Premium Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 3 No. 12

Quick 

Premium Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 3 No. 12 

Online Quilt Magazine.com 

Christmas 

Projects to 

Make 

How To 

Audition 

Quilting 

Designs 

Favourite 

Festive 

Recipes 

What Are Your 

New Year’s 

Quilting 

Resolutions? 

Reader 

“Show & 

Tell” 

© Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 1 

Premium Issue Vol.3 No.12 – December 2012

Online Quilt Magazine Table of Contents 


An Easy Way to Keep the Patches in Your Blocks Where You Want Them …………………………………………………………………………………. Page 4 

Auditioning Designs …………..………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………….……………..…. Page 8 

PROJECT – Christmas Quilt ……………………...…………………..…………………………………………………………………….……………………..…………….. 

Collecting Antique Quilts – History, Heirlooms and High Art …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Hints and Tips From Brannie ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………..…….. 

The Creative Process …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

PROJECT – Batik Charm Quilt ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 

What’s New From The Fat Quarter Shop….………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………..……. 

PROJECT – No Sew Quilted Ball Holiday Tree Ornaments …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Book Review – “home sweet quilt” by Jill Finley ……………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Christmas Quotes ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Favourite Festive Recipes ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

New Year Quilting Resolutions ……..………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Reader “Show and Tell” …………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..……………………………….………..… 

Page 14 

Page 19 

Page 23 

Page 25 

Page 28 

Page 31 

Page 35 

Page 37 

Page 39 

Page 41 

Page 48 

Page 50 

BLOCK OF THE MONTH – Crown of Thorns Block ………………..…..…………......................................................................................... Page 52 

Today's Tips..................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 55 

YES – We Want To hear From You ................................................................................................................................................... Page 56 

© Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 2

Hi! 


Letter from the Editor 

Jody Anderson 

Welcome to our Big Christmas Issue! And there’s all sorts of festive goodies in this one too. There’s 

plenty of time still to make our Christmas Quilt, and I found a fab no-sew fabric ornament idea, that I 

just know the kids are going to love making too. Here in Australia, the big summer Christmas holidays 

happen now, and my two are about to be home full time for the next 8 weeks or so! 

We have some Christmas recipes (I’ll be doing plenty of this too!), and a rather good list of ideas for 

your New Year’s Quilting Resolutions. Aside from all things festive, Rose shares another fun project, 

Leah shows how to audition designs for your quilts, and Penny covers the basics of how to sew a multipiece 

block. 

There’s more Readers’ quilts, another block to piece, a great new book review from Annette, and 

Brannie’s been ‘helping’ at home this month too. 

Have a wonderful month, and a Happy, Safe and Quilt-y Festive Season, 

Happy Holidays! 

Jody 



An Easy Way to Keep the Patches in Your Blocks 

Where You Want Them 

If you sew your block together following some 

kind of system, you are more likely to end up with 

the patches in the right place. 

Of course, if you are anything like I am, you still 

might sew some upside down, but for the most 

part, all of the patches will be where you want 

them, facing the way you want them. 

By Penny Halgren from www.How-To-Quilt.com 

Generally it is easier to sew squares together. So 

whenever possible, I look for ways to turn the 

non-square patches in my blocks into square 

patches that are the same size. 

In this case, by sewing the half-square triangles 

together, all of my patches will be squares. 


As I cut my fabric, I place the patch pieces in 

stacks arranged as I will sew them. 

This helps keep me organized and knowing that I 

have cut all of the patches I need to make the 

blocks. 

These are lying on my flannel board which makes 

them easy to move around and keep together as I 

need them sewn. 

Once all of the patches are squares, it is time to 

start sewing them together. 

My first step is to sew columns of patches 

together. 


Starting with the two left columns, I sew the 

patches together, and keep the chain stitching 

threads together. 

For example, I will chain stitch the patches for all 

of the blocks together, and then cut them apart 

in sets. In this example, they are cut into sets of 3 

since that is how many patches are in this block. 

Once the first two columns are sewn, I add the 

third column on. 


I usually pin the patches onto each row to be sure 

that I am sewing the right patch onto the right 

row. 

After these are chain sewn, I cut them apart in 

sets of 3, keeping the chain sewing stitches 

between the rows intact. 

This helps keep the blocks organized. It is a good 

idea to check to be sure that you have sewn them 

together correctly before going forward. 

Once the columns are all sewn, fold two rows so 

they face right sides together. 


In this example, I folded the top row down onto 

the second (middle) row and sewed them 

together. 

Once all of the rows are chain sewn, I clip the 

stitching, thus separating each of the blocks. 

The final step is to sew the last rows together to 

complete the block. 

This method works with any block that has 

square patches. 


In the picture below is a more complicated block 

where each patch has several pieces. 

There are little 4 patches, patches that include 

isosceles triangles with triangles that will make 

them squares. And patches with half-square 

triangles. 

You can use the chain sewing technique 

described above to sew some of the patches 

together, too. 

For example in the patches with the half-square 

triangles, you would: 

• chain sew the half-square triangles and 

cut them apart 

• chain sew pairs (the top two and then the 

bottom two) of half-square triangles, keep 

the threads between the top two and the 

bottom two together 

• fold the top row onto the bottom row and 

stitch to complete the patch 


Once you place your patches on the flannel 

board, you can separate them into squares. 

About the Author: 

Penny Halgren is a quilter of more than 27 years, and 

enjoys sharing her love of quilting with others. Sign up 

for her free quilting tips, quilt patterns, and 

newsletter at http://www.How-to-Quilt.com 


Rather than learn new designs, let's learn how to 

play with all the hundreds of designs we already 

have. By the way, if you're ever in the mood to 

browse, you can find all 365 designs right here. 

You can also find all 365 designs in a beautiful 

picture book that's loads of fun to flip through 

and pick designs quickly for your quilts. Find 365 

Free Motion Quilting Fillers right here on 

Amazon.com. 

So how exactly do you know how a design will 

look in a particular area of your quilt? By giving 

them an audition and seeing which wins the part! 

Yes, auditioning designs does require drawing, 

but you don't have to be perfect at this in order 

to know if a design will work or not. Perfection is 

not the point. Just getting the general shape of 

the design over your quilt is the idea. 


Auditioning Designs 

By Leah Day from www.FreeMotionQuilt.blogspot.com 

So the first thing to start with is a photo or 

drawing of your quilt. If your quilt is already fully 

finished and pieced together, hang it on a wall 

and shoot a photo of it. 

Now get this photo on your computer or take it 

to a printing store and print it out in grayscale 

(black and white). 

Why are we removing all the color? Because 

color can be distracting. It's also hard to see your 

pencil marks over. Honestly my favorite way to 

do this is with a simple black and white outline of 

the piecing design so that way there's no 

distracting color or shading to deal with. 

