Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! If you love Marcia Brady as much as we do, get excited!
Last year, Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia Brady) visited Missouri to meet Jenny. Maureen is an avid quilter and just as sweet in person as she was on TV. (Click HERE to watch the video!)
Now, Maureen has her own fabric collection with Moda, and Jenny used it to whip up a flower applique quilt made with quick and easy half-square triangles.
These pretty blocks can be laid out in dozens of ways. And whether you choose pinwheels, chevrons, or square-in-a-square, you’ll have a groovy garden of flowers as perfect as Marcia herself!
Christmas time at Missouri Star Quilt Co. Main Shop in Hamilton, Missouri.
Ready or not – Christmas is coming! The holidays are such a special time for crafters because it lets us share our creative gifts with friends, family and those in need. There is no better time of year to warm the hearts of your near and dear with a homemade gift (that just happens to show off your crafty abilities).
Shorter days and holiday activities can make it feel like there isn’t time to make handmade gifts (it’s already December!). While tackling a brand new quilt may be daunting, there are many festive projects that can be created quickly and bring cheer to those who receive them. And in a year like 2020, when social distancing means breaking time-honored traditions for the safety of our friends and loved ones, there is no better gift than something made from the heart and by your own hands.
Create an awe-inspiring mantle display by gifting a Christmas Stocking that can be used for years to come!
What is more classic than a Christmas Stocking hung by the chimney with care? This holiday gift has an extra bonus – it’s already gift wrapped! Stitch up a quick and easy Quilted Christmas Stocking using 2.5 inch strips of precut fabric, and then fill them with all kinds of handy quilting notions, Missouri Star Gift Cards and sewing thread for a merry gift to the maker in your life! Even if sewing isn’t your recipient’s passion, that beautiful, handmade holiday stocking will become a part of their traditions every year.
Misty relaxes in the kitchen in a cute red-checkered One Yard Apron.
A lot of the Christmas season takes place in the kitchen with holiday baking, festive family dinners and plenty of hot cocoa! The incredibly simple One Yard Apron is the perfect gift for the hostess in your life. It’s such a fast, easy project, you can use it to teach the kiddos in your life the joy of handmade gifts – with only one yard of your favorite fabric!
Basics can be beautiful, like this easy holiday Mug Rug.
This little Mug Rug is such an easy project, you’ll probably make a few for yourself along the way! Using a pack of 5″ squares of precut fabric, these cute table-savers keep your Christmas cocoa cozy. As a holiday bonus – this fast little gift is perfect for beginners!
When selecting your fabric, it’s not just about snowmen and snowflakes. Keep in mind the mug rug will serve as a protective layer for a hot drink, and also might soak up spilled drinks after enthusiastic cookie dunking! Avoid light fabrics that stain and try a thick flannel fabric such as a Woolies Flannel Holiday Warmth Charm Pack by Bonnie Sullivan for Maywood Studio. If you’re feeling ambitious, swap out the charm pack for a Layer Cake (10″ square of precut fabric) and create gorgeous table protectors for your holiday feast!
Light up their Christmas with a quilted tree skirt they can use every year.
More so than all the other decorations, the Christmas tree is always the focal point of the holiday season – that’s where the presents go! Gifts get the perfect showcase when arranged on a quilted fabric Tree Skirt. This little quilt for your tree comes together simply with 5″ squares of precut quilting fabric.
The fabric is what makes this project shine! Of course you can design the exact skirt to suit your holiday style if you want to whip this up for yourself. If you’re making it for someone else, consider solids or batiks so it’s more likely to match their decorations. Season’s Splendor Batiks Stamps by Kathy Engle for Island Batik is a perfect combination of festive Christmas colors and classic motifs.
With festive new MSQC Fancy Zips, the Easy Zipper Pouch from Missouri Star Live is useful gift for anyone!
Give the gift of functionality this Christmas with the Easy Zipper Pouch, featuring the all new Missouri Star Fancy Zips! In this Missouri Star LIVE, Jenny and Misty teach us how to stitch up this extremely useful project that, with a little festive fabric from your stash, makes a thoughtful last minute gift idea. There are so many uses for this handy little bag. Add some vinyl to the interior for a cosmetics bag or add some batting for a notion holder!
You’ll need cut yardage no smaller than 14″ in length (the necessary length to add a Missouri Star Fancy Zip). For a festive holiday bag, select a beautiful cut of Christmas fabric by the yard. If you need a little extra help with this project, you can purchase a digital download of the Easy Zipper Pouch pattern so that you can start stitching immediately!
MSQC gift cards in festive gift card holders offer holiday cheer to your favorite maker!
If it’s the night before Christmas and you’re still having doubts, keep it simple and crafty and gift card it out! If there’s a quilter on your list who has it all, give them the gift of choice with a Missouri Star gift card! Available in both physical gift cards (definitely consider a holiday gift card holder for big MSQC fans!) and digital gift cards (that can be emailed same day), this last minute gift idea will save Christmas when your crafting time has run out.
As we look back over the past twelve months, we’re simply amazed! We were touched by the love from our followers, the support of our customers, the kind hearts of each and every one of our hardworking team members, and the selflessness within the quilting community. Despite this challenging year, we’ve been able to accomplish so much together.
Thanks to you, Missouri Star is celebrating yet another great year of quilting! It’s been filled with inspiring stories from quilters all around the world, brand new products created with you in mind, exciting tutorials that have inspired many, and some unforgettable, first-ever online events!
