Posts Tagged ‘make extraordinary scrap quilts’

Have you heard the one about…

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

Have you heard the one about the couple who decides to retire for the night?

It goes something like this. The man turns off the TV, brushes his teeth and goes to bed. The woman picks up some toys and notices dishes in the sink, so she sticks them in the dishwasher and wipes down the counters, and as puts the dishtowels in the laundry, remembers she forgot to switch out the washer and dryer, so she does that.

Image by 5688709 from Pixabay

And that reminds her that her daughter needs a clean uniform for tomorrow’s soccer game, so she starts another load, which reminds her that her friend wanted to know about that new detergent she liked so she sends a text with the info.

Let’s Tango! Fun, easy class.

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

There’s still time to register for Tango, a class that happens live tomorrow 4/8 from 11 to 5 Central. If you can’t attend live, you can watch the recording later at your convenience.

Tango by Diane Harris. Photo by Kristin Laing Photography.

Easy piecing has never been so much fun! And Tango looks great in any color recipe or fabric style you choose.

I’ve searched high and low for the name of this quilt’s maker. If you can help,
please let me know. It was started in one of my Tango classes.

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.

Here’s an EQ8 version that I adore. I might have to make this one.

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.

I made these yellow, gray and white blocks recently and I can’t wait to quilt them.

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.

Stephanie Lockhart made this Tango from Alison Glass fabrics and
shot it in a delicious setting.

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.

Tickets are $65 at eventbrite.com. Get yours now!

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.

I hope to see you in class!

Grab “Lucky” today!

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

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, quilting friends! I’m offering the complimentary pattern for my “Lucky” quilt when you sign up for Scrappy Tips by email.

Lucky by Diane Harris, Stash Bandit

Scrappy Tips will arrive once or twice a month and is short and sweet because we’re all busy. When there’s an event upcoming, I include that, too.

Get Lucky right here.

Quilt on!

Cope and Hope in Quilter’s World

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Inspiration, Magazines

I have a new design in the Spring issue of Quilter’s World, on newsstands now. It has a beautiful cover with lovely spring colors.

Make a note to pick it up when you’re at the grocery store or grab it online!

Cope and Hope by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit, quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin,
photo courtesy of Quilter’s World.

As the world shut down in the spring of 2020, I thought about quilters staying at home and making quilts to calm their hearts and minds. I couldn’t get the idea of a house quilt out of my head.

A look back and a peek ahead.

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

Time just flies by, doesn’t it? Here are a few 2021 highlights.

Father & Farmer by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit. Quilted by Julie Lechner.y ever

I designed Father & Farmer with my dad in mind. He wore bib overalls and a blue chambray shirt and carried a red or navy bandana handkerchief nearly every day of his life. This quilt appeared in Fons & Porter’s Quick + Easy Quilts Feb/March 2021.

Father & Farmer, flat

You can still order the issue and it’s even on sale! There are several other patterns inside that I’d love to make. A magazine continues to give you the most bang for your buck: anywhere from eight to 12 patterns for less than five dollars, in this case. What’s not to love?!

Scrappy with Orange Garnish by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit.

One of my favorites this year was a quilt that began with reject or leftover blocks from my friend Carol Baker. I loved the fabrics! I took a handful of blocks apart, reused some of the patches and added some stash fabrics of my own.

Scrappy with Orange Garnish, flat

I gave it the name “scrappy with orange garnish” as strictly a working title when I submitted the quilt idea. Maybe nobody had a better idea because that one seemed to stick—something I learned as I opened the magazine. You can still get the pattern if you have scraps you’d like to use up. It would look great in just about any colors!

Scrappy with Orange Garnish Pattern from Quilting Daily (also on sale!)

StarQuar blocks by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

In early spring I ran a series of Sunday afternoon sessions on a complimentary basis. I called the series Scrap Quilt Secrets. It was fun and interesting for me but I learned some lessons that were tough to swallow. I spent the rest of the year attempting to apply what I’d learned.

Autumn-hued StarQuar blocks

The StarQuar unit grew out of Scrap Quilt Secrets. I continue to play and I’m excited about this idea and its endless potential. One magazine quilt is already on tap for 2022—I’m working on it now.

Big Cheese by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

The thrill of 2021 was my Big Cheese quilt on the cover of Quiltmania. I was just happy to have a design picked up, and it was such a lovely surprise to see it on the front. I picked up my phone one morning, opened Instagram and there it was.

Quiltmania Issue 145

This quilt came about because another idea had flopped. I was just playing around and it kind of happened by accident. And then I guess I didn’t realize it would appeal to anyone else because it sat around my studio for many months before I sent it to Quiltmania in a sort of “hail Mary” way.

You’re a Doll by Diane Harris of Stash Bandit

Like many others, the pandemic has kept me from seeing the people I love most including my grandchildren, who live in Hong Kong. I made doll quilts for my twin granddaughters Lucy and Emma.

E is for Emma!

The two quilts are the same but have slightly different colors, and the fabrics all came from my stash.

L is for Lucy!

When the magazine was finished shooting the quilts, I shipped them off to the girls. Funny thing, they liked the quilts but were especially enamored with the little pillows and pillowcases!

Which is which? Darned if I know!!!

I’m running out of time and laptop battery but I also did monthly Facebook Lives for Annie’s/Quilter’s World, traveled to a handful of guilds, presented on Zoom nearly every week, launched open enrollment classes, tried to send Scrappy Tips by email regularly, worked to blog more often (still working!), grew my Insta a whole bunch and met a lot of wonderful people in virtual classes.

Still need to do lots more planning for 2022 but I will sign off for now with this:

Happy New Year! Quilt on!

Manage your scraps beautifully: Two online quilt classes!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Join me online January 26 and 28 for scrappy fun during the Quiltfest Virtual Schoolhouse.

Simply Bricks by Diane Harris


#1: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 10 to 4 EST, online workshop for Quiltfest Virtual Schoolhouse

Scrap Management: Brick by Brick

Bricks are so easy to cut and sew but the potential for amazing designs is endless! This class is beginner friendly but more experienced makers will gain new insight regarding value, contrast, scale and more. You may choose from several sizes of bricks and you’ll precut so you’re ready to hit the ground running. A ridiculous amount of fun!

The Big Cheese and Quiltmania

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

Many months back, I was tired and discouraged on a Friday afternoon. I had an attitude of “devil may care.”

In a fit of—what? Insanity? Kamikaze mindset? Utter foolishness? I remember thinking “what have I got to lose” as I sent off some quilt designs to Quiltmania, the beautifully produced French magazine for quilters around the world.

On that Monday morning I had an email response. They’d like to publish two of the designs. I did a happy dance!

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