Inspire. Empower. Create.
April showers provide ample opportunity to spend some quality time at the sewing machine. Be it stitching up a Totally Tulips quilt (those showers do bring May flowers after all) or perhaps the new and oh-so-lovely Irish Change, Missouri Star has plenty of inspiration just waiting for you! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a new quilt tutorial or weekly Missouri Star Live!
Download the FREE April Quilt Planner to keep all those rainy–and sunny–day projects in order!
Quilts are an incredible thing. Whether they’re hanging on the wall or tucked safely upon a bed, they add an artistic flair to the room. Clean, colorful quilts with plenty of white space can brighten up the room, but sometimes a darker touch can really add a comfortable and cozy ambiance.
Quilts that utilize bold color choices complimented by black and dark space aren’t just for the Fall season! These beautiful quilts draw attention and focus to the complimenting colors, creating a wonderful effect that makes the designs pop. Check out these five darker quilts and find some inspiration to break from traditional choices and make a bold statement!
Warm yourself with the Here Comes the Sun Quilt! This fabulous Dresden plate quilt creates rising or setting suns among dark backgrounds. To make this even easier, Missouri Star created the Large Dresden Plate Template for 10″ Squares so that this quilt can be created by any level of quilter! Grab yourself some Layer Cakes (10″ Squares) and quilt until the sun rises!
Get the Large Dresden Plate Template >
Can’t decided between Layer Cakes or Jelly Rolls? Don’t want to go too bold when muted backgrounds still compliment the focus colors? The Rising Star Quilt is the best of both worlds! Pick up both precut fabrics and create a lovely star pattern using more prominent colors against a muted grey background for a quilt that both pops and still feels traditional and conservative.
Not a fan of Layer Cakes? How about a simple, beginner’s Jelly Roll Quilt! The Town Square Quilt uses Jelly Rolls (2.5″ Strips) pieced together with a black background to make a beautiful quilt that is full of traditional elements coupled with modern flair. We LOVE Jenny’s choice of colors on this project and there is no doubt that the Town Square Quilt would change the dynamic of any room it’s found in!
Disappearing Hourglass Crazy Eight Quilt
Create an optical illusion with this take on the Disappearing Hourglass Quilt that we like to call the Disappearing Hourglass Crazy Eight Quilt! By piecing together Layer Cakes (10″ Squares) you’ll be able to create a stunning effect hidden within the beauty of this design. Look closely and maybe you’ll see the hidden hourglass design in this amazing quilt!
Grab the Missouri Star Small Tumbler Template and three Charm Packs (5″ Squares) and you’re ready to create an easy Sashed Tumbler Quilt! There’s no limit to the incredible color combinations you can create with this pattern and think how gorgeous those colors will be with a dark background fabric! Highlight your favorite Charm Packs or create a themed quilt with this simple quilt tutorial!
Get the Small Tumbler Template >
Tell us, what’s your favorite quilt pattern using dark background colors?
NOTE: This blog post has been edited with updated deadlines from Free Spirit Fabrics due to COVID-19. Updated dates and procedures are listed in BOLD.
Bold and brilliant colors plus sewing-themed designs?! Sign us up! This is what you’ll find in Tula Pink’s brand new HomeMade collection. Designed with her sewing process in mind, HomeMade is sure to dazzle!
To celebrate the HomeMade collection, Tula Pink, Free Spirit and Aurifil are sponsoring the HomeMade Challenge, a juried and judge quilt competition, and we’re proud to be one of the participating quilt shops!! For the complete contest rules, please click HERE.
The winner of this challenge wins a terrific grand prize valued at over $10,000 (more details on the prizes HERE), AND the opportunity for his or her quilt to hang in a special gallery at Quilt Market in November 2021!
We can’t wait to see your quilt submissions here at Missouri Star (and be sure to check the list of participating shops to see if your local quilt shop is participating, too!) All of the competition specifics can be found HERE. Please read them thoroughly before you start stitching!
Please submit your quilts via email at socialmedia@missouriquiltco.com and a completed entry form found HERE no later than Sept. 30, 2020. Online voting on quilts will begin June 17.
Happy National Quilting Month, dear quilters! It’s time to wind up those bobbins, pick out a new project (or 2 or 3 or 4), and start stitching up some quilts!
To keep us all marching…and sewing…all month long, we have put together this free quilt planner! Click HERE to download.
