Summer Picnic Gift-Away!

The birds are chirping!  Summer is on its way - I can tell because it was 67f degrees this morning when I woke up - outside temp!

That means coffee on the porch, checking my email, listening to the humming birds as they buzz by to reach their feeders.

There is one with a white ring around his neck that I recognize.  He'll hover right in front of me, a couple of feet from the feeder, just checking things out before he heads to the feeder for a drink.

I love this time of year!

I also love pattern release days!

It brings with it all of the excitement reminiscent of a piano recital (And some anticipation and terror, too!) but once it's out there in the open and the deed is done - it's such a good feeling.

Do you remember my kitting these blocks up almost a year ago?

I wanted something that would dig into my shirt stash that would be fairly traditional, easy to piece with sparkly twirling stars - something that I could put in my hand quilting hoop and enjoy for evening hand stitching.

I wrote the pattern for Summer Picnic including traditional rotary cutting directions as well as using my Essential Triangle Tool to cut all of the pieces from the same width of strips making it really easy if you have a Scrap User's System at the ready.

Here's a couple of blocks along with the reds I had kitted up and clipped for grab and go sewing as I had time.

Simple traditional blocks make it easy to finish  one block at a time even with our busy lives.  I figure that I can make a block in 20-30 minutes, and sometimes that is all the time I get in a day to sew.

My favorite thing about this quilt?  The red blocks have red backgrounds and the blue blocks have neutral - this gives a checkerboard effect to the quilt as it is set together.

But did you also see that the pinwheels in the center are turning opposite directions? More motion - more fun!

You may not have a shirt stash - but you can use any fabrics you want for this quilt.  Choose two colors (or more!) and add a third color (in my case neutrals) that will change position from one set of blocks to the other.

All Summer Picnic needed was one giant sawtooth border to stop all of the spinning and give a big punch to the edge of the quilt.  It allowed the plaids and stripes to really be seen, big or small.

And no, I'm not machine quilting here - I'm machine basting in preparation for hand quilting.

See the basting stitches?

They are large and easy to pick out as I move the hoop from area to area.  Because the quilt is basted so well there is no shifting. 

Because of the machine basting - I can start quilting my Baptist fans in the corner and work my way around the outside edge, removing basting stitches as I go.

Once the first round of fans was quilted I trimmed up the quilt and put my binding on before going on to ahy further quilting of the quilt center.  This meant that the fluff from the batting and the excess thready backing was gone and I had a nice clean quilt edge as I continued to quilt.

I love the texture the free hand fans give to Summer Picnic!

Here's a glimpse at the back as I neared the center....you can still see some of the basting in the middle as well.

I love this one so much! I just know you are going to love it too!

Stars For The Win!

Stars and Scraps were meant for each other! Create this stunning star quilt in scrappy plaids from recycled shirts or with your own stash yardage. Piecing options, full color photos and graphics and many tips for easy piecing pleasure included.

Quilt Size: 72’’ X 72’’

The PDF pattern for Summer Picnic is currently 25% off in the Quiltville Store through Saturday 6/31/25. No coupon needed.

And yes - there is a gift-away as well!

I'll be drawing for two lucky winners who will each win a Summer Picnic PDF pattern from me and a Paw Paw's Shirts fabric roll from  Cotton to Quilts.

The Paw Paw's Shirts roll is so cute and will enhance your own fabric stash!

And check out their selection of neutral cotton rolls to add more cute neutral prints to your collection.

Ready to enter?

We'll draw for our 2 winners on Tuesday, 5/27/25.

Good luck, everyone!

The May Quiltvillians are in the house - I walked in yesterday afternoon after a visit to the dentist to find the soundbar playing - and much singing and dancing to "Afternoon Delight."

This quilter's version of Afternoon Delight is something I can dive into!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

It all depends on how you look at it! 


Happy Friday, everyone!