Michaela Little's rendition of Crown of Throwns pattern (Judy Niemeyer) is rockin' the house at Quilting On The Square.
Michaela is 15....this is the 4 quilt she has made. Yep you read that right... 4th!
This quilt has won Reserve Champion at Jackson KS County Fair and at the Kansas State Fair a purple ribbon in 2012.
I am honored that she is in the midst of sewing her own Moxie Girl!
Sitting at Midway Airport waiting to board for my final "quilt trip" of 2012. It's back to Kansas City then a quick car ride to Holton, KS to Quilting on the Square. Can't wait to see Mark, Mary, Connie and the rest of the gang. Watch for a post later today/tomorrow to see what we are up too!
Vicky in Texas sent me this picture of her Pieced Hexies table runner. I asked permission and she said I could share.
As a designer, author, teacher and quilter it is when I receive pics of projects from my patterns/instructions completed or not that I just smile.
My whole idea around the format of the first (yes a second is already in the works) Pieced Hexie book is to give the “know how” and let each person apply it to their own creative vision.
I often tell my students “I will provide you with enough information to be dangerous”.
Thanks Vicky for making my day!
Oh my…I can’t believe they are seniors in college and this is it. Most likely one if not both may not even be in the country at this time next year. But that is for another blog.
So first out of the chute for quilting is an antique quilt top that I acquired this summer.
When I buy a quilt top (or blocks) they have to be special to me. And this one caught my eye first because I had never seen the pattern before and second because of the truly scrappiness of it in all it’s 30s glory.
So I decided to call it “Molly Paws” after you know who. My antique quilt tops are usually labeled with the name “ANTIQUE – (block name)” once I quilt them so it needed a name for reference.
Then I decided this block needed to live on. In studying the quilt I determined that English Paper Piecing would be the best way to replicate this block with all it’s curves and funky spikes.
And if you wish to purchase the pattern you can do so here on the Craftsy page. I will be putting all my PDF patterns here as I love Craftsy and their format. Plus I will be shooting a Craftsy workshop of my own in late January so nice to have everything in one place.
Molly Paws will also be a new 6 hour workshop that I will be adding to my offerings in my usual first week of January update. But if your guild wishes to book me now know that all workshop selections can be changed up to 6 months prior to my arrival.
Now I am back to the studio. Paul helped me last night with putting the next top together with batting and backing so away I go.
Sneak peak….
It’s time for some quilting fun this Fall. Over 15 weeks, 45 designers will create 12″ blocks for the Glorious Autumn Quilter’s Block Party. These blocks will be featured, three per week, on the Quilting Gallery site starting September 4th.
If you haven’t notice the Glorious Autumn Block Party info on the side bar well today is the day for my block!
Here it is!
Turning Autumn
The Quilting Gallery website is the host of this fun event. The link will take you to their website and all the other Autumn Designer Blocks! There are
You can find my designer profile, a Quilters Super Deal, and the tutorial to make this block here!
Two other wonderful designers were featured this week.
Melissa – Sew BitterSweet Designs
and
And finally if you wish to share or take a peak at some of the renditions of the blocks please do so on the Flickr Group!
Now I am back to quilting…halfway done with my first quilt!
I intended to blog on Monday and then life got in the way. Life is certainly busy and a bit chaotic if feel lately. But that is another story.
We (my good friend Cathy and I) left on Thursday and shopped our way up to The Springs in Gladwin Michigan.
Here is part of the sewing room at 7am on Saturday. I was the first one down to sew…go figure. 
At home I kitted and packed my projects. I just wanted to sew sew sew. I know my schedule is going to be crazy full with obligations and necessary projects for the next few months so I just wanted to spend a few days working on stuff for myself.
It was wonderful.
First off I kitted my Coca Cola Quilt. The Coke fabric has been living in the studio for many years and I have always wanted to make myself a Coca Cola Quilt.
I tossed in some of Paul’s blue hand dyed fabric and started to sew.
It is a super simple pattern I found in the Sept/Oct issue of McCall’s Quilting called “Grubstake”.
The magazine rendition is made using Windham’s Prairie Crossing collection…lots of reds and browns.
I saw a great way to spotlight a conversation print. Not overdone with Coke fabric everywhere. Just enough to enjoy.
