New Pattern Sample – Page 4 – Quilting my way through life!

My Life, New ideas, New Moda Fabric Collection, New Pattern Sample, Quilt Retreats

A Li’l Bit of Help from my Friends

January 27, 2015January 28, 2015 suznquilts

Last weekend was our annual retreat to Rosemary’s,

our local quilt shop/friendly retreat center.

Rosemary is extremely generous to open her home/quilt shop to quilters who want to meet, sew, shop, sleep & dine at the local yet delicious restaurants of which we choose authentic; Mexican, Italian, & Chinese!

There are more restaurants within the same two block radius from her shop including a diner next door where Loraine & Chris ate breakfast plus many more restaurants & stores throughout the little town of Highland to make this a perfect destination to sew with friends.

I prefer left-over Chinese & DiMaggio’s pizza for my breakfast…

While there, I finally cut into my new Mill Book Circa 1892 collection that I showed you last week.

I’m working on another new pattern using my Tiny & Mini Dresden plates.

I can’t get enough!

I know, right???

Fun was shared by all that were able to attend.

Lots of sewing, chatting & eating…

Unfortunately, I didn’t remember to ask someone to take a photo of our group & my phone doesn’t have a camera timer darn it (at least not that I can find!)

We all accomplished a lot & yesterday I set to removing freezer paper templates.

These are all the petals on my kitchen table drying.

The sun was shining so the lighting isn’t even, but a pretty cool image anyway I think.

Today after helping with charity quilts at our guild meeting & a trip to the dentist for me & Clare, I’ve been making more petals & my sewing room helper (still nameless) is helping.

She’s keeping them wrinkle-free until I can cut apart, press, trim & turn them.

Her services have been invaluable!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, new fabric collection, New ideas, New Pattern Sample, New Quilt pattern sample

A Little Help in my Sewing Studio

September 29, 2014 suznquilts

I’ve been wanting and therefore looking for a particular helper for my studio for years.

As we all know, good help is hard to come by.

Finally last weekend I found her!

So far she appears to be perfect, just what I was looking for!

She’s been around the block a few times.

Not at all pristine & immature.

Because of her maturity, I’m pretty sure she’ll be able to do everything I expect of her.

No flimsy, immaturity that you sometimes find in the her younger counterparts.

Today she’s helping me with a new pattern sample.

She’s holding chain-pieced petals, keeping them wrinkle-free for the next step.

I’m making tiny Dresden plates with my new template

and I’m using the new “Hearts Content” collection by Laundry Basket Quilts

so generously given to my by Moda.

I intend to make a tutorial for all of you who don’t already know how easy & fun Dresden plate blocks can be.

For now, my helper & I need to get back to work.

I just know we’re going to be friends!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, New Christmas Quilt Patterns, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern, New Quilt pattern sample, new quilt patterns

A Pretty Table, Suzn Quilts New Patterns Continued

May 17, 2014May 14, 2014 suznquilts

I’m excited to next show you a new addition to my Quilt-as-you-go patterns.

You probably remember my best-selling pattern,

A Pretty Package?

Well, when taking it to market & other venues the last couple of years,

I’ve had many inquiries asking to have a table runner adaptation.

Not only did I do this, but I also designed place mats to coordinate.

Meet A Pretty Table!

What do you think?

I’ve made the lap quilt in non-Christmas colors for birthdays,

and I’ve also received lots of emails from quilters that made it for other occasions too.

Mother’s Day, retirement, etc.

It’s now available on my website.

Think outside the box!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, New Christmas Quilt Patterns, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern, new quilt patterns, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts Patterns

Suzn Quilts New Patterns Spring 2014

May 15, 2014May 14, 2014 suznquilts

I’m excited to show you the tiny Dresden plates that I’ve been working on for months & months…

Remember, I’ve been giving you little snippets of them here & there?

They are part of my new Christmas sampler.

It’s written in a way that will make it a perfect Block-of-the-month or mystery club quilt.

The quilt measures 45″ x 48″ and includes:

-Hand embroidery

-Tiny Dresden plates

-Freezer paper applique

-Traditional pieced blocks

-Saw tooth border

It’s also possible to make the same components & instead have one or four individual quilts:

You can make four gifts, or display the smaller quilts around your home.

The pattern is available for $28.00 & includes the Plexiglas template!

The Tiny Dresden Plate blocks measure 4-1/2″ finished.

The template is also available separately for $8.00.

It’s available on my website.

Stay tuned for more new patterns!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, New Christmas Quilt Patterns, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern, New Quilt pattern sample, quilt as you go lap quilt, Quilt Market

Frosty, Suzn Quilts New Patterns Continued…

May 14, 2014 suznquilts

Meet Frosty!

It’s another of my Quilt-as-you-go lap quilts.

What a fun way to wrap you or a loved in on a snowy winter day!

My quilt-as-you-go lap quilts are very popular.

You can view a tutorial here.

If you’ve not made one yet, this is why you should:

They’re quick,

they’re easy,

& they’re fun.

Once you make one, you’ll want to make more!

Frosty starts with cutting some strips.

Some of the strips have corner cut-off sewing.

Then, after you sew the strips to the foundation,

there is a bit of fusible web applique.

Sew on the binding and your lap quilt is complete!

It’s a great quilt for a grand child to cuddle under,

but it will also look good hanging on your wall all winter long.

It’s now available on my website.