If you have a quilt in mind, try working this week 

with a photograph of a single block or a border 

corner section. This way you can play with 

designs over a small section at a time and 

hopefully not be overwhelmed by the full design. 


Of course, if you can't do this - either you don't 

know how to take and manipulate photos this 

way or don't have the capability, don't worry! 

Here's an image to play with: 

Yep, this is a simple Sawtooth Star block. No 

frills, no flash, just a simple star block. 

But how many ways are there to quilt this block? 

5? 10? 100? There are literally millions of ways 

to quilt this shape. How do you know what way is 



est? 

Simple - what do YOU like best? 

The only way to answer this question is to print 

out this sawtooth star block and draw three 

different versions of it. We're simply holding an 

audition and any designs you like are welcome to 

participate! 

Here are mine: 


The first is a simple combination of Stippling in 

the block and Pebbling in the outside edges. The 

Pebbling is much darker and denser than the 

Stippling, which means the outline of the star will 

show up nicely. 

It's important to note that this drawing is showing 

very dense quilting. You will definitely need to 

pay attention to scale as you audition designs 

because this can really effect how the texture 

looks on your finished quilt. What is the only way 

to know what it will look like ahead of time? 

Draw it and see! 

LUDLOW QUILT AND SEW 

Discover new and exciting projects to quilt and 

sew each month with clear and easy to follow 

instructions. 

Visit our website and subscribe to Ludlow Quilt 

and Sew’s free monthly newsletter now. 

www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk 


This second version fills the star with Paisley and 

the outer edges with Stippling. In this case the 

star looks much more flowing and fluid when 

filled with all those tear drop shapes and echoes. 

Remember that every design type will appear 

slightly differently. Paisley is a Pivoting Design, 

which means it has a lot more traveling and 

thread play and will show up more boldly on a 

quilt, even with matching thread color. Stippling 


is an Independent Design and will always appear 

much lighter because it's always a single line of 

thread wiggling over your quilt. 

Very soon we're going to start investigating more 

design types - visiting a new one each month 

actually so we can gain a better understanding of 

how all of these designs work and can fill the 

spaces of our quilts. 


Finally this third option opens up yet another 

path - adding marked elements to the piecing. 

Let's imagine the star was pieced, so the extra 

flower I've drawn inside was just marked on the 

fabric. I call these marked designs Motifs. 

Motifs are designs that are not pieced or 

appliqued, but QUILTED in only with thread. They 

form new shapes and designs over the surface, 

and are marked to ensure their symmetry and 

placement. 

Many times I'm asked why I mark certain things 

and why I don't mark others. I mark a motif 

because I want it to show up as exactly THAT 

shape. I want exactly THAT flower, formed 

exactly THAT way. 

I couldn't free-hand this shape. If I tried to stitch 

this without marking, it would not look like this - 

wouldn't be lined up properly, wouldn't fit this 

space perfectly, and the effect wouldn't be the 

same. Marking is required for motifs to achieve 


that exact shape, in that exact placement. 

Fillers on the other hand are not meant to be 

perfect or exact. They flow and bend and fill in 

places organically. I don't mark these designs 

because they're meant to be random, and it 

would also be ridiculously time consuming to 

mark them over the surface of a whole quilt. 

Adding the marked flower motif to the star block 

has opened another world of design possibilities! 

I can stitch Stippling around the flower, wiggling 

into all those tight places, then fill the outer area 

with Paisley. What a pretty audition! 

So which of these auditions is the "right" one? 

Well, all three are good designs. All three add 

interesting effects to the quilt. There really isn't a 

"wrong" way to quilt a quilt, so there really isn't a 

"right" answer here. 

The right design is the one YOU like the best. 

© Online Quilt Magazine.com All Rights Reserved P a g e | 12

How will all this look in thread on fabric? The 

only way to know is to stitch a small sample using 

a scrap of the fabric in the quilt and the thread 

you planned to use. 

No, you don't have to quilt out a whole block if 

you don't want to, but it's a good idea to get 

some practice with the fillers you've selected with 

the thread you plan to use. 

Some fills like Pebbling simply won't work with 

some types of thread because the layers of travel 

stitching will cause weak, thick thread to break. 

So that is your challenge this week! If you have a 

quilt needing to be quilted, consider taking a 

photograph and playing with drawing designs 

over the surface. 

If that is not open to you, print out the sawtooth 

block and play with drawing designs over it. 

Yes, this is play! Not torture! Just have fun, keep 

it simple, and experiment with the many effects 


you can create by auditioning different designs 

and marked motifs over the surface. 

About the Author: Leah Day is the author of the Free 

Motion Quilting Project, a blog project dedicated to 

creating new free motion quilting designs each week and 

sharing them all for FREE! Leah is also the author of From 

Daisy to Paisley - 50 Beginner Free Motion Quilting Designs, 

a spiral bound book featuring 50 designs from the project. 

www.daystyledesigns.com 

Treat Yourself this Christmas! 

Leah’s Brand New Free Motion Quilting 

Course has just been released as a Craftsy 

Class – check it out at: 

http://www.craftsy.com/class/freemotion-quilting-a-sampler/116?ext=fmqas 


This quilt measures 48½ inches x 48½ inches 

square. 


Project – Christmas Quilt 

From Jody Anderson at www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com 

Christmas Quilt 

Have a play with the rather fun Disappearing 9 Patch 

block to whip up a quick Christmas table topper or 

throw quilt. We used a set of 8 Christmas Print Fat 

Quarters for a bright scrappy look on our quilt, but you 

can use whatever fabrics you have to hand. 

You Will Need: 

8 Fat Quarters (or equivalent) of bright Christmassy 

fabrics 

2¾ metres (3 yards) plain white fabric for the quilt top, 

backing and binding 

Batting measuring at least 52 x 52 inches square 


Preparation: 


We used a red print and a green print fat quarter for the block centres. From each of these cut eight 

squares measuring 5 x 5 inches, so you have 16 in total. 

From the remaining six fat quarters, cut twelve, 5 x 5 inch squares from each of four different fabrics, and 

cut eight, 5 x 5 inch squares from each of the remaining two fabrics. 

From the plain white fabric, cut 64 squares measuring 5 x 5 inches. Also cut 5 strips 2¼ inches wide x the 

width of the fabric for the binding. The remainder is pieced for the backing. 

9-Patch Blocks: 

As shown, arrange and piece the squares into 9-patch 

units. 

Eight will have a red centre, and eight will be green. 

Place the Christmas prints in the corners, and the white 

squares in between. 

Make 16 blocks and press well. 

Trim to 13½ inches square. 



Measure and cut each block in half horizontally, and then 

in half vertically to make four equal quarters. 

