New Quilt pattern sample – Quilting my way through life!

Carnivals canceled, large groups not allowed,

what are you doing this Labor Day Weekend?

Today I’m sewing,

making circles for my ongoing new pattern sample.

Have you seen bits of the construction already,

perhaps on FB or IG?

I’m mostly using Cider by Basic Grey for Moda.

So far I’ve made all the baskets.

The stripe fabric is the only non Cider fabric.

Next I made the pile of petals into plates!

So this afternoon it’s on to center circles.

The Apliquick Bars are my best friends for making

perfect applique shapes with freezer paper!!!

You can find all my favorite notions on my website here,

including the Apliquick Bars.

The leaves were snap to make too.

I’m ready to finish the blocks!

Can’t wait to see the finished quilt, can you?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plate Quilt, Mini Dresden Patterns, My Life, New Quilt pattern sample, New tiny Dresden plate quilts, Quilt Retreats

Retreating Again

January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 suznquilts

It’s always fun to get away to sew (& eat)!

And sew I did, all weekend long…

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I got a lot done on my new pattern sample.

I sewed the Tiny Dresden petals that I showed you last week.

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Trimming and then pressing.

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Turning right side out and making pretty points.

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All 384 of them!

And, not 1 was lost since I was using my new cutlery tray

to transport them back & forth to the ironing board and my sewing machine.

I had made the Mini Dresden centers last week.

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Roxanne’s EZ-Squeeze glue, my Classic Metal Company brochure,

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and Appliquick Bar give me very precise results every single time.

I also had 4 half (+ seam allowance) circles to made for the 4 half Mini Dresden blocks.

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Same process, but you don’t have to cover the long straight edge

since it will go inside the seam allowance when it’s sewn into the quilt.

Fun, fun, fun!!!

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32 Tiny Dresden plates

5 Mini Dresden plates

4 half Mini Dresden plates

32 freezer paper leaves

8 stems

(but I needed 16… 4 x 4 =16, not 8!!!)

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Each 23″ block has 1 Mini Dresden plate,

8 Tiny Dresden plates,

8 leaves & 4 stems.

I got 3 of the 4 big blocks appliqued before we left Sunday,

but you’ll have to wait to see those, sorry.

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This is all that’s left of the pieces.

Can’t wait to finish it.

It’s been a whole month since Christmas.

What are you creating?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plates, My Life, New Quilt pattern sample

Sewing with my Sunglasses again…

May 18, 2016May 23, 2016 suznquilts

Suan+Quilts+Sunny+Sewing+Room

When my sewing room is engulfed in sunshine,

I just can’t bear to stay away, ahhhhhhhhhh.

This morning I’m stitching centers.

Suzn+Quilts+stitching+red+Dresden

Recognize the OLD Thimbleberries red???

When I decided on these beautiful new Moda reds from

Barbara Brackman, Betsy Chuchian, & Kathy Schmitz,

I needed one more & I happened to notice

my most favorite fabric ever matched perfectly!

Suzn+Quilts+Reds

It’s from Lynette’s Buttermilk Collection.

20+ years old & still beautiful!

I guess we can now call it vintage.

I picked it off my Thimbleberries cart.

Suzn+Quilts+Cart+of+Thimbleberries

I’m stitching a field of poppies.

Suzn+Quilts+Field+of+red+flowers

Doesn’t get much better than this

unless you add a few friends,

but face it, no one I know (besides me) sews before 6 a.m.!

Just keep sewing!

Susan

My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection, New Quilt pattern sample

Laboring on Labor Day

September 7, 2015 suznquilts

As it often does, my quilt piecing ironing board cover had become thread bare.

Then frustration hit hard when I realized I could no longer just run to

Walmart, Target, K-Mart, Home Depot, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Big Lots, JoAnn’s, Deals, Lowe’s

(those are the stores that I checked)

& buy a counter top ironing board cover with a silicone coating that would last more than 5 minutes in my sewing room…

I finally decided to buy some silicone coated fabric & make my own.

I found that at JoAnn’s thankfully.

So, yesterday I recovered my ironing board.

See? Shiny & new!

I also have a spare since the fabric is wide enough to get two from a yard.

While I was at it, I did another housekeeping task & replaced my rotary cutter blade.

Then I set to cutting these beautiful new fabrics from my friends at Moda.

This is actually a couple of collections,

Mille Coulores by 3 sisters &

Alice’s Scrap Bag by Barbara Brackman.

I’m working on a new sampler pattern with my Tiny & Mini Dresden plates.

Surprised???

I did a bit of sewing & made this pretty pile yesterday.

Then I did some trimming & pressing & made these pretty stacks.

Then more sewing & pressing & made these.

