Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume #6

Well now that the campaign is over and we can finally get on with our lives, it is time to focus just on quilting! (Yea...no more political ads!)

I am lucky enough to be included in the current 100 Blocks blog tour for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 6. My block is #586 on page 60 and is called Ladder Up. It came about while I was working on a new collection of fabrics for RJR called Civil War Ladies by Pat Nickols. I wanted to work with a block that would incorporate as many of the fabrics from the collection as I could and wanted it to be traditional to the period, so I chose a Jacob's Ladder block that looked like this.

I usually like to change a block somewhat to make it different and to be able to create secondary blocks when they are put together so I added a few more smaller triangles in the corners and I came 
up with this. Even though the block has a lot of pieces it is not a complicated block, but when you use it in a quilt it creates a whole different look. 


Here you can see when you put the blocks together it creates a spinning star in between the ladders plus a pinwheel block in the intersection of the ladders. I was very happy with this design and went on to use a small stripe in the triangle border to frame the quilt. The pattern is called Jacob's Ladder and is available on my website. (Along with many of the fabrics used in the quilt on sale!)                                                            

 If you are visiting my blog and did not know about the Quiltmaker's blog tour you can go to Quiltmaker and see other blocks in the series and visit other blogs. Each one of us are giving away the current issue of 100 Blocks Volume 6 and you also have a chance on the Quiltmaker's website to win a wonderful mug with many of the blocks on them.

To be eligible to win a free magazine you need to leave a comment at the end of my blog. Be sure to leave some kind of contact information. I have drawn names in the past and people have lost out on their winnings because they did not leave an email address with the message. You email addresses are not shared with anyone and if you do not want other people to see it then leave me a message on my contact me page on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff.

Please let me know what you think of my block and if you get a chance to visit my website look at some of my newest kits including Sweet Dreams featured in Quilt magazine. It is made with a wonderful Robyn Pandolph RJR collection called True Vintage.

Thank you for visiting me and good luck. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do.

New Winner and more

I'm sorry to say that I was unable to reach Ruth and she did not respond back so I had to choose another winner.

Vwlady is the new winner! She did leave an email address (that's how you win) so I have emailed her the exciting news! As soon as she gets back to me, I will choose 2 more winners. One for the magazine and the other for the fat quarter bundle. 

I'd like you to take a look at my two newest designs that have just come out. The first one was just published in McCall's Quick Quilts. It uses a beautiful fall collection by P&B Textiles called Abundance and the quilt is called Summer's Inn.

McCalls has wonderful step-by-step directions to create this block that only looks hard. (If it was hard it wouldn't be in their Quick Quilts issue!) The quilt is 82" x 99" and has a 12" block. A kit is available for the top including the binding on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff.

The other quilt is in The Quilter magazine and uses the same beautiful collection, except this one includes a panel that is cut up for the plain blocks. It is also an easy quilt with fast log cabin blocks.

This one is called Sunflower Fields. This quilt is 68" x 88" and has a 10" block. This is also available as a kit on my website.

I have been very busy this year. I have quite a few new free patterns coming out and as soon as they are posted on the companies websites I will share them with you. Please come back to see what I am working on. I will also share photos of some of the work that my students have done in the workshops that I teach.

Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Winner of Best Christmas Quilts plus more!

I was stunned at all of the wonderful comments about my Winter Stars table runner (222 to be exact)! All of you are so generous in your comments that I have decided to draw two more names! One will win a copy of the magazine and the other a group of fat quarters of the fabric in the quilt.

But first I have to announce the winner of yesterday's drawing......(drum roll).....Ruth.. who said, "Winter Stars is a beautiful pattern and beautiful fabric. It is really lovely". Now Ruth left me no way of contacting her so hopefully she will check today's posting to see if she is a winner. If she does not contact me then I will draw another name. After Ruth or the next winner has come forward I will draw two more names. Ladies (and gentlemen if there are some), if you want to put your name in any drawing on a blog, you need to let the blogger know some way of reaching you. I know it is difficult to put your email out there but these blogs are only open to members and bloggers don't share information with anyone else. If you don't leave information you won't be able to claim your wonderful prize.

Okay off of my soapbox. I want to share the current project I am working on for a magazine. It uses a beautiful blue and white collection by Timeless Treasures called Charlotte. They make the most yummy fabrics and I love to design with them!

