Posts Tagged ‘fabric’

Day 2 Giveaway: Fabric!

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

Stash Bandit is celebrating with 10 days of giveaways and this is Day 2!

I recently finished piecing a throw-size version of a quilt called Maisy Daisy, which I ran across in a back issue of McCall’s Quilting. Its scrappy deliciousness called to me.

Maisy Daisy, designed by Maho Schwartz, made by Diane Harris

Then I made the exciting discovery that McCall’s put the pattern online at no charge, so if you like it, be sure to grab it here.

The quilt was designed by Maho Schwartz. I made just 12 blocks but the original has more. Totally up to you!

Modern by the Yard

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in How-tos and Ideas

Fabric Fun with Benartex

A while back Lisa Ruble with Benartex got in touch and asked if I’d like to take part in a feature in their ezine, Modern by the Yard. I said yes!

If you haven’t discovered Modern by the Yard, this is your invitation. It’s full of inspiration in the form of new fabrics and complimentary quilt patterns. What’s not to love?!

Prismatic Shadows by Jen Shaffer, complimentary pattern in
Modern by the Yard ezine from Benartex

If you don’t think of yourself as a modern quilter, not to worry. There are plenty of projects with broad appeal, like Prismatic Shadows by Jen Shaffer, above.

Look at some of the fabric lines featured, like Crescendo by Amanda Murphy, above. Isn’t it pretty? I think the lines between modern and traditional or any other type of quilter and quilt practice are becoming less distinct.

I’m a fan of Radiant Paisley, above. Won’t that make a great fall quilt?

My part in Modern by the Yard was to curate a fabric bundle from current Benartex, Kanvas and Contempo collections. It was great fun!

Three “modern quilters” took on this task and our selections became the Mix & Match feature. I named my group (bottom right in the photo above) Merry Merry Mod, because I envision making a Christmas quilt from it.

It’s what you might call an alternative holiday palette, but I love it! And yes, I’m dreaming up Christmas quilts because I do that all year. I want to add to my Jingle Bells Trunk Show all the time to keep it fresh!

Connections by Charisma Horton in fabrics by Christa Watson for Benartex Contempo.

My favorite quilt design in this issue is by Charisma Horton and is called Connections. Those colorful triangles in a sea of white are so peppy! The fabrics are from the Good Vibes line by Christa Watson of Christa Quilts.

Good Vibes by Christa Watson for Benartex Contempo

I found some of these at my local quilt shop and let me tell you, the hand is fabulous!

Oh! Did you know…

The way that a fabric feels to the touch is called its “hand.” And these Good Vibes prints have a luxurious, silky, drapey hand that I love. They’re a pleasure to sew.

Recent covers for Modern by the Yard

I enjoyed being part of Mix & Match and I hope you’ll check out Modern by the Yard soon!

Here are links related to today’s post:

Modern by the Yard Issue 15

Benartex homepage

Christa Quilts Homepage

Good Vibes fabric for sale from Christa Quilts

Charisma’s Corner

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From Craftsy to Bluprint to “It Was Good While It Lasted”

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

Yesterday, online learning platform Bluprint, formerly Craftsy, sent an email to instructors saying the company would be closing over the next few months. This was at once surprising and completely unsurprising.

When Craftsy began about 10 years ago (because a guy received a quilt from his aunt), the quilters I knew loved it. It provided something new in the form of online learning, and it was well done. You could interact with the instructors, get answers to your questions, post your progress and make friends with others in your classes. It was amazing.

A Nice Surprise at Quilt Guild

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

My favorite night of the quilt guild’s year is the garage sale, hands down. There are always things to be shared and treasures to be found. My small guild in Holdrege, Nebraska had a garage sale in January. I tried hard to find interesting things in my studio that I no longer needed to benefit the group in a small way.

I recreated this image and it doesn’t do justice to the hundreds of 1-1/2″ strips I had on hand. The strips were passed to me from a co-worker (I think) at Quiltmaker quite a few years ago. They were of every persuasion and they weren’t terribly appealing. I knew they wouldn’t do well just stuffed in a bag but I had an idea.

Textile Mills in Lowell, Mass and a New Quilting Friend

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

I’d never been to New Hampshire until this week, and only to Massachusetts once. It surprised me to hear locals call it “Mass,” as if Massachusetts is just too much of a mouthful.

Michelle of Little Pup Designs picked me up at the airport on behalf of the Hannah Dustin Quilt Guild in Hudson, NH.

Being from the Great Plains, I’ve sometimes been led to believe that New England folks are cold and aloof. But I haven’t found that to be true. When your hostess hails you at the airport holding a nearly life-size logo for your little quilting business, you know it’s going to be a good week.

When We Don’t Live Long Enough…

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Quilt Lifestyle

I have been trying to write this post for a week. I can’t put my finger on what it is I want to say.

The family of a recently deceased guild member invited us into her home last week to shop her fabric stash. Two dollars a pound. I keep trying to find words for how this made me feel. I don’t seem to have the words.