>>>>

Saturday, February 07, 2015

Leaders, Enders & The APQ Quilt Along!

debbieb3
Brag Mail night!

And every right to brag because these quilts are awesome!

I often get behind in maintaining my inbox.  And though I do what I can with my phone through the day to put things in different folders, and respond to questions and keep things in a somewhat workable order--((Often, it feels like I am stamping out fires before they take over!)) sometimes it is just hard to get through it all –

Like when on retreat for a week at the cabin with the girls –and then I have to wait until I have time to sit in one place and go through the mail one by one making sure that things got viewed, appreciated and replied to!

This is an email I received from Debbie, sharing her wonderful quilts that she made as Leaders & Enders. 

This is Happily Scrappily Irish from Adventures with Leaders & Enders.

I thought you might get something out of what she sent, so I am sharing it!

She writes:

Bonnie,
I wanted to send you pictures of three of my leader &  ender quilts.

I also wanted to thank you for featuring my sewing space back in November. 
At that time I was working on the Happily Scrappily Irish and yea it's finally done.
debbieb1

Debbie’s Sister’s 9 Patch from Adventures with Leaders & Enders

I give your blog info to all my customers (I'm a long armer) that are interested in the Scrap User's  System and making scrap quilts. 
We talk "Bonnie" every time we get together. 

debbieb2

Debbie’s Narragansett Blues from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders!

I have all your books and look at them often -- they all have pages marked for future projects.  I'm now working on finishing up Jamestown Landing in green and white for my grandson.

The colors are for the college he hopes to attend -- Michigan State University. 
Thirty more string blocks and the border to go -- I'm loving it!

Thanks for sharing all you do.
Debbie Bunch
Mason MI

Thank you for sharing your beautiful quilts with us, Debbie!  And please send the picutre of the Jamestown Landing in Green and White when you are done! I'd love to see it!

One of the reasons I am so thrilled to share these quilts with you is that they all come out of the same size of unit – a simple 2” square.

If you can keep a box of 2” scrap squares next to your machine, and get into the habit of sewing pairs of squares together to end a line of piecing before taking your work to the iron –leaving that pair under the presser foot to hold your place in the chain, snipping your work off behind your presser foot ---these squares will magically grow into components you need for a beautiful scrap quilt that builds itself without you having to work on it!

These 3 simple quilts are made from easy 4 patches and 9 patches.  Yes – the Happily Scrappy Irish is NOT strip pieced – it is 4 patches!  Perfect as a Leader & Ender project!

Chances are you are already sewing over a “thread bunny” or “spider” or “thread catcher” or “Sew between” –why not just use pairs of squares with a regular 1/4” seam instead and have that thread actually end up IN a quilt, instead of in the trash?

20150204_073300

My current APQ Quilt Along --Perfect Leader & Ender Project!

blog-button_600

3 different 4 patch quilts in the APQ Quilt Along for 2015!
APQquiltalong

Pick up a copy of the April 2015 issue available now!


Rainbow Rows by Lissa Alexander
Photo courtesy of AP&Q Magazine.

There are 3 patterns all including 4 patches in this issue – pick your favorite and use it as your Leader & Ender project through 2015 if you are “too busy” to just jump in full time right now.  No worries, this quilt along is not a race, and you have the whole year to work on this.  Working on these units on the side is an easy way to play along, and sew along and have something grow while still working on other things.

This is not to replace our “usual” Leader & Ender Challenge which usually is released in the summer.  I’ll think of that later. 

Here are just a few of the quilters that you will want to follow along as they share their version of the #APQquiltalong.

April Rosenthal, Prairie Grass Patterns
www.aprilrosenthal.com

Barb and Mary, Me and My Sister Designs
http://www.meandmysisterdesigns.com/blog/

Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville’s Quips andSnips!
quiltville.blogspot.com  ((ME!))

Camille Roskelley, Simplify
camilleroskelley.typepad.com

Debbie Roberts, The Quilted Moose
quiltedmoose.com/blog

Edyta Sitar, Laundry Basket Quilts
laundrybasketquilts.com/blog

Jane Davidson, Quilt Jane
quiltjane.com

Jo Morton, Jo Morton Quilts
jomortonquilts.com/jos_journal/

Kimberly Jolly, Jolly Jabber
fatquartershop.blogspot.com

Linda Collins, Quilts in the Barn
quiltsinthebarnaus.blogspot.com

Lisa Bongean
lisabongean.com

Lissa Alexander, Moda Lissa
modalissa.blogspot.com

Shea Henderson, Empty Bobbin Sewing
emptybobbinsewing.com

Sherri McConnell, A Quilting Life
www.aquiltinglife.com

Thelma Childers, Cupcakes ’n’ Daisies
www.cupcakesndaisies.com

Vanessa Goertzen, Lella Boutique
lellaboutique.blogspot.com

American Patchwork and Quilting staff
AllPeopleQuilt.com/blog

I’m home from my second day of teaching in Greensboro with the Gate City Quilters.  It was so much fun I had to come inside, throw off my shoes and lie down for a 2 hour nap!  Ha!

((WONDERFUL!!))

I’m now bright eyed and ready to spend some time with needle fabric and thread.

Have a great Saturday evening, everyone!


Click Here to like our Quiltville Friends Page on Facebook for more fun!

Click Here to join our sister group, Quiltville's Open Studio on Facebook, a place to Sew, Share & Grow!!

7 comments:

AnnieO said...

Those are great quilts she made! I had never heard of a leader-ender before I found your blog 5 years ago, but have had at least a scrap to sew in and off of since then. It looks like you're making Edyta's quilt, which is also the one I like best, but I'm wondering if you are using her 1.25" strip size That isn't I size I keep so I'm using

AnnieO said...

Continued....
I'm using 1.5" squares and strips. I will use your chart for resizing the setting triangles and corner triangles, thank you for that! So, what's your size square?

PalmerGal said...

I had never heard of leaders/enders before I found your blog 2 years ago. Now when I knew that I didn't have the time to keep up with this year's mystery, I read all the clues and realized I could do several of the steps as L/E's while making others. I'm still working on Step 1, but step ? (the 4 patches) is done! And I'm about to cut another so I can continue doing 2 at once. Thanks!

Patricia said...

A new quilter. What is leader and ender.

Thank you

Kelly said...

To Debbie Bunch - beautiful quilts! Are you a member of the Capitol City Quilt Guild? If not, you should join us!

Go Spartans!

Ness said...

Beautiful quilts Debbie!!!! Enjoyed lookingat them so much. Thanks for sharing them Bonnie...I honestly don't know how you get it all done! I laughed at Deb's remark about talking "Bonnie" as I pass on the scrap management and talk Bonnie all the time to whoever will listen...LOL!! Actually all I have to do is show my pile of Leaders and Enders bonus blocks and people are asking! LOL! :)
Make is a beautiful quilty day Bonnie!

HelenMarie said...

I picked up a copy of the magazine this week. I really want to get started, but with the studio being a work in progress and holding up progress on GIMQ... and I have 5 other patterns in various stages... I think I will skip this one for now and use what I have as L/E... but I am hoping to join your L/E challenge this summer.
hm

Post a Comment

If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.

Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.

Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)