New Website on Wix!

 I am pleased to announce that my new website is up on Wix!  I have chosen to revise my company name to "Modern Traditional Quilts" instead of "Modern Tradition Quilts" as some websites mix up the adjective-noun agreement. 

https://moderntraditionalq7.wixsite.com/modern-quilts

I will be concluding this blog and its tutorials. The new website allows for scheduling your longarm quilting service project, selling fabrics, pre-cuts and other services.

I will continue to update my quilting project progress and design process using Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/moderntraditionquilts/?hl=en

I'll see you on the new website.  Here is a sneak-peek!

It's Quilt Market Time!

 In honors of Quilt Market this weekend, I wanted to share the only project I've ever made that went to Quilt Market.  It went with MODA fabrics in 2016 to feature their "True Luck" fabric line.   The pattern was features for free on their blog.

Here is a link to the free pattern:  https://modafabrics.com/2015/03/sweet-sixteen-quilt.html

While I have never been to quilt market to view the new fabric lines, one of my projects has!  :)

Jelly Roll Lone Star Quilt A Long - Part 2: Strip Sets

 Thank you to those of you who left me comments or talked to me in person.  I appreciate your perspectives that I was not exactly clear on what this project will look like.  

If you do the quilt-a-long (QAL) strips in the same sequence that I do, doing the same fabric placement, you will obtain results similar to this quilt diagram:

The first time I did this jelly roll pattern, I did not put the colors in any particular arrangement and ended up with a star and a scrappy look.  I still really like that.  Here is a diagram:

Here are photos of my strip sets.

I sketched this out by hand first and noticed a mathematical arrangement could be used for the color placement to change from my original random version to the radiating version.

1) Sort your piles into 6 strips of the same fabric.  If you don't have 6 strips in the jelly roll, use the same color and hue.  You can tell the strength of the hue by squinting at the fabric.  You will need 6 piles of fabric containing 6 strips.

2) Use this math relationship for placement:

    Inside star: 

1. 1 strip for the inside and 5 for the point.  (1+5=6)  This is designated as blue 1 on the diagram.
2. 2 strips for the inside and 5 for the point (2+4=6).  This is designated as red 2 on the diagram.
3. 3 strips for the inside and 3 for the point (3+3=6).  This is designated as green 3 on the diagram.
4. 4 strips for the inside and 2 for the point (4+2=6).  This is designated as orange 4 on the diagram.
5. 5 strips for the inside and 1 for the point (5+1=6).  This is designated as purple 5.  Note that the one remaining strip becomes the outer-most tip of your quilt.  So if you want it to be more eye catching to create that quilt sparkle, make this a highly contrasting color with the background fabric.  (Dark color.  I just did a medium gray then realized this after I did my diagrams).
6. 6 strips for the connection between the center and the point.  (6+0=6).  This is designated as yellow 6 on the diagram.  If you choose this to be the darkest color of your quilt, it will create a circle all the way around.  I just noticed this after doing the diagrams and started the piecing.

Here is my original sketch of the mathematical relationship from above.  (Be glad you didn't use this diagram, ha ha!)

Here are my strips and progress photos:

Layout your strip sets.

When you are satisfied, fold a 45 degree angle to offset your strips at the top of each strip.  This will create a triangle.  Attach the next strip at the bottom of this triangle.  You will get off-set strips of 6 as in the photo above.

When you have your sets completed, cut your first strip using the 45 degree mark on your rotary cutter mat to create the diamonds.  The top diamond of this strip becomes the center of your quilt.  You need 8 strips cut at a 2 1/2 inch width.  Please note that you can get 11 strips out of these.  I save the leftovers and use them in a scrap long star later.

Cut eight 2 1/2 inch strips from your strip set using the 45 degree angle.  I use tape to mark the 2 1/2 inch width on my ruler.

When all 8 strips are cut, then go to pile 2 and repeat.  Since I do not want to mess with the orientation of the strips, I sew these 8 to the previous 8 before cutting any more strips.  This way I keep track of my work.

