Buckaroo Stars Quilt Pattern

Buckaroo Stars Quilt made by Deonn Stott, 50" x 62"
Featuring Boots & Stars fabric by Samantha Walker for Riley Blake Designs

Yep.  It's a Horse Blanket.  Or a blanket with a horse on it, that is.  Or ahem, 'scuze me, a quilt.  And now it also is a pattern, available on Quiltscapes' Etsy and Craftsy stores.  Big, simple blocks, quick to make, easy to personalize with your own brand or initials.

Remember this little cutie?  (See the original story HERE).

Sweet Lil' Cowgirl just loves her Hobby Horse.  But now she will be able to snuggle up with her pony in comfort.  

Of course, neither the quilt nor the stick pony is a substitute for the real thing.... just when she can't be riding her very own little pony! 

Such a cute Lil' Buckaroo!

Monday, Monday!

I've been playing with some fun fabric lately - the cutest little "laundry day" fabric designed by Jill Finley (Jillily Studio) for Penny Rose/Riley Blake Designs - Monday, Monday.  Love these colors and the little clothes hanging on the line.  Reminds me of when I was a little kid in the days before we had a dryer.

Birds on the clothesline and other adorable details in the fabric make me smile.

Typically, Monday is laundry day.  At least that's what was stitched on Grandma's dishtowel sets when I was a kid.  And this was the ideal fabric to use for remaking an old pattern that my daughter made for a 4-H competition 10 years back.

We called it "Lolly's Stars".  It's the perfect bedroom ensemble for a teenager or college-age kid, complete with a matching pillow and coordinating laundry bag.  

Here is my cute girl with her quilt in 2008.  (Oh, and her matching skirt...)  She still uses her laundry bag!

Side note:  Lauren (aka Lolly) won 2nd place at the 2009 4-H Nationals in Denver with her quilting demo, "Quick & Easy QSTs".  The little pattern brochure is available on my Craftsy store HERE.

Monday, Monday fabric is now available in quilt shops.  Locally, it's at Pine Needles and other shops in the area.

Also, I've been singing "Monday, Monday" along with the Mamas and the Papas all the while I was stitching! the #1 song in 1966. VIDEO

Check out more Monday, Monday cuteness: Julia @ Riley Blake Designs - Giant Sawtooth Stars Bonnie @ Hem Me In  - Baking in Style Apron More inspiration:  Jill Finley on Instagram @jillilystudio

These Quilts Can Be Yours!!

Spring is in the air!  Well, actually Spring is still battling it out with Winter, who showed up with a little snow yesterday, but anyway. Springtime means it's also time for Utah's Quilting & Sewing Marketplace (UQSM for short) and once again it's time to party!

I always love to participate in the show's Design Challenges. Participants follow certain rules to make a quilt with the fabric provided, maybe even win a prize in the competition.  The quilts will be on display during the show then sold at a live auction at the end of the show to benefit charity, which is the best part!

This year, I entered three Design Challenges.  First, the Moda challenge.  In the past, I've usually been able to rope one or two guild friends into collaborating with me.  This time, my friend Debbie and I each made one. The line of fabric is Thrive, designed by Natalia and Kathleen.  I had to sign up!  These gals are a mother-daughter team from right here in Heber City!

Cool, modern colors and prints -  it was fun to test out a pattern I've been wanting to try for several years.  The line also comes with panels, which fit my design scheme perfectly.  I went with white minky on the back because I wanted a warm, snuggly casual cuddle quilt.  So this is not a quilt to display my mad longarm skills, just a fun, furry, functional, wrap-up-in-a-big-hug kind of a quilt.  "Live, Laugh, Love":

And I have to show a picture of the quilt that Debbie made for this challenge, too; "Modern Geese".   Another friend, Kayedawn, quilted it for her.  This one is a gem - I'm sure it's a prize-winner!  

UPDATE:  Debbie's quilt won 2nd place in the contest!  YEAH!  

Last year's Design Challenge raised $10,000 to benefit the charity Sew Much Hope! With over two dozen quilts in the Moda challenge, we hope they do as well.  Come and bid on these quilts at the auction and take one home!

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The second Design Challenge is sponsored by ADORNit.  These kits used their Burnished fabrics and a fun newsprint background, Text Chatter.  Finished quilts measure approx. 24" x 24".  I used my AccuQuilt die cutter to cut the parts: fantasy flowers, hexagons to make a little hexagami flower center, and even a ribbon swirl which turned into a little birdie.  My little "Wall Flowers":

UPDATE:  This quilt won 3rd place in the ADORNit contest! 

And here is Debbie's.  She used my Bloomin' Blossoms pattern.

