Stash Bandit in Modern Patchwork
Happy mail arrived this week! The newest Modern Patchwork, in which I have a quilt. I’m really pleased to be included.
It’s my first time in Modern Patchwork. You’ll find the July/August issue on newsstands by Tuesday, June 26.
To tell you about my quilt, I have to back way up.
When I started working for Quiltmaker in 2005, I had been a stay-at-home for 20 years. Going to work full time with a long commute was an adjustment. I found I was too tired to sew, and that wasn’t going to work for me.
On a whim, I started cutting scraps into patches 1.5″ x 2.5″.
I made a couple of little Windmills. I kept the patches in a basket next to my machine, and when I was too tired to think, I’d make a couple of blocks.
Pretty soon I had dozens. Then hundreds. Then more than that.
Long story short, I’ve made quite a few quilts with the basic blocks. Check out the tutorial!
Most basic Baby Windmill quilt. Photo by Kristin Laing Photography.
Then I decided it would be fun to design a whole trunk show’s worth of quilts based on this simple idea. It’s called Windy Wonders and I started giving it late last year. Maybe your guild would enjoy it! (Check into booking it.)
Spinster by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.
A few of the designs have been published. Below is Scarlet Spin.
A few are looking for publishers. And many more live in my design files, waiting to be brought to life.
I have this block on my mind all the time. All the time.
So last year I noticed that quilt designer Andy Knowlton of A Bright Corner posted a tutorial for an ingenious block she calls Scrap Bin Geese.
It’s a really great block just as it is. But I recognized the half-light and half-dark block as one unit of a Windmill! You can imagine my excitement! I started playing with Andy’s idea right away. I increased the contrast, made the Geese three-dimensional and decided on a rainbow approach. Fowl Play was born.
It’s the newest addition to Windy Wonders, my trunk show of quilts all based on that silly little Windmill. Who knew?!
In the next post, we’ll talk about the quilting, done by my extraordinary longarm friend Julie Lechner. You’ll want to check out her IG feed @beenquiltin.
Andy Knowlton and I are coordinating a blog swap, too. I haven’t met her in person but she gave me a tremendous gift when she posted Scrap Bin Geese and I’m grateful. I think you’d enjoy her tutorials—and lots of great free patterns.
My thanks to the folks at Modern Patchwork. It’s exciting to be part of something for the first time!
Find the July/August Modern Patchwork on newsstands by Tuesday, June 26. Or order yours from the publisher:
Tags: abrightcorner.com, Andy Knowlton, baby windmills, fowl play, modern patchwork, quilt design, trunk shows, windy wonders
Julie Lechner
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Loved quilting your treasure! It’s always great to hear about your inspiration ! I love your color combinations and how you set this all together!
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