Making an Impression

We gave you a sneak peek of this new fabric line right after Quilt Market, but now it's available in stores! Floral Impressions from Kanvas Studio is a unique combination of photo realism and art. Big blooms, small petals, wispy tonal coordinates all come together to create a beautiful collection of floral-inspired prints. 

Floral Impressions comes in three colorways. 

Rose/Plum:

Turquoise/Blue:

Black/Ivory:

Here's a closer look at some of the gorgeously detailed prints:

We're showing our free quilt pattern, "Impressive Grid" by Heidi Pridemore, in all three colorways.

Click here to download the quilt pattern.

Click here to see the entire Floral Impressions collection.

Click here to find the free quilt pattern.

Christmas in July: Blog Hop Day 4

 It's July...the sun is shining...flowers are blooming...

So of course it's the perfect time to start planning for Christmas! 

Today is the last day of our Christmas in July series. If you like what you see, the fabrics are available in stores now, so you can get started on your favorite featured project now and be done before the holiday rush begins! 

Crank up the air conditioning, pull out your wool hat, and enjoy our Christmas in July series!

Our last Christmas in July project is a door banner that can be displayed all season long! It uses wintry prints from the aptly named Winter Story collection--black, red, and gray. Enjoy the tutorial and read all the way to the bottom to find out how you can enter to win a bundle of Winter Story fabrics. 

Materials:

1/3 yard of gray pinecone print

5/8 yard red swirl print

1/4 yard white solid

1/4 yard black solid

3/4 yard black branch print

1 yard backing fabric (we suggest the cardinal and snowflake print!)

30" x 38" piece of batting

Fusible web

Love these wintry fabrics!

Cutting:
From the gray pinecone print:
(1) 9-1/2" x 24-1/2" piece

From the red swirl print:
(8) 4" squares
(3) 2-1/4" x 42" strips for binding
(2) 1-1/2" x 24-1/2" strips
(2) 1-1/2" x 17-1/2" strips
Reserve remainder for applique

From the white solid:
(8) 4" squares

From the black solid:
(3) 8" x 9" pieces

From the black branch print: 
(Note: Cut these strips in the order listed--fabric is directional)
(1) 5" x 26-1/2" lengthwise strip (branches running vertically)
(1) 2-1/2" x 26-1/2" lengthwise strip (branches running vertically)
(1) 5" x 24" widthwise strip (branches running horizontally)
(1) 2-1/2" x 24" widthwise strip (branches running horizontally)


Making the Banner:
Note: Click here to download the letter templates. Print out each template at full size.
Step 1: Trace the J, O and Y templates onto the paper side of fusible web. Cut out 1/4" past the drawn lines. Fuse letters onto remaining red swirl fabric. Cut out each letter on the drawn line.
Step 2: Cut fusible web pieces slightly smaller than the (3) 8" x 9" black pieces. Fuse to the black pieces. 
Step 3: Remove paper backing from the back of each letter and a fuse letter onto each black solid piece, leaving at least 1/4" of black showing all around the letter. 

Step 4: Cut out around each letter, leaving approximately 1/4" of black showing. 

Step 5: Remove paper backing from each letter and arrange on the 9-1/2" x 24-1/2" gray pinecone piece as shown. Letters should be at least 1/2" from background edges. When you're happy with the spacing, fuse in place. 

Step 6: Draw a line on the wrong side of each 4" white square. Pair right sides together with a 4" red swirl square. 

Step 7: Sew 1/4" on either side of the drawn line. Cut on the line to create two units. Press each unit open to make a half-square triangle (HST) unit. Make 16. Trim HST units to measure 3-1/2" square.

Step 8: Lay out the HST units into 8 rows of 2 units each as shown. Sew the units into rows and join the rows to make the peppermint stripe unit. 

Step 9: Sew the peppermint stripe unit to the right side of the JOY unit. 

Step 10: Sew 1-1/2" x 24-1/2" red swirl strips to opposite sides of the banner center. Sew 1-1/2" x 17-1/2" red swirl strips to the top and bottom. 

Step 11: Sew the 2-1/2" x 26-1/2" black branch strip to the left side and the 5" x 26-1/2" black branch strip to the right side. 

