sedona star quilt

Hello my dear quilty friends! I would like to share my newest pattern with you, the Sedona Star Quilt for Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks on stands now! 

Just pop on over to Quilty Pleasures Blog to see this exciting pattern for a throw quilt. If you live abroad and can't find the magazine, you can download the PDF directly from their website. Oh, and did I mention, I am also a guest blogger on their site today?! You can learn all about me and how I fussy cut most of the blocks in this quilt. (Psst. I spy the gecco, do you too?)

Sedona Star Quilt -  Designed and Sewn by Karen Ackva, Quilted by Sabine Feldmann

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave a comment or some criticism. I love reading what you have to say. : ) You make my day!

-Karen

new eq7 block challenge

Have you heard the news? There is a new EQ7 Block Challenge that is going on right now over at DO YOU EQ? It will be going on for another week as well so you still have time! Brush up your designing skills and design a block using Timeless Treasures Charleston Fabric with the free Download Fabric File in EQ7. Don't have EQ7? Don't worry! You can also design with a paper and pencil and WIN $75 and buy the software! All of the instructions on listed on the page! Good luck!

The Charleston fabric is growing on me too. Although it looks pretty traditional, it is not! There are a lot of geometrical shapes going on there mixed in with some florals and some mini prints. I'm digging it! ;-)

Here is my 12" block I am calling "Seagulls in the Sand." It is adapted from the Ribbons Block found in EQ.

Seagulls in the Sand - 12" Block

Good luck to everyone who participates in the challenge!


Oh...sorry about that. I updated the post so you can actually see an entire quilt design used with these luscious fabrics!

Seagulls in the Sand - in Rotation ~ 63 x 63 inches

Seagulls in the Sand - in Formation ~ 69 x 93 inches

If you are intersted in this block, drop me a note and I will send you the cutting instructions for it.

And thanks for dropping by! Knuddels!

pillow swap four seasons - summer edition

Hello everyone! I was looking forward to a nice, quiet morning of sewing on my advanced sampler when I was reminded by my co-host, Sandra aka Hohenbrunnerquilterin, from Pillow Swap Four Seasons that sign-ups for the summer edition have opened! Yahoo!! Are you ready to join in the fun? Let's party on for summer!

I created a new blinkie size 240 x 240 pixels in gif format to paste on your blog or website to show your support. It will decrease to 150 x 150 pixels. Please use the html tag listed below to copy and paste onto your page:

<div align="center"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/2730349@N24/" title="Pillow Swap Four Seasons"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaBd_UREW0e4w4tDyJ0PE5jjcE3Af4hvQmJzdArDxvKlj4mNzOa-xKsL8o0H0o8FVLbceTsuuzCL8kTTjw79ix3zHu-5OA7ZhqfxdFNcE04Fu_4K98URWsHQMiOhJd5s2LLXQyIsH5Vyy/s1600/pillowswap_blinkie_240.gif" alt="Pillow Swap Four Seasons" width="150" height="150" border="0" /></a></div>

What's the group about? We are an international group of patchworkers and sewists who love to make pillows according to the seasons. Our swap is "secret" so you don't know who your partner is - the person who sews for you. You, on the other hand, make a mosaic of pillows, colors, ideas that you like about summer. This will help your secret partner tailor to your expectations wishes!! Does it sound interesting?

For the complete "skivey" on information you can click on the Pillow Swap Four Seasons tab in the tab bar or go to the Flickr Group. Because this is solely a Flickr experience, we would like you to participate whole heartily with comments, opinions, ideas, questions....general support of each other. Please don't commit unless you are fully committed!! That way, you really receive a pillow according to your tastes, but still secretly! It is really loads of fun!

Please check out all of the wonderful pillows made by our participants! I honestly cannot pick ONE as a favorite, because they are all unique! There are some pillows that were extensively hand sewn with hexagons, Oma Tam, I am talking about you! and then there are others that are beautifully paper pieced with two totally differently designs on the front and back, greatbrittan66 - I mean you!! All of the pillows are GORGEOUS! AND I MEAN ALL OF THEM! I have yet to receive MY pillow, and I am sure that will be the most gorgeous of all!! There is such a high level of quality and creativity in the group, you must stop by!

And to show you what my interests for the summer swap are, here is my mosaic!

My Pillow Swap Four Seasons - Summer Inspiration - www.flickr.com/groups/2730349@N24/

1. Rollin' Along, 2. dqs7 quilt, 3. strawberries, 4. Pure Color, 5. Summer Cocktail for Tamiko, 6. Mermaid Pillow, 7. Quilted waves, 8. splash, 9. 'Vespa Scooter v.2' PP pattern (1), 10. Ice Cream Man Pillow, 11. Last Strawberry, 12. Beach, 13. Watermelons


Does are swap look intriguing to you? I hope it does!! I also hope you sign up for the next round. Registration started yesterday, March 2nd and runs through March March 12, 2015! Please take the time to read the rules and general guidelines before you register! ;-) Then, follow the link that will take you to a formula on Sandra's blog. Simply fill out the form! Then start looking for inspiration or ideas for your mosaic, create and upload to the group!!

I look forward to seeing all my old friends as well as lots of new faces! ;-)

tangram and pinwheel variation

Motivation is a big problem right now. Is anyone else struggling with this too....summertime fun? I think we all are?! Time for sewing is very limited with such nice weather. I'd rather be sitting by the pool reading a super good book!

I managed to take the time and go to my monthly patchwork guild meeting. We decided this year, several of us were going to present a block or technique for all the others to try out. At the end of the year, we should have enough new blocks for a sampler commemorating our 20 years as a patchwork group.

The two previous months, we made a puzzle block and an Atarashii block. These two didn't go as well as I wanted them to, because they were very time intensive. Actually, I don't even have the puzzle block finished. But the blocks for June and Juli went very smoothly. Although I didn't even take my fabricto my meeting, let alone my sewing machine to the meeting, I did take notes and help out my friend, Marianne. She also nudged me along to finish these two blocks this week instead of putting them off. This post is dedicated to her - she reads (or looks at) my blog, but never comments. I think it is because I write strictly in English. Well, we'll see if we can get this post translated into German so she can read it too. ;-)

Both of these blocks (tangram and pinwheel variation) measure roughly 19cm or about seven inches. After I made these two, I thought about making my folded star a little smaller or ripping out the borders and adjusting the size to match the others. I might even finish the puzzle block a little smaller to be more in unison with the others.

I also really like to make blocks if they don't take too long to sew. You know me; I don't like it too complicated, or I just won't finish it. I think about one to two hours to complete a block is just about the right amount of time I like to take. My SewKitschy blocks take about three to four hours when I take my time and try to get the fabrics right. My North Pole blocks take much longer. My Hasenbach Challenge is just about finished and was quite easy to sew. The blocks were simple, and I kept the fabrics limited. And of course there is the Jump Start SAL. The blocks were so awesomely easy, I could fit it in between projects.

How long do you like to take for your blocks? I would like to hear from you. Please leave a comment below. If you are new to the site, please follow or subscribe for updates.