Sakura steals the show!

Quilt Market. What's not to love? There's so much inspiration: new fabric lines, new quilt designs, booths and aisles filled with super-creative quilters...

This year's Fall Market in Houston was no exception. The Benartex team relishes the challenge of coming up with unique booth designs that showcase our new collections and grab attention. And with Kanvas and Contempo Studio along with our original Benartex lines, we've got plenty to show! 

At the past couple Markets, our Kanvas booths have set quite a precedent. In May, we won 1st place for best double booth (for the second time. See it here), so expectations were high! 

Decorated in the new Sakura collection by Greta Lynn, this booth did not disappoint! Parasols bloom along a back wall of soothing green leaves, and furniture with Asian flair rounds out the booth. Of course, the star of the booth is the fabric--from the gorgeous wall hanging on the bamboo wall to the bench with super-long bolster, bold color steals the show!

Setting the scene : Check out the great quilts on the couch and the sushi cupcakes on the lacquered table!

Luiza fit right in with the booth decor, wearing a kimono made from Sakura fabric.

Floor pillows with fussy-cut center squares from the panel.

Love the parasols!

It's all in the details: Embellished butterflies adorn the parasols and are actually fussy cut from the fabric!

A modern flying geese variation done in Sakura, "Come Fly with Me" by Creative Sewlutions.

And we're proud to say that all this hard work paid off, as Kanvas once again won 1st place for best double booth !

Left to Right : Maria Kalinowski, Melanie Greseth of TailorMade by Design, Luiza Hajdari, Greta Lynn and Joanie Holton of TailorMade by Design. 

Our blue ribbon:

Greta Lynn in the Kanvas booth decorated in Sakura, her fabric line:

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Technique Tuesday: Curves and Circles

We're back with Debby Kratovil of Debby Kratovil Quilts for another Technique Tuesday! This week, Debby is tackling curves and circles. She'll show you how to piece curves and then how to create super-smooth circles to applique as well. Enjoy! And after you read Debby's tutorial, head over to her blog to enter a giveaway to win some fat quarters from the Dori collection.

Dori Collection by Benartex

Debby, why did you choose the Dori collection to work with?How could I resist? The colors are clear and bright and lively and the prints are so modern with both curves and lines. I like that the flowers are "organic" and not perfect in their formation. Having the two colorways is a great way to appeal to more quilters, especially those young and new to sewing.
How did you decide what to make with these?I like to include as many fabrics from one collection as possible. So, I chose the blue and pink color family first. Then, I remembered the Flower Burst block pattern I designed for Quiltmaker Magazine for their 100 Blocks issue 5 (Summer 2012). I used the Arianna Collection by Benartex for that and I even made an entire quilt to showcase the blocks. I figured it would be time to revisit it since I enjoyed making the block so much.
Can we see what you made?

Flower Burst block and quilt

Now, you might think I was so clever to stagger the blocks as I did, but I have to confess, I didn't have enough fabric to make that extra sixth block! I had to add those two side plain panels to the center block so I could finish the quilt. I could only squeeze five blocks from those fabrics!
So, you made a quilt like the Arianna one? Can we see that?

Flower Burst Quilt using the Dori Collection

You don't have to count the number of fabrics that I used; I'll do that for you: 8 different fabrics. Yes, it seems a bit busy, but I would call that PERSONALITY! I love flowers in quilts and I just had to include as many as possible. Now let me show you the steps to making the block and at the end I will give you the pattern.

MAKING THE 12" BLOCK
Begin by transferring the three pattern pieces to freezer paper for templates. Find the pattern pieces here. As you can see, I've traced and cut out the 1/4 donut:

Cutting out the 1/4 donut shape two at a time

The background piece (I used two different fabrics for this and only show one):

Cutting out the background piece; flip-flop the template to conserve fabric

Now we align the 1/4 donut and the background piece at the centers:

Mark with a crease and then pin these together first

Then we align the two sides at the straight edges so they don't move when we sew the seam:

Keep the SIDE straight edges from moving; don't just pin up at the curved edges

See the straight sides? And press toward the donut shape

 Repeat these steps to make the other set of colors for the donut/BG pieces. Sew these together into the block. Yes, there is a big hole in the middle. I didn't say we were done yet!