These small "Wall Bouquet" ADORNit challenge quilts will be sold at silent auction so one would need to attend the show to bid on these little sweeties.  

~~~

For the third design challenge, I haven't actually made the quilt yet - that is the challenge!  It's the UQSM's first-ever "Stitching Showdown"!

I signed up to participate in this sew-off, then I told Debbie what we were doing! She has been a great sport to go along with my "Quiltscapades", especially during this past year since she lost her husband to cancer.  I have to say that quilting has the power to heal souls.  I hope it has been a good thing for her.  Quilting has certainly kept her busy, at the very least.

So, about this showdown:  Each of the four teams will receive a bag of precut fabrics, then we'll have four hours to design and make a quilt with whatever's in the bag.  Debbie and I are calling ourselves the D & D Quilting Divas, haha!  Her daughter made us some T-shirts and even a little banner.  Hilarious - I love it!

The competition will be broadcast live on Facebook this coming Friday, May 4th starting at 10:30 am.  If you can't attend the show, you will be able to check the UQSM Facebook site on and off during the day for the livestream.  At the end of the competition, the tops will be quilted and bound, then also sold at auction to benefit Sew Much Hope.  Can we do it?  I'm kinda excited. Wish us luck!

Having served on the board for this show for the past 10 years (formerly HMQS), it has been my privilege to witness the passion and amazing, jaw-dropping creativity and originality of the quiltmakers from around the world as displayed in their quilts submitted to this show.  Just when you think you've seen everything... well.  I know there's something special when a quilt catches my breath, makes my heart race, and even brings tears to my eyes.

If you are in the area, I hope you come and see those quilts.  Details are here:  UQSM.  Classes began yesterday, and the show officially opens on Thursday, May 3rd at 10:00 am. and runs through Saturday, May 5th at 4:00 pm.

Mountain America Expo Center

9575 South State Street, Sandy, Utah

A Favorite Quilt ~ Lessons Learned

One of my first quilts!

"The Twelve Gifts of Birth" by Deonn Stott, 2005

Early in my quilting journey, I joined a local guild.  One particular year, our guild received permission from Cheri Saffiote, a friend of our guild president's mom, to use blocks from a pattern she was designing, Sweet Land of Liberty, as a block of the month.

Sweet Land of Liberty quilt pattern by Cheri Saffiote Payne

We would receive pattern installments each month to learn differnt techniques throughout the year. I adapted my design to be more about fairies and flowers than the primitive Americana style of her pattern, but I do love it!  And for a myriad of reasons.

Lessons Learned.

Color.  I learned that I could choose a piece of fabric in colors that I loved, then base the color choices for all the blocks on that one print. The dots on the selvage are all the colors used to make the print, and those can also be used for your color palette.  Didn't even have to use that print in the quilt if you didn't want to!  

Piecing.  In consecutive months I learned five different techniques for piecing:  Wonky piecing, precision piecing, strip piecing, paper-piecing, and even curved piecing!  Each technique was a new adventure!

Applique'.  We learned five different techniques for applique'!:  Invisible machine applique', back-basting needle-turn applique', reverse applique', wool applique' and even chenille applique'  (I learned the technique then taught that class to the rest of the guild).

Embroidery.  One of the guild members gave a lesson on embroidery basics.  I had come across a little book, The Twelve Gifts of Birth by Charlene Costanzo, which listed 12 attributes that paired well with my blocks.  I improved my stitchery technique as I embroidered the words: "beauty, compassion, courage, faith, hope, imagination, joy, love, strength, talent, reverence, and wisdom" on my blocks.  

Setting Odd-Size Blocks.  The final lesson was to set all the odd-sized blocks together to make a coherent quilt.  I've used this technique numerous times since in putting together orphan blocks or T-shirt quilts with odd-size squares.

1. Measure the unfinished sizes of all the blocks to be used.  Subtract 1/2 inch from each measurement (1/4-inch seam allowance on each side) and see if they are all divisible by a common denominator (quilt math!).  That becomes the base number.  Trim blocks or add sashing or borders to bring them to a size divisible by the base number, plus an extra 1/2 inch in length and width for the seams.
2. Lay out all the blocks in a pleasing arrangement.  See where you need to fill in with either more pieced blocks or background fabric to grow the quilt to the right size. Make the new fillers with a finished size also divisible by the same base number, making sure that the unfinished size of the fillers includes 1/2" seam allowance in length and width.

Quilting Lessons.  This quilt was one of my very first attempts at quilting my own quilt on the longarm.  I sent it off to a quilt competition and received some great feedback of how I could improve, such as keeping an overall uniform density in the quilting and not leaving large areas un-quilted.  I did a little re-quilting and my little "Twelve Gifts" received a Sweepstakes award at the county fair, and First Place at the Utah State Fair in it's category!

More Than Just a Quilt.

I have such affection for this little quilt -- the colors, the block designs and techniques learned, the layout, the flaws, the mistakes, and the lasting friendships made with my guild quilt sisters.  I learned so much through the making of this quilt!  

And now it has become even more precious to me upon learning that our designer, Cheri Saffiote Payne, passed away this week from cancer.  

Cheri Payne 2015 photo cred

Though I never met her personally, I came to appreciate her fun, whimsical style and personality through her primitive folk art patterns.  Even the 12 attributes I embroidered seem to apply to the sweet lady whose design it was that set me on my quilting path.

Cheri Payne, featured artist at the San Diego Quilt Show, September 2017 photo cred

And, as with other artists, we mourn her passing, but I am grateful that her talent and creativity lives on through her work.  Here are some resources to find Cheri's patterns and designs.
Facebook:  Quilts by Cheri - Friendship Group.  Over the past year or so, Cheri and her friends have uploaded dozens of her patterns free for those who joined her FB group. I'm not sure if you can still join.  Find the patterns in FILES.  Unfortunately, Sweet Land of Liberty is not among them, but many similar blocks and quilts are.  And right now, Lori @ Humble Quilts is hosting a quilt-along, making the Sweet Land of Liberty quilt.  It's probably not too late to join in. It is a primitive-style quilt, and since there is no pattern, that's ok, because Lori gives dimensions and sizes.
Blog:  quiltsbycheri.blogspot.com  Find Cheri's "Everyday Patchwork" patterns on her blog - also currently a quilt-along on her FB group.
Amazon:  Cheri Saffiote Some books and patterns still available.
Pinterest:  Cheri Payne - Handmade by Me