Spring is here and summer is on its way and with them comes beautiful, warm weather! It’s getting harder and harder to want to spend your days completely indoors when you could be out soaking up the sun.
With hand work, you’re never confined to any specific space – the world is yours for the taking (and making!). Get outside and create to your heart’s content!
Both QAYG and English Paper-Piecing are perfect ways to continue stitching up beautiful projects wherever you roam! Take your pieces on the go, all you need are your materials, a needle and thread, and your hands and you’re all set to create some magic!
QAYG Hexagon Quilt by the Missouri Star Quilt Company.
Hand Binding
Finish off your quilts with a little personal touch – by hand stitching your binding closed! With hand binding, you can take your project outside or on the road easily – all you need is a needle, some thread, and your project, ready to be bound! Finishing your quilt can be one of the toughest parts of the process, especially when you’re so eager to have the beautiful finished project adorning your spaces. Luckily, binding is something that you can do wherever you are – take that project with you and you’ll have that binding stitched up in no time!
Do you embroider? It’s the perfect “on-the-go” project for people of all ages! No matter your experience level, it’s a great way to keep your hands busy and the outcome is a beautiful work of art! There are no limits when it comes to embroidery – if you can sketch or trace it out, you can embroider it!
If you knit and crochet then you already know how mobile of a craft it is! Grab your yarn and needles or crochet hook and the world is your oyster – outside, on the go, snuggled up in a quilt on the couch – there’s no bad place to whip up something beautiful!
Join the One Big Happy Cowl knit-along!
If you haven’t yet taken a dive into the knitting or crocheting world, have no fear! Our sister company, One Big Happy, can show you the ropes and have you whipping up projects in no time. There are tutorials and patterns and all the supplies you’ll need to get started and keep going here.
How do you create when you’re on the go, away from your sewing machine? Do you ever take your work outside with you? Let us know below!
In winter, quilts are for snuggling. We wrap them ‘round our shoulders like thick, cozy cocoons and pile them on our beds to stay toasty through the night.
But in summertime … those quilts take on a whole new life!
We carry them to picnics and t-ball games. We spread them out for fireworks and parades. They join us on camping trips and days at the beach. Summer is adventure time for quilts!
This week Jenny is working on a brand new Summer Squares quilt. It’s a pretty jelly roll pattern based on one of our all-time favorites, Summer in the Park.
(Be sure to watch all the way to the end of the video to catch a glimpse of this quilt made in solids + an adorable pillow made from the scraps!) Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
The You’re a Grand Old Flag Quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co. perfectly compliments this garden setting.
Summer is just around the corner and that means it’s time now to start stitching up those beautiful, patriotic quilts for your summer picnics and Independence Day celebrations! Quilting has been an American past-time since the beginning days of our country, so celebrate the history of our craft and nation this year with a red, white and blue color palette!
If you’re needing some inspiration, we’ve gather five of our favorite patriotic quilt projects that would be just perfect for any summer celebration. Pick up one of our new lines of patriotic fabrics and you’ll be ready to kick back on your very own picnic quilt and watch the fireworks. And if you’re still looking for more inspiration, head over to our website for everything patriotic and Americana!
The Stars and Stripes quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
It doesn’t get more Americana than the Stars and Stripes quilt! This simple strip quilt comes together with ease using Jelly Rolls (2.5″ strips of precut quilting fabric) and snowballed corners. The iconic red and white stripes compliment the uniquely blue stars creating the perfect patriotic theme while still capturing the simplicity and beauty of a quilt.
To best capture those stars and stripes, consider using a solid fabric. Sometimes when we think solids, we think of very plain fabric, but that doesn’t have to be the case! Cut up some strips from the Tonga Batiks – Freedom collection to add some depth to your solids and make this quilt pop in subtle ways!
The Old Mill Path quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
The Old Mill Path quilt is a play on the classic Drunkard’s Path quilt block and has never been easier to create thanks to the use of the Missouri Star Drunkards’ Path Template. Inspired by a 1929 antique quilt called “The Mill Wheel”, this vintage design is full of elements that distinguish it as a slice of yesteryear. Add in a patriotic color palette and this quilt will feel like an vintage creation nearly 100 years in the making!
