All articles by Anneliese

 

Game Changer

We’re just back from our first market in Houston! And though the 83 degrees and humidity wasn’t the most fun, I’m not sure coming home to a forecast of snow was quite what we had in mind…But because I don’t want to go outside today, let’s start sharing some of our new quilts. First up
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Cotton Cuts Featured Designer for July

Since both the Eye Candy Quilters are July babies, it’s the perfect month to have something special going on. And as luck would have it, we do: we’re Cotton Cuts’ featured designer for the month of July! Cotton Cuts is a subscription box program for quilters, learn more about it by clicking here. When you
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Carrot Breath

I have a checkered history with rabbits. Most of the time I sympathize with Elmer Fudd, especially after they turn my potted plants into a tossed salad. However, once you get to Easter, they’re adorable. They should get as much of a fanfare in spring as the reindeer get for the winter. That’s how Carrot
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Fierce Protean

It all started last year when the lovely people at Andover asked if I wanted to play with fabric from a new designer. Her name was Sarah Golden, and her first line was to be Maker Maker. It was also going to be printed completely on Andover’s cotton linen blend, their tailored cloth. I’m a
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Huddle

It’s no secret, we love to mix fabric. Big prints, little prints, batiks, yarn-dyeds, it’s all good stuff. Sometimes when you throw everything together it’s hard for each pretty fabric to show off in all its glory. That’s where Huddle comes in.  A simple flip of the fabric placement creates a borderless quilt that allows
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Protean

Word nerd alert! Why use a normal word when the $4 word will do. Sometimes we can’t help ourselves. Protean is defined as: readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable. changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba. a really cool quilt pattern that you should make right now. Our Protean actually started as
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Pearfection

Ahhh yes. Christmas is round the corner. Time for a Christmas quilt! Well, it doesn’t have to be. But mixing a couple of Cori Dantini Christmas lines with Kate Spade just made the perfect (pear-fect?) combo. Don’t you just love the quilting?! Vicki from Orchid Owl Quilts never disappoints. She’s done a couple of quilts
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Down and Dirty Quixote Sewalong: Marti Michell Templates with Richy

It’s the Down and Dirty Quixote Sewalong weekend and we’re stitching fast and furious. Yesterday, I gave tips for fabric placement for your blocks here. Now it’s time to cut. My friend Richy of Spazzy Cat Designs is a ruler and template fiend. He’s got a great post over on his blog for using the
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Down and Dirty Quixote Sewalong: Fabric Placement

Welcome to the Down and Dirty Quixote Sew Along! It’s down and dirty because we’re going to get right to it and get to stitching. We’re starting it today and stitching all weekend long. Think of it as a virtual sew-in with all your invisible quilting friends. If you don’t have your Quixote pattern already,
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Carpe Noctem

The idea for a full-sized Carpe Noctem quilt has been rattling around in my brain for the past couple of years. When I did my very first mini quilt swap, the first version of Carpe Noctem was born. I was really pleased with the overall idea, but I wanted the block to be bigger and
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Fierce Chain Pattern Corrections

On the background cutting instructions for the block, the first two lines should read: (2) 2½” squares for piece C (1) 3” square for piece B Note that the C and B labels were switched and you should cut (2) 2½” squares per block. That means you will have (18) 2½” background squares total for
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Fierce Chain

One of our favorite patterns is our Island Chain quilt. There are just so many possibilities. So when the time came to make more fierce quilts, it was one of the first on the list. Introducing Fierce Chain! We kept it simple with a two color version, but this time did a black background. Lime
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Pin Primer

While at Quilt Market a couple of weeks ago, I was determined to wear my pins with every outfit. They’re new and shiny and they make me happy. Why not wear them all? But the questions I got over and over were, “How did you find quilt ones? Where did you get them?!” For most of my
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Candied Pineapple Free Pattern

When I was little, we had a punched copper pineapple in the entryway with “Welcome” painted across the bottom. I always wondered why a pineapple? What makes it so welcoming? Well, according to my mom, and a quick google search, pineapples have been symbols of hospitality since colonial times. As one of the quirky cool
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Fierce Quilter Enamel Pin

We have pins! Glorious, shiny, rose gold pins! Like the cool kids. Now you can proclaim to the world your status as the Fierce Quilter we know you are. This adventure started, like so many other things, with me wanting to be a cool kid. The 90s are back in style, and though I’ll forego the brown
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Simply Moderne Issue No. 8

It’s been exactly one month since I came home to find some very happy mail. On Valentine’s Day, Issue No. 8 of Quilt Mania’s Simply Moderne arrived, you know the one WITH OUR QUILT IN IT! Bam! Painted Ladies is on page 68 in all of its gingerbread house glory. There are also some great close-ups
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16th and Baltimore

I have always wanted to do a Baltimore Album quilt. They are so pretty and intricate and classic works of quilt art. But the classic part was also the sticking part for me. The original Baltimore Album quilts exist in a very small period of time in a very localized place, which also means that
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Aurelia

