Stitch up a Garden of Quilts This Summer

The Vintage Blossom Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.
The Vintage Blossom quilt as featured in BLOCK Magazine Volume 6 Issue 3.

Gardening and quilting are the perfect pair, both producing an amazing result with a little time, effort and patience. Traditionally quilters have always incorporated their surroundings in their blocks, so it’s no wonder as to why so many vintage quilts feature flowers! Check out these five incredible patterns featuring flowers and traditional garden elements!

English Garden

The English Garden Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Developing from English landscaping techniques of the 18th century, the style of an English garden is both elegant and structured. The English Garden quilt captures the feel of a beautiful blooming garden by using 10″ squares of precut fabric to create order and structure among the quilt blocks. Neat and orderly lines are key in this project, so pick up your Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers and watch your garden grow!

Due to the elegance and aristocratic nature of an English garden, it’d be a shame not to capture that ambiance in your quilting project. Focus on a traditional, muted color palette with just a splash of green to give your quilt a beautiful, classic feel. Best of Days 10″ Squares for Henry Glass are the perfect addition to this project as they feature tiny dragonflies and intricate flowers on a muted palette!

Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >

Get the Clearly Perfect Slotted Trimmers >

Bud Bouquet

The Bud Bouquet Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Once those gardens are in full bloom, it’s just impossible to not bring them into your home life. Cutting a bouquet of fresh flowers to brighten up your kitchen table is a simple and cost-effective method of home improvement; not to mention the outstanding floral scent that will fill your home! The Bud Bouquet quilt plays off this idea and uses 5″ squares of precut fabric in a simple 9 patch made with half square triangles. But no bouquet is complete without a little flair! The real magic happens when you add sashing and cornerstones and set your blocks on point with big setting corners!

Adding cut flowers to your home adds a natural brightness to the room, so go bold and bright with your fabric choices! Glowing yellows, rich greens and bold blues are all terrific options to create the Bud Bouquet quilt and you’ll find all three in Madison 5 Karat Crystals for Wilmington Prints! This beautiful line of fabric is a vibrant spring collection that will make you feel like you’re stitching pure sunshine!

Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >

Totally Tulips

The Totally Tulips Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Not only are tulips a popular addition to any garden, the Totally Tulips quilt has quickly become one of our most popular designs due to the demonstrated versatility of the Triple Play! Tulips video! By using 10″ squares of precut fabric, you can create an entire garden full of tulips as your next project. If you’re looking for even more incredible options, check out the Triple Play video below for three unique takes on this adorable design!

These tulips are just too cute to believe! Draw some attention towards them and add a little fun by selecting an overly bright fabric that will make this flowers pop! Nouveau Soul Batiks Stacks for Island Batiks are the perfect combination of fun, with fruitful floral patterns, and bold, with traditionally bright batik colors! You won’t be able to draw your eyes away from this beautiful field of flowers!

Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >

Check out 3 New Designs on Triple Play! >

Rose Garden

The Rose Garden Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

If there was one flower to stand out above the rest, it would be the romantically classic rose. Often seen as the symbol of love and elegance in many cultures, the rose is so beautiful and delicate that the perfect bloom is a sign of gardening mastery. Take your 5″ squares of precut fabric and cut them into half-square triangles and wonky leg blocks to create this stunning design that is just as intricate as the rose itself!

While roses come in many different colors, shades of red through pink are the most traditional. Give your Rose Garden quilt a sense of traditional elements while keeping it bright and fun with Wilmington Essentials – In The Pink 5 Karat Gems by Wilmington Prints! From a vibrant hot pink to a delicately soft, light pink, this fabric choice will create an unbelievable effect for this project!

Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >

Vintage Blossom

The Vintage Blossom Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

While many of us learned to quilt from our grandmothers, many learned to garden as well! Honor your grandmother with the Vintage Blossom quilt, a take on the classic Grandmother’s Flower Garden block, that despite it’s age is still a fabulous design today! For Jenny’s tutorial on this project, you’ll need 10″ squares of precut fabric to create the beautiful budding flowers that fill this quilt!

This classic quilt demands a classic fabric, so make your grandmother proud by selecting a vintage or reproduction fabric! Aunt Grace’s Apron 10″ Squares for Marcus Fabrics feature classic 30’s florals and Scotties that are just so perfect for this project! These darling flowers and adorable Scottie pups will give this quilt a vintage feel while adding a slight element of fun!

Watch the Free Quilting Tutorial >

Free June Quilt Planner Download

Hello June! ☀️ We’ve made it to the sunniest season of the year here in Missouri, with longer days and warm nights filled with all of the simple magical moments that summer brings.

While we may be spending more of our days outside, we have lots of time set aside for quilting, including Jenny’s go-to wedding present, a picnic quilt! We’re such fans of the Charm Quilt on Point, and all it takes are two charms packs and a little bit of yardage!

The Charm Quilt on Point from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Another fantastic quilt to create is the Cascade quilt, pictured in our June Quilt Planner

The Cascade Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Want in on a little secret just between us? Jenny is working on a super fun, super simple Log Cabin quilt tutorial this summer! Be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter and download the Quilting Tutorials app so you don’t miss it! Until then, watch all of our Log Cabin quilt tutorials here!

Stay inspired and organized all month long with our free June Quilt Planner download! Click HERE to download! And don’t forget to share all of your quilty creations with us on our Missouri Star Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #msqcshowandtell.

June 2020 Free Quilt Planner Download

Triple Play! 3 Yard Quilts

Join Jenny, Natalie and Misty once a month for a Triple Play!

This month’s Triple Play tutorial is a mathematical delight: 3 gals + 3 yards = 3 gorgeous quilts! 

