never ending time

Hello everyone! Thanks for dropping by again! Just like I said, I am writing another blog post supersonically after the one from last week. Boy, am I fast. <<wink>>

Today, I would like to share with you the latest block I designed for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks. It is called "Never Ending Time" and is published in Volume 15."

 

http://www.quiltmaker.com/100blocks.html

As you may know, I do not like to sew HST's (Half-Square-Triangles). I find it tedious to match up all those points. Instead, I have a little infatuation with Quarter-Square-Triangles (if you didn't already know). I love to sew hourglass blocks and get tickled when I match up the centers. I love how they nest together and make the easiest sharp point in the middle!

Here is a little mini tutorial of how I made this block.

Most of us have a color scheme or preference when we make/design quilts. My first choice is usually the color scheme of my website - turquoise/orange/yellow/gray. Another favorite of mine is black/gray/white and a touch of yellow. I have been stockpiling a lot of these fabrics and decided to break them out just to make this block.

After deciding on just three fabrics, I cut them out with a reference on measurements from my handy-dandy EQ7 program. Here are all of the pieces laid out for quick reference. Please refer to the magazine for exact dimensions and templates. This is my test block, and the directions in the magazine may differ.

After I sewed the two hourglass sides together in strips, I squared them up with a 90° angle. Yes, there was a little bit of waste on my original block, but the squaring was more important.

Those curves are so gentle to sew together too. Take a look at the reference picture. I don't think you even need to pin them. I did mark the center and pin though. Working on test blocks, you just want everything to fall into place.

After it was sewn together, I was quite happy with the block. As with all the blocks designed for QM, they are sent in for review. If they don't make the cut, they get returned. If they do make it, they get published in the magazine and raffled off during the blog hop when the magazine comes out. So, whenever a new magazine comes out, be sure to join in on the fun.

Quilt Designs

Here are a few quilts designed with the block. This one is a simple 2 x 2 grid of 12" blocks. I personally like how the design creates a second design when placed against another block. You could also break this block down and make a simple strip block and a half orange peel and set them on-point.

Here is a more traditional color scheme. Red, white and blue, being a little patriotic for July 4th, or just think maritime. In this design, each alternate row is rotated once 90°. I like this one very much. Once again, a second design appears. I love to rediscover shapes and movement in quilts. Do you too?

So, please grab your copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Vol. 15 to check out this cool block as well as many, many one-of-a-kind and "original quilt blocks designed by today's hottest designers."

And one more thing, because I am just totally happy that I have been published not once, twice or three times, but five times, I have a lovely little giveaway. I am giving away one copy of the the last FIVE ISSUEs of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks. This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY TOO. My motto here is to make blogging interesting again. Please share in the comments section below, what brings you to read and comment on blogs (other than giveaways). The giveaway will be open until Friday evening German time. Void where prohibited. One entry per person.

 Thank you for stopping by and good luck!

blogging is dead

Wow! It is hard to believe that I have not blogged in ages, actually a couple of months really. Why haven't I been blogging? Well, after I blogged a couple of months ago and received almost no comments, I became discouraged. With the ease and instant gratification of Instagram, I learned I no longer had to write long, informative blog posts to get people's attention. I only had to make a bit of eye candy, and I received a few comments without the hassle of writing long text.

Not that I mind typing. I actually enjoy typing on the computer, since I know how to type with all ten fingers, even on the German keyboard. I get frustrated with that little keyboard on my tiny mobile or smartphone. I really hate the auto correction on it too. I am not a thumb-typer, either and think it is totally funny when I see the younger generations typing this way. My son is 12 and learning how to type in school. I wonder how he will type in the future when he starts using his smartphone for messaging.

Okay, now that I have gotten that out of my system, do I really have anything to blog about? Yes! I've actually been quite busy. I've been so busy that I would overload you if I put everything into this one blog post! So, let's start out slow.