Rotate two diagonal pieces as shown to create the 

disappearing 9-patch block. 



Sew together and press well. 

Trim block to 12½ inches square. 

Arrange the blocks in a 4 x 4 grid, with the green and red 

centre blocks alternating in diagonal rows. 

Sew together in rows, then sew the rows together to 

finish the top. 

Press well. 


Finishing: 

We pieced our backing with a simple brightly coloured strip up the centre. 


Cut the white fabric left for the backing in half along the crease line from the bolt. From your Christmas 

print scraps left over, cut and sew together large rectangles to form a strip the same length of your 

backing fabric. (Your backing fabric needs to be a couple of inches larger on each side than your quilt 

top.) Sew the pieced strip between the white pieces and press. 

Lay the backing face down on a large flat surface. Smooth the batting on top, and then lay your quilt top 

on top of that, facing up. Smooth all layers and pin or thread baste. 

We quilted medium sized ( ½ inch) stippling on each of the white cross shapes on the quilt and left the 

coloured squares alone. Quilt yours as you wish. Trim to square the quilt. 

Join the 2¼ inch binding strips with 45 degree seams. Press the ¼ inch seams open, then fold the strip in 

half, right sides out and press. 

Join the binding to the right side of the quilt edge with a quarter inch seam, mitring each corner as you 

go. Turn the folded edge of the binding to the back and slip stitch it in place with thread that matches 

the binding to finish. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

For More Great Quilt Patterns, go to 

www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com 


From the earliest days of the American colonies, 

quilts were an important part of everyday life. 

They kept the family warm, sometimes covered 

the dinner table, and occasionally flew high as 

banners. Now those same functional and 

beautiful antique quilts are highly prized by 

modern collectors. 

The Most Common Antique Quilts 


Collecting Antique Quilts - History, Heirlooms, 

and High Art 

Among the countless quilts tucked away in 

chests, antique stores, and museums, there are a 

few particular types that are most common. The 

"Appliqué" quilt, most popular between 1775 and 

1885, consisted of pieces of fabric design that 

were quilted onto a large, solid color block. The 

"Trapunto" quilt was a popular kind of appliqué 

quilt in which the designs were stuffed with 

cotton to create a raised look and feel. 

By Kimberly Clay 

"Album" quilts were made up of small sections, 

each section sewn by someone different, and 

then put together to form one large quilt. 

"Patchwork" quilts were made of a distinct 

pattern, whether a square, a rectangle, or some 

other configuration. Though patchwork quilts 

were most common from 1775 to 1875, they 

have been embraced by quilters of all time 

periods. 

"Crazy" quilts, popular from 1870 to 1890 (and 

well into the 1930's and '40's, especially in rural 

areas of Appalachia and the South), were made 

with anything a quilter could find that looked 

appropriate in their work, including bits of worn 

family clothing. They seemed to have no rhyme 

or reason, other than in the mind of the person 

who created them. In part because of this, Crazy 

quilts are often believed to have been created 


more of necessity and household utility rather 

than a particular sense of design or pattern. 

Because of their personal nature, Crazy quilts 

often have great sentimental value. 

From Household Chore to Works of Art 

As the American cotton industry began to evolve 

in the early 1800s, so did the creation of quilts. 

Before the time of the sewing machine, quilts 

were stitched by hand. Quilts created from 1800 

to 1825 often show impressive levels of 

craftsmanship, with tiny stitches that were meant 

to last through years of use. By 1850, practically 

every household in the United States had a 

quilter in their midst, and the needlework skill 

varied from the neat, distinct, and careful handstitching 

of experienced quilters to the uneven 

and less-attractive stitches of untutored 

amateurs. 

In the years after the Civil War, the industrial 

revolution found a foothold, popularizing 

mechanized tools, and helping the sewing 

machine to become a household staple. 

Gradually, the fine stitching of quilts became a 

much rarer craft, in favor of pieces that could be 



created faster, with less attention to detail. Quilts 

wouldn't be considered functional pieces of art 

until the late 20th century, when quilting saw an 

intense revival that continues to this day. 

Family and Community Heirlooms 

Some of the world's most beautiful quilts never 

find their way to a museum wall or even to an 

appraiser. They reside on the beds of family 

members who can tell you which ancestor 

stitched them together, when they did it, and 

why. These are the family heirlooms, often quilts 

made for a specific person, possibly given as gifts, 

and then passed down through generations. 

As keepers of history, quilts are a story-telling 

medium. They were often created to honor 

someone's place in a community, to celebrate a 

wedding or a new home, and to mark special 

days. Quilts were also used to make political or 

social statements. One of the best modern 

examples can be found in the AIDS Quilt, a 

project founded in 1987 that brings together the 

families of those who have passed away from the 

complications of AIDS. 


What is Valuable...and How to Tell 

When you are seeking the perfect antique quilt, 

knowledge of quilting techniques and materials is 

the key to getting the genuine article. 

Reproductions can sometimes be convincing 

enough to fool seasoned experts! To be certain 

you are getting a true antique quilt, keep the 

following points in mind. 

• What type of batting was used? The 

polyester batting familiar to modern 

quilters is a relatively new development; 

polyester wasn't popular until the 1960s. 

Antique quilts will usually contain wool or 

cotton, and they will sometimes have silk 

batting. Another common practice was to 

use old, ragged quilts as batting in new 

ones. 

• Consider the thread. Before thread was 

cheap and readily available, many women 

used the heavy cotton threads from feed 

sacks to sew their quilts together. On an 

appliqué quilt, is white thread used 

throughout? Matching threads in appliqué 

quilts is more of a modern standard. 


• Look carefully at the stitching. The 

stitches should be small, evenly spaced, 

and very regular throughout the quilt. 

Most true antique quilts were made to be 

beautiful as well as functional, and the 

tight stitching insured that the quilt would 

not fall apart after years of use. 

• Examine the condition of the cloth. The 

fabric of an old quilt will likely be very soft 

and possibly worn thin in places. Newer 

quilts might look pristine for decades, but 

true antique quilts were probably wellloved 

and used regularly. 

• Consider the size of the bed. Bed 

configurations have changed over the 

years. A quilt large enough for a modern 

king bed, for instance, was not the aim of 

a quilter in the early 1800s. 

• What dyes were used? Dyes in the early 

19th century were made by boiling plants 

on the stove, usually in iron pots, in order 

to extract their color. Most of these colors 

were rather drab, and consisted of earthy 

colors, such as slate or light greens. 

Aniline dyes were popular around the 

time of the Civil War, and started out 

quite vivid, but faded over time. 


So whether you collect antique quilts with an eye 

for design, an interest in the heritage they 

represent, or simply as a means of investment, it 

is very important to choose an antique dealer 

who has a good reputation. Serious antique 

dealers will go the extra mile to secure the 

provenance, or the known history of the quilt, so 

far as they can trace it. And a reputable dealer 

can be the difference between a wall full of 

treasures and a chest full of reproductions. 

