Oh Hey, April

Well, well, well. Life really has a way of keeping us on our toes... thank heavens for creative outlets. Just wanted to check in and let you know I've just added a new $5 pattern for April - Cathedral.

Cathedral is made using my newest fabric collection - Bloomington for Moda Fabrics. It's arriving in shops this month! With the current COVID-19 situation, it's more important than ever to support our local + online shops. (Did I mention 'fabric therapy?')

The Cathedral quilt pattern has a look reminiscent of a fancy black and white tile pattern. There is a solid component to it (I used Moda Bella Solid in "Lead"), a diamond accent (I used the skinny bias stripe from the collection), and then alternating blocks made with either 5 half-yard cuts or 10 fat quarters. Your choice will depend on how scrappy and colorful you'd like yours to be. I made both versions. The charcoal version below uses 5 half-yards (5 assorted charcoal prints from the collection). My home has a farmhouse sort of feel, so this fits right in with the overall charcoal theme!

Quilt: Cathedral by Lella Boutique
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilting by: Natalia Bonner

Below is a full mock up of the colorful version using 10 fat quarters. I kept the solid/diamond accents the same in both quilts. As you can see, each fat quarter print yields enough to be used twice. The charcoal gives high contrast to the design, but you can pick any color you'd like!

So that's the new $5 pattern. I also wanted to remind you that it's not too late to join in Moda Blockheads 3 if you'd like a fun free sew along to participate in. Today is block no. 12 "Hampshire Star" by Janet Clare. You can find the free pattern on her blog here.

Above all, stay safe out there, friends!

Block 9 - Taos

Happy Wednesday! I've had a great time sewing along for Moda Blockheads 3 so far, and am happy it's my turn to share a block. If you're new to my blog--welcome!

Meet block no. 9 "Taos." This block was inspired by countless trips to New Mexico since I was a little--and most particularly, my favorite stop at the Taos Pueblo. This design reminds me of a motif you might see on native artwork like rugs, jewelry, pottery, etc. 

The fabrics I've picked make it look a bit like a spunky little sunflower! The buttery yellows are from my Farmer's Daughter collection; the skinny  bias stripe in charcoal is from my upcoming Bloomington collection (shipping in April). I think you'll agree it's a versatile block.

DOWNLOAD BLOCK NO. 9 "TAOS" HERE. 

The instructions Moda wrote for me are pretty straightforward and easy to follow. I deviated a bit in how I constructed the block... In a nutshell, I made my HSTs (half squares triangles) using a different method; I also tweaked the center unit construction for fewer seams. Of course, you should do whatever makes the most sense for you.

If you're interested, here's the rundown of how I made mine--and how to calculate the math for whichever block size you're making if you'd like to follow suit. I made the 6" finished version, so I will use that as the example.

1.     Cut "A" and "B" squares as instructed.

2.     For "C" and "D" cutting, add 1/8" to the square measurement listed. (For my 6" finished block, I cut (4) "C" and (4) "D" squares 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" each.) Do not cut them in half diagonally.

3.     Instead, mark a diagonal line on the back of (4) "C" squares. Bring (1) marked "C" square right sides together with (1) "D" square, aligning raw edges. Sew 1/4" away from the marked line on both sides, cut along the marked  line, and press the resulting HSTs toward the darker print.

4.     Trim each HST to match your "A" and "B" squares. For me, that meant trimming my HSTs to 2" squares. (Each was approx. 2 1/8" x 2 1/8" prior to trimming.)

5.     Cut "E" squares as instructed.

6.     Cut only (4) "F" squares...

7.     ...and replace the remaining "F" squares with [what I'm calling] (2) "G" squares--each cut the same size as the "A" and "B" squares.

8.     In lieu of "Step #3" on the pattern download piecing instructions: Arrange and sew the "E/F" squares into (2) four-patch units. Next, sew the (2) "E/F" units together with the (2) "G" squares to form another four-patch as shown below. Sew the units into rows; press. Sew the rows together; press.

9.     From there, final block assembly is the same.

Hope you enjoy making this block as much as I did! If you missed it, I shared my final quilt top layout plans in a blog post here and even made a test block seen below. Stay tuned for a future blog post including the full instructions on duplicating my "Mama's Linoleum" layout.

 

If you'd like to stay up-to-date on all of my creations, there are a couple ways to do it. One is to subscribe by email to this blog--which you can do by scrolling up to the top and entering your email in the box directly below my picture. The other is to follow me on Instagram @lellaboutique where I post the most.

Hop to It

I'm a week late but wanted to announce the new $5 pattern for March: Cottontail. 

