Friday, February 9, 2018

Free Pattern Friday

Hi All!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so it seemed like the perfect time to share these 2 free patterns that fall into the "love" theme. The first is Annaliese - designed by us for Benartex. The "Sweet Baby Rose" fabric line featured in this pattern is no longer in production, but this design would look great in any color or fabric. 

Find the pattern HERE
The second pattern we would like to share is for our "LOVE" pillows. The elongated heart shaped design is intended for those recovering from breast cancer surgery. There is a tutorial for these pillows - click here to see it.

Find the pattern HERE
With Love,

~Stephanie

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Wednesday WIP ... and a Winner!

It is Wednesday ... time to talk about my current WIP (Works in Progress). I finished up 2 of the projects that I shared with you on January 17th. The Forest quilt featuring Anthology Lane with Birch Trees line is at Mom's house in line to be quilted ... as is the "Sun Star" quilt featuring Benartex Wonderlust designed by Paula Nadelstern - you can see that tutorial here. (We won't talk about the 3rd project ... it keeps getting put on the back burner.)

So what is on my cutting table right now? These 2 projects:



"Winter Games" Sewing Olympics on the Benartex Blog! How much fun is this going to be? I am helping out with the tutorials for a series of sewing "events" that will result in a 33" square quilt - you can read all of the details here. Grab your favorite Benartex, Kanvas and/or Contempo fabrics and join in, the fun starts on Friday! Pssst - there will be prizes!





"Vista" is a magazine project that I just got the fabrics for ... aren't these batiks just delicious?!?! The quilt is a modern landscape - very unique - and I can't wait to get started! These fabrics are from Anthology Art Inspired series. The collection is called "Van Gogh's Chair" and you can see it here.




And now for the winner! Thanks to everyone who entered the Benartex giveway for the Wonderlust Blog Hop ... the winner is janarama! I will contact you via e-mail for your mailing address.


One last thing ... I'd like to wish a very happy birthday to my baby boy ... he is 16 today! Where did the time go?!?! It seems like just yesterday that you were my 7 lbs of joy born in Room 7 on February 7th.

Until next time,

~Stephanie

Monday, February 5, 2018

Magazine Monday "Nonpareil"

I love any and all fabrics designed by Marcia Derse for Windham Fabrics, so you can imagine my excitement when I actually got to meet her at Spring Market 2017! She was debuting her Treasure Hunt line, and I was swooning. 

My much treasured FQ bundle of Treasure Hunt
A selection of the Treasure Hunt prints
While hanging out in the Windham booth I ran into an editor from Fons & Porter who asked if I could design something for her specifically using the Treasure Hunt line. Talk about being in the right place at the right time ... it was like the stars had aligned! This is the resulting quilt - Nonpareil (featured in Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts Spring 2018). It is a simple pinwheel pattern using fun pops of bright color on a background of various shades of gray.


  
Nonpareil designed by Stephanie Sheridan
featured in Easy Quilts Spring 2018

The magazine is at newsstands now, so be sure to pick up a copy!






Friday, February 2, 2018

Sun Star Tutorial (Wonderlust Blog Hop + Giveaway)


Welcome to the final stop on the Wonderlust Blog Hop! My tutorial today is for a 36" Gallery Quilt. Each time Paula Nadelstern debuts a new fabric collection, she and some of her quilting friends make beautiful small quilts to display her new fabrics. The quilts then travel with Paula for a year to help promote her fabric line. I have made 3 of these intricate little quilts before, always in Paula's blues and purples, so I chose to work with her warm colors this time. They are a beautiful bit of brightness and heat in what has been a very white winter here! You can see the full Wonderlust collection here.



Fabric Requirements and Cutting Directions
Note: I recommend pressing fabrics with spray starch before cutting to help reduce bias stretch.
A. 3/8 yard Good Vibrations Multi (1712-99): Cut (16) 1-1/2” squares and (4) 2-1/2” strips
B. 3/8 yard Electric Slide Multi (1713-99): Cut (9) 3-1/2” squares (fussy cut – see step 1)
C. ¼ yard Marbella Red (1714-10): Cut (20) 4” squares, cross cut (10) into half square triangles HST
D. 7/8 yard Marbella Black (1714-12): Cut (9) 4-1/4” squares,  crosscut into (36) quarter square triangles QST, (18) 4” squares, (24) 1-1/2” X 9-1/2” rectangles, and (4) 1-1/2” strips.
E. 3/8 yard Marbella Orange (1714-28): Cut (16) 4” squares, crosscut (8) into HST; and (5) 4-1/4” squares, crosscut into QST
F. ¼ yard Marbella Tangerine (1714-29): Cut (4) 4-1/4” squares. crosscut into (16) QST

42” X 42” batting – 1-1/4 YD Backing - (5) 2-1/4” strips for binding


1. Cut all fabrics as stated above. When cutting the (9) Electric Slide squares for the center of the blocks – cut (1) 5” strip, then subcut (4) 3-1/2” on point squares for the center of the corner blocks, and cut (1) 3-1/2” square with a similar motif for the center block. Cut (4) matching motifs for the remainder of the blocks.