For the best resource to buy antiques & collectibles and 

find dealers, shops, galleries and resources in Central 

Kentucky, visit http://www.CentralKentuckyAntiques.com. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Clay 

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all to yourself –share it with your 

Quilting Guilds and Friends! 

Don't wait - Invite them to 

www.OnlineQuiltMagazine.com to 

Subscribe and receive each New Issue 

as soon as it's Published! 


Something's going on in our house. I think some 

of those little people are coming for a visit soon. 

Mum keeps talking about "getting the tree out 

again". 

Now, I seem to remember a long time ago 

helping her build a tree inside. I got into trouble 

for climbing it and swinging on things. I thought 

that's what it was for! 

She's also been using valuable sewing time doing 

other things. Like helping Dad dig big holes 

outside and then filling them in again with stuff 

my Dad mixes in the wheeling thing. I don't see 

the point in it at all. They have built a wall and 

they talk about a roof. 


Hints and Tips From Brannie 

By "Brannie" Mira-Bateman 

The trouble is they come in all hot and sweaty, 

drink heaps of water then just groan and flop in a 

chair. I have great trouble getting them to play 

with me. "We're tired", they say. "We've been 

working hard!" Well! I've been looking out at 

them digging. It's hard work just staying awake 

sometimes, but usually work fascinates me; I 

could watch it for hours. 


My Mum has also been busy wrapping things in 

paper. There's stringy stuff involved as well. 

Great fun! Parcels are appearing and I've been 

warned not to even think about chewing on 

anything. 

I'll have to go now. My Dad has just carried a big 

length of something past the window. I need to 

watch to make sure it is going in the right place. 

Mum wrote a poem called "Help!" What does 

that little line after the word mean? 

"Help!" 

What a wonderful thing making quilts is! 

With patterns and pieces and stitches. 

If you're thinking a cat 

Could be helpful with that, 

Well you know how much help a Burmese is! 

Love Love Brannie Brannie, Brannie 

the Quilt Block of the Month Club Cat! 


Bag-Making Christmas Gift 

Treat Yourself or Send a Voucher to Someone Special 

1 Year Subscription to the Bag Making Patterns Club 

includes a New Bag Pattern EVERY Two Weeks! 

Pay for 8 months – Get 4 months FREE 

Only $79.00 AUD for an Annual Subscription 

Contact Jody Now at 

info@bagmakingpatterns.com 


I had just purchased some scrumptious red, white 

and black fabric, and was sitting down to figure 

out what to make with it when my brother called. 

"Can't talk now - I'm designing a quilt." 

"How do you manage that? By..." 

No, it does not involve pulling ideas out of my 

posterior. Since you want to know, Bubba, here it 

is. But I'm warning you, it ain't pretty (or even 

sane). 

Process I: Bolt From The Blue (my favorite). This 

involves standing around, minding my own 

business, when - BOOM! - inspiration strikes. The 

downside is that it usually occurs when I am 

unable to write down my perfect bolt of 

blueness: I'm asleep, in the shower, standing in 

line at the store with an armload of groceries, or 

at the bank, so when I excitedly pull my notebook 


The Creative Process 

By Anne Lemin from www.quiltedlovlies.com 

and pencil from my purse, it looks like I'm pulling 

out my Handy Dandy Bank Robbin' Kit. I had no 

idea that bank employees were so skittish. 

Process II: Sit Down & Doodle (this has steps!) 

1. Get paper, pencil and fabric for inspiration. 

2. Sit down at desk and stare at fabric. 

3. Draw a blank. 

This is where the ugliness (insanity?) starts. 

Internal Voice (alter personality?): C'mon get 

going! 

Me: I got nothing. 

IV: Just start doodling for cryin' out loud! 


Me: Sounds good. Doodle, doodle, doooo:) ../~~~ 

IV: What are you doing? 

Me: Huh? I'm doodling. What does it look like I'm 

doing? 

IV: Not designing a quilt. 

Me: Would you quiet down so I can think? 

Next, I put my elbows on the desk, and cover my 

eyes with my hands. This blocks out the 

distractions, plus makes it look like I'm weeping. 

Other family members steer clear, thus further 

reducing distractions. 

Me: Hmm, should I do a variation on the Log 

Cabin pattern? 

IV: No, everyone's done that twice. 

Me: Hawaiian appliqué? 

IV: Remember the Diva Moment you had last 

time? Took the scissors to it? 


Me: Yyyeahhh. I'm looking at blackness here. 

Utter and complete blackness, just like my career. 

IV: Oh criminy! Here we go again. Would you 

please quit feeling sorry for yourself and get on 

with it? 

Me: Zzzzz 

IV: Wake up loser and get going! 

Me: What to make? What to make? How about 

chicken for dinner? 

IV: Stay on track! I'm going to leave if you don't 

stop this. 

Me: Mission accomplished! 

If nothing comes from that exercise, I stand up 

and start swaying from side to side, like I'm 

comforting a baby. This usually unclutters my 

mind, but is not successful all the time. 

IV: What are you doing? 

Me: Shut up! I'm trying to design here! 


IV: Whatever. How about some appliqué? Throw 

in a bright color just to mix things up? 

Me: That might just work. Maybe yellow. 

Then I pull out some more fabric, start drawing, 

and everyone lives happily ever after. But 

sometimes, nothing comes from the ol' Creative 

Department, and no one lives happily ever after. 

Next comes pacing or putting my forehead 

against a wall. Bad news either way. 

Me: This isn't working. I'm going to do something 

else, and maybe I'll get a ‘Bolt From The Blue’. 

IV: That won't happen. You'll start doing laundry 

or errands or surfin' the Web, and forget all about 

it until you need something new for the site. Then 

you'll be running around, squawking about how 

you're always pushed for time and never have a 

creative moment to yourself. Like you're some 

special diva who has special needs. Blah, blah, 

blah. 

Me: Would you shut up so I can think??!! 


Husband: Why are you arguing with yourself? 

You're scaring the dog. How many of you are in 

there anyway? 

IV: *crickets chirping* 

Me: Just having artistic differences with myself, 

dear. 

Husband: *crickets chirping*, (one eyebrow up in 

the air) 

Then he leaves, I'm sure to measure the guest 

room for padding. By this time all's quiet in the 

Design Department, so now I can get a little work 

done. First, I get out a piece of paper, a pencil and 

the fabric for inspiration... 

About the Author: Anne Lemin, owner of Quilted 

Lovelies, is a quilter and quilt designer specializing in 

custom made quilts and table runners. Visit Quilted 

Lovelies to learn more. 