I got the top 90% done at retreat and finished up the borders yesterday at home. Now it will go on the quilting pile with the plan to have it done by month’s end.
The next project in queue was my “Blue Cherries” Quilt (tentative name) of the Insane Retreat Quilt. You pick which name you like.
Here is my EQ pattern.
It was kitted up and I got the 16 yellow/pink blocks done.
I will save this project for a blog post later this weekend or next week.
Because starting today I am going to be quilting..quilting…quilting. Then binding…binding…binding. I have at least 8 quilt tops stacked up. Some Old Some New. But ALL will get done.
First in queue is this antique beauty that I have named Antique Molly Paws (a new version of this unique block is being designed).
‘til tomorrow…and the release of my Block Party Block!
The wifi connection is weak...made even weaker by the dozens of tech savvy quilters at retreat....soooo....I will save all my project pics for a blog post on Monday. See ya then!
Yep ATTEND…no teach!
My very first retreat as a “retreater”.
I am like a kid waiting for Santa.
Well I am always like a kid waiting for Santa around this time of year but that is another story.
I have several projects kitted up and ready to sew.
This quilt is my No-Brainer project and I bet it will be done in a jiffy.
So then I decided it was time to tackle another palette/pile of fabrics in my studio. They too have been waiting for quite awhile to become a large bed quilt.
Here is my “Insane Retreat Quilt” (temp name for now).
The quilt will finish roughly 95x95. (I am guessing ‘cos the pattern is now in my suitcase in the studio and I am two floors above in the office and don’t feel like walking all the flights…sorry)
I always kit up my quilt projects pretty much once I dive in. It is amazing how much smaller the project space footprint becomes when you do this.
This is 46 blocks. See how small.
So we shove off in the morning. With many planned Shop Stops along the way. I will hopefully post some blogs (if WiFi is found) and/or to Facebook.
My bags are packed and I am ready to go!
Puttering around the studio today and decided to pull out my Pineapple Quilt UFO. My goal...sew a few more blocks and see where it goes from there.
For those who are Facebook Buds remember back in early Sept I posted a bundle of fabric that I was oohing and ahhhing over.
It was the Deco by Jason Yenter for In The Beginning Fabrics line that has just been released and will be finding it’s way to your local quilt shop shelves any day now.
Well I took some of those yummy small prints (which by the way are wonderful for hexies too!) and played with some stash fabric and came up with “Blueberry Spice”.
OK I know I know…48 pieces in each block…yipes! What can I say I was in a groove.
The pattern can be made for a wall hanging. (Hanging right now over my TV!)
or a table topper (I think these colors are a fresh twist on Thanksgiving!)
and you can make FOUR and put them together for a lap quilt…or 9 and go full size!
The pattern can be found here on the Fairfield site. It is FREE!
ENJOY!
eBay is my friend
Mobile App eBay scares Paul.I surf for quilt tops and blocks whenever a few moments of time happen in my life. Found these blocks when I was in the airport in Dallas two weeks ago.
The design made me take a second look...the block name sealed the deal.
A set of 32 Arkansas Meadow Rose quilt blocks.
The blocks measure roughly 10"x10"
Arkansas Meadow Rose was a block that Kansas City Star published on October 9, 1935.
I think I will play with these blocks on my upcoming retreat in Nov. Some block sashing to true up their size and a pieced border to set them off is what I envision.
Then I have an idea to modernize the block and it's construction. Another new workshop is in the making.
Life certainly has been a whirl lately! Due to overwhelming response the sign up for Moxie Girl is now open. Thank you all for all your comments, support and cheers! Now go see the quilt on the website!
I have been in my studio sewing away. Tomorrow I will be able to share the unveiling of Moxie Girl. My Block of the Month Quilt with Quilting on the Square. I will also share some pics of "Full Circle" a new workshop and pattern (late Nov) available on Craftsy. And finally I will give you a sneak.peak of Blueberry Spice. A free quilt pattern I designed for Fairfield that will be available on their website in Nov. ALOT has been going on...and finally I can start sharing. So please hang with me for one more day...lots to come. See ya tomorrow!
Yesterday Paul and I took a small road trip to Paper Pieces in Sycamore, IL.
