Free Patterns!

Hello Friends!

There are 2 new free patterns available on Amy Butler's website!

Enjoy!

"I Spy" a Quilt on Taloulabelle's Long Arm!

The lastest creation to pass under my needle and thread is a fun "I Spy" quilt!! It's a small lap size with a unique setting layout. The blocks appear to be staggered within the setting.


Laura, the quilter from Des Moines, chose yellow background fabric for the sashing. The blocks are a variety of juvenile prints that will provide hours of "spying" new things. The backing fabric is a print with fish, bugs, globes, flowers ... anything you can think of is there for spying fun.



I chose an all over loop and star design using bright yellow thread. I thought the star would add an added item to search for! I charge 1 1/2 cents per square inch to stitch this design on your quilt
.

I met Laura when I was working at a quilt shop in Des Moines. She showed me the ropes as a new employee. It's been a pleasure to work on Laura's quilts and an honor to call her my friend.

Until next time ... Make every day an adventure in fabric and thread!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and a Very Happy Boy!

Here are a few pictures of a quilt I made for my son, the very happy little boy! I had the good fortune of attending a quilt retreat in October 2008 so he wasn't able to see me making his quilt. The retreat was hosted by the owner of Adel Quilting & Dry Goods.

The fabric I used for the quilt top is from Andover's The Very Hungry Caterpillar line. The pattern I used is called Bits n Pieces from a Colorado-based company, Mountainpeek Creations (http://www.mountainpeekcreations.com/).

Jenni "worked her magic" and long armed a leaf design* to go with the theme of the Eric Carle book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I'm thrilled with the results!

That same weekend, my sister Jenni and I also worked on a body pillow using a fabric panel. Jenni had the fabric quilted and ready to go when I arrived at her house. We just had to trim the panel to fit the pillow and add the backing fabric for a pillow case! It turned out really cute! It was a great way to use a fabric panel.

Now, my little guy has a fun quilt set to use on movie night!

Thanks Jenni for all of your hard work on this set! He loves it!

*Contact Jenni for more information and pricing on this particular long arm design.

Turning 20 with Faded Memories

A new quilt is loaded on Taloulabelle's long arm. I love the process of selecting the thread color and deciding the stitching design. It's a challenge to determine what is going to compliment the quilt and the quilter. I want my work to blend with the work of the quilter and to bring out a new facet of the design.

This pattern is Turning 20! It is an amazingly simple pattern. It's fun to piece from a variety of fat quarters. Whether you chose a line of fabric or allow yourself the freedom to mix and match fabrics, the quilt will be fabulous. This is a terrific pattern to raid your stash with. It's easily enlarged by adding borders or increasing the number of fat quarters; try 30 or 42!

Check out the other patterns being offered in the Turning 20 series. You will not be disappointed.

Barb, from Des Moines, Iowa, chose a line called Faded Memories from Moda. It is a soft, delicate line that makes this quilt look very old fashioned yet has a splash of comtempory design tossed in to a few of the pieces in the line.

I chose an all over floral stitching design using light yellow thread. I call this pattern Greta's Garden. I charge 1 1/2 cents per square inch to stitch this design on your quilt.

Until next time ... Make every day an adventure in fabric and thread!

Are you a Fabric Junkie?

It’s a foregone conclusion that once you begin quilting, you become a Fabric Junkie. With that said, there are different categories of fabric junkies. Which type are you?

Casual Accumulator

• You Mapquest your way to new quilt stores.
• You love new fabric lines and can't wait to purchase a few fat quarters to add to your stash.
• You know of a few great on-line fabric stores and you visit the sites on a regular basis.
• Your fabric stash is neatly organized in a few bins. You have charm packs, fat quarters, and some yardage for borders and binding.
  