It is a work in progress. I am sewing on the sash and cornerstones and hope to quilt it tomorrow or Friday. I seem to be in my rectangle and square mode. I have a lady named Dolores who helps me with some of my projects and the last one I gave her was rectangles and squares. She was thrilled to get something without triangles! She told me it was the easiest quilt of mine that she had pieced. It will be a free web pattern on Timeless Treasures website so stay tuned and I will post it when it is ready.

Well, got to go finish sewing. Remember, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts Blog Tour

I am thrilled to be participating in the 12 Days of Best Christmas Quilts Blog Tour. If you are new to my blog – Welcome!  

I was lucky enough to have my quilt Winter Stars  featured in this special issue published by the staff of Quilter's Newsletter. The issue is available through Quilt and Show shop and your local quilt shop and bookstores. This is what it looks like in the magazine.

I love stars of every kind. I am always looking for new ways to make them. This one is foundation pieced. It is a 15" block. I used RJR Fabrics Holiday Accent Collection. (Sorry about the color, it is the blue in the photo above).

 

Here is what the collection looks like.

You can find lots of other star patterns on my website Gateway Quilts & Stuff including my book St. Louis Stars to see how much I like stars! You will also find a kit to make this beautiful table runner. It includes all the fabrics needed to create the top and binding or you can purchase it with the backing.

Would you like to win a copy of the magazine and this wonderful fabric bundle? Just leave a comment on this blog post before 11:59 p.m. MDT tonight August 28, for a chance to win the Holiday Accents fabric bundle and a copy of Best Christmas Quilts. Tell me how much you like stars and your name will go into a drawing. Get an early start on those holiday gifts. Anyone would be thrilled to receive this wonderful table runner! One comment per person please. Open to those who haven't won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days. And please leave me some means of contacting you if you do win.

Come back next week and I will show you my newest template set called North Star. It is used to create a fast easy star to make a place mat, table runner or table topper using a stripe or with simple strip piecing.

Thank you for visiting my blog and good luck.

In closing, always do what you love and love what you do. Toby

Is it February already?

I can't believe how fast January went. 2012!!! When I was a kid, I imagined we would have flying cars like in the Jetsons, by the year 2012! (Well that ages me!)

I have been so busy the months of January and February. Just to give you a glimpse: I finished a quilt for Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting; hosted two groups at the St. Louis Star Inn, designed quilts for Timeless Treasures, P&B, and Hoffman; wrote a pattern; started working on the quilts I designed for Timeless Treasures; had three quilts published: McCall's Quilting, Quilter's Newsletter, and The Quilter, all of which I am selling kits for; had a clearance sale in my shop; wrote an article and free pattern for Onlinequiltmagazine (anyone can go and sign up for free monthly issues); AND FINISHED MY TAXES!!!

Rose de Provence featured in the Feb./March 2012 issue.

South Seas Sky featured in McCall's Quilting March/April 2012 issue.

Canterbury Table setting featured in The Quilter Feb./March 2012

Jasmine, free quilt pattern featured on the Onlinequiltmagazine February 2012 issue. 

Jody Anderson has a wonderful online web magazine. Be sure to check it out Jody Anderson's online quilt magazine at www.onlinequiltmagazine.com. She has lots of wonderful articles, free patterns, blocks of the month, and lots of other goodies.

Izumi Pond, free quilt pattern soon on Hoffman Fabric's website.

June/July 2012 future issue of Fons and Porter using the Patternista collection by Paula Nadelstern.

Whew! I'm exhausted. But I'm not finished yet. I still have to finish the two quilts for Timeless Treasures, start on the quilt for P&B, make quilts for Quilter's Newsletter special edition and The Quilter, and try to find time to make a block for the next Quiltmaker's 100 blocks, all by April 1. PLUS I will be hosting a group from Wichita, Kansas mid March and travel to Springfield, MO to present and teach to a guild at the end of March. There just are not enough hours in the day! If my husband didn't help me with the household things, I don't know what I would do. (I love you honey!)

I will be having a big celebration during the month of March on my website, Gateway Quilts n Stuff. Those of you that have visited there in March know that it is my birthday month and I have a huge special on my birthday which happens to be the last day of the month (31st).  So please stop by and say hi.

Well, I have GOT to get back to quilting. As always, do what you love and love what you do. Toby