Tag: Pieced Quilts

Image of one block quilt pattern at beach
Treasures

Coastal Christmas Decor

December 22, 2020 /

You can enjoy the beach throughout the holidays by adding beautiful coastal decorations to your Christmas theme!

Yeah, we live smack dab in the middle of the country. So why do I want to have Coastal Christmas decorations? There’s just something about summer, sunshine, warmth, water and the beach that makes me happy.

The colors, smells, and sparkle of the ocean are part of it. In fact five or six years ago, when turquoise was first introduced as a Christmas color made me realize I never really like traditional green and red. Many people love the traditional hues. They just never really worked for me.

We lived in Pensacola twice (see Quilts at the Beach). Add in that my husband flew F/A-18 fighter jets, so our love for the Blue Angels is part of the beach experience for us. Therefore, over the years of vacationing near our previous home, we’ve collected Pensacola specific coastal decor over the years. Our family room has slowly evolved into a coastal retreat.

Now, this Christmas, it has become a full-blown Coastal Christmas decorations feast for the eyes!

Image of Coastal Christmas Decorations

Can you see the stingrays circling the tree? Sparkling sea shells, jellyfish, turtles, fishes, and pearls decorate this country tree.

Image of coastal christmas ornaments
Image of quilt
Image of Mermaid stocking holder

See how Treasures fits right in? The fabrics features seahorses, shells, and coral. This quilt kit uses both beautiful sides of three fabrics on a soft white background. It’s easy, too. There’s only one block: Contrary Wife. This quilt adds it’s own sparkle to our room and I just love it.

Image of Treasures
Coastal Christmas Decorations

While the rest of the house has a more traditional feel, I just love entering the family room and feeling like we are back home again, in Pensacola.

See Treasures on YouTube! SUBSCRIBE!

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

One Block Quilts

February 10, 2020 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

Classic quilt blocks can make stunning quilts and be fantastically fun to make!

Each of the four quilts shown are one-block quilts.

Firstly, from the Variable Star block comes the VariLovable Star Quilt Pattern! You can stitch up this girl from four nestled Variable Star blocks. She’s bursting with color! And, you’ll make her using both beautiful sides of only three fabrics! Because the background for each star is made from it’s own REVERSE, the effect makes the quilt sparkle with interest. Your eye will linger on the quilt.

See the VariLovable Star quilt made using Hoffman California Fabrics!

VariLovable Star Quilt Pattern

Image of one block quilt

Saying a quilt is made with one quilt block might sound a bit boring, but it’s so not true.

The outspoken Quilter
Image of Variable Star block made with both sides of fabric.

Ohio Starburst Quilt Pattern

Secondly, you can stitch up the Ohio Starburst Quilt Pattern with the classic Ohio Star block. Again, the three center blocks are nestled. This means the centermost block becomes the center for the next block and so on. You add borders and cornerstone blocks, too. Ohio Starburst is also made from BOTH beautiful sides of three fabrics.

Image of Ohio Star Quilt Pattern made with classic Ohio Star block
“Ohio Starburst”

Dash About Quilt Pattern

Thirdly, meet Dash About. You’ll have a blast piecing this quilt! Start with a small center Churn Dash block. Next, use that block for the center of the next block. Finally, Dash About is made with both beautiful sides!

Dash About quilt made with one churn dash quilt block
Image of Churn Dash Block

Treasures Quilt Pattern

Finally, make Treasures from two versions of one classic block, the Contrary Wife.

Image of Quilt Block
Contrary Wife Blocks made in to “value-ways”, using BOTH sides of fabric!

See more about TREASURES HERE!

Treasures Quilt Pattern made with classic block
Treasures

In summary, using BOTH sides of three fabrics with a “solid” background, the use of value and placement provides an interesting secondary pattern in Treasures.

SHOP more than 45 Creative Bee Studios quilt patterns HERE

#usebothsides

Image of Quilt
"Treasures"

Introducing…Treasures

January 20, 2020 /

Use BOTH beautiful sides of THREE fabrics in a one block quilt pattern…

Image of One Block Quilt Pattern quilt
Treasures Quilt Patternwww.etsy.com/shop/CreativeBeeStudios

Rummage your stash to use three random fabrics OR choose a line of fabrics you love. Make the Contrary Wife blocks in this one block quilt pattern by using both sides of three fabrics on a soft white background! Learn to audition BOTH sides (I tell you how) and discover the nuances of value that’ll make your quilts sing!