Two halves of the block; sew together to form full block with HOLE in the middle

Now it's time to fussy cut the flowers for the center circle. Cut out an 8" square of freezer. Transfer the markings from the circle template to the center of the square; cut out. This "window" helps you audition various motifs to see if they will indeed work for this large block center.

This one works! Center the window of the 8" square; iron in place

Turn fabric over and press the cutout circle onto the motif you've selected

Cut a square at least 1/2" larger all around your fussy cut motif. Cut a piece of interfacing (NOT fusible) the same size. Layer the two, right side of fabric against the interfacing. Sew around edge of freezer paper template - not 1/4", but right along the edge. Trim away, leaving 1/8" seam allowance.

Layered freezer paper template, flower fabric and interfacing

Clip into interfacing; turn right side out; press with vertical and horizontal lines

Line up the interfaced circle with the seam lines of the block. Pin in place and applique. I used monofilament thread and a short, narrow zig zag stitch.

NOW you can trim away the interfacing; it was left in until now to stabilize the circle.

I decided I wanted to stop at 4 blocks, but as you can see, I was able to make a rectangular quilt using the same side panel technique I used in the Arianna Quilt:

Four blocks and four side panels

The blocks are 12" square. The side panels are made from one 4-1/2" x 12-1/2" center strip and two 1-1/2" x 12-1/2" side strips. The quilt center is 24" x 36". What a neat trick to turn four blocks into a six block space!
Now, you can have the templates for this block. Quiltmaker simplified the making of this block by eliminating the 1/4 donuts. I designed the pattern the way you will find it here. Just follow my steps using these pattern pieces and, of course, ENJOY!

Click here for the pdf file for the flower burst pattern.

Thanks Debby! Curves and circles always look so neat, and it's helpful to have a tutorial showing easy ways to make them!

See previous Technique Tuesday posts by Debby:Rocking Out in the Hen House
Setting blocks on the diagonal

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October Blog Hop Bundle Winners!

We'd like to send out a big thanks to everyone who stopped by during our Holiday Headstart Blog Hop! We'd also like to give a shout-out to our designers, who created these great projects! 

Now, for the randomly drawn winners of fat quarter bundles from each day:

Day 1: Take Me to Class Tote by Tessa of The Sewing Chick

A fat quarter bundle of Cachet:

Congratulations, Willa!

Day 2: Window Pouch by Emily of Mommy's Nap Time

A fat quarter bundle of Baker's Delight:

Congratulations, Donna!

Day 3: Squared Stripe Pincushion from the Benartex Blog Team

A fat quarter bundle of Cool School

Congratulations, Karen!

Day 4: Bold Braid quilt by Kelly of My Quilt Infatuation

A fat quarter bundle of Dori:

Congratulations, Dawn!

Winners, you'll be receiving an email today to get your mailing addresses.

Thank you!

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Music Lover's Delight

It's so satisfying to find just the right fabric for a quilt you'll be giving as a gift. And if you know a music lover, be sure to add this quilt to your to-do list.

 Designed by Stephanie Sheridan and quilted by Linda Leathersich, the duo behind Stitched Together Studios, this quilt incorporates fussy-cut panel designs and pieced piano blocks for an elegant, music-themed piece. The quilt uses the Concerto and Touch of Luxe collections from Kanvas and is featured in the November/December 2013 issue of McCall's Quilting magazine.

"Symphony in B" designed by Stephanie Sheridan & quilted by Linda Leathersich;
featured in McCall's Quilting November/December 2013

Stephanie shares how she made these two fabric collections work together as she designed this quilt and then Linda shares her thinking behind the machine quilting. 

What attracted you to the Concerto collection?

I have always been a music lover, so I was drawn to this fabric line right away!

Why did you decide to combine the Concerto and Touch of Luxe fabric collections?

The Concerto line has just a little metallic element to it, but I knew that I wanted to make this quilt look much richer and more festive since it was going into the Holiday issue of McCall's. The Touch of Luxe line was the perfect choice, all of the colors coordinated perfectly and it brought just the amount of class and opulence that I was looking for.

What was your vision in designing the quilt? 

I knew that I wanted to create a modern design using both the panel and border print. A print from the Concerto line that I didn't use in the quilt—the angled piano keyboard print--actually inspired the piano key block. When I saw it I knew I wanted something like it in the quilt, but I needed it larger and not angled, so I created the piano key block.

Concerto fabric that inspired part of the quilt design

Any helpful tips for someone making this quilt?

