Inspire. Empower. Create.
Tutorials for all to enjoy, :)
Happy Quilting
Jenny Doan loves to quilt everywhere she goes: In the studio. On the couch. In waiting rooms and on long drives. (Can you relate?) Life is more fun with a needle and thread in tow!
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jenny has whipped up a quilt-as-you-go heart quilt using fat quarters and the fabulous Jewel Template. Best of all, these pretty hearts can be sewn by machine or by hand!
Jewel Heart is a great project for long waits and nervous energy, and it makes such a sweet gift, too!
Book lovers, rejoice! Studies show that reading isn’t just fun—it’s good for your health, too!
A regular date with a good book can reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s by 2.5 times, reduce stress, exercise your brain, and even extend your lifespan! In other words, a well-stocked library is like a real-life fountain of youth!
This week, Jenny is whipping up a bookcase quilt filled with books of all colors and sizes. She used a gorgeous Kaffe Classics Prims layer cake, but this bookshelf quilt is just begging to be customized with your prettiest scraps and custom details. (Jenny added a flower vase and kitty cat to hers!)
Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
It’s simple geometry:
When the 3 Doan gals whip up 3 new quilts using the Equilateral 60 Degree Triangle Ruler, the result is infinite fabulosity!
Natalie’s Design: Mountain Magic
First, Natalie fussy-cuts fabric panels to create a modern masterpiece featuring mountains, trees, and woodland creatures on every block.
Next, Jenny pieces intricate, overlapping hexis using holiday jelly roll strip sets—with enough left over for TWO bonus table runners.
Misty’s Design: Grandma Etta’s Stars
Finally, Misty uses a beautiful floral layer cake to recreate an heirloom triangle star quilt made by her great-great-grandmother.
In 1820 – for the very first time – thread was sold on spools. (Before that, it was skeins or hanks. Can you imagine the tangles?!)
The spools were made by a local woodturner, and the thread was wound by hand at the Clark Brothers’ factory in Paisley, Scotland. Like old fashioned soda bottles, these wooden spools came with an extra half-penny charge that was refunded when the empty spool was returned to the shop. My, how times have changed!
This week, Jenny is whipping up a homage to the magnificent spool with a brand new jelly roll quilt.
Spool Stars and Stitches starts like a classic fence rail with easy strip sets. Then, a bit of clever cutting transforms those basic strips into pretty little cross-stitch x blocks and stars made of spools! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Mae Emma Plumb was a talented lady.
She sewed and painted and baked excellent pies. She kept a lovely flower garden and volunteered countless hours crafting costumes and planning skits for the local Boy Scout troop. And, best of all, she made quilts.
Years and years have passed – four generations, in fact – but by some magic, one of Mae’s quilts still exists. It belongs to Mae’s great-granddaughter Kate, our very own Missouri Star marketing manager.
Of course, when Jenny saw Grandma Mae’s antique quilt, she fell head-over-heels in love! She did a bit of research and found the pattern in a 1933 issue of the Kansas City Star under the name Economy Block, though some folks call it The Garden of Eden quilt.
This week, we’re using precut jelly roll strips to whip up a show-stopping replica of this treasured family heirloom. It’s called Grandma Mae’s Economy Block, and it comes together easy-as-pie with snowballed corners and sashing that never has to match up!