Need a winter pick-me-up?

Written by Diane Harris on . 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

The start of an early Baby Windmill quilt design

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!

Most basic Baby Windmill quilt. Photo by Kristin Laing Photography.

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!

Small guild? Big idea!

Written by Diane Harris on . 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!).

Diane Harris presenting a quilt guild program in Holdrege, Nebraska

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.

The Jingle Bells Trunk Show is great from July to December.

Does that sound good? 😊

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

Cope & Hope is part of “Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts.”

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

Trunk Shows: Ripe for Picking

Written by Diane Harris on . 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!

Welcome to the Stash Bandit Studio!

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

If you’ve arrived here because you saw one of my videos for Annie’s and Quilter’s World, welcome! I’m happy to have you. Things you might be interested in:

The free pattern for Baby Windmills, which is my favorite little block.

Baby windmills in a small quilt called Christmas Dance by Diane Harris

Sign up for my emails, full of scrap quilt tips once or twice a month.

Petit Patchwork, designed and made by Diane Harris

If you’re in a quilt guild that hires speakers, you can check out my trunk shows full of unique scrappy quilts.

The easiest scrappy brick quilt ever! Designed and made by Diane Harris.

I have taken much of the summer off to preserve my own mental health. It has been a very difficult season, and I know I’m not alone in that experience.

Father & Farmer, designed and pieced by Diane Harris, quilted by Julie Lechner.
Pattern: Fons & Porter’s Quick + Easy Quilts Feb/March 2021.

I do have a few upcoming magazine designs that I’m excited about. It’s always a challenge to keep that sewing under wraps until the pattern is published. I usually make those quilts six to nine months before you see them in a magazine. By the time the magazine appears, I have moved on!

This quilt is in the “to be quilted” pile. Maisy Daisy was designed by Maho Schwartz and is a complimentary pattern from McCall’s Quilting.

My pile of tops to be quilted is ridiculous. I did a lot of piecing during 2020 when we were at home for weeks on end. I can’t say it saved my sanity but it probably helped a little.

Framework, designed and made by Diane Harris.

I’m in the process of scheduling more on-demand classes. Ticketing is always a challenge, and I have to balance on-demand events with guild events for which I have contracts. I am also a gardener and that takes up a fair amount of time during spring, summer and fall. It seems there are never enough hours in the day.

So these are just a few random thoughts to give you a sense of what my scrap quilts are like and to say thank you for visiting my website today.

Quilt on,

Going Scrappy with a Pattern

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

One of my favorite freelance jobs is with Annie’s Craft Catalog and Quilter’s World magazine. Each month I do a Facebook Live and talk about one of their pattern. I love putting my scrappy spin on things and it’s a great opportunity to be seen by their followers, who number in the hundreds of thousands.

The Healing Quilt designed by Lyn Brown, patterned in Quilter’s World, Summer 2021.

For the July FB Live, I chose the Healing Quilt designed by Lyn Brown. It is perfect for demonstrating how you can take a pattern that’s shown in just a few fabrics and scrap it up into a happy party!

Stash Bandit is Celebrating!

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

I hope you’ll join me to celebrate a milestone! Stash Bandit reached 10,000 Instagram followers on Sunday, Feb 14 and that calls for a party!

Father & Farmer by Diane Harris, quilted by Julie Lechner

Let’s first talk about the launch of my complimentary series of classes: Scrap Quilt Secrets. Why am I giving away six hours of instruction on fabric, color and making dynamite scrap quilts? Here’s why:

I want to visit your quilt guild!

I’m doing this series to give people a sense of my style and a taste of what I share during my trunk shows. And there’s another reason:

I love to talk about scrap quilts!

Framework by Diane Harris

People are hungry to know how to use the fabric they already own to make beautiful scrap quilts. They want projects with cohesion rather than a messy jumble of chaos—and that’s what I will teach you.

You can sign up for one, any or all of the six one-hour sessions. I will give a presentation on a scrap quilt topic and then we’ll have discussion where you can ask questions or show me your fabric and get help.

The first session is Sunday, Feb 21 from 2 to 3 pm CST. It will happen on six consecutive Sundays: Feb 28, March 7, 14, 21 and 28. Sign up for one, any or all. Missing one won’t put you behind. Each one stands alone.

Read more or sign up for Scrap Quilt Secrets right here.

Starting Tuesday, Feb 16 we’ll have 10 days of giveaways with all sorts of great treasures!

Ten days of giveaways begin Tuesday, Feb. 16

There are books and bags and bling! Some of the giveaways will be here and some will be on Instagram. You can enter either or both; the giveaways will be for US addresses only. Find me on Instagram @stashbanditquilting.

If you subscribe to the blog, that’s the easiest way to be sure you never miss a thing.

Subscribe to the blog.

I’ll also publish a new complimentary pattern this week for my easy, simple, modern design called Nights in White Satin.

Nights in White Satin, EQ rendition, by Diane Harris

I designed this quilt in EQ8 and I’ll start piecing it this week. Join with me if you want to! It would be a good time to get EQ8 for yourself or to learn how to use it. Lots of great info at The Electric Quilt Company.

Pattern coming later this week!

But wait! There’s more! 🤣

For quilt guilds, I’m running booking specials this week.

Discounts plus a quilt!

Flower Baskets by Diane Harris

I am giving a 15% discount on virtual lectures booked for any time in 2021 or 2022. And for the first three guilds that book a virtual lecture, I will send you a quilt which you can award to a member, donate or use as a fundraiser. This offer only applies to new contracts not already in place or in progress.

Offer ends March 31, 2021.

See my trunk shows here.

Thank you for your support over the first four years of my business adventure. I so appreciate it!

Need to get in touch? Click here.

Log Cabin Playtime

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

Earlier this month I hosted a Facebook Live for Quilter’s World and Annie’s Craft Store. We talked about making Log Cabins using Block 1 in the Awash with Color Mystery Sampler.

I made a couple of blocks and parts to help viewers understand the ideas I was sharing, and I liked them so much that I just kept on sewing. Then I decided to open up EQ8 design software and see what other possibilities lurked! I was not disappointed.

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