2. Draw line on wrong side of the (10) red and (8) orange 4” squares. Place right sides together with black 4” square, sew ¼” away one each side of drawn line. Cut, then press with seam allowance towards the black fabric. Square to 3-1/2”, Make (20) Red-Black HST blocks and (16) Orange-Black HST blocks.


3. Layout black, orange and tangerine QSTs with red and orange HST as shown. Place QSTs right sides together and pin. Sew, then press with seam allowance toward orange/ tangerine fabric. Place right sides together with HSTs, pin and sew, then press with seam allowance towards red/orange HST. Square to 3-1/2”, make (20) Black-Orange-Red blocks and (16) Black-Tangerine-Orange blocks.


4. Layout the HST, QST and fussy cut squares as shown, sew into rows, then sew rows together. Make (4) of the red/orange corner blocks, (1) red/orange center block, and (4) of the orange/tangerine blocks for the top, left, right and bottom blocks.


5. Sew (3) Black and (4) 1-1/2” Good Vibrations squares together to make sashing rows. Sew the blocks together with sashing strips into rows, then sew all rows together.



6. Measure sides of quilt (ours is 31-1/2”) and subcut (2) black 1-1/2" strips to fit, sew to sides. Measure top and bottom (ours is 33-1/2”) and subcut (2) black 1-1/2" strips to fit, sew to top and bottom.
Repeat using the 2-1/2” strips of Good Vibrations for the outer border (our sides are 33-1/2” and top/ bottom are 37-1/2”). We like to put a slightly oversized outer border on these little quilts, then after quilting we can trim to exactly 36” before binding.


Now this beauty is off to the Sunshine State for quilting … how appropriate! I will share a picture when it comes back.

Have you missed any of the other stops on the blog hop? Be sure to check them out!
Wednesday: mmm! Quilts
Thursday: Little Bunny Quilts
Friday: Stitched Together Studios (you are here!)

And now ... the Giveaway (US addresses only)! For your chance to win a FQ Bundle with a selection of 8-10 Wonderlust fabrics, leave a comment below telling me ... what is the smallest quilt you've ever made? For a bonus entry, follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me that you have done so. Deadline for entry is  11:59 pm Tuesday February 6th, I will pick a winner on February 7th.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Modern with a Twist - Monkey Wrench block

I was recently asked to contribute to the "Modern with a Twist" section of Modern by the Yard e-zine (published quarterly by Benartex). They asked me to come up with a modern take on the "Monkey Wrench" block featuring one of their newest fabric lines. Here is my block:


 I chose the Wave Texture collection designed by Jackie Robinson for my block, and used four shades of purple in the 4 quadrants of the block to create a rippling gradient effect. As you can see - the colors move from light to dark in a clockwise swirl. Pretty - yes?

Ok - block done, now on to my favorite part - designing a quilt with it! Here is my first option, an interesting modernish setting for this block that really shows off the gradated swirls.



I like it, but wanted to play a bit more with the shapes and secondary designs that appear with this block. Hmm ... what if I inverted the original bock to make the gradation run in a counterclockwise swirl - like this:



With that done - it was time to flip and flop and twist and turn these blocks! Check out these two modern (and very very purple) designs. Who knew the "Monkey Wrench" block could create all these very soft and undulating curves? 




So, do you have a favorite? I think I'll be writing a pattern for at least one of these quilts in the near future!

Click here to see the Wave Texture collection on the Benartex webpage.
Click here to see the Modern by the Yard e-zine. 





Wednesday, January 17, 2018

New Year ... New Blog ... New Projects!

2018 ... a new year has arrived, and what fun is in our future! Welcome to the new (and improved) Stitched Together Studios blog. We have many exciting things planned this year - new commercial patterns, new free patterns through some of our favorite manufacturers, designs being published in magazines, participation in blog hops - sew much to share, please join us!

Today is a Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday ... time to take stock of the ongoing projects in the studio and share some sneak peeks.


Pieces and Blocks
for the "Forest" quilt
"Lane with Poplar Trees"
by Anthology Fabrics
First up is a masculine quilt featuring the "Lane with Poplar Trees" Art Inspired collection by Anthology Fabrics. Deep chocolate brown, coffee, toffee, butterscotch, sweet marshmallow cream, these batiks are just delicious! I can't show you the whole quilt yet, but here are the fabrics and some of the pieces in progress. The quilt kit and pattern will be offered through Keepsake Quilting, I will let you know when it is available.


Next Up ... fabrics for an upcoming blog hop quilt ... Wonderlust by Paula Nadelstern for Benartex. These gorgeous colors are a lovely bit of summer in this very cold and snowy winter. The blog hop is scheduled for the week of January 29th, so be sure to check back.



Last (but not least) is a personal project - this was supposed to be a Christmas quilt,  but time just got away from me! Shhhh ... don't tell ... I'll share this one when it is gifted. That is my "Newspaper Quilt" in the background - it was featured in Modern By The Yard Issue 4 - you can find it out here.



Lots of work to do ... better get back to sewing!

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