With the start of Black History Month comes the start of our annual fundraiser and giveaway for UNCF! This year, we are giving away a Fat Quarter Shop Prize Basket full of sewing notions, fabric, décor items, and sew much more with a total retail value of over $800. For a chance to win, visit our campaign page, donate, and fill out the giveaway form by February 28th, 2026!

UNCF Fundraiser

At Fat Quarter Shop, we know that when a community comes together, amazing things can happen. That’s why we’re proud to support UNCF and their mission to ...

Welcome to Day 3 of the Starry Seas BlogHop.

Here is my response!

Dawn to Dusk

When Jennifer of Inquiring Quilter asked me to join the Starry Seas BlogHop, I did not respond at once. I needed to see the fabric collection first. 

Hmmm, what does that inspire? Let's take another look.

It reminded me of my commute. My new job requires me to leave home before dawn and return after dusk, meaning that I experience sunrise and sunset (especially during these winter months), through the sometimes murky train windows. It is both sad and beautiful.

Dawn

Dusk

Sometimes, as I am playing in EQ8, shapes will magically align and something extraordinary happens. Such as this pattern - Veronica.

Made with Poetic Bouquet Fabric collection, Veronica finishes at 60" by 84".

Cleverly pieced, it comes together in the most elegant way. All you need is a Layer Cake of your choice plus 4 yards of background fabric. No special rulers or fancy dies.

The detailed directions include colored pictures for every step. The clever piecing means you don't have to fiddle with little pieces. Quick for experienced quilters and easy for beginners, Veronica is a win-win.

The pattern ...

Meet Yamini.

Yamini

Designed in EQ8 and made using Island Batik fabrics, Yamini is a jelly roll quilt finishing at 60" by 80". Yamini was first published in Make Modern Issue 65. 

Sparkle & Sizzle

 "If you’re after a fun showstopper of a quilt for a gift, this one is a perfect choice. Grab a jelly roll, pair it with a high contrast solid background fabric, and watch the magic happen!" - Make Modern Issue 65.

Meet Nirali!

Nirali

Here is the story or TWO WEEKS AGO (imagine you are watching a thriller on Netflix).

Co-sponsored by Aurifil Threads, Island Batik's September Challenge is named Threaded Chaos, requiring us to make a crib-size (or larger) Crazy Quilt, using our assigned Spring 2025 Collection and Aurifil Threads.

When I made a Crazy Quilt the last time, we were not assigned a fabric collection. I chose solids so that the decorative stitching was better visible.  This time, the fabric and threads were not up to us.

I received the Everlasting Collection, designed by Jerry Khiev.

Everlasting Collection ...

 Meet Westfield. 

Two (too) handsome guys :-D

This handsome quilt made his appearance in make Modern's Issue 64 in May 2025.

Modeled by Paul, Picture by Preeti, Cover by Make Modern

Designed in EQ8, Westfield is made using the Island Batik collection Poetic Bouquet and is Layer-Cake Friendly. One pack of 10" squares plus 3.5 yards of background and he can be yours.

Westfield is now available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop, available at a discount of 25%, that is just $9 but only till Wednesday, 9/3/25. 

On my bed :-)

The pattern is ...

Have you met Niko? 

Niko

He is handsome and stylish. He is friendly to jelly rolls and he can be yours!

Niko was first published in Make Modern Issue 62, published in January 2025.  

Published

Designed in EQ8 and made with the Island Batik collection Shadow Blooms, Niko finished at 60" by 84", making him suitable for TV time and naps on the couch. He is a perfect picnic partner and just as happy to go on car rides.

Finding Happiness

But Niko isn't just fun and games. He is also just right for charity quilts including Quilts of ...

Welcome to TGIFF – Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday on my blog – we open Thursday evening and close Saturday at midnight to allow bloggers from all over the world to post their finished quilt projects. 

Austin was first published in the Make Modern Magazine Issue 60.

It is now available in my Etsy Shop as a standalone pattern. 

Designed in EQ8 and made with Island Batik fabrics from the Peppermint Sprinkles collection, Austin finished at 60" by 80". It is a perfect size for charity quilts.

Austin

Austin is a modern take on the Quilt of Valor theme. A longitudinal design ...

The Island Batik February Challenge and Blog Hop is co-sponsored by Studio 180 Design who provided tools to all the ambassadors to make the table/bed runner. 

So many droolworthy fabric collections and fabulous projects for inspiration! Here is the complete line-up.

