Tag: quilting (Page 4 of 10)

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 Quilt Shop

South Dakota Quilt Shop

August 23, 2019 /

Do your adventures include visiting a quilt shop?

When our daughter landed her first job out of college, we had no idea that her new adventure would become one for us, too. I didn’t expect it to influence the quilt patterns I’d design or what quilt shop my carry them!

Because she’d landed the lead role and we’d never been to South Dakota before, we took a road trip summer to The Black HIlls of South Dakota. Of course, along the way we stopped at quilt shops. That’s how I met the owner of the Quilt Shop in Chamberlain, SD. It was just on our list and close to the highway! See And…dance by the light of the moon, South Dakota Quilts & More and OKLAHOMA Backroads in South Dakota .

OKLAHOMA! at the Black Hills Playhouse

The owner, Sonya, and I brainstormed pattern ideas for her clientele and soon I was designing bison and other wildlife patterns. She carries LOTS of fun fabric with beautiful reverses!

The following summer Jacq landed Sophie in Mamma Mia and off we went again! If you get a chance, stop in Chamberlain, SD – its simply loaded with fabric and has wonderful local art and craft as well.

These are some pics of patterns and fabrics she carries.

Tanka Quilt Pattern
Jack
Dakota
Sophie and Donna in Mamma Mia at the Black Hills Playhouse, Custer, SD

We were able to visit Chamberlain again and drop off some new designs!

Image of Buffalo Moon Quilt
Buffalo Moon
Aria

Here’s a big shout-out to Sonja in Chamberlain…and many thanks!

Step inside the Yellow Door Quilt Store in Nashville, Indiana.

Shop Creative Bee Studios Etsy Shop for more than 50 quilt patterns that use BOTH beautiful sides!

Enjoy your quilting journey!

Image of Quilt in Window

Tying Up Loose Threads

July 30, 2019 /

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

Fun with the Loose Threads quilt program began with an integrated trunk show and screen presentation.

The Loose Threads Quilt Guild of St. Peters, Missouri, is a fun group of quilters. I was honored to present my quilt program to this large turnout of enthusiastic members.

Image of Quilters at Loose Threads quilt program

We begin the Loose Threads quilt program with our “selfie” photos!

Loose Threads Quilt Program Group Photo

The group was so large, we needed three!

Image at Loose Threads quilt program
As my kids would tell you, selfies are not my forte.

With help from the membership, my Loose Threads quilt program began. The “quilt angels” hold up the quilts while viewing the screen.

First, I start the quilt program by inviting the Loose Threads guild members to ponder their own quilting journeys.

Next, we explore all the ways we are influenced in our journeys.

Finally, I share how my very curvy quilting journey has been like a train ride of surprise destinations.

At the conclusion of the program, the Lil’ Susie quilt pattern was debuted.

Image of Lil' Susie Pattern

The next day, the Grace class began.

Take a peek at just a few of their “Grace” class projects in progress:

Notice how the focus fabric makes all the difference? Each one has it’s own personality.

Image of Class Project

In classes, in addition to making a cute little quilt top, the quilters’ play with their fabrics, learning the nuances of value and how it relates to both sides of the focus fabric and what’s surrounding it.

(I had to get her matching machine and bouquet!)

Once their fabrics are chosen, it’s all about building their bouquets!

Now, take a look at this creative gal – who just happens to be the gal who inspired me many, many years ago to join my local quilt guild. Vickie brought an old window pane to build her “Grace” bouquet!

Image of Quilter Working

Isn’t she fabulous?

Image of Quilt in Window
Notice how Vickie added a crocheted doily, a vintage hankie, and lace to her bouquet? She adapted her background fabrics to fit her window and then built her bouquet! Sew fun!

A happy shout-out to the Loose Threads Quilt Guild! Hope to see you lovely quilters again soon!

Image of Grace Quilt Pattern
Grace Quilt Pattern

Meet the Calico Needlers and visit Margie’s Sew Much Fun!

Meet the Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild!

July 20, 2019 /

The Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild of Blue Springs, Missouri hosted me as their program speaker and teacher.

Twilight Stitchers -their name is intriguing and their guild is a lot of fun! One of my many new friends, Vickie, made the trip extra special for me with her care for details and accommodations. Thanks, Vickie!

I love to see how other guilds operate.

