Clay's Choice Block ReMix Challenge - Sneak Peek #2

It's time for Sneak Peek #2 of my Clay's Choice Block.   

I am really like some parts of the version that I came up with last week for Sneak Peek #1.  If you missed it, here is the link.  However those elongated star blades ....  they just weren't doing anything for me so I knew I needed to re-mix them.  

Lately, I've been in a design kick about rectangle blocks.  They aren't any more difficult to make than square blocks and they add a fun design element to the quilt.  So my first step was to resize the block into a rectangle.  I liked the overall look but I knew immediately that those elongated stars were just a bit too much!

My next step was to tame down those star points.  I wanted to keep as much symmetry as possible in the center section, so I made them smaller and really liked that option.  Now there is greater balance between the oversized corner squares and the center of the block. 

I also like to go ahead and do a quilt layout as I'm designing just to see what secondary pattern emerge and this one turned out really cool - but you will have to wait til next week's reveal to see it! 

I truly love the opportunity to play and experiment with different blocks as part of the REMIX challenge.  Each month we independently re-design the same block and it's always fun to see how each designer interprets the challenge. 

On Mondays, the participating designers share about the challenge on their Instagram feeds.  Some of us are adding other social media too.   If you don't already follow me on Instagram, I'm @masterpiecequilting 

Here is the list of Instagram handles of the participating designers. 

@tamarinis

@katecollerandesigns

@appliques.quilts.and.more

@patchworkbreeze

@masterpiecequilting

@dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

@blueskycrafter

@shout4joyquilter

@deb.quiltblox

@crafttowardsjoy

@megschoicepatterns

@sue_duckcreekquilting

@southwind_quilts

@quiltberryhill_designs

@sjmax105

An easy way to find the posts is using the following hashtags.  Just type them into the search box and the posts will show up. 

Hashtags:

#ClaysChoiceblockchallenge

#ClaysChoicequiltblock

#morethanjustablockchallenge

#designerblockchallenge

#Octoberblockchallenge

#Octoberdesignerblockchallenge

#quiltblockremixchallenge

#quilt

#quilts

#quiltdesigner

#quiltblock

#quiltblocks

I can't wait to see what everyone is sharing this week and I hope that you will take a look too! Be sure to follow each of the designers so you don't miss their posts during this fun challenge.

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

Clay's Choice Block ReMix Challenge - Sneak Peek #1

It's time for Sneak Peek #1 of my Clay's Choice Block.   

I'll be honest, this one was a bit more challenging that some.  Maybe it's because I haven't done the challenge for a few month but it took a bit of thinking and playing to come up with some variations that I liked.  And this is a good thing - because looking outside the box is where all the really cool ideas live :) 

As I thought about the possibilities for this block, I wanted to keep the center star as the focal point so I started playing with it first.  I experimented with elongating the star and found a happy medium between a pudgy diamond and a too skinny diamond with this version.  Don't ask how I'm piecing those wedges, I honestly don't have that part figured out yet!  I'm just playing with design ideas :)   

I also adjusted the proportions of the block.  It's still essentially a nine patch but the corners are larger than the other pieces.  At first I didn't like it but now it's starting to grow on me!  

I truly love the opportunity to play and experiment with different blocks as part of the REMIX challenge.  Each month we independently re-design the same block and it's always fun to see how each designer interprets the challenge. 

On Mondays, the participating designers share about the challenge on their Instagram feeds.  Some of us are adding other social media too.   If you don't already follow me on Instagram, I'm @masterpiecequilting 

Here is the list of Instagram handles of the participating designers.  Each of us are sharing our fabric pulls this week.   

@tamarinis

@katecollerandesigns

@appliques.quilts.and.more

@patchworkbreeze

@masterpiecequilting

@dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

@blueskycrafter

@shout4joyquilter

@deb.quiltblox

@crafttowardsjoy

@megschoicepatterns

@sue_duckcreekquilting

@southwind_quilts

@quiltberryhill_designs

@sjmax105

An easy way to find the posts is using the following hashtags.  Just type them into the search box and the posts will show up. 

