A Giveaway!, My Life

They’ll Know I’m a Quilter by my Barn Quilt

 Merry Christmas & Happy Mother’s Day to me!

David has a friend that lives in Calhoun County & they get together occasionally.

One day he came home telling me about all the barn quilts he had been seeing there.

It must be getting more popular each year because he sees more & more of them.

As a quilter I’d heard about it, but I’ve not been on their tour.

Months later, when I asked David if he’d be open to the idea since the “barn” is technically his,

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he thought it was a good idea!

At Houston’s fall market last fall, I noticed a vendor “Classic Metal Company”

selling these very cool barn quilts.

JackandI_jpg_600x600_q85

“Not Just for Barns Anymore !

Barn Quilts are part of our rural heritage, providing a sense of warmth and artistic expression wherever they are displayed.  Now you can increase your curb appeal and let everyone know that, “A Quilter Lives Here“.

Our barn quilts are made for your home. Constructed of heavy-weight steel, they are easy to hang with wood screws.  The larger two-foot size is perfect for outdoors – for your home, garage, shed, barn, or mount on two posts and display in your garden.  The smaller one-foot size can be hung below a mailbox, arranged in patterns on a wall or is perfect for hanging in the kitchen, family room, your quilting room or . . .

Larger barn quilts ( 3 and 4 foot size) are available on a custom-order basis.

Call (815) 252-0104   Phone orders welcome!

Email: classicmetalcompany@gmail.com”

Since I wanted the four foot version, which is very costly to ship, I was thrilled to see that they’re in Illinois, just a few hours drive from me!

So, I ordered my favorite as a Christmas gift from my husband.

Unfortunately, the weather was bad so many weekends this past winter that it took several months for the right time to come so we could travel to pick it up.

Finally the week of Mother’s Day, David & Blake hung the quilt!

Barn+Quilt+on+string

Being an engineer…

Since I wasn’t sure if it would look better hung flat or on point,

Barn+Quilt+on+point

It was hoisted up on point,

then it was decided it looked a bit too much like a snowflake.

We unanimously decided flat was better.

Barn+Quilt+almost+hung

The rope held the quilt until framing could be built inside the shed to secure the bolts to.

It gets a bit windy here where we live & I intend for this quilt to last a lifetime.

It took a few hours, but it was worth it don’t you think?

David thinks it makes his shed look better.

SuznQuilts+Barn+Quilt+1+web

Now each time I drive in our driveway,

my brain starts singing

“yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love”

& they’ll know I’m a quilter by my sign!

It makes me smile!!!

When David & I met Mark to pick up our barn quilt,

he gave me a 12 inch version to give away on my blog.

Barn+Quilt+freebie

So…

Leave me a comment here and I will have a drawing next week.

You can let your neighbors know you’re a quilter by your sign too!

Until next time,

Smilin’ 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

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?

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+complete

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.

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Table+#214+Cover

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

 

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.

Suzn+Quilts+A+Merry+Christmas+to+you+frontcover+web

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:

Suzn+Quilts+A+Merry+Christmas+to+you+backcover+web

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…

Suzn+Quilts+Frosty+#215+Cover+web

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!

 

pittsburgh cityscape

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

QMMS-140044-cover_500

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

Finally it is acting like spring around here!

SuznQuilts+QMania_sp14Cover

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

I received my copy this week.

SuznQuilts+QMania_sp14+Index

 Lots of spring projects to make!

SuznQuilts+QMania_sp14Bunny+photo

 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

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

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+add+bow

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

Suzn+Quilts+Sulky+Threads

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

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+add+bow+detail

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.

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+complete

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

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!

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+pin+strips

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.

 

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+press+strip+flat

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

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+press+seam+open

then press them open.

This keeps them straight all across the quilt.

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+add+next+strip&measure

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.

Suzn+Quilts+A+Pretty+Pkg+Winterlude+preparetosewtopstrips

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?

With Winterlude by 3 Sisters for Moda of course!

More & more flowers…

Suzn+Quilts+Dresden+mini+flowers

These have become addicting!

Each one is cuter than the last.

Suzn+Quilts+Dresden+mini+temp

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

but I’m loving this!

So precise!!!

Suzn+Quilts+Dresden++mini+flower

The complete little plate is just about 4″.

Suzn+Quilts+glue+Dresden+mini+flowers

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