I went to Des Moines this week to see my great-nieces and great-nephew show their pigs on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
My family’s roots in the livestock industry go way back, and these kids are the fifth generation that I know of to show competitively.
This is my best machine quilting trick. It’s easy to do and it looks great. I’ve done it most often on smallish quilts but I’ve used it on a throw-size quilt, too.
I tried it for the first time on this little red quilt, which is a free pattern just for my readers. Such a simple idea! You won’t have any trouble executing this as long as you have a walking foot for your machine.
I’m often asked about the giant pineapple quilt because it’s part of two trunk shows. It is really an enjoyable quilt to make and it goes together quickly.
I had seen many different pieced pineapple blocks and I created this one by combining the features I liked best from other people’s designs. So I wouldn’t really say it’s original, although I think it’s rather unique. It’s about 51″ x 68″ which makes a nice throw.
I started with 10″ squares of assorted yellows and golds, assorted greens and assorted lights for the background. The yellows and golds need to be strong enough to contrast with the background fabrics.
I am really, really excited to have my rainbow Color Coded quilt in the June issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. Those folks have been so nice to work with and they made my quilt look amazing!
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®️. ©️2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
This weekend, I’m taking over their Instagram feed so I hope you’ll check it out. They’re @allpeoplequilt and I’m @stashbanditquilting. So much to see! I’ll have giveaways and a new free pattern for a popular quilt, plus I’ll highlight some how-tos and other fun quilty stuff.
I built a picket fence yesterday! Here’s the scrappy story.
I’m making a sampler quilt for my new Triple Crown program for guilds. It’s a pattern from the Jen Kingwell folks called Girl Next Door. This house is at the center of the design.
The house is surrounded by a picket fence. I’ve seen lots of Girl Next Door quilts online as people have made them. The picket fence has been problematic in many of them. There isn’t often enough contrast to make it stand out.
I haven’t blogged in a while but here’s what has been happening in my personal life and in the studio!
I went to Hong Kong for two weeks to visit my daughter, her husband and their two little boys.
I had a great time and enjoyed the little guys tremendously. Their parents are wonderful, too, but you know: grandchildren.
I fell hard for Dresden Plate about 10 years ago and there’s no hint that this love affair will end any time soon. I offer a lecture and a workshop and they’re very different but both are a lot of fun. I wanted to share a few of the quilts with you.
All Drezzed Up by Diane Harris
All Drezzed Up is the quilt that started it all. I bought 20 vintage Dresden Plate blocks for 20 dollars at an antique mall in Ogallala, Nebraska. Their points were raw-edged, and if I had known more about Dresdens at the time I might have left them behind.
The latest edition of American Patchwork & Quilting went on sale this week, and I’m delighted to share that I have my first quilt design in its pages. This is Color Coded from the June 2019 issue.
Color Coded, designed and made by Diane Harris. Quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin. Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.
I’m so pleased with the photography! That yellow door makes my heart sing. And the rainbow bookshelf? Oh my word. I love it so much. Jay Wilde was the photographer.
I visited Blue Valley Quilters Guild in Overland Park, Kansas last week and shared “Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts.” I met nice people, enjoyed show and tell, and got excited for the Kansas City Regional Quilt Festival in June, which BVQG co-sponsors.
I’m in the habit of hanging one exemplary quilt on my display stand to set the mood as people arrive. For the scrap quilt trunk show, I use Nine Patch Jambalaya.
Nine Patch Jambalaya, designed and made by
Diane Harris of Stash Bandit
This quilt generates excitement, which amazes me but doesn’t surprise me any more. Today I want to tell you how I made it.
I made a new quilting friend recently! I traveled 7623 miles to find her.
My new quilt friend and me.
You may know that my daughter and her family live in Hong Kong, where they teach at Hong Kong International School. Because people always ask me why: they’re doing it for adventure. And what’s great is that it has turned into an adventure for me as well.