Pick a favorite!

As 2015 draws to a close, we thought it would be fun to ask you to take a walk down memory lane...

We've featured a lot of new fabric lines this year from Benartex, Kanvas, and Contempo. Which one was your favorite, and why? Leave a comment below letting us know!

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Looking back at 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, we thought it would be fun to ask you to take a walk down memory lane...

What was your favorite quilting project from 2015? Leave a message in the comments below letting us know what you made and who it was for!

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From us to you:

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Chickadees & Berries in action

Yesterday we shared Jackie Robinson's wintry Chickadees & Berries collection, as well as a few quilts she's made using it. Today we're back with three more projects featuring these bird-friendly prints. 

First, Carol Hansen used the panel and a few coordinates to create this seasonal wall hanging featured in McCall's Quick Quilts December/January 2016 issue. The quilt uses fussy-cut panel pieces plus pinwheel blocks and two simple borders for a result that's simply stunning. Then, because she's a "user upper," Carol designed a mini quilt that uses up the remaining fabric (and the pattern for this mini quilt is available for free from the McCall's website). Keep reading to learn more about Carol's projects.

"Chickadees" by Carol Hansen;
featured in McCall's Quick Quilts December/January 2016

What do you like best about the Chickadees fabric?

I like that it looks Christmas-y but it’s not just for Christmas. It’s wintry. It’s not one of those things that you feel like you have to take down the day after Christmas. And I love chickadees. Sometimes in the NW corner of Montana, chickadees are the only bird we see all winter. I’m a photographer and I like to take pictures of them. They’re sweet and cute. 

How did you decide on the patchwork border for the center panel piece?

I wanted to use the small pieces that came with the panel and I incorporated as many as I could because I like using things up. I added some pinwheels in because they can be made any size—so I could make them to fit the size of the little squares. 

How did you machine quilt this piece?

My best free motion quilting tends to be a swirly, design, which worked out really well here. I also outline quilted the birds, just enough to give some dimension. 

What do you like best about the wall hanging?

I love it because it’s got a lot of green in it. My kitchen cupboards are a soft green, so it’s going to fit in really well color-wise. I like things that are woodsy, and it gives me that look, and since it’s wintry, it can stay up longer.

Tell us about the mini quilt.

I made this because of my compulsion to use up the extra fabric—I’m a user upper. It’s a cute little wall hanging or table topper. I love log cabin blocks, so that’s why I chose to use them around the fussy-cut panel pieces. I actually just hung it on the wall next to my Christmas tree. Click here to download the free mini quilt pattern.

Coordinating mini quilt; free pattern available here .

Click here to find the kit for this wall quilt.
Click here to find the December/January 2016 issue of McCall's Quick Quilts magazine.

Next up, Diane Tomlinson used Chickadee & Berries coordinates to create this gorgeous tree skirt. We love the fabric combinations--so different from the other Chickadee quilts we've featured so far--it shows how versatile this collection is! The quilt features a LeMoyne Star design and Deb Tucker's Rapid Fire LeMoyne Star tool. Put this tree skirt on your to-do list for 2016--you'll be glad you did when December rolls around and you have a beautiful new tree skirt ready to use! 

"Under the Tree" by Diane Tomlinson;
featured in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting November/December 2015

Click here to purchase and download this pattern.
Click here to find the kit for this tree skirt.
Click here to find the November/December 2015 Love of Quilting magazine.

Click here to see the entire Chickadees & Berries collection by Jackie Robinson.
Click here to read Jackie's interview about this fabric line and see additional quilts featuring it.

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Chickadees & Berries

If you've heard Silver Bells and Jingle Bells one too many times recently, Jackie Robinson's Chickadees & Berries line is for you. This soft and soothing collection whispers "winter," rather than shouting "Christmas." That means you can make a project with it and keep it out from late November through February. Such a breath of fresh air in the season of santas! Today we're showing Jackie's collection, as well as a quilt she made using it that was featured in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. We asked Jackie to tell us about her latest line and her quilt. Tomorrow we'll be back with two additional projects featuring these sweet chickadees. 

Why chickadees?