Sew row one to row two.  I press seams to the top.  Most patterns say to press seams open so you can find the "x" in the diamond for pinning.  I can find it by looking at how the seam allowance cross each other.  Pinning each "x" will ensure you don't blunt your Lonestar diamond tips.

"X" marks the spot when it comes to pinning!

I should have a finished quilt top by the end of the week to show to you!  More next time!  Here is a photo of the scrappy one.

Jelly Roll Lone Star Quilt A Long (Free) - Part 1 - Supplies

 Hello,

My husband told me, "You need to start quilting again." 

He may regret that...I went fabric shopping!!!  Haha!!!!

 And the same day, my mom sent me a text message about how she thinks I should start quilting again and reopen my quilting business.

So...I'm going to give it a go!

I have decided to do only custom quilting services - NOT edge to edge.  Yes, it costs 2.5 as much because it takes more than twice as long.  I don't want to compete with the edge-to-edge services in the area.  There are many that do a good job and I don't feel that is my niche or talent.  It's just not my place in the market.  If you need me to refer you to someone, I can.

My next quilt a long will be my version of the Jelly Roll Lone Star Quilt.

For this project, you will need 2 1/2 yard of fabric for the sashing, 2 1/2 yards of fabric for the white background and 2 jelly rolls of 20 + strips that measure 2 1/2 inches wide.  I chose some gray fabrics from JoAnn's.

In the past, I have had blog fabric sponsors.  Yes, I like getting free fabric, but every time my quilt pattern was chosen for publication, either by a magazine or web publishing, a fabric company sponsored my quilt.  Often, I felt like the quilt was becoming too exclusive.  I felt like the companies were pushing my quilts to be used with only this or that brand of fabric and I found that my readers were hunting high and low to find that exact fabric.  It all felt unnecessary.  I design my quilts to work in many colorways, not fabric or designer specific.  You can use scraps or stuff from Walmart.  Of course, the better-quality fabric, the more heirloom your quilt will be, but I have quilts made from leftovers from my grandmothers.  If you take care of them, it shouldn't matter what name-brand was on the fabric.

CITATIONS AND REFERENCES.

Jellied Lone Star Quilt | modafabrics.com

My version of this quilt is originally from the "Jellied Lone Star Quilt," by TerriAnn of "Childlike Fascination.com" tutorial on the Moda fabrics blog.  (Link above) I am grateful that my patterns have been published by them in the past. 

This is a great tutorial, but knowing me...I have to do it MY WAY.

 In reading through this original tutorial, the finished quilt was only 59 inches wide.  That's just a wall hanging or a kinda-throw.  It's a weird size.  (Sorry, this is just me thinking...) The center Lonestar only ends up to be about 45 inches - a wall hanging or a baby blanket.  There are also a lot of strips leftover if you purchase a Moda 42- piece Jelly Roll.

WHY CAN'T I MAKE IT FULL SIZE?

So...I did.

My variation of this project ends up to be 80 inches square -a nice full size quilt or queen size quilt.  The real trick was using up the extra jelly roll pieces and re-calculating the setting squares and triangles to be large enough for a larger setting.

And here are some photos of some recent projects.

Nordic Sweater Quilt Kit On Connecting Threads - Selling Out

Connecting Threads decided to make my "Nordic Sweater Quilt Pattern" into a Kit.

If you are interested, please click on the word "kit" above.

This is the Connecting Threads version.  It is a deeper red with swirls and a cream with swirls instead of white.

They started marketing it in September and sold out, so contracted a second purchase order for patterns.

I finally buckled down to buy the fabric for my kit and it arrived last night.  They only sent the red fabric -- no binding and no cream.  I called them today, and they have sold out of the cream swirl fabric and it is no longer being manufactured.  They settled on a nice cream lace fabric to swap it out, so I guess I don't get to make a quilt of their "real" fabric line.   Oh well!  I guess it will still work.

I'm glad it went so well.

After talking with me on the phone and finding out that I am the designer, they were really apologetic and said, "Please keep designing.  You do amazing work."

Thanks, I needed to hear that.  It's be a rough go for a while.

If I don't write before then...

Merry Christmas to you all!

This is my original quilt and design.  My oldest son has claimed it for his bedroom!