New Pattern!

Hello friends!

I have a wool applique pattern out called "Wildflower Wishes". It's a small sampler comprised of six floral blocks and rectangles and two panels with the verse, "May all your Weeds be Wildflowers". I've included detailed wool applique marking and preparation instructions, as well as full scale applique placement diagrams.

You can find the pattern on my website as either a paper pattern mailed to you, or an instant PDF pattern download.

I've also included instructions in the pattern to make a different version of the quilt, omitting the verse:

On another note, I'm so thrilled that my quilt, "Berries in the Sun" was awarded 2nd place in the April, 2023 Paducah American Quilter's Society Quilt Show and Contest! I have chronicled my progress on this quilt several times on the blog over the years. I finally finished it last year!

I have quite a few more patterns left to write, so I'll post those as I finish them. I am so far behind after our move, but I'm determined to catch up!

Until next time!

Martha

The Benefits of Having Unfinished Quilts

Last year, 2019, was a mostly sedentary year for me, as I worked on sewing the projects for my upcoming book, and then writing the copy, and drafting the diagrams.

I entered this new year, 2020, with the goal of getting back in some sort of shape. My son and I went on a little hike a few days after Christmas. Afterwards, although I didn't fall or anything, my left leg was aching. After the first of the year, I went to the gym and did some weights, and a few days later started going to a fun line dancing class three days a week.

Long story short, things took a turn for the worse, and at the end of January I tore the meniscus in my knee, and I have been forced to stay off my legs for the last few weeks.

Time to pull out an old project!

I started a quilt in the year 2000, and it's been an on again, off again project for years. But the last of it is an appliqued border, and the pieces, for the most part, are prepared and ready to applique (except for the hundreds of berries, which are in various stages of production).

I'm happy to say that although I'm not happy about being injured, at least I have a little progress on this quilt to show for it. The vines are completely done on this last border, and the two red birds are applied. Woo hoo!

Left to do will be making and adding berries to the vines on two of the borders, then sewing them on the quilt. Here is what the berries look like on one of the completed borders:

The interior of the quilt has twenty five hand pieced and appliqued blocks, and that part has been done for a long time. Each block has completely different fabrics and here are just a few: 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And in my case, the lemonade is a little progress on my 20 year old quilt project!

Until next time,

Martha

My Big Fat UFO (aka unfinished quilt)

Since wrapping up production on my new book, Annie's Scrapbag, I have been working on a new project that, although quilting related, has left me little time for actual sewing/quilting. However, it is during times like these that I can always pull out my trusty "Big Fat UFO" to work on if I have a few minutes to spare.

I began working on this quilt in August, 2000, so it is an official 12-year-old work in progress. But, I'm in no hurry with this quilt. The quilt started when I was getting ready to take a trip and needed something to work on during my stay. That trip was an exciting one, as I had just won my first big prize for a quilt I had entered in the AQS Quilt Exposition Millenium Celebration contest. I was the Arizona state winner for this contest, for my quilt "Cloud County Memories" and it was my first published quilt as well. So I was on my way to Nashville, to see the show, another first as I had never been to one of the big quilt festivals! With four or five nights in a hotel, I needed some handwork!

I decided to cut out pieces for a block I really enjoyed piecing, the sunburst block, and thus began this quilt. Twenty-five blocks later, I had the center of a quilt. Next up, designing the border, which ended up being a very wide one - 16" each side.  It is very folk art - I have a blueprint of where each flower, bird and leaf are to go, but exact precision isn't needed here. It will have 500 or more berries, but that will be determined as I begin working on that part of the top border (pictured below).

The side borders are finished and sewn onto the center, and this summer I pulled out the top border to do a little applique. A few steps closer anyway!

Until next time,

Martha