Make sure that you are sewing an accurate ¼'' seam ... especially for the piano key block! My favorite way to test this is to cut (3) 2 ½" X 6 ½" strips of fabric and sew them together using a ¼" seam along the 6 ½" side. Press the seam allowances towards your center strip, then measure. Your block should be exactly 6 ½" and your center strip should be exactly 2". If it isn't, adjust your seam allowance and try again. It is definitely worth the time to do this test and will save a lot of headaches while piecing not only this quilt, but all of your quilts!

What is your favorite part of the quilt?

The layout ... I love the look of an asymmetrical quilt, but my brain fights me every time I try to design that way! This quilt has an asymmetrical look because of the different fabrics in the outer border and the odd number of rows, but it is actually perfectly symmetrical!

Can you tell us about the quilting?

Linda: The quilt itself inspired asymmetrical and musical themes, as well as an elegant feather in the border. My tips for quilting on this particular quilt would be to use invisible thread. It allows the fabric to stand out while creating texture by outlining the instruments. The "Phancy Pheathers and Scrolls" in the border switch directions to create more visual impact, and the scrolls mimic the movement of the quilt backing.

What's on the back of the quilt?

Linda: We used another fabric from the Concerto line that didn't work as well on the front of the quilt, but was one of my favorites in the line.

Find the kit for this quilt here.

See the entire Concerto collection here and Touch of Luxe here.

See more from Stitched Together Studios here.

Find McCall's Quilting November/December 2013 issue here.

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Tutorial: Star Twist Pinwheels with Jackie Robinson

Today designer Jackie Robinson of Animas Quilts is here, sharing a step-by-step tutorial for her Star Twist pattern using her "He Still Loves Me" fabrics. 
Don't miss Jackie's giveaway and special offer at the end of this post!

Have you ever admired a less traditional block and wondered exactly how it was  constructed? Or just assumed that because it looked involved, it was too difficult to make? If so, you'll love Jackie's unique pinwheel block. 

And what you'll love even more is how easy it is to assemble! It's just one unit, repeated eight times, with careful color placement! Keep reading to see how Jackie makes this block.

Hi all, it's Jackie from Animas Quilts and I'm happy to be here sharing my Star Twist design. This is a pretty - and sweet - little quilt.  I love the twisty chain effect surrounding the soft stars. You can find the entire pattern as a free download on the Benartex website, but I'll walk you through it step by step right here on the blog. I love helping quilters realize that some complicated-looking blocks are actually quite easy to make, and you'll see that's the case with this quilt.

"Star Twist" by Jackie Robinson 60” x 74”

Let's Get Started:

First, download the cutting info from the pattern sheet. (The pattern sheet will give you the whole pattern as well, but I'll walk you through the steps here.)  

Next, pre-cut all the pieces. You’ll notice the cuts are in descending order according to size.  The reason I cut this way is because IF we mess up a cut, we can always cut it down to a smaller size.  But, if I was cutting the small pieces first, that wouldn’t be an option - I'd just need more fabric. Be thrifty--cut larger pieces first!

NOTE:  I would (and did) make one change to the printed instructions.  For the star block centers, I just used fussy-cut light purple daisy squares rather than adding background colored corners. By the time you place all those diagonal corners on the star centers, the petals of the fussy-cut daisies are chopped off. 
So, follow the cutting directions on the pattern sheet, but when you are ready to cut the White on White background print, cut only (22) 2-1/2” wide strips into 

(31) 2-1/2” x 12-1/2”

(48) 2-1/2” x 6-7/8”

(48) 2-1/2” squares  (rather than 72)

Be certain to also print out the Templates. When I simply printed all four pages of the pattern, my printer cut off the top of the templates, so check your printer settings. Be sure to measure the template and be certain it is 4-1/2” tall.

You just might own a tool that will make cutting the template shapes easier.  If you have a TriRecs tool or a Half Rectangle tool or an Angle Play set of tools, dig it out.  It will make your cutting MUCH easier.

Star Blocks

1. Stitch a Right Facing Purple Multi Scroll triangle onto a Background triangle. Without pressing (because of the exposed bias edge), direct the seam toward the Purple. When you line up these pieces before sewing, make sure they are offset with ¼” ‘ears’ at each end so that when stitched everything is level. Make 24.   

2. Offset as before, sew a Left Facing Purple Multi Scroll triangle onto the Step 1 units.  Press gently toward the Purple. Make 24. They will measure 4-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge.    