I used a line of fabric featuring sea life, but you could make this quilt with Christmas, Americana, florals…any theme or colorway you like!

Toss in a sweet background fabric…

It can be solid…or NOT. As long as the values work together (I tell you how), you can choose a background you love!

Image of one block quilt pattern at beach
Treasures at the beach.

to make this ONE BLOCK quilt.

  • Image of Quilt Block

The Contrary Wife quilt block has been, well, around the block a few times! The key to the sparkling nature of this quilt is the use of the reverse sides in each block and the placement of the blocks.

“Treasures” was so named because I’m continually amazed by the effect of using both sides of fabric…it’s like the quiet moment of discovering a precious gem in packed antique store. While I love all kinds of quilts, the ones that really get my juices flowing are the ones I have to linger over a bit…that make me pause…ponder.

Image of Quilt

I hope you like the “Treasures” quilt pattern as much as I. If you like these fabrics, stay tuned to my Etsy shop for fabric kits coming soon!

You can SHOP HERE for all my patterns and focus fabric kits.

*Each pattern comes with the BONUS: Prairie Point Hanging Method.

*All applique patterns have full-size, paper templates.

#usebothsides patterns have been featured in AQ Magazine, Hancock’s of Paducah, Nancy’s Notions, Connecting Threads and quilt shops across America!

Image of Quilt and Magazine

It’s a…Dash About!

September 12, 2019 /

Here’s a fun, fast quilt pattern made with only one block and THREE fabrics!

Dash About is made using the Churn Dash block and BOTH beautiful sides of three fabrics!

At first, you might think there are separate background fabrics for each block. But when you take a second look, you notice that the background for each block is made from the REVERSE side of the same fabric!

Using both sides makes choosing fabrics, well, half the trouble!

Image of Quilt from Pattern
Dash About Quilt Pattern

It’s all about VALUE. Each #usebothsides quilt pattern describes how to audition your fabrics’ value by “removing” the color. Of course, you don’t physically remove the color. But colors can be tricky when it comes to value. And, fabric values change, depending on what fabrics are next to them! Take a look here at The Tricky Traits of Value for more information.

The most important thing to know is that auditioning both sides of fabric is easy and fun. Learning to look at fabric values in this way is a fantastic tool for all quilters when choosing fabrics or designing their own quilts.

Image of Quilt Hanging on Line

I’ve found that auditioning both sides of fabrics is a great conversation starter in quilt shops. Quilters can’t help but ask what you’re doing!

Karla

Next, look at the Dash About quilt shown above. It is made using three unrelated fabrics. The centermost, smallest block is made with fabric that has a tiny motif. The floral in the middle block is larger. Of course, the outer Churn Dash sports an incredible large motif that comes in backing fabric widths!

The fabric shown, starting in the center, include a sweet little blue print which belonged to my late mother-in-law, Pat, a darling Anna Marie Horner floral, and a super-big Kaffe Fassett print. (I love adding a touch of her to my designs).

Additionally, see what happens when you make Dash About using a line of fabrics:

Dash About Quilt Pattern
Dash About for Hoffman California Fabrics

When I saw the beautiful reverse sides of this line by Hoffman California Fabrics, I was certain this would be a winner in the Dash About layout! The line is “Floral Rhapsody”. The reverse is lighter but has lots of movement and can definitely stand on its own!

Image of fabric
Floral Rhapsody Splash
Image of fabric reverse
Floral Rhapsody Splash Reverse

Like most quilts, these fabrics are even more fabulous in real life!

When compared with a solid or white on white fabric, the movement and slight changes of color and value of the REVERSE side makes for an interesting background!

Shop both Dash About patterns in my Etsy SHOP HERE.

These patterns are identical, except for the fabric listings and photo.

See more quilts designed for Hoffman California Fabrics HERE.

Enjoy your quilting journey!

Use the share buttons to post on Facebook and add to your Pinterest boards!

#usebothsides

Image of Karla holding quilt

Floating Flower Garden

February 11, 2019 /

A floating flower garden is a queen’s palace for sure!

The Floating Flower Garden quilt is a modern take on a classic quilt.

Table of contents

What’s a better spot for a creative queen bee than this lovely palace quilt?