Natalia Bonner is the genius behind the custom quilting on this one. (Just look at all that yummy, swirly texture!) Cottontail is made using traditional piecing methods and can be made with a combination of fat quarters and fat eighths. 

Here is a mock-up with a background of Grunge in "Grey Couture." Fun to see those pastels pop against the dramatic background.

If you don't want to make a full quilt, there is a single-block version of the pattern available (also on sale) with includes instructions to finish it as a pillow or wall hanging. 

If you're sewing along with Moda Blockheads 3, stay tuned tomorrow for a brand new block here.

Projects in Bloom

Ooh la la! Bloomington fabric is shipping to shops soon (April) and I just realized I never got around to doing my usual blog post introducing the coordinating patterns. Time to get up close and personal with all the new projects featuring this sweet upcoming collection from Moda Fabrics.

CATHEDRAL

So... I have a thing for black and white tile floors and it's made its way into my quilting. There are two versions of this design--all charcoals and a more colorful scrappy version. Both use a solid charcoal color as the alternating blocks (Moda Bella Solid #9900 283 "Lead") and the skinny bias stripe print for the little diamond accents.

Quilting for both of the Cathedral quilts is by Natalia Bonner on these. Her brain for custom quilting is unreal. More of the charcoal bias stripe for the binding.

HUBBA HUBBA

I was really on a tile kick--this one is fashioned after Moroccan tile pattern. Make it with (1) Layer Cake (42 squares 10" x 10") plus whatever accent colors you'd like to frame the block and alternate in between. Quilting by Marion Bott.

MODERN HERRINGBONE

Who doesn't love a scrappy herringbone quilt? Here's my take on the traditional pattern, made with (1) Honeybun (42 strips cut 1.5" x WOF) + fat quarters for the larger parallelogram blocks. This one was pieced and quilted by Kaitlyn Howell. The teal background (a print within the collection) gives it such a spunky vibe! 

Because Modern Herringbone is made of parallelogram shapes (a template is included to help you cut them), it requires the very piecing technique you would use for piecing triangles or diamonds. Trust me, it's much easier (and more fun) than it might sound. In fact, I've created a little video w/ a few pointers on my Instagram @lellaboutique under the "Modern Herringbone" story highlight. 

Here's another one using a more traditional light background (BasicGrey's Grunge in Vanilla). I pieced it and this yummy swirly quilting is by Juri and Ciera.

HEARTTHROB

I couldn't resist making one of the Heartthrob quilts from the new Jelly Filled book in Bloomington fabric. Sherri McConnell pieced this one for me (have I mentioned how I lucked out in the friend department??) and Marion Bott quilted it.  

KISS & MAKEUP (HANGING TRAVEL BAG)

This time around, Moda gave me a few coated prints in the Bloomington collection. Coated prints are cotton prints coated with a laminate layer. This means they are easy to clean, more durable than quilting cottons, and perfect for bags. I came up with this fun little hanging travel bag pattern. The Kiss & Makeup pattern is available in the shop, here's a little peek...

 

I will create a separate blog post soon to talk about tips + tricks for working with my coated prints, as well as some general advice about constructing this bag. Of course, you can use anything you'd like to make this bag--regular cotton prints, canvas, etc. This 12-page pattern includes detailed instructions with photograph step outs to help you along every step of the way. I hope you love it as much as I do.

And that's all for now. Bloomington fabric will be here before you know it. Stay tuned in the coming months for brand new fabric and a whole new batch of patterns!

Open Heart

Hello, lovers! In case you didn't already know, February is almost over...whoops! Just a reminder that there are a few days to get the Open Heart quilt pattern for just $5 in my shop. 

This remains one of my most popular patterns to date. The original quilt was made in my Olive's Flower Market collection from a few years back. It's now out of print (and nearly impossible to find) but you can achieve a similar look using my upcoming collection Bloomington (shipping to shops in April). Check out this mockup in Bloomington--what do you think?

 

It can be made with fat eighths or fat quarters (sorry, not Jelly Roll friendly--I get asked this a lot). Here's another original made with Olive's Flower Market against a Moda Crossweave (black) background. Just a word about crossweave--I would recommend you buy extra yardage and prewash. It shrinks up a lot more than quilting cotton and will have a warped look if you don't. (Ask me how I know.)

 

But that's not all! There is a second pattern on sale in February! You can also get the Mini Open Heart Pin Cushion on sale for $5 in February. This prototype was made up in 1 mini charm pack of Garden Variety fabric. (A mini charm pack will actually make 3 pin cushions!)

Stay tuned for March's $5 pattern of the month!