I started my own business. Yes, I decided to take that big leap. I've been designing my own patchwork and writing my own patterns and tutorials since 2010, I think. I've designed so much, I can't keep it all straight anymore. I've overloaded the computer with designs and have about 200 files in EQ7 not to mention the different quilts in each file. Have I made all of them or published them? No. I can't get to all of them. My daughter saw an old file on our tablet where I used to put sketches of quilts. She told me I never made the quilts she saw. Yep, sometimes I just can't get to them all. Sometimes, I even outsource the quilts. I don't really like to do that, because if I am the designer of a quilt, I want it to be written precisely and accurately. How will I know if it is written correctly if I don't follow my own directions? It would destroy me if I knew someone would say, "that Karen, she knows nothing about quilting. She just designs something without thinking."

Okay, I am rambling today, but that is good. I am getting it all out of my system just like in a diary. I assure you, there will be a little bit of eye candy today. Back to my own business. I published my very first printed pattern. Yes, it is very scary, because they are printed. I spent my own money and went to a publisher and had my pattern printed! If they don't sell, well, then, I am out of the costs, not to mention the cost of everything else!! And believe me, after I take out all of the money for expenses, there isn't a lot of money left. I know why quilt shops go bankrupt. I really feel for them too.

I've been publishing downloadable patterns for years now and not asking for a lot of money, just a few dollars or euros. In today's world, everything is quicker, faster, more redily available. No one wants to pay for anything anymore. I am very sad about that and fed up too. I give a lot of information, patterns, and tutorials away to really help others. There isn't a lot of thanks nor is there appreciation. That really hurts, but I am the type of person that likes to see the good in others. So I decided to start writing patterns and having them published for those who really want a great pattern. My patterns are well thought out, well written and concise too. Don't you get a little discouraged when you print out a PDF pattern and you have to tape ten thousand pieces together or enlarge?? I do! A lot of times when I download patterns I think to myself, "why did I buy this?" This person was not thinking when they wrote the pattern. I can make this myself without the pattern! If you know me in person, you've probably heard me say this too. There are very few people with patterns that I truly admire, but here are a few Gundrun Erla of GE Designs and Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. These ladies really rock. They've been doing their stuff for years and are still loving it (I hope.) They may not be at the top of the peak like Tula Pink but they are doing their thing. Thanks ladies!

So, back to that pattern company and business. I designed a New York Beauty with some really awesome Geogram fabrics from Samarra Kjaha for Lecien Fabrics.

The quilt was presented in Karlsruhe at Nadelwelt by Quilt ét Textilkunst in their booth. Nadelwelt is one of the larges quilt and crafting fairs in Southern Germany. Ms. Christine Köhne and her lovely staff sold my patterns, and kits and sign-ups for a class in their shop in July in Munich. Can you believe that?? I am so tickled!!

I wrote patterns in English as well in German, because I feel there aren't enough modern, patchwork patterns here in Germany. Most of our patterns are English imports. My German friends want patterns in German! Go figure. (laughing)

So, if you are looking for an advanced foundation paper pieced pattern with instructions, all full-size templates and all foundation papers to make this lovely 32 x 32 inch wall hanging, just shoot me an email. The complete pattern costs €14,95 not including shipping. Or check it out on my website. www.easypatchwork.de. Yes, I have a website! I even updated it a couple of weeks ago. I hope you like the improvements. There is free stuff there too!

Oh, and if you are looking for a more floral wall hanging, check out this lovely eye candy! This Long Island New York Beauty was made with a 10" Layer Cake of Acreage by Shannon Gillman Orr for Moda instead of yardage from Lecien. It looks just as lovely as the first too, if I may say so.

I even wrote free instructions on how to cut up the layer cake and uploaded them to Craftsy FREE, FREE, FREE! Did I mentions this was free??

**EDITED** Because some people still have to complain - there was one negative feedback on Craftsy that this was not a pattern but cutting instructions and was not worth the effort of downloading, I removed the FREE cutting instruction sheet from Craftsy. I think I remeber writing that on the FREE SHEET as well as in the information area? I must have been mistaken. Please accept my apologies! This is why I don't like to post for free anymore.

You can find this Alternate Cutting Instruction Sheet on my website for free download. Please remember, this is not the pattern, but an alternate cutting instructions sheet from a 10" stack of fabric. Thank you for your support.

I promise, I am going to write a few more posts in the next couple of weeks with a giveaway too. Please stay tuned. Oh, and please support your local patchwork store. Buy printed patterns so we can keep on doing our thing! Thank you!