© 2008 Quilted Lovelies. This article may be freely distributed without modification provided that 

the copyright notice and author information remain intact. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Lemin 



Batik Charm Quilt 

By Rose Smith from www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk 

I love batik fabrics - the colours are so vibrant. For this quilt I have 

used one of the Fabric Freedom charm packs - it contains thirty two 5" 

squares comprising four each of eight different fabrics. 

Technically I suppose that means that it isn't a true charm pack which 

should contain all different fabrics, but it's still a great pack. 

I wanted to use black for the sashing because black tends to bring out the colours of batiks and I also 

wanted to show you how to make white sashing strips joining the middle of each square, so I have used 

one charm pack, 1.1/4 yard of black and 12" of white fabric. 

The finished quilt is 36" by 54". 

Cut the white fabric into eight 1.1/2" strips across the width of fabric. 

Cut the black fabric into three 2.1/2" strips for the squares and sixteen 2.1/4" strips for the sashing. 



Charm pack squares are 5" square so the sashing 

needs to be 5" long. 

Sew together two 2.1/4" strips of black fabric 

with a 1.1/2" white strip between them. Cut 

these across the width at 2.1/2" intervals. 

Altogether you will need to use eight black strips 

and four white strips. 

Select four charm squares to use as cornerstones 

and set them to one side. Sew the remaining 

squares together with a sashing strip between 

them. 

You will need four squares and five sashing strips 

for each row so that there is sashing between 

each pair of squares and also at each end of the 

rows. 



The sashing between the rows is made using the same 5" sashing strips, 

but placed horizontally and with 2.1/2" black squares between them. This 

is to make sure that the white stripes lie half way along each square. You 

will need eight sashing strips, each one made by sewing together four 

sashing strips with five squares so that there is a square at the beginning 

and end of each row and also between each sashing strip. You will need 

thirty two sashing strips and forty black squares. 

Sew one sashing strip across the top of the first row and then sew sashing 

strips between all the rows to join the rows together, with one sashing 

strip below the bottom row of charm squares. 

The charm quilt border is made using exactly the same three fabric strip 

as for the sashing, but in long lengths. You will need two 28.1/2" lengths 

to sew to the top and bottom of the quilt. For the sides cut two 48" 

lengths (you'll need to join two rows to get this length) and then sew one 

of the charm squares to the top and bottom of each length. Sew these to 

the sides to complete the quilt top which is now ready for layering, 

quilting and binding. 

About the Author: Rose Smith was born and brought up in Zambia in Africa. She moved to the UK when she was 18 and now 

lives in Shropshire, indulging her passion for quilting and sewing. She has sewn all her life - ‘anything that stood still long 

enough’ in the words of her children - but now finds that patchwork and quilting have taken over her life. She indulges this 

passion by posting patterns and tutorials on her website for all to share. www.ludlowquiltandsew.co.uk 



What's New from The Fat Quarter Shop 

We're pleased to be able to bring you a selection 

each month of the Newest Fabric Releases and 

the new season fabric "must haves". 

Cherry on Top collection by Keiki for Moda 

Fabrics 

From Kimberly Jolly at www.FatQuarterShop.com 

Cute, candy colored critters are busy baking up 

treats so sweet they're sure to leave you with a 

toothache and craving more! 

In their whimsical candyland of lollipop gardens 

and gingerbread houses, owl chefs delight with 

delicious donuts and cupcakes served by silly 

snails, all sprinkled with love, and of course, A 

Cherry on Top! 

The Cherry on Top collection by Keiki for Moda 

Fabrics is available in fat quarter bundles, jelly 

rolls, layer cakes, charm packs, mini charm packs 

and yardage. 

Check out this range at: 

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Cherry-on-Top-Keiki- 

Moda-Fabrics.asp 


Flirt by Sandy Gervais for Moda 

Flirting is saying, "Hey! I like you" without a single 

word. It's a coy glance … a wink and a grin … it's 

blushing when you say hello. It isn't a skill; it's an 

art. Flirting makes you wonder what else is in 

store. 


And there is more in store … much more in Flirt – 

the latest line of fabric from Moda's Sandy 

Gervais. 

The patterns are shy but deliberate … the colors, 

subtle but energetic. They're a sidelong gaze 

paired with a quick smile. And just like the fine art 

of flirting, they're irresistibly playful…in fact, if 

you wink, they will probably wink right back! 

The Flirt collection is available in fat quarter 

bundles, jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm packs, mini 

charm packs and yardage. You’ll love our Spring 

Sampler Block of the Month! 

View this Collection at: 

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Flirt-Sandy-Gervais- 



Get a Clue Nancy Drew collection by Simon & 

Schuster for Moda 

Since her 1930 debut, Nancy Drew has solved 

over 500 cases and sold over 200 million books in 

25 languages! It's no mystery that our favorite girl 

detective has timeless appeal among generations 

of fans. 


For the past eight decades as an American icon, 

Nancy continues to touch the lives of millions 

worldwide through books, movies, video games, 

graphic novels, stationery, pajamas, posters, 

board games, and now- Fabric! 

Fans will delight in the classic Nancy Drew 

imagery while trying to solve the next big 

mystery...What to make first?! 

The Get a Clue Nancy Drew collection by Simon & 

Schuster for Moda Fabrics is available in fat 

quarter bundles, jelly rolls, layer cakes, charm 

packs and yardage. 

This collection is revealed at: 

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Nancy-Drew-Fabric- 



Sakura Park collection by Sentimental Studios 

for Moda 

"Hanami" is the centuries old practice of 

picnicking under a blooming sakura or cherry 

blossom tree. 

Experience this serene Japanese tradition with 

Sakura Park, a new collection of beautiful floral 

prints with an understated elegance. Tranquil 

cherry blossoms in soft shades of pink flourish 


while delicate petals float quietly on the sky blue 

breeze. 

The Sakura Park collection by Sentimental Studios 

for Moda Fabrics is available in fat quarter 

bundles, fat eighth bundles, jelly rolls, charm 

packs, layer cakes and yardage. 

Indulge in this range at: 

http://www.fatquartershop.com/Sakura-Park-Moda- 

Fabrics-Sentimental-Studios.asp 

Keep up to Date with What’s Happening 

on our Facebook Page – 

Do You Love Quilting Too? 

Bonus blocks, hints and tips added all the time!! 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Do- 

You-Love-Quilting-Too/271888039492644 


Are you looking to make some new holiday 

ornaments for your Christmas tree this year? If 

so, I have a great project to share with you today. 

These no-sew, quilted ball holiday tree 

ornaments are super easy to make and require 

absolutely no machine sewing! 

What is even better yet is the fact that this is a 

great project to use up all of those little fabric 


Project – No-Sew Quilted Ball Holiday 

Ornaments 

scraps that you have laying around that are left 

over from other sewing projects. 