Hashtags:

#ClaysChoiceblockchallenge

#ClaysChoicequiltblock

#morethanjustablockchallenge

#designerblockchallenge

#Octoberblockchallenge

#Octoberdesignerblockchallenge

#quiltblockremixchallenge

#quilt

#quilts

#quiltdesigner

#quiltblock

#quiltblocks

I can't wait to see what everyone is sharing this week and I hope that you will take a look too! Be sure to follow each of the designers so you don't miss their posts during this fun challenge.

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

Paisley Strip Star featuring the Paisley Got Mod collection

I am super excited to share this quilt with you.  It's been on quite the journey from original design inspiration to what you see here.   The block design started over a year ago as part of the Block Re-Mix Challenge.  Here's a link to the post from September 2021 that shows how it started. 

I liked the original version so much that I re-imaged it and submitted it to Island Batik to showcase the Paisley Got Mod collection by Kate Colleran of Kate Colleran designs.  And a year later, here is Paisley Strip Star! 

I absolutely love the way it looks and all the secondary patterns that emerge with the fabric placement. This week I'm excited to be part of the design group who is celebrating the Paisley Got Mod collection with Kate.   Each designer is sharing one of their patterns using this stunning collection. 

  

All day today (October 5, 2022) hop over to Instagram and check out the posts from these participating designers. 

@katecollerandesigns

@island_batik

@masterpiecequilting

@tamarinis

@megschoicepatterns

@southwind_quilts

@poorhousequilts

@debbiewendtquilting

@dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

@coloradocreationsquilting

And if you are loving the Paisley Got Mod fabric collection as much as I do, be sure to head to Kate's blog post for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle.  She is giving away 2 of them and I'd love for you to be the lucky winner! 

Here is the link to her blog post for all the details. 

And yes I do have patterns for Paisley Strip Star available for your shopping pleasure. 

Purchase PDF Pattern for immediate digital download

Purchase Print Pattern with shipping included

And if you follow me on social media, you already know that Ruby, my Corgi, has given this quilt her "paw of approval"!  :) 

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

Quick Quilt Bundle - Gallery of Quilts

If you haven't heard of the Quick Quilts & Project Pattern Bundle, you will want to pay attention. This is the bundle that you don't want to miss out on.  

20 patterns for $19 - what a steal! 

Buy Now Link

Here's the list of participating designers included in the bundle. 

Becky - Patchwork Posse / Garden Path

Mary - Made by Marney / Gnome-Made Aprons

Claudia - Create with Claudia / Churning Up a Storm

Raija - Quilters Treasure Chest / Easy Lane

Deb - Quiltblox / Block by Block

Michelle - From Bolt to Beauty / Pretty in Pluses

Swan - Swan Amity / Fox Love

Pamela - Pamela Quilts / Lovers Kiss

Kirsty - Bonjour Quilts / Triangle Falls

Phoebe - Phoebe Moon Designs / Pumpkin Spice

Yvonne - Quilting Jetgirl  / Mirage

Cheryl - Meadow Mist Designs / Scrappy Tiles

Christina - Sweet Potato Quilts / X My Heart

Leanne - Devoted Quilter / Zoomed In

Carolina - Always Expect Moore / Happy Rainbow - mini quilt

Raylee - SunFlower Quilt n Stitch / Sea Bound Friends

Nancy - Masterpiece Quilting / Peacock Proud

Heather - the Sewing Loft / Poppy Seed

Manon - Mom and Me Quilting Co. / Double Delight

Laura - Orange Blossom Quilts / Grove

Absolutely, I want this bundle - Buy Now Link

And here are the gorgeous quilts and projects included in the bundle!

See what I mean .... you do not want to miss out on this amazing bundle!

