Simply Done
Hi Quilters, I was giving a trunk show a couple of weeks ago and the topic of fabric cutting came up. So, when I started cutting my fabric for a new quilt I thought I’d video it and share the process that I use for cutting my binding and all of my joining-sashing strips from the same length of fabric and, most importantly, why I do it this way. It’s a little on the long side but I hope it has a few tips that might help you.
Marion (from Toronto) sent me pics of her quilt (she used our “Easy to Go Crazy” pattern from Crazy Shorcut Quilts) and her fabric colors are so warm and beautiful! Here’s the note she sent – and I love the ending
I have been quilting for about a year and a half and have made about 50 quilts. Not as big a deal as it sounds. I am retired and I only make small quilts for babies and wheel chair lap quilts. My mother has been a quilter for over 50 years and I never had any interest. Now I am addicted.
I saw a video of yours on youtube and thought this was the answer to my problems with quilting as I would like to make larger quilts.
Attached are photos of my first try (not perfect).
I’ll take gorgeous over ‘not perfect’ any day 🙂
Marion’s Quilt
A peek at the back
Barbara send me a pic of her Jelly Roll Quilt, from the video and the new book – Quilt As You Go {reimagined}, along with this note
Hello Marguerita!
I just wanted you to know that I FINALLY finished my jelly roll quilt. ..(from) last year… lol! Anyway, I wanted to send you the pics of my quilt. I wanted to send a pic of me holding it up, but I’m too *shy* 🙂 Thanks for your time and your book! I have a Kindle Fire now, like you, and want to get your next book as soon as I can!
Take care!
Barbara R
Barbara’s Jelly Roll Quilt
Her own unique design!
Elaine’s Black-White-Red Beauty
Jess’s – with a hint of pink and great border
4 New Quilts – Endless Possibilities
I found a way to hide the joining strips – sashing, in our first book – and I played with the concept until I had 4 quilts made.
Of course, my idea is that there are LOTS of quilts we can make using this new innovation, but I wanted to get it to you now! So, we wrote and published a smaller book {only 78 pages} with just 4 quilts in it, but I’m pretty sure that when you see the quilts, you’ll imagine how you would make yours, using some of our techniques and your own adaptations.
Each of the 4 quilts has options for changing it and I hope you’ll give them a try.
Meanwhile, we have several more in the works – watch for pics of them here as they are finished.
The new book is available on Amazon, in print (on white paper, not glossy) for $18.95 and for the Kindle Fire for $8.95 (which you can read on any device with their Kindle-for-devices app). I must say, I like the look of the Kindle version (on my PC) best 🙂 You can read more about the book here, and see the quilts that are in it.
I’ll start off by saying that I have only the barest idea of what I am doing here, but I’ve created an account at MailChimp to begin sending out newsletters.
As a blog reader, web surfer and email addict, the one thing that I like most is content that I’ve asked to receive, right in my in-box. I don’t have to remember to visit anyone’s blog or website, and email newsletters are getting prettier and prettier all the time! So, I thought I’d set one up for you, if you’d like, and I’ll use it to show you new quilts, new projects, and of course, our newest books.
My intent isn’t to send one out very regularly, or to push any products, but more to let you know if there’s an update to a technique that we use and to show you, or link to, pictures of quilts we make and pictures of quilts that YOU send us!
I’d love it if you would sign up – you can click here –
Sign up for our free newsletter!
But you don’t have to sign up. You will still find pics and updates here, but if you life is getting busier and you want to be sure that you don’t miss out on anything important, please sign up 🙂
I find that I am very much enjoying writing and designing books, for print and for the Kindle Fire, and I’d like to try designing a pretty newsletter too.
I am in Seward, Alaska (freezing, as usual) working on some new quilt designs and a new book, and Sarah is in Anchorage, busily settling into her new home, a house that she and her husband have wanted to buy for years. They have just moved in and are still unpacking and getting their old house ready to go on the market. Tom’s busy modifying a boat, and the saddest of news is that our sweet bunny is no longer with us. I miss his companionship a lot, so Sarah let me borrow her bun (Maizy) while their home is being sorted out.
If you are in (or coming to) Alaska and want to take an exclusive class with me, here’s your chance! Only 10 people will be able to sign up for this weekend retreat, which is a fundraiser for a friend. I’ll be bringing quilts from my first 2 books plus quilts I have made for the next two books – a little exclusive sneak peek!
We’ll spend the weekend making a Shortcake Quilt – 36″ x 45″ – and covering the basics of quilt-as-you-go and then jump into adapting the QAYG techniques to work for other quilt blocks – not just the Crazy Shortcut Quilt style.
It will be a little bit of everything 🙂 June 8, 9, 10th, 2012 in Palmer, Alaska — $100 per person — email me to sign up — MMQuilts @ gmail.com
If you are (or know of) a quilt shop owner in the area of Anchorage to Palmer, and you want to host the Trunk Show, please let me know. I am looking for either Thursday June 7th or Friday, June 8th, from about 7-9pm.