It’s my dearest friend’s favorite thing—her license plate even says chickadee (with fewer letters). She married a rancher and lives 6 hours away from me, and we have trouble getting together sometimes. But she’s extremely fun, and I thought it would be fun to do chickadees.

Is this a holiday line?

It’s planned to not be just Christmas, but seasonal—more winter themed. You can use projects made from these fabrics all winter long.

What makes the palette unique?

What makes it different is the blue. It’s my favorite blue—a robin’s egg blue. It’s very soft and complementary—like a soft, light sky—and it goes well with the more traditional green and red. I sure do like it.

Tell us about the panel.

I didn’t want it to be a typical panel. I drew up the various shapes and wanted to fill them with a variety of motifs. I think it’s very useable. I used the panel in the block of the month quilt I designed (available on my website). It features the panel pieces chopped up (like in this quilt). There are just so many different ways to use the panel.

What’s your favorite fabric in the collection?

Of course I like all the blues, but I think it has to be the panel because of the bird in flight—it’s just fabulous. And the blue background makes me happy.

Anything else to share?
We are expanding the Chickadee collection for next year with My Little Chickadee! The add-on collection will include a split stripe, cut-able chickadees, a scroll and pinecones, and some more Christmas-y color options. Get a sneak peek here.

Here is the free quilt pattern, Chickadee Stars, using Jackie's collection:

Click here to find the Chickadee Stars free pattern on our website.

Jackie also designed Bird's Eye View using Chickadees & Berries, which was featured in the December 2015 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. 

As seen In American Patchwork & Quilting, Dec 2015 
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine.
©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. 

The panel pieces really stand out on the checked background.

I think the blue has such a sweet little country feel to it. I don’t do country much, but the checkerboard look was such a sweet, fun thing to do. It just translates into the quilt nicely.

How did the quilt come together?

I framed all the panel pieces and designed the quilt on a 1.5” grid, so the pieces fit together easily without a lot of math. It was part of my original thinking on the panel, to have pieces that worked together size-wise.

What do you like best about the quilt?

Besides all the blue, of course?! I do like the blue and white checked background. It really seems to be striking a chord with people.

Click here to see the entire Chickadees & Berries collection.
Click here to find the kit for Bird's-Eye View.
Click here to find American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

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Handmade Holiday Winners + Winter Solstice Fun

We hope you enjoyed our Handmade Holiday Blog Hop! All of the giveaways are now closed, and we've randomly selected our winners:

Day 1: Table Runner by Ann Lauer of Grizzly Gulch Gallery featuring Butterfly Forest

Judy F.

Day 2: Nesting Pocket Dolls by Debby Kratovil of Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring Little Katerina 

Sally W.

Day 3: Sew Easy Travel Case featuring Sew Easy

MaryBeth L.

Day 4: Firewood Tote by Mary on Lake Pulaski featuring Shades of Winter

Diane B.

Day 5: Evergreen Pennant by Jessica of Quilty Habit featuring Snow Days

Debby G.

Day 6: Patchwork Apron by Kristen of KD Quilts featuring Frosty Forest

Debra Kay N.

Day 7: Christmas Adorned quilt by Kelly of My Quilt Infatuation featuring Santa's Here

Michelle S.

Congratulations, ladies! If you haven't been contacted yet, please email your mailing address to sewinlovewithfabric (at) gmail.com so we can get your fabric bundles mailed out! 

Also, be sure to head over to Debby Kratovil's blog today! She's put together a post in honor of the Winter Solstice--she's trying to entice the sun to return with some beautiful bright color from Paula Nadelstern's Fabracadabra collection! Don't miss her post here.

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We love black & white!

Black and white prints are so fun--they're graphic, they work well by themselves or with almost anything, and they make quilt designing all about value. Maria Kalinowski's Flight of Fancy collection is chock full of black and white favorites. With plenty of variety in scale and lightness/darkness, the coordinates beautifully support the two focal prints--delicate butterflies and the large flower print. Beyond that, these prints will be a great addition to your stash!

Use the Flight of Fancy prints together in modern design that lets the fabric shine--"Butterfly House" by Stephanie Sheridan and Linda Leathersich of Stitched Together Studios. 

Click here to download the free pattern. 

Click here to see the entire Flight of Fancy collection.

Click here to find the free quilt pattern.

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