Happy mail arrived this week! The newest Modern Patchwork, in which I have a quilt. I’m really pleased to be included.
It’s my first time in Modern Patchwork. You’ll find the July/August issue on newsstands by Tuesday, June 26.
One of the sweetest quilts I ever came across is a Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt from the 30’s or 40’s. I’m not usually a fan of silly Sue, but this one was so charming that I couldn’t leave it behind.
I love the rectangular blocks. They’re more interesting than square blocks. And notice that Sue has a friend. Or maybe she’s a twin. There are two Sues on each block. I love the solid colors used for each little girl. They’re so cheerful.
One of the first programs I developed for quilt guilds is called One Hundred Small Quilts. I’m presenting these quilts in a series of short posts on Stash Bandit.
Luminous Lines by Diane Harris, 2009
Luminous Lines was created for an assignment in an advanced design class I took with Heather Thomas when I lived in Colorado. We were covering different elements of design, one of which is “line.”
Our assignment was to use line (and not much else) to create our design. I had these hand-dyed fabrics from Cherrywood which were all similar in value, so I used those for the background. I had ombré fabrics in similar colors with a splash of yellow, which I used for the appliqued bars.
I enjoyed playing with variegated thread for the quilting. My Bernina has a straight stitch that goes over itself a second time for a stronger line, which is what you see on the left above and on the right below.
For me, it’s often about experimenting to see what works. I do end up taking things out or taking them apart when they don’t work. But if I was never willing to play around to see what would happen, I’d never make any great discoveries.
I finished the edges with a facing instead of a binding. It’s pretty easy to do and it’s a good skill to have in your bag of tricks. I wrote instructions for facing a quilt when I worked for Quiltmaker. They’re useful and they’re free!
I’d love to bring One Hundred Small Quilts to your quilt group. Give me a call or shoot me an email.
My trunk show called “One Hundred Small Quilts” contains three Hanky Panky quilts. This idea originated (as far as I know) with Cindy Brick from Castle Rock, Colorado. She visited Nebraska a few years back to teach her hanky quilt techniques.
Hanky Panky quilt by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.
I’d always loved vintage handkerchiefs, and my mom loved and collected them, too. So I come by it honestly, as they say. And when I learned how to combine them by layering and embellishing, I never looked back.
These three little quilts get the warmest welcome when I share them with quilt groups. It makes me so happy.
Hanky Panky quilt by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.
With Cindy’s permission, I wrote about the process for Quiltmaker, and now (with Cindy’s blessing) I teach others how to make these little treasures.
I think it’s good to get vintage hankies out of the drawers and closets and storage areas and put them into something beautiful where they can be enjoyed every day. If your hankies are very special, e.g. they belonged to an ancestor, or very valuable, then you might wish to pick others for your first project. There are some hankies that shouldn’t be cut up.
But there are millions, yes, millions, of hankies that are perfect for this kind of project. I’d love to share this class with your quilt group, so give me a call and we’ll set it up. Let’s Play Hanky Panky!
A few years back I took a class from Jean Ayres on how to make old-fashioned Pine Burr blocks.
Pine Burr quilt at Bellevue Arts Museum, 2012, by an African-American maker.
I’d seen a Pine Burr quilt in an exhibit of African-American quilts near Seattle at the Bellevue Arts Museum. I fell in love with it.
Today I’m sharing a quilt that’s a lesson in what not to do. I learned something the hard way on this quilt. I like the center part just fine, but that wide striped border? There is room for improvement.
I spent a lot of time on these scrappy string Spiderweb blocks, pulling brights from my scrap bin and not worrying too much about anything.
Designing quilts for publication is a funny thing. Magazines work so far ahead that sometimes, if you’re not the one making the quilt, you forget all about a design until it appears on the printed page. And even then you might not recognize it as your own. That’s what happened with Briar Rose in the Jan/Feb issue of Quiltmaker.
I first imagined this design in monochrome, i.e. just one color. I thought it would be great in reds and pinks, and I named it Strawberry Sundae.
On Saturday I was invited to do a trunk show for the Rosebud Quilt Guild during their semi-annual quilt show in Burke, South Dakota. I was there all day so I had plenty of time to look at the quilts.
It’s when people like your design enough to make a quilt of their own! It’s like a little piece of your soul goes out to live in the world.
You can imagine my delight when I opened the latest Quiltmaker to find my Swoopers owl quilt featured in Spotlight. Michelle Barker of Riverton, Utah and her sister Tammy Howell who lives in Oregon worked on their Swoopers quilts at the same time. They shared their progress with each other by text and email.
If you’re new to Stash Bandit, welcome! I’m happy you’re here. Today I’m sharing a bit about a new trunk show called “Jingle Bells” that I’ve prepared for quilt groups.
No matter the time of year, the Jingle Bells trunk show of Christmas quilts is sure to get you in the mood for holiday quilting. Large and small, pieced and appliquéd, modern and traditional—there’s a little something for everyone.
Nested Nicks by Diane Harris. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.
I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I’ve had making these quilts. Even though it’s March, I’m humming Christmas carols.