Potential for a Fat Quarter Frenzy

• You know the quickest routes to all the quilt stores in your area!
• New fabric lines mean an instant "shop hop" to pick up at least a dozen fat quarters of each line.
• On-line fabric stores are bookmarked on your computer, you visit the sites a few times a week, and you receive email updates on new fabric lines and sales.
• Your fabric stash has a great assortment for a variety of projects...charm packs, jelly rolls, fat quarters, half-yard cuts, yardage for borders and binding, layer cakes, and some backing fabric.
  

Off the Deep End of the Bolt

• You could drive to the quilt stores in your sleep!
• You know when new fabric lines are arriving at your favorite quilt stores and you arrive at the quilt store as soon as they open. You buy at least one fat quarter from every new bolt of fabric.
• On-line fabric stores are bookmarked on your computer, you are on their sales alert mailing list, you check the sites daily for bargains, and request gift certificates for Christmas and birthday gifts. (When you order a gift certificate for a friend, you pick up a few things for yourself too!)
• Okay, you have enough fabric to open your own quilt store! You own charm packs, jelly rolls, fat quarters, half-yard and full-yard cuts, plenty of yardage of your favorite fabrics, border and binding fabrics, layer cakes, backing fabric for multiple quilts, AND all of the latest pre-cuts (Moda Honey Buns, Moda Turnovers). You might even have a full bolt of fabric in your stash! Your fabric is no longer confined to a few bins or even a spare closet. It is taking over an entire room of your house! AND, you don't need a reason to buy more fabric.
  

If you’ve gone off the deep end of the bolt, let's get together for a Shop Hop!

Free Pattern

Here's a fun quilt using Moda's new fabric line Swanky by Chez Moi!

The provided link takes you to Hancock's of Paducah's website where you can download the pattern for free!

http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/Item--i-M-PS-16030

One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish

A new quilt is loaded on Taloulabelle's long arm. I keep thinking of Dr. Seuss ... One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue fish ... Pieced Fish Quilted Fish!

The pattern is employing a technqiue of cutting strip sets into triangles and pairing with the background to form FISH!!! The finished blocks are set on point with sashing strips.

Mary chose a wonderful assortment of colorful prints to form the fish and set them with a sea blue background. Her border and backing is a fun pattern with fish and sharks. How perfectly perfect!

I decided my quilting design needed to make the fish appear to be swimming under water. It's a swirl pattern that mimics ocean waves. I selected a light blue thread to blend with the blue background yet provide a subtle contrast.

I charge 1 1/2 cents per square inch to stitch this design on your quilt!


Mary is a dear friend and a faithful customer. She has pieced quilts for all of her grandchildren. Now that they each have been blessed with a quilt, she's sharing her gifts and talents with friends. The fish quilt belongs to a little boy that dines at the same restaurant as Mary and her husband Del.

I'm sure this little boy is going to be enchanted with the quilt!

Until next time ... make every day an adventure in fabric and thread!

FREE QUILT PATTERN

This is a free pattern offered by Art Gallery Fabrics. They have several free patterns on there website... You should definitely go check it out. Click on the picture below to download the free pattern.

What's on Taloulabelle's Long Arm?

Hello!! I’m starting a new feature entitled “What’s on Taloulabelle's long arm?” I’d like to share what I’m working on with you. I’ll provide a brief description of the quilt, fabric, pattern, quilter and my quilting design.

The first quilt I’m featuring is my own! It seems that my quilts are continually shifted to the bottom of the quilt stack. I’m spoiling myself and enjoying every stitch!

The pattern is called “Spice Market” and is featured in the April, 2007 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine from Better Homes and Garden. I used the Shangri La line of fabric from Moda for my quilt. This is an easy and fun quilt to piece! Give it a try! It's fun for every skill level.

The quilting design I chose is one of my favorite all over designs. It’s a fun, flirty flower design. I chose a light blue thread to finish this quilt. It blends very nicely with the blue tonal fabrics and the floral designs. It’s just the right contrast for the darker pieces of the fabric line.


I charge 1½ cents per square inch to stitch this design on your quilt.

Until the next time … make every day an adventure in fabric and thread!