What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

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 ...

The night sky is an ocean of glittering stars. Have you ever tried to count them? In our galaxy alone, there are 100 billion, and we plan to quilt at least that many! 

Over the years, Jenny has stitched up stars galore. This week, she’s adding one more to the bunch.

The Outstanding Star is a quick and easy layer cake pattern made in a patriotic palette of red, white and blue batiks.

Imagine the perfect neighborhood. Are the homes quaint and colorful? Are the streets lined with stately oaks? (Is there an ice cream shop on the corner??) 

Best of all, who lives next door? Is it your dearest friend? Your grandkids? Maybe it’s Jenny Doan!

This week you can stitch up the neighborhood of your dreams with tiny houses, big houses, two-story houses, and even trees made with the scraps! Click HERE to learn how to make this quick and easy layer cake pattern!

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!

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! 

Before Jenny Doan, there was Nancy Cabot.

During the 1930s, Nancy wrote a column for the Chicago Daily Tribune featuring a new quilt pattern every single day. A diagram of the daily block was printed next to helpful tips and bits of quilt history. (The pattern could be purchased for “5 cents in stamps or coin.”)

Nancy’s column was chatty and casual, like a tea time conversation between friends. I think I would have loved her!

On January 27, 1933, Nancy highlighted a simple half-square triangle pattern called The Old Gray Goose. Of course, like all old-fashioned blocks, it ...

You may think we forgot how to count. But today’s video is not a mistake … we are bringing you a 13th Make of Christmas!

We originally planned to remake Retro Tiles, my modern log cabin quilt using a layer cake with Polar Magic by Lemoni for FIGO. But when it was time to start filming, we still didn’t have the white fabric we ordered a month previously for the background.

But white 10-inch square packs AND white yardage arrived after I started shooting, so we decided to squeeze one bonus video in for you.

In this video we ...

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 ...

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 ...

Twins have a mysterious connection, even when it comes to quilting! 

In 1999, Lisa Norton decided to learn how to quilt, so she signed up for a Block of the Month program. By some strange coincidence, her identical twin Lora Zmak did the exact same thing—1,000 miles away!

It must have been fate, because 21 years later, these talented ladies have their very own company, Material Girlfriends Patterns! 

This week, Jenny is stitchin’ up one of their prettiest designs: the quick and easy Confetti Star. It’s an intricate layer cake quilt pattern that comes together with no ...

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 ...

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!

Have you ever made a disappearing pinwheel block? It’s easy! Simply stitch up a basic pinwheel, slice it to smithereens, rearrange the pieces, and sew it back together!

This week, Jenny is taking things one step further by spreading those lil’ pieces all across the quilt! The Deconstructed Disappearing Pinwheel is an intricate sea of half square triangles, bar blocks, and itty bitty pinwheels—and it all starts with easy-as-pie pinwheels! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Imagine this: As you cook dinner, the dishes wash themselves. (A girl can dream, right?) Weeds automatically disappear every time the garden is watered. (What a time saver that would be!)

And trimmed Pop Star blocks produce bonus blocks instead of scraps. (Wait! This one is actually true! As you whip up these easy star blocks, the makings of a triangle border will appear like magic!)

Click HERE to learn how to transform 10 inch squares into this gorgeous new star quilt!

In the olden days, laundry was scrubbed on washboards, hand-mixed bread was baked in finicky wood-burning stoves, and the Carpenter’s Star was stitched with labor intensive y-seams. It was a lot of work. Thank goodness for modern innovations!

This week, Jenny is whipping up an Easy Carpenter’s Star using big half square triangles. It’s a gorgeous quilt that comes together lickety-split! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Your sewing machine is probably capable of oodles of decorative stitches…but have you ever used them? Now is your chance to take those flowers, hearts, and loop de loos for a spin!

We’re working on a project inspired by Jenny’s favorite antique crazy quilt. And like a traditional crazy quilt, Stars and Stitches is just begging for some fancy stitchin’! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

Quilts are an incredible thing. Whether they’re hanging on the wall or tucked safely upon a bed, they add an artistic flair to the room. Clean, colorful quilts with plenty of white space can brighten up the room, but sometimes a darker touch can really add a comfortable and cozy ambiance.

Quilts that utilize bold color choices complimented by black and dark space aren’t just for the Fall season! These beautiful quilts draw attention and focus to the complimenting colors, creating a wonderful effect that makes the designs pop. Check out these five darker quilts and find some ...

The Irish Chain is one of my favorite classic quilts, but Jenny’s Irish Change is even better!

• This quilt was designed for pretty fabric. The 10-inch squares are left uncut, so favorite prints can really shine!

• This quilt is HUGE! At 101 inches square, it’s the perfect size for a queen bed! 

• This quilt is delightfully quick & easy! The secret? All those criss crossing “chains” are made with simple strip sets!