New Talk: Build a Scrap Quilt Brick by Brick

Written by Diane Harris on August 19, 2024. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

You’re invited to an online presentation I’m giving soon:

Build a Scrap Quilt Brick by Brick, tickets $20 on Eventbrite

It happens live Sat Aug 24 but it will be recorded to watch at your convenience, too.

If you attended the Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit and upgraded to the bundle, then a ticket to this talk is included. But if you didn’t and you’d like to come, you may purchase a ticket any time this week.

One of my interests is taking simple ideas and seeing how far I can run with them. I love designing quilts that feature just one patch, such as a brick.

In this talk, some of the things we’ll cover include:

• What IS a brick
• What sizes to cut
• Many ways to use bricks for scrap quilts
• The Brick Block
• The L Block
• The Frameup Block
• The Windmill Block
• Pictorial quilts with bricks
• And more!

And the best part? I’m creating a handout that will show you how the bricks are arranged for many of these ideas! You can print it and have it at your fingertips as you begin your own journey with bricks. Normally, each quilt idea would be developed into a pattern for sale, which would retail for around $12. So if you get 10 ideas worth $12 each, that’s $120 worth of content that is included with your $20 ticket to the talk.

Trust me when I say that you’re going to get excited about making scrap quilts with bricks!

Get your ticket now and I’ll see you on Saturday. And remember, you can watch the recording if you can’t attend live. 😊

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Rotate That Baby and Conquer Your Scraps

Written by Diane Harris on August 4, 2024. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I finished a quilt top this week but before we get to that, here’s an invitation to a free event for anyone with scraps.

I’m sharing a new talk called Smashing Sashing during the Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit.

And I’d love it if you’d be there. A ticket to the summit is complimentary. There will be 21 teachers all sharing their best tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration for diving into your scrap fabrics and making good use of them in wonderful ways.

You’ll find all the details and registration (it’s free!) on the Summit’s main page. I hope to see you there!

_{Full disclosure: You’ll be offered the option to upgrade your ticket for a fee, which gives you extended access to all of the presentations as well as a bundle of goods: patterns, classes and more. If you upgrade, I will earn a commission. But you can take in all of the Summit at no charge and it’s fine if that’s what you prefer.} 😊

Here’s the scoop on my latest project.

Early this year I decided to jump in for the Tiny Nine Patch Challenge, hosted by Taryn @reproquiltlover on Instagram. There were three sizes from which to pick and I decided on the middle size. The squares are cut at 1-1/4″ so the Nine Patch will finish at 2-1/4″ x 2-1/4″. Small enough to be super cute but not so small as to make me miserable.

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Make a Summer Splash on The Quilt Show

Written by Diane Harris on June 20, 2024. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

If “sampler” makes you think of blocks in rows with sashing, let me introduce something new!

A few years back I designed Petit Patchwork as a way to teach several techniques to quilters at a retreat. It was fun to make and it’s an attractive little quilt.

Fast forward to last year when I was a guest on The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims (Alex Anderson was recovering from surgery) and crew. They’d seen Petit Patchwork and invited me to design this year’s summer quilt project. When I learned how it would work, another small sampler seemed like the right choice. And that’s how Summer Splash was born.

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If you’re new to Stash Bandit, welcome!

Written by Diane Harris on June 17, 2024. Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

You’ll find lots of scrappy fun, tips, tricks and ideas for making diverse fabrics work together beautifully.

I’m Diane Harris and I think of myself as a scrap quilt specialist. I like to let the fabric do the work! My patchwork is usually simple. The way the fabrics play together is a little more complex, but totally achievable if you know a few tricks!

Star Silhouettes is a simple design that packs a punch. It’s made from just one patch size and it features a little unit I call a StarQuar because it’s one-fourth of a basic star block.

It appeared on the cover of American Patchwork & Quilting’s August ’22 issue, and you can still get the pattern here.

I designed Lingering Effects in response to a rough patch I went through coming out of the pandemic. The idea behind the red crosses was “send help.” I almost gave up on that border but now I think it’s the most striking feature of the quilt. This design appeared on the cover of Quiltmaker’s Jan/Feb ’24 issue. You can get the pattern from the publisher here.

