What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Can you imagine enduring winter in ancient Scandinavia? No electricity. No furnace. No corner grocery store. Just weeks and weeks of darkness, cold, and scarcity. 

During the darkest part of winter, my own Swedish ancestors adorned evergreen wreaths with white candles to celebrate Yule, or midwinter. The evergreen boughs symbolized resilience in harsh conditions; the candles, hope for the warmth and light of spring. 

3,000 years later, I think we can all use a touch of hope, so we’re whipping up a quick and easy Hourglass Wreath quilt. This simple layer cake pattern comes together in a jiffy ...

Spiders are master weavers. Their webs are made with silk “thread” that is the envy of quilters: 1,000x thinner than human hair and 5x stronger than steel! (Scientists think pencil-thick web could stop a jumbo jet!)  

They work at a dazzling pace, completing incredibly intricate webs in about an hour. But this week, Jenny is giving ‘em a run for their money!

The Disappearing Four-Patch Weave quilt starts as a super-simple 4-patch and then, like all disappearing blocks, we slice it and rearrange the pieces. The result is a gorgeous, woven layer cake pattern that comes together lickety-split. (Our ...

Life on the American frontier was hard. There were prairies to tame, trees to fell, and fences to build. There was butter to churn, laundry to scrub, and water to fetch.  

Despite such labor-filled days, those resourceful pioneer women found ways to whip up easy patterns like the Log Cabin block. These simple, pretty quilts were used not only as bed coverings, but as windows, room dividers, and doors, too!

This week Jenny is working on a Simple Log Cabin with a traditional red center square to represent the heart of the home—the hearth.  Click HERE to learn how ...

If I asked you to draw a cactus, you’d probably choose the most cactus-y cactus of all, the saguaro. (You know, the tall fella with upstretched arms.) But let’s not forget, there are nearly 2,000 different types of cactus, and we love ‘em all!

This week Jenny is stitching up a desert garden out of 10 inch squares. She’s using several of our favorite templates – orange peels, tumblers, and a cute little petal – to create a dazzling variety of spiny beauties! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Jenny wasn’t always a quilter; she was a costume seamstress! But when she took a class to learn the log cabin block, it was love at first stitch! Before the class was over, she had completed 12 quilts—and she hasn’t slowed down yet!

During those early years, there was one pattern that always seemed too daunting: the dresden.  She finally gave it a try, and guess what? It was an instant favorite! Click HERE to learn how to make a fun variation, Dresden Blooms!

Nothing beats a classic. The master level quilts that our grandmothers once stitched by hand with precision and care have never been easier to recreate with modern methods. Many of these patterns are surprisingly simply with just a little effort and dedication, but why take our word for it when you can find out on your own!

Thanks to Jenny Doan’s incredible quilt tutorials and patterns, these five time-honored traditional quilts can grace your home as you pass down the gift of quilting to the next generation of makers! Where there’s a quilt, there’s a way!

Happy ...

The tippy tops of the Rocky Mountains are covered with ten feet of snow right now!  But underneath that blanket of white, wildflower seeds wait patiently. And when summer arrives, those mountain peaks will be bursting with blooms!

If you’re like me, you can’t wait till summer; we need flowers today! Click HERE to learn how to create your own Mountain Lily blocks out of 2.5” strips!

Sometimes after the hustle and bustle of holiday clean up and moving directly into Valentine’s Day, we forget to take the time to appreciate ourselves. Quilters are a giving community, we often will move mountains in order to complete a gift for a friend or a donation for a stranger before we take the time to make something for ourselves. No more however! Take a peek at these five great ideas and create something for yourself! Each project is designed to be filled with love to make a special and super comfy addition to your home!

Chunky Knit Cuddle ...

A pixel quilt is just a charm quilt, really. The only trick is planning the layout. Luckily, Robert Kaufman did all the figuring for the Pixelated Heart Quilt, and you can download the pattern for free! 

Watch Jenny whip up this pretty project. It’s so quick and easy, she finishes the entire top during the video! (Bonus: You’ll also get a quick lesson on perfecting your ¼” seam!)

Admit it, there comes a time in every quilter’s journey where they have to step back and realize they have too many quilts. Fortunately for the quilting community as a whole, quilters are incredibly generous people who give with love and share their talents with friends and family, wrapping them in the warmth of their craft. Sometimes though it’s nice to make something for yourself, stitch in a little of your own creativity and create something that is positively and uniquely you.

Quilting doesn’t have to be limited to just quilts. There is a world of options ...

We’re starting a new tradition here at Missouri Star: Triple Play! Once a month, Jenny, Misty, and Natalie will each demonstrate their own, unique take on a classic MSQC pattern.

Jenny’s Design

First up? Wonky Stars! Jenny incorporates those whimsical stars into a tiny-house table runner.

Misty’s Design

Misty goes country-cozy with a big, traditional quilt featuring 4-patch star centers.

Natalie’s Design

Natalie leans modern with a non-block layout featuring big Wonky Stars!

As always, each of these projects is quick, easy, and fun! Click HERE to choose a favorite!

Getting organized to start your new year off fresh is an important step in making the most out of your quilting. A clear work space promotes not only creativity, but motivation to finish that UFO that’s been sitting in the corner since last New Year’s! After your room is tidy and all your fabrics are neatly labeled, what can be done with the stash of scraps that you’ve been stockpiling?

Here are some great quilt ideas to utilize that growing pile of scraps:

String Quilt

Piece together all those extra scraps to make a String Quilt. In ...

A little precision is good for the soul.  Neat vacuum lines in the carpet. Deep green rows of meticulously mowed grass. Quilt blocks with well-pressed seams and razor-sharp points. All that order just feels nice.

If you crave a little precision, this week’s new quilt fits the bill! Jenny demonstrates how to achieve perfect points with just a touch of careful trimming. Easy peasy! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

My favorite bouquet wasn’t roses or orchids; it was a tiny bunch of clover blossoms gathered by a very special four-year-old. (Oh, how I wished those flowers could last forever!)

This week Jenny is stitching up a bouquet that will bloom for years to come. She starts with simple 9-patches made of half-square triangles—nothing too fancy. But just wait! The real magic happens when they’re set on point! Click HERE to watch!

This week we’re showing off the 2nd place quilt from the 2019 Birthday Bash Sew-Off. (Don’t tell “Team Jenny,” but I think it’s just as pretty as the winner!) 

Learn how to make this super-simple pattern designed by “Team Me & My Sister.” Ground Cover is the perfect project to show off your favorite 10-inch squares, and it’s so easy to make! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!