Floating Flower Garden

Image of queen's palace quilt
Floating Flower Garden Quilt by Karla Kiefner

First, this quilt began with fat quarter bundles from one fabric line. It was one of those fabric purchases without any planning or direction.

In addition, I was certain I wanted to use both beautiful sides of this fabric line.

How to use both sides for a classic quilt design?

Next, I found a tool for making half-hexagons. Using the Hex and More ruler and lots of 2.5 ” strips, I made lots of half-hexagon pieces.

Image of Karla holding quilt

Add to that, a non-traditional method for making this floating flower garden.

Yet, I still wasn’t sure where this quilt was headed – or if it would work! For months, I arranged and re-arranged the hexagons. In addition to changing the placement of color, I also played with the values by turning some fabrics to their REVERSE side. Read The Tricky Traits of Value.

Design wall to the rescue.

Using a design wall helped me figure this baby out in a number of ways. Most importantly it allowed me to take good photos of this large quilt.

Image of Floating Flower Garden indoors.
Perfect place for the turn table.

Black and white photos galore!

Just as I instruct students in classes and workshops, always take black and white photos to check your values. Color can fool you – and it tried to fool me with this quilt!

My goal was to create a blended quilt version (see Blended Quilts book) of the classic Grandmother’s Flower Garden. I tried many combinations, but the look really came together when I started to use the reverse side of the fabrics for the outer flower rings.

Image of Karla with Floating Flower Garden

Each black center and first ring are the front of the fabric. I could have excluded the lightest fabric to make the changes in value more apparent, but again, I was aiming for a more subtle approach.

Using both sides of fabric provides a soft difference to the values and makes a quilt sparkle!

I’m happy to say that this quilt one a coveted ribbon in my guild’s quilt show!

Shop more than 50 patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides!

Image of Bee Quilt
Phoebee Quilt Pattern

Enjoy YOUR quilting journey!

Image of painted beach scene on quilt

Summer Quilting

July 20, 2017 /

Summer-themed quilts are one of my four favorite seasons to quilt!

I really don’t have anything against the other seasons…but summer is my absolute fave! Maybe it’s because I grew up camping and water-skiing all summer long, every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day then for two weeks at Table Rock Lake. My friend, Annette, and I would go from one dad to another to beg him to ski us until we wore one of them down. The memories I have of sliding across the lake water, singing “Summer Breeze” at the top of our lungs while we’d double-skied are unforgettable. We’d love to go first thing in the morning before any ski boats were out but the fishermen were well in their coves, when the water was as smooth as glass.  It was only this year, when I was reminiscing with my 90 year-old  dad, that I realized that all those times they said their boats weren’t working they were just trying to move us along!

Image of Quilt Near Pool

Water Colours

When I got a summer job, it was at a city pool — for eleven summers. I’d ride my bike across town to work, starting as a “bag girl”, teaching swimming lessons, becoming a life guard and eventually the manager.  I had a pretty darn good whistle twirl, I’m telling ya! My friend, Patti, and I had the magical “Summer of Grease” and went through countless coins at the concession stand and at least three swim suits a summer from the hours we spent there almost everyday. The quilt above uses a background fabric which looks like the bottom of the pool when you’re swimming laps and the sun is shining. I just love it!

Image of Quick Trip Quilt

Tropical Trip/Quick Trip by Eleanor Burns

As a mom, I always loved when the kids got out of school for summer and never understood why people wanted summer to end and school to begin. I just have a thing for summer, sunshine, warmth, and water, I guess.

So I guess it’s not too surprising that summer shows up often in my quilts. When we get to vacation at the beach, I take my quilts for photographing and my Featherweight for sewing. See Pensacola Dreamin’  for more quilting at the beach!

Image of Featherweight Machine with Beach Background

Vintage at the Beach

Image of Bright Potato Chip Quilt

Jacq’s Potato Chip Quilt

I believe there is nothing like water in the background to make a quilt sparkle.

Image of Instant Bargello Quilt

Seaside Dreamin’/Instant Bargello Quilts by Susan Kisro

Do you like to certain projects in the hot summertime? Tell me how you spend your summer stitching time. Comment below.

Some exciting things are happening with Phoebee (click here) and Belle (partially shown here)  — stayed tuned!

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Karla’s Design Story

 

 

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