The Creative Mind

Written by Diane Harris on December 20, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

For better or worse, I am right-brained.

Most of the time I am grateful for it. Being right-brained generally suggests you’re creative, artistic and imaginative. These are good qualities for a quilter!

For me, being right-brained also means that I’m not analytical or methodical. I don’t think in a straight line—I think in circles. Today has been a day where my brain full of ideas, plans and possibilities has nearly derailed me. The long and the short of it is this: I booked a flight to Seattle for Christmas, and I got the day wrong.

When I went to check in at 6:30 this morning for tomorrow’s 6:30 flight, I did a double take. The flight was TODAY.

Let me cut to the chase and tell you that eventually I was able to get on tomorrow’s flights and it turned out all right. But for a few hours, I was really sweating.

I keep asking myself, “How did this happen?!”

There are a couple of possibilities and it was probably the perfect storm of these factors:

• Stress
• One new carrier in Kearney
• One change of plans
• One missed email
• Two family members who thought I was flying on Tuesday but didn’t ask

In the end it will cost me between four and eight hundred dollars for this mistake. That’s painful. But I’m also incredibly grateful that I was able to rebook and that my husband was ever so nice about my error. (He is staying here to host his daughter and her family over the long weekend.) It probably helped that today is our wedding anniversary.

I’ll leave you with some Christmas quilt images. I can’t get enough of sewing for Christmas!

I was going to make Christmas pillowcases for my grandchildren but I ran out of time. The idea will keep until next year.

We are expecting extreme winter weather Wednesday night into Thursday. The temps will be frigid and the winds will howl.

Wherever you are, stay safe and warm.

And double check your tickets.

Quilt on,

P.S. On a related note, I think your creativity is directly tied to how many times a day you lose your phone. Who’s with me?

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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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So close and yet so far

Written by Diane Harris on November 3, 2022. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Magazines, Quilt Lifestyle

I was really excited a few weeks back to add the last few border strips to my Daydream sampler quilt in scrappy Christmas colors. I started this project when I was freelancing for Quilter’s World a couple of years back.

Below is designer Carolyn Beam’s original Daydream in Moda fabrics by Corey Yoder.

I wanted a more scrappy look and I had several yards of this great candy cane print.

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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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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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Quilts by Accident

Written by Diane Harris on May 18, 2021. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

A lot of the quilts I make start off by accident. That’s what happened with the Daydream sampler from Quilter’s World.

I do a monthly Facebook Live for Quilter’s World.** I brainstorm a few topic ideas for each one, and together we settle on that month’s focus. A few months back, I thought it would be fun to show how I would make the Daydream sampler with lots and lots of different fabrics.

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Quilt Block Mania: Wreath & Chain

Written by Diane Harris on November 3, 2020. Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas

Quilt guilds: I am booking virtual trunk shows from coast to coast!

I designed a cute little block for this month’s Quilt Block Mania called Wreath & Chain. I have some other blocks that go with it to make a quilt with nice big areas for gorgeous machine quilting.

Each designer uses the same palette for cohesion. But when I actually made my block, I used Stash Bandit colors.

I designed a few different centers for the block including a tree and a house. Here’s what I imagine the quilt could look like if the alternate blocks were plain. Some of these blocks were eventually scrapped in favor of more successful designs.

I’m showing it scrappy. I love how varied scrappy backgrounds can look, and scrappy reds are not far behind. I’ve colored it in solids using EQ8 quilt design software but I’d probably make it with prints from my stash.

Here is my fabric version, sewn from my stash. I wish I had yards of that teal-green print. It is luscious.

Get the free instructions for my block right here!

Be sure to visit the other designers who have complimentary blocks posted during Quilt Block Mania! They are all linked below.

Here are two blocks that caught my eye.

If you’re on Instagram, check out #quiltblockmania to see many more great designs quickly, all with the theme of winter celebrations. Thank you for visiting Stash Bandit!

And here are links to all of the designers and their free blocks. Enjoy!

Christmas Wreath by Slice of Pi Quilts
Baby Sue’s First Christmas
Celebrate by Inquiring Quilter
Gifts at Always Expect Moore
Snowflakes by Blockofthemodotcom
Gifts of Friendship
Fireworks at duck creek mountain quilting
Christmas Star by Michelle Renee Hiatt
Adirondack Mountain Quilt Block
A Present from Penny
Candlelighting at Pretty Piney Quilts
Poinsettia from QuiltFabrication
Harbor Holidays at Blue Bear Quilts
Christmas Cracker at Perkins Dry Goods
Sparkling Spruce at Patti’s Patchwork
Jingle All the Way at Orange Blossom Quilt
Snowflakes & Candy Cane Trees at Quilt Moments
Tower of Gifts by Oh Kaye Quilting
Winter Memories by Carolyn Burgess
Holiday Block by Seams to Be Sew
Ticker Tape Tree at Devoted Quilter
Evergreen by True Blue Quilts
Merry and Bright at Around the Bobbin
Ski Vacation

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The Great Pumpkin Backstory and Giveaway

Written by Diane Harris on August 26, 2019. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas

Last year I had this idea: Design a Christmas quilt with giant candy canes. The candy canes would be so big they’d cover the entire quilt. I nestled them together and topped them off with a Starlite™ mint.

Prancer’s Peppermints, designed and made by Diane Harris, appeared in Quilty Nov/Dec. 2018

Quilty magazine published them as Prancer’s Peppermints in the Nov/Dec ’18 issue.

Diane’s giant pineapple “Welcome” quilt, click for free instructions!

Then I thought it might be fun to make a giant pineapple quilt, and that’s how Welcome was born.

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Christmas Figs Done Scrappy, Part 2

Written by Diane Harris on December 26, 2018. Posted in How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

During the early fall and again after Thanksgiving, I’ve been piecing a scrappy version of Christmas Figs by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts, published by the Fat Quarter Shop.

Their quilt features the Christmas Figs fabric line by Fig Tree for Moda Fabrics. I had a fat quarter bundle of those fabrics that I’d purchased, and that’s what I used for the first few blocks. But I began to wonder if the blocks would be interesting enough with just those fabrics.

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