Get yours today! Using this Link

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

Clay's Choice Block ReMix Challenge - Fabric Pull

After a super busy summer, I'm excited to back in the loop for the Block ReMix Challenge.  This month the designers are working with the Clay's Choice block.  This traditional favorite will be so much fun to re-design.  If you aren't familiar with it, here is what the block looks like. 

For my fabric pull, I'm using Northcott Canvas tonals so the focus of the block is on the design not on the fabric.  Since it's October I'm using a autumn inspired combination of burnt orange and olive green paired with an off-white.  

If you want to learn more about the process I used to select fabrics for this block, I've compiled a Tips & Tricks for Selecting Fabrics for a 3-Fabric Block Pattern download.  It's completely free and perfect for quilters who want to gain confidence in selecting fabric.   Click HERE to access the download.  

I truly love the opportunity to play and experiment with different blocks as part of the REMIX challenge.  Each month we independently re-design the same block and it's always fun to see how each designer interprets the challenge. 

On Mondays, the participating designers share about the challenge on their Instagram feeds.  Some of us are adding other social media too.   If you don't already follow me on Instagram, I'm @masterpiecequilting 

Here is the list of Instagram handles of the participating designers.  Each of us are sharing our fabric pulls this week.   

@tamarinis

@katecollerandesigns

@appliques.quilts.and.more

@patchworkbreeze

@masterpiecequilting

@dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

@blueskycrafter

@shout4joyquilter

@deb.quiltblox

@crafttowardsjoy

@megschoicepatterns

@sue_duckcreekquilting

@southwind_quilts

@quiltberryhill_designs

@sjmax105

An easy way to find the posts is using the following hashtags.  Just type them into the search box and the posts will show up. 

Hashtags:

#ClaysChoiceblockchallenge

#ClaysChoicequiltblock

#morethanjustablockchallenge

#designerblockchallenge

#Octoberblockchallenge

#Octoberdesignerblockchallenge

#quiltblockremixchallenge

#quilt

#quilts

#quiltdesigner

#quiltblock

#quiltblocks

I can't wait to see what everyone is sharing this week and I hope that you will take a look too! Be sure to follow each of the designers so you don't miss their posts during this fun challenge.

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

Checkerboard Dresden in the October issue of The Quilt Pattern Magazine

Is your fall decorating in full swing?  

I'm slowly working on the transition from summer to fall decor and I am so excited to finally share my Checkerboard Dresden design with you.  It's one of my new fall favorites and one of the first pieces I got out.

 

The pattern for Checkerboard Dresden is in the October issue of The Quilt Pattern Magazine.  If you aren't already a subscriber, what are you waiting for?  The Quilt Pattern Magazine always has some of the most beautiful, well-written patterns and is very affordable.  As a designer for them, I'm inviting you to subscribe and even have a special coupon code for you to use! 

Click here to go directly to the subscription page and the secret code is: MASTER

This will allow you to access the special pricing option.  :) 

Checkerboard Dresden does double duty and can work in your decor as either a wall hanging or as a table toppper. 

The colors are perfect for the transition from summer to fall.  I love that it's still light and bright but the orange pairs well with pumpkins, gourds and mums. 

I can't wait to see the version of Checkerboard Dresdens that you make.  Be sure to tag me @masterpiecequilting in any social media posts.  

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me. 

 

Summer Scrap Elimination Tour featuring the Summer Cabins quilt

I'm super excited to be part of the Summer Scrap Elimination 2022 Tour.  

In case we haven't met, I'm Nancy of Masterpiece Quilting.  I'm a quilt pattern designer, author and online class instructor.  You can learn more about me at www.masterpiecequilting.com or check out my online classes at www.learnfromnancy.com

If you are like me, I'm working on projects all year long and try to keep the studio tidy by plopping all my leftover fabric from one project into a big ole tote with all the other leftover fabrics from other projects.  Well after a while, that tote starts overflowing and it's time to eliminate some of them! 

This is exactly what happened when I designed my Summer Cabins quilt.  I needed a fast and easy quilt to bust through a whole bunch of bright stash fabric.  