Ahhh, Aurelia. This quilt has so many stories stitched in it, so let’s start with two. The spring of 2014 was our first spring in our first house. Our house is 80 years old, and I love it. However, that was a very wet spring, and we had a little bit of water in the
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Pacific Coast Highway

Fun story—my dad was a California surfer dude with a van in the 70’s, the kind of guy you wouldn’t want your daughter to date. He’s told me lots of things about his escapades along the Left Coast. And though I’ve never been to California, Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH for short, is my ode to his
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Fierce Pearfection

Last year, around this time, I got a magical package of goodies in the mail. The only rules were that I had to make a quilt, and it needed to be 22″ or smaller. Oh, and they needed it in about 3 weeks. I wanted to use as many of the fabrics as possible, along with
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Painted Ladies Pattern Correction

In the block assembly section of our Painted Ladies pattern, you need to make 34 complete houses, not 33.

 

Fierce Ladies

Since the original Painted Ladies quilt was inspired by the iconic neighborhood in San Francisco, the Fierce Ladies were inspired by doll houses. How sweet would it be to have a tiny version of those beautiful houses to play with?! I can do that. Our good friend Deb put together Fierce Ladies with a mixture of
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Fierce Kismet

Brenda was inspired by antique cut glass buttons when she chose the color palette for Fierce Kismet. That black background accent fabric has touches of silver. Paired with the pale grey pearlescent Cotton + Steel background, as well as all the vibrant cross-weaves, Fierce Kismet glows. Though you don’t need a ruler to put Fierce
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Fierce Weftovers Pattern Correction

In our Fierce Weftovers pattern, in the fourth paragraph on the first page of Block Assembly, the dimensions of the middle band should be: 3½” x 1½”

 

Fierce Weftovers

When I was little, I loved the color peach. I was even a peach princess for Halloween one year. So when I pulled out the Valentine’s line First Crush by Sweetwater, which is all about love, it just made sense to mix in some peachy fabrics from OneCanoeTwo’s Tucker Prairie. The perfect palette for Fierce Weftovers! I used red
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Fierce Exhibit

After our block swap with Crafthouse in Lincoln last year, we’ve had our Exhibit quilt on the brain. It only made sense that the first fierce quilt we tackled was Fierce Exhibit. It’s a good graphic pattern that doesn’t lose any of its wow factor when you smoosh the size, and that chunky sashing lets you
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The Fierce Quilts

I am at the wonderful age where all my friends are having lots of cute little babies. This also means that my Pinterest is blowing up with baby decorating ideas, tips, and sayings. One day while I snuggled my feline fur babies and scrolled through, one post in particular caught my eye: “Though she be but little, she
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Detour Worksheet

Yesterday I mentioned that you can tweak the Detour quilt ‘recipe’ to create a fun quilt out of leftovers. The first one I made using Alison Glass fabrics and leftover appliqué flowers. The center could be any size I wanted it to be, so I stuck with a finished 18″ square to give all my floral
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Detour

Detour was a design I came up with to use leftovers. No matter what quilt I make, I wind up with plenty of extra fabric and generally a couple of orphan blocks. Sometimes they go on the back, or I can make a mini quilt, or I toss them if I’m sick of looking at them.
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Painted Ladies

Ahhh, we can all relax. The Full House reboot has been approved for a second season, so we can all enjoy more time with the Tanners. Full House, the original that is, was one of my favorite shows when I was little. And I loved the opening with all the houses around San Francisco! Who
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Quixote

Considering it’s September I think we better get some of those market quilts up here, don’t you think? What better way to start than with Quixote. Isn’t it spectacular?! Brenda wanted to capture the whirring movement of windmills across the fields. The blocks are a mix of everything. A little Zen Chic, some V and
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The Smorgasblocks: Borders

Ta daaa! A smorgasblock quilt top complete with borders! And the picture taken in natural sunlight, not the icky fluorescent light of my basement. I feel kind of guilty making you wait a whole week for borders, because they are so easy. All you need to do is to stitch chunks of fabric together that
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The Smorgasblocks: Putting It All Together Part 2

Didn’t it turn out so fun?! I love seeing all the different versions everyone does through Instagram and the smorgasblocks hashtag. Keep’em coming! Grab your smorgasblocks and let’s get to it. First, take eight of your Orange You Glad orange peels and stitch them into two rows of four. Pay attention to which direction your
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The Smorgasblocks: Orange You Glad

Greetings Smorgasblockerinis! It’s the last smorgasblocks! Well, not really. We have two more weeks of smorgasblock-goodness, but this is the last week that you will make new blocks. So without further ado I present Orange You Glad! Orange You Glad is a throw quilt and appliqué tutorial by Emily Herrick of Crazy Old Ladies, click
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The Smorgasblocks: Arrow

All signs point to this being a very exciting smorgasblock, the arrow by Carla of Grace and Favour. Carla designed this to mix in with other blocks in a fun throw quilt, but since you can adjust the length. Think of using it in a row quilt. How about in a baby quilt? Or you could
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The Smorgasblocks: Garden Fence

