Last minute spots in Tango

Written by Diane Harris on October 3, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

If you’re free on Friday, Oct 7, there are spots available in a Tango workshop I’m teaching online.

I teach this one infrequently so it’s a nice opportunity if you want to make a quilt that’s fast, easy and attractive. You can see the supply list here.

This Tango in African fabrics was started in one of my workshops. I dubbed it Safari Tango. I failed to record the student’s name. If you made this, please send me email.

This quilt looks great in any fabrics or color recipe you can dream up. My students have done amazing things with it!

Betsy M’s Tango in aboriginal fabrics is dynamic.

Your background can be dark or light—it looks great either way.

Some yellow and gray blocks I made recently
for a new version of Tango

Not only will you learn to make this quilt design, we’ll talk a lot about color and contrast, value and scale, texture, mood and more. I love unlocking the secrets to these ideas for quilters!

Stephanie L’s Tango in Alison Glass fabrics

As you can see, there are myriad options for color choices. I am going to start a new Tango this week in Figo Fabrics that I got at Mangelsen’s in Omaha recently. They are delicious.

Tango by Diane Harris. Photo by Kristin Laing Photography.

This is my original Tango in bright, happy colors on white. I still love this quilt. Okay, here are the details of Friday’s class:

Time: 9:30 to 4:30 Eastern
Place: Zoom
Tickets: $65 (click here to register)
Experience: Priceless 😊

Thank you for reading! If you’ve taken Tango already, feel free to leave a comment with your feedback. Much appreciated!

Quilt on,

Online events coming up

Written by Diane Harris on July 31, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone

Scrap quilt BONANZA and binding by machine

Two online events are scheduled for August and I’d love to have you join me.

StarQuar Scrap Quilts

You may have seen my Star Silhouettes quilt on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting this summer.

American Patchwork & Quilting’s cover photo, July/August issue 2022.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

It’s based on a simple idea that leads to some pretty interesting quilts—a regular BONANZA of scraps. I’m teaching this concept in person and online soon. There are many quilt patterns to choose from (included), and the sewing is easy.

Limiting the palette yields interesting blocks.

Join me on Zoom Thursday, August 4 at 10 am for StarQuar Scrap Quilts to learn about this little unit and other helpful concepts for making dynamic scrappy quilts.

An EQ rendering of another idea for StarQuar units.

The full day class is $65. Get tickets here. Lots and lots of ideas. Your head will swim—in a good way!

Easy Quilt Binding by Machine

I’m happy to be sharing my machine binding technique again! This online workshop happens Saturday, August 27 from 11 to 3 Central. Register right here.

I bind my quilts by machine—have been for 25 years.

I’ve been using this method for about 25 years and it has stood the test of time. It’s fast, sturdy and beautiful. I think you’ll love it.

We’ll also cover other binding topics to beef up your skills for finishing. Binding doesn’t need to be a job you dread or put off. It can be done quickly and it can look great, too! A great investment of less than $40. Get your tickets to this online class right here.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Quilt on,

Upcoming Fun with Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on July 19, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Open Classes for Everyone, Trunk Shows

Lots of online and in-person events are coming up!

Pine Burr Workshop

Last minute seats available in an online Pine Burr workshop on Friday, July 22 from 9 to 4 Central. A Texas guild is hosting and the class is open to people outside their group.

This is a very old technique that I’ve adapted for the machine. It’s easy and relaxing and the results are stupendous. The full day class is $65.

Pine Burr can be spontaneous and free or more planned, as you see here.

These blocks are addictive and so much fun to make. I’ll show you several options and plenty of inspiration to get you rolling. Read more and reserve your spot right here.

Jingle Bells Trunk Show

Seats available for Tango on Sunday

Written by Diane Harris on July 6, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Open Classes for Everyone

I’m teaching Tango on Sunday, July 10 and the sponsoring guild has made some seats available!

I get a lot of requests for this class but I only teach it occasionally so if you’re free on Sunday, July 10 from 10 am to 4 pm Pacific time, this is your chance! Register right here for $65 + fees.

My Tango is bright but yours doesn’t have to be! I have another sample in blues and browns, mostly reproduction fabrics. It’s lovely! Here’s another version made by a former student:

Tango by Stephanie Lockhart in Alison Glass fabrics

You can go for a three-dimensional look if you prefer:

Here’s a description from the ticket page:

Join me Sunday, July 10, 2022 for Tango and learn how quickly these lively blocks come together. I’ll help you build a color recipe to make your fabrics sing. Get lots of scrappy tips plus options for making Tango in different sizes. Choose a more subdued look if you prefer and rest assured, these are entertaining! I can’t wait to unlock the secrets of these simple blocks for you. Prepare to bust your stash!

