Hi there! I’m so excited to post my first post for Quiltmaker magazine! And what better way to start off, than with a free pattern in our Countdown to Christmas?

I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite Christmas designs with you.

“Joy” measures 28″ x 28″, and is a combination of piecing and wool applique. Of course, you can do the applique with regular cotton fabrics and it would be just as cute. But if you’ve never tried wool applique, you should! It adds a fun twist to your quilting projects. But be careful, because you might just get addicted.

“Joy” is a free pattern available through the end of December, especially for you. I hope you enjoy it!

Please join us here for holiday inspirations every Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we Countdown to Christmas.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and as my family says, “Get your Merry on!”

Paula

We’re having a contest called Quiltmaker’s Treasure Hunt, and today we’re featuring contest sponsor Stitchin’ Heaven.

Look through their website for a Treasure Hunt button (shown below). Click on the button on their website for an entry form and a chance to win.

Stitchin’ Heaven is an active online quilting resource as well as a full-service brick & mortar quilt shop in Quitman, Texas. Be sure to check out their block of the month programs as well as their extensive links to free quilt patterns.

The Bunkhouse

There are also trips, retreats (check out the Bunkhouse) and patchwork parties! If it’s kits you’re after, they have those too!

Stitchin’ Heaven has generously donated twenty-five $25 gift certificates for Treasure Hunt winners. Quiltmaker extends sincere thanks to Stitchin’ Heaven for its sponsorship.

We used fabrics from Westminster Fibers, FreeSpirit and Maywood Studio. The complimentary patterns were very popular on our website. But due to some technical obstacles, they became unavailable.

So many folks have requested the Fabric Fiesta placemats that we’ve found a way to make it happen and they’re on our website once more. We invite you to visit and download one (or more!) of the patterns as you begin to make holiday preparations.

We wish you very Happy Holidays, just a little bit early!

For a limited time, you can subscribe to Quiltmaker at our special low rate and give a 1-year Gift Subscription to Quiltmaker for FREE! That’s two subscriptions for the price of one! Act now and you’ll also receive a FREE Instant Gift just for ordering. But hurry…this Mother’s Day Special ends May 9th.
Offer valid in the U.S. only.

We decided to use some of this year’s beautiful holiday fabrics to make aprons and we’d make Christmas cookies in our picture. Of course, we decided this the day before photography. We looked through the holiday fabric we had in our studio–and found enough current fabric to make the aprons . . . well, Diane and I found enough to make aprons as long as we stayed behind the counter.

We bought disposable hostess aprons to use as our guide–several of us discovered those aprons could not be ironed.

We used the following fabrics:

• Winter Friendships from Marcus Fabrics
• Have a Sheri Berry Holiday from Northcott
• Bejeweled from P&B Textiles
• Forever Christmas from Red Rooster Fabrics
• Holiday Fourish 2 and Summer from Robert Kaufman

If you’d like to make full-size aprons (instead of our fat quarter bibs) here are some guidelines and a picture of Carolyn in her complete apron.

Materials:

• 1 panel at 33.5″ wide x 32″ tall
• 1 strip of contrasting fabric at 2.5″ x 152″ long (can be pieced together from 4 strips at 2.5″ x 40″)

Trim the top corners off the panel as shown below:

Sew a 1/2″ hem on the top, sides and bottom, leaving the angled portions unhemmed

Press the strip in half lengthwise, and then press 1/4″ seam allowances along both sides. Fold both ends inside and sew to finish the ends.

Fold the strip in half lengthwise and mark the middle. To form the neck loop, measure 12″ from the middle on both sides; match these points of the strip to the top corners and pin. Continue pinning the strip along the angled edges, enclosing the angled edges with the strip.

Starting at a bottom end, sew the entire strip together, 1/8″ from the edge, and continuing through all layers when you reach the angled edges.

And then enjoy all that holiday baking!

Zoo-for-Two is made from Urban Flannel by Valori Wells for FreeSpirit Fabrics. The QM staff knew how fun that fabric would be when we first saw it. The best thing about Zoo-for-Two is how you end up with 2 quilts from one pattern. Hope you like how we used your fabric Valori!

Lavender Fields started as the color option after I saw Willow by McKenna Ryan for Hoffman California Fabrics. But I wanted to make a throw so I changed the patch size and it needed two borders, so this one became its own pattern

Happy quilting!