Are You Ready for Spring Yet?

Hello Friends!

It's really just the beginning of the winter season for those of us in the Northern hemisphere, where snow is falling around many of us. But the reason I ask ... if you are already thinking about Spring, I have a new quilt pattern I titled "Spring Dance" which is featured in the new issue of Quiltmania #141.

 

Quiltmania #141

 

Spring Dance by Martha Walker

 

 

 

 

 

Just two pieces make up the little applique blocks, which are just 4" square. I used a scrappy assortment of my favorite reproduction fabrics to make up the blocks, and for a little speedier assembly, I machine applied the shapes to small print shirting style prints. Here is a detail of the quilt:

 

Spring Dance (detail) by Martha Walker

Our floor is now finished, but our house is still in disarray. Last week and this, I was working on the new Prairie Patchwork sew along project while the workers were sawing away, in and out with the doors and windows wide open. I had a little sewing space set up with my machine and pressing/cutting station so I could continue my machine work. And, when things got too crazy, I would shut myself up in a small bedroom, which was untouched, and turn on my electric heater, and hand applique the blocks for the project. 

Now, Thom and I are painting the four rooms with the new flooring, and two are complete, with two more to go. Then, lots of moving of furniture, not to mention trying to eliminate all of the dust that seems to be on everything from the construction. 

I'm still hoping for a February start date for the Sew Along, or perhaps March. I think it will be fun! 

Happy stitching, and until next time!

Martha
 

Snow Themed Quilts for Snowy Days!

Happy New Year!

It's that time of year, in half of the world anyway, when many of us are enjoying the beautiful, quiet serenity of softly falling snow. Or, maybe you have young children who enjoy building snowmen! One of my favorite photos is the one I took with the first camera of my own, when I was 10 years old. I got the camera with box tops from a cereal box! Remember when you could get fun things like that? I only took one roll of film, black and white, and my brothers and sister were a favorite subject.

Here is the photo of my little brother and sister proudly standing beside their creation!

I have a fun new pattern, Winter Wishes, with a chubby snowman visiting with some little red birds. I used Aurifil Lana Wool Thread and Valdani Perle cotton for the wool applique. The background is a simple beige pieced quilt, that is pre-quilted before the wool is applied. I'm offering it as a paper pattern, mailed to you, or as a pattern download, perfect for my friends from outside the United States. And, both the paper pattern and the pattern download include a full size applique diagram.

Winter Wishes

And the second new pattern is Snowbird - mostly applique with a center block surrounded by simple piecing. And, like Winter Wishes, you can purchase it as a paper pattern, mailed to you, or as a pattern download (E Pattern). And it includes full scale applique diagrams for all of the applique portions. I give you detailed instructions on how to cut and fold the dogtooth portion of the center block for needle turn applique.

 

Snowbird

I'm working on a fun new mystery quilt sew along associated with my new book, Prairie Patchwork, which I will be rolling out soon. I will be posting the patterns on this blog, I'm hoping in February. We are getting new flooring on the second level of our home, which has created a lot of moving, packing, and a general disruption of our typical routine!

Happy Winter Stitching!

Until next time,

Martha