Step 12: Sew the 2-1/2" x 24" black branch strip to the top and the 5" x 24" black branch strip to the bottom to complete the quilt top.

Your banner top is done! Layer backing, batting and banner top, baste, and then quilt as desired. Use the (3) 2-1/4" x 42" red swirl strips to bind. Add a hanging sleeve and display all winter! 

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Winter Story fabrics, leave a comment below letting us know your favorite holiday color combination. Giveaway closes Monday, July 31st at 11:59 pm EDT. 

Follow along with our Christmas in July Blog Hop!

Wednesday: Mulberry Lane Placemats by Lisa Ruble

Thursday: Nordic Holiday Star Quilt by Debby Kratovil

Friday: A Moose for Christmas Pillow by Cynthia Brunz

Saturday: Winter Story Wall Hanging by Benartex blog design team

Christmas in July: Blog Hop Day 3

 It's the middle of July...the sun is shining...flowers are blooming...

So of course it's the perfect time to start planning for Christmas! 

We've shared all of our holiday fabric collections, and now we're moving on to the blog hop! Over the next four days, we'll be sharing projects using our fabrics. If you like what you see, the fabrics are available in stores now, so you can get started on your favorite featured project now and be done before the holiday rush begins! 

Crank up the air conditioning, pull out your wool hat, and enjoy our Christmas in July series!

Today Cynthia from Quilting is More Fun than Housework (and we all agree it is!) is showing how she turned part of the panel from A Moose for Christmas into a pillow to display at Christmas time. She used our favorite section of the panel and added a scrappy patchwork flange around it. Head over to her blog to check it out and find out how you can enter to win a bundle of A Moose for Christmas for yourself.

Head over to Cynthia's blog for a chance to win a bundle of A Moose for Christmas. 

Follow along with our Christmas in July Blog Hop!

Wednesday: Mulberry Lane Placemats by Lisa Ruble

Thursday: Nordic Holiday Star Quilt by Debby Kratovil

Friday: A Moose for Christmas Pillow by Cynthia Brunz

Saturday: Winter Story Wall Hanging by Benartex blog design team

Christmas in July: Blog Hop Day 2

 It's the middle of July...the sun is shining...flowers are blooming...

So of course it's the perfect time to start planning for Christmas! 

We've shared all of our holiday fabric collections, and now we're moving on to the blog hop! Over the next four days, we'll be sharing tutorials using our fabrics. If you like what you see, the fabrics are available in stores now, so you can get started on your favorite featured project now and be done before the holiday rush begins! 

Crank up the air conditioning, pull out your wool hat, and enjoy our Christmas in July series!

Today Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts is here sharing a gorgeous star quilt she made using Amanda Murphy's Nordic Holiday collection. Enjoy the tutorial and visit Debby's blog for a chance to win fabric. 

Here's Debby:
Q: Why did you choose this collection?
A. Amanda Murphy has done it again! Nordic Holiday is refreshing, modern and appeals to just about any quilter. Snowflakes, reindeer, bears and a non-traditional holiday color palette combine to inspire all sorts of patterns. Yes, there's red and green. But look at that blue and gray!

Amanda includes a lovely reindeer in her collection.

Nordic Holiday reindeer

I have a similar one I designed in 2004.

Reindeer from my Merry Merry quilt

I initially was going to bring out my Merry, Merry patterns from 2006. I shared this appliquéd reindeer on my blog last year as a free pattern. What? You missed that? Click here for that quilt pattern (with a Christmas tree, angel and other blocks).

Q. Can we see the fabrics? 
A. Nordic Holiday swatches in the swatch book:

Nordic Holiday Swatch book

And here is the set of fabrics that Benartex sent. It didn't take long for me to decide on a pattern.

Nordic Holiday fabrics

Q. And what did the fabrics say to you? (We know you wait for them to talk to you before cutting!)

A. I did cut out a large hexagon double star (which I will show at a later time), but then decided that I couldn't offer the pattern here because it's a new workshop I teach. (The fabrics forgot about that, so I had to remind them that I needed a pattern I could share.) Plan B was my "go to" very BIG Lone Star. When I say BIG, I mean 29"!

