One Hot Mess, and Its Redemption

Written by Diane Harris on July 24, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

Giveaway next week: EQ8 quilt design software! And a promo code at the bottom of this post for a nice discount, too!

There are times when a certain quilt just doesn’t work out. We all know that any number of things can go wrong. This is the story of a quilt that I designed in EQ8, which was its usual powerful self.

But then everything went wrong. And then I rescued it (virtually), also in EQ8. So you know up front that we are going to have a happy ending. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Going Happy Scrappy with EQ; Upcoming Giveaway!

Written by Diane Harris on July 16, 2020. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

You probably know that my specialty is making scrap quilts full of color and pattern. I design many quilts from scratch but I also make other people’s designs from patterns they sell.

Framework, designed and made by Diane Harris.

When I make a quilt that someone else designed, I usually scrap it up because that’s how I roll. I can’t imagine making a quilt from three fabrics or even six or seven fabrics. I want 60, 70 or 700!

Star-Spangled Giveaway!

Written by Diane Harris on July 11, 2020. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas

I finished piecing an adorable quilt top over 4th of July weekend. I started it last year on Independence Day and it felt great to complete it.

There’s something incredibly quirky about patriotic pineapples. What does one have to do with the other? I can’t say exactly and yet this design grabbed my attention and I started sewing.

How Much Difference Can a Tiny Triangle Make?

Written by Diane Harris on June 25, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

I finished a hawg this week. That’s my new term for a quilt you love and hate as you make it.

It wasn’t the quilt’s fault. I think it was a difficult project because of the bias edges on hundreds of small pieces and on a bunch of big pieces, too.

New Old Work, Part 2

Written by Diane Harris on June 9, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Another recent finish is my Bitty Blocks row quilt. I started this years ago when I was working as an editor for Quiltmaker. We had this idea to create 3″ and 4″ blocks and post them for free on our website. There was no such thing as a marketing team so we had to market ourselves, and this was one of the ways we did it.

The thing about Bitty Blocks is that they’re addictive. You make a few, and then you make a few more, and you’re having so much fun that pretty soon you have 50 little 4″ stars or 70 tiny houses at 3″ x 3″, and then what?

New Old Work in the Studio, Part 1

Written by Diane Harris on June 8, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

Hey quilters, how are you holding up? I know. Me, too. Things are starting to open up here in Nebraska, and I wonder if my friends would want to head out to a quilt store this week. I am ready!

I have sewn like a crazy woman during the pandemic. I’ve finished up some things, started a bunch of new things, and practiced machine quilting a LOT.

In December I dug out and shot all the UFOs I could find, including these little baskets.

From Craftsy to Bluprint to “It Was Good While It Lasted”

Written by Diane Harris on May 23, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

Yesterday, online learning platform Bluprint, formerly Craftsy, sent an email to instructors saying the company would be closing over the next few months. This was at once surprising and completely unsurprising.

When Craftsy began about 10 years ago (because a guy received a quilt from his aunt), the quilters I knew loved it. It provided something new in the form of online learning, and it was well done. You could interact with the instructors, get answers to your questions, post your progress and make friends with others in your classes. It was amazing.

Quilting Adventures in a Wild Garden

Written by Diane Harris on May 11, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

I’ve been machine quilting much more than usual during this extended time at home. I’m learning a lot. I am so happy to have finished My Wild Garden recently.

It’s an improvisational quilt, which is a fancy way of saying I made it up as I went along. You’ve never had so much fun as improv quilting allows.

Quilts in the Doghouse

Written by Diane Harris on April 18, 2020. Posted in How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I’m not going to talk about the pandemic. We’re all frustrated. So…

Let’s Talk Quilts.

I’ve been finishing up some things the past few weeks. I have a lot of UFOs squirreled away in closets and cupboards and it would feel great to be done with them. And, BONUS, some of them can go into trunk shows! I have extra time because my engagements with guilds have been cancelled for April, May and June.

Two quilts I finished this week gave me pause. One was My Christmas Album, above. It’s a great design by Tina Curran with fusible applique and a border of Christmas sweaters. But when I took the final stitch, I didn’t feel anything good. I felt all manner of royally ticked off.