10 Signs of Spring

March is around the corner, hopefully bringing some signs of spring with the flip of a calendar page. Just in case the new month doesn't cooperate, here's a top ten list to get ready for spring--some of our favorite warm-weather-inspired fabric!

1. Block Party by Ro Gregg

2. Cosmopolitan

3. Hannah

4. Garden Paradise

5. In the Tropics

6. Cherry Blossoms

7. Lagoon

8. Summer Breeze

9. Harbor Point

10. Calypso Goldfish by Ro Gregg

**Watch for more on this brand new collection (available in stores in March) soon!

Transform a bedroom...easy as 1, 2, 3!

As quilters, we're often asked "just how many bed quilts do you have?" It's fun to make a variety of bed quilts, and fun to have a variety of looks to change up a room. 

But what if there was an easier way? What about a bed runner? Less work, less storage space, all the impact! Terry Albers of Hedgehog Quilts designed this beautiful bed runner using the Summer Breeze  collection for Easy Quilts magazine.

Blue on Blue by Terry Albers; machine quilted by Sandy Schilawski;featured in Easy Quilts Spring 2014 

Q. What makes bed runners so great?
Terry: A bed runner can make a quick change for your room.  It lets you dress up
your bed without the time, expense and storage issues of a big quilt.

Q. What attracted you to the Summer Breeze fabric collection?
Terry: Color...it's always about the color for me. I'm a fan of watercolors and
that's the feeling I got when I saw this fabric. The unexpected hint of
purple really makes the line pop. It's subtle but makes an impression.

Q. Love the coordinating pillows! What can you tell us about them? 
Terry: I love the way the throw pillows accent and enhance the runner. They help
give the room a more pulled-together feel.  I used 20" pillow forms and make
all my "coordinating" pillow covers the same size. Quick change without
storage issues. When I want to change out the room, I just pull off the
pillow covers and keep them with the runner.

Q. Can you talk about how you came up with the design?
Terry: I knew I wanted to make a bed runner for my guest room. I played with some
of my favorite table runner designs, enlarged the blocks and tweaked the
borders.

Q. Favorite fabric in the collection?
Terry: My favorite fabric is the large floral on the light background...it looks so
airy.

Q.  What are the challenge/benefits of working with a fairly monochromatic collection?
Terry: While this line is fairly monochromatic, working within the group helps me
make sure the tints and values complement each other. The challenge lies in
arranging the design elements with enough contrast (in color and scale) to
keep the fabrics from mushing together. Also, the light purple accent draws
out the color differently in each fabric, helping the eye separate the
elements.

Q. Your bed runner seems wider than most traditional ones. How come? 
Terry: This bed runner is definitely wider than most.  It has a bigger presence on
the bed than a runner just at the foot. I love the layered look I get by
starting with the off-white matelasse bedspread, the turned back sheets and the
regular pillow cases in the same off-white and then the wide runner with the
accent pillows. It all looks luxurious and welcoming.

Q. Can you talk about the machine quilting?
Terry:I brought the runner and the pillow tops to Sandy Schilawski so that she could use the

same quilt design on everything. We chose an all-over design for the runner
and then enlarged the same design for the pillow covers. It wasn't so much
about matching the design as it was about keeping the flow smooth from the
runner to the pillows. I was looking for a peaceful feel to the whole
project.

See the entire Summer Breeze collection here.
Learn more about Terry and her work here.
Find Easy Quilts magazine here.
Find the kit for the Blue on Blue runner here.

(Frosty) Diamonds are a girl's best friend!

We all love a good red and green holiday project, but by the time January rolls around, are you starting to tire of those holiday colors? 

The solution? 

Choose blue and white for a design that can last all winter (and beyond)! 

Then add in diamonds, and you'll have a project no woman could refuse!

Diane Arganbright of The Quilting Hen saw the frosty palette appeal in our Summer Breeze collection and designed the "Winter Breeze" table runner, featured in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of The Quilter magazine. 

"Winter Breeze" designed by Diane Arganbright,
pieced by Denise Combs and quilted by Shawna Crawford;
featured in The Quilter December 2013/January 2014

We spoke with Diane, who explained how she came up with this cool runner design and even shares some tips for working with diamond templates!

Q. What do you like about the Summer Breeze fabric collection?

Diane: We didn't want to cut up the beautiful designs in the fabrics and the colors blue and white have become so popular for Christmas decorating. The fabric looked stunning, with great contrast, so we were excited to sew with it.

Q. Why did you decide to use diamonds in the design?

Diane: Our quilt shop has noticed that templates are experiencing a strong comeback with customers. We chose to use diamond templates to create something slightly more advanced for our quilters, but also easy enough that a newer quilter could give it a try.

Q. Any tips, either for cutting the diamonds?

Diane: In general, a good tip is you can cut a strip of fabric and then put the diamond template on that strip to cut it instead of working with the entire piece of fabric because the 2 long sides are on the straight grain.

Also, lay your ruler over the top of your template to give you extra stability when you are cutting.

Q. What do you like best about the runner?

Diane: The runner looks beautiful in the photograph taken for The Quilter magazine.  Many homes seem to have dark wood, and this blue and white fabric look elegant on that dark wood.

Q. Can you talk about how it was machine quilted?

Diane: This was machine quilted by Shawna Crawford of Lewistown, Montana, and she used holiday themes machine on the table runner.  I have used Shawna for all our machine projects and her work is stunning!

Q. What do you envision this table runner being used for?

Diane: This was designed for the holidays but could be created in many different fabrics for your needs.  It would make a great gift and by switching up the fabric, you could make it more masculine as this diamond style would work for the man in your life too, perhaps as a lap quilt.

See the entire Summer Breeze collection here.

Find the kit for this project here.

Find The Quilter here.

p.s. Can't get enough of this fabric line? 

Check out this free quilt pattern using it here!

Just Something About It...

Every so often, you see a quilt pattern that grabs you. It just works, and works well. You can't stop thinking about it, and you add it to your to-do list.

We'd like to offer up the free pattern for one such quilt, called "Summer Breeze." Designed by Pine Tree Country Quilts, this quilt mixes in just the right amount of white space in a simple, yet contemporary design. It's like a tall, cool glass of water.

What makes a great pattern even better? Matching it up with that just-right fabric collection. 

The blues and pink/purples of the Summer Breeze collection are so refreshing and cool. And that outer border? Pure genius. Can't you just imagine this quilt draped over a porch swing? Perfect for a cool summer night.

Find the Summer Breeze collection and the free Summer Breeze pattern here.