Q. Can we see the steps? And is it easy?

A. Of course, I'll show the steps. And easy is my middle name!

I call this easy because I took out all the y-seams traditionally associated with a Lone Star quilt.

I selected two fabrics with good contrast for my star center. I cut two 3-1/2" x wof strips of each. Offset the red one 3" as shown here and sewed with 1/4" seam, pressing toward the red print (#1885-10). Using the 45 degree line on my ruler, I lined it up with the seam as shown below. Slice off the side. The blue print is #1883-08.

Seam and slice at 45 degree angle on left side 

Cut 3-1/2" wedges as shown. You are measuring from the CUT edge. Do NOT use the lines on your cutting mat for this. It's all in relation to your ruler.

Cut 3-1/2" Two-Patch 45 degree wedges

Place the red diamonds at the pointed ends

Two wedges become a Diamond 4-Patch

 Sew together and press seam open.

Diamond 4-Patch, seam pressed open.

 Make 8 of these units

Make 8 Diamond 4-Patch units

Now we cut the setting triangles, large and small. Remember, there are no y-seams! I selected the wonderful gray scroll print: #1883-13.

Cut four 6-3/4" squares and four 9-5/8" squares. Recut each into two triangles each. You will now have 8 small and 8 large triangles.

Large and small setting triangles

It's important to audition your triangle placement before you sew. It's easy to get things mixed up. Sew the small triangle on first. Press toward the triangle. Then add the large triangle (which is slightly oversized). Again, press toward the triangle.

Make 4 of these units

Make 4 units that are the mirror image of the above unit. This is how they will look when sewn together.

These are mirror images of each other

Use your long ruler and the 45 degree line to help you slice off the excess large triangle. I also like to align the ruler markings for inches along one or more seam line. Sewing diagonal seams can be tricky!

Slicing excess fabric

Now, place the two units together and sew with 1/4" seam; press seam open. Make four.

Make 4 of these units

And what does it look like with all those seams pressed? Here is the 29" star from the back.

Seams pressed open make for a very flat quilt center

Now for the borders. I wanted to use the reindeer print, but I only had enough for 2 borders (without chopping off parts of the reindeer!) So, I took that awesome red snowflake print and used that for the sides. Who says your borders have to match?

I also wanted to introduce a green (which is in the reindeer print, #1880-10). The green is the same pattern as the blue and gray already used: #1883-14). Inner border was cut 1-1/2". Outer reindeer print was cut (VERY CAREFULLY) at 6-1/2". The snowflake print only allowed me to cut two 5-3/4" strips. Again, who says your quilt's borders have to be the same size?!

Here she is: Holiday Star, 41-1/2" x 43"

Holiday Star: 41-1/2" x 43"

Thanks, Debby! 

Head over to Debby's blog for a chance to win a bundle of Nordic Holiday. 

Follow along with our Christmas in July Blog Hop!

Wednesday: Mulberry Lane Placemats by Lisa Ruble

Thursday: Nordic Holiday Star Quilt by Debby Kratovil

Friday: A Moose for Christmas Pillow by Cynthia Brunz

Saturday: Winter Story Wall Hanging by Benartex blog design team

Christmas in July: Blog Hop Day 1

 It's the middle of July...the sun is shining...flowers are blooming...

So of course it's the perfect time to start planning for Christmas! 

We've shared all of our holiday fabric collections, and now we're moving on to the blog hop! Over the next four days, we'll be sharing tutorials using our fabrics. If you like what you see, the fabrics are available in stores now, so you can get started on your favorite featured project now and be done before the holiday rush begins! 

Crank up the air conditioning, pull out your wool hat, and enjoy our Christmas in July series!

Today Lisa from Love to Color My World is sharing a tutorial for whimsical Christmas placemats using Cherry Guidry's Mulberry Lane collection. 

The placemat features larger pieces of two focal prints, plus a paper pieced wonky Christmas tree. Enjoy the tutorial and keep reading to find out how you can win a bundle of Mulberry Lane for yourself! 

Here's Lisa:

There's so much detail in these prints that I wanted to show off large pieces in the placemat design. I also chose to make a wonky Christmas tree using paper piecing because I felt it echoed the whimsy of the fabrics. I love these fabrics!

