A long standing tradition at QuiltersWarehouse is to bring back photos from each International Quilt Market of the exhibitor booths that have their products featured in the QuiltersWarehouse catalog.  You can find these photos by selecting the tab above,  Quilt Market Photos.

International Quilt Market is sponsored by Quilt’s Inc. and is held 2 times a year;  fall in Houston, TX and spring which moves around the country.  Exhibitors graciously allow us to bring you images of their time at ‘Market’ showing what’s new and what’s popular from their lineup of designs and patterns.

We hope you enjoy this visit to Quilt Market and that it inspires you to create something that you see.

Running a little behind here, as Month 3 is already out, but we’ll catch up! 

This is Block 1 from Month 2.  There are 8 half-square triangles, four hour-glass pieces and 13 squares.  Just a little bit more challenging than the first month.

And here is Block 2 from Month 2.  Another EASY block.  The instructions said to cut each piece but I strip-pieced the four square blocks and the rectangle blocks.  It worked just fine and saved some cutting and sewed up a little faster.

Block of the Month quilts really are fun. If you’ve never tried one now might be the time!  When you have several works in progress and feel like you aren’t getting anywhere you can do one of the blocks and you feel like you finished something because all you are supposed to do is one block!  It doesn’t get your other projects finished but it’ll give you a break and the incentive to get going again on a WIP.

One of the BOM’s that is available is Thyme to Water.  It ships on the 21st of each month and is a six month project.  Start now and it’ll be ready for next summer.  This quilt is mostly pieced with some applique and will finish at 69″ X 69″.

Feeling ambitious?  Garden Friends Block of the Month is another 6 month project.

Start it along with Thyme to Water and you’ll have two quilts finished come next summer.  You’ll have a head start on your decorating… these two quilts would look great hanging together… or artfully thrown over a chair or a couch.

There are lots more Block of the Month patterns from which to choose.  There is sure to be one (or more!) that will suit your fancy.

The newest designer at Quilters Warehouse is Karen Eckmeier of Quilted Lizard.  And yes, she does have quilt patterns with lizards! - fun and whimsical lizards.  Many of Karen’s patterns are “Accidental Landscapes” which are a unique method for creating art quilts with minimum fuss.  You’ll love the results.

Farms & Fields has a peaceful look to it.  Pick your season and then select your favorite greens or golds and start “painting with fabric.”  You’re an artist!

Do you want to get away… maybe to a sunny beach?  Accidental Landscapes – Beaches will take you away.  You can personalize your project with your favorites – a seagull or two, a sailboat, a lighthouse to name a few. 

Quilted Lizard’s landscapes are so quick and easy to make. It just takes some free form rotary cutting and then topstiching. Your landscape will appear before your eyes – like watching a Polaroid develop!

Do you have a golfer in the family?  Accidental Landscapes – Golf Courses would make a great gift for their office or den.  Maybe you could get really creative and make it look like their favorite course or their favorite hole at their favorite course.  How well do you know your golfer?!

Lest you think Landscapes are all Karen does, here’s more . . .

Baby Wheels is not a landscape but it’s still quick and easy!  A few bright colors and some curves and you have a baby quilt or a lap quilt, your choice.

Here’s a whimsical pattern, a lizard in the midst of what looks like a stained glass window.  It’s easier than it looks and the finished piece has the look of reverse applique.

Browse all of Quilted Lizards patterns and let your inner artistic self out!

New patterns at Quilters Warehouse include a couple of quick projects.  One of those quick projects is Lucky Charm by Lehmann Quilting.  It’s two times three! Two colors fabrics, two sizes and two layouts.  These quick to construct table runners make use of strip piecing.  Make one for your home for the holidays and them make up another as a gift.

Another quick pattern is Jelly Roll Runners & More I.  This pattern has instructions for four quick designs that you can make in a single day, all from one jelly roll.

You’ll feel like you’ve gotten so much accomplished when you finish these.  Then you might want to tackle a larger project.

Simple Blended is a queen size quilt of a fairly simple design that is fat quarter friendly.

If you want to try a new technique, Happy Villages will teach you all about fabric collage.  You can let your creativeness loose as you make a village that expresses what you want it to be.  You won’t need to worry about 1/4 inch seams or matching points. Just lay out your village, like it and sew or don’t like it and lay it out another way and then sew. 