The full day class is $65 and there are about $6 in fees charged by Eventbrite. See more details and register today! REGISTER NOW

Here’s a snazzy one by Tina Craig, also started in my workshop. She used African fabrics and called it Safari Tango. I love that!

Safari Tango in African fabrics by Tina Craig @seasidestitches

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email: diane@stashbandit.net. I’m happy to help.

Maybe I’ll see you in class!

Tango forth,

Scrap Quilt Classes Upcoming

Written by Diane Harris on July 6, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone

Everyone is welcome at “StarQuar Scrap Quilts.”

I’m excited to share the concept of “StarQuar” units in one local and one online class in the next few weeks. Won’t you join me? This is the idea on which Star Silhouettes is based.

Star Silhouettes was designed and pieced by me, and quilted by Julie Lechner.
It appears in the July/August issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

We’ll cover scrap management in the context of StarQuar units.

And you’ll learn my best tips and tricks for successful scrappy quilts, too. Concepts include color, value, scale, texture, density, line and pulling all your scraps together in a beautiful way.

This little unit has unlimited potential and I’ll show you many of the designs it can create. You can sew from your scraps, your stash, with precuts or with your favorite yardage.

Believe me when I say that making stars from StarQuars is only the beginning. There is so much more! You’ll discover dozens of ways to use these units and you might come up with something I haven’t considered. This is a completely entertaining way to sew and I’m anxious to introduce you to it.

When and where?

Locally, StarQuar Scrap Quilts happens on Saturday, July 23 at Mangelsen’s in Omaha, Nebraska from 10:30 to 3:30. Find details and registration here. There’s a lovely new classroom at Mangelsen’s and you’ll enjoy it! The store is easy to find and there’s lots of free parking (not to mention amaaaazing fabric inside).

Online, StarQuar Scrap Quilts happens Thursday, August 4 from 10 to 4. Find details and tickets here. Many quilters really like virtual learning and sewing from the comfort of home. Your stash is at your fingertips!

I’d love to see you in class very soon. Register today! And thanks for visiting Stash Bandit!

Keep quilting,

Looking for the magazine with Star Silhouettes? Find it at Mangelsen’s, Barnes & Noble and many newsstands. If all else fails, call me. I have issues! 😉

Let’s Tango! Fun, easy class.

Written by Diane Harris on April 7, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

There’s still time to register for Tango, a class that happens live tomorrow 4/8 from 11 to 5 Central. If you can’t attend live, you can watch the recording later at your convenience.

Easy piecing has never been so much fun! And Tango looks great in any color recipe or fabric style you choose.

I’ve searched high and low for the name of this quilt’s maker. If you can help,
please let me know. It was started in one of my Tango classes.

The number of finished quilt photos I get indicates that many people do finish their projects, and that’s the best news! None of us needs one more UFO.

Here’s an EQ8 version that I adore. I might have to make this one.

If you want a smaller quilt or a larger quilt, that’s easy to accomplish. The quilt does grow (or shrink) in 9″ increments but otherwise, it’s very doable.

I made these yellow, gray and white blocks recently and I can’t wait to quilt them.

One of the beautiful things about Tango is that you can make it very controlled or very scrappy, or somewhere in between. You can often sew from your stash with no extra purchases needed.

Stephanie Lockhart made this Tango from Alison Glass fabrics and
shot it in a delicious setting.

Once again, you can attend Tango live on Friday, 4/8 from 11 to 5 CDT, or you can watch the recording later at your convenience.

Tickets are $65 at eventbrite.com. Get yours now!

Upon registration, you’ll get an email with a link to the supply list and the Zoom link to attend live, even if you plan to watch the recording. Everyone who registers will have access to the recording.

I hope to see you in class!

Manage your scraps beautifully: Two online quilt classes!

Written by Diane Harris on November 30, 2021. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Join me online January 26 and 28 for scrappy fun during the Quiltfest Virtual Schoolhouse.

#1: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 10 to 4 EST, online workshop for Quiltfest Virtual Schoolhouse

Scrap Management: Brick by Brick

Bricks are so easy to cut and sew but the potential for amazing designs is endless! This class is beginner friendly but more experienced makers will gain new insight regarding value, contrast, scale and more. You may choose from several sizes of bricks and you’ll precut so you’re ready to hit the ground running. A ridiculous amount of fun!

Trunk Shows: Ripe for Picking

Written by Diane Harris on September 1, 2021. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Just a quick post today with info about my trunk shows for quilt groups. This is the main thrust of my business and it’s what I love doing the most—and where I think my strongest skills reside, too.

Petit Patchwork, designed and made by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

When I share a trunk show, it’s more than “here are pretty quilts I made.” The quilts taught me lessons, which I’ll tell you about.

Father & Farmer by Diane Harris. Quilted by Julie Lechner.