Yes the company that produces the beloved paper hexies!
But Paper Pieces is much much more than hexagons, there are octagons, dresdens, pentagons, flags, hearts, coffins, diamonds, and a new fav…the jewel shape.
There are so many shapes!
This girl was doing the happy dance inside as each box was pulled out and the treasure inside was revealed in their inventory.
But our trip was not just to touch and see papery goodness.
We were on a mission, there were prototypes of Pieced Hexies Acrylic Alignment Templates to see!!
YES!! Marking your paper pieces with alignment guides has just gotten so much easier and faster…..and precise.
TA DA! Here are my newest babies! A set of septuplets!
note for the picture I slipped a paper hexie beneath each so that you can actually see the laser printing on them. WHOO HOO!
Some girls like to see their name in lights…..this girl is thrilled with seeing her name etched on acrylic!
Here is Wheelie up close and personal.
Here is the graphic for drawing Wheelie Alignment Guidelines from Pieced Hexies. Instructions take you thru drawing this guide on your paper piece.
INSTEAD NOW YOU CAN
Place the template on top of your paper hexie. Position a sharp pencil (or sharp pointed pen) into the laser cut guides and draw a line.
VIOLA! quick and easy and you are ready to baste your Wheelie Pieced Hexie!
These shorter alignment guides are easier to erase so that your paper can be reused for another design later!
The Cogs and Sparkle templates have circles so that you can mark dots. When lining up your block to the marked hexie push a pin thru the dot(s) to align center intersections.
The templates will come in a resealable vinyl bag for easy storage! And easy to tote around while you are hexing on the go!
Yes you can preorder the sets on my website shop. They will begin shipping out on October 31st! The set of 7 templates and the vinyl bag is $45.95. Individual templates will be available for purchase in November at a cost of $8.00 each.
Enjoy!
We all have our vices.
One of mine is essentially clipart with a sticky back. A sticker. or stickers.
Ok. LOTS and LOTS of stickers!
I went to Hobby Lobby last week.
Dangerous territory.
I love to create my own stickers too!
Vistaprint sends me thank you cards all the time.
Chances are if you received any type of written correspondence from me you have gotten a sticker.
Look Emie!
Yep…Sock Monkey Stickers!
….so now you all know…
I am truly a Sticker Junkie.
….not gonna mention what the Post it Note aisle does to my heart.
Yes there is an EQ Boutique for Pieced Hexies! You can find it at the My Boutique - Electric Quilt website.
Yesterday I posted the "traveling studio" pic on my facebook page and received a few inquiries about exactly what is in this box.
So last night with things spread out some more and a medium dresden plate basted I took another pic.
No matter how many times I board a plane I am like a small child and am thrilled when I scoot into the window seat.
I absolutely love to fly. My first flight in life was at the old age of 18.
I think my gram could count the total number of times she flew on one hand.
And then I think of how many times Paul & Emily have flown before 18.
Wow...times change.
This morning I am off to Texas to spend the next few days with the Quilter's Guild of Plano Texas
....by the time this blog posts I will be at baggage claim....
....so for now I am just going to gaze out the window a bit more....and daydream.
Join the “Pieced Hexies with Mickey Depre” Facebook Fan Page.
My vision for this page is a place to share all things Pieced Hexies.
That being said I am announcing a
Pieced Hexies Halloween Parade
This is your heads up so you can get your “costume” ready for the parade in that will begin on October 10th.
Yes a parade of Halloween themed Pieced Hexies!
You can use Halloween fabrics or
Halloween Colors (orange, black, purple, green) …
just make a Pieced Hexie design from the Pieced Hexies book that
screams HALLOWEEN
Post a pic on the Facebook Fan Page between midnight Oct 10th and midnight Oct 24th CST.
….on to the prize!
On Oct 25th in the wee hours of the morning I will use a random number generator to determine the winner of the following:
An 8x11 size bag stuffed with hand dyed scraps perfect for making bewitching hexies!
So heads up…start creating your “Pieced Hexie Halloween Costume” and join in the fun!
And yes you can post more than one Halloween Pieced Hexie for multiple entries!
Can’t wait to see the Parade of Halloween Pieced Hexies beginning on Oct 10th!
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