PS: Thanks for the love on the new quilt patterns! I’m looking forward to spotlighting them in the next few days and telling you a bit more about each! Also, I may just be posting a giveaway in the next few days…just as soon as I get some last minute Market sewing done…Mwa!

I’m so excited to show you my new patterns! I’ve had SO much fun making them, and love them the very most. (Please, tell me you love them too!) I’m especially in love with the fact that these are such USEFUL sizes. There are 3 baby quilts, 1 throw quilt, and 2 King/Queen sized quilts! Many of you have requested larger sized patterns so your own bed can be as pretty as the cribs and twin beds in your house, and I hear you! I’m excited that I finally have a couple of quilts for my bed, too.

Over the next few days I’ll be talking about each individual pattern and showing you some pictures of alternate versions and up close pictures of the quilting. In the meantime, I hope you love them! They’re in the shop already, including PDF versions of each. OH! Also, a few of my other patterns finally got PDF versions, too, including the oh-so-popular Russian Rubix!

Printed patterns can be pre-ordered now, and will ship as soon as I get them back from the printer. Probably around the 15th. I’ll keep you posted on that.

If you’re a shop that wants to place an order, please contact me at april@prairiegrasspatterns.com or you can order from your Checker, Petersen-Arne, or United Notions Rep.

xoxo

April

(Pssst! 5 new patterns revealed tomorrow!)

A beautiful stack of Grand Hotel by Jenean Morrison for Free Spirit. (She’s a doll, by the way.) In stores in May. Must force myself to do some chores and get on the darn treadmill so I can get cutting into it. I have Grand (har har) plans for it.

Any fun mail for you today?

Remember that Ooh La la fabric by Anne Sutton/Bunny Hill I showed you last week? I used the blues and whites to make a sweet, simple baby quilt for my sister in law who’s expecting in June–and of course I forgot to take a picture. But the pinks and greys I used for this simple but really really great quilt for my other friend, who is a Disney junkie and even one-time Disney Princess at Disneyland! I threw in a few grey wovens from Etchings by 3 Sisters for Moda, as well as some Hometown by Sweetwater for the name applique and the border.

I wanted to go with something sophisticated and pretty (her color style) but still add a bit of Disney Princess glamour. I used a free Disney font to make her name, and then just freehand drew the Minnie Mouse ears and crown.

A little fuseable web, a lot of machine applique, and a bit of iridescent thread for good measure. I love how this fabric worked out, even though it’s a “baby” collection, it ended up being a nice sophisticated quilt for an adult. I love that.

She loved it, and I’m so glad. I backed it in this super soft grey Minkee. I wanted to keep it for myself, it was so soft.

I machine quilted it with an allover double swirl pattern (because I think it looks magical), and then some fun detail quilting around her name. The binding is a really cute pink and white bias stripe.

I’ve got one more gift quilt to finish for my sweet baby nephew (I’m in love with him) who’s already 3 weeks old (mini-Swoon, anyone?) and then I’m on to spring pattern writing frenzy! I’ve got all the quilts made up, and several of the patterns written and tested, but I’m waiting on fabric for the last two.

Have you made any gifts lately? Or used a fabric collection for a different purpose than it was intended?

xoxo

April

Two of my loveliest friends had birthdays last week, and I couldn’t help but pull some things together for them. I could picture in my head exactly what I wanted to make for them, and no matter how many times I tried to think of something store-bought that would be just as good, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t settle.

So I just did it.

First, an oh-so-fun Cathedral window throw pillow in red and lime green, to match her bedroom makeover! (Lucky girl got some really cute beadboard and shelving in there too!) She said it matched just right, and I’m so glad. A few fat eighths of Ruby by Bonnie and Camille for Moda and some white yardage and I was on my way!

I’ve wanted to do a cathedral window pillow for quite some time, and lucky me, there was a great tutorial on the Moda Bake Shop that walked me through it. I was SHOCKED at how much fabric it uses. So much folding! It’s like origami magic with fabric.

Super fun, super time consuming, but super great results. I’m going to have to refrain from making about 5 for my own room, whenever I get around to redoing it. (In case you’re curious, the walls in my bedroom are a striking shade of mauve, a gift from the previous owner. I avoid my bedroom in daylight at nearly all costs.)

I’ve got one more gift quilt to finish for my sweet baby nephew (I’m in love with him) who’s already 3 weeks old (mini-Swoon, anyone?), another for a sweet little girl fighting cancer, and then I’m on to spring pattern writing frenzy! I’ve got all the quilts made up, and several of the patterns written and tested, but I’m waiting on fabric for the last two.

Have you ever made a Cathedral Window pillow or quilt?

xoxo

April

PS Stay tuned tomorrow to see the quilt I made for my other awesome friend’s birthday…she used to be a Disney princess.

In case you were operating under the illusion that all my sewing projects come out just as planned….

There I was, minding my own business, quilting some fun “googley eyes*” onto my quilt, when the screw came out of my bobbin case. Tension issues ensued. I didn’t find out until sometime later.

I will be unquilting some ~10 million stitches this evening. And looking for a screw smaller than a grain of rice. And making a huge sign that says CHECK THE BOBBIN SCREW EVERYTIME YOU CHANGE THE BOBBIN to hang right in front of my face on the wall. In case you’re curious, this is not the first time the screw has fallen out. Apparently it vibrates itself just enough to wiggle free.

No, I am not amused. Yes, I am annoyed. Wish me luck.

*Yes, I’m really calling that quilting design “googley eyes”. It’s perfect.

Registration opened this morning.

I’m totally there.

Are you?

PS Please come.

Making something with this today.

And this.

One guess what it is.

Hint:

It’s not for a baby.

I know, I know, it’s spring, and this is a Christmas table runner that I machine quilted back before Christmas.

But hey, the weather thinks it should snow today, even though it was 70 degrees yesterday, so I’m just following Mother Nature’s lead.

Plus, I’m trying to catch up and show you all the quilts I have machine quilted that I have pictures of. (Next up a stunning black, white and red quilt made by my awesome friend, Kathy).

Sue made 3 of these fun table runners for her daughters for Christmas, and lucky me, I got to do some quick machine quilting on them!

Fabric is Countdown to Christmas by Sweetwater for Moda

Pattern is my free All Boxed Up table runner pattern.