Garden Spot - in Quiltmaker! (plus 2 giveaways)

Note:  This giveaway is now closed.  Carrie P. is the winner.  Congratulations, Carrie!

Today I'll be talking over on Quiltmaker's blog, Quilty Pleasures, about a quilt I designed for their July/August 2014 issue using my Topiary line for Blend Fabrics called "Garden Spot".

It is really fun to make and a great way to try a couple of different appliqué techniques!

To celebrate, we are doing a joint giveaway on my blog and theirs of a fat quarter bundle of Topiary, plus two of my recent patterns from that line - Love Birds and Forever.

To enter, leave a comment here telling me something you are looking forward to doing this summer.  For a second chance to win, be sure to visit Quilty Pleasures.  Deadline to enter in both places is end of day Saturday, June 14th.

Happy quilting!
Amanda

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 9

Announcement:  The winner of the fat quarter bundle and magazine over here is Amy DeCesare and the winner over on my instagram account is crazyquiltlena.  Congratulations, ladies!  Send me your snail mail addresses and I'll get them out to you.  Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments - you've given me so many ideas!

It is Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks time again and today is my day blog about my block and have a giveaway!

Can you guess the inspiration for my block?  It kind of knocks you over the head, doesn't it? It is my fabric line, "Topiary" for Blend Fabrics, which, in turn, is inspired by the gardens of the South. (I'd show you a picture of my garden, but I have whatever is opposite of a green thumb, so that's no fun...)

I wanted to do a  simple-to-sew appliqué block so I chose one of the trees I drew for this line and enlarged it quite a bit, then added borders and corners so that it would create a diamond pattern when joined with its neighbors.

So... onto the giveaway.  Quiltmaker is giving a copy of the magazine to one of you and I'm throwing in a fat quarter bundle of Topiary!  To enter, leave me a comment letting me know what colors you'd most like to see in a quilt collection for a boy.  (I know this is off-topic considering the style of the fabric in this block... but I'm curious.)  And I'll also be picking an additional winner from my instagram followers so if you don't follow me there already please consider it.  (My user name over there is amandamurphydesign.)  The deadline to enter is this Friday, May 2nd, at midnight.

They have lots of other great prizes over on the Quiltmaker blog so make sure to stop by!  (Including a grand prize at the end of the week that has both my books, as well as all sorts of other goodies!)

Happy sewing.

Jewels of Winter

This quilt I designed based off of an applique snowflake block is on newsstands now in the fall 2013 issue of Quiltmaker's Quilts from 100 Blocks.  

Special thanks to Deb McDonald who sewed it and to Quiltmaker who photographed it so well!

Happy sewing!

Amanda

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 7

Today it is time to share my block on the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 7 Blog Tour!  (Check out their blog too because there are more giveaways there, in addition to the one below.)

Here is a sneak peek of  my block, "Lollipop, Lollipop!"  I pieced it in Bella right after receiving yardage this past fall from Blend Fabrics.

Lollipop, Lollipop in Bella

But now I think it might be fun to sew up a block in Holiday Bouquet...

Lollipop, Lollipop in Holiday Bouquet

Or maybe Bonjour, Mon Ami?

Lollipop, Lollipop in Bonjour, Mon Ami

Quiltmaker's 100 blocks Volume 7 will be on newsstands on May 7th, and Quiltmaker is allowing me to giveaway an issue!  I'm also going to throw in a beautiful fat quarter bundle of Michael Miller Red and Aqua fabrics. I used these fabrics in a quilt in Modern Holiday called Crossroads that recently put in an appearance at Quilt Con with C&T Publishing.  I've been cutting up and assembling bundles for giveaways at my two Schoolhouses at market and I have an extra!

(If you are at Market I'll be doing an 11:35 Schoolhouse on Thursday with C&T Publishing to talk about Modern Holiday and another at 3:10 for Brewer Sewing to talk about Modern Quilting.  Please come visit!)

To enter leave a comment telling me which of the above versions of  "Lollipop, Lollipop" you like best.  One entry per person please and make sure to leave me a way to contact you should you win.  The deadline will be this Sunday the 5th at midnight.  Note: This giveaway is now closed.

Happy sewing!
Amanda

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 6

Well it is that time again.  Quiltmaker has put out another issue in their 100 Blocks series - Volume 6.  These magazines are so fun!  Can you guess which is mine?

