fall freebie

To all of you fall and autumn lovers out there, here is a freebie featured on Craftsy. I intinially intended for this 10 x 12 inch block to be an add-on to the "Bad Kitty" pattern, but you can use it as a stand alone mini quilt, large mug rug or small placemat.

I really enjoyed making this and love how you can design things by sewing small squares and flipping to make new edges. I was tempted to design it with foundation paper piecing, but thought everyone (new quilters and experienced) would benefit more from the sew, cut and flip method. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Freebie from easypatchwork found on Craftsy

Here is what a quilt could look like by exchanging the cat and bat blocks for the double pumpkins and a stand alone pumpkin block:

Design Idea

There is no free tutorial for the "standing alone" pumpkin. If you are interested in this version and would like to buy the printed Bad Kitty in the Pumpkin Patch pattern (no PDF), I would be happy to give the dimensions to you. Please contact me karen@easypatchwork.de

If you make something with the free mini double pumpkins, please post on social media using the hashtag: #easypatchworkminipumpkins

Thank you and enjoy your fall!

bad kitty in the pumpkin patch

As a good "American," I decided not only to get ready for the Halloween season early this year, but I also designed a new table topper that everyone can make. You see, my husband is getting onto me every year that I don't decorate the house a little bit better for Halloween. He knows this is one of my favorite holidays, but I am a bit lazy when it comes to decorating for a specific season other than Christmas.

This whimsical table topper features two applique kitties, one on each side as well as four FPP bats, one intertwined pumpkin stem block and four log cabin pumpkins. I tell you, it is really fun to make something using all of your skills as a quilter. I am not too fond of applique, but this is the easiest way to make that kitty. It is all raw-edge applique, but you can just add 1/4 to the templates using two pencils taped together and outlinging the original shape to make your turned-applique templates. The kitty is truly made of minimal parts and the accent quilting is just gorgeous! A big thanks goes out to Sabine of Quilt-Oase in Nersingen, Germany who did the most specatcular job on the spider web, cat legs and dangling spider quilting!!

The new pattern consists of 12 pages with a handout of all FPP and applique templates scaled at 100%. Once again, there is no need for scaling on my patterns. You can find the new pattern in my Etsy Store (easypatchworkshop) or at your local German quilt shop. If you own a quilt shop anywhere in the world and would like to sell this pattern, please contact me directly. This pattern is available only in English.

I used fabrics from the Hocus Pocus collection from Sandy Gervais for Moday and Riley Blake Fabrics - Eek Boo Shriek Creme Dot for the background. The acid green eyes are actually Chartreuse from Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Material Requirements:

1 yard background fabric
1 yard 2 1/2" strips various prints for pumpkins and border
1 yard black for cat, bats, stems and border
scraps of acid green and pink for the applique kitty nose and eyes
1/2 yard of each - fusible web and applique interfacing

This pattern is for intermediate quilters.

Have fun and thank you for stopping by!

bitten by the ungrateful fairy

Today I logged onto to Craftsy to see what patterns I had sold. I quickly noticed I had one negative review of my "pattern" New York Beauty Alternate Cutting Instructions. I was reviewd with one out of five stars with the anonymous person stating it wasn't a pattern and wasn't worth the download. Hmmpf. Yes, I know this is not a free pattern but cutting instructions. I stated this on the instruction sheet as well as in the description. I even stated you needed to have the pattern, where to get it, and how much it cost.

I opted to upload this sheet to Craftsy, so I could see who is actually downloading it. Craftsy allows you to see everyone who downloads your patterns which is a security measurement for me to know if someone has infringed upon the copyright. Most people ignore the fact that everything you create, every image, every photo is unofficially copyrighted. You do not need this © sign on anything you create to state it is copyrighted. It is automatic. Even if it is shown on a pattern, © 2017 Karen Ackva, this doesn't mean they are just the author. You are not allowed to copy it nor distribute the content without written consent from that person. I write this on all my patterns, but legally, it is understood. I put it on my patterns just to remind others. Legally, no one is allowed to even repost one of your photos on Instagram without permission. Did you know that too?

