What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

It's no surprise to anyone that knows me that I'm working on multiple quilts. I get bored VERY easily. I love to spend a little time on each quilt every day.

It doesn’t get easier than this classic quilt block! Using Layer Cakes cut into half-square triangles, the chevron quilt block is the perfect project for a new beginner quilter! Even if you’ve been stitching up quilts for awhile now, this simple pattern offers a unique opportunity to quilt in a hurry (not like any of us would EVER wait until the last minute to make a handmade gift).

To make this into a full quilt, all you’ll need is a solid layer cake and a printed layer cake – but the good news is you can truly make ...

A Round Robin quilt is the sweetest of group projects. It is passed among friends, each adding blocks or borders of their own.

And when it is finished, that quilt represents the talent and creativity of everyone involved. (I get all tingly and sentimental just thinking about it!) 

For this month’s Triple Play tutorial, Jenny and the girls stitched up one big Round Robin quilt. They named it Sparkling Stars, and it sure is a beauty! 

Jenny built the center with 9-patches and half-square triangle lemoyne stars, Misty added pretty sawtooth star blocks and quarter-square triangles, and Natalie finished ...

Quilters on the American frontier were inspired by the world around them. They stitched up log cabins, rail fences, bear paws, and flying geese. And, of course, they stitched up windmills. 

You see, windmills dotted the Great Plains, pumping water from deep underground. When dry spells left the earth parched, a windmill could pump enough water to cook, bathe, wash, and water crops. Now that’s a quilt-worthy feat!

This week Jenny is whipping up a simple Breezy Windmills quilt using precut 2.5 inch strips. It’s a pretty jelly ...

Handy Andy is a traditional 19th century quilt block. It’s sometimes called Footstool or Mrs. Jones’ Favorite. And, truth be told, it’s ALWAYS made with bajillions of tiny pieces. (Bajillions!) 

But don’t worry! You can count on Jenny to make it easy!

Using 2.5 inch precut strips and our beloved Clearly Slotted Trimmers, Jenny whips up scores of little half-square triangles and hourglass blocks without breaking a sweat. Best of all, the leftover scraps become a piano-key border! 

We’re calling this charming jelly roll quilt Handy Dandy, but whatever the name, this pattern is an ...

In winter, quilts are for snuggling. We wrap them ‘round our shoulders like thick, cozy cocoons and pile them on our beds to stay toasty through the night.

But in summertime … those quilts take on a whole new life!

We carry them to picnics and t-ball games. We spread them out for fireworks and parades. They join us on camping trips and days at the beach. Summer is adventure time for quilts! 

This week Jenny is working on a brand new Summer Squares quilt. It’s a pretty jelly roll pattern based on one of our all-time favorites, Summer in ...

Once upon a time, the Lady of the Lake emerged from the waters of Avalon to bestow a magical sword on young King Arthur. Arthur took that sword to war and…was mortally wounded. What a shame! What if she had given him a fancy new sewing machine instead? Just imagine the quilts he could have made! 

The Lady of the Lake quilt pattern is an old-fashioned favorite made entirely of half-square triangles. Jenny used layer cakes in bright white and “Horizon,” the 2021 Kona Color of the Year to create a two-color quilt that is lovely as a fairytale ...

Are you anxiously waiting for spring to arrive? You are not alone! The residents of Longyearbyen, Norway, have lived in darkness since October 25th. That’s 3,000 hours with no sunshine at all! 

But on March 8th, the sun will finally peek over the horizon, and the townsfolk are ready to par-tay with a week-long festival called Solfestuka. Choir children dress like sunbeams, folks feast on sunshiny pastries, and a few brave souls dress in swimsuits and sunglasses! 

Of course, no celebration is complete without a quilt, so Jenny has whipped up a gorgeous new pattern to welcome the ...

If you need a quilt that's easy, fast and fun to make, the Strip Pieced Diagonal Beginner quilt is for you. I found this easy strip piecing pattern a few years back when I was looking for easy quilts to make for Veterans.

Using just three fabrics and strip piecing, you will love how quickly this quilt comes together.

Strip Piecing Pattern and Tutorial

In old-timey movies, the wealthy are surrounded by teetering stacks of gold coins. So, my little-kid self believed that’s what riches were. 

A “few” decades later, I find myself surrounded instead with stacks of fabric. And in my book…that’s even better! 

This week Jenny is whipping up a classic coin quilt with a fun new twist. First, she makes traditional coin stacks out of jelly roll strip sets. Then, she uses the Missouri Star Circle Magic template to add a sprinkling of easy applique circles. The end result is a totally new pattern that is truly out-of-this-world ...

Never judge a quilt by its name—even if that name is Swamp Angel, Corn and Beans, or Oklahoma Boomer.

Because if wack-a-doo names scare you off, you will miss gems like this week’s new quilt: Hearts and Gizzards. (Yep, Hearts…and Gizzards.)

Hearts and Gizzards is a gorgeous, old-fashioned layer cake pattern composed of pretty hearts that form flowers (or gizzards?). It’s dainty. It’s feminine. And its name is absolutely weird!

Click HERE to watch the tutorial, and keep an eye out for a bonus table runner at the end!

Hugs make us happy. 

A good snuggle releases oxytocin, a chemical associated with happiness and less stress. But I wonder…can quilts do the same?

This week Jenny, Misty, and Natalie showcase 3 new projects based on the classic X’s and O’s quilt. And these hugs and kisses are almost as sweet as the real thing!

Jenny’s Design

Jenny calls her quilt “Social Distanced Hugs” because the O’s are separated with a fun sashing. (What a unique way to remember these “unprecedented times!”)

Natalie’s Design

Natalie adds Wonky Star legs to her quilt, creating a ...

Fresh off my frame, and full of fabulously scrumptious feathery texture:

Peacock Flourish Opulence Fabric, Mottled White Multi

You’ve finally made it! You have your supplies in hand and you have a great knowledge of precut quilting fabrics so it’s time to create your very first quilt block! Before we begin, remember Jenny’s favorite phrase, “finished is better than perfect”. Your first quilt block might not be perfect (maybe it will!) but what is most important is that you learned new skills along the way and ...

On cold winter nights, the sky is an icy blanket of twinkling stars. The truth is … I rarely take notice. It’s just too cold for stargazing! 

But if you are willing to bundle up and brave the winter chill, you will be treated to a glittering show far brighter than any summertime stars. 

This week Jenny is whipping up a Winter Star quilt in icy shades of blue and white. This quick and easy layer cake pattern is perfect as a lap quilt or winter wall hanging.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! If you love Marcia Brady as much as we do, get excited! 

Last year, Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia Brady) visited Missouri to meet Jenny. Maureen is an avid quilter and just as sweet in person as she was on TV. (Click HERE to watch the video!)

Now, Maureen has her own fabric collection with Moda, and Jenny used it to whip up a flower applique quilt made with quick and easy half-square triangles. 

These pretty blocks can be laid out in dozens of ways. And whether you choose pinwheels, chevrons, or square-in-a-square, you’ll have a groovy ...