Initially, the venue of the meeting can be a big variant from guild to guild. Also, the personality of the guild can be portrayed by how they run their meetings and what committees are reporting (involvement in the community, etc). Lastly, how the guild members interact with one another contributes to the enthusiasm and fun of a guild meeting.

It’s fun to note new ideas like “Quilt Angels” (an appreciative title for the members who sacrifice seeing the fronts of a speaker’s quilts because they’ve volunteered to hold the quilts for the guild to see).

A special thank you to my Quilt Angels for the night!

To begin, here are some pics from our opening selfies – they appear to be a rowdy group!

Image of Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild Selfie
Image of Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild

The “Grace” quilt class the following day was exciting. I give LOTS of pre-class guidance for choosing fabrics to bring and I was so delighted to see that they were all well prepared AND sew creative!

Classroom Set-up for the Grace Quilt Class

In this class, each quilter brings one or several unique focus fabrics. First, they learn how to audition and choose a focus fabric. Secondly, they audition background fabrics and accents strips from the variety they’ve brought to class. Oftentimes, quilters will share opinions and fabric with their surrounding quilters! (“I thought this would look good in my quilt, but it would work really well in yours!”)

To summarize, you can see in these photos that they chose varied fabrics. As a result, their bouquets were unique, even presenting the quilters’ personalities! In addition, one quilter used men’s’ ties and other out-of-the-box fabrics and was going to design her own vase to fit her bouquet!

Image of Quilters with Projects
Image of Three Twilight Quilters with Quilts
Image of Quilter's Bouquet
Image of Vickie's Bouquet
Image of Hydrangea Bouquet
Image of Couple's Bouquet
Image of Two Quilters

I wish I’d gotten a pic of my first husband/wife duo – but she slipped off before I could snag her pic – busy lady. Their quilts have “related” but different focus fabrics and will hang together in their home! Hope they’ll share them with us using…wait for it…#usebothsides !!!! Yes, they all learned about hashtags during the program!

Image of Quilt in Progress

Now that you’ve looked at the focus fabrics (bouquets), scroll back up to note the clever background fabrics they chose!

I hope to get to see the Twilight Stitchers again soon! You just never know where quilters will cross paths! See Quilts at the Beach to see how I bumped into a quilter, from Warrensburg, Missouri (a hop, skip, and a jump from Blue Springs) at Pensacola Beach!

A hearty THANKS to my new friend in Blue Springs!

image of quilt pattern taught at Twilight Stitchers
Grace Quilt Pattern

See “Grace” Quilt Pattern at my Etsy shop: Creative Bee Studios #usebothsides

Image of Sally Quilt Pattern
Sally is made with both beautiful sides of a seashell bouquet motif.

Quilts at the Beach

June 17, 2019 /

Give me a good beach quilt in the midst of winter!

Why do I love a good beach quilt? We lived in Pensacola, Florida – twice! The first time (as newlyweds), my husband was a student pilot. The second time, with two little ones, he was a flight instructor. When he left the full-time USMC life, we moved to Missouri. We’ve spent many vacations going back “home” to Pensacola (also home of our favorite: the Blue Angels).

Location, location, location. It’s the key. As you can see in these pics, Sally, Sandy, Fiona, and Bubbles are right at home on the beach!

This weekend we attended a wedding to attend in Baton Rouge, so we decided to grab a couple of beach days on the tail end of the trip. I debated whether I should even bother to take quilts along to photograph…I’m SO glad I DID!

Image of Sandy Quilt on Sand.
It’s Sandy on the beach. 🙂

My favorite name for a beach quilt has to be this: Sandy! Doesn’t she look happy in the sand?

Image of Sally Quilt at Beach
Sally

Sally the seahorse was flying high in the morning light. She’s made with both beautiful sides of one of my all-time favorite KFC fabrics: Shell Bouquet by Philip Jacobs.

Image of Fiona Quilt at Beach
Fiona

Fiona the friendly flamingo helped me spot a friend at the beach:

It’s hard to spot another quilter at the beach. Therefore, when I passed a gal on the walkway who was wearing a MSQS shirt, I HAD to speak to her! It turns out she’s from Missouri, too! She had just bought fabric from the pharmacy (now A & E Fabrics) to make some #usebothsides quilts! See my blog about her guild HERE: Inspired Quilters Inspire

Image of Karla and Cheryl, quilters at the beach.
Cheryl helped me take evening pics. Quilters are so nice!
Image of Bubbles on deck.
Bubbles

My husband came up with the name “Bubbles” for this happy guy! See The Marine Behind the Quilts to learn more about his role (my husband’s, not Bubble’s).

