Quilt Block Mania and Giveaway!

Written by Diane Harris on September 1, 2020. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I am so excited to be part of this month’s #quiltblockmania with many other quilt designers. We all used the same color palette and designed blocks with a Halloween theme. You’ll want to check them all out—that’s 29 free blocks! Scroll down for links.

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I’m building a new program called Taste Test: Unexpected Sampler Quilts, so I designed Pumpkin Chain in EQ8 as a way to tie lots of other quilt blocks together. It would make a terrific sampler!

Just choose favorite 12″ blocks with a fall or Halloween theme. Alternate them with my Pumpkin Chain and like magic: amazing sampler quilt!

You can also change out the center portion of my pumpkin so that each chain block is different. I’m excited to share those center blocks with my newsletter subscribers between now and Halloween! Sign up for Oh Scrap! and never miss out!

Last week I wrote about coloring designs in EQ and shot a video of how it’s done. If you watch it, you can see one of my ideas for how Pumpkin Chain can be used. More to come!

GIVEAWAY! I’ve gathered some soft oranges, backgrounds and neutrals to help you get started on your own autumn scrap quilt with some of the blocks you’ll find during Quilt Block Mania.

Leave a comment before midnight on Thursday, Sept. 3 and I’ll pick a winner on Sept. 4. Tell me where you found another cool block during #quiltblockmania! The winner of the giveaway is Bev C in Florida! I have already heard back from her and the package will be on its way shortly. Thank you, everyone!

Here’s a printer-friendly pdf with instructions for Pumpkin Chain.

“Which Hat?” at Pretty Piney
Black Cat at Inquiring Quilter
Ring of Pumpkins at Always Expect Moore
Haunted House at Powered by Quilting
Three Treats at Sew Brainy
Bat at Slice of Pi Quilts
Day of the Dead Skull at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Gypsy Wagon Fortune Teller at Orange Blossom Quilt
Monster at Seams to be Sew
Patchwork Pumpkin at Quilted Diary
Stacked Pumpkins at Perkins Dry Goods
Spooky Star at Block of the Mo .com
Leaf Ghost at Off the Wall Quilt
Leaf and Vine at Quilt Moments
Frankenstein at Around the Bobbin
Bat by Heidi Pridemore
Candy Corn by Quilt Fabrication
Dark night by Cotton Street Commons
Pumpkin by Sew on the Go
Pumpkin and Bat by ScrapDash
Pumpkin Chain by Stash Bandit
Happy Jack-o-lantern by Patti’s Patchwork
Foundation Pieced Creepy Eyes by Amarar Creacions
Spooky Trees by Aunt Em’s Quilts
Upside Down Witch by Appliques Quilts and More
Scaredy Kitty by Tacy Gray
Sun-Boo-Net Sue by Blue Bear Quilts
Spider by Oh Kay Quilting
Candy, Pumpkins, and Witch Hat by Utah Quilt Appraiser

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Valentine’s Day Giveaway

Written by Diane Harris on February 14, 2019. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, Quilt Lifestyle

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today I begin my 60th year on earth. In other words, I turn 59. I hope you’ll celebrate with me by joining in the giveaway fun. I have a prize bundle for one lucky reader.

A little love quilt by Diane Harris, yet to be quilted. Click the image to get the free pattern with my compliments.

It includes a new product from the Fat Quarter Shop and It’s Sew Emma: The Sew Hot Iron Rest. This mint green silicone mat is big enough for most home irons at 7″ x almost 11″.

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Quilt Fatigue: Have You Had It?

Written by Diane Harris on August 5, 2017. Posted in Blog, Quilt Lifestyle

I have quilt fatigue over my current project, and I’m betting you’ve had it, too. Here’s how it goes—you’ve pieced 30 or 40 quilt blocks from your favorite fabrics. You’ve enjoyed the heck out of making this patchwork. But you have many more blocks to go, and somehow your attention begins, inexplicably, to drift.

My current project: Fractured by Kathy Doughty from the book Making Quilts with Kathy Doughty, ctpub.com.

It’s not the project’s fault. In fact, I love my current endeavor. It’s Kathy Doughty’s Fractured design from the Making Quilts book. It’s amazing! It goes together quickly and easily, it’s perfect as a scrap quilt, and it makes for a real “wow” factor. What’s not to adore?

Nevertheless, because I got restless, because I have quilt fatigue, I found an empty space on the studio floor and started this little gem. I’m having so much fun with it! It’s going to be my next free pattern. It’s been done many times before but not with these exact fabrics or with my exact fabric sensibilities. It always feels good to make something uniquely my own.

This will become my next free pattern, although truly you don’t need a pattern—it’s just half-square triangles. If you’re just getting started in quilting, maybe you’ll enjoy having instructions, and if you want to use your stash, I’ll talk specifically about combining fabrics in ways that work.

Right now I’m trying to decide if I can work in some navy. I definitely want it to say “Christmas,” and if I stray too far from the recipe, that message could get lost. Stay tuned.

All the quilts in this post will become part of my “Jingle Bells” trunk show for quilt guilds. It’s so much fun to share holiday quilts and get people excited to sew for Christmas well ahead of time. Call and book your program today!

So how do you work through quilt fatigue? I’m afraid this happens to me often, which I why I have a lot of UFOs. When I hear someone say they have zero unfinished projects, I’m astounded. How do you even do that?! Maybe you can give the rest of us some guidance in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Check out the current free pattern for a small scrap quilt called Christmas Dance that finishes at 27″ x 31″.

Christmas Dance by Diane Harris. Photo: Kristen Laing Photography.

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