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.
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.
Your background can be dark or light—it looks great either way.
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!
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.
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:
Thank you for reading! If you’ve taken Tango already, feel free to leave a comment with your feedback. Much appreciated!
Quilt on,
The design is a great little block by Christa Watson and making the blocks is really entertaining.
I decided to omit a few of the seams in the background. I think it looks fine either way and I wanted to speed things up a little and eliminate some bulk.
One person was saying that she’s spending time making each block look nice. She’s arranging and rearranging her patches deliberately to create combinations that please her. (Smart quilter!)
And that’s where it went south. Because another quilter’s response floored me:
Now please understand: I hold no personal malice toward this quilter. But that approach for scrap quilts is absolutely wrong.
You know how some quilts look like scrap vomit? That’s what happens when you don’t plan your scrap quilt.
You must be deliberate about making all those diverse fabrics work together.
You have to consider what elements could bring cohesion to all those varied prints.
It behooves you to audition and to change things up and to rethink one more time, over and over and over.
There were also comments that revealed a quilter’s experience and wisdom, like this one:
I have had to make peace with the extra time and effort it takes to make a good scrappy quilt. It does require a lot more time and effort. But you know what?
Quilt on,
Find the details for the American Patchwork & Quilting 2022 Quilt-Along here.
Does your quilt guild need a great program for ’23 or ’24? I’d love to share my quilts with you. Give me a call and Let’s Talk Quilts!
My son was hospitalized in Denver so I went there and spent time with him and his girlfriend, and that was delightful. It is always difficult to see him hit a rough patch but I have the best friends and family and they always support me well.
When I got home from Colorado, I was behind on many things so I scrambled and on Sunday, was beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
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.
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!
Quilt on!
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:
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!
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,
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.
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.
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!
Keep quilting,
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,
Easy piecing has never been so much fun! And Tango looks great in any color recipe or fabric style you choose.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The class was Psychedelic Baby, taught by Katie Pedersen @sewkatiedid from Seattle. Katie was one of the first people I saw doing improv patchwork many years ago—maybe 2010?
I’ve enjoyed her work all these years and jumped at the chance to learn from her when Omaha Modern Quilt Guild brought her to town.