Learn How to Quilt: free quilt block patterns

Expand Your Quilting Horizons - Experiment!
and August Free Quilt Block Patterns

Coy in a pond - batik fabric

Greetings Quilter -

Have you ever seen one of those beautiful batik panels with a scene - and wondered what to do with it?

Years ago, quilting daughter, Stephanie, got a dragon one. It is quite large and elegant.

She sewed beads all over it, covering all of the little white dots that gave the dragon its "texture."

It took years for her to finish it, and now it proudly hangs in her home office.

I love what she did with it, and I'll admit that I've looked at several since then. But I could never figure out exactly what I could do other than add some fancy borders and quilt it. Not to diminish the value of doing that, but it seems like there might be something else that could be done.

A couple of months ago, I ran across an article in a quilting magazine that showed an interesting way of cutting the panel and then inserting strips of dark fabric, making it look as if you were peeking through a fence or some reeds.

With Jim's help, we chose the coy panel above for this experiment. The panel now hangs on the flannel wall, as I choose which fabrics I might use for the strips.

It has been surrounded by several pieces of fabric. And I thought I might cut some strips and lay them on top of the panel to see how it might look. Then the other day, I decided that the way to approach it was to just cut the fabric, and then spread the pieces apart on top of different fabrics to see which will look the best.

After last week's article on experiments in quilting, I decided to try this quilting "stretch." I'll let you know how it goes next week.

And now for the rest of the news - -

Happy Quilting!

penny halgren

EQ7 Quilt Design Software Webinar - 3rd Session

eq7 quilt design software

The third training session tof EQ7 is scheduled - Wedsday, August 11, beginning at:

3pm Pacific Time
4pm Mountain Time
5pm Central Time
6pm Eastern Time

If you haven't registered yet, here is what's in store:

In this third session, you will see how to:

use the Photo Library
import your own images
crop and change the size of images
rotate and flip images
print your photos onto fabric
use your photographs as you design a quilt
and much more

The first two sessions were quite successful, with hundreds of quilters attending. Quilters who attended said:

"Hi Penny,

Really enjoyed the webinar last evening and am looking forward to 2nd session. I took your advice and viewed a few of your videos on YouTube which I thought were very, very helpful.

I'm looking forward to finding out how to add fabric to the library. I hope there is a way to pull off display swatches that are available on store/fabric web sites into EQ7 without having to buy the fabric and then scanning it. I've bought alot of Kaffe Fassett material of late and thought it would be easier to import professional swatches than my scanning. I can see where the EQ7 software will help me immeasurably with picking more dramatic color schemes."

Abby"

"This is my very first experience with an EQ program and my very first time participating with an on-line webview. It was excellent, simple, and you did a great job. I can't hardly wait until the next episode. I am actually thinking I can do this!!!!! I also love your website!"

Jane Rhoads

"I really enjoyed the presentation. You went slow enough that anyone, even I, could keep up. Thanks!!

My husband was given a "gag order" while it was going on. He was really cute tiptoeing around while it was going on. I had just gone through the lessons for EQ6 privately, and that made everything make sense. I think I could have made it fine without the prep work, but it did help."

Cynthia Blair

Penny,

"You did a fantastic job. I use to do this same thing for a very large insurance company before I retired. In a way I miss it as I love computers and all they can do. But now I’m concentrating on my quilting.

Documentation: Very good and nice to have ahead of time so we could look it over (those of us who printed it out!!)

Screen Shots: Very good. We were able to ask questions if necessary and see the answers. You also answered questions at the end which was helpful as we could listen to you and miss any other information trying to find and answer to our questions in the display box.

Delivery: Excellent. You spoke slowly and when you had a problem you said you did and worked through it. You went over some things a second time which is helpful.

Information Covered: a very good basic start. I’m excited about the rest of the classes but now since you’ll be changing the day I’ll be missing them. We’ll be in California Aug 4 through 17.

Thanks for doing these classes."

Louise

It will all be online, and free!

But you will need to register:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/526258689

Once you register, you will receive the login information as well as reminder emails.

There is a piece of software you need to download in order to watch. If you take care of that the day before the session, you will be sure to be ready the minute it begins.

There will be a hand out that will be ready by Tuesday, so you can see what is in store for the second session. Print it out and use it to take notes, too!

No limitations - you just need to register. It doesn't require a purchase or anything.

This will be recorded and posted so you can watch at your leisure.

But you may want to get your own copy of the training so you can review it whenever you need. The replay will be posted for eveyone for a week. After that, only members of TheQuiltingCoach.com will have online access.

Quilting Tip - Experiment with your Quilting

One of the best quilting tips I had ever heard was to experiment.

“Experimenting” sounds rather frustrating sometimes. After all, we want to make our quilts perfect the first time and “experimenting”alludes to some trial and error.

But experimenting can take your quilting to new levels. Take, for instance, the idea of quilting with neon, glow in the dark thread.

Wouldn’t that just be the perfect accent on a quilt made for a teen? Actually, it would be great for anyone who loves black light art. It sounds like it’s worth trying.

Maybe you’re not quite ready to cross into the glow-in-the-dark side of quilting, but you can learn to loosen up a little so you can expand your quilting horizons.

Start with a small change. Use a quilt block pattern you have never used before. If you habitually make a quilt using the same block throughout, create a sampler quilt instead.

If you always coordinate your colors perfectly, try for a look that’s more random or “scrappy.” You might just be surprised with the look that results!

Another option is to use a pattern you are accustomed to, but colors you are not. If you tend to lean to pastels, go bright (and vice versa).

Give appliqué a try if you are normally a quilt piecer. If you are not accustomed to this technique, buy a kit or pattern that outlines the directions for you.