I’m in love… The beginning of a pretty tiny garden.

Did you do any laboring in your sewing room today? I hope so!

Just keep sewing!

Susan

Hot Tips, New Quilt pattern sample, Quilting Accessories I Love, Suzn Quilts Patterns, tutorials

Quilt-as-you-go Table Quilt Tutorial & Tips

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015 suznquilts

While making new Quilt-as-you-go pattern samples this week

I was reminded of a conversation I had last fall when a fellow quilter didn’t fill her foundation precisely with strips.

I personally don’t sew with perfection, but precision!

I’m not perfect, but I know how to make quilts with perfection; two different things.

From the beginning she didn’t find her scant 1/4″ seam allowance nor did she measure back as described & illustrated in every QAYG pattern of mine.

How many of us overlook those pesky instructions until we run into trouble…LOL!

So, I decided to take some photos & give some measuring tips.

I have a Quilt-as-you-go tutorial here,

so take at look at it

& this post will bring even more clarity.

First of all,

find your machine’s scant 1/4″ seam allowance with your walking foot!

For my older Bernina 930

(Lucky me, I know! My mom found the magic of Bernina while I was still in college.)

I just move the needle position one click to the right

& lead the fabric along one of the openings in the walking foot.

This gives me a perfect scant 1/4″ seam allowance & I can see the fabric under the foot at precisely where the needle is going into the fabric.

When I sew through the strips & foundation with a long stitch

(I’m quilting here, not just sewing two layers of cotton together)

I get precisely the measurement of the two strips minus 1/2″ for the seam.

Now that your machine is ready,

follow any of my Quilt-as-you-go patterns to

cut the strips & make the foundation.

Start sewing your strips by lining them up with the foundation & pinning several times.

I ALWAYS use the very handy finger pincushion.

I pin the strips on at the table,

sew at my machine while removing pins, then press & pin the next strip back at the table.

The pins are always in my finger pincushion, not back at my machine.

It saves a LOT of time & AGGRAVATION!

Here is the next important step:

Measure back!

& I don’t mean just after the first strip is added.

It’s in every one of my QAYG patterns.

After every strip is added,

measure across in three places & make sure the measurement is the same.

When you’ve sewn farther than 24″, get a longer ruler!

If it’s not the same, you need to adjust it & make it the same

otherwise when you get to the last strip you may be out of foundation,

or you may be out of foundation before you’ve used all of your strips!

Measure, measure, measure…

This is all in the pattern instructions, but I thought a few photos would maybe make things even clearer.

See how the last strip meets the edge of the foundation precisely?

That’s because I use a scant 1/4″ seam & check myself with every strip added.

Who wants a snowman without a chin?

Especially when all his friends have one!!!

(No faces yet, but chins!)

They all have faces now, but I still need to finish the binding hand-work so I can get them photographed & ready for spring market.

Any questions???

Boy I can sure find lots of ways to avoid work!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

New Moda Fabric Collection, New Quilt pattern sample

Recess

February 3, 2015 suznquilts

I promise I’ve been working,

but I do get sidetracked once in a while &

not in an entirely lazy way…

I sometimes stop to capture an image of the beauty of the process.

These are the Tiny Dresden flowers for my new quilt with the Mill Book 1892 collection.

Once I popped the paper templates out of the centers,

I spread them out on my kitchen table to dry under the ceiling fan.

They’re so pretty I couldn’t help myself.

I did have some help earlier.

I was so intently working that I forgot to photograph my helper while she was fully decked out with all the Tiny petals, sorry.

I did get a shot of the second round of Mini petal sections drying one day last week though.

When you make the Dresden blocks a bit at a time, when they’re finished, they seem as though they went together all by themselves!

Recess over.

Back to work.

Perfect timing too, UPS is here with my extra fabric!

Just keep sewing,

Susan

Dresden Plate Quilt, New Quilt pattern sample

Back at it…

September 30, 2014 suznquilts

My helper & I were back at it this morning.

Me, sorting & sewing,

(notice the St. Louis Arch there in my thread catcher? Go Cardinals!!!)

and she politely keeping all the chain-pieced petals organized & wrinkle-free.

Next task is to cut the chains apart, press then sew two pairs together.

I love this fabric collection!

Must keep sewing…

Until next time,

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 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

Category: New Quilt pattern sample

Laborious Labor Day 2020

Retreating Again

Sewing with my Sunglasses again…

Laboring on Labor Day

Quilt-as-you-go Table Quilt Tutorial & Tips

Recess

Back at it…

A Little Help in my Sewing Studio

A Pretty Table, Suzn Quilts New Patterns Continued

Frosty, Suzn Quilts New Patterns Continued…