Supplies You Will Need: 

2 ½ inch diameter Styrofoam ball 

6 inch piece of ¼ inch wide lace 

Various color small scraps of fabric (cottons or 

cotton blends work best) 

All-Purpose Liquid Craft Glue (the kind that dries 

clear) 

Sharp Fabric Scissors 

Small Flat-Head Screw Driver or Butter Knife 

Foam Paint Brush 


Straight Pins 

Note: You can use ¼ inch wide lace or ¼ inch wide 

satin ribbon for the ornament hanger. Since there 

is a little gluing involved, take the time to protect 

your work surface. 

Tip: You will want to lay out all of your fabric 

scraps and sort them into color coordinating 

piles. Take the time to put colors together that 

work well with one another. 

Trim your fabric scraps down to odd-shaped 

pieces. I have used rectangles, squares, circles 

and ovals. You should use different shapes that 

are different sizes to give it a true quilted look. 

Use your screw driver or butter knife to slightly 

indent a space that is the shape of your fabric 

square on your Styrofoam ball. This indented 

shape should be slightly smaller than your actual 

fabric shape. 

Use your foam paint brush and spread a very thin 

layer of craft glue inside the indented shape. 

Place your fabric shape on top of the glue and use 

the edge of your screw driver or butter knife to 


push the fabric edges into the indent and push 

hard to squeeze the edge of the fabric down into 

the ball. 

You will want to repeat that step the entire way 

around your ball until it is completely covered. 

Using a 6 inch piece of satin ribbon or lace, shape 

it into a hanging loop. Dab the end of a straight 

pin into the craft glue and poke it through the 

end of your hanging loop and push it down into 

your foam ball. 

Let this dry for 30 minutes before hanging it onto 

your holiday tree. 

About the Author: Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother 

living in Pennsylvania who enjoys sewing, quilting, crafting 

and scrapbooking. You can visit Shelly's online craft blog 

called Passionate About Crafting at 

http://passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com for free craft 

project ideas and tips. You can find a photo of the 

completed project on her blog at 

http://passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com/2009/12/nosew-quilted-ball-holiday-tree.html 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Hill 


“home sweet quilt” by Jill Finley 


Book Review 

By Annette Mira-Bateman from www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com 

'Fresh' and 'pretty' are the first words that come 

to mind on seeing this book. Jill's quilts are like a 

breath of fresh air, combining piecing with bold 

applique designs. Any of these projects would be 

a delight to have in your home. 

As Jill says, "They're much more than blankets or 

bed coverings. They're the pop of colour, the 

unexpected texture, or the softening elements of 

each room." 

Her projects range in size from dish towels 

through pillows, table runners and lap quilts to 

queen size quilts. Each design is different and 

clean, some deceptively simple, but the degree of 

expertise needed ranges from the beginner to 

advanced. 


Jill's use of colour is wonderful. She has some 

advice on choosing colours for your own 

projects. 

Her appliqueing technique - Applique the Jillily 

Way - is explained well and is a little different to 

anything I've tried before. The table runner made 

with felted wool is an interesting and quick 

project. Decorating plain dish cloths (tea towels) 

is a great gift idea for any time of the year. 

"home sweet quilt" by Jill Finley would be a great 

addition to any quilter's library. See more at 

JillilyStudio.com. 

Published by Martingale, "home sweet quilt" is 

available from: Martingale, 19021 120th Ave. 

NE, Ste. 102, Bothell, WA 98011-9511 USA 

or www.ShopMartingale.com 

or in Australia from: www.candobooks.com.au 


Conquer Strip Piecing 

Techniques. . . 

No More Wasted Time and 

Frustration 

Sewing Your Blocks Together 

When you begin a new quilt project, do you sometimes feel like you are fighting a 

war? First you face the “Battle of the Quilt Blocks.” For me, at least, sometimes it’s a 

challenge just to choose a block or two for a quilt. The first one may look too hard. 

The second one may use too many different fabrics. 

Then after you have spent hours – maybe even days – eliminating blocks, you find one 

that is just right. Or at least, you’ll be happy using it in your brand new quilt. 

Ahhhh – a sigh of relief! 

Next, it’s time to look at the color scheme and fabrics to use. Finally, you have 

everything set and you’re ready to cut your fabric. Faced with cutting a bazillion little 

squares, you stop and think “there must be a better way!” 

And, truly, there is – Strip Piecing! 

With the advent of the rotary cutter, quilters figured out that they could sew strips 

together and then cut the “strip units” into segments to sew into blocks – rows of 

squares, alternating rectangles and squares, and more. 

Using this technique, your cutting and sewing time for each quilt is slashed – leaving 

you time to make more quilts! In our brand new DVD Mentor – Conquering Strip 

Piecing – you’ll see just how this works, and learn how to make a beautiful quilt with 

complicated-looking borders, too. 

To get all of the details, visit: 

http://how-to-quilt.com/strippiecedquilt.php 



Christmas Quotes 

“You know you're getting old, when Santa starts looking younger.” 

- Robert Paul 

******** 

“I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not 

included.” 

- Bernard Manning 

******** 

“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department 

store, and he asked for my autograph.” 

- Shirley Temple 

******** 

“Even before Christmas has said Hello, it’'s saying ''Buy Buy'' “ 

- Robert Paul 



“Christmas is a time when everybody wants his past forgotten and his present 

remembered. What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the 

next day.” 

- Phyllis Diller 

******** 

“Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.” 

- Johnny Carson 

******** 

“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are 

all 30 feet tall.” 

- Larry Wilde 

******** 

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” 

- Roy L. Smith 

******** 

“Christmas is a time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits 

are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.” 

- Richard Lamm 


Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this time 

of year is always a perfect excuse to try some 

good food and spend time with friends and 

family. This is a selection of recipes we like: 

(Google a kitchen measurements converter if you 

need to) 

Rum & Orange Chocolate Balls 

Ingredients 

100g pitted prunes, roughly chopped 

80ml (1/3 cup) dark or white rum 

250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped 

125g unsalted butter, chopped 

250g scotch finger biscuits, halved (shortbread 

style cookies) 

80g roasted peeled hazelnuts 


Favourite Festive Recipes 

1 orange, zested 

50g flaked almonds, roasted, finely chopped 

Cocoa, to dust 

Method 

Place prunes and rum in a small saucepan over 

low heat and bring to the boil. Remove from heat 

and set aside until needed. 

Fill a small saucepan one-third full with water and 

bring to a gentle simmer. Place chocolate and 

butter in a small heatproof bowl, then place the 

bowl over the pan of simmering water and stir 

until melted (don't let the bowl touch the water). 

