Jingle Bells Trunk Show

Written by Diane Harris on March 17, 2017. Posted in Blog, Trunk Shows

If you’re new to Stash Bandit, welcome! I’m happy you’re here. Today I’m sharing a bit about a new trunk show called “Jingle Bells” that I’ve prepared for quilt groups.

No matter the time of year, the Jingle Bells trunk show of Christmas quilts is sure to get you in the mood for holiday quilting. Large and small, pieced and appliquéd, modern and traditional—there’s a little something for everyone.

Nested Nicks by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I’ve had making these quilts. Even though it’s March, I’m humming Christmas carols.

Same Ol’ Same Ol’ (Color): Magic Combinations

Written by Diane Harris on March 6, 2017. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas

I love using many different fabrics of the same color to generate interest in a quilt. On a recent design, I created red and green pieced borders and I love the way they turned out. They finished off a scrappy quilt quite nicely.

People often ask me about combining fabrics and how I do it. So let’s talk about those greens.

Serpentine Stitch: Can’t Live Without It

Written by Diane Harris on February 20, 2017. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas

I hope you’ve discovered the serpentine stitch on your sewing machine. I could not do without it.

The serpentine stitch makes a pretty, wavy line. You just sew straight and the machine does all the work. It’s the bomb. I use the serpentine stitch for machine quilting with a walking foot. It’s easy and it looks terrific.

Serpentine stitch

A February Visit to Quilt House

Written by Diane Harris on February 20, 2017. Posted in Quilt Lifestyle

Yesterday I had a few minutes to take in a new exhibit of Japanese quilts at International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is spectacular.

Swan Song by Hiroko Nakayama

This quilt takes your breath away. Hundreds, maybe thousands of pieced arcs, many just a few threads wide.

The Language of Quilting

Written by Diane Harris on February 11, 2017. Posted in Quilt Lifestyle

My local quilt guild had a retreat in January and the coolest thing happened. It started me thinking about the ways quilters can connect when we have nothing in common but our passion for patchwork.

My view at quilt retreat, January 2017

The retreat was in a large conference room at a small hotel. One evening as she walked through the lobby, an out-of-state hotel guest heard our instructor’s voice. She recognized the language of quilting, so the next morning she dropped in on us.

It was so much fun! Here’s a quilter from Minnesota, on the way to her granddaughter’s gymnastics event in Arizona, and she stumbles across our quilt group on retreat. And even though we’d never met, we had plenty to talk about.

A lovely quilter from Minnesota and me

She showed us her road trip project of embroidered snowmen and we oohed and ahhed. We showed her what we were doing and she did the same.

We will probably never see her again, but in those brief moments, we had a new friend because we all spoke the language of quilting. I that thought was so cool.

Colorado Springs Quilt Guild

Written by Diane Harris on February 10, 2017. Posted in Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Last night I visited Colorado Springs Quilt Guild to present “Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts.” It was so much fun! They’re lively and enthused and it shows. Even the business meeting was enjoyable. If you live nearby, consider paying them a visit.

Scarlet Spin by Diane Harris for Quiltmaker

Scarlet Spin by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

I shared about 60 scrap quilts with a goal of helping people see what makes a scrap quilt work, or not. We talked about fabric styles, color and design in a way that quilters could understand and apply to their own projects.

Swoopers by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

Here’s an example of something we talked about on my Swoopers quilt, above. It’s a very bright and scrappy quilt that features many Flying Geese in the center, and half-square triangles for one border.

Take a look at how I kept matching Flying Geese together. And the same is true for the triangles in the border. It’s very scrappy, but by keeping sets of matching Geese and HSTs together, I avoided too much chaos.

That’s just one small way to make your scrap quilts work a little better!

This red and green scrap quilt by _______ was spectacular in its brave use of color.

Deb Frazier shared her red and green scrap quilt: spectacular in its brave use of color.

Show and Tell at CSQG was really good. I captured several wonderful scrap quilts such as the red and green one above. This quilter was fearless—and it shows!

Another scrappy beauty from CSQG's Show and Tell.

Mary Ellen Bridges displays her scrappy batik beauty during CSQG’s Show and Tell.

The batik quilt above with narrow black sashing was so pretty! I think most batiks work together pretty well. The black pulls everything together on this one.

I’d enjoy a visit to your quilt group to share my quilts! Please visit my pages on trunk shows and workshops to learn more.

Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts

Written by Diane Harris on January 23, 2017. Posted in Trunk Shows

How do you make a successful scrap quilt? Learn my best tips and scrap secrets during this trunk show of 50+ scrappy quilts made over many years. The wide variety of styles means there’s something for everyone. Discover ways to pull your scraps together, strategies for using your stash and even what does not work. You may never make an ordinary quilt again!

Scarlet Spin by Diane Harris for Quiltmaker. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

I’d love to share Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts with your group. My goal is to leave you inspired, excited and confident that you can make beautiful quilts for the people you love—often from the fabric you already own. Please contact me today to schedule some ruckus-raising quilty fun! Visit Let’s Talk Quilts to inquire.

All Drezzed Up by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

Tilting Windmills by Diane Harris for McCall's Quilting. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney for McCall's Quilting. Used with permission.

Tilting Windmills by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

See more quilts in the Gallery.

Visit Let’s Talk Quilts to learn more about booking a program for your group.

Let’s Play Drezzup

Written by Diane Harris on January 10, 2017. Posted in Trunk Shows

A little bit lecture, a little bit hands-on demo: That’s what Let’s Play Drezzup is all about. Learn how a Dresden Plate quilt block is made, and then see many amazing variations on this traditional pattern. There are infinite ways to jazz it up and they’re all so much fun—you won’t know where to begin! Get tips on fabric selection and using acrylic templates. And best of all, wrap your mind around the math behind Dresdens. More fun than you’d ever imagine!

All Drezzed Up by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney for Quiltmaker. Used with permission.

I would be happy to share my quilts with your group! My presentations are full of inspiration and fun, and my goal is to give you ways to be more successful and have more enjoyment as you make beautiful quilts for the people you love.