Quilt-achusetts

Another new quilt pattern!  Fall is right around the corner, thankfully, and I can't help but feel the fall influences in my Geo Collage Quilt !   My inspiration for this quilt came from a fabric line, Paintbrush Studio's Rainbow Dust by Kate x Kasey .  When I saw this fabric line I was instantly drawn to the terrazzo prints in soft modern colors.  The prints come in two sizes and 11 colors.   I chose a size for this quilt that would be perfect for a wall hanging, baby blanket or lap quilt.  The 40'' x 50'' is great for a wall hanging because it isn't an overwhelming size so it's great when wall space is limited.  It's also good for baby blankets fitting most cribs and small enough to keep in a car for the car seat or stroller and not to mention great for throwing on your lap while sitting at a desk or watching a movie.     I picked the title for this quilt right away, Geo Collage , because it served as a double meaning.  First because ...

As many of you know, I often teach for guilds and at quilt shows but in addition to those teaching opportunities I am also teaching Dynamic Designs: Multi Layer Curve Piecing at Empty Spools Seminars February 27 - March 4, 2022 !!     Empty Spools ' quilt retreats take place at the Asilomar Conference Grounds .  Located near Pacific Grove, CA, Asilomar Conference Grounds are known as the Monterey's Peninsula's "Refuge by the Sea," and a beautiful backdrop to meet fellow quilters and sew! This unique 6-day retreat offers students a chance to deep dive into a project and technique while spending time each day with the same instructor!  After each day in class, learning and creating, you'll have an opportunity to explore the beautiful grounds or catch a shuttle to the quilt shop. In my class I will go over curve piecing 101 including essential techniques for successfully cutting, sewing and experimenting with curves.  As the week progresses there will be new tec...

While the first part of the year I spent much of the time working on projects, quilts and fabric (wink wink), that I couldn't share, I'm happy to finally show all of you two of those quilts both published!  First up, One Ways in Make Modern Magazine .   This quilt is inspired by my 16 year old self's fear of one way streets.  I was convinced that I would go the wrong way down a one way and as a new driver trying to act like a seasoned driver I couldn't imagine anything more embarrassing or terrifying.  Fortunately, I never turned the wrong way down and one way but the impression stuck with me and is now a quilt. One Ways is currently a pattern in Make Modern Magazine Issue No. 41.  It, appropriately, features my Road Trip fabric line and is available as a kit in my Quiltachusetts shop!   I decided the best option for quilting this design was to unify the rows with similar quilting.  The chevrons or arrows vary in size depending on the height of the ro...

My friend Cheryl recently released a new book, Just One Charm Pack Quilts , and I was so happy that I was given the opportunity to make one make one of the quilts from the book using charm squares, Cat's Eye!   I love Cheryl's book because she offers so many great projects for charm packs, which I so frequently buy and don't know what to do with, making it a great way to finally put some of those charm packs to use.   Even if you don't have a charm packs laying around Cheryl also has a section on how to quickly and easily make your own charms from width of fabric cuts.  This is the option I chose, mainly because all my charm packs are pack up in a storage unit while my home is being built and I wanted to see how my Road Trip fabric would look cut into 5'' squares.     I decided to make the the Cat's Eye quilts.  I really needed to make something that would let me relax and enjoy the process of making a quilt after some pretty tight deadlines and I have to a...

Wow 2021 has been crazy!  I spent months getting my house ready to sell then selling my house and finally moving and setup my quilting studio.  It seemed like I'd never have time to get back to my regular quilt making but over halfway through the year I finally feel like life is getting back to normal.  I haven't meant to neglect my blog, I've had things to tell, but there just hasn't been time.  I finally decided this morning that it's just time to start up again and make time.  I have a back log of posts and couldn't be happier to share with you a book review for a friend's book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs by Christa Watson !   I love the variety of quilting motifs in Christa's book, 99!  Even though Christa uses her domestic machine for her designs, most will crossover for longarm application too.   Many of the quilting designs are very modern and I especially like the clean-geometric lines of the overlapping spirals.  This would make a g...

Last year I was asked by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics to partner with them and curate a custom fat quarter bundle, Heather's Favorites , with a free quilt pattern, Jubilee.   This bundle is full of colors I use in my quilt designs and truly are my favorite colors. Heather's Favorites Bundle I really love Painter's Palette solids.  They are a great quality-soft 100% cotton solid and even more exciting they are made not to fray as much as a typical quilter's solid.  This is a great benefit especial when using a color palette that mixes light and dark colors.   Heather's Favorites Bundle   There are 16 different colors in varying values perfect for adding depth and movement to any project.  This bright cheery palette was perfect for my Jubilee quilt.  This design mixes half square triangles and quarter circles to create a party atmosphere or a feeling of celebration. Jubilee Quilt by Heather Black My Jubilee quilt is 56'' x 63'' and makes a great throw or...