Summer of the Snack Pack! (and giveaway winner)

We've recently added a couple new free quilt patterns that you can download right from the blog. And in case you've been outside enjoying the start of summer rather than taking a daily perusal of all the tabs on the blog, we wanted to point them out to you. 

We're declaring this the Summer of the Snack Pack! When outdoor activities are calling your name, you can still get some quilting done quickly with pre-cut strips. Try these free patterns; while they're designed specifically for the fabric line featured, they'd work great with any of our snack packs! 

Florals with a feminine touch:

"Garden Squares" by Pine Tree Country Quilts

featuring the Vera Cruz snack pack

Click here to download the "Garden Squares" pdf.

Get a head start on the holidays with:

"Christmas Keys" by the Quilting Hen

featuring the Season's Greetings 2015 snack pack

Click here to download the free "Christmas Keys" pdf.

And while these aren't new, they're still favorites!

"Monkey Wrenches" by Airborne Heirlooms

featuring the Shadows Snack Pack

Click here to download the "Monkey Wrenches" pdf.

"Bella Chevron" by Marija Vujcic of Mara Quilt Designs

featuring the Bella Snack Pack

Click here to download the "Bella Chevron" pdf.

Find all of these downloadable patterns (and many others) here.
Ask for these snack packs at your local quilt shop.
Enjoy the Summer of the Snack Pack!

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Thanks to everyone who checked out our first summer tutorial, the sunglasses case! The randomly selected winner, who will receive a bundle of Graphix 3, is Beth:

Congrats! We'll be sending you an email for your mailing address.

The Quilter's Ultimate Wish List - part 2

Yesterday we shared a generic version of the quilter's ultimate wish list. However, for a non-quilter, heading into a quilt shop to buy fabric can be intimidating. So today we have a more targeted version of a wish list which will make it a piece of cake for your family and friends to get you exactly what you'd love for the holidays!

Download the printable pdf version of the wish list here.

See all of the fabrics in the featured collections by clicking on the links below.

Who's Who

Cassandra

Bella

Windsor Woods

Lauren

A Walk in the Park

Asian Fanfare

Tweet

It's Pillow Time!

Four times each year, American Patchwork & Quilting introduces two new pillowcase designs to help promote the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. With so many ways to enhance a pillowcase design, it's always fun to see what they come up with. And, since we are a proud sponsor of the Pillowcase Challenge, it's always fun to see how our fabrics spoke to them in the pillowcase making process. 

We think you'll love both of these beauties featuring our fabrics as much as we do!

Pattern #44: Quilted Pillow Sham featuring Bella by Ro Gregg

Find the pattern on allpeoplequilt.com here

Pattern #45: Butterfly Applique featuring Piccadilly

Find the pattern on allpeoplequilt.com here

It's so easy to be part of this worthwhile endeavor! You can sew a pillowcase that can make a difference in someone's life in less than half an hour. Learn more about the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge, including finding all the patterns you can download and information on how to get involved, here.
Thanks, AP&Q!

Tour our booth!

If your Facebook feed for the last few days has been filled with mentions of Quilt Market* and so-and-so's booth, and you're wishing that you could have attended the show, we can help! We've just returned from Houston and we're ready to share!

Your tour today: A look at our Fall Quilt Market booth in Houston, as well as the fabric lines and quilts/projects showcased in it.

A view of one side of the booth:

And the other:

And now the close-ups!

Left: "Indigo Stars" quilt designed by Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis using Bella Casa (download the free pattern here)

Right: "Bella Rosa" quilt designed by Terry Albers of Hedgehog Quilts using Bella by Ro Gregg (pattern available for purchase on Hedgehog Quilts website)

On the table in front, left: "Circles and Squares" quilt designed by Airborne Heirlooms using Cosmopolitan (download the free pattern here)

On the table in front, right: "Fabulous Frames" quilt designed by Airborne Heirlooms using the Elemental Lines collection (download the free pattern here)

"A Walk in the Park" quilt designed by Pine Tree Country Quilts using Ro Gregg's A Walk in the Park collection (download the free pattern here)

"Mesmerize" quilt embroidery design by Jayme Crow of Bella Nona using Fabri-Quilt batiks and Magnifico threads by Superior Threads (quilted by Marlene Oddie of KISSed Quilts) 

"Flags Forever" quilt designed by Airborne Heirlooms using the Bella Casa snack pack (download the free quilt pattern here). 

(Notice the jersey displayed by this quilt--displaying some hometown baseball pride as our Kansas City Royals played in the World Series during Quilt Market!)

"Bella Garden Stroll" quilt by Mara Quilt Designs using Ro Gregg's Bella collection (download the free quilt pattern here)

"Romance in Flight" designed by Larene Smith of the Quilted Button using the Who's Who collection by Ro Gregg (Check our website soon to download this free pattern!) 

