May 17th, 2012
Hello! I’m in between quilt patterns so I’m going to show you the flowers in our Michigan spring garden. Our weather has been a roller coaster with high temps one week and then frost warnings and cool days the following week. But it seems to be on an even keel right now.
This is a new climbing rose I’ve sunk into our garden until I can move it to its permanent place in front of a trellis. Its called Stormy Weather. I’m also going to plant a pink striped clemantis with it to flower with the roses. Never tried that-am looking forward to seeing the two plants flower together!
Our bleeding heart bush is almost finished blooming-its in a shady corner by our back door. Its been gorgeous!
Our first blue iris has opened this week.
This short iris bloomed a few weeks ago.
This is the second climbing rose I bought this spring. I planted it this morning. Its called Sky’s the Limit and should have longer canes then Stormy Weather. I hope to train the canes along the top of our picket fence.
Our perennial bachelor button-the best spray of blooms yet! This is the third season and I love it!
Here are two different columbines-the yellow-orange one is new this year.
Hope your garden is doing well for you. What would quilters do without flowers? Its the favorite motif for fabric and blocks!
Tags: flowers, garden, spring
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April 22nd, 2012
I’m working on appliqué blocks for a new pattern named Sue and Sam. It features pieced blocks and appliqué blocks of Sunbonnet Sue or Sam in sizes crib to twin.
Because my sewing machine doesn’t have a machine blanket stitch I do it by hand-which I enjoy as its very relaxing. The quilt fabrics are scrappy with 30’s reproduction prints. The fusible shapes are finished with black blanket stitch and brown blanket stitch on the rabbit doll Sunbonnet Sue is holding.
Here are some photos I took while finishing Sue’s boot:
I use two strands of black embroidery floss and double knotted the end. Here you see I have started at the top of the boot close to Sue’s dress. The needle and floss has been brought up from the back and is ready for the first stitch.
I have created a circle with the floss, inserted the tip of the needle about 1/8″ inside the edge of Sue’s boot. The needle’s tip went to the back of the block and up again at the edge of the boot.
I have pulled the needle and floss to its end which created the first stitch on top of Sue’s boot. I’m ready to make the second stitch.
Here you see the circle of floss again and the tip of the needle below the first stitch pushed to the back of the block and up again at the edge of the boot.
Here’s the next stitch completed below the first one.
Sue’s boot is finished! Repeat the steps to complete your next hand embroidery project. Make a double knot when the shape’s edges are finished and clip the floss close to the knot so the floss ends don’t show through the white block’s fabric (called shadowing). It takes practice to get even stitches but the end result is worth the time.
Happy Quilting!
Tags: embroidery, hand blanket stitch, how to lesson, quilt, Sunbonnet Sue
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April 11th, 2012
Are you thinking you need to make a Christmas quilt for this year?
Christmas Stars may be the pattern you want to cherish for years to come! It uses assorted fat quarters, large fusible shapes and strip piecing techniques.
Quilt shops will be getting in their Christmas collections this summer so now’s a good time to have your pattern in hand before the eye candy comes!
Here’s the link to the homepage where you can click on the picture and go directly to the catalog page:
http://www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/
Happy fabric hunting!
Tags: Christmas, fat quarters, quilt, scrappy, stars
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April 5th, 2012
Here’s a simple tablerunner to make using earthtones and summer daisies! The pattern gives yardage for two lengths: 12″ x 48″ or 12″ x 66″.
The placemat size is 12″ x 15″.
The daisies and leaves are fusible with a simple vine made from bias strips. It was designed and requested from my husband’s uncle for his wife’s birthday. They loved it!
Here’s the link to the homepage to find it in the catalog:
http://www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/
Tags: daisies, earth tones, placemat, quilted tablerunner, summer
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March 31st, 2012
Do you like to paper piece quilts? Here is the photo of the quilt I finished for a client some months ago. It just came back from the machine quilter-unfortunately the custom quilting in varigated thread doesn’t show up.
It was challenging to put together but I feel that I have an accomplishment to be proud of. This quilt, Joy, is the second one I’ve finished by the designer Jacqueline de Jong. I believe the client is going to use it as a wall hanging in her southwestern home.
Tags: foundation pieced, Jacqueline de Jong
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March 14th, 2012
![YouCanMakeThis_5Sale_SpringGarland (1)[1]](http://cottagequiltdesigns.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/YouCanMakeThis_5Sale_SpringGarland-111-300x182.jpg "YouCanMakeThis_5Sale_SpringGarland (1)[1]")
For $5 you can purchase an e-pattern-over 100 patterns to choose from at YouCan Make This-one of the e-pattern sites my patterns can be found.
Plus, when your order totals $25 or more, you will receive a free Garland and Bunting pattern. It will automatically be added to your order.
Look for the sale patterns in the Featured Products section. We have a pattern in the sale-its Baseball Legends-one of our newest quilt patterns you can make for the men in your life.
So check it out-the sale runs from now till Saturday, March 17th. Here’s the link to the Featured Products section:
http://www.youcanmakethis.com/products/featured-products.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=031612-all
Tags: $5 patterns, crafts, quilt, sale
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March 3rd, 2012
Jacqueline de Jonge’s quilt, Be Colourful, is almost done!
I’ve just completed section H. Its been a challenge with paper pieced stars, curving pieced sections and the plain pieces that fit around the pieced sections. But its beautiful!
I hope to finish it by early next week and send it off to the machine quilter who is going to custom quilt it.
If you love to paper piece this is the quilt pattern for you!
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February 27th, 2012
Do you love walking in the snow? I found this photo one day looking for a winter scene to put on our computer background.
My husband is a bird watcher and I’ve joined in since our dating years before we married. We also love to hike and this path looks like a snow lover’s paradise!
Tags: hiking, snowy owl, winter
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February 23rd, 2012
Do you like gray, gold and tan prints? Neutral Chic is in the March/April issue of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting magazine.
The fabrics are from the Neutral elegance collection designed by Tammy Johnson and Avis Shirer of Joined at the Hip for Clothworks.
The throw is 63″ x 75″ and is easy to make with just two blocks and fusible shapes.
Two corrections: the quilt was machine quilted by Cindy Montgomery and not Doreen Clink. Also they have our book, Strangled by Wild Geese, as published by Leisure Arts. I self published it so it is available from our website . Here’s the catalog page link: http://www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/catalog.php?item=111&catid=6&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D6
We do have a book coming out this spring published by Leisure Arts! Its titled Man Cave Quilts and we’ll give more information when I have a cover image and price. Its been very exciting to work with the Leisure Arts staff! The 7 quilts turned out gorgeous and I know you will love to make them for your friends and family!
Its an honor having a pattern published in Fons & Porter’s magazines-we hope you find it in your local shop and look for Clothwork’s fabrics-they are the best fabrics around!
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February 12th, 2012
Last year my block, Spring Beauties, was published in the spring 100 blocks issue of Quiltmaker. We participated in the blog tour and drew names from the gals who visited our post to give away free copies of the issue. It was all great fun and I promised to make the block into a tablerunner pattern. Here it is for those who have been waiting to hear that the pattern is finished!
Showing above is the original tablemat (16″) and the tablerrunner featuring a simple horizonal border. The pattern also includes yardage and instructions to use the crazy patch border on the tablerunner instead of the plain border. If you love tulips, yoyo flowers and pastels this is the tablerunner to celebrate spring!
You can find the pattern on our catalog page:
http://www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/catalog.php?item=135&catid=1&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D1
Happy Spring!
Tags: quilted tablerunner, Quiltmaker, spring
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