Happy National Quilting Month, dear quilters! It’s time to wind up those bobbins, pick out a new project (or 2 or 3 or 4), and start stitching up some quilts!
To keep us all marching…and sewing…all month long, we have put together this free quilt planner! Click HERE to download.
As we make our way to National Quilting Day on March 21, keep an eye out for special celebrations, and don’t forget about our Quilting Craziness tournament on our Facebook page! Throughout the mad month of March, your favorite Missouri Star tutorial quilts will be going head-to-head in a daily Facebook poll to see which one wins the Quilting Craziness crown! Be sure to check in every day at 7pm Central to vote for your favorite!
What are fellow quilters making? Why are these designs and fabrics so popular? Are these trends new or are traditional styles making a comeback?
Don’t worry, we’ve found the answers. We’ve taken a close look into the world of quilting to find out what’s trending. Here are are the top five:
1. Stars
From Memorial Day to Veterans Day, a star quilt can find itself taking center stage all throughout the year and when we aren’t stocked up on red, white, and blue; quilters find stars to be quite innovative. Five points or ten, stars can be adjusted to fit any style from traditional to modern. Thus, the trendy star takes the cake.
Hexagons are as old as time – well, as old at 1770 from what we can find in written quilt history. Over the years, quilters have transformed the way we create hexagons and with English paper piecing, fussy cutting, and quilt-as-you-go projects, today’s hexagon quilts are full of unique possibilities.
We’ll put a hex on you with these amazing hexagon items, but don’t worry, this is one spell you won’t want to break:
Hexi Precuts are flying off the shelves! Get them while you can! Grab the templates you need to create amazing hexagon designs. Find a new project with these popular hexagon patterns.
3. Curves
Everyone knows quilters are resilient so what do we do when life throws us a curve ball? We make a quilt! Lately, sewists are embracing the challenges that curves bring, and becoming more confident in piecing them together.
Start conquering your own curves with these ideas:
Sometimes your quilt just needs that extra cute factor and what better than adding an appliqué animal! A perfect addition to a soft, cuddly baby quilt or to add a little fun and imagination to your next project, appliqué animals are so popular because they’re so easy to create!
Check out how these appliqué animals make these projects pop:
More and more quilters have started testing the waters of the new, modern quilting style! Fresh and colorful with beautiful contrasts, it’s no wonder why modern quilts have become so popular recently.
Now through March 21, 2020, receive a Golden Star scratch-off ticket for every $25 you spend! Every ticket wins! Learn more about our Golden Star Sweepstakes >
What’s your favorite trend of the year and which trendy project will you work on next?! Let us know in the comments!
February is a lot of things – the shortest month of the year, a time to celebrate love with flowers and chocolate, a time to remember and honor the presidents who have served the nation, and even the month of anxiously awaiting a groundhog named Phil to predict the seasons.
What you probably didn’t know is that February also hosts Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day AND Tell a Fairy Tale Day. How fun is that?! February is looking quite fabulous, especially for us makers. With so much to celebrate, there’s a way to find inspiration all month long!
We’re on month two of our quilt planner download. Start planning your month of fun HERE and pick up some supplies you may need:
This is the time of year that we think about setting goals. We want to be better and all of you constantly inspire me to keep trying. This brand new issue of BLOCK has been spruced up from cover to cover to start 2020 off in style! The design has been refreshed, exciting changes are on every page, more stories from our readers, and even more to come throughout the year! We hope you love it.
Starting new also means celebrating success and recognizing growth. BLOCK has been through a lot over the past six years and so have you. I love to see how quilting changes us and helps us become stronger. Most of the letters I receive contain stories that explain how quilting has helped you get through your challenges.
No matter how many trials you encounter in your lives, when you spend time at your sewing machine, you begin to put yourself back together, piece by piece. It takes time, but that journey is so sweet. Handing off this precious quilt that you made for someone who needs some love or encouragement changes you.
This year, I want to focus on finding joy each day. No one thrives in negativity and so, each day, I try to look for one good thing. Instead of worrying about all the things I’m not doing, I’m going to find the things I can do. I don’t think I’m going to try and finish all my UFOs or completely redo my sewing room. But I will spend more time at my sewing machine! It brings peace to my soul. You quilters continually bring hope and love into the world. Keep an eye on those around you and spread as much joy as you can!
Love, Jenny
We’ve been sharing our resolution of New Year, New Projects – a goal to simply create more. As we try to inspire all of you to do this, we hope you realize just how much you inspire us right back.
In planning towards becoming more creative and making more, we’ve started with our own in-house publication,BLOCK Magazine. For the last six years, BLOCK Magazine has been an “idea book” designed, produced, and published by Missouri Star Quilt Co. On every glossy page, you’ll find stunning photography, fun patterns, brilliant ideas, and one-of-a-kind stories!
It was a small idea that originally gave birth to what this magazine became. Now that it’s 2020 – a new year, a new decade… Another small idea has grown into what is now the new and improved BLOCK Magazine. The idea book still holds everything you already love inside, but better and with more content!
The team creatively pieced together a new design concept and the end result is stunning – well, we think so and we hope you love it too! If you’re subscribed, you’ll see the fresh, new look within your next issue. If not, subscribe today so you don’t miss out!
… And because we’re so excited – we just can’t resist sharing a sneak peek of our brand new cover design:
Drum roll please…
🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁
Voila!
Eek! We’re in love with this sleek, modern look! Oh, and notice the new content that’s waiting inside? We’re so excited to share it with you!
“We’re so excited to bring you a brand new issue of BLOCK that’s been completely refreshed for 2020! This new design includes even more of what you love: original articles, beautiful photography, a gorgeous cover, fun projects, stories from our readers, and not an ad in sight… We hope you love it! Stay tuned for exciting updates that will be happening throughout the coming months. It’s sure to be a great year for quilting!”
– Natalie Earnheart, Managing Editor
So what’s coming to BLOCK Magazine?
Fresh, new cover design
Refreshed content
More authentic photo styling
Stories (from Jenny AND more from our readers)
Educational quilting articles
10 patterns + 1 bonus project
Jenny’s Journal (a highlight of Jenny’s personal projects)
Mystery Story with a new chapter in each issue
and sew much more!
Take a peek into the next issue of BLOCK Magazine
“My team was excited to shoot for this issue of BLOCK. There are some great changes to the overall look of the magazine… as well as more content and features…” -Mike Brunner, lead photographer, shown above capturing model, Ruth Northrup (Pst – Ruth is Jenny’s amazing personal assistant. Isn’t she stunning?!)
These are a few of the quilts that will be featured in the upcoming issue!
Check out last year’s Behind the Scenes and browse through past issues with us as we look back on the last six years of BLOCK Magazine.
Over $50 worth of information is packed into each bi-monthly issue of BLOCK Magazine for just $7.99! ($9.99 bi-monthly for Canadian subscriptions.) There are NO ads and each issue ships FREE with your subscription!
Subscribe by January 30, 2020 to get this issue in March!
Most of us quilters probably had a very similar new year’s resolution – create more. Recently, we’ve laid out the steps in helping us reach our creative goals this year:
