There’s a beautiful, old Goose Tracks quilt at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
It was made 150 years ago by Mrs. Ellen Parsons of Shelbyville, Tennessee. A hand-written note explains: “Mrs. Parsons planted and grew the cotton in her garden. She picked the cotton and spun it into thread. She wove the threads into cloth to make the lining for the quilt. She pieced and quilted it by hand.” Phew! That’s a lot of work!
This week, Jenny is whipping up a quick and easy version of the Goose Tracks pattern using precut charm packs.
She didn’t spin her own home-grown cotton, but she DID add a darling scalloped border. (Don’t you worry! Jenny will walk you through every step of that fancy bias binding!)
The Breezy Windmills quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Quilters on the American frontier were inspired by the world around them. They stitched up log cabins, rail fences, bear paws, and flying geese. And, of course, they stitched up windmills.
You see, windmills dotted the Great Plains, pumping water from deep underground. When dry spells left the earth parched, a windmill could pump enough water to cook, bathe, wash, and water crops. Now that’s a quilt-worthy feat!
This week Jenny is whipping up a simple Breezy Windmills quilt using precut 2.5 inch strips. It’s a pretty jelly roll pattern that comes together quickly with strip sets in every color of the rainbow!
Chuck the Duck, Jenny, and the Missouri Star Team officially reopen the town!
After 411 long days of the shops being closed, on May 3rd we welcomed you back to Quilt Town, USA! We couldn’t be happier, we’ve missed seeing all of your bright faces in person.
It’s been so fun to see the town bustling again!
Since the shops have been closed, we have been busy beautifying the town and making things fresh and exciting for our reopening!
Penney’s Quilt Shop receiving a fresh, new look!
We’ve added a few new stores in town, such as Nancy’s Notions and One Big Happy Yarn Co., to add even more fun and variety to your shopping experience! In Nancy’s, you can find apparel fabric, notions and patterns, and more. And One Big Happy is your one stop shop for all your knitting and crochet needs. So many ways to add color to your life!
A beautiful May day in Hamilton, Missouri.
Have you visited us in Hamilton? Do you have any plans for a trip to Quilt Town USA?
Missouri Star Quilt Company Main Shop.
If you aren’t yet able to make a trip to Missouri to see us, you can still take home a piece of Quilt Town, USA Missouri Star with MSQC branded memorabilia HERE!
When Jenny Doan was a child, she lived in an idyllic little town called Spreckels, California.
In the center of town stood a park circled by a wide sidewalk, the perfect canvas for chalk artists to create all sorts of interesting scenes: Fields of poppies, snow-capped mountains, coral reefs filled with rainbow-hued fish.
How she wished to hop right in – Mary Poppins style – to explore those magical worlds!
This week, Jenny is working on a Playground quilt that is as charming as that small-town park. It’s a beautiful jelly roll + layer cake pattern made with easy flying geese, square in a square, and blocks with snowballed corners.
You may know this old-fashioned favorite as Swing in the Center. We’re using cute 30s prints to give it a vintage look. Follow Jenny’s tips for keeping your points razor-sharp—you’ll never lose another point!
The Vintage Blossom quilt from BLOCK Volume 6 Issue 3.
This year for Mother’s Day, give mom a gift truly from the heart by stitching up a new quilt just for her. We celebrate our mother’s because they have always been there for us; they are both our providers and protectors. This year instead of the traditional route of flowers, blanket her in the warmth and comfort of a quilt to let her know that when she needs you most, you’ll always be there to comfort her.
We’ve picked out five great quilting projects that are perfect for mom. From vintage classics that will remind her of her youth to new exciting designs that incorporate the imagery of Mother’s Day, no matter what her style is we’ve got a solution for you!
The May Day Baskets quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
You know what they say, April showers bring May Flowers. May is the perfect time of year for home gardens and flowers and therefore, has become a symbolized by beautiful bouquets of flowers. Put a spin on the classic gift from the garden this year by presenting mom with a May Day Baskets quilt, blooming with beautiful buds that will never wither away.
The Vintage Blossom quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
If this project looks familiar, you may know it by a different name such as Grandmother’s Flower Garden! This traditional quilt pattern not only will be stitched with love, but will be a nostalgic gift that reminds mom of a simpler time. Not only will you be covering mom in a gift of love, but you’ll be creating a new version of a quilt that is rich with history to be passed down to future generations.
While any precut will do, Jenny demonstrates how to make this quilt in her tutorial by using layer cakes (10″ squares of precut quilting fabric). When selecting your layer cake, we suggest you follow in Jenny’s footsteps and locate a vintage or reproduction fabric such as Jane Austen at Home 10″ Stackers by Jane Austen for Riley Blake. These fabrics offer a vintage and more muted color palette that will give this quilt the classic ambiance it deserves!
The Mother’s Choice Remake quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
This project is simply in the name, Mother’s Choice! An easy jelly roll quilt, this project is made up of easy half-square triangles, snowballed corners and flying geese. When gifting this quilt to mom, you may be surprised to learn that this beautiful creation is actually a classic block known as the Dove in the Window, Fringed Square and Laurel Wreath!
We adore Jenny’s fabric choices for this project, so if you’re in a pinch when selecting what fabrics to use, go with what works! Jenny used The Emporium Collection The Tudor Rolie Polie by Liberty Fabric to create the elegant and delicate design of this quilt. This fabric features florals, intricate vines, feathers and much more in a lovely pink, black and cream color scheme.
The Turnabout Granny Squares quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Talk about a classic! The Turnabout Granny Squares quilt is a blast from the past that makes a great option for a Mother’s Day gift. This creative block can be found in a multitude of crafting mediums; you may be more familiar with it as a crochet pattern. Regardless of how it’s used, this simple block creates a great quilt that is full of traditional elements.
Once more, you’ll need to use 2.5″ strips to create this masterpiece. But what if mom enjoys traditional elements from her youth AND is a modern maker who enjoys a splash of color? Go bold with this project to perfectly blend two periods of time by selecting a vibrant and bright fabric such as Jazz Batiks Strips by Bella Nonna Designs for Island Batik.
The Grandmother’s Fan quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Whether you’re celebrating mom becoming a grandmother, or stitching up something to appreciate grandma as well on Mother’s Day, the Grandmother’s Fan quilt is a classic curved project that she will be sure to love! This dresden based pattern comes together in an absolute flash by using the Missouri Star Large Dresden Plate Template for 10″ Squares.
