1000 Postcards for Peace -- #2 With Thanks

I was away for half of June and desperately needed to put thread on fabric.  It just feels wrong when I don't quilt, y'know?

I grabbed a pack of bright InvisiFil threads:

I really wanted bright-yet-subtle quilting on white fabric and this package of 100-weight polyester thread fit the bill!

I threw a Deco-Bob bobbin in my Sweet Sixteen and started stitching some of my favorite quilting motifs in some of my favorite colors

After I stitched the motifs, I echoed everything with lime green thread:

When I had quilted enough fabric, I cut a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" section to make a postcard by fusing it onto stabilizer:

I satin-stitched the edge with FabuLux In The Pinks because... well... pink!

I sent this card as a much-overdue thank you note to a family member.

Cutie Quilt: Squared Away

It's no secret that I love Cutie Quilts.  I eat, sleep, and dream fat eighths and spend most of my time devising new ways to cut and piece them together to design new Cutie Patterns.

Squared Away was my first published Cutie Pattern and I've made many different versions of this quilt.

I recently finished a low-volume version:

I quilted this exclusively with ribbon candy and only quilted the brown strips.  I used wool batting so that the unquilted areas would pop up and make this quilt dimensional.

I was teaching in Utah for 10 days and managed to finish binding a few quilts in my hotel room in the evenings.

Eleven years ago, I gave my son's future brother-in-law a quilt for his wedding.  In those eleven years, two things happened:

1.  They are officially in-laws
2.  The bride and groom loved their quilt to pieces (as reported by my son)

I always tell people to use their quilts and that I'll replace them if they wear out.  So, this quilt was a replacement wedding gift to a shocked and delighted bride.

This quilt couldn't have found a more perfect home!

HQ Academy: Quilting Elevated (part one)

I was honored to teach at Handi Quilter Academy in Layton, UT in June.  I'm still recovering from all of the fun!

I was able to film a short FB Live video each day which was exciting, mostly the "when will the wi-fi drop me?" type of fun, though.  If you missed them, go to "Debby Brown Quilts" Facebook page; all of the videos are archived there.

I taught most of my classes on the Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen and my students were true champions!

My work:

Their work:

See?  I told you they were champions!

Quilt Finish: Forest Frolic

This quilt was chosen as a special quilt for Little Boy #2:

The fabric is called Forest Frolic and was designed by the amazing Heidi Boyd for Red Rooster Fabrics.

I made this quilt on my Stitch 210 machine in a hotel room in western New York:

I quilted loads and loads of ribbon candy in this quilt:

I quilted Elements swirls over the print fabrics:

I teach both ribbon candy and Elements swirls in one of my Craftsy classes (click HERE for a 50% off coupon).*

This quilt has been gifted, received, and is already loved.  It was the perfect quilt for Little Boy #2.

I already have Heidi's new fabric line, Country Days, and I can't wait to get quilting!

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*Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Debby Brown - Instructor. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires October 4, 2017.

MAIL CALL: Rocket Ship

I have been making and sending postcards to a special Little Boy.  He loves getting them in the mail.  I visited him in person and asked what postcard he wanted to receive next.  I expected him to answer "Q" or "K" or "Z."  Well, one should never think a three-year-old will answer predictably.  His answer was "A Rocket Ship."

OK, then...

I researched rocket ships and tried to find the simplest shapes that so I could easily applique them.

Once I picked the shapes, I tried to make mirror images wings but got them wrong not once, not twice, but three times before getting them right:

I added yellow windows because this card needed some color, but will three windows be too many?

I think in this case that two are enough:

I grabbed my handy-dandy Handi Quilter Stitch 210 machine for this project because it has a beautiful satin stitch:

The rocket ship is stitched with a plain cream cotton thread.  The wings are stitched with metallic silver.  Yummy!  I used my favorite FabuLux Mellow Yellows for the windows:

I stitched with FabuLux Majestic Sunrise for the edging because:
1.  Little Boy wanted flames on the rocket ship
2.  Grandma didn't want to stitch them
3.  This was close enough:

The card has been mailed, received, and loved.

I will next stitch the letters R-O-C-K-E-T-S-H-I-P before I again ask him what he wants.  I'm afraid to learn the answer!

What's the least predictable thing you've ever heard from a three-year-old?

1000 Postcards for Peace -- #1 Speak Peace

I just (re)mailed* my first postcard for peace to a dear friend.

This card was a fun one for me to make.  My sweet Sweet Sixteen named Hazel hadn't been feeling very well and she just got a check-up from Dr. Nick.  I threaded her with some 100 weight polyester InvisiFil after her check-up and she stitched like the true champion that she is!

I stitched flowers in various thread colors and then echoed around them.  Then I stitched feathers along the bottom of the piece and swirls along the top:

I trimmed it to a postcard size (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") and you can see the subtle nose and beautiful flowers where the mouth should be:

On the back, I wrote the inscription from the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima:

When the news in the world gets distressing, my fingers itch to stitch.  I'll show more postcards soon
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*When addressing a card, it is useful to include the street address and not just write

"Name"
"Town, State Zip Code"

If you do so, the post office may return that card to you with a note encouraging you to try again.

...Or so I've been told.

Quilt Finish: Karma Baby

Long, long ago* in a quilt shop far away, I bought a quilt kit.  As 2017 is "The Year of the Baby" for anyone and everyone that I know, I pulled out every baby quilt kit in my abundant stash.  

Karma Baby is now pieced, quilted, bound, and ready to greet baby Kathryn:

 

I quilted the entire quilt in white thread, quilting the border of each panel with ribbon candy:

I have many more baby quilts to make and deliver.  2017 is a great year!
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*2012

Quilt Finish: Lucky Stars

I haven't finished many quilts recently.  This is probably because there are many quilts stacked high on my binding chair waiting for me to put the final stitches into them!

