easy quilting tutorial | Missouri Star Blog

December 2, 2021December 2, 2021

Stargazer Quilt

The ancient peoples of the earth knew a lot about stars.

Egyptians watched for Sirius’ predawn appearance to signal the annual flooding of the Nile. Polynesian navigators traversed the vast Pacific Ocean with nothing but the stars to guide them. And the Maya used the movement of the heavens to create the most accurate calendar in the world.

I, on the other hand, struggle to spot the Big Dipper. (But I sure can stitch up a pretty star quilt!)

This week, Jenny has created a celestial wonder of her own with jelly roll strips and a bit of yardage. The Stargazer quilt comes together like a simple log cabin with snowballed corners. It’s quick, easy, and so fun to make!

Watch the Latest Tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Co!

November 4, 2021November 4, 2021

Missing You Quilt

Mamie Irene Crisp met a handsome young Coast Guardsman in 1942, just as the U.S. entered the war. In 1945, they were married.

For 55 years, Jack and Irene traveled the country in their motorhome, stopping at fishing holes all along the way. They wowed friends and family with their jitterbug skills. They adored their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And then, in 2000, Irene was lost to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month is a tender time for Jenny. You see, Irene was her beloved mother-in-law. This year, Jenny has created a beautiful new quilt in Irene’s memory.

Missing You is a quick and easy layer cake pattern that combines the appliqué flowers of our Forget Me Not quilt and the 36-patch blocks of Goodnight Irene. It’s a sweet tribute to all those who have been touched by this terrible disease.

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021

Turkey Trot Quilt

The year my friend Margaret hosted her first Thanksgiving dinner, everything seemed to go wrong.

The cat left paw prints on the freshly-baked pie, the oven stopped working mid-turkey, and the little cousins ruined a white couch with a box of sidewalk chalk. (But the mashed potatoes were excellent, and so was the company!)

Thanksgiving dinner is no small feat, but Jenny’s new Thanksgiving quilt is easy as pumpkin pie—minus the paw prints!

This pretty harvest quilt combines applique Dresden turkey blocks with a variation of the Irish Chain called Irish Change. It’s simple, quick, and “sew” fun to make! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!

September 2, 2021September 2, 2021

Grandma Mae’s Economy Block

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!

July 23, 2021

You Gnome I Love You Quilt

Have you noticed? Gnomes have taken the world by storm, and we couldn’t be more pleased!

The BIGGEST gnome in the world stands 26 feet tall in Saanich, Canada. (His hat is the size of a family tent!)

The largest COLLECTION of gnomes resides in Devon, UK. (Human visitors to the woodland reserve wear pointy hats to blend in with the 2000+ gnomes. True story!)

And the most ADORABLE gnomes are found right HERE in Jenny’s new quilt tutorial!

We’re using Hello Melly’s “You Gnome I Love You” quilt pattern to whip up little layer cake gnomes that are sweet as can be!