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

Prairie Patchwork Quilt Along Block N

 Westward Ho!

 

It's week 14, and this week we have Block N in the Prairie Patchwork Quilt Along!

 

Prairie Patchwork Quilt Along Block N

 

This block is from the quilt "Pipe Creek" in Prairie Patchwork, and as you know, if you have the book (and hopefully you do!), "Pipe Creek" is wool applique on cotton. 

 

Pipe Creek

And as you can see from Block N, it would work equally well using cotton applique on cotton!

 

I hope you enjoy making block N, and I will see you again here next week! Happy Applique!

 

CLICK HERE to download the fabric requirements and cutting instructions to make Block N

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

Prairie Patchwork; Treasured Quilts and Tales of Time

Prairie Patchwork: Treasured Quilts and Tales of Time is my newest book, published by Martingale Publishing, and just released last week! First of all, it was such a pleasure to work with all of the staff at Martingale. It is a very professional bunch, and my book was put together all along the way with the utmost care!

That being said, I'm extremely proud of the result!

 

Prairie Patchwork

You'll find patterns using a variety of techniques for making the quilts in Prairie Patchwork, from hand piecing to machine piecing, foundation piecing to strip piecing. You'll also find a variety of sizes as well: bed quilts, wall quilts and doll size quilts. A pattern for a sweet little wool applique needlebook is also included.

Liberty Eagle Wool Appliqué Pattern

After having finished reviewing the edits for my upcoming book at the beginning of the Summer, I decided to tackle finishing up writing patterns for seven other projects needing my attention. I have my Liberty Eagle wool appliqué finished just in time for our upcoming 4^th of July celebration. For Liberty Eagle, I used Aurifil Lana wool thread for the embroidery stitches throughout. You can find those threads on my website.

Liberty Eagle

I have the pattern listed on my website as both a pattern download or mailed to you as a printed pattern. I'm also offering the pattern for FREE to my newsletter subscribers! If you're on my newsletter list, you'll have the pattern in your inbox.

If you aren't on my newsletter list, just sign up between now and July 5^th, and I'll send you the pattern FREE as well! The link to subscribe is on the front page of my website.

Happy 4^th!

Martha

On the Cover! Quiltmania!

Very shortly the newest issue of Quiltmania will be on newsstands or in your mailbox if you're a subscriber - the November/ December 2018 issue. Here's a sneak peak of the cover!

Quiltmania #128 November/December 2018

AND.... I'm proud to say that the quilt featured on that beautiful cover is my quilt - Georgetown Circle! You may have seen some of my previous posts while I was piecing and quilting Georgetown Circle, and what a joy it is for me to see it on the cover of one of my favorite magazines!

I've been busy getting new patterns out the past few weeks and I have three published and on my website. Here they are!

Happy Jacks Table Square

Fancywork Journal Cover

 

Countryside Needlebook

Countryside Needlebook and Fancywork Journal Cover are patterns which were originally found in my book Annie's Scrapbag. I've had many requests for the patterns, as Annie's Scrapbag is now out of print, so now here they are! You can see the inside pages of Countryside Needlebook on the website.

I have more patterns to come, but that's all for now!

Until next time,

Martha

Quilter's Station Trunk Show

Flag Day was just a few days ago, and in addition to hanging the stars and stripes on our flagpole outside, I have a year round Flag Day reminder hanging inside - my Flag Day wool applique hanging.

FLAG DAY

Flag Day is one of the wool applique projects found in my new book Betsy's Scrapbag. I used Aurifil Lana wool threads for the simple whipstitched applique and the embroidered tassels strings. I decided to bind this hanging as I would a quilt, with single fold cotton binding.

If you will happen to be in the Kansas City area on Saturday, June 25th, I will be doing a trunk show at Quilter's Station quilt shop in Lee's Summit, Missouri. I'll be showing all of the projects from Betsy's Scrapbag, as well as all of the projects from Annie's Scrapbag, and a selection of projects from my two Christmas themed books, Vintage Christmas and Be Merry: Quilts and Projects for Your Holiday Home.

Here are a few of the details:

You can also go to their website http://www.quiltersstation.com/ to find a map and other details on the Shop News page. I hope to see you there! 

After my Kansas City trip I'll be heading to Virginia to see my first grandson, who was born just yesterday! It will be a great trip, and hopefully I will have pictures to share!

Until next time,

Martha

Betsy's Scrapbag

Today is the first official release day of my new book, Betsy's Scrapbag! It's now on our website, and we have a lot of work to do to get it out and about to your favorite quilt shops.

The first of my Scrapbag Girl TM series began with Annie's Scrapbag, a pattern book of quilts and projects inspired by my fictional seamstress, Annie, a girl living in the early homesteading days of the American frontier.

Annie's Scrapbag

Book 2, Betsy's Scrapbag, follows with quilts and projects inspired by the American Revolution, and Betsy's story of her family's role in the fight for American independence.  And just as in Annie's Scrapbag, Betsy's Scrapbag includes FULL size applique placement diagrams for all of the projects, including the wool applique projects. No drafting on your part needed - whew!

