Tidbits about Sunbonnet Sue
and April Free Quilt Block Patterns

Greetings Quilter -

Vacations are fabulous, but it does take some time to get back in the swing of productive work every day. The contrast is just startling!

But, here we are - back in full swing and rarin' to go.

During our survey a few months ago, one of the top requests was for information about making a t-shirt quilt. It actually came in after stack and whack, fat quarters, and quilt as you go techniques.

Now I'm ready for the tshirt quilt.

The first step was to sort through my t-shirts and decide which ones I wanted to combine into one quilt.

In choosing a theme, I decided to use t-shirts that I got when I worked for Cox Communications. During my years there, I organized a program at a middle school where the kids watched a special production of "Wolves at our Door."

This was way back when live streaming video on the internet was first born.

As part of the program, we brought a live wolf to the campus - yes, very cool! And I have a picture of the principal and me on a grassy bank petting the wolf.

In each quilt I make, I try to create a challenge - something I haven't tried before. And in this quilt, I decided it would be fun to transfer that photo onto t-shirt material. I've done plenty of photo transfers onto cotton, demin and flannel, but never knit t-shirt fabric.

Below you'll see a picture of my stacks of t-shirts. I have sorted them into ones with print only on 1 side and print on both front and back. The next step is to iron a light interfacing on and then cut the design/logo out.

Stay tuned for next week's progress!

These are the "boring" t-shirts I will use for my t-shirt quilt. Included are a couple of polo shirts with logos, too. They are from when I worked at Cox Communications.

Take a few minutes to create a small fabric postcard this week for a soldier in the Middle East. A few scraps of fabric is all it takes, and by making one a week - or every few days - you can brighten the life of our troops.

Just a few minutes is all it takes to create one of these small treasures and send it to Diane for shipment abroad. The letters and emails she gets back are remarkable and tell just how much these little treasures mean to the soldiers over there.

You'll find all the information below. This month I'll be sending additional information, including patterns and instructions for making these tiny quilts.

For those of you who own quilt shops or have an online business, I have just finished my newest information package that is sure to boost your sales.

Whether you already have an online quilting business or are wondering what you can do with your website to generate some serious revenue, this resource will give you the resources you need to jumpstart the online portion of your business.

This is as simple as 1, 2, 3 to learn and do. And it can be done in less than about 45 minutes each week.

If you're not ready to invest in this great information, sign up to get Weekly Tips for free. You'll learn more about how the system works and how you can use it in your quilt shop or web-based business. This system works regardless of the type of business you are in - from quilts to school supplies.

Learn about the Online Quilting Business Success System.

In about 45 minutes a week, you can generate tons of online sales using my Online Business Success System. Tested and proven to work - this is the system I use.

Learn more - - -

And now for the rest of the news - -

Happy Quilting!

penny halgren

Featured Product from How-to-Quilt.com

I should probably change the name of this DVD Mentor to
Machine Quilting Magic - -

From Cutting to Machine Quilting and Binding . . .
Transform Your Fat Quarter Fabric Pieces
into a Beautiful Quilt – with ease!

I know it's a mouthful - The Machine Quilted Fat Quarter Quilt DVD Mentor.

It started out being about how to make a quilt using fat quarters. You know, those little pieces of fabric that quilt shops cut into shapes that measure about 17 inches by 22 inches.

But it turned into one of the most complete How to Make a Quilt resources on the face of the earth! Not that I'm bragging or anything - but everything went into this!

Working with small amounts of fabric causes us to be more careful about choosing a block, knowing exactly how much of each kind of fabric we need, and how to cut it.

Plus, I realize that not everyone has the magical, mystical quilt design software that creates templates and figures out your fabric requirements.

And, I know that quilters now want to finish quilts quickly using their home sewing machine - from start to finish.

So - in this resource, you will see:

how to easily figure out how much of each color fabric you need for your quilt - without the complicated math
how to lay out the patches on your fat quarter so you know how to cut the fabric without wasting any
how to create your own templates to cut fabric - they fit perfectly, they are any size you want them to be, and you can make templates for any block you want
shortcuts for sewing the blocks together to create the quilt top
how to create an interesting and easy border using a seminole design (sew and cut strips of fabric)
how to machine quilt on your home sewing machine - this is the most comprehensive machine quilting resource I have created, showing:
- how to layer and baste your quilt so you end up with pucker-free machine quilting
- how to choose your quilting design
- how to sew using free motion quilting and some of the designs you can create
- how to set the tension on your sewing machine - details, not just "do this" you see how to set the tension and what your quilting looks like when it is right and when it is wrong, and how to know how to fix it
- how to set up your practice sandwich to ensure perfect quilting stitches and thread tension

You can see that this is jam-packed with information way beyond just creating a quilt using fat quarters.

Truly I wish this type of information was available when I began quilting decades ago. I've spent more than 28 years gathering it all and putting it in one place in an easy-to-understand format, including video and written materials, so your quilting journey will be fun and stress-free!

Tell me more - - -

Quilt Block - Sunbonnet Sue

Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Block

This very popular quilt block comes in many styles, yet they are all very similar.

They are all appliquéd, typically using a blanket stitch, and showing her dress, arm (or arms) feet (one or both) and a hat.

Many Sunbonnet Sue blocks have fancy hats, in contrast to the very simple one shown here. And many have some kind of bow – either in the front or around the hat, with the ribbons flowing down Sue’s back.

Many quilters take liberties with Sue, and dress her in elegant clothes, plain clothes, farm clothes, or some other theme.

Let’s not leave the boys out. There is an Overalls Sam, whose design is similar to Sunbonnet Sue with his hat, arms and legs showing, and usually sporting overalls or trousers. Often Sam carries a fishing pole.

Because these blocks are children, many quilters love to make them and enjoy customizing them for a favorite child in their life.

To discover methods for applique, visit: Applique Quilts

Postcard Quilts for the Troops

July 4th Roundup Next - Deadline JUNE 5!

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

I wanted to do something to let the soldiers in the Middle East know that there were hundreds - even thousands - of folks here in the US who appreciated what they were doing.

Our first Penny's Posse Rounded up more than 139 tiny postcard greetings for the soldiers in Iraq for the 4th of July 2006.

Those fabric cards were sent through Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, and pictures of fabric postcards sent in the first Roundup are posted on this site.

You can read the first webpage with the original idea here.

After the first Roundup, Penny received emails from several quilters asking if she would please do another Roundup so they could participate. And more Roundups were added.

As quilters, we know what those postcards mean to the men and women who recieve them. Some who get them receive no other mail from home. And for all of them, it's a reminder of the wonderful freedoms they are fighting for and the comforts they will enjoy when they return home.

Still others have fond memories of their mothers or grandmothers creating quilts to keep them warm and safe as children.

The 4th of July Roundup is in full swing - the deadline is June 5!

It's not too early to start making patriotic cards for our 4th of July Roundup. This will mark our 4th Year!

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 4th of July deadline, get your cards to Diane by June 5

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

April Free Block Patterns

These free April quilt block patterns will make your St. Patrick's Day full of quilting fun. Most of these are 9 patch quilt blocks, and some are 9 patch quilt blocks.

Click here to download your April FREE quilt block patterns