Sometimes after the hustle and bustle of holiday clean up and moving directly into Valentine’s Day, we forget to take the time to appreciate ourselves. Quilters are a giving community, we often will move mountains in order to complete a gift for a friend or a donation for a stranger before we take the time to make something for ourselves. No more however! Take a peek at these five great ideas and create something for yourself! Each project is designed to be filled with love to make a special and super comfy addition to your home!
While this project is perfect for a new addition to lay upon, who doesn’t want to be surrounded by the cuddliest of cuddle? This incredible simple design will test some of your knitting skills (Don’t Worry! Anyone can do it!) to produce one of the softest projects you’ve ever create!
Better than a photo album, the memory quilt will take your treasured fabrics and create a stunning quilt or wall hanging to celebrate your life. Use old ties, t-shirts or any fabric that is near and dear to you to immortalize your memories in an amazing project.
February is a fabulous month for heart themed quilts! The Tender Heart Quilt will make a great addition to your collection, whether you want to wrap yourself in love or create a stunning wall hanging for the holiday!
If your feet get cold while you’re snuggled up in a quilt, then the Blipper is for you! Part blanket, part slipper, the Blipper has a unique pocket at the end of the quilt designed to keep your feet toasty and warm during the cold month of February!
Show off your love for quilting while you’re out on the town with a handmade Reversible Bag! Quilting is usually an at home activity unless you’re attending a quilting bee or a retreat, so why not bring a little of that love with you wherever you go!
Still wanting to treat yourself but have too many current unfinished projects? No worries! Join one of our fantastic Missouri Star Academy instructors for an online education course to better develop your quilting skills! Pictured above, one of our phenomenal instructors, Courtenay Hughes, offers a course on Beginning Hand Appliqué and trust us, you won’t want to miss having her as your instructor!
Jenny loves to give quilts as wedding presents, but not super-fancy-never-to-be-used quilts. She gives picnic quilts! Jenny wants her quilts to be taken on adventures near and far. She wants them to be loved and used!
Summer Stars was created for a special grandson and his beautiful bride. It’s a cute picnic quilt made up of two of our favorite patterns: Summer in the Park and Wonky Stars.
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!
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!
“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
“My team was excited to shoot for this issue of BLOCK. There are some great changes to the overall look of the magazine… as well as more content and features…” -Mike Brunner, lead photographer, shown above capturing model, Ruth Northrup (Pst – Ruth is Jenny’s amazing personal assistant. Isn’t she stunning?!)
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!
A pixel quilt is just a charm quilt, really. The only trick is planning the layout. Luckily, Robert Kaufman did all the figuring for the Pixelated Heart Quilt, and you can download the pattern for free!
Watch Jenny whip up this pretty project. It’s so quick and easy, she finishes the entire top during the video! (Bonus: You’ll also get a quick lesson on perfecting your ¼” seam!)
Admit it, there comes a time in every quilter’s journey where they have to step back and realize they have too many quilts. Fortunately for the quilting community as a whole, quilters are incredibly generous people who give with love and share their talents with friends and family, wrapping them in the warmth of their craft. Sometimes though it’s nice to make something for yourself, stitch in a little of your own creativity and create something that is positively and uniquely you.
Quilting doesn’t have to be limited to just quilts. There is a world of options available that require no more skill than what you have already mastered in your traditional quilts. If you’re anything like us though, you want to be surrounded by quilts all day, every day! So thread your sewing machines and get ready to decorate with these fabulous and simple DIY Home Decor Quilting Projects:
A perfect edition to any sewing or craft room, the Little Stitches Wall Hanging will not only brighten up your work space, but also share your love of quilting with guests! The curved piecing really adds an incredible flair to this piece and Jenny’s Tutorial will teach you how to accomplish it with ease!
Show some love for the great outdoors by bringing this phenomenal collection from Riley Blake into your home. The possibilities are endless with such a gorgeous print, but Misty has some great starter ideas from pillows to canvas prints in the LIVE tutorial!
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a fresh heart shaped wall hanging will surely bring a posh new look into your home! All you’ll need for this simple design is a layer cake of 10″ squares and some background fabric. Join Jenny as she teaches you how to quickly and easily make the necessary half-square triangles to create this wonderful scrap-busting wall hanger!
It’s never too early to start planning out your next holiday sensation! This Stars and Stripes Table Runner will undoubtedly be a hit at your next Independence Day event and the best news is, it’s incredible easy to create! Based off a previous design by Jenny herself, join Misty on Missouri Star LIVE as she demonstrates how to stitch up this cute and patriotic table runner.
Bring on the colors! All you need to make this bright, colorful rug is a Jelly Roll and some Quilt Batting! Each time guests step into your home, they’ll be sure to comment on the bright and vibrant rug that greets them. Watch the tutorial to see how Jenny makes this beautiful piece of home decor and don’t be afraid to pick your own colors and start your rug today!
