Tag: Quilts

My Life

Join me at The O’Sewpersonal Stitchfest 2025

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Join us Thursday, February 27 & Friday, February 28

Optional Classes on Saturday, March 1

At the Marriot West, 660 Maryville Center Dr., St. Louis MO

Two Days of Stitching Fun! Get ready to thread the needle of excitement and creativity with us! Immerse yourself in hands-on sewing, embroidery, and quilting workshops! Learn from nationally known expert educators who will transform your skills stitch by stitch! Don’t miss out—come join the fun and create your next masterpiece! Grab your tickets now and let’s sew some memories together!

  • You will have a total of eight sessions over the two days!
  • We will supply the machines and all materials!
  • Hands on classes and lectures!
  • Lunch is included both days!
  • We’ve got a bustling vendor mall lined up, brimming with the latest and greatest products for you to discover. Enjoy additional demos and take advantage of the shopping spree! Best of all, access to the Vendor Mall is absolutely FREE for all class attendees. Come ready to shop and be inspired!
    Lunch is included both days
  • Craving more in-depth instruction? Dive deeper with us! On March 1, we’re hosting a full day of comprehensive classes. It’s your chance to dedicate more time to the topics you’re passionate about or eager to explore further. Come ready to immerse yourself and elevate your skills!


Our Stitch Fest 2025 Expert Educators:

You can find more info & also sign up by clicking here.

I’ll be giving Dresden plate demos & also showing you all of my tips & tricks for perfect plates!

I’ll have lots of quilts with not only Dresden plates of all shapes & sizes, but also my 3 sizes of tree template sets.

Come out & join the fun!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, A Quilt Along

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 12

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Does your Dresden Home need some decorating?

I chose these embellishments to complete our Dreden Home.

First, a wreath for the Dresden plate center.

Next, a house number.

And finally, a door knob or sorts, of course!

I knew right away that the “13” would be the perfect house number for me!

The package comes with tiny brads to use to attach the plaquettes.

Attaching it was easy by first poking holes in the fabric then using the enclosed tiny brads.

They’re a bit hard to see, but this is the back of the quilt with them applied.

And Emma loved them all but was very intrigued with the door knob. lol

I actually painted it so it would contrast with the door fabric. It also attaches with the little pre-attached brad.

Lastly I glued the wreath over the center of the Dresden plate center, yes glued! I was skeptical too but this stuff is awesome! I’ve used it several times now & am thinking of other ways to add junk “cool stuff” to my quilts now!

I contemplated gluing the wreath on the door… I would have needed to paint it too though so

we decided it looked good here on the Dresden plate. 

It was fun playing with the bits & bobs that morning.

I just noticed it was still dark outside.

Emma & I are good early morning workers thankfully!

We’re pretty happy with our results.

Now I need to decide where to hang it & get the appropriate sleeve or hanger for it.

You can now find these embelishing items on my website by clicking here.

I hope you will be encouraged to finish

& hang your Dresden Home for 2024 very soon.

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

My give-away today is this set of embellishments to the first to complete their Dresden Home quilt (if you want them that is).

I can’t wait to see how everyone else will decorate their Dresden Homes.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, A Quilt Along

12 Days of Christmas 2023; Day 7

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Happy New Year 2024!

Don’t forget to show us your 12 Days progress & thanks for those that commented on yesterday’s post for the chance to win the rotary cutter blade 2 pack.

Rita is (again!) the winner of the 2 pack of 45mm rotary cutter blades.

I already have your snail mail info so no need to send it again. lol

Time for some more fun!

Since many of you probably stayed up late to welcome in 2024, I decided an easy sew day was in order. Today you just need to make the final Tiny Tree block, but use the “2024” cream fabric for the background.

In case you lost that download… follow the instructions from Day 1 or Day2!

No need to stress, this should be fun!

Show us your progress on my Sewing With Susan FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan

Comment here the title of your favorite Suzn Quilts Pattern.

I’ll be drawing for a prize! 

