Take a Look Behind the Scenes of BLOCK Magazine and Join Us for a BLOCK Party TONIGHT! 🎉

BLOCK Magazine is an “idea book” designed, produced, and published by Missouri Star Quilt Co. As you flip through each glossy page you’ll find gorgeous photography, fun patterns, brilliant ideas, and one-of-a-kind stories! For seven years – hard work, creativity and pure love has been poured into each issue!

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Go Behind the Scenes

Q: How many people does it take to make an issue of BLOCK Magazine?
A: It takes a team of about forty people!

Here’s how they do it:

Each issue of BLOCK starts with thoughtful planning months in advance. First, the design of a quilt is put together by Jenny Doan and her daughter, Natalie Earnheart. They choose patterns and themes and then request the fabric they want to use. Once the fabric arrives, they team up with our sewists to complete the quilt tops.

Next, the pattern writers break the design down into steps, figuring out precut fabric and yardage requirements, and noting when any tools or templates are needed. Then, they outline the sewing process, piece by piece, so you have a visual of how the block comes together.

Then the quilts are sent over to our Machine Quilting department to have batting and backing added and are quilted up on big longarm quilting machines. Afterwards, our sewists carefully stitch on the binding and voilà – a completed quilt ready to star in BLOCK!

This magazine isn’t just quilt patterns though. There’s so much more to discover like, inspirational stories, educational articles, and amazing photography.

The copywriters for BLOCK collect the memoirs of Missouri Star family members and employees as well as inspiring stories from quilters from all around the world. They then use those to create story prompts and begin crafting beautifully written stories that will make you laugh, cry, feel inspired, or overjoyed. Our copywriters truly have a way with words and you’ll get all the feels with the stories they whip up!

When I write stories, I often get to reach out to people, Jenny included, and ask them about their own stories. It’s so much fun to hear their stories and bring them to life in BLOCK. I love writing, so it’s all fun to me.– Nichole Spravzoff

The team also follows up with the latest trends and performs a ton of their own research in order to share with you the most top notch techniques in quilting and sewing!

Once all the quilts are quilted and the stories are written, our photographers help piece it all together by providing a scene that will bring the quilt to life.

The photo team is very resourceful when it comes to finding or crafting props and they have the most intuitive eyes for seeking out the right location for each quilt. When food is involved, they even prepare meals such as a Thanksgiving turkey for a fall scene or baking cookies for celebratory backgrounds.

Once the photography is done, everything is then tied together to build out proofs to be sent over to the printer. Each issue is then shipped out and ready for you to enjoy!

Together – several different departments work together here at Missouri Star to bring to you a quality magazine at a great price.

Fun Facts

  • The first issue of BLOCK was printed in 2014
  • It takes 4-6 months to create each complete issue of BLOCK
  • BLOCK is published locally in Missouri
  • All the quilt designs, stories, and photography are original works of art
  • BLOCK doesn’t require ad revenue, it relies on subscriptions from readers like you
  • Over 60 original quilts and other fun projects are made each year for BLOCK

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Join us for a BLOCK Party!

Join us tonight (Friday, November 20) at 4:00 PM CT for a LIVE BLOCK Party with Jenny and Natalie to get a sneak peek into the next issue!

Until then, enjoy this message from Jenny and a behind the scenes look at the cover shoot for the December 2020 issue of BLOCK Magazine.

SHOP BLOCK FRIDAY DEALS

Big ideas are coming to life with the next issue of BLOCK Magazine

A Note from Jenny - BLOCK Magazine 2020 Winter Issue

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!

BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 1

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!

Natalie Earnheart, Managing Editor of BLOCK Magazine

“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


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!

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What will your first project of 2020 be?
Tell us (or show us) in the comments!