Process biscuits, hazelnuts and prune mixture in a 

food processor until finely chopped. Add orange 

zest and chocolate mixture, and process until just 

combined. Spoon into a large bowl and 


efrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm enough to 

shape. 

Line a large tray with baking paper and place 

almonds and cocoa in separate shallow bowls. 

Using your hands and working quickly, roll the 

chocolate mixture into 3cm balls and place on the 

tray. Roll half the balls in almonds to coat, then 

dust the other half with cocoa. Store in an airtight 

container in the fridge. 

*(Pack in a pretty box lined with baking paper and 

tie up with a big christmassy ribbon for a special 

gift too!) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Festive Savoury Tartlets 

Ingredients 

2-3 tbs chilli jam 

12 mini pastry tartlet shells 

150g soft, herbed goats' cheese 

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced 


12 small basil leaves, to serve 

Method 

Place a small amount of chilli jam in the base of 

each tart shell. Cover with goats' cheese, 

spreading smoothly with a palette knife. Place 

one or two slices of tomato on top, sprinkle with 

sea salt and black pepper and garnish with a basil 

leaf. (Serve soon after making or the pastry will 

soften.) 

* These mini pastry tartlet shells are wonderful to 

have on hand for Christmas drinks. Other fillings 

could include caramelised onion and goats' 

cheese; a soft chicken liver pate; or simply pesto. 

They are also great served sweet with either 

mincemeat or lemon curd. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


Christmas Cookies 

Sweeten up the festive season with biscuits that 

are sure to make Santa and his team smile. 

Ingredients 

125g butter, at room temperature 

1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar 

1/4 cup (60ml) milk 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour 

1/2 cup (70g) custard powder 

Silver and gold sparkling cachous, to decorate 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with 

non-stick baking paper. 

Use an electric beater to beat the butter and 

sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in milk and 

vanilla extract. Fold in the flour and custard 

powder. 


Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic 

wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. 

Divide the dough into manageable portions. Roll 

out one portion on a sheet of non-stick baking 

paper to about 1cm thick. Use Christmas cookie 

cutters to cut shapes and place on the trays. 

Decorate with cachous. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Cool for 

5 minutes on the trays before transferring to a 

wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with 

remaining dough. 

(This is a good recipe to have children help out 

with too!) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


Fruit Mince Pies 

Ingredients 

2 tbs brown sugar 

2 tbs brandy 

1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, 

coarsely grated 

85g raisins, coarsely chopped 

85g currants 

85g sultanas 

60g glace cherries, coarsely chopped 

115g (1/3 cup) breakfast marmalade 

1/4 tsp mixed spice 

600g (4 cups) plain flour 

80g (1/2 cup) icing sugar mixture 

300g chilled butter, chopped 

2 egg yolks 

4-5 tbs water 

White sugar, to sprinkle 

Icing sugar, to dust 


Method 

Combine the brown sugar, brandy, apple, raisins, 

currants, sultanas, cherries, marmalade and 

mixed spice in a bowl. Set aside, covered, stirring 

occasionally, for 1-2 days to macerate. 

Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in the bowl 

of a food processor and process until it resembles 

fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and water, 

and process until the dough just comes together. 

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and 

knead until smooth. 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry 

between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper until 

3mm thick. Use a round 6.5cm-diameter pastry 

cutter to cut 40 discs from the pastry. Line forty 

30ml (1 1/2-tablespoon) capacity patty pans with 

the discs. Use a fork to prick the bases. 

Re-roll leftover pastry between 2 sheets of nonstick 

baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 

5cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 40 discs from 


the pastry. Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon of fruit 

mixture into each pastry case. Top with pastry 

discs. Press edges to seal. Sprinkle with white 

sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Set aside for 15 

minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack 

to cool completely. 

Dust the pies with icing sugar to serve. 

* Freezing tip: Before dusting with icing sugar, 

layer the fruit mince pies between sheets of 

freezerproof paper in an airtight container. Label, 

date and freeze for up to six months. Thaw 

overnight at room temperature. 

Allow two days macerating and cooling time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mini Leek, Gruyere & Rocket Frittatas 

Ingredients (serves 10) 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large leek, pale section only, washed, thinly 

sliced 


6 eggs, lightly whisked 

185ml (3/4 cup) thickened cream 

40g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated gruyere cheese 

30g (1/3 cup) finely grated parmesan 

3/4 cup shredded rocket leaves 

1 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley 

65g (1/4 cup) bought aioli mayonnaise 

55g (1/4 cup) bought chargrilled capsicum or 

chargrilled peppers in oil, drained, thinly sliced 

Method 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush thirty-six 40ml (2tablespoon) 

capacity non-stick mini muffin pans 

with a little of the oil. 

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over 

medium-low heat. Add the leek and cook, 

stirring, for 7 minutes or until soft. Set aside to 

cool slightly. 

Combine the leek, egg, cream, gruyere, 

parmesan, rocket and parsley in a bowl. Divide 

among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes or 


until just set. Set aside in pans for 5 minutes to 

cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to 

cool completely. 

Top the frittatas with aioli and capsicum to serve. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Hazelnut Egg Nog 

Ingredients (serves 8) 

6 eggs, separated 

1/3 cup caster sugar 

3 cups hot milk 

1 cup hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico) 

3/4 cup thickened cream 

Ground nutmeg, to serve 

Method 

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar 

until thick and creamy. Beat in hot milk then 

liqueur and cream. Set aside. 


Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a bowl 

until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into liqueur 

mixture. Pour into glasses. Sprinkle with nutmeg. 

Serve warm or cold. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

And finally, I have a recipe for you that has 

become one of the staples in our household. It is 

so versatile, with so many different variations,and 

it tases soooooo good whichever version you 

make, and we're sure you're going to love it too. 

Chocolate Truffles 

I x 250g packet of plain sweet biscuits/cookies 

(milk arrowroot) 

1 x 375g tin sweetened condensed milk 

1 cup dessicated coconut plus extra for rolling 

truffles in 

2 dessertspoons cocoa powder 


Crush biscuits to a reasonably fine texture. In a 

large bowl, place crushed biscuits, cocoa and 

coconut and mix together. Add condensed milk 

and mix well. 

Roll walnut-sized amounts into balls and drop 

into the remaining coconut to coat well. Place 

chocolate truffles on a tray and refrigerate. 

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and 

they will last over the Christmas / New Year 

period. 

Variations: 

* Add chopped nuts if you'd like (almonds, 

pistachios, 

macadamias...) 

* Apricot balls - same basic mixture as above, but 

leave out the cocoa powder and add 1 cup 

chopped dried apricots. (Could try this with glace 

cherries too) 


* Lemon Slice - make the same basic mixture 

without the cocoa powder and press into a slice 

tin. (You can add some finely grated 

lemon rind if you'd like). Make a very basic icing 

mixture using 

the juice of one lemon instead of any water and 

spread over your slice. Cut into squares when 

set. 