The prize today is your choice of any Suzn Quilts pattern!

Comment here before I post Day 8 homework tomorrow & you will be entered in a drawing to win any Suzn Quilts pattern you choose.

Just Keep Sewing,

Susan

My Life

12 Days of Christmas 2023, My Dresden Home Revealed

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All of my previous 12 Days of Christmas quilt-alongs have been mysteries,

so this year I decided to switch it up.

If you prefer to be surprised delete this post! Lol

But who can resist this cuteness?

I made & completed the quilt with the help of my quilter, Tamara Lynn,

& I have it here for you to see with the help of my protege Emma!

With a cute house, a few trees & some signature Tiny Dresden plates (just 1 1/2!) this little 17″ x 26″ quilt will be fun to make for you or a friend.

Won’t it look cute on your front door welcoming guests all year!

I’m envisioning some embelishments here & there,

but I want you to make your Dresden Home your own.

I’m really looking forward to seeing all the variations you come up with

so let’s all go to my Facebook group, Sewing With Susan

& show our progress there, shall we?

Between now & December 26th, when the true 12 Days of Christmas & my quilt-along starts, you can make fabric choices & collect the supplies you’ll need including the plastic templates that I’ve used in case you want to get those as well.

Paper templates will be provided but the plastic templates are more fun & accurate to use.

If you want to use the fabrics I’ve used,

they’re Renee Nanneman’s Tradewinds collection by Andover fabrics.

Unfortunately Renee’s web store has just closed until the new year so that she & her hubby can get away for a few days, but if you have your heart set on them perhaps you can find them at your local quilt shop or another online shop.

Fabrics & Supplies

You’ll need 1/4 yd. of each fabric, fat or regular, except the brown you’ll need 1/3 yd.

-Grey fabric for background & transom

-Cream fabric for house & “HOME” background

-Cream fabric for “2024” background

-Red fabric for roof & chimney

-3 Red fabrics for Tiny Dresden plate (yes you could use 1 but that’s no fun!)

-Green fabric for trees (not Tradewinds, but also one of Renee’s greens)

-Floral fabric for “lawn”

-Blue fabric for “2024”

-Brown fabric for letters, door, tree trunks & binding.

You’ll also need:

-1/3 yd. fusible web

-Freezer paper

-Threads to either match or coordinate with appliqué fabrics.

Optional:

-Tiny Dresden plate template #216

-Tiny Tree Template Set #286

Let’s prepare for some fun!

There are sure to be some give-aways too!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

New Magazine Quilt, quilt as you go lap quilt

Simply Vintage Winter 2020 Is Now Available

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Another Quiltmania publication is now available!

I have a lap quilt & a table runner in this issue!

Simplify is a quilt-as-you-go lap quilt.

The adorable runner can also be made

quilt-as-you-go.

When I designed & made this,

I let the appliqué stitch also be the quilting.

If you look closely you’ll see clouds in the sky.

They add quilting in those areas.

I know clever, right? lol

Although this quilt is an earlier pattern of mine,

I think it speaks to these times right now.

It’s definitely the time to simplify life, now!

Stay home & stay safe.

Spend the holidays not sharing COVID

so we can enjoy many more holidays together, please!

Find Simply Vintage on newsstands now or

at Quiltmania by clicking here.

Something I love about Quiltmania magazines

is that they’re so much more than just a magazine.

Simply Vintage #37

  • Feature: Amana Colonies, Iowa
  • Meet Els Feteris, designer of Bobbin
  • More than 15 projects

It’s available in digital download too.

No need to leave the house!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Christmas Sewing, New Magazine Quilt

Simply Moderne Issue #23 Is Now Available

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Another Quiltmania publication is available today!

Yes, I’m a fan of this magazine family

&

I have 2 quilts in this issue!

Sharing My Joy

is a quilt-as-you-go table runner.

How cute this will look on your Christmas table!

It will also look great on your friend’s door or wall.

&

Through The Pines

is a quilt-as-you-go lap or wall quilt.

