Hey friend.  I've been meaning to share with you all of my 

red, white, and blue quilts - together in one place.  

Hopefully, if you're wanting to make a

patriotic quilt, you'll find some inspiration here!

First up is my Star-Spangled Pineapples quilt.

This is a free pattern that Amanda Niederhauser (@jedicraftgirl) 

and I created for our Five Fat Quarter Fun series a few years ago.

HERE is a link to the free PDF pattern and

HERE is a link to the original blog post with more photos and details.

Next up are my beachy, faded Stars and Stripes quilt

and my No-Point Stars quilt.

Both of these patterns are by other quilt pattern designers.

Stars and Stripes is by Camille Roskelly of Thimbleblossoms and it's available

in her shop HERE.  The No-Point Stars pattern is a free tutorial by

Allison Harris of Cluck, Cluck, Sew.  You can find it HERE.

I don't have blog posts up yet about my versions.

I want to share more details so I'll do that soon in another, separate post.

Another red, white, and blue quilt that I made

many years ago is my Scrap Jar Stars quilt.

This is a great stash-buster project!

This pattern comes with instructions for 4 different size quilts

and is available in my Etsy shop HERE.

I've also made my United quilt in 2 different color ways.  

It has 50 really simple flag blocks (to represent the 50 states) 

plus 5 stars and a heart block!  It's a fun make and very beginner-friendly!

United finishes at 78-1/2" x 87-1/2".

You can find the pattern in my Etsy shop HERE and

HERE'S a blog post with all the details about the navy one.

And you can see the low volume one HERE.

If you're looking for a really simple star/flag quilt

check out my Glory quilt HERE.

I share a free cutting chart & tutorial for Sawtooth

Star block sizes 3" - 20" plus all the details for this quilt.

Another option is a red, white, and blue Star Patch quilt!

I've made 3 Star Patch quilts (a colorful one, a red and white one,

and this one).  It was just screaming to be made up in 

red, white, and blue don't you think!?!

And for all you scrap lovers out there, I've got a tutorial

for this Firework quilt.  I made a baby-size but it

would be really easy to make it bigger.  A coloring sheet is included.

And if you're in the mood for some simple patchwork,

I've got this red, white, and blue Rough and Tumble quilt pattern.

It comes with instructions for 5 different quilt sizes and is great for beginners!

I think it would be cute to layer any patriotic quilts

with a simple red or blue quilt (like the ones that I made for my new book,

Quilt the Rainbow).

[Sew Delightful.  Photo courtesy of Martingale.]

[Patchwork Plaid.  Photo courtesy of Martingale.]

You can find both of those patterns in Quilt the Rainbow; available HERE.

I recently finished this

Checkered Spools quilt in red, white, and blue!

This is a 2-1/2" x 42" strip-friendly pattern with 2 size options.

Click HERE for the paper pattern or HERE for the PDF.

I feel like you can never have too many red, white, and blue quilts!

Do you have a favorite of the quilts I shared today?

I hope you found some inspiration here!

Happy Summer friends!

All Stacked Up in Swell Christmas

Oh you guys, if you haven't seen Swell Christmas by Urban Chiks for Moda yet, it's a good one.  It's been in stores for a couple of months now but I was fortunate to win a fat quarter bundle because my friend, Shannon White (@itssewshannon on Instagram) tagged me during a giveaway!  Imagine my surprise when Moda asked for my shipping info!

I've always been a fan of Urban Chiks fabric lines so needless to say I was thrilled when I won!  

It kind of has a vintage-modern vibe don't you think?

I knew I wanted a pattern that showcased these cute, whimsical prints so I chose my FREE 5 Fat Quarter Fun pattern called All Stacked Up.  Although, I used more than just 5 fat quarters because I wanted to use all these beautiful prints!  Click HERE for the link to this free pattern.

I enlarged the pattern by adding on 3 more rows of blocks to the length and 

1 more row of blocks to the side (plus the sashing).  

Now it finishes at approximately 75" x 87" - the perfect size for snuggling with!

The hard part was deciding on which dot to use for the background and what color fabric to use for the sashing!  I ended up using one of my favorite background fabrics.  I bought a small bolt of it a while back so I had a bunch of it on hand!  It's from the line Hello Bear by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery Fabrics.