Well, here is a hint.  I've had a thing for aqua and blue Christmas designs lately.  Yes, mine is the white-on-aqua snowflake in the second row.  It is on page 42 and is called "Winter's Jewel."

I enjoyed making this.  The applique and piecing are really simple but, because of the color choices, they look bold.  I used some fabrics from Laurie Wisbrun's Brrr collection and also some neutrals by Patrick Lose, both of which are manufactured by Robert Kaufman.

Winter's Jewel can be arranged in many ways.

Quilt 1 - no border

Quilt 2 - on point with white border

Snowflake Runner or Wall Hanging

Quiltmaker is giving away a free copy of the magazine to a reader here! To enter leave a comment telling me which of these statements is a lie:

1. I worked in a wood shop for 2 years.
2. I once had to get stitches because I impaled myself with a plastic bagel knife.
3. I am an avid gardener.

Winners will be chosen from posts with the right answer using the random number generator.  First prize will get the magazine and second will get a free copy of one of my new patterns, either Palace Doors, Fizz, Sunflower Row, or Harlequin.

Deadline to enter is midnight on Friday, November 9th.

Be sure to check out all the other blocks and enter to win more giveaways on Quiltmaker's blog!

Happy sewing!
Amanda

Winner of Quiltmaker 100 Blocks - Volume 5

Yes, it is Volume 5, not Volume 6.  Don't know what I was thinking. 
So, without further ado, the winners are...

Bairdmtn , who commented:
I had already spied your block and decided I had to make it into a quilt or tablerunner! Love it! My favorite size quilt is a twin sized because it is small enough to cuddle up with and large enough to put on a full or queen size bed, too! Can't wait to get my hands on Volume 5! I have the other 4 issues and refer to them ALL the time! Just liked you on FB and followed and subscribed to your e-mails! 

and Sandi T., who said:

I really admire you and enjoy your blog so much. Lap-size quilts are the ones I make a lot and sometimes I will make queen-sized quilts. Yes, I like your idea of the black and white tuxedo quilt. I can actually visualize this quilt. Great block and great idea. Thank you for your participation and giving us all a chance to win such a fantastic magazine.

Please send me your addresses and the three patterns from my pattern line that you would like me to include.

Thanks to everyone who participated.  Lap quilts were overwhelmingly popular, but the answers were all over the map - there is a lot of creativity out there.  Thanks for the kind comments as well.

Don't forget to send pictures if you make my block!

Happy sewing!
Amanda

And the Winner of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4 is...

#56, Kaye, who said:
I made a springtime table runner for my daughter in a workshop and it will be part of her Christmas gift. Now I'm making a small Christmas tree wallhanging. Its mostly applique and has gold rickrack embellishment. Love your block design!

Thanks Kaye, and thanks to all who participated!
I'm ramping up to do some more giveaways of all my new patterns later this week, so stay tuned.

Hope you have a great week.
Happy sewing!
Amanda

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 4, Giveaway

Hi everyone!

Guess what is on newsstands right now? The fourth issue of Quiltmaker's 100 blocks! I'll be giving away a free issue of this fun magazine later on in this post and so will a lot of other designers. Not to mention there are other GREAT prizes.  Hop on over to Quiltmaker to find out more.

 
This issue is so much fun and is a great bargain too!  I designed a block in Veranda using a combination of applique and piecing this time.

Three of these in a row would make a great springtime table runner.  But wait... we haven't even gotten to Christmas - why am I talking about spring? 

Speaking of the holidays, I have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to prepare for them.  I haven't made a gift, bought a present, or even thought about decorations.  I HAVE driven an inordinate amount of carpools shuttling kids to Nutcracker rehearsals, so that should count for something.  Is anyone else in such a quandry? 

But I know there are more organized souls out there who start sewing gifts in July and I would love to hear yours ideas.  So, to enter the giveaway for Volume 4 of Quiltermaker's 100 Blocks, leave a comment describing something you have been working on for someone else (or for yourself !).  And if you are hopelessly behind, like me, tell me what you would like to make.  You must be a follower to enter and please leave me a way to contact you should you win. The deadline to enter is this Sunday, the 13th, at midnight.

This giveaway is now closed... Thanks for your interest!
Good luck and happy sewing!
Amanda

Jewels of My Garden

Guess what came in the mail today? 

