What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

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 ...

Did you know? The world’s biggest spool of thread is located right here in Hamilton, Missouri! It’s 22 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and wrapped with ONE MILLION yards of thread. Come for a visit, and you can add a few yards of your own!

Jenny’s Design

It’s no secret we love thread, so our newest Triple Play tutorial is all about spools! We’re using charm packs, layer cakes, and 2.5 inch strips to create big spools, little spools, and everything in between! Fun fact: Jenny’s larger-than-life spool quilt pattern is actually a ...

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 ...

In the “olden days”, little girls learned to sew at a very young age. Their tiny hands were trained to stitch up four patches, hourglasses, and shooflies—all without rulers, rotary cutters, or even sewing machines!

This week, Jenny is using those same old-fashioned beginner blocks to whip up a dazzling Sunshine Shoofly quilt. And like all our favorite patterns, this super-simple layer cake quilt looks SO much trickier than it really is! Click HERE to watch the video! 

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 ...

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 ...

In 2008, the Doan kids asked Jenny to film her first-ever quilt tutorial. Her response? “What’s a tutorial??” 

12 years later, Jenny’s videos have been viewed 200 million times and the Missouri Star community has spread across the globe!  And you know what? It’s all because of you! 

From Iran to Australia to small-town America, we are “Sew Inspired” by your creativity and love! 

And so, on our 12th birthday, we are stitching up the sweetest little sewing machine blocks out of jelly roll strips. It’s a quick and easy project to celebrate us all!! Click ...

Do you remember your first cartwheel? It was probably a little wobbly. Maybe you didn’t land on your feet. But chances are, before the recess bell rang, you could cartwheel your way across the playground without stopping!

Jenny is not turning cartwheels this week. (Wouldn’t that be a sight!) But … she IS turning quilt blocks, and that’s even easier! The Simple Squares method of setting quilt blocks on point is so quick and painless, you’ll be turning blocks like a pro in no time!

The Framed Pinwheels quilt is a master of disguise. 

It looks like a tricky maze of itty bitty pieces, but don’t be deceived! This block is simply a disappearing nine patch! 

Here’s how it works:  Whip up a nine patch of charms and lil’ pinwheels. Slice up that block. Shuffle the pieces. Stitch ‘em back together. That’s it! 

This pattern was inspired by the creative genius of V and Co, and we’re so excited to share it with you!

Gardening and quilting are the perfect pair, both producing an amazing result with a little time, effort and patience. Traditionally quilters have always incorporated their surroundings in their blocks, so it’s no wonder as to why so many vintage quilts feature flowers! Check out these five incredible patterns featuring flowers and traditional garden elements!

English Garden

Developing from English landscaping techniques of the 18th century, the style of an English garden is both elegant and structured. The English Garden quilt captures the feel of a beautiful ...

This month’s Triple Play tutorial is a mathematical delight: 3 gals + 3 yards = 3 gorgeous quilts! 

Jenny’s Design

It’s true! Jenny, Misty, and Natalie are whipping up 3 quick and easy quilts.

Misty’s Design

Each of these patterns is from “Modern Views with 3-Yard Quilts” by Donna Robertson for Fabric Cafe.

Natalie’s Design

Click HERE to learn how to make the Jacob’s Ladder, Dominique, and Jigsaw quilts—each from just 3 yards of fabric!

The Double Nine Patch was all the rage during the Civil War. Fabric was scarce—so scarce that every precious scrap was saved for quilts. Patterns like the Double Nine Patch transformed all those scraps into true works of art!

Back then, these quilts were hand stitched one itty-bitty scrap at a time, but now there’s an easier way! Click HERE to watch Jenny whip up a Mini Double Nine Patch quilt with quick and easy strip sets!

The shoofly block is a 19th century classic. It’s so easy, it was used to teach children their very first lessons in quilting. Now that’s my kind of block!

This week Jenny is transforming that easy block with our favorite “disappearing” magic trick, and the results are simply dazzling! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Social distance. It’s a new phrase – and a new way of life – for most of us. But I think it’s a bit of a misnomer. Because even though we’re separated physically, we aren’t really alone! From video chats with grandkids to friendly greetings from across the street, there are a million ways to connect every day, and I’m sure grateful for that! 

One little girl spent hours decorating the sidewalk with chalk. She drew a hopscotch that stretched from one end of her house to the other. As the neighbors walk by, they can’t ...

The periwinkle plant is so resilient, it can survive extreme heat, drought, pests, you name it! Those pretty little flowers just bloom and bloom—even when life isn’t perfect!

So here’s my new motto: be like a periwinkle! Don’t give up if your stitching isn’t straight! Don’t despair if the seams don’t match up perfectly! Just do your best, and have fun creating your own Stretched Periwinkles with Jenny! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

(Psst! Watch all the way to the end for two bonus projects that are made from the scraps!) 

Ever heard of the LeMoyne Star? It’s a tricky block with y-seams galore. (In other words, it’s not for me!)

Jenny’s Lemon Star has the same 8-point star, but it’s made with easy half-square triangles! Click HERE to learn how to whip up this simple quilt using your favorite charm packs!

(Do you recognize this block from our fun new “All Stars” Block of the Month? Click HERE to see if you can spot it!) 

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!

Andromeda, our next-door-neighbor galaxy, is named after a mythological Greek princess known for incredible beauty. It’s made of 1 trillion stars dancing through space in a massive, brilliant swirl.

While our Brilliant Swirl isn’t quite so epic, it sure is pretty! Learn how to make this quick and easy quilt using your favorite 2.5 inch strips! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Have you ever watched a subway turnstile as folks pass through one by one? It spins and spins with an easy rhythm, almost like a sewing needle. Click. Click. Click. 

This week Jenny is working on a Turn Style quilt inspired by Me & My Sister’s Ground Cover quilt. From quick and easy quarter-square triangles to simple hourglass blocks, this pretty quilt is as effortless as a spinning turnstile. Click HERE to watch the tutorial!