Comfort - Table Runner/Wall Quilt - featuring Piecemakers by Kathy Schmitz 2013.
Those of us who quilt and sew love our sewing machines. Kathy’s Piecemakers’s fabric line was designed with a sewing theme so it was the perfect group to create an ode to my machine. This pattern has been a solid seller over the years and it is FabSwitch compatible so you can play with the fabric to customize the pattern to match your sewing room!
Color Burst - Wall Quilt - featuring Canyon by Kate Spain 2015.
Color Burst is 48” square and uses a charm pack (5” squares) I love how the white background makes Kate’s beautiful fabrics pop. This pattern was recolored in 2020 with Flower Power by Tina Leto for Clothworks and it was also the inspiration for Bliss. Easy piecing and a little bit of appliqué so you don’t get bored. Perfect project for fusible web.
Collection - Lap Quilt - featuring Refresh by Sandy Gervais 2015.
I was really into adding pieces of furniture in quilts for a while and this pattern was a result of that. It was not a great seller. Since then I have been asked many times about photo quilts and I think this would be a great way to set some photos. It would be like carrying around your bedroom wall of family portraits with you.
Coffee First - Lap Quilt - featuring Brew by Deb Strain 2018 I didn’t start drinking coffee until I starting practicing law in the 1990’s. It just seemed that when a colleague said, “Let’s go for coffee” that I should drink coffee instead of tea. With the boom of Starbucks on every corner in downtown Vancouver where I was working, it was an inevitability. I am now a coffee as soon as I get out of bed person. I wanted to design a pattern that did not use the Brew panels so this quilt was the result. It has since been re-colored with “Coffee Shop” by Sue Zipkin for Clothworks under the name Always Coffee First and will be reappearing later this year with an adorable coffee line from Michael Miller Fabrics under the name Perk Me Up.
Coast to Coast USA - Wall/Small Lap Quilt - featuring Metropolis by Basic Grey 2018.
This was a very interesting fabric line which included prints featuring a map of the US and names of states as well as a map of Canada and names of provinces. I designed Coast to Coast Canada first which included two projects: a country version and a city version, both beginning with the west coast in the top row and ending with the east coast on the bottom row. Because the characteristics of Canada and the US with respect to the topography and lifestyle are very similar from coast to coast, the only difference between the Canada and US versions is the map in the center.
Circled in Warmth - Lap Quilt - featuring Collections for a Cause - Compassion by Howard Marcus 2017.
This quilt uses a Fat ⅛th Pack and I think it is the only one I have designed using a Fat ⅛th Pack. Pre-cuts are such a great way to get the full flavor of a complete fabric line. Given the traditional nature of the fabric, I tried to design something with an 1800’s feel to it. Because I can rarely suppress my need for appliqué, the pattern comes with instructions to make a version of the quilt with or without appliqué.
Christmas to Me - Lap Quilt - featuring Winter Village by Basic Grey 2018.
I really like the look of lettering on quilts especially when it is a combination of different fonts. This pattern is a “go big or go home for lettering” pattern as I tried to incorporate all the words that Christmas makes me think of. Normally I would use my Freeze Paper Method for the appliqué because of the size of the quilt and the assumption that it would be used as a lap quilt. The Freezer Paper Method is much more durable for a quilt that will be washed many times. However, given that this is seasonal quilt and could be used more for decoration, I used fusible web to make the letters.
Christmas Sampler - Lap Quilt - featuring Through the Winter Woods by Holly Taylor 2014.
Sampler quilts are a great way for confident beginners to try out some classic blocks. Of all the blocks used in this quilt, the Ohio Star is the most challenging. I took lessons when I first started quilting and we made a sampler quilt. I learned: a lot of skills, that I didn’t like doing classic needle turn appliqué, and that I didn’t like my chosen fabrics by the end of the class. I never finished the quilt and I am pretty sure I donated the quilt blocks.
Christmas on the Farm - Lap Quilt - featuring Meet Magnolia by Hoffman Fabrics 2019.
I love the soft colors on this fabric. Many of the pieces are accented with gold or silver, giving it a really elegant look. This pattern was included in the Winter 2019 edition of Simply Vintage by Quiltmania and I have included the picture from the magazine. They did such an awesome job of staging it. If you do not have the Quiltmania publications at your local store, check them out online. Their magazines are Simply Moderne, Simply Vintage and Quiltmania.
Christmas is Coming - Lap Quilt - featuring Christmas Countdown by Deb Strain 2012.
This is a fun Christmas quilt if you like appliqué. The pieces are nice and big and easy to work with. I can’t remember what inspired me to include the nutcracker. He makes a bold statement with his big eyes and mustache. I actually think that nutcrackers are kind of scary looking. I can envision an army of them chasing me down a dark alley with their wooden mouths chomping. Anyone else feel that way about nutcrackers?
Christmas in the North - Lap Quilt - featuring Juniper by Kate & Birdie 2020.
This pattern was new for 2020. It was originally offered just to Canadian shops and I was late finishing my sample so it did not get much exposure. Juniper is such a pretty Christmas line. Start your Christmas project for Christmas 2021!
Christmas in the Country - Lap Quilt - featuring Nature’s Gift by Deb Strain 2011.
This was definitely one of my better selling and long lasting patterns. Originally shown in Nature’s Gift by Deb Strain for Moda, it was recolored in 2019 for Merry & Bright by Sue Zipkin for Clothworks. This pattern shows well in all Christmas fabric and you can play with it on my free app located at app.fabswitch.com.
Christmas in Paris - Lap Quilt - featuring Fa La La La La by French General 2011.
Fabric by French General was an obvious choice for Christmas in Paris. My inspiration for this pattern was the poinsettias on the fabric combined with the elegance of and history of French tapestry. Oh I am having a flashback to almond croissants, chocolate croissants, pistachio croissants...
Christmas in New York - Lap/Wall Quilt - featuring Flurry by Kate Spain 2011.
I have a lot of Christmas patterns and they tend to be my best sellers. My Christmas patterns for each year always have a design theme, whether it is a concept or a repeated block or appliqué. The theme in 2011 for this pattern and the patterns for the next two days are “Christmas in...” My vision for Kate’s fabric was New York because it was stylish, bright and a modern. As you can see, my Christmas tree for this quilt was far from traditional. The two constant Christmas themes for New York are the tree at Rockefeller Center and shopping so I put the tree in the middle surrounded by Christmas gifts.
Christmas Fun - Lap Quilt - featuring Snow Day by Stacy Iest Hsu 2018.
Not only is Stacy Iest Hsu an amazing fabric designer, she is also such a lovely person. Quilt Market is of course a casualty of Covid-19 and I am really missing visiting with my friends in the industry. Aside from the great opportunity to meet with store owners and show my new designs, Quilt Market always recharges my creativity batteries. It is inspiring to see all the incredible projects from designers all over North America, all in one place. Quilt Market is a wholesale trade show and only open to the industry but the fall show in Houston every year is followed by Quilt Festival which is open to the public. There is also a Quilt Festival in the Spring which changes venues every year across the US. If you love to quilt and you are itching to travel when the pandemic is over, Quilt Festival should be on your bucket list.