This is going to sound weird (I feel like you guys should be used to that by now) but easy blocks feel like chips and dip, or a frappuccino, or cake to me; they’re part of the food pyramid that tastes so good but leaves you feeling a little guilty afterwards. Now, I hope you don’t
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The Smorgasblocks: Whiskers

I present this week’s smorgasblock, Whiskers. She’s a mighty big kitty. A jungle cat even. It’s paper-piecing. I know I know, we’ve done paper-piecing. In fact, this is our third paper-pieced block. Let me explain my logic; each block or set of blocks used paper-piecing in different ways. In the No Y-Seam Feathered Star, you
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The Smorgasblocks: Barn Bats

Did everyone enjoy their restful catch-up week? Or were you itching for your next pattern? Never fear, back to the blocks! This week we’re doing Elizabeth Hartman’s Barn Bats free project. Elizabeth Hartman is one of my favorite designers, check out her blog here. Most people I talk to know her for her pieced animal
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The Smorgasblocks: Putting it All Together Part 1

Hello Smorgasblockerinis! Do any of you follow American Patchwork and Quilting aka @allpeoplequilt on Instagram? I was super excited to see that Lindsay Mayland, one of their lovely editors and also a Smorgasblocker, posted a picture of her beautiful smorgasblocks-in-progress during her Instagram takeover this weekend. Yay! I think Lindsay may have persuaded some new
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The Smorgasblocks: Twizzle

How’re your Smorgasblocks coming? I saw some great curved piecing with last week’s Scandi Windmills. Your quilts are inspiring! Keep it up! This week we’ll tackle half rectangle triangles with Twizzle by Heidi Grohs of Buttons and Butterflies. Heidi makes beautiful quilts and her blog is chock full of step by step pictures of her
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Hot Air

While I live in the middle of a city surrounded by trees and buildings, Brenda lives in the country with wide open views from the top of a hill. In June, there’s a weekend when hundreds of hot air balloons drift across the sky. I love the riot of colors and their peaceful progress, so
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The Smorgasblocks: Scandi Windmills

Sunday Sunday Sunday means smorgasblocks smorgasblocks smorgasblocks. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but oh well. This week we’ll tackle curved piecing with No Hats Quilts’ Scandi Windmills pattern. I haven’t done circular piecing in 10 years and I love this block. I’m going to make more of them. They’re not scary and it’s a lot
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The Smorgasblocks: Spinning Pyramids

Is everyone enjoying their holiday weekend? I’m not an outdoorsy person (pasty people don’t do well in sunlight), so while my neighbors blow up everything in sight I stay inside and sew. But in keeping with the holiday spirit, I watch National Treasure. Because it’s historical, obviously. And in National Treasure, Nicolas Cage guides us
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The Smorgasblocks: Raspberry Kiss

This week’s block selection is easier than last week’s, but last week’s wasn’t as scary as you thought, right? However, you will be making more than one block. Cue pictures! That’s right, it’s Raspberry Kiss time! You’ve probably seen this block by Rachel McCormack of Wooden Spoon Quilts before. I know I’ve seen it in
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The Smorgasblocks: No Y Seam Feathered Star

First up on our delicious Smorgasblock menu is this beauty, the No Y Seam Feathered Star by Jessie Ziegler of Threaded Quilting. Now before you think I’ve gone completely insane and this quilt is going to be way too difficult for you, let me explain. I have never made a feathered star before but this
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The Smorgasblocks: How It Works

I get a lot of crazy ideas, I know that, but I also know that I’m pretty good at making those crazy ideas work. This is one of those crazy ideas. Modern grocery stores are great. They have everything from marshmallow-filled cereal to kiwifruit to dish soap to bacon (I have a point, I promise).
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Nobody’s Poet

We’re finally getting the chance to sort things out after our second Quilt Market. I would say that we’ve gotten a chance to slow down, except do we ever really? There are new ideas and new quilts to make! But first, lets brush up on the new pretties from this spring. First up in our
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Kismet Quilt Along: Halfsies

Half block time! The last piece of the puzzle. I promise these are easy, they just take a couple minutes to wrap your brain around, at least for me. Also, there are other ways to do your flying geese assembly than what I stated in the pattern, and none of them are wrong. Ok, there’s
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Kismet Quilt Along: Layout

“Layout? Is the quilt along over? I thought it went for four weeks? I’m so confused.” Never fear! To answer the questions that I know are flooding your brain right now, in order: yes layout, nope we’re not done yet, and yes there’s another week with tips to come. Why am I doing the layout
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Kismet Quilt Along: Hybrid Pressing

I’ve never been a rebel, most of the time I’m good with sticking to the rules. However there’s one quilting ‘rule’ that I’ve never followed, simply because that was not the way I was taught; I press my seams open. All of them. I know that’s not necessarily the norm for most of you, and this
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