They use techniques to get a message across, which I’ll explain. They’re held together by something that I’ll point out, suggesting how you can use that in your own quilts.

Framework by Diane Harris, top before quilting

These days I am mostly booking virtual trunk shows on Zoom. I learned to love it during the pandemic and I think people actually learn more in a virtual setting than they do in person.

Ring Around the Rainbow, designed and made by Diane Harris

If I’m within a six hour drive, I’ll consider visiting your group in person. I have six trunk shows available.

The most popular is Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts. Here’s the official description:

How do you make a successful scrap quilt? Learn Diane Harris’s best tips and top secrets during this trunk show of many scrappy quilts made over the years. What is a scrap quilt? Who can make one? Why would you create with scraps? How is it done? From the Stash Bandit herself, 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!

Then we have this one that’s especially popular from August to December:

This one is so much fun to give because who isn’t happy about Christmas? We always have a great time! I once bought a t-shirt that said “Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle Bells” across the front but I haven’t had the nerve to wear it to a trunk show yet. See more of Jingle Bells here.

A trunk show that is finally picking up steam is this one:

I can’t tell you how much fun it was to build this trunk show! I made sampler quilts for a couple of years. They are so interesting to create, and there are still more on my list. Never enough hours, are there?! See more here.

If you’re interested in creativity, you’d like this one:

It’s all about how I took one simple quilt block and designed dozens of quilts from it. It’s about starting to think like a designer. People leave inspired! More about Windy Wonders here.

And finally, this one:

I love Dresden Plate. It’s a design that has gotten a bad rap and you only have to look on eBay to see why: Awful examples of Dresdens abound. This one is a combo trunk show/hands-on demo and how-to with examples of variations to whet your appetite for more. I have fewer completed quilts in this one but it still gets rave reviews. See more Drezzup here.

The trunk show I’ve been giving the longest—10 years now—is One Hundred Small Quilts.

This one doesn’t translate well to virtual so I only give it in person. Part of the appeal is seeing about 130 small quilts in one place, laid out on display after I talk about each one (quickly!). It’s a great evening with tons of ideas and takeaways. Everyone gets so excited and I love that!

So if your quilt group is hiring presenters for the next couple of years, I’d appreciate being considered. I’m happy to provide references—people who’ve hired me and been happy with my performance.

Please get in touch: diane@stashbandit.net

Let’s Talk Quilts!

The Brick Block: Join me and learn!

Written by Diane Harris on June 12, 2021. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I’m excited to offer a new class on a simple design called The Brick Block. It will be held live on Friday, June 25, but if you can’t attend live you can take in the recording and you won’t miss a thing!

The Brick Block baby quilt by Diane Harris, EQ rendering

This beginner-friendly block has so many possibilities that more experienced makers can enjoy it, too. And while you don’t need a teacher to make the block, I am going to unlock many secrets about fabric choices for you—ideas that you’ll be able to apply to all your future quilt projects.

You can make it scrappy, or coordinated, or scrappy coordinated! You can make the blocks big or small or somewhere in between. You can make a few blocks or dozens. And I will show you how to make any combination work so that your quilt is smashing!

Best of all, as long as you have a bit of a stash (that is, fabrics on hand that you love), you can make this project from the fabrics you already own. And the pattern is included in the price of the class.

Sound good?

Here are the details:

Friday, June 25, 9 to 11 AM CDT
You will register in advance
Attend live or watch at your convenience for 30 days
Unlimited repeats for 30 days
$20 covers pattern, class, handouts and
follow-up show & tell

Here are a few more things you can do with The Brick Block:

You could make a patriotic quilt with scrappy or more planned fabrics.

You could make a baby quilt with batting or without, in which case you’d be making more of a receiving blanket.

The Brick Block in a barn raising setting

You can use just one background as shown above in the barn raising setting. You may not want to make all of these decisions before the class, but if you come and see all the possibilities, I think you’ll quickly narrow it down. Then you can shop your stash, and if you need to purchase something, you know it won’t go to waste.

You can even go completely scrappy like I did with Scrappy Bricks. I’ll show you how to make this work!

I will also help you improve your piecing accuracy with a couple of easy tricks. 😊

Register now; space is limited.

Just $20 to equip you with many ideas you can use in this and future quilts!

I can’t wait to meet you.

Let’s see what’s hiding in your stash!

A few more details:

Check out the supply list here.

When and how I host the followup show & tell depends on a few things but as soon as I know, I will email all who registered.

This class is beginner-friendly but fun for anyone who wants to expand their skills with color and fabric selection!

Still have questions? Email me: diane@stashbandit.net

START HERE!

Written by Diane Harris on April 21, 2021. Posted in Blog, Classes, Trunk Shows

I’m glad you’re considering hiring me for your quilt group.

Follow this link to the START HERE page.