Wrap yourself in Christmas spirit this year

& for many years to come!

If you already have my new Tiny Tree Template set,

you will have these tiny trees made in no time

& have a snugly Christmas quilt

to enjoy all those Christmas movies during this holiday season!

Find Simply Modern Issue #23 on newsstands now or

at Quiltmania by clicking here.

If you’d like the optional Tiny Tree Template Set

it can be found on my website by clicking here.

Just Keep Sewing…for Christmas!

Susan

My Life, Quarantine Quilting

Second Quarantine Quilting UFO Finish

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The second UFO that’s been on my list for almost a year…

Robin’s Wreaths,

a 5-part quilt designed by my good friend,

Robin Koehler of Nestlings By Robin.

It was featured in

AQ Magazine 2018-2019.

I had the 6 blocks complete pretty much on schedule

with the release of each of the magazines.

The tiny leaf templates were all cut out

& fused to the leaf fabric.

That’s where I stalled out when I got too busy with market prep this time last spring…

So this is where I began.

Trimming seam allowances & gluing.

Starting with the smallest of leaves,

then the little bit larger, small leaves.

It’s my own fault!

I thought it would be so cute made miniature.

I actually made the templates from the printed

size templates in the magazine instead of enlarging them 200%.

Next, to glue the tiny leaves to the 6 finished blocks.

An issue which came with making a smaller version of this quilt is the fact that I had to improvise parts of the design that were just too small to incorporate into this scale.

Some I turned bias strips into stitched vines & some I left off completely.

The blocks are still very full of applique!

Next, borders!

This was a great opportunity to use my new Cricut BrightPad.

Love this!

I’ve been using a very old & crude (but much loved)

version of a light box that my then college boyfriend

(now husband of 31 years)

made for me to use in my design classes.

Lots of little hearts were next.

Thanks goodness for my Apliquick tools!

These things are a life saver!

It took me all day,

but the borders were soon made

& ready for stitching;

applique by machine then embroidery by hand.

It was nice having some hand work to do while watching TV.

With top complete, it was time to contemplate how to quilt it.

I decided on a grid to complement the block background

so as not to overpower the tiny applique.

These blocks are only 5″ finished.

It doesn’t take much to fill them.

Then binding!

And voila!

It now resides in a place of honor in our kitchen.

LOVE it!

Love that I could finish it in this crazy quarantine period.

What are you working on?

Please share your projects & progress on my Sewing With Susan FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Please stay home & stay safe!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Pattern Sample

Sewing Vs. Planting… Which Do You Prefer?

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There are MANY days that what I am working on isn’t photographable.

Lots & lots & lots of time goes into the process of making a new quilt pattern,

so much so, you have no idea!

Today is a day that I actually thought (& remembered as I was doing…) to take photos.

I’m working on a new quilt idea that has lots of Mini & Tiny Dresden plates (shocker I know).

What I was working on today involved making a single tree.

Yes, a single tree, ALL DAY.

Pretty sure I could have bought & planted a tree much quicker!

Not only that, this is not the first day that I’ve lingered over said tree.

I knew the finished size,

& that it would be a tree,

but I couldn’t get this tree to materialize, LITERALLY!

Today I jumped in and decided it would have templates.

Yes, I hate having to cut templates!

I like to start out running and be able to cut everything with my rotary cutter.

Don’t you?

Not that you can’t cut this tree block out with a rotary cutter, because I did,

not only the paper version, but also the fabric version.

Unfortunately, it’s not a certain size I can relate to you to cut.

I started with a version of a tree that I incorporated into my

“Oh Christmas Tree” pattern several years ago.

These trees are rotary cut,

quickly pieced, then trimmed to size.

I decided to resize this block to make it fit into the parameters of my new design.

I made a paper block.

Then I made another…

I stapled the seam allowance, lol!

How crafty, right?

Then “trimmed” it to the finished size.

Unfortunately I wasn’t crazy about it…

So, literally back to the drawing board…

I sketched out the finished tree that I wanted,

then I added the seam allowance to each piece.

