Happy 4th Of July 2020

I hope you have a safe & happy 4th of July!
Just Keep Sewing…
Susan

Quarantiny Quilt Assembly Progress

Yesterday I finally sat to assemble my

Quarantiny Sew-Along Quilt

that has been hanging out on my design wall for a while.

I’m glad that I was able to let it percolate

while I spent a lot of time preparing for virtual Spring Quilt Market

which also involved having a brand new website built.

While it was hanging out on my design wall

I realized the best way to sew the tiny 3″ blocks together

was not by sewing them into rows,

but instead by sewing them into blocks.

So, yesterday that’s what I did.

16 tiny blocks at a time I assembled the quilt.

This June Tailor Cut ‘n Press worked great transporting the blocks

to my sewing machine so I didn’t get them out of order.

Something else I discovered while watching this hang out

on my design wall for so long is that since there was such variety in the blocks,

some 4-patch, some 9-patch yet others not equidistant blocks at all,

many of the seams didn’t line up with the neighboring blocks

which made it SO MUCH EASIER to sew them together!

When I discovered this back in May,

I contemplated rearranging the blocks so no 2 blocks’

seams would line up (can you spell O.C.D.???)

but I decided against that crazy idea!

As it turned out,

very few of the blocks’ seams lined up anyway.

 

I so enjoyed sewing the blocks together!

I put in my new DVD of

 

If you know me at all, you know that I love this version too

& have watched it at least 100 times!

OK watched may not be the correct word, more like listened to.

Anyway, soon the 128 tiny 3″ blocks were assembled

into 8 blocks ready to be sewn around my cute sewing machine!

I’m excited & a bit sad that the top is finished & ready to be quilted!

 

This is the first time that I clipped seam allowances to help the seams lie flatter.

Have you ever done this?

You clip on either side of bulky seams

so the seam kind of flip flops directions

in the middle of a seam instead of being pressed all one way or open.

Clip almost, but not quite to the stitches of the seam.

I figured this would not be washed so it should be OK.

It sure makes the bulky seams lie flat!

Look how nice the back looks!

This was so much fun.

Thanks to all of you who sewed along with me!

You can see how others made their Quarantiny quilts on my Facebook group

Sewing With Susan by clicking here.

I’m excited to have it quilted & then to bind it.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Final New Christmas Pattern; Merry Christmas

Today’s new pattern is

Merry Christmas!

This will make a perfect size pillow as well as a quilt.

Just one Mini Dresden plate,

2 Tiny Dresden plates

& a bit of fusible web appliqué.

This is a great pattern to start with

if you’ve never made a Dresden plate before.

The pattern includes paper templates,

but my plastic templates make the cutting quicker & more accurate.

You can find the templates by clicking here.

You can find Merry Christmas on my new website by clicking here.

Also available as PDF for instant download here.

I hope you’ve been inspired to start your Christmas sewing now!

It’s never too early to start!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Another New Christmas Pattern; Christmas Pines

Today’s new pattern is, Quilt-as-you-go,

Christmas Pines .

This is proving to be one of the most popular of my new patterns.

Everyone likes quick & easy.

This is both of those!

You can truly make all of these in just 1 day.

If you purchase the PDF you can do that today!

 

You can find Christmas Pines on my new website by clicking here.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Another New Christmas Pattern; Dresden Town Square

Today’s new pattern is Dresden Town Square.

It has a lot of the same blocks as my Dresden Village quilt;

new last fall.

I sometimes forget that not everyone is as excited

to be challenged by a quilt like I am.

So, if you like my cute little house blocks & my little Dresden plates,

perhaps you’d like to start with this little cutie.

The hardest part of this quilt is the fabric choices…

It uses my Tiny & Mini Dresden templates

for the Dresden plates.

After that just few little houses & it’s done!

It’s a cute little quilt that you can experiment

with making just a few little Dresden plates & not be overwhelmed.

You can find Dresden Town Square on my new website by clicking here.

The templates can be found by clicking here.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Happy (Dresden) Flag Day 2020!

I hope your Flag Day is a beautiful as ours.

The weather here couldn’t be more perfect!

Perhaps you need a new flag for this day

& the other patriotic days to come.

I have an entire page dedicated to patriotic

quilt patterns on my new website here.

I have lots of “flag” & patriotic patterns.

Some have little Dresden plates,

some are quilt-as-you-go

Some are both!

All of them are fun to make!

Quilts of all shapes & sizes really.

Check them out on my brand new website.

Just Keep Sewing… flags!