For this project, you’ll need Layer Cakes (10″ squares of precut quilting fabric). Liberty Lane 10 Karat Crystals by Stephanie Marrott for Wilmington Prints feature weathered patriotic prints that will give this quilt an aged and dated feel; directly complimenting the overall aesthetic created by the design. And while this particular pattern isn’t full of stars or stripes, you’ll have plenty symbols of American culture displayed proudly within the fabric.
The You’re a Grand Old Flag quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
If you prefer more traditional patriotic displays, then the You’re a Grand Old Flag quilt is the choice for you. Created using Charm Packs (5″ squares of precut quilting fabric) and the Missouri Star Small Tumbler Template for 5″ Charm Packs, this fun flag quilt can be created with ease. The outcome is impressive, a simple tumbler flag design that, when the proper color palette is utilized, will be a favorite for many Independence Days to come!
Consider investing a little extra time into cutting your 5″ squares from yardage to take advantage of the America the Beautiful collection from Moda Fabrics. The barn wood yardage from this collection would be absolutely adorable as a red, white and blue flag and we think it’s just the best choice for this design! Whether you go precut or yardage, this quilt will be sure to brighten up any outdoor setting.
The Outstanding Stars quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
What more can be said, this quilt is simply outstanding! These pretty star blocks are framed with a simple sashing and cornerstones. While this quilt would look great in any color, when given a patriotic palette it truly feels like a slice of Americana. We just can’t believe how versatile this simple design is!
Follow Jenny on this one and create this quilt using American Gatherings from Moda Fabrics. Designed by Primitive Gatherings for Moda Fabrics, this red, white, and blue collection features basic yet lovely prints like stripes and florals, plus traditional patriotic symbols like stars and flags. This quilt will be full of American themes by the time you are done!
The Pinwheels on Point quilt from Missouri Star Quilt Co.
Pinwheels are an iconic quilting symbol that have been heavily utilized in American quilting. When early settlers were first traversing west across our country, they would quilt what they saw (no wonder stars are such a big deal!) and what better way to capture the motion of wind then by using pinwheels! Stitch up a little history in your patriotic project with this quick and easy Pinwheels on Point quilt.
You’ll again need 2.5″ strips of precut quilting fabric for this quilt, but there’s no need to focus on solids. Have some fun when selecting fabrics for this project! If you’re feeling ambitious, cut your strips from the America the Beautiful collection from Moda Fabrics. This line is full of the patriotic symbolism and colors you’re looking for while still adding unique elements such as posies to the fabric.
When pioneers trekked west, they took only what could fit in one small covered wagon. Most worldly treasures were left behind.
But quilts? Quilts were an absolute necessity. They were used as shelter; they were used for warmth. Quilts swaddled babies and protected fragile family heirlooms as they bumped and jostled along the dusty Oregon Trail.
Those antique pioneer quilts were made from scraps, skillfully stitched by hand into simple 9-patches, log cabins, and pinwheels. 200 years later, we are making those same old-fashioned patterns, and they’re just as pretty as ever!
This week Jenny is working on a beautiful variation of the classic pinwheel using precut charm packs. Pinwheel Frolic comes together lickety-split with easy half-square triangles and a pretty, decorative sashing.
(Watch to the end of the tutorial for a fabulous bonus project: A matching burrito pillowcase with a cuff and flange!)
Did you know? The world’s biggest spool of thread is located right here in Hamilton, Missouri! It’s 22 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and wrapped with ONE MILLION yards of thread. Come for a visit, and you can add a few yards of your own!
Jenny’s Design
It’s no secret we love thread, so our newest Triple Play tutorial is all about spools! We’re using charm packs, layer cakes, and 2.5 inch strips to create big spools, little spools, and everything in between! Fun fact: Jenny’s larger-than-life spool quilt pattern is actually a jelly roll race, and it’s so fun to make!