And what collection of patterns would be complete without a few Christmas projects?  Three Stockings is so cute. . . a little piecing, a little applique, a little whimsy.  It’s a wallhanging that would make a great gift.

 Yuletide Ribbon Wreath is another wallhanging.  This one has lots of applique and lots of open spaces to showcase your quilting.  Using plaid for the ribbon really adds movement and dimension to the quilt.

As always there is something for everyone among the quilt patterns at Quilters Warehouse.  Enjoy the browsing and then enjoy the quilting.  If you can’t decide what you want or don’t have time to finish shopping, just add your selections to “Favorites” and they’ll be waiting for you when you come back.

Our new designer this week is Linda Rould from Purse-O-Nalities of Palm Harbor. She has handbag designs that will really wow you.  They are so varied and they lend themselves to YOU putting YOUR “purse-o-nal” touch on them.  Linda believes you can be YOU can be the designer too.  The sizes are many and so are the styles . . . from change purse, to small purse, to large purse, to mega bag, to back pack . . . she has it all.   Several of Linda’s designs use a “bag within a bag” technique that creates extra pockets and a really neat look.

A Tote-all Purse-O-Nality is the perfect example.  The bright yellow inside bag contracts nicely with the floral exterior bag and you get four large pockets when you sew them together. 

You could make one for each season. . .  Bright red inner bag with large scale pattern in a Christmas theme,  Soft green inner bag with soft floral pattern for Spring.  The pictured fabrics would work great for Summer . . . you get the idea.

Here’s a classic pattern, aptly named The Classic Purse-O-Nality.  It’s small enough that you don’t feel like you are hauling a tote around but it’s big enough to carry what you need.  And, as most of Linda’s patterns are, it’s easy to customize – you pick the number of pockets you want the purse to have.

And here’s a quilty tote.  A Blooming Purse-O-Nality will satisfy your urge to create a quilty project and you’ll have a great tote that has so many ways to make it suit your needs.

Check out all of the purse designs and you’ll probably find several you just have to have.

Ok, here’s the first installment of the On Point Block of the Month Showcase project.   The first month has two blocks.   Block 1 is called Hearth and Home.  There are 8 half square triangles and 17 squares.  As you can imagine, this block went together lickety-split . . . quick and easy.  What a nice beginning. 

A few tips . . .

- As you follow the instructions and cut the pieces it’s helpful to cut a  small piece of each fabric and make a chart so you can keep track of which fabric matches which number in the instructions. 

- I found my fabric stacked in order, which made it easier to figure which was which (nice job, Sandy!) but don’t assume that it will always be that way . . . it’s easy enough to get them mixed up in the packing – or in the unpacking! 

- It’s helpful also to look at the color image as you check the fabric, as the darks in the gray scale drawing are not neccessarily the darks in the actual block. 

Block 2 is called Broken Dishes. It has 8 small half square triangles and 4 larger half square triangles and 8 squares.  It went together nearly as quick and easy as the first block.

The instructions say to cut the fabric for the half square triangles (HST) into squares and then in half diagonally and then sew the resulting triangles together.  I found that there was enough fabric to cut the squares a bit larger and draw a line diagonally from corner to corner, sew just under 1/4″ away from this line on either side, and then cut down the line.  This made two HST from each pair of squares and there were no bias edges to deal with while sewing.  Just be sure to make your seams a bit less than 1/4″ ’cause there’s not much wiggle room! and then trim the HST to the correct finished size (3″ or 3 1/2″ depending on which ones they are).

Each of these blocks finished at 12 1/2″ as will the rest of the blocks with the exception of the center block. 

If you are interested in starting the On Point Block of the Month don’t worry that you are too late.  You’ll receive the same set of blocks each month that everyone else gets and then you’ll start over until you have all of the months.  You can refer back to the posts for the earlier months when you get them.  Don’t forget to sent pics of your finished blocks so we can all “oooh” and “aaaah” over them.  Send them to kbrown@quiltersshowcase.com .  Oh, and be sure to have fun, and soak up the joy of completing such pretty blocks that will be part of a beautiful large quilt.