You might wonder how those quilts just seemed to hover in the air above the beach…You can see in this blooper: thanks to his quick reaction, my hubby saved Bubbles from a big one! I thought he hid quite well on that little beach chair behind the one-yard square quilts!

Image of blooper photo.

Patterns for each of these quilts and MANY MORE are available in my Etsy shop: Creative Bee Studios

Read more at Summer Books & Quilts.

Image of Wall Hanging Quilts

Home Sweet Home

June 10, 2019 /

Travel with me, back to my home town, to teach a class of wall hanging quilts!

Early on, the Memory Maker Quilt Guild of Perryville, Missouri invited me to teach a class of wall hanging quilts. I was trilled to drive down memory lane, where I had memorized every crack in the sidewalks around my neighborhood.

First, the quilters chose from a variety of patterns that finished as 36″ square quilts. You’ll see in photos below that they picked a variety of patterns, including the bee, butterfly, seahorse, and even the cauldron.

Quilters learned how to audition both beautiful sides of their fabrics by using value as their guide.

Learn more about VALUE here.

Their unique focus fabric choices reflected their maker’s style in the finished wall hanging quilts.

In addition, the stitchers used fusible applique and broderie perse techniques for these patterns.

After making their fabric selections and cutting and piecing the background fabrics, the students began the fusible applique and broderie perse phase of class.

A softy for nostalgia, I like to drive down my old bike-riding routes and good, ole Church Street.

Whether we were riding bikes or just playing outside all day long, I enjoyed a carefree childhood. I remember taking turns rolling down our terrace, wrapped in a quilt (what was my mom thinking?), playing “Penelope Pitstop” (only Peppermint Patti would understand), and putting on plays and magic shows in our yards. Those are some of the warm memories of my childhood.

Karla

We had a great turn-out of quilters and I couldn’t have been more happy with their creativeness when using my patterns. See just a few of their wall hanging quilts below.

Image of wall hanging quilt
Belle Quilt Pattern
Image of dragonfly wall hanging quilt
Martha’s “Lilly”
Image of Phoebee Quilt
Phoebee

Use Both Sides Category at Memory Maker Quilt Guild’s Show

Imagine my delight to learn they were having a Use BOTH Sides category of their class quilts in their next quilt show!

Image of wall hanging quilts being hung in quilt show.
Quilt show setup, view from my booth!

Setting up a booth as a vendor, I was even more delighted to see them hang their class quilts right across from my booth!

Image of "Sally" Quilt
Image of "Belle" Quilt

Similiarly, for my home town guild to arrange a whole quilt show category on my behalf was quite an honor! Below, you see many of the class wall hanging quilts entered into the judging.

Whether it means anything to anyone else in the world, this means the world to me.

Image of Quilters at Show

My thanks to the members of Memory Makers Quilt Guild. Hope you enjoy seeing their very creative quilts from class.

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Creative Bee Studios patterns have been featured in AQ Magazine, Hancock’s of Paducah, Nancy’s Notions, Connecting Threads and quilt shops across America.

Shop Quilt Patterns HERE

Using white in quilts

Monochromatic by Nature

June 2, 2019 /

Even choosing a monochromatic quilt color can be a challenge!

First, you know I like to use nature to help choose a color palette for quilt projects, right? (See Nature’s Color Wheel for more information.) For this color challenge, I decided to take my cues from a beach walk. I didn’t expect to find black seashells on this particular white beach! So, I ended up with a monochromatic theme from nature.

However, I think using a single fabric for a one-color quilt can make the quilt seem “flat”, in regards to interest. (We do strive for flat quilts!) However, when you add more shades of one color, you can add interest to a single-color quilt design.

Its amazing how difficult it can be to choose fabrics for a quilt, especially for a new quilter. I distinctly remember the kind teacher helping me choose fabrics for my first quilt class at The Sewing Basket many years ago. It was for a patriotic quilt, so even though that palette was obvious, I had a lot of fear of choosing the wrong colors!

While, technically, a two-color quilt isn’t monochromatic, we often refer it is as so, especially when the second color is a neutral. If not a neutral, the second color should allow the “focus” color to steal the show.

I found these seashells on the beach and realized that even nature can be monochromatic.

The varying shades of black in these seashells are interesting. Don’t you love the contrasting shades of beige, also found in the shells?

Makes me think of batiks. You?

Generally, I love to mix “whites”. Therefore, finding these light shells with so many shades of white was really fun for me!

Here are two monochromatic quilts of similar colors:

Click picture for link to Amy’s Creative Side.
Click on link for Beech Tree Lane Handmade

Below is a fun use of value in a monochromatic quilt! See The Tricky Traits of Value HERE.

Image of Monochromatic Quilt
Click on picture for link to Craft Paper Scissors pin.

Also, see Sunrise Quilt Colors for more on using nature as your palette guide.

Do you make monochromatic quilts?

How do you choose your quilt palettes?

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Use the easy-link blue SHOP buttons to see more than 40 quilt patterns, new fabric collections, and merchandise to match your quilts!

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Finally, enjoy your quilting journey, Karla

Read more at Shades of White in Quilts.

Image of Homespun Quilt

Quilt Week Faves

May 3, 2019 /

Quilt shows are packed with fabulousness!

One artist, Mary W. Kerr, had a featured spot during quilt show week in Paducah, Kentucky. Her fantastic quilts, featured in her book, Twisted, hung in the Rotary for Quilt Week.

First, its difficult to know what quilts to share when it comes to quilt shows. There are just so many! Therefore, this time, I chose to focus on an artist. Mary W. Kerr’s collection was outstanding in concept and variety. Here are just a few that made me stop, take out my phone and grab a shot. Hope you like them, too!

Mary likes to use vintage fragments in her quilts.

She’s always been drawn to antiques and orphaned blocks. Mary also likes the colors, designs and quilting of the modern era of this craft. In her book, Twisted, the culmination of the two styles are on beautiful display.

Oje De Dios by Mary W. Kerr, quilted by Candace West

Oje De Dios by Mary W. Kerr, quilted by Candace West was featured with Mary’s whole series at the Rotary. She takes pieces of old quilts, blocks, or parts of quilts and incorporates them into new works with a modern flare. She gave each quilter freedom to do whatever they wanted for the quilting.

Below is Homespun, quilted by Donna Ferrill James. The wonky star was made from a worn quilt with lots of various designs in it. Mary was able to salvage parts by hand-piecing the star points. She used other workable parts as part of the backing.

Homespun by Mary W. Kerr, quilted by Donna Ferrill James

Similarly, Fan Flower, shown below, is a combination of individual vintage blocks made modern through quilting. Vicki Maloney quilted this piece. Mary purchased three fan blocks at an antiques shop and came up with the flower concept. Vicki worked her magic using those three blocks!

Fan Flower by Mary W. Kerr, quilted by Vicki Maloney

Additionally, I like how Mary combines the old with the new. Not only does she combine old blocks with new fabric, but also the color selections and techniques, too.

With this in mind, I recall having a book about how to combine hand and machine quilting. Seems like another interesting concept to explore!

See Mary W. Kerr’s work and get her book Twisted HERE.

Maybe I should take a look at it and see where it takes me. Quilt show aren’t just about prizes, ribbons, and vendors, are they?

Without a doubt, quilt shows are about inspiration, aspirations, goals, achievements, sparking ideas…and happiness.

Kate’s Bouquet by Karla Kiefner

Learn more about Kate’s Bouquet HERE.

Enjoy your quilting journey!

Image of Buffalo Moon Quilt

And…quilt by the light of the moon.

April 15, 2019 /

It certainly is a wonderful life when you can dance by the light of the moon.

This bison quilt makes me want to dance by the light of the moon because I couldn’t help singing along with characters George and Mary from It’s a Wonderful Life with those very words!

Sharing a quilt pattern is ALWAYS wonderful! Learn about this unique way to use both sides of fabric and the story behind this design.

The quilt, Buffalo Moon, is made with both sides of a light focus fabric on a starry, night-time background!

Image of White Buffalo quilt.
Buffalo Moon Quilt Pattern

This Buffalo Moon quilt is a creation that has a lot of meaning for me – which is interesting since I have never lived “where buffalo roam”!