Now the sashing, that was a different story.  First, I chose this solid red fabric.  It was an easy match.  But then I started doubting my choice.  I'm not a big fan of red these days and I felt it was a bit stark so I went on the search for something else.

Then I fell in love with this green check from my stash.  It was a close enough match to the greens in Swell Christmas but I didn't have enough and couldn't find anymore online.  

 I finally ended up choosing this pink, again, by Bonnie Christine 

for Art Gallery Fabrics (guess I'm a big fan!)

  

I have to say, that I'm a little sad I decided to go with pink though.  I feel like it's not as Christmasy as the red or the green.  My ideal color would've been green but it was just too hard finding a green that didn't blend or clash with the other greens and I wanted to stay away from red if I could.  But in hindsight, I feel like if I would've found a red that had a print on it and wasn't so stark, I probably would've liked it more.  I think pink would be my last option.  But, I'm trying to tell myself that a lot of people would probably love the pink!  It's not wrong.  It's just not me.  I'm trying to embrace it and not be disappointed... (can you tell that I kind of am, LOL?)

The quilting was done by Cathy Barney in Alpine, Utah.  I think she was happy when I chose the design, Holly Berry, because I tend to choose the same 2 or 3 geometric designs all the time!  I like how it turned out.  I mean, look at that texture!

I was sure to use minky on the back so it could be nice and cozy this Christmas.  And I used one of the plaid prints for the binding.  It is printed so it looks like it was cut on the bias!

Overall though, I'm thankful to have won these beautiful fabrics.  It was a fun make and I can't wait to use it here in a couple of months.  Bring on the snow!

Thanks for stopping by!

Five Fat Quarter Fun Contest Winners!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for! 

 November 1st is here and that means that we are announcing the winner of the Five Fat Quarter Fun Contest!!!! 

 First off Amanda and I want to thank you for all the love and support this last year! It has been such a fun journey to connect with all of you, to sew patterns together and to support each other. What an amazing quilt community we have. AND we would also like to thank everyone who participated in our Five Fat Quarter Fun Contest. We were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the creativity, talent, and skill of all the entries. Truly, we wish we could send everyone a prize because we love them ALL!!!! A special thanks to Andy from A Bright Corner for being our 3rd contest judge. And we would also like to thank all our fabulous sponsors for the fabulous prizes!!! 

 And now, a drum roll please...........

ANNOUNCING THE 3RD PLACE WINNER....... 

 Caffeinated_in_the_studio - Paper Pieced Turtle Quilt 

 "Paper pieced turtle heads and tails with drunkards path bodies. 

Finished at 46x57, FQ’s are from the la vie boheme line by Riley Blake, a bit of kona espresso for heads and tails."

3rd Place Prize Package 

 2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs 

1 Small Spool Collection from Aurifil 

 Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson 

 1 It’s Sew Emma Book and a $15 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop 

Notions from Therm O Web 

 I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda) 

 Scissors from Warm Crochet   

Product by Soak

ANNOUNCING THE 2ND PLACE WINNER..... 

 Melanie Collette from Hello Melly Designs and her Daisy Lane Quilt    

2nd Place Prize Package 

 2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs 

1 Small Spool Collection from Aurifil 

 Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson 

 2 It’s Sew Emma Books and a $25 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop Notions from Therm O Web 

 I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda) 

 Scissors from Warm Crochet   

Product by Soak

ANNOUNCING THE 1ST PLACE WINNER..... Suzanne Jackman from Splendidspeck and her Parachutes quilt

Grand Prize Package 

 Long-Arm Quilting on a 65″ x 75″ Quilt or smaller (.015 cents/sq. inch), Batting and Return Shipping from Kaylene Parry 

 2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs 

1 Large Spool Collection from Aurifil 

 1/2 Yard Bundle of Haven Collection by Stacy Peterson for Blend 

 Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson 

 Biscuits and Gravy Layer Cake and Cake Mix Recipe Cards from Moda 

Moda Fat Eighth Bundle 

 Scraps Made Simple Book and Sew Cute Bookmarks by Lori Holt 

(donated by Moda)

$25 Gift Card to Brew Stitched Etsy Shop 

 Maker Valley Enamel Pins (2), Tote Bag and Pattern 

 3 It’s Sew Emma Books and a $50 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop 

 I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda) 

 Scissors from Warm Crochet 

 Notions from Therm O Web   

Product by Soak

Can you believe those prizes!?!  We're so excited for our 3 winners!  But there were soo many great entries.  It was so hard to choose!

