"Hesketh House"

Hi, and welcome to my stop on Riley Blake Designs' Hesketh House Collection showcase!

Hesketh House is manufactured by Liberty of London, and Riley Blake Designs is the exclusive US distributor for Liberty Cotton.  Isn't this exciting?  You may have already sewn with Liberty's Tana Lawn (cotton lawn), mostly used in garments.  This is high quality quilting-weight cotton, the same high quality you find with Riley Blake Designs' cotton.  Beautiful!

I love both the look and silky feel of this stack of lovelies.  Paired with Riley Blake Designs' Confetti Cotton, I think it's a perfect match.

I've been wanting to try my hand at Cathedral Windows, even took a class a number of years ago.  I found this You-Tube Tutorial for Cathedral Windows, similar to how I learned to do this technique, all by machine.  I'll actually be teaching a couple of classes in March.

I used 10-inch squares for the base, 3-1/8" squares for the windows, and I placed an extra square beneath the diagonal curves to add a pop of color!  I used 505 spray adhesive to position the small fussy-cut squares then pulled back the bias edges of the base and edge-stitched the curves.

Here's a little diagram of how to do continuous stitches with the edge-stitching; you get the idea!

  

I still have some practice to do to get those intersections pretty and perfect.  But it's nothing a few little vintage buttons from Great-grandma Vivienne's stash can't cure.  A Cathedral Window quilt is definitely on my bucket list!

To finish the pillow, I made a quick lapped backing, using the same technique as in this TUTORIAL.  I like the back as well as the front!

Hesketh House is expected to arrive in stores in April.

See more of these lovely fabrics and the projects they inspire from the following designers.  I'll update the links as they become available.
Jan 7th ~ Julia @ Riley Blake Designs
Jan 8th ~ Faith @ Sarana Ave
Jan 9th ~ Anjeanette @ Anjeanette Klinder
Jan 10th ~ Deonn @ Quiltscapes <thank you for stopping by!
Jan 15th ~ Amanda @ Jedi Craft Girl
Jan 17th ~ Amy @ Ameroonie Designs
Jan 22nd ~ Heidi @ Fabric Mutt
Jan 24th ~ Karen @ Cream Craft Goods
Jan 31st ~ Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt

Fancy Finishes: Scallop-Edge Binding

I was cleaning up my blog drafts and came upon this little gem from about 2015 that was never published!  As I'm preparing to teach several "Bindings & Alternate Endings" classes in the upcoming months, (one of my very favorite things to teach), this is a good time to review this technique.  And build up my "Binding Police" status, hahaha.  Here are some tips.

1)  Use bias cut binding!  Binding cut at a 45-degree angle has sufficient give and stretch to go around curves.  This is about the only time I use bias binding!  See my TUTORIAL to make it from yardage.

2)  Cut the binding strips 2" wide.  Any wider and you'll have trouble getting it to lay flat.  Join strips with a diagonal seam.  Reduce the stitch length so the stitches don't pop open.

3)  On outside curves, ease extra fabric beneath the needle as you stitch.  Use 1/4" seam allowance.

4) Clip inner point.

5)  Plant needle at clip, raise presser foot.

6)  Fold quilt to straighten stitching line and continue.

7)  Release folded quilt to see natural miter forming at the inner point.

8)  Final mitered seam.  Lay out binding over beginning binding tail.  Allow for ease.  Clip through all layers of binding.

9)  Cut the longer tail of overlapped binding right at the clip.

10)  On the other binding tail, use the binding as a measuring tool and add the width of binding extending from the clip.  Cut.

11)  Layer binding strips perpendicular to each other with right sides together.  (I always tell myself, "Right side, right side up; Left side, wrong side up".)  Match clips at the edges.  Pin in place. You may wish to fold or mark the stitching line, which is always parallel to the quilt edge. (< love that tip!)  Stitch on that line.

12)  Lay binding out along curve and stitch in place to finish the seam

13)  Press binding away from the quilt top.

14)  Pin miters.

15)  Hand or machine-stitch binding to back of quilt.

Beautiful!  We've been enjoying these placemats for a few years now and they've served us well.  It's probably time to make new ones! 

I love teaching binding classes and they have just added a second session of my binding class at Sew Simply Stitched Retreat (< click for details).  Come and join us!

~ Deonn

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

So, as of December 28th, it appears that Craftsy reduced the number of quilt patterns available on their website from over 29,000 to around 2300!  With those odds, I guess I'm lucky that six of my 42 patterns were spared from the great purge; about 15%.  Here's my whole store.

What this means is, I'll probably need to ~
1)  Upload my surviving patterns elsewhere.
2)  Correct all the broken links on the blog that lead to Craftsy.
3)  Correct all the broken links on my Pinterest pins that lead to Craftsy.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes...

So, where do I go?  Right now, the Quiltscapes Etsy Shop hosts about half of my patterns, and I have moved most of my freebies to my Tutorials page here on the blog.  That page could do with some good organizing though.  And I still need to revive several of my 37 "lost" tutorials from the Riley Blake Designs' website when they went through a similar web host transition last year.  It will take some time, but I'll get there.

My longarm website, QuiltscapesQuilting also hosts a couple dozen patterns, not necessarily the same as on the Etsy shop, so I'll be making some adjustments there too.  It has been good to have multiple sources for pattern sales.  For now, I'll leave the surviving few patterns at Craftsy (now renamed "Bluprint"), and continue adding the missing patterns to my Etsy shop, as well as a few new ones.