The July/August issue of Quiltmaker.  I turned to page 40 and saw...

..."Jewels of My Garden", the very first quilt I made out of Veranda.  This is a really fun bed-sized quilt.    It is so easy to make, with just flying geese, squares, and rectangles making up the blocks.  I used the pink paisley feature print for the border to bring everything together.  I used a bright Kona yellow for the square centers, but you really could pull any color from the accent prints.

Kimberly, of Fat Quarter Shop, will be offering kits for this "Jewels of My Garden" when Veranda ships in August.

Happy sewing!
Amanda

Quiltermaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3 Blog Tour!

Hi everyone!

Well, the blog tour for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks is well underway and this is my day to talk about my block (and to giveaway a little something extra - see details below)!  I used Swiss Chocolate sample yardage, which I had just received at the time the block was designed.  You'll find the pattern on page 46 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 3, which should be out on newstands next week.

A lot of you know that Swiss Chocolate was designed in two color stories: Mocha and Chocolate.  Since I used Mocha for the Swiss Chocolate quilt in Quiltmaker's March/April 2011 issue, I decided to use the Chocolate color story for this block.  Here she is...

A few of the prints in this collection really lent themselves to fussy-cut pieces, and I decided to make use of this.  I had a hard time deciding between the stripe and the blossom print, but in the end I chose to use the stripe. 

I've heard from many people who used Swiss Chocolate in home decor projects, so I thought it would be great to show you a table runner using this block x 3, with variations. 

Chocolate Striped Runner

Chocolate Blossom Runner

Mocha Striped Runner

Mocha Blossom Runner

I'll be kitting up one of these table runners (your choice!) for three lucky winners.  The first winner will also receive a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 3., courtesy of Quiltmaker.  I can't absolutely promise that the packages will go out before Market (still sewing like mad around here), but I'll try.  If not, they will go out the following week.  To enter:

1. Become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite quilting technique is.  If you already are a follower, leave a comment about your favorite technique too.  (My kids will be forever grateful for the follower part because, if I reach 250 followers, we get to go out for ice cream!)  Also let me know what table runner kit you would choose.
2. If you comment anonymously, please leave your contact information in the post so that I can contact you!
3. Only one entry per person, please.
4. The deadline to enter the giveaway is on midnight Saturday, May 7th.

And remember that Quiltmaker will be giving away a yard of each print of THE ENTIRE LINE OF SWISS CHOCOLATE courtesy of Robert Kaufman, along with other great prizes, later in the week, so check out their site.   There are some great giveaways, along with links to other designers' fabulous sites!

Have fun and happy sewing!
Amanda

Quiltmaker's (and my) Cafe Mocha!

I've had lots of emails this morning about a quilt that I designed on page 30 of Quiltmaker's March/April Issue. 

First of all, let me say how thrilled I am that so many of you love this quilt!  I love it too.  (My mother loves it so much that she has claimed it for her own - it is what began "The Great Dining Room Makeover" over at her house.)  No, unfortunately I do not offer kits, but Fat Quarter Shop has yardage and I can ease the ordering process by giving you the fabric SKU #s that I used for this quilt.  You might have to order 1/2 yards instead of 3/8 yards, but you can get pretty close to what a kit would actually contain.  So here is the info you need:

Quiltmaker Cafe Mocha yardage requirements

1/2 yard of these accent fabrics for the blocks:

• Melted Swirls - AAM-10930-227
• Medallions - AAM-10929-227
• Tone on Tone Floral AAM-10931-227
• Scrollwork - AAM-10927-227
• Feathers - AAM-10932-227
• Tapestry - AAM-10926-227
• Blossoms - AAM-10928-227
• Striped Ribbon - AAM-10925-227

2 yard dark brown print (Melted Swirls - AAM-10930-174) Quiltmaker specifies 2 yards, but you might want to buy 1/2 yard more to have to play with

1-3/8 yard cream print (Melted Swirls - AAM-10930-15)

1/2 yard inner border gold print (Tone-on-Tone Floral - AAM-10931-14)

2-1/2 yard outer border/binding fabric (Melted Swirls - AAM-10930-227)

6 yards backing fabric (Tapestry - AAM-10926-227)

If you would rather do the quilt in the chocolate (red) color story, change any replace the last three digits of any SKU that ends in "227" with "167".
 
Thanks for the kind comments and I hope that helps.
 
Amanda