Next I made templates & printed them out to scale.

I decided to sew the paper templates!

Why not?

“Pressing” them was quite accurate!

Next I needed to assemble the sections.

Quite simple.

So far, so good.

The finished block was perfect.

So, I gathered some newly acquired “vintage” fabrics & cut the pieces.

How awesome, right???

I sewed them just like the paper prototype.

And, voilà!

Exactly what I imagined, finally!

Now, after weeks of designing,

I’m looking forward to making the actual quilt.

If only I could decide on the fabrics, lol.

I hope you’re enjoying summer!

I love waking to the sun streaming into my sewing room once again.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

 

Dresden Plates, Workshops

Another Guild Presentation = New Quilting Friends

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I had a great couple of days with some lovely new quilting friends

from the Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild in Springfield, MO last week.

I first met many of these ladies at their guild’s quilt show last September.

My daughter & I had a booth there selling my patterns.

Their quilt show helps support the most incredible

& unusual set-up for a quilt guild that I have ever encountered!

They actually rent a storefront in a strip mall 365 days a year.

Their membership is about 300.

They have two business meetings on the same day each month,

one in the morning & another the same evening for their members that work during the day.

They also have a lot of satellite clubs that meet at different times throughout the month; several charity sewing groups, a Featherweight sewing group, a modern sewing group & a group of strippers for heaven’s sake, lol! And that’s just a small sampling.

I’m telling you, they have it all!!!

They invited me to setup my goodies & speak to both groups.

They have a beautiful “In Between” raffle quilt

shown here behind Vicky’s Bonnie Hunter sew-along quilt.

While on my journey there I was able to stop at a few antique malls

including Relics in Springfield.

It’s huge with lots to see!

I found this cool “hanger” for drying tops.

The interesting part is that it’s adjustable.

I’ll probably hang a quilt or two on it.

Between lectures (with suggestions from my lunch pals)

I was also able to visit The Vintage Peddler.

This place is awesome!

They have lots of lovely, thoughtfully displayed booths.

I found several items that I needed there…

including these HUGE display hangers.

That’s a 30″ wide table that they’re hanging on.

I showed these to some of my new quilt friends during our workshop the next day.

One of them asked what I’m going to do with them…

Hang quilts on them of course!

We laughed that I could hang all 12 of my Tiny Dresden quilts on the two of them; one from each clip.

I could also hang one quilt per hanger:

or…

or I could hang one larger quilt like these between the two hangers…

I also found this metal shelving unit that comes apart to store flat.

I’m always looking for display pieces that are durable

& don’t take up a lot of space for travel purposes

whether for quilt shows or trunk shows & workshops like theirs.

I will for sure be taking this to the Kansas City Quilt Festival in June.

(this is where I initially met some of my Ozark Piecemakers friends

who thankfully persuaded me to join their quilt show last year!)

Perhaps I’ll find a purpose for it in my booth

at Spring Quilt Market in May

which is also being held in Kansas City this year.

We’ll see.

Our workshop was a fun day as well,

with 100% of the quilters successfully completing

at least 1 ore more perfect little Dresden plates!

Look at the smiles & the complete plates.

(Some of them are smiling because they think they tricked me into making their center circles while I demonstrated with my Apliquick Bars, Lol!)

Little do they know I love making them.

I’ll make them for your group too if you invite me to teach a workshop.

You can see my lecture & workshop offerings here.

I hope you are all making more plates.

Please send me pics when you do.

It really is all about having the right tools for the right job.

Thanks new quilting friends!

I hope to see you again soon!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Applique quilt projects, My Life

Apliquick Rods Are Back In Stock!

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Did you come by our booth at

Quilt Festival in Houston

while we were sold out of Apliquick Rods?

Well, they’re back in stock, fresh from Spain!

You can order yours today on my website.

If you don’t already know how wonderful they are,

you can watch a short video demonstrating them below.

I don’t know what I’d do without mine!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan