Table of contents for October/November 2020 in Quick+Easy Quilts

Do you have a favorite quilting technique, pattern, or color that makes your projects truly “YOU”? For me, I love bright colors (particularly rainbow), fun novelty prints, English paper piecing, and classic quilt blocks. For this issue, I wanted our designers to submit designs that say “I did it my way.” They sent foundation paper piecing, hand embroidery, quilts that use up every last scrap, and even a gardening project! It was so much fun to see what makes them sing. My favorite holiday is Halloween, so I often find myself making last minute projects just for fun. We have several quilt patterns in our pages that you can make quickly. Haunted Geese on the cover is by Jen Daly. She loved the fabric collection so much, she made two…

finished size: 78" × 90" finished blocks: 42 (12") BLOCKS About 20 years ago, my mother asked me to finish piecing a quilt top for her. It was a simple 3-strip Rail Fence. She had all the strips sewn together, all I had to do was cut the blocks and make the top. It didn’t take long, three or four days. She was very happy with it. My problem was the stack of strip set ends. I just couldn’t throw them out. They had to be good for something. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I could stitch a narrow strip to the sides of the blocks to make them square. I alternated the direction of the strip set centers and I had my new favorite quilt…

Kaleb’s Eggnog 6 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1½ cups half and half 1½ cups milk ½ tsp. nutmeg In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks; add 1 cup sugar and incorporate well. Slowly mix in the half and half, milk and nutmeg. In a separate, small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the stiff egg whites into the nog mixture with a large spoon. Ladle into crystal stemware…or mugs…and enjoy!…

1. Place one small square on larger square, right sides facing and aligning raw edges. Draw a line diagonally on wrong side as shown. 2. Sew on drawn line.Trim ¼" beyond stitching. 3. Press open to reveal triangle. 4. Following pattern instructions, repeat for remaining corners to complete unit. Products used: Havel’s Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel’s 45mm Rotary Cutter, and Havel’s 6" x 24" Fabric Ruler. Fabric from Garden Glory by Maja Ronnback collection and Abstract Collage by Ampersand collection for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Watch this Sew EasyTM Lesson at QuiltingDaily.com/Sew-Easy-Stitch-and-Flip-Corners…

finished size: 51" × 64" finished blocks: 48 (6½") BLOCKS University life is the inspiration for the quilt design, “V” for Victory. The pursuit for life transforming education and excellence is the hallmark of student life. It is seen and achieved in various forms, like on campus debates, elections, and athletics. “V” for Victory was designed with solids so it could easily be personalized with your own school colors. Perhaps, as a graduation present, the quilt would represent successful completion of university studies or winning a collegiate competition. There is no reason to limit the quilt to university colors. The colors can be customized for primary or secondary school, professional sports teams, and more. I like the idea that “V” for Victory can also be a memorial quilt, something designed…

finished size: 12" × 25" (OPEN) Two years ago we bought a little farmhouse on two acres. Last spring I discovered a book on flower farming, and after reading it, I was hooked! I invested in quality seeds and all the necessary supplies to try my hand at raising my own cut flower garden. I created this project folder to help me organize my hobby. There are pockets for seed packets, notebooks, seed catalogs, pencils, and rulers. I can take it to the nursery and it’s nice to have everything in one place! Plan For this project, you will need 30 assorted 2½" squares to make the colorful cover. Feel free to either cut those squares from your stash or use a mini charm pack. Stephanie made her folder to…

finished size: 8½" × 10½" I spend a lot of time at my desk and design area, and for me that means drinking COUNTLESS cups of Chai tea! I’ve learned the hard way about the warping damage a hot cup can do to a cutting board, so insulated mug rugs aren’t just cute... they’re an absolute necessity! Of course, being embellished beautifully with embroidery is a lovely little bonus! Keep one, and use the other as a gift. Wouldn’t one look delightful tucked into a mug with a few tea bags and a couple shortbread cookies or chocolate chip coconut bars (recipe included)? So pretty, it wouldn’t even need to be wrapped! Plan Easy piecing with a bit of embroidery thrown in. All embroidery stitches are beginner level making this…

Karen Bialik fabricaddict.net Karen started quilting when she was 4 years old. She would wait for her brothers to finish the cereal so she could use the box for quilt templates. She lives in Alberta, Canada. Natalie Crabtree Instagram @njcrabtree Natalie lived in Kyoto, Japan near the Nishijin Textile district for a year with her husband and considers it the most fulfilling time in her life. She lives in Mason, Ohio. Stephanie Cunnyngham sissybellesews.com Stephanie lives in an old farmhouse on 2 acres with her husband and two sons. When not playing with her boys or working as a nurse, she is redecorating or sewing. She lives in Thorntown, Indiana. Jen Daly jendalyquilts.com Jen is a designer, quilt book author, and Etsy shop owner. A soon-to-be empty-nester, she plans to…

1. To make a band, pair two strips with right sides facing and raw edges aligned. Stitch with ¼" seam. Press flat to set stitches. 2. Fold top strip back and gently press seam open to one side. Band should be straight, without any distortion along outside edges. 3. Add third strip to complete band and press as described in previous steps. 4. Measure height of band to ensure it matches the required measurements.Aligning horizontal lines on ruler with long edge and seam lines of strip set,trim uneven end of strip set. 5. Keeping horizontal lines on ruler aligned with band, cut required width segments. 6. If making bands with more than three strips, join strips in pairs and then sew pairs together. Products used: Havel’s Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel’s…

finished size: 20" × 20" finished blocks: 4 (6") BLOCKS I love small quilts not only because they are so versatile—I use them to decorate tables, walls, and as pillows—but because they are so much fun to make. All the joy and a fraction of the work! For this little quilt I decided to use a few of my favorite blocks, Flying Geese and Sawtooth Stars, but I spruced up the centers of the Sawtooth Stars with square-in-a-square centers and two-tone star points. The two-tone star points resemble ribbons or bows. They look complicated but they are easy to achieve with stitch-and-flip corners. I loved making this quilt so much I made a second, scrappier version with a charm pack of Midnight Magic by April Rosenthal for Moda Fabrics. My…

finished size: 61½" × 64½" As soon as I saw this digitally printed quilt panel by Northcott Fabrics, I just got lost in the scene. It made me want to don my suit and snorkeling gear and wade in. I added the scattered Flying Geese along the top to add the sound of seagulls and other maritime birds flying overhead. The gradating dark print worked perfectly for the continuation of the cliffs on the right border, the birds in the sky, and the weathered pier in the lower border. I love working with Northcott’s Gradations. They can add such life and depth to a quilt. This quilt will hang over my sofa in my living room so I can go for a swim any time I want. Plan Karen used…

finished size: 56½" × 56½" My daughter turned 2 in March 2020. The last two Halloweens she was a bit small to understand the celebration or to go trick-or-treating. So, I wanted to make a fun Halloween-themed quilt to help get her in the spirit this year! We hope to take her trick-or-treating this year. The fabrics from the Ghouls & Goodies fabric line really inspired me to do some fun appliqué bats as an extra accent. I think Gwen will love this quilt come October! Plan This quilt is made with one center square and 3½"-wide strips. Once piecing is complete, the quilt top will get trimmed to the right size and shape. You will need large, flat surface to trim your quilt top on. Use an accurate ¼"…

Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars 11/3 cups flour 1½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 9 tbs. soft butter (1 stick + 1tbs.) 1¾ cups light brown sugar 1¼ tsp. vanilla 2 large eggs 1 cup chocolate chips ½ cup coconut Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9” x 13” pan (or use non-stick spray). Blend flour, soda & salt in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium cream the butter, sugar & vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix on medium until blended (8 seconds). Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until almost blended. Add the chocolate chips and coconut, mix on low for 5 seconds or so more. Finish mixing with the spatula. Spread the batter in the pan…

finished size: 25" × 25" I enjoy designing projects within the parameters of pre-cuts. For this wall hanging, I challenged myself to use 2½" squares. What could be easier than sewing the squares together to make one large, patchwork square? Once the squares were sewn together, the next design question was how to dress up the simple design. I deduced that a wide border of light background fabric would provide space for decorative machine quilting and surmised that the quilting could be enhanced by appliqué overlays. I studied the theme print used in the outer border and sketched comparable leaf shapes which I drew on the light border fabric with water soluble marker. After quilting the leafy vine with dark thread, I machine appliquéd simple leaf shapes, placing them slightly…

1. On wrong side of each of four small squares, mark diagonal line corner to corner.This will be your cutting line. Mark sewing lines ¼" away from each side of cutting line. 2. Place two small squares on opposite corners of one large square, right sides facing. Corners will overlap slightly at center. Sew along marked sewing lines. 3. Cut along marked cutting lines. Press seams toward small triangles. 4. Place remaining small squares on unit corners. Sew along marked sewing lines. 5. Cut along marked cutting lines. 6. Press seams toward small triangles to complete four Flying Geese units. Products used: Havel’s Self-Healing Cutting Mat, Havel’s 6" x 24" Fabric Ruler, and Havel’s 45mm Rotary Cutter. Fabric from Garden Glory collection by Maja Ronnback and Abstract Collage collection by…

Lemon Garlic Scallops 1-2 lbs. scallops 2 tbs. oil 2 tbs. unsalted butter ¼ cup broth (chicken or herb) 1-2 tbs. minced garlic ¼ cup sliced celery 2 tbs. lemon juice ¼ cup chives or green onions/parsley for garnish Thaw scallops in cold water for 20 min. Pat dry with paper towel. Heat oil in skillet to sizzling. Add scallops one at a time, 1 inch apart. Cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Put butter in hot skillet, stirring in any juice and remnants of the scallops. Add broth, garlic, celery, lemon juice and chives/onions. Add scallops back into skillet with garlic mixture. Simmer 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve over rice or vermicelli.…

finished size: 37" × 37" One of the first quilts that ever caught my eye was a Trip Around the World done in a traditional Amish color scheme. I loved it right away and so, one of the first quilts I ever made was a Trip Around the World! Since then, I have designed a Trip Around the World quilt pattern that we (a group of quilters I belonged to) use to make quilts for disadvantaged children and I have also made quilts to personally give as gifts. For this project, I thought about how it would look if I did a modern and contemporary version of it and how different it would look compared to the traditional Amish quilts I first saw. I can see this quilt in a…

The Ultimate Appliqué Reference Tool by Annie Smith C&T Publishing, 2020 Annie Smith makes stunning appliqué quilts. Her handy reference guide offers you everything you need to get started creating your own beautiful appliqué designs. This book is perfect for beginners and experienced quilters alike. Included are instructions for both hand and machine appliqué with 16 patterns so you can get started. ctpub.com Best Of Moda Bake Shop: A Sweet Batch of Quilts Perfect for Precuts Compiled by Lisa Calle Martingale, 2020 Grab your precuts and peruse this collection of the best of the best from Moda’s Bakeshop. The delicious patterns in this 99-page book range from simple to sublime. Step-by-step photos accompany the more challenging quilt patterns. From everyday patterns to use and love, to holiday designs to make…

finished size: 79" × 79" finished blocks: 16 (16") BLOCKS Two-block quilts are one of my favorite quilt designs because the blocks create wonderful secondary designs. When designing this quilt, I combined my love of two-block quilts with a couple of my favorite design elements—star blocks and asymmetrical blocks. In this design, instead of alternating the two different blocks, I combined them into one block. Then I split the star block diagonally so that half of the star was light and the other half dark. Splitting the star block creates a secondary diamond shape and strong diagonal lines which allows your eye to dance across the quilt. The addition of sashing creates secondary Nine-Patch blocks. The soft palette of aqua and blue batiks is a soothing color combination and reminds…