3. Place a 2-7/8” Background square right sides together with a 2-7/8” Green Mini Medallion square. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the Background. Stitch accurately on both sides of the drawn line. Make 24.    

4. Cut the Step 3 units apart on the drawn line. Press toward the Green Mini Medallion. There will be 48 triangle squares measuring 2-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge.  

5. Use the Step 4 triangle squares and 2-1/2” Background squares to assemble Butterfly 4-patch units. They will measure 4-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge. Make 24.    

At this point, as I mentioned above, skip adding the diagonal corners on the 4-1/2” fussy cut light purple allover squares.

6. Assemble the units from Steps 2, 5 and the 4-1/2” Light Purple Daisy squares into Star Blocks. Press. Make 6. They are 12-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge.   

Pinwheel Blocks - these are REALLY fun!

7. Diagonally stitch a 2-1/2” Green Scroll square onto two opposite corners of a 4-7/8” Black Scroll square.  Trim the excess from the corner and press gently toward the corner.  Make 12.    

8. Diagonally stitch a 2-1/2” Black Scroll square onto two opposite corners of 4-7/8” Green Scroll squares. Trim the excess from the corner and press gently toward the corner. Make 12.    

9. Cut the Steps 7 and 8 units diagonally through the plain centers, making 24 triangles of each. So far, so easy!   

10. Sew a 2-1/2” x 6-7/8” Background along the indicated edge of each Step 9 unit. Line it up with the square corner. It will extend about 2” beyond the diagonal corner. Without pressing (because of the exposed bias) direct the seam toward the background.   

11. Using the bias cut edge as a guide, diagonally cut the corners of the Step 10 pieces. Be gentle. The cut should extend to the corner of the Background piece.  

12. Positioned as shown, sew one of each color of the Step 11 units together to form a square. Press toward the mainly Black unit. Make 24. They will measure 6-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge. You thought this was going to be tricky . . . see how easy!   

13. Watching placement, sew four of the Step 12 units together to form a block. Press. Make 6. They measure 12-1/2” square from raw edge to raw edge.    

Assembly

14.  Lay out the blocks with 2-1/2” x 12-1/2” Background sashing units surrounding them. Add 2-1/2” Green Scroll squares for the cornerstones.    

15. Stitch the quilt top together. Press gently.

16. Stitch the 2-1/2” Green Scroll strips together, end to end. Cut two equal lengths for the side borders and attach. Press toward the borders. Then cut two equal lengths for the top and bottom borders, and attach. Press.

17. Attach the outer stripe borders, beginning and ending at the 1/4” seam allowance at each corner, and leaving the miter ‘tail’ extending.  

18. Place a corner to miter on your ironing board, with the border that is lying horizontal extending to the right, and the one that is vertical on top of it and extending up. Fold the top extending border diagonally under and position so it is exactly on top of the one extending to the right. Once you are satisfied that the miter is correct, smash it with the iron.   

19. Use a pin or two to hold the mitered corner in place.  From the underside, stitch in the pressed crease. Check to see that it’s correct and if it is, trim the excess from the seam to 1/4”. Press these seams open. Repeat Steps 18-19 for each of the corners to be mitered.   

20. Layer your quilt and prepare to quilt your masterpiece. I like to accentuate the diagonals by stitching diagonally through the corners. Detail the blocks. You may want to also quilt in all the seams (in the ditch). Outline the daisies in the border.

21. Bind with the strips specified, following the instructions with the Binding Miter Tool.  If you're not familiar with this terrific tool, watch a video demo here. 

You're done!

Thanks Jackie! Now for a giveaway and a special offer. "Like" Jackie's Facebook page and leave a comment below this post letting us know you did so. One commenter will receive a gift certificate for $20 worth of downloadable patterns from Animas Quilts. Giveaway ends November 9th at 11:59 EST and winner will be drawn randomly.

And make sure that you're following our blog (through a blog reader like Bloglovin' or via email; you can find sign-up options for both in the right-hand sidebar) to find more fantastic tutorials, interviews with designers, and news about Benartex's upcoming fabric lines!

Also, as a thank you for stopping by this tutorial and Jackie's Facebook page, she's got a special deal for you! For the next 5 days only, you can purchase a kit for this Star Twist pattern featuring Jackie's He Still Loves Me fabric for 15% off! Find the link for this offer here.

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