While Summer Cabins may look complex, it's really easy to make and you can easily make it larger or smaller to meet your needs by adding or subtracting blocks / rows. 

Here are the materials needed to make the same size (45" x 68") quilt that I did. 

• Total of 2-1/2 yards of assorted bright fabric scraps
• 1-3/4 yards navy solid (or anyother color you prefer)
• 3 yards of 40”-wide backing
• Batting to size
• Basic sewing supplies & quilting tools

 

Let's start with the cutting instructions.  This is for the entire quilt as shown. 

From bright fabrics

• Cut 13 (2-1/2” x 4-1/2”) A rectangles
• Cut 26 (2-1/2” x 6-1/2”) F / G strips
• Cut 26 (2-1/2” x 8-1/2”) H / I strips
• Cut 26 (2-1/2” x 12-1/2”) N / O strips
• Cut 26 (2-1/2” x 14-1/2”) P / Q strips

From navy solid

• Cut 13 (1-1/2” x 3-1/2”) C strips
• Cut 26 (1-1/2” x 4-1/2”) B / E strips
• Cut 13 (1-1/2” x 5-1/2”) D strips
• Cut 13 (1-1/2” x 9-1/2”) K strips
• Cut 26 (1-1/2” x 10-1/2”) J / M strips
• Cut 13 (1-1/2” x 11-1/2”) L strips
• Cut 6 (2-1/2” x WOF) binding strips
• Cut 8 (1-1/2” x WOF) strips; subcut into 10 (1-1/2” x 14-1/2”) R short sash strips and 2 (1-1/2” x 68-1/2”) long S sash strips

Each block finishes at 14" x 16" and I made a total of 13 of them.  For the partial blocks, I just cut them off even with the other two rows when I assembled them.  

Block Assembly

1. Stitch a B strip on the left side of an A rectangle as shown; press toward B. 

 2. Join a C strip across the bottom; press.  Continue adding D and E strips in alphabetical order around the A rectangle to complete Round 1; pressing after each new strip is added.  Trim and square unit, if needed to measure 4-1/2” x 6-1/2”.

 

3. Join F, G, H and I strips in alphabetical order to the unit completed in Step 2 to complete Round 2, pressing after each new strip is added.  Trim and square unit, if needed, to measure 8-1/2” x 10-1/2”.

 

4. Join J, K, L and M strips in alphabetical order to the unit completed in Step 3 to complete Round 3, pressing after each new strips is added. Trim and square unit, if needed, to measure 10-1/2” x 12-1/2”.

 

5. Join N, O, P and Q strips in alphabetical order to unit completed in Step 4 to complete one block; pressing after each new strip is added. Trim and square block, if needed, to measure 14-1/2” x 16-1/2”.

 

6. Repeat steps 1 – 5 to make a total of 13 blocks.

 

Assembling the Quilt

1. Referring to the Assembly Diagram on the next page, alternately join four blocks and three R strips to make a short side row; press.  Repeat to make two short side rows.  I rotated the blocks to create a secondary pattern within the rows, but you can arrange them in any fashion.

2. Alternately join five blocks and four R strips to make a long center row; press.

3. Center and arrange the three rows as shown with an S sashing strip between rows.   Sew rows and sashing strips together to complete the quilt top; press.  Trim excess from each end of the long center row to make it even with the short rows. 

For your convenience, I do have the instructions assembled as a PDF digital download.  Here is the link to get them sent to you for free. 

Yes, I want the Summer Cabins pattern

Be sure to follow all the designers who are participating in the Summer Scrap Elimination 2022 Tour.   

@swanamity

@dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

@devotedquilter

@masterpiecequilting

@tamarinis

@shout4joyquilter

@patchworkbreeze

@megschoicepatterns

@ sue_duckcreekquilting

@debbiewendtquilting

@orangeblossomquilt

If you would like to see more of my patterns, tips and techniques delivered weekly to your inbox, be sure to sign up for my weekly Masterpiece Quilting Studio News email.  It's free of charge and I promise your email is safe with me.