Moda Blockheads 3 {The Layout}

Who's ready for Moda Blockheads 3?! The fun begins this Wednesday 1/15/20.

If you're new to Moda Blockheads: this is a popular (free) block-of-the-week sampler sew along put together by a bunch of us Moda designers. 56 weeks = 56 blocks, and this year you get to choose the size of each block you make. That's right. The block of the week will include instructions to finish at 4", 6", 8", or 12". Pretty cool!

But how will you decide what to make? Good question. We Moda designers are already headed off in different directions. We're sharing our quilt top layouts ahead of time to give you as many ideas as possible. I'm keeping my layout somewhat simple with what I'm calling "Mama's Linoleum Layout." In the mockups, you'll notice numbered squares (they represent sampler blocks, yet to be revealed). These examples show 6" and 12" sampler blocks plugged in, but what's important to note is they fill a 12" finished area either way. This means you could come up with other combinations using the 4" and/or 8" sampler blocks to fill the 12" sections in whatever way you'd like. The purpose of this post is simply to provide a layout idea to plug your sampler blocks into.

MAMA'S LINEOLUM no. 1 

This layout example uses (36) 6" sampler blocks plugged in. 

Finished block: 24" x 24"

Finished quilt: 72" x 72"

MATERIALS:

• (36) 6" finished sampler blocks -OR- a combination of sampler blocks so you have 9 units finishing at 12" x 12" (a fat quarter bundle is a good start no matter what size of blocks you settle on)
• 3.5 yards charcoal fabric 
• 2.5 yards white fabric 

CUTTING:

*WOF means Width of Fabric, I'm assuming 40" WOF in my calculations. 

1. From the charcoal fabric, cut and label the following:

• (6) strips 6.5" x WOF. Subcut (36) "A" squares 6.5" x 6.5" (6 per strip).
• (8) strips 7" x WOF. Subcut (36) "B" squares 7" x 7" (5 per strip). 
• (7) strips 3.5" x WOF. Subcut (72) "C" squares 3.5" x 3.5" (11 per strip). 

2. From the white fabric, cut and label the following:

• (8) strips 7" x WOF. Subcut (36) "D" squares 7" x 7" (5 per strip). 
• (7) strips 3.5" x WOF. Subcut (72) "E" squares 3.5" x 3.5" (11 per strip). 

MAMA'S LINEOLUM no. 2

This layout reverses the placement of the charcoal/white and uses only (9) 12" sampler blocks. This could be a great compromise for someone who wishes to participate in MB3 (but may not be able to afford the weekly time commitment). 

Finished block: 24" x 24"

Finished quilt: 72" x 72"

MATERIALS (WHITE VERSION):

• (9) 12" finished sampler blocks -OR- a combination of sampler blocks so you have 9 units finishing at 12" x 12" (a fat quarter bundle is a good start no matter what block sizes you settle on)
• 2.5 yards charcoal fabric 
• 3.5 yards white fabric 

CUTTING:

*WOF means Width of Fabric, I'm assuming 40" WOF in my calculations.  

1. From the charcoal fabric, cut and label the following:

• (8) strips 7" x WOF. Subcut (36) "B" squares 7" x 7" (5 per strip). 
• (7) strips 3.5" x WOF. Subcut (72) "C" squares 3.5" x 3.5" (11 per strip). 

2. From the white fabric, cut and label the following:

• (6) strips 6.5" x WOF. Subcut (36) "A" squares 6.5" x 6.5" (6 per strip).
• (8) strips 7" x WOF. Subcut (36) "D" squares 7" x 7" (5 per strip). 
• (7) strips 3.5" x WOF. Subcut (72) "E" squares 3.5" x 3.5" (11 per strip). 

These are just a couple ideas, I hope that helps you get a good start! I'll share more layout piecing instructions soon here (you can also subscribe to my posts on Instagram @lellaboutique where I post the majority of information). Also make sure you're a member of the Moda Blockheads Facebook group so you can get easy access to the blog links each week.

I'll be adding an archive of the block links here as we go along. Then, when it's all done--I'll do a wrap up post with my finished quilt and a master link to all the blocks.

BLOCK 1: Star Chain by Corey Yoder

BLOCK 2: Sunshine Star by Sherri McConnell

BLOCK 3: Crown and Star by Betsy Chutchian

BLOCK 4: Birdhouse by Jan Patek

BLOCK 5: LOVE by Brigitte Heitland

BLOCK 6: Magic by Lisa Bongean

BLOCK 7: Zest by Lissa Alexander 

BLOCK 8: 9-Patch by Laurie Simpson

BLOCK 9: Taos by Vanessa Goertzen 

BLOCK 10: Windmills by Stacy Iest Hsu

BLOCK 11: Blooming Love by Robin Pickens

Modern Herringbone

Quilt: Modern Herringone
Fabric: Bloomington by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced and quilted by: Kaitlyn Howell

Happy New Year! Kicking off January with a new $5 Pattern of the Month, of course!

