CCC on The Quilt Show

Written by Diane Harris on August 29, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I’m really pleased to have an episode on The Quilt Show, and you’re invited to watch.

Find the episode with some of my best tips for scrappy quilts broken down into some of my favorite C’s: color, contrast and cohesion. What else?!

You’ll find a wealth of information on so many topics at The Quilt Show. You can fall down many a rabbit hole there.

The Quilt Show folks got in touch last spring and invited me to tape with them in Phoenix. So off I went for a day of fun with Ricky Tims and the crew.

We shot a few different segments but it was all pretty relaxed which I appreciated. The TQS team is highly professional but really cordial, and they made me feel right at home. That helped keep the nerves at bay, mostly.

One scary part for me was traveling with the quilts in checked bags. I wondered what I’d do if the quilts didn’t arrive? I often put quilts into checked bags but every time, I worry. Thankfully nothing was lost.

I was the third guest of the day, following Shannon Conley and Vicki Conley, who are both art quilters. They’re mother and daughter, and they’re friends with my friend Diana Fox, another contemporary art quilter.

Which reminds me: Ricky Tims is unbelievable when it comes to work ethic and stamina. He carried the full load during this shoot, as Alex Anderson was not on set. (She was at home recovering from surgery.) Ricky remained cheerful, helpful, engaged and engaging even though he must have been exhausted. It was impressive. I can’t say enough nice things about Ricky Tims. (And I’m happy to say that at a recent shoot in Colorado, Alex was back at it.)

I hope you’ll take time to watch the episode. You’ll be exposed to the plethora of resources at The Quilt Show, and you might hear something new about scrappy quilts. We all have scraps and stash and it’s great when we can use them to make something both unique and beautiful!

A special shout-out to Diana Fox, who shared my name with The Quilt Show folks as a potential guest. And thank you to Ricky, to Shelly Heesacker, Lilo Bowman and Kristin Goedert as well. You made me shine. ☀️

Happy Scrappin’,

Here’s the link one more time: https://thequiltshow.com/watch/scrap-quilts/learn-how-to-use-color-contrast-and-cohesion-when-making-scrappy-quilts-with-diane-harris

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Christmas Cheer in QUILTS!

Written by Diane Harris on December 9, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Would you like to enjoy some holiday quilts?

Could you use an hour to yourself? Let me wash your Christmas cares away with the

JINGLE BELLS TRUNK SHOW on Zoom.

Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022, 7 pm Central

The trunk show will be recorded so that if you can’t attend live, you may watch it later at your convenience for up to a week.

Tickets are $20 right here. Get yours now!

There are all kinds of quilts to see. Quick and easy quilts, more challenging quilts, and quite a few in between.

There are wonky quilts and traditional quilts. Big quilts and small quilts.

There’s a little something for everyone. You’ll get a sneak peek of upcoming holiday quilts, too. You’ll have a front row seat because that’s how Zoom works. Everyone sees everything perfectly. It’s a wonderful invention and I consider it the silver lining of the pandemic.

Tickets are $20 and they’re worth every penny.

Get your ticket now!

I can’t wait to see you!

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Open to all: Jingle Bells Trunk Show

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

Let’s Zoom: Thurs eve Dec 1, Christmas quilts galore!

I’m really excited to be sharing the Jingle Bells Trunk Show on Zoom. Lots and lots of Christmas quilts for you to just sit back and enjoy from the comfort of home. This presentation is open to all and tickets are on sale now.

Everyone has a front row seat and there are plenty of detail shots. Since I sew mostly scrappy quilts, I’ll share my ideas about what makes each quilt work (or sometimes not work). If you enjoy scrap quilts, there will be some great takeaways.

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Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts: Online!

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

Get tickets early and SAVE on my most popular trunk show.

If you make quilts, you generate scraps. And you probably also collect fabric. How do you bring these treasures together into a beautiful quilt? Let me show you!

Join me LIVE for my most popular trunk show, open to everyone, everywhere, on Monday, Sept 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm Central.

Early Bird Special: Tickets are reduced to $13 if you purchase by end of day on Friday, Aug 5. Tickets from Aug 6 on are $20.

During the trunk show, we’ll examine quilts in many different styles to see why they work—and sometimes why they don’t. Whether you make traditional or modern or art quilts or a combination of these, you’ll find helpful insights to make your quilts sing.