Stay tuned for more!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, Finishing up a quilt project, My Life, New Pattern Sample, quilt as you go lap quilt, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts Patterns

Best selling pattern, A Pretty Package Follow-up

April 11, 2014 suznquilts

Well, I got busy and forgot to let you see my progress on the latest A Pretty Package, sorry!

I finished sewing the strips on and then fused the bow pieces.

Next I stitched the applique with my Sulky 12 wt. thread.

This is a close-up of the buttonhole stitch.

I had a call last week from a quilter whom I met at Houston Festival last fall.

We discussed this stitch that I use almost exclusively for my applique.

She remembered we have the same older Bernina machine

but she could not find the buttonhole stitch anywhere.

Well, it’s actually called a toweling stitch on our machine.

So, if you look around you might find it on your machine too (if you’re lucky)

but perhaps with a different name!

I finished the hand-work on the binding at Rosemary’s tips club yesterday.

Here is A Pretty Package in its completed state.

It looks pretty good on my favorite rocking chair, don’t you think?

I know where this quilt will land after market next month!

Winterlude fits perfectly in my living room.

Perhaps it will fit in yours too?

You’ll be seeing it in shops in June.

Until next time,

Susan

Family Time, Finishing up a quilt project, New Christmas Quilt Fabric, New Pattern Sample, quilt as you go lap quilt, Quilt Market, Suzn Quilts, Suzn Quilts Patterns

Best Selling Quilt Pattern, A Pretty Package

April 8, 2014 suznquilts

What am I up to?

Today I am making another sample of my best selling quilt pattern,

A Pretty Package!

Since my booth in Pittsburgh next month will be full of “Winterlude”

I decided to show my best selling pattern, A Pretty Package, decked out in to too!

So far, I’ve prepared the “foundation” and started sewing strips.

Layered bath towels are the best pressing surface.

I can press the entire strip at once with no draping & distorting.

It’s very important to press the seams flat as sewn first,

then press them open.

This keeps them straight all across the quilt.

The MOST IMPORTANT step is to measure, measure, measure.

If you sew a strip on crooked, then sew a bunch more strips to it, a little more crooked each time, well… you will have a very crooked quilt indeed!

Next, pin, sew, repeat…

Now I’m prepared to sew the top strips in the same fashion.

This is where I am tonight.

I’ve had a few interruptions so I didn’t get as far as I would have liked today;

getting Nemo from the groomer,

dinner,

The Voice with fellow family members,

followed by August: Osage County from Redbox.

I love Merle & Julia, but that movie was a bit much…

I’m going to continue sewing,

but as soon as chickadee #2 gets home I’m done for the day.

Tune in tomorrow to see the rest of the story!

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, New Christmas Quilt Fabric, New Christmas Quilt Patterns, new fabric collection, New ideas, New Pattern Sample, New Quilting Template, New tiny Dresden plate quilts, Suzn Quilts Patterns

How Does My Garden Grow?

March 12, 2014 suznquilts

With Winterlude by 3 Sisters for Moda of course!

More & more flowers…

These have become addicting!

Each one is cuter than the last.

With my new template being just 2″, one might think tedious,

but I’m loving this!

So precise!!!

The complete little plate is just about 4″.

Now, I’m on to the next step,

gluing the plates to their background squares.

Then it will be back to stitching…

Can’t wait to show you the finished quilts!

What are you working on?

Until next time,

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life, New Christmas Quilt Fabric, New Christmas Quilt Patterns, new fabric collection, New Pattern Sample, Quilt Market

Knee deep in petals

February 27, 2014 suznquilts

These petals can grow & multiply even in frigid temperatures!

The weather is still crazy cold here.

It was just 12 degrees here this morning,

but it’s warm in my sewing room!

I’m sewing up my new Christmas designs for spring market using the new “Winterlude” by 3 Sisters for Moda that I showed you a while back.

So far today I’ve made these blue plates.

They’re actually mini Dresden plates.

They will make a 4-1/2″ finished block.

I told you they were MINI!!!

Now I’m working on green plates.

I like to make these in assembly line fashion.

Cut a million petals…

Stitch a million petals…

Trim a million petals…

I found a way to use my new bowl that was a Christmas gift from my friend, Kathy.

She sells the hand made pottery in her new studio.

It’s best to keep the different fabrics segregated since they’re so close in color & design.

That’s what I like about this collection.

There aren’t a lot of different colors, just a few used over and over with different patterns.

This quilt will have an organized scrappy feel to it with a feel of antiquity.

I love this collection!!!

I think I’ll move this to the living room tonight.

I can turn a million…

Press a millions..

all while watching my favorite shows!

Perhaps I’ll move my featherweight in there too.

This is a fun little project for that machine.

The days are getting longer.

Think spring!!!

Until next time,

Susan

new fabric collection, New Pattern Sample, New quilt pattern, Suzn Quilts Vintage Play fabric collection

“Playtime” Quilt Hits Newsstands in Quilt Trends -Winter 2014 issue

December 10, 2013 suznquilts

I have a new quilt; Playtime.

Of course it’s made with Vintage Play!

It’s featured in Quilt Trends’ Winter 2014 Magazine.

A fun lap quilt using the panel with kids playing,

plus the green border

and a few more prints.

The pillowcase shown is made with the cute dog print in red.

The pattern for the pillowcase can be found here on Quilt Trends’ website

and the quilt kit can be ordered from my website here.

A nice gift for a quilter on your Christmas list???

Until next time,

Susan