UFO Bonanza: One Down, Many to Go

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

I’ve continued sorting my UFOs and there are several I am really excited about. A couple of ideas have evolved along the way. (If you’re not a quilter, a UFO is what we call an UnFinished Object. It’s a project you started but didn’t complete.) Here are the takeaways so far.

  1. It will be more interesting, more challenging and more fun if I finish these projects creatively. In other words, they won’t necessarily look as they might have five or 10 years ago. Blocks, borders and units may be put into other quilts entirely! This gets me jazzed in a big way!
  2. If I work on UFOs all year, I can create a new program for guilds with the finishes. How much fun would that be?! I need to come up with a catchy title. The working title is A Year of UFOs, but that’s not clever enough. If you think of something, please let me know!

Pattern Errors: Kindness and Empathy

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

There’s an error in the Yule Glow pattern, my recent design in McCall’s Quilting. A mistake is a drag for everyone: the editors who wrote the pattern, the designer who wants the pattern to do well, and the reader who just wants to make a quilt without a lot of hassle.

But do you know what can make all the difference in the world? 

How someone asks about an error.

This time, the reader was gracious and sweet. She emailed me this:

I think there might be an error in the quilt pattern, “Yule Glow”, McCall’s Quilting. p.20

In the Cutting Instructions, I believe the 3 squares, Red tone-on-tone, (E) should be 2 3/8″ not 5 1/2″. If I’m wrong, or if it’s already been reported, please ignore and forgive my note.

I’m loving the pattern and construction process, using scraps. Your directions are very clear. 
I mean, WOW. Did you ever hear someone ask about something that inconvenienced them in a kinder way? She even offered a compliment! How was it possible that she practically made my day?!
😊😊😊😊😊
Every designer and magazine will tell you that they receive letters from disgruntled readers that could scorch the earth. They can be scathing, and mean. It’s demoralizing, depressing and disheartening. It ruins your day, sometimes your whole week.
And it doesn’t end there. A friend of mine was about to present a guild program when a lady told her, “I just really do not like your dress.”
So I wanted to put this out there, to say thank you to the gracious reader whose words were full of kindness. To say I appreciate every person who has ever said a nice word after a program, or expressed their delight during a class. These things are incredibly valuable and such a lift for those of us who do this.

Thank you, thank you.

And here’s some good news: If you want to make Yule Glow or any of the other great designs in the Nov/Dec issue of McCall’s Quilting, the digital issue is on sale for two dollars! TWO BUCKS. That’s less than I’d spend to print the pattern, so grab it up!
And remember, there’s a typo: the red E patches for the berries should be cut at 2-3/8″.  😉

Textile Mills in Lowell, Mass and a New Quilting Friend

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

I’d never been to New Hampshire until this week, and only to Massachusetts once. It surprised me to hear locals call it “Mass,” as if Massachusetts is just too much of a mouthful.

Michelle of Little Pup Designs picked me up at the airport on behalf of the Hannah Dustin Quilt Guild in Hudson, NH.

Being from the Great Plains, I’ve sometimes been led to believe that New England folks are cold and aloof. But I haven’t found that to be true. When your hostess hails you at the airport holding a nearly life-size logo for your little quilting business, you know it’s going to be a good week.

Make a Little Halloween Quilt!

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

I love small quilts!

Small quilts don’t take up a lot of time or space. They quickly satisfy my need to create. They’re fun to use in my home as the seasons come and go. And they make great gifts. What’s not to love?!

I have been making small quilts ever since I started quilting in 1984. That’s 35 years.

No Kit? Go Stash Bandit Scrappy!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

I’m within half a breath of being caught up with my deadlines, which means I have a rare opportunity to sew what I want to sew. There are many projects on my personal list but because it’s almost October, the new Halloween Figs has risen to the top.

The fabrics in the original quilt are from a Moda line by Fig Tree called All Hallow’s Eve, but I didn’t wish to buy a kit and it seems that little yardage is still available. I’ve heard rumors that it will be reprinted but in the meantime, I want to make my quilt.

Pine Burr Class: Folded Fabric Fun

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

I’m just back from giving the Jingle Bells trunk show for Lincoln (NE) Quilters Guild and teaching Pine Burr at the International Quilt Museum. It was a great trip and we had so much fun in class.

It’s not hard to find Pine Burr inspiration online. The quilt above is listed for sale at lstDibs with a price tag of $7500. It’s described as “exceptional African American pine burr quilt. All hand quilted and pieced. Found in Selma, Alabama. Fantastic color placement and design. These quilts were made with leftover fabric and clothing.”

The date is given as 1920s and the style is designated as folk art. It’s 60″ x 75″ which makes each block around 12″ square.

Pine Burr from the collection of Corrine Riley on exhibit in 2012 at the     Bellevue Arts Museum

Two things piqued my interest in Pine Burr. One was the Bellevue Arts Museum’s exhibition “Bold Expressions: African American Quilts” of more than 50 pieces from the Corrine Riley Collection in the fall of 2012. The quilt above was part  of the exhibit.

The Great Pumpkin Backstory and Giveaway

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

Last year I had this idea: Design a Christmas quilt with giant candy canes. The candy canes would be so big they’d cover the entire quilt. I nestled them together and topped them off with a Starlite™ mint.

Prancer’s Peppermints, designed and made by Diane Harris, appeared in Quilty Nov/Dec. 2018

Quilty magazine published them as Prancer’s Peppermints in the Nov/Dec ’18 issue.

Diane’s giant pineapple “Welcome” quilt, click for free instructions!

Then I thought it might be fun to make a giant pineapple quilt, and that’s how Welcome was born.