In January, snag a copy of my Modern Herringbone quilt pattern for only $5 as a PDF or printed booklet. Both of these quilts are made with my Bloomington fabric collection shipping in April.

Quilt: Modern Herringone
Fabric: Bloomington by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Pieced by: Vanessa Goertzen
Quilted by: JC Quilting

Icebox {December's $5 Pattern}

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas over at my house! This year I actually planned ahead and finished all of my Christmas shopping so I can enjoy the season and sew Christmas projects to my heart's content. It does not matter that they won't be ready in time for the holiday--there's just something so special about working on Christmas projects that gets me in the holiday mood. I'm about halfway through making Icebox right now.

 

Icebox is made with 18 fat quarters and is quite a large block (22" finished) perfect for any skill level. The pattern is available in paper or PDF and is on sale in December as the $5 Pattern of the Month. 

 

It's made from my Little Tree collection that shipped to shops in May. I'll be finishing up my Icebox quilt top soon and have at least 3 more projects planned using Little Tree fabric. How many Christmas quilts is too many? Asking for a friend. ;)

Jelly Filled Parade {Chapter 6}

It's the final day of the Jelly Filled Quilt Parade! Thanks for celebrating my book, Jelly Filled - 18 Quilts from 2½" Strips with me. I've invited a few of my favorite designers to play along and show us quilts from the book with their own spin. They will each also be giving away a copy of the Jelly Filled book, so be sure to stop by their websites to enter! Get ready for inspiration galore!

Today the focus is on Chapter 6: "Advanced Techniques." I wanted to introduce some intermediate techniques for beginners (or anyone who'd like to expand their quilting skills). Here's a taste of piecing triangles and curves!

Quilt no. 17 is "Queen of Diamonds." Fabric is Wonderland by Rifle Paper Co. for Cotton + Steel. (I used fat quarters in place of precut strips.)

- - - > The guest designer guest for Queen of Diamonds is Chelsi Stratton! Check out her scrappy version of Queen of Diamonds on her blog here, and her instagram @chelsistratton.

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Quilt no. 18 is "Hey Cupcake." Fabric is Ombre Confetti Metallic by V & Co. for Moda Fabrics.

- - - > The guest designer for this quilt is Kaitlyn Howell at Knot and Thread Designs. You can check out her version on her blog, on Instagram @knotandthread, and on Facebook here. She has included some really great tips using the Creative Grids Circle Savvy Ruler to make this quilt, including a video!

Jelly Filled Parade {Chapter 5}

Welcome to Day 5 of the Jelly Filled Quilt Parade! Every day this week, I'm sharing a little about my book, Jelly Filled - 18 Quilts from 2½" Strips chapter by chapter. I've invited a few of my favorite designers to add their own spin to designs from my book. They're also giving away a copy of the Jelly Filled book, so be sure to stop by their websites to enter! 

Today the focus is on Chapter 5: "Log Cabins." This is my favorite chapter! When I was first learning to quilt, my mom introduced me to Log Cabin blocks. The idea, she told me, was to build a block by sewing strips around a square. I really connected with this straightforward idea of construction.

Quilt no. 13 is "Parfait." My mockup uses a mix of Little Miss Sunshine, Sugar Pie, and Farmer's Daughter by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics. This is a great scrap quilt!

- - - > The guest designer for this quilt is Michelle White! You can check out her version on Instagram @michelle.made.this. Here's a peek of hers made in Zip! fabric by Rashida Coleman Hale for Ruby Star Society.

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Quilt no. 14 is "Potluck." Fabric is Feed Sacks in True Blue by Linzee McCray for Moda Fabrics.

- - - > The guest designer for this quilt is Tara Cherry. Here's a peek of hers, see more at her Instagram @mommyhead.

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Quilt no. 15 is "In the Mix." My mockup uses The Good Life by Bonnie & Camille for Moda Fabrics.

- - - > The guest designer guest for Stargazing is Katie Madsen! Find her on Instagram @katiemadsendesigns. She used Walkabout by Sherri & Chelsi for Moda Fabrics.

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Quilt no. 16 is "Smart Cookie." Fabric is Meraki by BasicGrey for Moda Fabrics.

- - - > The guest designer for this quilt is Melissa Corry at Happy Quilting. You can check out her blog here, on Instagram @happyquiltingmc, and on Facebook here.