As we make our way to National Quilting Day on March 21, keep an eye out for special celebrations, and don’t forget about our Quilting Craziness tournament on our Facebook page! Throughout the mad month of March, your favorite Missouri Star tutorial quilts will be going head-to-head in a daily Facebook poll to see which one wins the Quilting Craziness crown! Be sure to check in every day at 7pm Central to vote for your favorite!
February is the perfect time to start dreaming of warm summer days in the sun. When the cabin fever of being cooped up indoors starts to really set it, take that opportunity to begin planning your summer projects! With summer months right around the corner, now is the perfect opportunity to begin work on wedding quilts, graduation gifts and those fun projects that make us wish for warmer weather!
Needing some inspiration? Here are some great summer quilting projects that will have you stitching up sunnier days in no time!
Document your summer travels and never forget the memories you made with the Road Trip Quilt! Each state is created through an easy appliqué process, but your imagination is the only limit as to which states to include! Make a quilt for each summer road trip or only use your favorite states, the choice is yours! Don’t forget, you can download a FREE Missouri Star Template for each state!
Capture that classic road trip feel with an Explore Layer Cake from Moda Fabrics. Explore features warm, natural colors with outdoor and camping themes. Pile in the back of the station wagon and hit the road as you stitch your itinerary with this beautiful line.
Break out those jelly rolls and get ready to make this easy flower basket quilt! Capture the early days of summer and the beautiful blooming of spring with this simple beginner’s quilt tutorial. All this quilt is missing is a picnic basic and some sunshine for a beautiful day!
Jenny had a great idea with her color palette when creating her May Day Baskets Quilt. Capture the shades of a blooming spring with Braveheart Double Scoops 2.5” Strips from Andover Fabric featuring a sweet collection of florals, vines and berries in a spectrum of red, pink and white. We’re certain this collection will make your project blossom in beauty!
Watch the Free Quilt Tutorial >
Hamilton, Missouri is located in America’s Heartland and when Independence Day comes around, we can’t help but show off our Stars and Stripes. Spread this patriotic quilt across a table at your next Fourth of July BBQ and you’ll steal the show!
Get that true red, white and blue in your quilt with Wilmington Essentials All American 40 Karat Gems 2.5” Strips! This classic take on this quilt will be sure to light up your Independence Day party, but why stop there? Break from the mold and take a risk with Kaffe Classics – Island Design Roll 2.5” Strips and make this quilt fun, unique and filled with fun and bright colors! There’s no limit to what you can imagine when it comes to quilting!
Remember spending your summers at camp? The memories we made in our childhood have a lasting impression on us. Jenny remembers the first quilt she ever made, a classic log-cabin quilt and drawing inspiration from her first days as a quilter, she’s created this gorgeous jelly roll pattern she likes to call the Summer Camp Quilt!
The Summer Camp Quilt is filled with colors and motion! Go bold with this design and consider Monkey Wrench 2.5” Strips from FreeSpirt Fabrics and designer Tula Pink for an amazingly colorful and fabulous design. These strips break from tradition with offbeat colors, florals and animals hidden throughout the layout which will turn your Summer Camp Quilt into a game of hide and seek as you try to locate all the beautiful details of the fabric!
Spending summers on the lake is a fabulous past time. Fresh air, beautiful scenery and if you’re lucky, you can even see a school of fish! You’ll be using 5″ squares to make this lovely charm pack quilt that would be perfect for a summer fishing trip! Trade your bobbins in for bobbers with the Summer School Quilt!
When we think about the Summer School Quilt and all the cute fish swimming across the pattern, we can’t help but to think about Batiks! Consider the Coastal Getaway Batiks Charm Pack from Maywood Studio when creating this quilt, each 5” square marries light seafoam colors with ocean-themed batik backgrounds for a truly fabulous, nautical experience!
Dont’ Forget! Join us for Missouri Star Academy
As you plan your summer projects out, don’t forget that June 10th & 11th is The Missouri Star Academy right here in Quilt Town USA! Join us in Hamilton, Missouri for two days of fun and learning. We’ve even invited a few special guests from the quilting and fabric industry, so don’t miss this opportunity to meet and learn from some of your favorite Sew-lebrities! Mark your calendars today and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest for update the latest updates!
Check out the Missouri Star Events Page >
Tell us, what’s your favorite summer quilt project?