Because of having to shift from pattern writing to home schooling, not only have I been noticeably absent here, but am now finding the need to pack a lot of what is going into one post... are you ready? Well, then grab that cup and get settled in!
Now Available! - Purdy Bird is a fun quilt pattern that comes together quickly despite the fact that it is a mixed bag of quilting techniques. Drunkard’s path and paper pieced blocks are accented with easy applique shapes that are like the icing on a cake. All required cutting templates are provided, as well as a coloring page, to help you make your own custom Purdy Bird quilt.
I will be running a pattern release sale on my entire shop for 20% starting today until June 7th, 2020 with the SALE CODE: Purdy.
It's almost a little hard to believe that my Purdy Bird quilt pattern has literally been over a year in the making. Last May, I was already finished with the pattern testing stage and was just a few corrections away from hitting the send button, when I got the opportunity to have my quilt featured in Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine. Of course, it meant putting her under wraps... again.
So fast forward to May of this year, where I was supposed to pre-release her as an exclusive offer to class participants at Nadelwelt... but since Nadelwelt was cancelled too, I had to wait yet again... but now the waiting is over, and I couldn't be more excited!
One of my favorite things to see is how a pattern takes on a totally different personality, simply with different fabrics. This grey version is a little more subtle, but with fresh accents of aqua and chartreuse.
And now for my other big news: I have planned a Purdy Bird Quilt-A-Long for this year! The QAL will start August 31st and go through October 24th! The link ups and prizes will be through Instagram, but even if you don't have an Instagram account, you can still participate. The QAL will go out as a newsletter, where I share all kinds of helpful tips and tricks, not only for piecing, but for starch applique as well. If you are an experienced quilter with not so much applique experience, this is the perfect place to start, simply because of the larger applique shapes.
As things devolp with the QAL, and we get closer to the date, I will give you more information how to join in and sign up for the newsletter. I'm really looking forward to it, and hope that you're able to join in on the fun!
I realize that when I like something I have a tendency to gush. My husband laughs at me about how overdone-theatircal-romance-movie-like I can be when I am really on a kick. So, whether you like the name, or feel like "Grunge" is not exactly the most fitting name for such fabric yumminess, I thought I would share a few of my current and previous projects, and talk about why I find myself grabbing for Basic Grey Grunge fabrics more and more these days.
If you are thinking that these colors look a little familiar, you are right... you may remember these pillows that I made last year for my parents? It's my mom's birthday again in July, and what better way to surprise her than with a matching quilt using Zen Chic's Contrasting pattern. I now know why modern quilters enjoy such quilts... they really come together super fast!?! (hmm... I say this on the heels of two applique quilts)
Firstly, let me start by saying that no
matter how big a fan I am of Grunge, I will never give up my prints... I
delight too much in sweet little flowers, interesting shapes, and awe inspiring designs. But sometimes prints can get a little busy, and I like the fact that a Grunge fabric can anchor like a solid, but yet add texture that a solid just can't.
If you've been around here you know that I don't use solids, mostly because they feel flat to me... there is no movement, no texture, nothing to make my eyes stop and study something. Grunge fabrics work like a solid without feeling flat.
Being a color girl, it is an absolute must that the colors in my quilt really shine... I love that there are so many vibrant and saturated colors in the Grunge line. Color should never take the backseat in my book, but sit proudly up front.
When I am working with fabrics, I am always letting the fabrics give me little clues how they would like to be combined... usually pulling from the secondary colors in the fabric. One big appeal of Grunge is to pull from those second and third color accents and work them into a project.
My dad is an artist, and I always loved hearing him explain about how to paint. Each little brush stoke is intentional and thought out, and determines the end result. It feels to me that Grunge fabrics add such interest because they really give you a painterly feel... where does the quilt start and the painting stop?
Over the years the Grunge color range has grown. There seems to be a perfect color for just about every project... and you can see how my pretty stack has grown too.
... and speaking of Grunge, just in case you happened to miss it, I am running a giveaway on Instagram, featuring a Basic Grey Grunge fat quarter set curated by Fat Quarter Shop. (not to mention my latest Home Sweet Home Applique Samapler, Aurifil Thread box, AND Roxanne applique glue)
To enter the giveaway be sure to comment on my Instagram feed (not here, sorry) and remember that my entire Payhip shop is on sale through May 27th, 2018!
Each person that quilts has their own understanding and definition of what modern quilting is. Although my own personal sewing and creative style tends to lean towards to working with more modern and current fabrics, I deeply appreciate a variety of styles when it comes to quilting, even very traditional.
Living on the other side of the pond, but following the American quilting scene quite closely, much of what is necessary for me
to keep up on things is done behind the computer screen. So when I get
an opportunity to meet a quilting legend in person, it doesn't take much
to get me to jump. Since Holland is essentially just at my back door, I decided to travel to the tulip country to meet such a quilter.
Like most sewer's, Edyta Sitar's love of fabrics started at an early age. However, once she was introduced to the family tradition of quilting through her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, her passion developed wings, and really began to take flight. What makes Edyta's quilts unique and fascinating, and has become her trademark and signature style, is that she combines traditional small prints with colorful batiks, which most would not have dared to do.
Many of Edyta's quilt patterns mix traditional blocks with beautiful applique shapes. When I asked her how she originally started designing patterns, she shared that she had showed a quilt that she had designed at a public event, and afterwards she had numerous quilters approach her asking for the pattern. After working with a local quilt shop to sell the patterns and teach workshops, Laundry Basket Quilts was born.
Edyta also shared that about ten years ago she received offers from two different companies to design fabric, and has been designing fabric for Moda Fabrics since then. The Jelly Bean batiks with bright colors, adding that extra pop and interest are my favorites.
I found Edyta to be very warm and pleasant, and just as humorous in person as she is on her Moda Schoolhouse videos. Originally from Poland, but having grown up in Germany, and now living in the US, I can indentify with her in many ways, living an expat life myself and working to build a creative business.
In addition to Edyta's patterns, she also offers a Craftsy Class giving tips on fabric selection, piecing, and fusible appliqué, a variety of YouTube channel tutorials and how-to's, and has authored multiple books.