I was so disturbed by the negative feedback from this one ungrateful fairy, that I deleted the free cutting instructions for this as well as other "free"patterns. If you are looking for this sheet, you can still find it here.

I would like to remind all of you out there who download free patterns of anything - a lot of work and thought goes into writing patterns, tutorials, and blog posts. I think a simple thank you or appreciation is reward enough. Sometimes, that is just too expensive, though. I apologize Ungrateful Fairy! If you had left your name, I would have sent you the entire pattern free of charge including all full size templates.

**EDITED** I reuploaded the form to Craftsy. I decided I shouldn't let one bad apple get in the way of a nice thing, especially for those who really appreciate it. If you are looking for the original pattern, you can purchase on my website page or on Etsy in my easypatchworkSHOP. Thank you.

-Happy Butterfly

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!

autumn leaves pattern

Last weekend, I was at Patchwork at the Peaks in Morzine, France hosted by Elita Sharpe. It was one of the most rewarding retreats that I have ever attended. If you know me, you know I don't lie or fluff! Not only did I participate, but I was also allowed to give a morning introductory class in paper piecing. I designed this simple autumn leaves template which is a great starter for learning foundation piecing or sewing by numbers. No lines have to match up and if you don't sew directly on a line, it isn't noticeable at all. And the best part of it all - it is a great stash buster!!

All of the ladies were eager to try out the pattern and take a whirl at it. And more importantly, everyone finished the project and most made not only one, but two of the 5" blocks. I was very impressed with how the ladies quickly took to understanding paper piecing. I didn't catch on that quickly when I first started foundation piecing. It was always that first step that got me as well as flipping over the paper back and forth, especially forgetting where to sew the next line. Ladies, you get an A+ (American), 6 (Swiss) and a 1 (German) from me! You did a fanstic job at sewing your leaves together. They were all so great in different color combinations too. I liked all of them which ranged from only solids in contrast colors, to a mix up of vintage fabrics depicting the different season.

May I show you some of THEIR INCREDIBLE work?

A Collection of Autumn Leaves at the Peaks 6

Being a pattern designer it is extremely rewarding to see what other quilters have made with your pattern. It warms my heart seeing so many beautiful patchwork pieces. Bravo, ladies, bravo! I look forward to seeing more paper pieced blocks and quilts MADE BY YOU!

If you are intersted in making your own autumn leaves wall hanging, you can get the 5" template pattern on Craftsy.

Yours truly,
Karen

north pole sal - elves recreation center

Well, it is that time again. It is the last Wednesday of the month - time to show my latest block for Val Spiers - Welcome to the North Pole Sew-A-Long. I am very pleased with my new block. Some things that helped me were:

1. Staying within a color wheel segment and not jumping around.
2. Using the same ideas from my initial block such as the snow, the dark roofs, background and gray windows.
3. Initial pre-planning this block when I finished the first block.
4. Fixing my due date and sticking to it.

Okay, you can see that some of the fabrics I didn't use, but I had to try out three different doors until I got the one I liked the best.

I managed to crank this block out in a relatively short period of time. I am so proud of myself! ;-) I didn't dilly-dally like I usually do - contemplating if I should use this fabric or that one - just the door. And the gray looks better now that I have two blocks finished. Thank you, Katrin. I should trust my first instinct and not second guess.

If you haven't joined up to this SAL, and you have the book, it would be awesome if you could join us. I am not much of a hand appliquéist but you don't have to hand appliqué it. The machine works just as well! I am leaving my options open for the moment.

This is turning out to be such a great experience. And look, you can make a wall hanging with bright and cheery colors that you can hang up all year long! How great is that?

