie Kunkel from Canton Village Quilt Works

I am the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. I  have been a quilter for 18 years, in business for 12, long arm quilting for 12, designing for magazines for about 2.5 years, and have taught classes over the last 18 years as well. I have also been an avid quilting blogger since 2007. I have been instrumental in forming the Modern Connecticut Quilt guild and moderated an event in NYC for the Alliance of American Quilts this past August.  I also have been producing a quilting podcast for 3 years now called Jackie’s Quilting Chronicles which can be found in iTunes. It was a natural transition for me to want to combine my love of paper piecing and Judy Niemeyer designs to become a Certified Teacher.  I have already been lecturing and doing trunk shows for guilds for 2 years and enjoying the entire process.This past September, I have spearheaded a NEW week-long quilt show at the New England Air Museum (NEAM).

Meet Roseann Meehan Kermes from Rosebud's Cottage

I am the owner of Rosebud’s Cottage in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. I began my career as a teacher at a local store, focusing on soft projects, small quilts, and decorative painting projects. As a designer, my patterns have been sold to quilt shops and magazines and also manufactured and sold in the gift industry. Many of my projects have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens® publications and other craft magazines and I'm currently a contributor to American Patchwork and Quilting® magazine. I opened my retail store in 1996, and in 2004, it was chosen as one of the top ten shops for Quilt Sampler® magazine. I grew up under scrap quilts - my mom was one of the founding mothers of Minnesota Quilters, Inc - and was always encouraged to be creative. In addition to working with fabric and wool, I enjoys other forms of creative expression, such as paper crafts, decorative painting, and altered art. With a camera always in my pocket, I take lots of photos and share them with others. My motto … there’s inspiration everywhere! 

Meet Christina Roy from 2 little hooligans

I am a married, stay at home Momma to three little ones who is obsessed with all things crafty and homemade. My blog is where I share our lives in New Hampshire, home renovations, gardening, crafting, sewing and of course lots of pictures of the" kiddos". I first learned how to sew in high school, but it wasn't until after my second child was born three years ago that my love for sewing really grew. I started out making baby items and before I knew it my mind was thinking up new designs for just about anything I saw that was made out of fabric. Sewing has become a passion of mine over the past few years and very few days go by when I haven't sat behind my sewing machine to create something. 

I am so excited and very honored to be part of the Fabri-Quilt blogging design ring. I will admit, I do not do a lot of quilting, instead I tend to create items that are quick sewing projects. I love to create practical items that will be used in our everyday lives. I usually try to make it before I buy it and hope I can inspire others to do the same. There is something so satisfying by making something instead of buying it! I am really looking forward to sharing some practical and quick sewing projects with all of you and hope that my style of sewing can add a different dimension to the group. I am really looking forward to what the other bloggers will be creating and how they will be inspiring us all!

We can't wait to see what these women create from our fabric!