Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 8: The Blog Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks (Volume 8) Blog Tour.   Each of these issues is such a wonderful resource of blocks, ranging from traditional to modern, pieced to applique. I'm so happy to be able to share my block, Ring Around the Posy, which is a little bit of both.

Although I have been quilting for nearly twenty years, I have never done much applique work, but this year I ventured into doing a little bit of machine applique, using a buttonhole stitch. It is easy and really fun.

Wouldn't this block make a great baby quilt?

Look what you can do with just five blocks. I can even imagine this block in holiday colors for a fun Christmas table runner. Changing the block orientation to being on point completely changes the look of it, doesn't it?

Or maybe you just need a new wall hanging.

I'm thrilled to offer a chance to win a copy of the latest issue so leave a comment here. I'd love to know if you have tried machine applique before, and if you have any special hints to share. I'll choose a winner on Saturday, November 16, at noon PST, so be sure I have a way to contact you. The latest issue should be hitting the newsstands some time next week.

For all the  blog tour stops and more giveaways, hop on over to Quiltmaker's Quilty Pleasures blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Fat Quarterly: The Christmas Issue

A first for me--I have a project in the newest issue of Fat Quarterly, which is available today.

Subscribers need only to log into their accounts to find the links to this issue. Otherwise you can purchase it here.

When I made the project for Modern Patchwork (which reminds me--I haven't even shown you the quilt in that magazine yet, and it's one of my favorites!), I was in a braided herringbone kind of mode. My project in Fat Quarterly is a pillow called Holiday Herringbone. It requires only one small segment of braid, and it was such fun to work with Laurie Wisbrun's latest Christmas line, Holiday Sweet Tweets.

Here is the pillow, which has the easy-to-do look of a Christmas ornament. Since the colors of this fabric line are not the classic red and green, the pillow can be easily transformed for use all through the winter months by eliminating the half square triangles that give it the ornament look.

I used an exposed zipper technique for the back. It's my favorite way to make a pillow back and the tutorial is here.

Head on over to Fat Quarterly and get your issue today!