One of our Virtual Quilters members, Jeanne, recommended this video to share with the rest of the quilters.  Thanks Jeanne!

This interview was very moving, and it is well worth a few minutes to watch it!

I found versions of this quilt pattern all over the internet.  Good reason, it looks good in almost any color and is relatively easy to make. 
​The first video, from Shabby Fabrics uses 5 inch charms.  She also gives some good tips on useful tools and rulers.  The half-square-triangles are made one at a time, but she does chain piece them to save time.

This video from Sew Very Easy uses fat quarters to make 8 half-square-triangles at a time. 

This video by Jenny Doan at Missouri Star Quilt Company uses 10-inch Layer cake and makes half-square triangles 4 at a time.

I love to research and the internet is my favorite place to explore.  Recently, I found a very cute quilt kit that was perfect for Spring.  The pattern was pretty simple and I thought I might want to just draft it out myself.  Done.  Then I just kept going.  I found it under several names, lots of colors, and each one was fantastic. The pattern comes in 3 versions:  Using 5 inch charms, 10 inch layer cakes,  or 2-1/2 inch mini charms.  Each one results in a different size project, of course.  What a nice way to use up some of the pre-cuts in your stash.  Add some borders and you can have some fun there too.
Best yet, I located a video on YouTube showing how to make the quilt by one of my favorites, Donna Jordon from Jordan fabrics.  They also offered a free pattern download from Moda.  See details below.
So I decided it was a "classic" to keep and should share it with all our virtual quilters.  So below, you will find the results of my fun adventure!
​    -Ann

Here are a few of my favorite choices for fabrics.  If you want to find more, go to Pinterest.com and search "Moda Love Quilt."  You will be amazed at how many beautiful suggestions there are.

I needed a bigger design wall, and so I went to the internet to research for an easy solution.  I wanted to be able to move it around, but still be big enough to be useful.  I wasn't too hopeful, but of course someone had figured it out already and shared it on the internet.  My go-to for this type of research is Pinterest or You Tube.  Pinterest is popular for blog posts, and You Tube is nice for a video tutorial.  I combined a couple of different solutions I found, but they were pretty similar...   Make sure to read the tips below & then Click here to read the article by Quilter Krista Moser.
A few of my tips to add to the article
   1.  Buy an 2 inch thick insulation board at a home improvement store like Lowe's or Home Depot. I found it in the lumber department. They make them thinner than 2 inches, but you want this to be sturdy when you move it around.  The core is styrofoam so they are extremely light weight. It bet the one I bought weighed less than 5 pounds!
  2. They are big, usually 4 feet wide by 8 feet tall. If you don't have a vehicle big enough to get it home, you can have it delivered (expensive), ask a friend for help, or if you don't need it that big, you can easily cut it with a serrated blade knife when you load it in your car.
   3.  I did this part differently: I used low loft batting to cover mine, and secured it on the back with duct tape. This was recommended on another site, and I am happy with the results. You can also use flannel.  
   4. I also put duct tape along the bottom.  Since I am going to move it and lean it against walls, that will protect it from excessive wear.
   5.  Another quilter shared with me that she cut her insulation board to 4 foot x 4 foot.  She placed it on her table behind her sewing machine, and lean it against the wall.  She reports it is a good size to travel with to retreats or classes.
        -Ann
   

I absolutely love this little bag.  It is made with jelly roll strips, you get to do some basic or advanced free motion quilting on it, and I can think of so many uses for it.  It would hold craft projects on the go, be a wonderful gift for a friend, and even make a nice bag for kids to hold their toys.  Enjoy!
​Ann
PS - Here is a link to download her instructions from her website.  Click here

A big thank you to Mary Ann for sharing this video from Shabby Fabrics with us.  It really is a clever way to make a panel into an Attics Window quilt.  It really doesn't get any easier than this!  -Ann

I know Easter is only a week away, but this fun project is quick and there is enough time to get it made to decorate. In this case, it is an adorable pillow with easter eggs made from your scraps.  Trapunto stuffing gives it some extra dimension. 
Anyway, here is a photo of the finished Easter pillow project, and use this link to see the complete instructions from Krista Moser: Click Here

I love finding creative uses for my precious fabric scraps from other quilting projects, and I love tools that make my quilts and creative projects easier.  I recently ordered a Creative Grids template set that makes 6 inch blocks.  It can be made scrappy, or with the fabric of your choice.
The first video below shows how Laurie from SewVeryEasy uses the templates for a scrappy quilt and stores the fabric while collecting enough scraps for the quilt.  The other video is the from Creative Grids, and the designer of this 4-part template set. The video shows completed quilts with a variety of designs, all made with the template set.
    -Ann