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Scrap quilts to love: Ideas and fun by quilters!

Written by Diane Harris on April 22, 2024. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

There was a wealth of scrappy inspiration at the guilds I visited recently.

This quilt, made by Becki in Arlington, Texas, was one of my favorites. She worked with third graders after a guild friend hosted a similar project for her grandchildren.

It exudes joy and I fell in love with it. Becki is on the left during show and tell at the Trinity Valley Quilters’ Guild meeting, where I shared One Hundred Small Quilts.

Becki observed that it was pretty easy to tell which blocks were made by girls and which ones were by the boys. I think that’s a fascinating part of human nature.

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Brick by Brick: Favorite Sizes

Written by Diane Harris on April 13, 2024. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

I love to make quilts from bricks! A brick is a rectangular quilt patch that finishes twice as long as wide.

My favorite brick sizes are listed below as finished size first, followed by the dimensions you’ll need to cut the patches.

Finished size: 1″ x 2″…..Cut 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″

Finished size: 1-1/2″ x 3″…..Cut 2″ x 3-1/2″

Finished size: 2″ x 4″…..Cut 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″

The tiniest patch above is cut 1″ x 1-1/2″ to finish at 1/2″ x 1″. It is little!!

The largest patch above is cut 4-1/2″ x 8-1/2″. The largest brick I have ever used was cut 6-1/2″ x 12-1/2″. It was used in a 24″ block.

To figure out your own custom brick sizes, first think about the finished dimensions you want, for instance, you want a brick that’s 9″ long. Since it has to be twice as long as wide, half of 9 is 4-1/2.

So you know the brick will finish 4-1/2″ x 9″. NOW add 1/2″ to each of those numbers to get the cut size. In this case the cut size would be 5″ x 9-1/2″.

One of the first bricks quilt I ever made featured Baby Windmill blocks. I created darker windmills to get the effect of “borders” for this design I call Framework.

Somehow this helps to organize all the scrappy chaos and the quilt is more pleasing to the eye than it would be without the false borders.

When the patchwork is very small like this, you can use all types of cotton quilt fabric together: reproductions, batiks, florals, novelty and so on.

I use contrast in most of the blocks so that the windmill is easily visible. Most blocks outside of the border areas have a windmill that is darker than the background.

The windmills in Framework are made from patches cut 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″. Each block finishes at 4″. You can find instructions for these little blocks in my Baby Windmills basic tutorial post.

Here’s another small quilt made from Baby Windmills. It’s called Christmas Dance. I went scrappy within a limited palette. This is a very entertaining kind of sewing!

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My best quilt on Birkenstocks?!?!

Written by Diane Harris on February 4, 2024. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

You never know!!!

I have just finished applying to be a featured artist with Michael Grey Sandal Factory, which means that one of my best quilts could be printed onto leather and made into classic Birkenstock sandals!!!

How cool would that be? I am ridiculously excited for the possibility, even though I suppose the odds are slim that a quilt maker would be selected.

I envision my most well known and recognizable quilt, Star Silhouettes, printed on luxury leather and worn on the feet of quilters everywhere!

Or maybe one of the versions of Tango?

Or maybe Framework?

Or even Nine Patch Jambalaya?

Like I said, you just never know!!

Quilt on,

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Bask in winter warmth: Quilt Cruise Hawaii

Written by Diane Harris on January 16, 2024. Posted in Blog, Classes, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

It’s one of my favorite places, and you’re invited to join me there next January!

I’m beyond excited to extend a warm welcome to Quilt Bee at Sea: Hawaii 2025. Join me and World of Quilts Travel as we set sail on Holland America’s the Koningsdam Jan. 11 to 28, 2025.

Of the places I’ve been, Hawaii is one of my all-time favorites. It is truly magical. And that’s why I’m so enthused about this trip! And when you add in all the fun times of quilting together, teaching and learning and making new friends, I can hardly stand it.