WEEK 1

February 4:

• Kim Jamieson-Hirst, Chatterbox Quilts
• Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood

February 5:

• Brittany Fisher, Bobbin with Brittany

February 6:

• Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts
• Carol Stanek, Stitch With Color

November 7:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway

WEEK 2

February 10:

• Connie Kresin Campbell, Freemotion by the River
• Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

February 11 ...

To celebrate Black History Month, we’re hosting a fundraiser for UNCF featuring an incredible gift basket filled with sewing treasures from Fat Quarter Shop, Moda Fabrics, and Aurifil! The Quilter’s Dream Basket includes sewing notions and home décor items worth $700. For a chance to win, visit our campaign page and donate by February 28, 2025!

UNCF Fundraiser

Fat Quarter Shop is proud to support UNCF with Stronger Together, an annual fundraiser that has raised over $56,000 for UNCF since 2021. We encourage you to donate $15 or more to our UNCF campaign for the chance to ...

To celebrate reaching 20,000 followers on our Facebook Page, we are giving away a Brand New Baby Lock Zest Sewing Machine from Gary's Sewing Center located at 1576 West Broadway Street, Idaho Falls, Idaho or 512 Yellowstone, Pocatello, Idaho. Gary's is a great place for a variety of machines from sergers, embroidery machines, sewing machines, longarm quilting machines, you name it, they have it.

A new year calls for a new pattern!

Garden City

Backing is Aruba (Tantalizing Teals)

Hi Handsome!

Walking Foot Quilting

Above average temperatures for several weeks and then suddenly it was cold and windy. I guess it is an indication to stay indoors and sew :-D

Should you need a new pattern, Fireworks is now available in my Etsy Shop as a standalone pattern. You can get it at a discount of 25% for one week.

Fireworks

Fireworks is a simple pattern that requires no special rulers/templates and is NOT paper-pieced, making it suitable for all skill levels. 

Brightness

Walking Foot Quilting

Thank you, Paul

I used Island Batik ...

Island Batik November Challenge requires us to make a Dresden Quilt using our assigned Summer 2024 collection.

Here is my response. I have named it "Like It Or Not" (LION). LION finished at 45" by 46".

Vintage Fans, 45" by 46"

I received Peach Blossom,  an original collection by Claudia Pfeil. 

Fabrics

There are so many options for Dresden Plate designs. I could use a skinny Dresden Ruler (12 degrees) to make 30 blades per circle or a double Dresden (36 degrees) to make 10 wide blades per circle. I chose the 18 degree ruler. 

I wanted to make a ...

OK—so what do you do when the book you're listening to is depressing? The book is "When the World Fell Silent," by Donna Jones Alward, and it is about the Halifax explosion (1917) when they were in the midst of a war. I totally get that times were tough. Many people died in the war, the explosion, and the Spanish flu. It just seemed that the two women in the book were saddled with EVERY possible calamity. Even the prologue foreshadowed terrible things. 

I hate abandoning a book, so I persevered. I'm now down to one hour ...

Island Batik's September Challenge and Blog Hop theme is Adventurous Applique and is jointly sponsored by Aurifil Threads.

Here is my response.

Finished!

For this challenge we were to use our assigned Spring 2024 Bundles along with the matching threads provided by Aurifil.

I received Geometric Symphony designed by Jerry Khiev. This collection has beige, fuchsia and navy fabrics in bold geometric prints.  

Geometric Symphony

Aurifil Threads

We knew about the theme of the challenge for months and I had come up with several possible ideas. But when I saw the fabric, I had to discard each one of ...

Do you remember Diva?

Designed in EQ8, Diva was published in Make Modern Issue 58. Now, she is available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop.

I made Diva using the Vintage Charm collection, combined with Island Batik Solids in Red, Orange, Yellow and Fuchsia. The focus fabric strip sets were scraps leftover from making Kashvi, but there is nothing scrappy about Diva!

Finishing at 51" by 68" she glides in royal splendor. And although you may think that she is set in her ways, she is very adaptable. I encourage you to take a look at the various ...

Whoever said "Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road" wasn't making this pattern.

But let's start at the beginning.

Aurelia was published in Make Modern Issue #56.

Blue Skies, Breezy Day

I have ONE Zoom left for my day job! My, how time flies when you're having fun! There is lots of stuff to put away, but I don't have time to deal with it today. 

I still have an in-person event this weekend for anyone who has recently purchased a Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3, and there are two Zooms on Sunday. All the material is prepared for everything; it's just a question of putting it into a presentation or pulling out the appropriate equipment from the jumble!

Speaking of jumbles, I mentioned that I found a ...