Direct links to these two videos on You Tube:
SewVeryEasy  Click Here     
Creative Grids   Click Here

I loved this clear tutorial on how to quilt your quilt!  She shows each step, with lots of tips to be a success.  Even though I love to free motion quilt myself,  plan to use this technique for community quilts or possible a gift quilt that needs to get done quickly.  A nice tool to have in your back pocket!
If you would like to see this or some of her other videos on You Tube Click here

The conversation in our Quilting Group is always interesting and varied, and this morning's group brought up the van Gogh exhibit coming to San Francisco later this month.  A little like small children at play, we decided to share the Zoom screen and watch a video of the exhibit when it was in Paris last year.  We thought everyone would enjoy it, so here you go...

Article from the blog of Krista Moser.  To see her original post, Click Here
Have you ever wanted to try facing a quilt instead of binding it? This works well for artsy style quilts that are going to be on display. There are a few good methods for doing facing instead of binding, and I thought I would show you my favorite method... the mitered way!
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO SEE A LARGER IMAGE​

This block looks more complicated than it is.  Thanks to clever assembly and cutting, you can make these beautiful blocks quickly and easily. Please click on any photo to see a larger image.

This article is from a blog post at ConnieKresin.com. She has many other helpful tutorials.  If you would like to see her post for this technique on her blog,   Click Here

I thought I would share this fun and quick quilt pattern.  I can already think of other sizes and color choices to make this.  Small changes would make it jelly roll friendly, and scrappy would be fun too.  What would you make with this technique?
To see the original post and other cute projects they offer, see Cluck Cluck Sew   Click here

This virtual quilt tour was on You Tube during the 2020 Pandemic.  The exhibit was at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas and it features contemporary quilts from International Competitions, including our cherished Houston Quilt Show.

There are four videos to the series, but I clipped just the quilt slide portion to share here.  I bet you will watch it, and then watch it again!   You can also watch the full 4 part video series on You Tube.  Click Here

I have been researching to figure out the best way to store my fabric scraps.  They are piling up quickly, and I want to use them if I can. My first big find was that many quilters pre-cut their scraps into usable strips or squares.  Sounds great, but I am still trying lots of new things and wasn't sure what sizes to cut them.  Then I found a helpful blog post on "The Voice of Quilting" by Pat Sloan. 

She had gone through similar research to mine, and took it one step further and researched what would be used most often in quilt patterns. She came up with the following list for herself:

• 2" squares
• 2.5" squares
• 3.5" squares
• 5" squares 
• 2.5" wide strips (like jelly rolls)

What qualifies as scraps?  That varies from quilter to quilter, but may also vary depending on how much you still love the fabric.  I have found it interesting how even "ugly" fabrics often look good if cut into small enough squares!
The size you choose depends on the size of the scrap you have to work with.  Of course, if you have the time you can also take smaller scraps and sew them together to make a scrappy square in the sizes listed above.  The uniform sizes store easily in shoe box size containers, and take surprising less room to store than the raw scraps.  Win-win.   

I hope my research project helps you too.  If you have found any other pearls of wisdom on this topic, please comment and share your ideas!
Ann

TSW (Technique Sharing Workshop)
Years ago I took a series of classes on wearable art, which used many quilting techniques to create clothing.  One of my favorite techniques was randomly piecing fabric until it was big enough to make something out of the "created" fabric.  I recently found this post and it reminded me of how I loved doing this, and gave me a good way to use scraps to create a quilt.
​Ann Nolen

The options are endless, of course.  Look at these photos to see how this quilter sewed strips and used a square template to create a block.

I invite our members to come to our usual Casual Quilting Group this Monday (January 4th) to work on it together.
I already loved the whimsical applique pattern from Colourwerx.  In fact, I was planning to buy the pattern online and have since done that.  This video shows another technique "Stitch and Flip" to have some fun with this pattern, or actually any silhouette design that interests you. I love this this YouTube video by "On-Point TV and Quilting by Nancy." Watch here or go direct to You Tube at   Click Here.
Check it out, give it a try!  

Some of our members tried the technique during our Zoom Quilting Group.

I have fostered bottle-fed kittens for the Humane Society for the last 6-7 years.  I wanted to share this video I made for my quilting friends as a "Christmas Card."  All the photos are former foster kittens of mine, and what a cute bunch they are!
Merry Kittens Everyone!  
​Ann