If you are familiar with the appliqué technique, design your own for a change. Be creative with your motifs.

Experiment with borders. Make them wider or thinner than usual just to try something new. Do the same with your bindings. If you generally self bind your quilts by folding the back over to the front, try making your own binding strips and learn to miter corners.

try different types of batting

Change the batting you use. For years, I used only one type of cotton batting - same brand, same blend. Then when bamboo batting came along, I decided to try it. Because it, too, makes a nice quilt, I've expanded my batting horizons to include silk and wool blends; and, oh, some fusible batting, too.

There are so many ways that experimenting will help you with your quilting. We all know that practice makes perfect, but adding new patterns, techniques, colors, etc., will keep your hobby (or business) alive and interesting.

When you see something interesting in a magazine or online that you want to try, make a copy to put in an “Experiment” folder.

Once you start accumulating ideas in this folder, you will probably begin to refer to it as an inspiration or motivation folder. Then, one day when you happen to find yourself in between quilt projects, grab an idea from the folder and begin to create.

Giving new ideas a try or experimenting with products and projects you’ve never tried before is a great tip to keep your quilting interesting and a good way to expand your quilting knowledge.

Cool Block of the Month Website

block of the month club

If you love to get quilt block patterns and quilt ideas, our friend Jody and her mom, quilters in Australia, have a cool site that provides original quilt patterns.

This mother and daughter team shares a passionate love of designing and creating quilts. Over the years, they have made many quilts from others' patterns, but they have always been searching for more striking and unusual designs or traditional ideas with a twist, to make their quilts a bit more special.

They have been designing their own quilts for years now. The great comments and praise we've had from friends, family and our Quilting Group have encouraged us to share our unique quilts with you.

You can enjoy creating special "one of a kind" quilts that your loved ones will treasure, from their original Quilt Block of the Month Club Patterns... exclusive quilt designs you won't find anywhere else.

Join "Quilt Block Of The Month Club" and start downloading multiple quilt patterns from our growing BOM range. It's simple and fun!

August Holidays for Quilters

Thank goodness that August 15 is National Relaxation Day! We quilters are going to need of R&R&Q after all the other busy holidays this month.

The month of August is officially “Get Ready for Kindergarten” month. If you have a sweet child who is starting school, you will definitely want to quilt a special nap mat for the occasion. Many kindergartens, even if they provide the mat, will allow students to bring a quilt from home for nap time. Some allow one toy, but quite a few schools ban toys from home. As a quilter, you can accommodate both and your child can slip into nap time with a quilt so fun, he doesn’t even need a toy.

Applique fun designs onto the nap quilt. Or, make small stuffed objects like a car or a doll and sew it directly to the quilt. Be sure to stitch it securely in a spot where the child won’t be lying. You can even use your knowledge of photo quilts to send them to school with a nap time mat that has a family photo or picture of a favorite pet to let them know they are not so far from home after all.

Girlfriend’s Day and Sister’s Day are both on August 1. That’s appropriate since our best girlfriends really are like sisters. Spend the day with your quilting sisters to make patchwork aprons or lap quilts to donate to a local women’s and children’s shelter.

One of my favorite “holiday” sites lists Aug. 12 as National Sewing Machine Day. I’d say that’s pretty important for a quilter! Searching for more information about the special day, turned up the fact that National Sewing Machine Day is also celebrated in June and September as well. I’m not sure why the discrepancy, but I’m a quilter and I believe it’s fine to celebrate National Sewing Machine Day more than once! I know that the Sewing Machine Day in September recognizes the anniversary of the patent on the sewing machine. It sewed 200 stitches per minute, by far faster than any hand could do!

If you are not superstitious, you’ll probably not care that the second Friday of the month is Friday the 13th. The next day can be important for quilters who enjoy the hunt for old or antique quilts. It’s National Garage Sale Day on Aug. 14. If you buy an old quilt, remember to launder it carefully, especially if the fabrics or threads already show signs of deterioration.

After August, we head into the fall stretch of the year. It’s not long til those gift giving holidays arrive so don’t let the heat of the dog days of August shift your focus too much!

Postcard Quilts for the Troops

Halloween Roundup Next - Deadline September 29!

Wow! We sent more than 1,900 fabric postcards to the Middle East for the 4th of July!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this worthy event. I know it will mean a lot to the soldiers who receive those greetings of thanks on the 4th of July.

This year, we've decided not to do the Birthday Roundup, and focus our efforts on Halloween and the end of the year holidays.

So the next Roundup is Halloween -

Halloween, like the 4th of July, in Iraq or Afghanistan is just another day unless it becomes something different by virtue of quilters' intervention!

Now you can send postcards for our Halloween Roundup. This is just a fun time of the year - with Trick or Treat fabric, memories of Halloween costumes and marching around the neighborhood begging for candy.

You can bring those memories back for the soldiers stationed abroad by sending them tiny quilts - fabric postcards decorated for Halloween.

We want to keep Diane doing the Penny's Postcard Posse project, but she is terribly allergic to smoke. So, if you can be sure that your fabric postcards are smoke-free, it will be much appreciated!

Check out the postcard patterns on www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com I will continue to add designs, and patterns for the fabric postcards are always free.

To make the Halloween deadline, get your cards to Diane by September 29

Please send your cards to:
Diane Malaznik
14215 Westmore St.
Livonia, MI 48154-4149

Diane is doing a fabulous job keeping the pictures updated, and if you have sent cards in, let your friends and family know that they can see pictures of them here: www.Fabric-Postcards.com

Remember you can get FREE postcard patterns at: www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com

August Free Block Patterns

These free August quilt block patterns will make your summer quilting fun. These quilt blocks include easy blocks as well as some that are a little more difficult.

Click here to download your August FREE quilt block patterns