Susan

Another New Christmas Pattern; Tiny Tree Runner

Today’s pattern is another new pattern

that uses my new Tiny Tree Template Set.

Meet Tiny Tree Runner.

I used my newest Christmas “collection” mostly Moda,

but with some added backgrounds

and a couple extra blacks…

I just have to make it “perfect”!

Cutting was done in a flash with my new template set.

I said it before I know, but I LOVE cutting around these templates

to make tiny trees & you will too!

I used a new cutter to cut apart my chain piecing.

Pretty handy tool.

Chain piecing makes these blocks super quick to assemble.

After finishing the trees,

make just 2 Tiny Dresden plates & you’re set!

Tiny Tree Runner is now available on my new website here.

Both printed & PDF versions are available for those of you

that can’t wait to get started today.

 

And my new Tiny Tree Template Sets are found by clicking here.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Another New Christmas Pattern; Through The Pines

Are you familiar with my quilt-as-you-go patterns?

They’re popular because they are quick & easy

& you don’t have to figure out how to quilt them

or pay someone else to do it.

Meet Through The Pines.

This is a lap quilt that incorporates my new Tiny Tree Template Set.

(Shown here on my awesome tiniest cupboard.)

I LOVE cutting around these templates to make tiny trees

& you will too!

Just make the tree blocks,

sew them between some red & cream strips,

then sew the strips onto the foundation.

Sew the binding to the quilt & it’s finished!

As with all of my quilt-as-you-go patterns,

I only recommend Warm & Natural Cotton Batting

& of course a walking foot.

I designed this before we had our retreat at Rosemary’s back in January.

I hadn’t planned to sew on it then & there but

Rosemary had the perfect red fabric &

I was excited to make the tree blocks so it just happened.

This is the stack of strips ready to sew to the foundation that was awaiting me at home…

All dressed up & nowhere to go!

The smaller stack of cream strips are part

of another pattern that I’ll show you soon.

The stack of Tiny Dresden plates are in that same exact state,

still waiting for what will happen to them next.

I was so excited to see how the quilt was going to look

that I laid out the finished strips on Rosemary’s design floor (lol) without the foundation.

You’re going to love making this one too!

It’ll look good in any color fabrics, not just Christmas.

Through The Pines is now available on my new website here.

And my new Tiny Tree Template Sets are found by clicking here.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Another New Christmas Pattern; JOY

How about a smaller new pattern you ask?

JOY is my smallest new pattern.

This is just as quick & easy as my popular BOO quilt.

 I made another version of the BOO quilt into an even cuter pillow.

So how could I resist making a pillow with JOY?

The Christmas get-together that I organized for my awesome pattern testers

was a sew day with this newly written pattern back in early December.

I transformed our garage into a workshop

complete with a sewing station for each of us.

Yes I have that many working Bernina

& Featherweight machines, tables & chairs…

I furnished all the supplies needed, they just showed up to have fun.

Too bad I don’t seem to have a photo of the completed JOY quilts!

I enjoyed seeing the different fabric choices they each made.

I sewed mine in late February after all my other new samples were complete.

I made 2 so I could have a quilt and a pillow.

I like to use Sulky 12 wt. cotton thread for the fusible web appliqué stitch.

I love how it outlines the appliqué shapes.

The hardest part was deciding what fabric to use for the Tiny Dresden plates.

So cute & so fun!

Trust me!

And guess what?

JOY is now available on my new website here.

Keep Sewing…

Susan

 

Another New Christmas Pattern; 12 Days of Christmas

Today I want to show you another of my new Christmas patterns.

12 Days of Christmas.

Do you remember when I introduced this as a mystery quilt back in December?

Many of you had fun making this quilt (or pillow) with me.

Others asked about a pattern for it, so here it is!

Each day for 12 days we cut fabric

to make a tiny 3″ block

or make another part of this quilt.

I show you lots of tips & tricks for making each little block

plus share some of my favorite tools.

It’s so much fun!

Now it’s completed

& my second quilt turned into a pillow.

My very talented pattern testers for 12 Days of Christmas were

Heather & her daughter, Kayla.

Thanks to them every detail in this pattern is perfect for you!

Check out their blogs to see what else they’re up to.

You can now find this pattern on my very new website.

I also want to mention that I’m offering this

& many other of my patterns in PDF version.

You can purchase it & start sewing today!

You also have my blog to refer to at with every step with this adorable little quilt.

12 Days of Christmas is perfect displayed on the Ackfeld 12″ hanger.

It’s also available on my website today.

Are you now in the mood to start your Christmas sewing?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan