Author Archive

Sunday Sew-In Coming Up

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

Today I decided to stop analyzing and just get some events scheduled. The first one is coming up on Sunday, June 6. We had so much fun learning together during Scrap Quilt Secrets so I created a Sunday Sew-In. We’ll hang out and sew on Zoom, and I’ll share a block pattern plus some scrappy tips.

I’ll share a few quilts that are not in any of my trunk shows and you’ll get to see what I’m currently working on. If you want to, you can share what you’re working on, too!

You’ll need a ticket and they’re priced right at just $5. Get your ticket on Eventbrite now!

Out with the old, in with the new

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I might be hard on ironing boards.

It became apparent recently that my old and trusty Shirtmaster had to be retired.

I bought it 15 or 20 years ago from a woman named Ellen who had a business in Colorado. Ellen had provided ironing boards for the classrooms during QuiltNebraska (the annual meeting of Nebraska State Quilt Guild). When the event ended, they were for sale at a discount.

Quilts by Accident

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

A lot of the quilts I make start off by accident. That’s what happened with the Daydream sampler from Quilter’s World.

Daydream sampler from Quilter’s World,
designed and made by Carolyn Beam; quilted by Donna Smith.

I do a monthly Facebook Live for Quilter’s World.** I brainstorm a few topic ideas for each one, and together we settle on that month’s focus. A few months back, I thought it would be fun to show how I would make the Daydream sampler with lots and lots of different fabrics.

Mother’s Day Baggage

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I have Mother’s Day baggage. It’s not that I had a bad mother. On the contrary, I had a great one. She was amazing in so many ways. Her name was Doris.

My mom and my daughter, 1986

I miss her and I think of her fondly today, so that isn’t the problem at all.

My baggage stems from many years in ultra-conservative fundamentalist or evangelical churches and their practices surrounding this holiday (which I think Hallmark invented as a way to make money, but that’s another issue).

Scrappy Backgrounds: What I’ve Learned

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

When I started making scrap quilts, that is, quilts with lots and lots of different fabrics, I thought that I still needed one big chunk of background fabric. I’d see the materials list and it would look something like this:

Sometimes it would require even more background fabric. Think 3 or 4 or 5 yards. I’d scurry off to the quilt store (which in my case means driving almost an hour) to buy the background.

Wild Goose Chase Handout

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

Hi, if you’re here for the Quilter’s World/Annie’s Catalog Wild Goose Chase handout, welcome!

Here’s a link to the math for making 2.5″ x 4.5″ Flying Geese three different ways as shown on the FB Live on Thursday, April 8.

Get the Wild Goose Chase Handout here.

Watch the recording:

Watch the video recording of Wild Goose Chase: Three ways to make Flying Geese with Diane Harris of Stash Bandit.

Check out the Quilter’s World FB page for other video tutorials I’ve done in the past. And if you’re into other kinds of crafts, too, Annie’s Catalog is chock-full of great ideas.

Giveaway #6 at Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

There’s been a resurgence of interest in cross stitch. Have you noticed? I have a special place in my heart for cross stitch because when I married in 1981, my new sister-in-law Ruth Ann introduced me to it. I was a fanatical stitcher for decades. I still have many samplers in my home, and recently my daughter asked if she could have one. I think she considers it part of her heritage!

Now a number a quilt designers are also designing cross stitch patterns, including It’s Sew Emma (Fat Quarter Shop’s house brand) and Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet.

Giveaway #5 at Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Giveaways, Quilt Lifestyle

We’re up to the fifth giveaway of 10. I’m going to try and get all the rest of the giveaways posted within the next 10 days so stop back often to leave your comments on all of them for a chance to win.

Today’s giveaway features a variety of really cool stuff! The Fat Quarter Shop is one of my favorite businesses and I’m a big fan of their products of all kinds. A while back they purchased the Triangles on a Roll business and it’s a marriage made in heaven!

Plus and X Block Instructions

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

One thing we’ve talked about in Scrap Quilt Secrets is the Plus and X Block. It became popular a few years back when a Japanese quilter named Setsuko Inagawa entered a quilt with this block into the Tokyo show, and a quilter named Jan Burgwinkle took photos and posted them on flickr. People went wild and soon there were Plus and X quilts popping up everywhere.

I made mine in the first few years of the frenzy and I didn’t pay any attention to value. Here’s what I mean.

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