We enjoyed a visit to South Dakota for the first time the summer before I designed this quilt. Our youngest daughter was playing the role of Laurie in OKLAHOMA! at The Black Hills Playhouse in Custer, South Dakota. See South Dakota Quilts & More , OKLAHOMA! Backroads in South Dakota, and Quilting – Dakota Style.

Image of Bison
The bison were aplenty as we first entered the park!
Image of Final Show Scene
OKLAHOMA! at the Black Hills Playhouse

Buffalo Moon is made using BOTH sides of a fabulous focus fabric (say that three times fast!) on a scrappy, nighttime background. Spotting the bison roaming the Black Hills was an incredible experience. Having also learned about the Legend of the White Buffalo, saying YES to this focus fabric was easy! Unlike most of my other patterns, the difference in value between the front and reverse of the focus fabric are subtle, but still noticeable. This motif that reads as moon craters makes one want to dance by the light of the moon! Choosing dark background fabrics was a change of pace from my previous designs and a lot of fun!

Notice the ombre trees, the twinkling stars and the barbed wire fence fabrics?

Image of Black Hills Playhouse

We got a second round in bison country the following season, when Jacq played Annelle in Steel Magnolias and, one of her bucket list roles,…Sophie in Mamma Mia!

Needless to say, she was quite excited to be able to work again in such a beautiful place–but, even more, she was very happy to be able to work at what she loved to do.

Buffalo Moon Quilt Pattern

My husband and I watched both of our girls struggle to work at what is their passion – and wondered at times where they got such courage. Yes, I make jokes that we let them play too much dress up and not do enough science fair projects, but truly I am glad they had the will to give it a whirl…and, in this case, go where the buffalo roam.

Jacq as Violet Bick in It’s a Wonderful Life

Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight…

Image of Turtle Quilt
Dakota Quilt Pattern
Image of Bison Skull Quilt
Tanka Quilt Pattern

Reach for the stars…lasso the moon, or

…maybe just dance by the light of the moon.

#usebothsides

Image of Tucker Trimmer III and LEDGLE Book Light

Totally Cool Quilting Tools

March 18, 2019 /

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Table of contents

I learned about some totally cool quilting tools at quilt retreat – thanks to friends who like to share!

For the first year EVER, I had my retreat projects planned, cut, packed, and ready-to-go to retreat one whole month before we left. What I didn’t plan for were some unexpected opportunities to pop up! I had not brought two totally cool quilting tools that became highly necessary. The new opportunities took priority over all that great planning of mine! But, who cares!

I didn’t even get my projects out of their neat, organized cases!

Me, under duress

First, you can see the outcome of these opportunities in the following link:

One Block Quilts

Next, in spite of all my planning, I wasn’t prepared!

While shopping for fabric one day, Justin (Hancock’s of Paducah), who understood the concept of using both beautiful sides of fabric, suggested we collaborate on some quilts!

Image of Hancock's of Paducah sign

While I was super excited about this opportunity, I hadn’t brought the right rulers to do the tasks at hand. Back at the cabin and with only a few days to vet my ideas, this led me to ask (frantically), “Does anybody have a squaring ruler?”

The Tucker Trimmer ruler became my new best friend!

These new projects included lots of half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles, and flying geese. I quickly fell in love with this ruler! Thank you, friend, Nancy, for introducing me to this trusted sewing tool! Click HERE or on the picture below to see more of Deb Tucker’s tools.

Image of Ruler on Block
Notice I #usebothsides of the fabric in this block?

Here’s another view of the ruler.

Image of quilting tool

The second tool I find indispensable I borrowed from friend.

Retreat roomie, Peggy introduced me to the LEDGLE Rechargeable LED Book Light.

Image of Quilting Tool
LED Light

What makes it so great for me are the re-positionable arms which let you guide the light to any angle. It rests around your neck so it is hands-free and perfect for hand-stitching in a dimly lit room. It also works great for reading in bed or even walking back from the neighbors or feeding the dogs in the dark! You set the light to shine where you want it and it stays until you move it. And best of all, I’ve used mine every day for more than a week and I still haven’t charged it once! Click HERE for link to book light.

Image of Ohio Star Quilt Pattern
“Ohio Starburst”
Image of Variable Star Quilt
“VariLovable Star”

To conclude, these two totally cool quilting tools saved my retreat and collaborate on two new quilt patterns with Hancock’s of Paducah!

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