Jenny’s Design

The Jacob's Ladder 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

It’s true! Jenny, Misty, and Natalie are whipping up 3 quick and easy quilts.

The Jacob's Ladder 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Misty’s Design

The Jigsaw 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Each of these patterns is from “Modern Views with 3-Yard Quilts” by Donna Robertson for Fabric Cafe.

The Jigsaw 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Natalie’s Design

The Dominique 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

Click HERE to learn how to make the Jacob’s Ladder, Dominique, and Jigsaw quilts—each from just 3 yards of fabric!

The Dominique 3 Yard Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.
Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

Diamond Terrace Quilt

The Diamond Terrace Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

When Henry Ford implemented the assembly line, he cut the production time of the Model T from twelve hours to just two and a half! The car was the same. The parts were the same. But putting it together assembly-style was so much faster!

The Diamond Terrace Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.

The same is true in quilting! The Diamond Terrace quilt is made of dozens of little pieces, but they come together lickety-split with chain piecing! Click HERE to learn how to make this quick and easy strip quilt!

The Diamond Terrace Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. Watch the free quilt tutorial today.
Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

Sneak Peek: BLOCK Magazine Summer 2020

A note from Jenny.

My hope is by the time I’ve written this letter to you and BLOCK arrives at your home, that life will have returned to normal. My hope is the sun will be shining outside your window… you’ll be free to gather with friends and family… you’ll feel comfortable greeting neighbors and walking the dog again, and a trip to the beach might be just around the corner. It’s hard to imagine after weeks of being separated from loved ones and anxiously watching the television, but I have great hope that we’ll make it through…many of us have been spending extended periods of time at home. I am trying my best to view this as an opportunity instead of an inconvenience. 

I recently read a quote by one of my favorite people, Fred Rogers, that made me pause. He said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” It has shifted my mindset and caused me to be proactive. Each day I ask myself, What small thing can I do to help?

Quilters never cease to amaze me. You make a difference with every stitch and it’s never been more apparent to me than at this very moment. You’re sewing masks by the thousands, you’re making surgical caps for hospital workers, you’re helping friends and neighbors, and you’re a positive influence in your community. Thank you sincerely for everything you do. I feel privileged to be a part of this remarkable global community of quilters. We really can change the world one stitch at a time.

Love,
Jenny


Like Jenny (and Mr. Rogers), I believe many of us makers feel grateful to be part of a community that creates – not only quilts, but comfort, inspiration, and kindness. (After all, we are the piece-makers ✌️)

Fun fact: Back in 1889, the women of Caldwell County (now home of Missouri Star) came together to create a “census” quilt. For an entire year, wives, mothers, and children throughout the county helped one another to hand-stitch the names of over 1,000 residents to create a gorgeous hand-sewn quilt that celebrated their entire community.

130 years later, the antique quilt remains a representation of the connections made among a community of quilter’s helping one another to create a beautiful, inclusive piece of art. It hangs inside our Caldwell Country Historical Society, seven miles from Missouri Star Quilt Co.

Much like those whose names were stitched onto that quilt from long ago, when you subscribe to BLOCK Magazine, you subscribe to become a part of a community of makers whose stories become stitched into our hearts! BLOCK Magazine’s upcoming summer issue contains our own stories and the stories of our readers, together building a community of creatives inspired by one another.

Subscribe by our May 25th deadline to ensure you receive the new June issue straight to your mailbox late next month!


Get a sneak peek of what’s inside!

BLOCK Magazine June 2020
Ruby Sensation Sew-Along

Ruby Sensation Sew-Along

This five part sew-along walks you through every step until together – we’ve created a ravishing masterpiece! (Subscribe now so you won’t miss out!)

BONUS Table Runner Patterns

Enjoy three BONUS table runner projects, great for a quick refresh to your dining table!

Travel Pocket Project

This handy, little organizer is great for traveling with kids and other simple storage solutions.

Jenny’s Journal

Get an exclusive look into Jenny’s studio as she shares with you her latest projects. There’s always something unique and inspiring!

… and seriously, SEW MUCH MORE:

• Stories from Jenny, Missouri Star, and our readers! (Subscribers are invited to submit their own story and some are even published in BLOCK! Jenny loves to hear from our readers!)

• 10+ quilt patterns (including two hexi patterns by Daisy & Grace!)

• When you subscribe, you’ll get instant access to April’s digital issue so you can start enjoying BLOCK right away! (That means you’ll get seven issues for the price of six!)


• NO ads and your subscription ships free!


Take a look behind the scenes!

Crawfish boil scene for BLOCK Magazine
“The most satisfying part of my job is finding a location and props for a scene – one that brings life to the stories we tell in BLOCK. For this shot, we had decided on a crawfish boil, indicative of a southern and celebratory meal. I wasn’t aware what a task this would be until I contacted local grocery stores and made several other calls to no avail.

I had succeeded to photographing a boiling pot of water at best until, luckily, I saw exactly what I needed on social media! A local family posted a photo of their crawfish boil! I immediately contacted them and they gladly accommodated my request, but I had NO IDEA I would be purchasing LIVE crawfish, fresh from the Louisiana bayou! I went to pick them up (thinking they were already cooked) and the ride home had me poking the crawfish back into the pot! I had never prepared them before and was apprehensive but they were absolutely delicious and made for a fabulous photo!

I’m always open to new adventures and experiences which is why I love working on the BLOCK Magazine team. This was definitely one to remember.”

– Jennifer Dowling, photo stylist
Jenny and Ron enjoying a sunset on the set of BLOCK Magazine

“We hope our magazine will inspire you to create beautiful quilts.” – Jenny

LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOCK MAGAZINE