Materials:

(to make 4 placemats)

1/2 yard aqua tonal

1/3 yard lime print

1/3 yard green print

5/8 yard red dot

1/2 yard street stripe*

5/8 yard circle print*

7/8 yard backing fabric*

(4) 2" squares of fusible web

(4) 14" x 20" batting pieces

*directional fabric; refer to project photos while cutting

Cutting:

From the aqua tonal:

(2) 4-1/2" x 42" strips (for paper piecing)

(2) 1-1/2" x 42" strips; cut into (4) 1-1/2" x 6-1/2" pieces and (8) 1-1/2" x 3" pieces

From the lime print:

(2) 4-1/2" x 42" strips (for paper piecing)

From the green print:

(2) 4-1/2" x 42" strips (for paper piecing)

From the red dot:

(6) 2-1/4" x 42" strips (for binding)

(1) 1-1/2" x 42" strips; cut into (4) 1-1/2" squares

(3) 1-1/4" x 42" strips; cut into (8) 1-1/4" x 12-1/2" lengths (for flange)

Reserve remainder for applique

From the street stripe:

(1) 12-1/2" x 42" strip; cut into (4) 4-1/2" x 12-1/2" pieces so stripe runs horizontally

From the circle print:

(2) 8-1/2" x 42" strips; cut into (4) 8-1/2" x 12-1/2" pieces so circles run horizontally

From the backing fabric:

(2) 14" x 42" strips; cut into (4) 14" x 20" pieces

Make the Placemats:

Note: Click here to download the paper piecing and applique patterns. This tutorial assumes basic knowledge of paper piecing. Use the strips listed in the cutting directions for paper piecing.

1. Cut apart the paper piecing patterns into four separate pieces: A, B, C, and D. Note: When you're paper piecing, make sure the fabric extends at least 1/4" beyond each paper pattern on all sides. You'll need 1/4" on each side for the seam allowance as you assemble the tree unit. 

2. Paper piece the A section, using the lime print for piece #1 and aqua for the #2 and #3 pieces.  Trim sides of section A to 1/4" past the edge of the paper (for seam allowance). 

3. Repeat with sections B, C and D. Sew the units together in alphabetical order, matching raw edges. Remove the paper. 

Here's what your tree should look like: 

4. Sew 1-1/2" x 3" aqua tonal pieces to opposite sides of a 1-1/4" red dot square to make the tree base. Sew the base to the bottom of the tree and sew a 1-1/2" x 6-1/2" aqua tonal piece to the top. Your tree unit should measure 6-1/2" x 12-1/2". 

5. Press (2) 1-1/4" x 12-1/2" red dot strip wrong sides together lengthwise to create (2) flange pieces. Lay a folded strip on a circle print piece as shown, matching raw edges. Pin to secure. 

6. Sew a 4-1/2" x 12-1/2" street stripe piece to the bottom edge of the circle print piece, securing the flange at the same time. Press flange up.

7. Position the second flange along the left edge of the pieced unit with raw edges matching and pin in place. 

8. Sew the tree unit to the left side and press the flange away from the tree. 

9. Layer a backing piece right side down, batting piece, and placemat right side up. Quilt as desired. 

10. Trace the star shape onto the paper side of fusible web. Fuse onto red dot fabric and cut out along the drawn line. Fuse the star to the top of the tree. Blanket stitch to secure. 

11. Trim the quilted piece even with the placemat top. Your placemat should measure approximately 18-1/2" across by 12-1/2" tall. 

12. Repeat steps 1-11 to make a total of (4) placemats.

13. Sew the 2-1/4" x 42" red dot strips short ends together into one long strip. Bind the placemats with these strips and enjoy! 

For a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Mulberry Lane fabrics, head over to Lisa's blog. 

Follow along with our Christmas in July Blog Hop!

Wednesday: Mulberry Lane Placemats by Lisa Ruble

Thursday: Nordic Holiday Star Quilt by Debby Kratovil

Friday: A Moose for Christmas Pillow by Cynthia Brunz

Saturday: Winter Story Wall Hanging by Benartex blog design team