Thank you for dropping by. New viewers and readers are warmly welcome! Don't forget to sign up for updates via Google, bloglovin, or a simple email.

welcome to the north pole sew-a-long

This year,  I am psyched up about having joined several sew-a-longs and block-of-the-month online programs. I have stayed on top of things so far, but it is still just February. I wonder if I have the staying power to complete all of them? Hmm.. I am certainly going to try. It will probably get a little more difficult in the warmer months when I don't want a warm quilt on my ready warm lap or want to spend more time outdoors than in. Maybe I will just have to take the sewing machine outside when it gets warmer!

Welcome to the North Pole with Val Spiers has become a revived SAL with several new participants - I being one of them. I really didn't know what I was getting into when I joined this program; I thought it was be easy cheesy. Boy, was I wrong! I spent all morning trying to get my fabrics right on the first block - Mr. and Mrs. Claus' House. I really loved the green fabric for the main house, and cut a smaller entrance way in green as well, but it didn't stand out the way I wanted it too. I returned back to the blue and added the blue shutters. The chimney was also an afterthought or change of fabric; it was first in browns. I might change the front door to brown?!

I am not going to appliqué until I have a few more blocks finished. I want to see more of a collection of blocks before I make an impromptu decision and change things later.

With the snow on the bottom, I went with the idea of cutting three inch wide strips, folding in half and sewing along the edge of the block. I made some ripples and sewed very close to the edge below the house and hill. I like the 3-D appearance of snow and drifts. I could add more stitching to the snow later. We'll see. So far, I am quite content.

I could really envision hand stitching lots of details.....this is a very exciting journey for me. I am feeling much better about it today than when I made the block. I am now looking forward to the next block and have already picked the color scheme for it.

One thing I have to remind myself about BOMs or SALs in that I shouldn't put too much weight on one individual block. In the end, it will be a collection of blocks. The overall impression is more important. Better said than done sometimes, right? I also like to hang the block up and live with it for a while.

I am curious to seeing what the other lovely ladies have done on their North Pole blocks!

Keep sewing and thanks for dropping by.
Karen

linear refraction

Guten Morgen ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for joining me today along the "Wake Up to Kona" Color Essentials blog hop presented by ! Sew We Quilt and sponsored by Amanda Murphy, Robert Kaufman and Aurifil. This is a very exciting day for me since this is my very FIRST patchwork challenge! Please don't forgot to stop by and explore what my fellow colleagues (for-the-day) have made. You will find a link to their sites at the bottom of my page, so please read on.

Right now, I am on a 60° triangle craze. I am always dreaming of different possibilities with what I can do with this shape. There are two typical quilts to make with 60 degree triangles - the 1000 Pyramids Quilt and a one patch triangle with varying hues, saturation and fabrics. I wondered what else could you make when you add a parallelogram to the design. What other designs and patterns show up?? That was my starting point.

I work a lot with EQ7 when I design quilts. You can see some of my creations at the EQ Gallery. I like to see how everything is going to look beforehand with maybe just a slight change or two. My first challenge was adding the parallelogram into a pattern. EQ7 has the option of making a one-block quilt, but I wanted triangles and parallelograms! How do I make the parallelograms? Duh...just make a one-block strip drawing exactly the shapes you want to include in the quilt. I drew seven different strips with the shapes I wanted. That simple! Here is a preview of the first strip:

I love to work with solids, but I never worked entirely with them, because I don't want my patchwork to look "Amishy". Today, bright and fresh fabric choices are readily available especially in solids. I am very excited when you tell me that you discover solids and are starting to use them in your own quilts. I love to use lots and lots of different fabrics or colors, but I limited myself with this design to just four colors and an anchor. My color choices usually reflect my mood, the weather or a new trendy fabric collection. And with this challenge, I decided to go with the weather. I had winter on my mind. I picked from Kona Chartreuse, Lagoon, Windsor and Crocus as well as Snow to anchor and put them all together.

Are you curious to see what I created? I think I am more excited to show you!

It was a little bit of a battle to get the measurements right, but if I had just printed out the rotary cutting instructions from EQ7 like I was used to, I could have saved myself a lot of seam ripping from the get-go. I did not have any major problems after that. As long as you sew the rows together in opposing directions, and let the seams nest, it will sew together in a snap. I actually spent more time quilting it than sewing it together.