Crazy Shortcut Quilt Retreat
Stella made her fourth Crazy Shortcut Quilt! On this one, she writes:
I have shown the back as it has a rather lovely fabric with ‘wols’ (owls) on it. I went a bit over the top and added two more designs which I knew she would like. One of the seaside to remind her where she comes to stay and her favourite hot air balloons. She lives in the middle of the Swedish countryside where there are a lot of lakes but no seaside.
Stella's Quilt for grandchild Cayley
Back of Caley's Quilt
Hi! After fighting with machine quilting a large quilt I found your site and decided to give it a try. I was especially inspired by your red and white jelly roll quilt and the directions you gave in your video. I did get your book in addition to watching the video. I had never heard of jelly rolls since I haven’t quilted for many years. I just finished the quilt which is a gift for friends.
I needed a big queen size quilt so my borders were added last like an envelope and then filled with batting and quilted on my machine.
I have enjoyed your videos especially the one on thread which was enlightening.
I will attach some pictures but I’m afraid they aren’t very good because the quilt is so large
I do want to do one more short cut quilt wall hanging out of Alexander Henry’s Freida Kahlo fabric.
Have a great day! Linda Rheault
Linda's Jellyroll Quilt
What a gorgeous border!
I love your method, and it was wonderful to do the whole thing myself, and avoid the machine quilting expense. This one is 90 x 90, and made from recycled Hawaiian shirts from the local thrift stores. I also bought all the threads from the thrift stores, as I was not working when I started the project. My Hawaiian quilt was in the Quilt Faire show at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys CA this weekend. Several ladies in the Guild asked me how on earth I joined the squares! I gave a demonstration with pieces of paper and they both asked for your name and the name of the book, which I was pleased to give them!
Nicky's Hawaiian Shirt Quilt
Gorgeous matching shams!
Back of the Shams
Beautiful Stitches
Do any of my local friends have a building space or know of a building space that could be used for a weekend quilt class? My friend and fellow Crazy Shortcut Quilting teacher Joanna Stokinger and I are fundraising for her daughter Tessah get to Japan. We will be teaching a multi-day t-shirt quilt class (bring your t-shirts and leave with a fully finished quilt). We just need to find a free space that could accommodate 10-12 quilters – tables ironing boards etc… in or near Palmer, Alaska and any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
Here’s a pic of my newest tee quilt, at the layout stage….
Marilyn's Tee Shirt Quilt - marathon Race Tees!!
Christine made this bright and lovely Crazy Shortcut Quilt. She had emailed me a while back asking how to handle some oddly cut fat quarters and I gave her my best suggestion: use them as they are (badly cut, very uneven sizes) and trim the quilted blocks to a uniform size. This is something I’ve had to do myself and it results in smaller finished sized blocks than I had originally planned, plus extra scraps (the trimmings) in my scrap-basket, but it still works.
Christine sent this message with the picture of her finished quilt:
I had so much trouble with my fat quarters I had purchased from Jo Ann Fabrics
not measuring properly. I wound up buying few half yard pieces to replace some of those
fat quarters that were so severly off. I had a hard time squaring up at the end and had to cut
my blocks down to 15″. All in all it came out great and looks so nice in my son’s bedroom.
I really enjoyed the process of crazy quilting and have already bought more fabric to make
another one, this time I bought better quality fabric in half yard pieces so I will be off to a
better start.
Christine's Quilt
Linda sent pics of two of her quilts, and you can see that she modified the sashing strips slightly to suit her own design tastes – yay for her!
Linda Swartz's Red White & Blue Quilt
Linda's first Crazy Shortcut Quilt
Sarah sent me this video and I just love it – it’s too funny to not share 🙂 If you read my blog regularly you will know that we have had pet rabbits for years and they have free run of the house. Occasionally we’ll take them outside in an enclosed area to run and play and they are better entertainment than anything I know except babies. Enjoy!
The video comes from this blog by Sweedish a farmer who made the video at a friend’s farm after they told him about their “sheep herding bunny”. The bunny’s name is Champis and I believe he’s a Netherland Dwarf breed. He’s just adorable!
Michelle's Jelly Roll Baby Quilt
This is Michelle’s version of the Jelly Roll Red & White Quilt that I made (video here) and I just love her soft colors. There’s a special place in my heart for grey and she managed to make that difficulty to work with color just sparkle.
Back of the Baby Quilt
Click on the photos for larger images. I just love the striped fabric and I had never thought of that! She’s a genius 🙂
Now I can’t wait to try some striped fabrics too!
And here’s the kicker – Joan just moved to the same town that Michelle lives in and they had a meet-up a few weeks ago. I believe I need to go there too!
