Life on the American frontier was hard. There were prairies to tame, trees to fell, and fences to build. There was butter to churn, laundry to scrub, and water to fetch.
Despite such labor-filled days, those resourceful pioneer women found ways to whip up easy patterns like the Log Cabin block. These simple, pretty quilts were used not only as bed coverings, but as windows, room dividers, and doors, too!
This week Jenny is working on a Simple Log Cabin with a traditional red center square to represent the heart of the home—the hearth. Click HERE to learn how to make this classic 19th-century quilt!
July is here and with it comes warm summer nights, bursting fireworks and an opportunity to create some truly wonderful quilts!
Red, white and blue are the traditional colors of July here in Hamilton, Missouri. There’s no better way to enjoy a fireworks display than laying on a beautiful new quilt created from patriotic fabric just for the occasion! Jenny’s classic Stars and Stripes quilt is an absolute go-to for this time of year!
The classic Stars and Stripes quilt is the perfect project to plan for the month of July.
Adding a patriotic color palette can change the feel of any quilt. Check out how great the Stretched Periwinkle quilt looks in the latest issue of BLOCK Magazine once a little July flair is added!
As featured in BLOCK Magazine Volume 7 Issue 3, by adding a patriotic color scheme, this Stretched Periwinkle table runner becomes a festive 4th of July staple.
Keep in mind though that as we enter into the second half of the year, the holiday season is right around the corner. While we here at Missouri Star have some great, festive ideas coming soon to help your holiday gift planning, the most important step is to stay organized!
Stay inspired and organized all month long with our free July Quilt Planner download! Click HERE to download! And don’t forget to share all of your quilty creations with us on our Missouri Star Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram using #msqcshowandtell.
On Mother’s Day, we shared a bouquet of fabric flowers that bloom year round! We were so excited by your response to this lovely project, that we teamed up with the creator, Missouri Star’s very own, Cassie R., to share a step-by-step tutorial on how to make these easy fabric flowers!
Follow along below to learn how to make your very own fabric flowers. These can be made with any fabric (and are a perfect scrap buster!), however, Cassie used batik fabric strips so that the back side of the fabric is not as noticeable when twisting the flowers.
Supplies needed: 2.5”x22” fabric strips (you can use a scrap from a package of 2.5″ strips or a fat quarter cut to 2.5”) We recommend batiks for their reversibility. Hand needle and thread to stitch together the stem If desired: Straws or mini dowel rods and super glue to use as stems Missouri Star Thimble Container
How to create easy fabric flowers:
Step 1: Cut fabric strip to 2.5”x22″. Feel free to experiment with skinnier strips for smaller flowers and wider strips for bigger flowers.
Step 2: Fold fabric strip in half lengthwise, but do not press with an iron. A finger press works just fine.
Step 3: Begin at one end of the folded fabric strip and fold in about 1″ from the end and then fold again.
Step 4: Fold a third time so it’s super tight. This will form the middle of the flower.
Step 5: With the vertical fold at the top of the flower, loosely roll it around the middle one time.
Step 6: As you wrap the fabric strip around the middle, fold the strip about halfway. This will form the petals of the fabric flower. Be sure to keep the fold at the top of the flower.
Step 7: Keep folding and twisting to form the flower
Step 8: Continue folding and twisting the fabric around the flower until you run out of fabric or reach the desired size. As you fold, you will notice that the stem of your flower will form.
Notice the stem forming below.
Step 8: Once your fabric flower blooms to your desired size, glue or stitch together the end to secure it.
Use this technique to create fabric flowers that bloom all year round! Be sure to share your creations with us online using #msqcshowandtell! Happy sewing!
Have you ever made a disappearing pinwheel block? It’s easy! Simply stitch up a basic pinwheel, slice it to smithereens, rearrange the pieces, and sew it back together!
This week, Jenny is taking things one step further by spreading those lil’ pieces all across the quilt! The Deconstructed Disappearing Pinwheel is an intricate sea of half square triangles, bar blocks, and itty bitty pinwheels—and it all starts with easy-as-pie pinwheels! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
Talking about flying geese can be tricky. Is it one flying goose or one flying geese?
Jenny’s Design
Two flying geese or two flying…geeses? We may never know!
Misty’s Design
But you know what’s not tricky? Quilting with those pretty little geese!
Natalie’s Design
This week’s Triple Play tutorial features three new flying geese quilts from Jenny, Misty, and Natalie. And these goose…er…geese blocks are as fun and easy as it gets! Click HERE to watch the tutorial!