I recently finished Lucky Stars, a fantastic pattern from Atkinson Designs.

When I was getting ready to quilt it, I remember asking for help picking threads:

I picked FabuLux Mellow Yellows for the stitching:

Do you like the quilting pattern?  I teach how to stitch this in one of my Craftsy classes.  Coupon for 50% off HERE.*

I can't wait to deliver this to sweet little Evelynn!

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*Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Debby Brown - Instructor. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires September 11, 2017.

1000 Cards for Peace

Ever since "Fun with Dick and Jane" I have been an avid reader.  I am proud to admit that I read every single novel in my junior high school library!  One book that has stuck with me since childhood is "Sadako and the Paper Cranes."  If you haven't read it, read it now.  I'll wait.

In post WWII in Hiroshima, Sadako attempted to make 1000 paper cranes so she would be granted her wish -- living despite a leukemia diagnosis.  This is based on a true story.  There is a statue of her in Hiroshima.  Under the statue is a plaque reading "This is our cry.  This is our prayer.  Peace on earth."

Sometimes life can be overwhelming.  Natural disasters.  Terrorism.  Illness.  Family difficulties.  Turmoil among friends.  I often want to respond in anger.  I am often not at peace.  I often don't know what to do.

When I don't know what to do, I quilt.  Yesterday was one of those days.

Recently I have been making fabric postcards for my grandson.  I enjoy making them; he enjoys receiving love in the mail every week.  My amazing friend Teri Lucas and I have decided to expand on that.

When I am tempted to respond in anger, I will make a card and send some love through the mail.  When I am overwhelmed with evil and hate in the world, I will make a card and send some love.

Teri and I will will log our journey using the hashtag #1000postcardsforpeace in honor of Sadako.  We have also started a Facebook page called "1000 Postcards for Peace."  We may never make 1000 cards or we collectively may make 10,000.  The number doesn't matter, only that we send love to others.  We encourage others to join with us in sending love into the world through fabric postcards or any way that you can whenever you are not at peace.

NEW CUTIE QUILT PATTERN: Tutti Frutti

Sometimes, being a quilt designer is quite amusing.  I named my newest pattern Tutti Frutti and repeated to myself "Tutti Frutti Cutie Pattern" as I was binding it.  I can't say that ten times fast, nor can I say it one time slow, so I basically giggled my way through the binding.

This small quilt is fun, easy, and ADORABLE:

This was made using yummy, yummy Sew Batik fabrics.

As someone who doesn't actually like batik fabrics, it surprised me to fall in love with Sew Batik fabrics.  I can't wait to use more of their fabrics!

I quilted this quilt using FabuLux Mellow Yellow thread and a DecoBob bobbin.  I used ribbon candy, ferns, and continuous curve and I taught all of those patterns in one of my Craftsy classes (click HERE to get the class for $20 off retail price).*

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* Coupon Details: Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Debby Brown - Instructor. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires September 4, 2017.

MAIL CALL: The Letter "L"

I'm making a series of fabric postcards for a special little boy.

I printed out an L in a fun font.

I traced the letter "L" on Steam a Seam 2 and fused it to a scrap of fabric.  I fused the letter to another scrap of fabric and I added some Tearaway Stabilizer behind the fabric, threaded my handy-dandy Handi Quilter Stitch 210 machine with In The Pinks FabuLux Thread in the needle and DecoBob in the bobbin.

I started stitching down the letter "L" using a blanket stitch (set at 5.0 width and 2.0 stitch length):

I tore away the stabilizer and fused some scrap backing fabric, Peltex, and my top fabric together.

Then I trimmed the card to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I set my Stitch 210 machine for zig-zag (set at 5.0 width and .4 stitch length) and stitched around the edge of the card using Neon Lime FabuLux Thread:

Another card, ready to mail!

  

I sent the card off in a clear mailing envelope and am now planning which letter to make next. 

NEW CUTIE QUILT: Due North

I'm tickled to announce a new Cutie Pattern release!

I present to you, Due North:

I used Free Spirit's Butterfly Garden fabric and it was so So SO yummy!!!

The wide strip of fabric was a perfect place to add some feathers:

I love to teach feathers and did so in one of my Craftsy classes (50% off coupon HERE).*

I think I need to re-make this quilt and am on the lookout for a fun strip or large print to use as the wide strip of fabric.  I'll let you know when I find one.
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*Get 50% off the full retail price of select Craftsy classes taught by Debby Brown - Instructor. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Expires July 20, 2017.

New Cutie Pattern -- Field of Flowers

I'm ridiculously excited to share with you my new Cutie Pattern that was shown at Quilt Market.

At long last, Field of Flowers:

I designed this quilt to use Sandra Clemons' new fabric line -- In Bloom for Michael Miller.

She's fabulously talented and you should all buy her fabric.  Especially the butterflies.

Every time I photograph this quilt, it looks like a small quilt:

But it is 64"x80."  Weird, right?  This will be the perfect bed quilt for my non-existent granddaughter Molly.  Maybe someday.  Sigh.

As usual, I had fun with the quilting on this quilt:

Can you believe I only used white thread?

The back proves it:

This is all DecoBob white thread.  Swoon!  Is it wrong to have a crush on the back of my quilt?

It took me a lot of years to be brave enough to use a contrasting thread on a solid backing, but every time I do I nearly cry with happiness.

I was looking forward to having this quilt back home with me, but alas it has to go to Belgium to be displayed at a quilt show.  I think I might need to go and visit it.  Who wants to come with me?