Color Blocks -- Hugs and Kisses Machine Quilting

 When I machine quilted January's Color Block Quilt Hugs and Kisses, I knew I needed to quilt it with hugs and kisses!  XOXOXOXO

I stitched continuous lines of Os (loops) and Xs (only four crosses of a snowflake) throughout the quilt.  I used the seam lines to contain my quilting so that I didn't have to mark my quilt at all!

Go to Color Blocks vol. 5 and watch the machine quilting tutorial about how I quilted Xs and Os.

ABC Alignable. Block. Collectible. Stencil Home Machine Quilting -- Primitive Gatherings Tilda Throw

I subscribe to the Primitive Gatherings Subscription Box. In October 2024, I received two packs of Tilda Creating Memories Charm Squares and a pattern for a throw.

I decided to quilt this using my ABC Graphic Circle stencil. This one small stencil made a great overall pattern!!!

Watch how I used this one stencil to quilt my entire quilt:

_____ Creating Memories charm squares from Tilda ABC Graphic Circles Stencil Batt Scooters

Found in My Sewing Room

 I'm continuing to work on cleaning out my sewing room.  I emptied a drawer that had a scrap project in it.

This was from years and Years and YEARS ago.  These fabrics were leftover from a baby quilt I made.

This quilt has been set aside for many years for my daughter for when she becomes a parent.  At this time, the quilt is slated to be transferred to her in June!

Anyway, I made one block with the scraps to make another baby quilt.  The pattern called for all half-square triangles.  I think that is the theme of my year as every quilt I touch is full of HSTs.  My current quilt requires 1,000 of them!

I don't love this quilt so the one finished block went into my orphan block basket, the fabrics went into my scrap bin, and the finished HSTs became pinwheels for my orphan block basket.

That emptied drawer is now filled with fabrics for the upcoming Unity Quilt Along at Primitive Gatherings.

Squared Away Cutie Quilt -- Machine Quilting on a Home Sewing Machine

Squared Away is the very first Cutie Pattern I designed!

This quilt is quick and easy to piece using 16 fat eighths and very fun to quilt.  I used Figo Treehouse fabrics and these woodland fabrics were just what the baby's momma wanted!

I stitched only the background and used wool batting.  The contrast between quilted and unquilted and the loft of the batting make the quilting POP!

These Treehouse fabrics are a delight and I can't wait to use them to make more quilts!

Watch how I stitched this quilt:

_____

Squared Away Cutie Quilt Pattern Treehouse Cutie Pack (16 fat eighths) Batt Scooters

Blanket Fort Quilt Along -- Mystery Solved

Four clues over three hours yielded some beautiful quilts!  Here's one of mine:

I used Orleans fabric by Jan Shore.

Students are starting to send in their photos and every quilt looks so different and beautiful!

If you'd like to get the pattern for this fun quilt, click HERE.

Now that everyone has a new quilt top, the question is "How are you going to quilt it?"

Well.... I have an idea.  Next Saturday, January 11, 2025, I'm launching 21 Days from Quilt Top to Quilted.  It's free to sign up now, but it won't be free forever.

In 21 daily installments, I will cover topics like Preparing Your Quilt Top, Selecting Your Threads, Free-Motion Quilting on a Home Machine, and Walking Foot Quilting.  If you are a longarm quilter, follow the free-motion quilting suggestions.

I hope to see you and your Blanket Fort quilt in my next class!

Ongoing Resolution

 It's not exactly new, but I'm continuing to clean out my sewing room.  I am sorting through my baskets and boxes and buckets of quilting "stuff" and deciding what to do with each one.

If it's worth finishing, I set it aside to finish.... someday.

If it's not worth finishing, I have to decide what to do with it.

These scraps were leftovers from a Gudrun Erla quilt project from 2020 or so.  I'm not sure why I set them aside or what I had planned for them.

I cut my scraps into 1 1/2" strips and 5" squares.  I regularly use 1 1/2" strips in Cutie Patterns like Freeze Frame, Big Cheese, Sweet Tooth, and Picnic Patch.  I'm saving 5" squares for the upcoming Primitive Gatherings Unity Quilt Along.

My sewing room is 1 bag of fabric lighter now.

Color Blocks -- Hugs and Kisses

January's Color Block quilt is Hugs and Kisses.

2025 will be a year of baby quilts; this small, simple quilt is quick to piece, quilt, and give away!

I pulled out some gray and blue Color Blocks from my stack and had this quilt pieced in no time!

Grab a few of your Color Blocks (or make some new ones), download the pattern, and stitch this sweet baby quilt.

Blanket Fort: Free One-Day Mystery Quilt Along Jan 4, 2025

 Are you up for a fun, free, one-day mystery quilt along?  Then sign up for Blanket Fort!

Materials needed

Fabric 1    1 yard
Fabric 2    1 yard
Fabric 3    1/2 yard
Fabric 4    3/4 yard
Fabric 5    1 yard

Binding 5/8 yard
Backing    64"x64" (3 3/4 yards)

Choosing Your Fabrics

I plan to make two quilts and have arranged my two selections of fabric.

This first selection has a striped fabric in it.  If you choose a stripe for fabric one or two, be sure to watch my live videos before you start stitching.  I'll address how to piece some of the steps to make sure your stripes are in the direction you want them to be!

This second range of fabric uses a novelty print.  If you want to use a focus fabric, Fabric 5 will show it off best.

How to participate

Sign up HERE now!

On Saturday, Jan 4 at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm NY time, Watch my live videos on Facebook or YouTube then download the next step from the Blanket Fort class.

Sew along at your own pace and enjoy your finished quilt top

What to do next

Sign up for my 21 Days from Quilt Top to Quilted class.  This class will start on Saturday, January 11, 2025.

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter to make sure you know about the latest machine quilting resources from Debby Brown Quilts!