"Windsor Woods Block of the Month" quilt designed by Pine Tree Country Quilts using Ro Gregg's Windsor Woods collection (ask for it at your local quilt shop)

"Monkey Wrenches" quilt designed by Airborne Heirlooms using the Shadows snack pack (download the free quilt pattern here)

"Asian Fans" quilt designed by Terry Albers of Hedgehog Quilts using Ro Gregg's Asian Fanfare collection (download the free quilt pattern here)

"Stonewall" designed by Donna Lynn Thomas using Marblehead by Ro Gregg (pattern available for purchase on Donna Lynn Thomas' website)

 A booth sample quilt made by our own Sue Linam using our Cuddle Prints Flannel, chenille style!

Birds in a nest! (Download the patterns here)

Meet our Magic Trees!
We wanted to create an organic, softly whimsical, magical garden feeling with these trees, so we had tiny birds and lights adorning the branches. We even had one nest with eggs in one of the trees. The idea continued through the booth with hanging birdhouses and stuffed birds in nests on the table (see below). The tree bases are wrapped with tubes covered in ruffles, and then we used ruffles on the thicker branches of the trees as well, and wrapped thinner branches with strips of fabric. 

And there's our booth! Thanks for coming along on the tour; keep an eye on the blog for more information about our new fabrics and patterns that debuted at Quilt Market!

*If you're wondering what Market is, twice a year Quilts Inc. holds industry-only shows for all things quilt related, and quilt shop owners see what's new and make purchases for their stores. The show floor is full of peeks at new fabric lines, quilting tools and machines, patterns, samples, and more...and don't forget a gallery section of show-stopping quilts on display!

Bella Quilts

Recently we interviewed Ro Gregg about her new collection, Bella. She talked about what inspired her to design the line, about her favorite print (the panel), and the luscious color palette. 

(If you missed Ro's interview, find it here.)

Today the inspiration we're offering is for you. One designer has used the beautiful Bella prints to design two different free quilt patterns. Download them today, ask for Bella at your local quilt shop, and get started on your project this weekend!

Garden Stroll by Marija Vujcic of Mara Quilt Designs

This queen size beauty will transform a room! And it uses just one simple block--the double four-patch--surrounding the center panel.

Download this free quilt pattern here.

Bella Chevron by Marija Vujcic of Mara Quilt Designs

This easy lap quilt is made using a snack pack of pre-cut 2-1/2" wide strips in the ever popular chevron design.

Download this free quilt pattern here.

View the entire Bella collection here and ask for it as your local quilt shop.

The Beauty of Bella

We're here to inject beauty into your Monday with an introduction to Ro Gregg's Bella collection. Ro pairs her specialty, traditional floral prints, with modern accents--ombre stripes, geometric black and cream prints, and rich tonals. Scroll down to feast your eyes on this gorgeous collection and read about how Ro designed it!

Q. What inspired the Bella collection?

Ro: The rose is my favorite flower. It actually is the queen of flowers. I am a romantic at heart and Bella is a traditional romantic collection with a contemporary flair, perfect for creating an updated cottage look.

Q. Can you tell us more about the roses you included?

Ro: Roses symbolize elegance and delicate beauty and are also the traditional symbol of love. I have designed the floral prints in varying sizes to create the perfect mix and matching of patterns for quilters to use.

Q. Tell us about your favorite print in the collection.

Ro: My favorite print is the 24" floral panel, which is a masterpiece of 17 screens that will make any quilt an heirloom with its display of roses in full bloom. The panel creates a center canvas for a quilt and works perfectly together with the other coordinates to make breathtaking projects.

Q. Can you talk about the color palette you chose?

Ro: The color palette includes delectable pastels showcased on dramatic black: vanilla cream, robin's egg blue, rose nectar, sage and peach frappe. Peach pink and coral roses symbolize sincerity, appreciation, desire, and enthusiasm which are all traits  of quilters.

Q. The ombre stripes and the border stripes are gorgeous! How did you come up with them?

Ro: I designed the ombre stripe print to add highlight color. It is very versatile and works perfectly as an all over print or a stripe. I also have incorporated the ombre stripe in a patched fashion within the floral stripe, where it gives the appearances of pieced work.

Q. How did you name the collection?

Ro: The name ''Bella'' means beautiful—it has an Italian/Latin origin. I believe the name speaks for the collection!

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

Design Your Own Palette: Home Dec Prints

We had so much fun sharing the bright and summery mix and match prints the other day that we're back with more of the same, this time featuring some of our more home dec style prints, both those with a traditional and a contemporary feel. 

Let us know what you think of these!

Main print: Bella

Coordinating prints (clockwise, from upper left):

Marblehead

Lauren

Elemental Lines

Piccadilly

Main print: Elemental Lines

Coordinating prints (clockwise, from upper left):

Mesa Verde

Bella Casa

Marblehead

Tweet

 Main print: Windsor Woods

Coordinating prints (clockwise, from upper left):

Lagoon

Marblehead

Christmas Basics

Batiks

See our mix and match bright palettes here.