What I really need to do is rethink, revisit, revise, revamp, and redo - maybe with a brand new site that combines everything: the longarm business, the blog, the store(s), class and lecture schedule and so on. For starters, I know this blog needs a serious makeover - my daughters and even my sisters have been telling me so, lol!  So far, my DIY-learn-as-you-go method has sufficed, but with this Craftsy shake-up, maybe it's time to amp it up a bit, get some expert intervention.  At the very least, I should learn to use my Instagram account, lol!

These days, I'm quite a bit relaxed about blogging; I like creating on my own schedule.  But I also love to design projects for Riley Blake Designs, quilt for clients, teach classes around the region, and explore new designs with a daily EQ challenge I give myself.  Also, for another year and a half I'll be enjoying my part-time volunteer service of singing with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. It's nice to have the kind of flexibility that allows me to pursue all of my interests at once, and still have time for family.

But new adventures await as I look ahead to 2019 - more Ch-ch-changes!  It's been an evolution, but I'm embracing my, ahem, "natural" hair color, lol!  OK, the real changes:  We are making plans to build a new house this year, AND I'll (finally!) be entering into the realm of GRANDMA-hood!! Woohoo!  I hear it's great, and I can't wait!

So, in the midst of all these changes, we've had lots to celebrate around here in the last little bit.  So, I'll say, Happy Christmas, Happy 33rd Anniversary to my Hon, Happy New Year, Happy Anniversary to my son and his wife, Happy Birthday to my girls yesterday.  It will be my Blogiversary next week, our first granddaughter arrives next month.  Here's to a wonderful year ahead!

Happy dreaming and creating and enjoying it all.  Even the grey hairs...

Craftsy Changes

Craftsy.com is making some changes!

I received notice last week that these changes may affect my Craftsy store.  Craftsy was acquired by NBC Universal back in May and they are re-vamping their website.  As a result, many patterns will be removed and stores closed.  My own daughter has a couple of sweet little patterns listed and her Thimblechaser store will be closed.  My Quiltscapes Craftsy store will be one of the lucky ones to continue, but it's not a guarantee that all of my patterns will survive.  After tomorrow, we'll find out!

If you have purchased from Craftsy in the past, I'd recommend checking to see if you have downloaded your purchases.  Log in to Craftsy.com, go to the upper right hand corner of the screen and click on the down arrow next to your avatar.

Select "Pattern Library" and it will bring up the pages with your pattern purchases.  Then with one little click on the photo, it will download to your computer.  Here's a sample:

I have really enjoyed my Craftsy account.  I started by giving myself a class from Jenny Doan, back when it was part of Sympoz.  Craftsy has been a great place to get inspiration, to see what others were making, and I jumped right on the bandwagon when they offered the opportunity to upload my own designs and sell them through PayPal services, with no other charge for hosting.  It's also been fun to see others make projects from my patterns.  Craftsy sales have helped to tide my family over when my husband's work slowed in the Construction industry several years back, and I'm grateful.  

If there is a Quiltscapes pattern you've been eyeing, now is the time to check it out and download, just in case it won't be there any longer.   I have 42 patterns available, including several freebies, and have reduced the price on several of the patterns.  Check it out if you have a mind to, also my daughter's store for a cute Drawstring Fish backpack/bag and Temari embroidered ball.

Thimblechaser Crafts

Quiltscapes' Craftsy Store

Many of my patterns will continue to be available on my Etsy Shop as download .pdfs and paper copies, and selected hard copies are available on the Quiltscapes longarm website, www.quiltscapesquilting.com.  I'm hoping for good things with the changes on Craftsy/Bluprint.  And meanwhile, I'll continue to write patterns and teach classes and learn new things and pass them along, which is my joy.

Autumn Love Block Party ~ Crows & Vines

It's a quilted couch pillow.

Quilted Couch Pillow by Deonn Stott
Featuring RBD Wool and Autumn Love fabric by Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet for Riley Blake Designs

Lori Holt is just wrapping up her latest sew along, Autumn Love.  Oh, my goodness!  Adorable.

Oh, My Stars! (May Belle Project Tour)

"Oh, My Stars!" quilt by Deonn Stott, 60" x 60"

My friend Jodi has designed the cutest fabric!  Her design inspiration was her grandmother, May Belle.  You can read all about her here: May Belle, and here: Design inspiration.  Aren't these lovely?

Home Again Project Tour

Do you ever get the feeling that fabric is speaking to you?  I've had that feeling, and sometimes I actually listen and go make what it is telling me to create!

Dirndl Vest featuring Home Again fabric designed by Jill Finley (Jillily Studios)
for Penny Rose Fabrics, a division of Riley Blake Designs.

Simply Happy Project Tour!

You know that feeling you get when you spy some fabric and it practically leaps off the shelf into your arms?  Yes, that's how it was with this sweet line of fabrics, Simply Happy, designed by Dodi Lee Poulson for Riley Blake Designs.  Especially that border print!  Love the combination of vivid colors and soft pastels. I'm so happy the folks at Riley Blake invited me to play!

Summer is usually a time for kids' summer camps, and for years I've volunteered as a 4-H leader for our county's Sewing Camp and Quilt Camp for kids ages 9 to about 14.  Moms or Grandmas come for those three afternoons too, sometimes learning right along with the kids!

A Quilted Love Story, Part II

Mr. and Mrs.!!



It was a lovely June wedding for our darling girl and her new husband.  Sisters, friends, aunts, cousins, Mom and Grandma... the relatives came together to help with Cissy's special day.

A Quilted Love Story, Part I

This love story begins with a quilt.

Actually, this story started way back several generations with women in our family who love to make quilts.  That "quilting gene" is in my blood, and my triplet daughters are of the same stock.  The girls