Let’s celebrate the end of 2020 by looking back on some of the good things that happened this year:
FACE MASKS
Wow, quilters! Thanks to your passion for sewing and your big hearts, you were able to play an important part in the fight against a global pandemic. Since March 1st of 2020 – 56,973 of you have purchased fabric from Missouri Star specifically to create masks to help keep your communities safe! That is amazing – thank you!
In the comments below, tell us about all the ways you were able to help your community this year! Here’s what we did for ours:
Close to 6,500 yards of fabric has been donated to area groups and non-profit organizations who are making masks for healthcare workers
We have donated 350 N95 masks to the local regional hospital and 2 local businesses who provide food delivery and cleaning services for our community
We provided tutorials for creating masks to keep you safe
TOP TUTORIALS
MORNING STAR
Jenny Doan demonstrates how to make a beautiful Morning Star quilt using 2.5″ strips of precut fabric (jelly rolls). This pretty star pattern was designed by Tara Faughnan for ModBLOCK. It’s an easier version of the old block known as Morning Star, Lone Star, or Star of the East.
Jenny teaches us how to make an easy version of the classic Carpenter Star using 10″ squares of precut fabric (layer cakes). This traditional quilt is often made with squares and diamonds, but Jenny uses half square triangles because they’re so quick and easy and don’t require y-seams!
We introduced a brand new tutorial series by Jenny’s daughter, Natalie, that’s a fresh take on finishing quilts. Follow along with her and get beautiful results every time!
This year, the BLOCK team released a brand new design to BLOCK Magazine. New cover look, more educational content, more stories from our readers, and more!
DIGITAL BLOCK
Each issue of BLOCK comes with an interactive digital version! It’s kind of hard to wait for each issue to arrive, so we wanted to give you an early treat.
We recently released our first-ever special edition of BLOCK Magazine. It’s a compilation of the last seven years with 25 of our favorite patterns and over 200 pages of quilt-y fun!
This year we introduced two new sew-alongs to make quilting easier than ever. As you follow along, month by month or piece by piece, your quilt will take shape! By the end, you’ll have a lovely quilt that’s handmade by you!
Inspired by her children’s love for the outdoors and their adventurous personalities, Misty created a gorgeous quilt designed with them in mind! Get the pattern and join her Facebook group >
BIRTHDAY BASH – AT HOME
This year we celebrated Birthday Bash like never before! Thank you for stitching along with us for 12 wonderful years and joining the party from the comfort of home. It was an experience we’ll never forget! Relive the Best Moments >
DONATIONS
Thanks to your support, we were able to donate $10,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation! All through October, we fought breast cancer one stitch at a time by shopping pink! Learn more >
Project Linus is an organization that provides love, security, and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or are just simply in need of a handmade blanket. As one of the many ways we’re trying to spread kindness this year, we chose Project Linus to receive a $5,000 donation from us at Missouri Star. Learn more >
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO MAKES THESE DONATIONS POSSIBLE!
GIVE LOVE
You are one of our biggest sources of inspiration! Although it’s been a tough year for many, you continue to show optimism and spread joy through all the kind things you do.
“I’m 11 years old. My Grandma taught me to sew. This is my very first quilt! I used 10 squares. I had it quilted at Missouri Star. I Love my Grandma! It was the best day. Ever. (It was my idea to have her embroider a Secret Santa for people to find.)” – the grandson of Laurie S.
“For several years now I have been donating quilts to the Linus Project. I get to be very creative and I try to think about the kids that will receive a quilt and make them more than just something to snuggle under… I average about 10 quilts a year.” – Wendy G.
“We are a small group of ladies that support needs of nursing homes… We have made over 60 fidget pads, over 30 clothing protectors, over 20 baby dolls with blankets, crocheted over 40 caps, covered over 40 Small pillows, for wheel chairs, 100s of masks… Love these ladies and their servant hearts!” – Nancy D.
“I volunteer with the “Helping Hands” sewing group my church. We make various items from donated fabric and yarn… lap quilts for first responders to give to children in trauma situations, bed quilts and kitchen goods for our missionary families, quilts for orphanages, and window curtains for loft houses our church builds for homeless families.” – Cindy M.
Quilters, thank you for being an inspiration to us and the world. We look forward to seeing all the great things you’ll continue to do in the new year!
Hexagon quilts can be tricky, but they don’t have to be! Simply grab your favorite jelly roll strips and our brand new 60 Degree Triangle Ruler. Almost like magic, those six-sided beauties come together in a flash—no Y-seams required!
This quilt would dazzle with any 2.5 inch strips, but we sure love Jenny’s choice of Linework and Designer Solids by Tula Pink for FreeSpirit Fabrics. It’s bright, cheery, and oh so fresh! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
BLOCK Magazine is a simple thing. Just 100+ pages of pretty pictures and words.
Jenny’s Design
But when you open that front cover, the heart and soul of Missouri Star come rushing out like a flood of inspiration and creativity!
Misty’s Design
For this month’s Triple Play tutorial, Jenny and the girls gathered ideas from the December 2020 BLOCK to design a treasure trove of quick and easy projects that are perfect for holiday giving!
Natalie’s Design
Click HERE to learn how to make BLOCK-inspired placemats, pillows, pincushions, and table runners with your favorite precut charm packs and jelly rolls!
(Not a subscriber? Click HERE to treat yourself to a full year of BLOCK Magazine! Inspiration awaits!)
