Quilting my way through life!

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

My Life, Quilt Market

We’re off to Pittsburgh!

May 14, 2014 suznquilts

Chloe & I are off to Pittsburgh today.

Pre-Market will start tomorrow with Schoolhouse sessions all day.

We’ll be in room #302 at 1:55 showing my new Christmas designs,

then again in room #302 at 2:15 discussing my unique Quilt-as-you-go technique

featuring new patterns including a table runner & place mats!

That will be followed by three days in our booth #822.

We’re looking forward to taking in the city of which we’ve never been before.

If you’re going to International Quilt Market, please stop by!

Stay tuned for my new patterns.

Until next time,

Susan

A Giveaway!, Blog hop, Blog tour with give-aways, Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Suzn Quilts Patterns

100 Blocks Vol. 9 Winners

May 5, 2014 suznquilts

Did anyone win any prizes during the blog hop?

There were many great prizes being given away last week, for sure.

I had the random number generator choose 3 winners

for my 100 Blocks Vol. 9 issues.

They are:

Victoria Miner

Joyce Mitchell

rrjane011749

Please send me an email at

SuznQuilts@aol.com

with your name & address & I’ll send your copy right out to you!

Thanks to all of you for joining in.

Stay tuned,

I have another great give-away coming up

&&&&&

my new patterns are about to debut here too!

Spring International Quilt Market is in Pittsburgh next week.

Just one graduation (with two ceremonies),

a graduation party

& a Mother’s Day/birthday party

then I’ll be ready to go!

Until next time,

Susan

My Life, New Quilt Pattern Magazine

Easter & Quilt Mania Bunnies

April 20, 2014April 19, 2014 suznquilts

Finally it is acting like spring around here!

Just in time for Spring & Easter, is the new Quilt Mania, Spring 2014 issue.

I received my copy this week.

Lots of spring projects to make!

Two of them are my Bunnies in the Grass table runner

& little quilt that would make a nice topper or place mat.

Great little projects to make &

enjoy year after year.

Happy Easter!

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

fabric shopping, New Christmas Quilt Fabric, new fabric collection

Yet another Moda loving moment

January 27, 2014January 26, 2014 suznquilts

Did I ever tell you the reason I quilt is so my family doesn’t accidentally die in a fabric avalanche?

Well, it’s true.

My name is Susan and I have a fabric addiction.

I didn’t get it from my mother, she still has hers…

Perhaps I have mine & my sister’s since she also learned to sew from our mom, but she hasn’t been afflicted with the fabric thing.

I-love-fabric!

So when a box like this shows up,

although I ordered it and I know what’s inside,

it’s like Christmas morning and I’m a kid again!

I know Christmas is now over,

but in my world it’s just starting

or really it never ended because I’ve been working on new

Christmas designs since I got home from fall market…

The new Moda Christmas fabric samples are now available.

Let me introduce Winterlude by 3 Sisters for Moda due in quilt shops in June:

Christmas is my most favorite season and my most favorite reason to quilt.

Next is Through the Winter Woods by Holly Taylor for Moda due in quilt shops in May:

I guess it’s the red/green combination that I’m drawn to, not sure.

What I do know is that I have plane tickets for Chloe & me to go to Pittsburgh on May 14, where spring market is this year and I have a lot of work to do!

Do you have any requests of patterns you’d like to see?

I’ve been working on small Christmas quilt designs.

I had so many shops comment on my mini Vintage Play quilt at market.

My new designs aren’t this small,

but I thought I’d start there and see where else the spirit leads me!

Do you get inspired by the fabric?

Not sure where I’m heading, but it’s going to be with some lovely fabric!

Thanks, Moda!

Until next time,

Susan

My Life

Best Birthday Ever!

January 26, 2014January 26, 2014 suznquilts

When it comes to birthdays, everyone is different.

(note: the little signs say 50 Sucks, Bites & Blows…)

I personally think they’re a lot of fun.

My family in particular likes to celebrate them,

and this year, since it was a big one for me,

they really did that!

It was a surprise party for me.

I had no clue.

I didn’t want a party.

My DH turned 50 last summer, and we had a party for him, so it seemed like it would be a bit redundant.

It wasn’t!

They went all out and reserved a new tea room,

invited all my friends,

and were able to keep it a surprise up until the very moment we turned onto the street.

We were supposedly on our way to church, a typical Saturday evening for us,

but when we passed up our church and instead turned a couple of blocks later,

I knew right away what was going on then.

I have no clue how they pulled it off without anyone slipping, even a teeny bit.

My only out-of-state brother came!

My out-of-town college roommate who I’ve remained close with all these years came too!

We talked, we ate, we had a lot of fun!

I got cash, gift cards, flowers, candy, jewelry,

& these:

It’s no surprise to you I’m sure that I have quilting friends.

Two of my designer friends sent me a box,

& in that box was a fat 1/4 of red & white fabric, thread & cash to add more fabric

along with a challenge!

I have to send them a photo of a finished project by July 15, 2014.

Another designer friend sent me the tiny red, white & black 9 patches.

They go perfectly with the red & white fat 1/4 & my Vintage Play black road dashes plus she included my Vintage Play red tonal numbers in the center of each block!

Whoever said getting old is no fun?

I disagree!

I plan to just keep sewing…

Now you know what I’ve been doing.

I’m busy getting old!

Until next time,

Susan