 Here is a little sampling of some of the amazing quilts that were entered in the contest. Be sure to search #fatquarterfuncontest on Instagram to see all the entries and maybe find some new friends!!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our contest and to those that made some of our free Fat Quarter Fun patterns this past year!  We hope all of you will keep on creating and challenging yourself as quilters!  

Happy quilting!

~ Amber

Brew Stitched Quilt Shop

Happy Hump Day Friends!

I just wanted to pop in for a minute and let you know about a little collaboration I've been working on!  Sheryl at Brew Stitched Etsy Shop asked Amanda (Jedi Craft Girl) and I if we could each curate a few fat quarter bundles to go along with some of the Five Fat Quarter Fun patterns!  She has also put together some quilt kits for some of our patterns!  Sheryl has so many cute fabrics in her shop that it was hard for me to decide which fabrics to use!

Sheryl really wanted a bundle to go along with the May Flowers pattern (see original post HERE) so I chose these beautiful Woodland Fusion fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics.  I am especially loving this floral fabric on top!

Sheryl also wanted a bundle to go along with Cabin Fever (see original post HERE).  I couldn't resist these little woodland creatures.  They are so cute.  This line is called Little Ones from 3 Wishes.

Isn't it perfect for Cabin Fever?

 You can find these fat quarter bundles HERE for $12 or less!  

Plus Sheryl has several more bundles to go along with Cabin Fever, May Flowers, Rustic Pines, All Stacked Up, Garden Path, Fresh Eggs and Star Spangled Pineapples.  Stop by her shop today to get yourself a bundle ~ where the fabric guesswork has already been done for you!

Have a great day!

~ Amber

Five Fat Quarter Fun - Little Spooks

Happy Friday friends!  

Can you believe it's September 1st?!?

That means it's time for another Five Fat Quarter Fun pattern!

Raise your hand if you're getting in the mood for Fall!  I know I sure am!  Summers are hot here in Utah and I am looking forward to some cooler weather, sweaters and boots, and all the pumpkin things!  Yay!  

This fun little quilt is called Little Spooks and I had all the "Fall feels" when I was making it.  I pulled out a cute little beetle print that I had in my stash and bought a couple of rust colored woven prints that make it feel so soft and cozy! 

This is a small quilt with no borders (yay!)  

It does call for sashing but I just wanted a table topper so I left off the sashing so it wouldn't be too big for my table.

Here's Amanda's version with the sashing:

Isn't it soooo cute!?

Be sure to stop by her blog, Jedi Craft Girl to see more pictures and 

get the free pattern!

Don't judge, but I pulled out some of my fall decorations the other day.  

Is that too early for you?  It was still August when I did it, LOL!  It's just that I still had my Fourth of July stuff up and I was too lazy to put up other decorations for one month until October 1st rolled around.  Plus, what do you even display in September???

Okay, do you recognize this quilting pattern?  I use it all the time!  It's called Interlocking Orange Peel.  I just feel like it's a good basic.  It's almost like a stipple, to me!  And I'm so lucky to have a long-arm quilter a few houses down from me.  Her name is Cathy Barney and she is soooo good to me.  She does a great job and has a quick turn around!

This is a fun little pattern.  One you could whip up in a day or two, if time permits.  And it would be great in any color scheme, showcasing some of those theme prints you have laying around that you don't know what to do with!

I really enjoyed making these blocks and think they would make a really stunning full size quilt!

Well, if you haven't heard, this is the last pattern that Amanda and I are posting for this Five Fat Quarter Fun series.  We've really enjoyed coming up with quick, easy patterns that use just FIVE fat quarters (plus maybe a little yardage to finish it off).  Be sure to stop by the Five Fat Quarter Fun Home Page for all the details about how this idea came to be and to check out all 10 of the free patterns!  