And I’m a flower gardener, so the tropical varieties of the South Pacific are endlessly fascinating. There’s a new blossom everywhere you look.

Holland America has a great reputation, and the Koningsdam is one of its loveliest ships.

We’ll depart from San Diego and our days at sea will be for classes. Once we’re in Hawaii we’ll simply enjoy the islands. And while we cruise back home, we’ll learn in classes once again.

If you’d rather simply sit and sew – we have you covered with a dedicated sewing space just for you! Bring your UFOs and join our exclusive Quilt ’til You Wilt marathon group. You get to choose how you cruise! The other (amazing) instructors will be Debbie Maddy and Dana Woodard.

Quilt cruises are a wonderful opportunity to travel with quilting friends and to make new pals who share your passion. The camaraderie is second to none; many quilters develop lifelong friendships on similar cruises.

Non-quilters are welcome, so consider bringing a companion or your family. There will be something for every interest on board and in port. There are no additional charges for non-quilters who travel along.

Too excited to keep reading? Go to the cruise page now!

The 2024 cruise sold out quickly. Don’t wait too long to book—I don’t want to sail away without you!

Read reviews from past participants:

Click here to check it out on World of Quilts Travel today!

~ Aloha ~

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UFO Bonanza in Omaha

Written by Diane Harris on November 6, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could jumpstart a UFO (or two) for you? How helpful would it be to have a coach and a cheerleader to tackle your UnFinished Objects?

Let it be me! Join me at Mangelsen’s in Omaha on Monday, Dec 4 and get revved about your UFOs once more.

No matter what stopped your progress, bring your quilting UFOs to this unique work session and get started again. Maybe the instructions were bad. Perhaps the technique was beyond your skills. Or somehow you simply lost your sew-jo.

Whatever the problem, we’ll brainstorm solutions together and start moving toward a finish. This workshop is fun and inspiring, and you’re bound to leave jazzed up about your projects once more. 

Workshop runs from 10 to 4 and is $65.

Learn more or register here

Sometimes a person with “fresh eyes” can see things in a UFO that you cannot. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to embrace whatever people bring to class and solve the issues in a creative way—together!

This house quilt was a UFO because the sashing I originally planned didn’t work with the scrappy reds I’d embraced along the way. When you’re alone in your sewing space, this kind of situation can be discouraging and overwhelming.

But when you have an experienced quilting and UFO veteran at your side?

It becomes an inspiring adventure into creative problem solving.

Join me at Mangelsen’s in Omaha on Monday, Dec 4 for all the fun. I can’t wait to see what UFOs you bring me!!

Learn more or register today for the UFO Bonanza.

Have a great and creative week!

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Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit

Written by Diane Harris on November 3, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Here’s an invitation for you: Please join me for a complimentary event focused on practical ideas for managing your scraps.

It takes place next week, Nov 6 to 9, online. There is no charge to listen to a curated set of presenters offering strategies, tips and ideas for scraps and scrap quilts. I’m sharing two different presentations.

The first is “Save Fabric, Save Time: Techniques for Scrap Management.”

It’s a 29-minute talk with my best tips for not getting under the pile with your leftovers.

My second talk is a 43-minute look at how you can “Beef Up Your Backgrounds.”

This is a topic I’ve learned so much about in the past few years. Once I discovered how to make scrappy backgrounds, my quilts improved drastically. I’m sharing my best tips for how to take your quilts to the next level by jazzing up the backgrounds. Such a simple idea but oh so valuable!

Some of the other topics include creating designs with coordinated scraps, artful creations from tiny scraps, the magic numbers method and the art of controlled scrappiness. There are many more, truly something for everyone. There’s nothing to lose, it’s totally free to listen and it happens Nov 6 to 9.

Full disclosure: You’ll be offered the opportunity to upgrade your ticket for a fee. With that fee you can have early access, longer access, and a host of bonus materials. But it’s not necessary if you don’t want to upgrade. There is tons of free material with your complimentary ticket. I just don’t want you to feel blindsided when the upgrade offer comes.

Click here to sign up for the Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit and get your free ticket!

I will see you there!

Quilt on,

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