Discover why some scrap quilts are beautiful and some are a jumbly mess. Learn ways to bring diverse fabrics together. See how auditions make a difference in the final results!

Gather many ideas for starting with what you have and moving forward into glorious scrappy miracles. Leave matchy-matchy behind and embrace a little clash. Create quilts that SPARKLE!

Early Bird Special: Tickets are reduced to $13 if you purchase by end of day on Friday, Aug 5. Tickets from Aug 6 on are $20.

Learn more about me here.

See more of my quilts here.

Learn more about booking an event!

I hope to see you on Monday, Sept 12 for Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts. Get your tickets now and save!

Quilt on!

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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.

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

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Mangelsen’s + Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on May 25, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I’m very excited about a new venture that begins next month.

I’m joining creative forces with Mangelsen’s in Omaha, a family-owned and local fabric, hobby, craft and just-about-everything store. I’ll do a series of events at the store beginning with my most popular trunk show on Sunday, June 5.

I’ll be sharing about 50 scrappy quilts. Each one has something to teach us about combining fabrics in unexpected ways. There are all sorts of styles.

Whether you like reproductions, or brights or a feminine look, there’s a little something for everyone.

Tickets for this trunk show are $15 and they include a discount coupon for use at Mangelsen’s on the day of the event. Don’t delay—get yours here: https://www.mangelsens.com/events/make-extraordinary-scrap-quilts/

Not only am I bringing tried and true favorites, I’m bringing everything I pieced during the pandemic. We’ll have a bonus section featuring the tops that aren’t yet quilted.

I did some new improv work, similar to MerryJoyCheer, above. This kind of making is unbelievably entertaining and I’m looking forward to sharing my new creations.

As a natural follow-up to the scrap quilt trunk show, I’ll teach “Color, Contrast & Cohesion: Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts” at Mangelsen’s on Sunday, June 26, 12:30 to 4:30. Registration is open and tickets are $75. Reserve your spot now!

I am so happy to partner with Mangelsen’s and I look forward to seeing many of you in person for the upcoming events we have planned. It’s going to be so much fun!

Best wishes,

Trunk show tickets here

Workshop tickets here

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Need a winter pick-me-up?

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

How about a scrappy trunk show? Come and enjoy!

On Thursday, Feb 24 (just five days away) I’m giving Windy Wonders on Zoom to everyone who’d like to get a ticket and come.

This live event on Zoom will begin at 7:30 pm CST.

Tickets are $15 at eventbrite.com. Grab yours now!

You’ll hear the story of how I started making Baby Windmills, and how I built a trunk show of designs based on one simple block.

Plenty of tips on scrap quilts will be included, along with how-tos for making Windmills in any size you choose.

I’m in! Take me to tickets!

The trunk show lasts about an hour, to be followed by Q&A. Ask anything you like about scrap quilts!

If you’ve heard Windy Wonders or another Stash Bandit trunk show, feel free to leave a quick review in the comments. I’d appreciate it!

Get your ticket to Windy Wonders now.

I’ll see you on Zoom!

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Small guild? Big idea!

Written by Diane Harris on February 15, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

There are hundreds of small quilt guilds all over the world.

And I know firsthand that their programming is limited by their budgets. So I’ve come up with a plan to make it easier for smaller groups to book a program with Stash Bandit (that’s me!).

Here’s how it will work.

The live presentation will be virtual through Zoom.

Available to groups with 50 or fewer members on their paid roster (honor system).*

The fee for a one-hour trunk show of your choice is $10/person on the roster. For example, if you have 35 members, $10 x 35 = $350. (The standard fee is $525.)

You will be guaranteed a seat for every person who registers for the meeting on Zoom.

I will make the remaining seats available to others.

The deadline for your members to register for the meeting is 10 days before. This gives me time to fill the rest of the seats.

For very small groups, I may request a date other than your normal meeting time.

I will limit the number of these programs I do each year.

Does that sound good? 😊

Please share this info with the program chair at your quilt group.

I have six trunk shows from which to choose. Today I’ll highlight three.

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Scrap Quilt Tips on Video

Written by Diane Harris on October 10, 2021. Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Trunk Shows

I came across this video from last year and thought you might enjoy hearing these scrap quilt tips.

If you’re new here, welcome! I’m happy to have you. More new content coming soon but right now, I hope you’ll like this!

Quilt on,

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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