Tell me though, have you made any of these Five Fat Quarter Fun patterns?  Have any of you tried to make all of the 5FQF patterns? Well, either way - you need to check out my blog post HERE.  Amanda and I are hosting a 5FQF contest that started a few days ago and ends October 25th.  We have TONS of great prizes and will be picking 3 winners.  It's a great opportunity to stretch yourself creatively so we hope you'll accept the challenge and get making!!!  The post has all the details so go check it out!

Have a great day!

~ Amber

Five Fat Quarter Fun Contest!

Several months ago Amanda (from the blog Jedi Craft Girl) and I met up at a quilt shop in St. George, UT.  Amanda had a great idea that we should make quilts that use just 5 fat quarters.  She took the lead and designed a darling table topper called Fresh Eggs (free pattern HERE).  I kind of felt like a slacker since she did all the hard work so I offered to design one for the following month.  We enjoyed the concept so much that we decided to do a pattern a month for a whole year!  It kept us hopping and was a great way for us to get to know each other better.  Thank goodness for texting, as she lives in California and I live in Utah.

Well, the year is coming to an end and together we designed 8 patterns (plus one more coming September 1st and one designed by our friend Andy Knowlton).  So that's 10 patterns that we have available HERE for FREE!  Annnnd, we have something special planned for the last two months.  

It's a Five Fat Quarter Fun contest!!!  

And we have so many awesome prizes, it'll blow your socks off!

  Here's what you need to know:

Five Fat Quarter Fun Contest

Starts: August 25th

Ends: October 25th

Winners will be announced November 1st.

There will be 3 winners chosen!

To Enter:

Make a quilt or quilt top using just 5 fat quarters and up to 2 other fabrics that can be used for backgrounds, sashing, corner stones or borders.

Quilt must be at least 34" x 34" or bigger.

Must be made within the contest start and end dates.

Post photo(s) on Instagram using the hashtag #fivefatquarterfuncontest.

Tag us at @jedicraftgirl and @gigis_thimble.

Contest is open to everyone.
*Does NOT have to be quilted and bound to be entered. 

*Does not have to be your own design (but this might earn you bonus points!)

Prizes: 

Grand Prize Package

Long-Arm Quilting on a 65" x 75" Quilt or smaller (.015 cents/sq. inch), Batting and Return Shipping from Kaylene Parry

2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs

1 Large Spool Collection from Aurifil

1/2 Yard Bundle of Haven Collection by Stacy Peterson for Blend

Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson

Biscuits and Gravy Layer Cake and Cake Mix Recipe Cards from Moda

Moda Fat Eighth Bundle

Scraps Made Simple Book and Sew Cute Bookmarks by Lori Holt

$25 Gift Card to Brew Stitched Etsy Shop

Maker Valley Enamel Pins (2), Tote Bag and Pattern

3 It's Sew Emma Books and $50 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop

I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda Niederhauser)

Scissors from Warm Crochet

Notions from Therm O Web

Product by Soak

2nd Place Prize Package

2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs

1 Small Spool Collection from Aurifil

Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson

2 It's Sew Emma Books and $25 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop

Notions from Therm O Web

I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda Niederhauser)

Scissors from Warm Crochet

Product by Soak

3rd Place Prize Package

2 Rolie Polies from Riley Blake Designs

1 Small Spool Collection from Aurifil

Vintage Vibe Book by Amber Johnson

1 It's Sew Emma Book and $15 Gift Card to the Fat Quarter Shop

Notions from Therm O Web

I Love House Blocks Book from Martingale (donated by Amanda Niederhauser)

Scissors from Warm Crochet

Product by Soak

Judging:

Winners will be chosen based off of photos in the hashtag #fivefatquarterfuncontest pool.  There will be 3 judges: myself, Amanda Niederhauser and Andy Knowlton.

 You can make any pattern out there (as long as it uses just 5 fat quarters and up to 2 background fabrics) OR you can test your creativity and design your own 5FQF pattern!  Be sure to tag us on Instagram (@jedicraftgirl and @gigis_thimble) and use the hashtag #fivefatquarterfuncontest to enter!  We can't wait to see where your creativity takes you!  Good luck!

~ Amber