Betsy's Scrapbag

Just like in Annie's Scrapbag, Betsy's Scrapbag includes patterns for quilts, wool applique, and this time a punch needle project, Lady Liberty, one of my favorites! Lady Liberty is made primarily with Valdani 3-ply floss, with the addition of DMC embroidery floss. I also have instructions for my easy method for finishing punchneedle, that "stiffens" it for hanging or applying to a platform, such as a box, or basket, but it's archival, meaning no glues are used.

Lady Liberty

Autumn Stars is one of the five quilts in the book, and is the largest quilt, - a queen size 89" x 89". 

Autumn Stars

There are 10 projects in all, with four wool applique projects, one of which is the Liberty pillow, appliqued using my favorite Aurifil Lana wool threads, which you can also find on our website:

Liberty pillow

To celebrate it's release, I'm having a giveaway for one copy of Betsy's Scrapbag! Just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and I hope you find Betsy's Scrapbag soon at a quilt shop near you! I will announce the winner of the giveaway on Monday, March 21st!

Until then,

Martha 

Annie's Scrapbag

I have a new pattern book out, Annie's Scrapbag, and here is the cover!:

Annie's Scrapbag features 7 projects - four quilts and three wool applique projects, all of which are inspired by nineteenth century needlework.

Pictured below is a detail of "Annie's Scrapbook", a small crib-size quilt covered with appliqued birds, baskets, blooms and more and also pictured on the cover. The beautiful quilting was done by Judy Danz, who also quilted two of the other quilts in the book. I was truly in awe of Judy's creativity in designing the quilting for all of the quilts, as well as her execution!

 

And here is the back cover of Annie's Scrapbag which has "Blooms Doll Quilt" pictured:

One of the wool applique projects is "Countryside Needlebook". I had been wanting to design a needlebook that could hold and organize all of the different needles I use for various needlework tasks, and I finally got it done for this book! "Countryside Needlebook" features pages for each of the different needle types: betweens (for hand quilting), chenilles (for embroidery), sharps (for applique and piecing), and tapestry (for embroidery and cross stitch).

Here is the cover of the needlebook:

And here is one of the inside pages:

We started shipping books to quilt shops this week, so be looking for it soon at your local quilt shop! And if you don't have a shop nearby, we have it on our website too!

Until next time,

Martha

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

Welcome and thank you for visiting with me on the Day 5 tour of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks designers blog tour! And thank you to Quiltmaker for organizing such a fun event that brings all of us together in our shared love of quilting! The block I designed for Volume 5 is Bittersweet Basket #414.

I was thinking of Fall when I designed this block. I had been wanting to design a basket based on antique gathering baskets that are constructed of wooden slats bound with wire. And this block was just perfect for using one of my favorite color combinations - yellow, purple, green and red.

Here are a few quilt layout ideas for Bittersweet Basket:

Blocks set with chain of squares sashing.

Bittersweet Basket blocks combined with pieced star blocks.

Medallion setting

medallion setting

For a very different color scheme, when you get your copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol. 5, be sure to take a look at the quilt made by Joanna Simpson, "Perennial Posies". Wow! You'll find it on page 87 in the Tester's Gallery. Joanna combines Bittersweet Basket with four other blocks from the issue for a very stunning quilt!

In keeping with the Fall theme, I have a new wool applique pattern to show you that is just out ... "Black Cat Table Rug", pictured below!

Please leave a comment below by Sat., May 5 midnight (MST) for a chance to win a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 or a free copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 5 and my "Black Cat Table Rug" wool applique pattern. In the comment section, please let me know what kinds of projects you like to make for the Fall Season!

And for another chance to win a free copy of the magazine and pattern, you can comment on my Facebook page as well!
Scroll back up and hit the Facebook button and it will take you to the Wagons West Designs Facebook page.

Thank you for visiting and have fun on the rest of your Blog Tour!

Until next time,

Martha

How to Mark Wool Applique

Marking on wool can be tricky -- because it is opaque, in most cases a light box won't work in order to trace any lettering or embroidery designs added to the wool shapes. And the marking itself is difficult because it has that fuzzy nap!

I'm going to show you the technique I came up with to mark letters onto wool. And I am offering my pattern "Love Note" to you for free so that you can practice using this technique. Enjoy! The free download for my pattern can be found at the end of this tutorial.

 Here is what you will need to start:

1. You will need an embroidery hoop in a size which is slightly bigger than the applique piece you will be tracing. You will also need nylon tulle (like the kind used in wedding veils). Cut the tulle 2" larger than your hoop. For my example I am using a 4" hoop and a 6" square of tulle. You will need a Black Sharpie fine point for tracing onto the tulle, and a Pigma Micron 02 archival ink pen for marking onto the wool.

2. To begin, place the tulle in the embroidery hoop so that it is stretched taut. Place the hoop and tulle flat side down over your paper pattern and trace over the outline of the shape and the letters directly onto the tulle using the Black Sharpie pen.

3. This photo shows the tracing on the tulle.

4. Now place your marked hoop and tulle over the wool shape.

5. Trace the letters using a Pigma pen, using an up and down motion, creating a series of dots on the wool.

6. Here is the wool piece showing the marking. Stitch over the marks with embroidery thread.

To download a Printable PDF with instructions to make "Love Note" CLICK HERE