And since we’re on the topic - I just found this 

quilter's list online and it sounded kind of good to 

me.... 

• Give away one UFO that I will never work on or 

complete. 

• Make and donate a quilt to charity. 

• Participate in an online chat group with 

quilters. 

• Enter a contest. It doesn't matter if you win or 

not. 

• Go online and check out all of the quilt sites. 

• Buy new rotary cutter blades and replace that 

old one in your cutter. 

• Participate in a quilt block swap. 


New Year Quilt Resolutions 

• Attend a local quilt show. 

• Buy new sewing machine needles and use 

them. 

• If you piece, try appliqué. 

• If you appliqué, try machine quilting. 

• If you machine quilt, try hand-piecing. 

• Join a local community group or quilt guild. 

• Buy or borrow a few new quilt books. 

• Dye some fabric. 

• Challenge yourself to make a quilted gift for 

someone. 

• Try paper piecing. 


• Try foundation piecing. 

• Make a quilt just for yourself. Use this quilt 

every chance you get. 

• Ask for quilt magazine subscriptions for 

holiday/birthday gifts. 

• Take a class on how to use your sewing 

machine. 

• Make time to quilt every week. 

• Teach someone else to quilt. 

• Write an article for your guild newsletter. 

• Learn to machine quilt or embroider. 

• Learn to appreciate art quilts. 

• Take a class on a new technique, or a technique 

you think you dislike. 

• Restore an antique quilt. 


• Ask relatives if your family has any family quilts 

and ask to see them. 

• Document your quilts - put labels on them. 

• Display your quilts. Try folding over chairs, buy 

a quilt rack, or folding some on the foot of the 

guest bed. 

• Display folded quilts in a bookcase. 

• Spend time quilting with your mom, your 

grandmother, your daughter, or your girlfriend. 

• Bring your husband to a guild meeting.(!) 

• Give extra fabric, thread, needles, etc. to a 

women's shelter or other charitable organization. 

• Volunteer to serve your guild as an officer or 

chairperson. 

Write your quilting resolutions today – I will be!! 


This month we continue our new regular segment 

of “Show and Tell” quilts made by our Online 

Quilt Magazine Readers. We will include them as 

long as you can send them to us, and that way we 

can all share in the wealth of creativity and 

inspiration abundant within our quilting 

community. 


Reader “Show and Tell” 

“I went to a workshop yesterday on braiding, 

using my first Jelly Roll, and a 2½" Trapezoid Non- 

Slip Ruler. It was such an inspiring class, and was 

amazing, at the end of the day, to see each 

student's first strip of braiding with sashing, as 

they all looked so different! I've always been 

sceptical as to the value of jelly rolls, thinking 

them to be a bit of a con, when 2½" strips are 

easy enough to make, but I'm now a convert! I 

thought you might be interested to see my 

humble effort. The quilt I'm making will have four 

of these panels across the width, with a plain 

light-coloured 6" sashing decorated with hearts, 

and will probably need a final border to get it to 

the size I want to make.” 

- Julie, United Kingdom 


“I thought you might like to see the Apple Core 

quilt I finished earlier this year. It is completely 

hand sewn together - even the border is hand 

stitched to the blocks. 

I was even crazy enough to hand quilt it - I did it 

1/4" inside the seams on all the cream blocks, 

around the outside edge of the blocks in the 

border and again about 1.5" from the very edge. 

I made it from a kit I bought at a market in 

Harrietville, Victoria one Easter. It measures 

approx. 150cm” – Joy, Australia 


“This is the tumbling blocks cot quilt I made for 

my next door neighbour’s due soon grandson. It 

is also the first quilt I have made of patchwork 

squares so it took me for ages to do it but I got 

there in the end.” 

- Ann, Brisbane, Australia 


This Month’s block is a striking pieced triangles 

and squares block. Take care with the seams, and 

you will have a block to be proud of. 


Block of the Month 

To make this 12 inch block as shown, you will 

need 5 different fabrics, and once you have 

rotary cut the pieces according to the Cutting 

Diagram, you can piece them together as shown. 





Try in a simple layout for a fabulous repetitive pattern, or use for a medallion quilt. 

For more great quilts and blocks, visit www.QuiltBlockoftheMonthClub.com 


Today’s Tips: 

Reader Sandra sent in a favourite quote: 

"Never let a sewing machine know you are in a 

hurry" (which I sometimes adapt to "computer" 

or "printer"!) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

* If your machine doesn't have the feature that 

lowers the feed dogs, you can tape a business 

card over them while free motion quilting. It 

helps keep the materials running thru evenly. 

* Clean pizza boxes make great project holders. 

This is great - especially for all those blocks you 

make before you complete your BOM quilt. Ask 

your local pizza shop, and get a couple of 

different sizes to stack your finished blocks neatly 

away. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


And these tips are great for Children’s quilts: 

1) For a very cuddly children's quilt, try using 

fleece on the back. You don't need wadding, as 

the fleece will do the job of both wadding and 

backing. Not only will this save time and money, 

but kids love it! (Try tying the quilt with coloured 

yarn too, rather than just sewing it together.) 

2) "When making quilts for children add a secret 

pocket with a little love note in it...only you and 

the recipient will know where it is if you disguise 

it well. This is lovely for grandchildren, you can 

add a new note each time you visit them." 

3) Save 6.5 inch blocks of fabric from favourite 

clothes your children wear. By the time they are 

adults, you should have enough for a special 

memory quilt for them. 


YES, We Want to Hear From 

You! 

As our Online Magazine continues to grow each 

month, we need your feedback in order for us to 

continue to improve our publication for you. 

• We want to know how you liked it. 

• We want to know the topics you're 

interested in. 

• We want to know if you have any 

suggestions, Hints or Tips of your own that 

you'd like included, or if you know anyone 

we should include a story on! 

Please send me an email with your Testimonial, 

Tip, Suggestion, “Show and Tell” Quilt or 

Enhancement – I'd love to hear from you! 

Send all emails to: 

jody@onlinequiltmagazine.com 


"Quilt-y" Quotes… 

* A quilt is something you make to keep 

someone you love...Warm! 

* A Stitch in Time saves Nine 

* A good friend is like a warm quilt wrapped 

around the heart 

To subscribe to our Monthly Online Quilt 

Magazine, please go to 

www.OnlineQuiltMagazine.com and 

register so you don’t miss another issue! 

If you'd like to submit an Article, or a Project for 

Publication, or take advantage of our Very Very 

Reasonable Advertising Rates, please email details 

or queries to Jody at 

jody@onlinequiltmagazine.com

Premium Online Quilt Magazine – Vol. 3 No. 12

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