Here it is without the binding:

I really wanted to make this patchwork come to life and designed it with a colored, alternating strip binding. I was almost in a pickle getting the fabric, because I ran out of the chartreuse green. It was on back order, so I ordered it at a second online shop - Quiltzauberei. Thank you for getting it to me so quickly! I applied the strip binding rotating the quilt always to the left for a really special effect. (It is not a continuous binding.)

When it came to quilting, I didn't want to over-do-it. I like the quilting to hold the patchwork in place but not overpower the design. There can always be a second design created when you quilt and I did want to achieve this as well. I quilted 3/8" (0,80cm) on the inside of the white/purple sections and I,5" on the insides of the colored triangles. It makes a secondary pattern in the quilt and turns a couple of triangles into diamonds. And yes, I actually used five different threads when quilting and tied the ends before I pulled them through - no backing stitching! And here she is all finished up:

 

The colors are gorgeous - much more vibrant than pictured here. I love the layout including just one entire row of triangles in the middle. My hubby asked me immediately who was going to receive this little beauty. I quickly replied and told him this was my show piece; it stays in the collection. And it will be staying on my wall for the duration of the winter. I like to think of the sun reflecting off solid ice in the middle of the day and in the evening when the light changes - linear refraction! How many different patterns can you see?

I really enjoyed planning and sewing this quilt - a wall hanging size of ~98 x 98 cm or 38.5 x 38.5 inches. It is a great little piece to show off what you can do. It isn't always easy to get those points lined up the way you want too.

If you would like to make this quilt, I have the free pattern here for download. (There is also an alternate fabric way if you prefer a warmer look.) Donations are welcome via PayPal to karen@easypatchwork.de but are not required.

Please don't forgot to stop by and explore what my fellow blog hop colleagues have made. We are counting on your support! Leave a little love or just a comment will do.There are so many great quilts, large and small, that you have to visit each and everyone's site. They will knock your socks off. When you finish with this little list, go back to ! sew we quilt and look at all of the particpants!!

Life in the Scrapatch

Vroomans Quilts

Bumbleberry Stitches

Upstairs Hobby Room

Sew Many Yarns

easypatchwork

Beaquilter

A big warm thanks to Carol at Just Let Me Quilt and Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt for organizing and cheering us on but most importantly, for inspiring us to inspire YOU!

 Thank you for dropping by. Karen

new project for Moda Bake Shop

I've been working on a great new project for Moda Bake Shop using one 10" Layer Cake. I submitted my design back in Sept/October and was completely floored when they contacted me. They actually said my pattern was good enough for their site. I even got to pick out the fabric that I wanted for the new improved lap quilt. I couldn't resist to pick the new fabric line from Kate Spain, my favorite designer, that comes out in January.

So here is a little sneaky peaky of "prairie Traditions" for Moda Bake Shop. It should be "premiering" in December 2012 or January 2013.

Honey Honey by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics

All you need for the quilt top

If you would like to make this pattern, I would love to see your finished quilt. Please post them on flickr under prairie Traditions. Or send me a jpeg, and I will post on my website. 

I am looking forward to writing more patterns for you in 2013! :-)

Bis dann und schöne Grüße
Karen

happy halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and is slowing starting to come here to Germany. About five years ago, no one did anything for Halloween. Now, you can find parties and some of the kids even go trick or treating. I passed out treats in Kindergarten one year and even told about the tradition and how it came about. It is actually a very old Celtic holiday.

We will carve our pumpkins tonight and light them to scare away the evil spirits who lurk the darkness before "Allerheiligen." If my kids decide to dress up, I even have a few ghostly treats for them.

Here is a table topper I made for Halloween a couple of years ago. I never quite finished it, but I still wanted to share. It is one of those patterns that you just have to make, and it doesn't matter when - just do it. It was featured in the September/October issure of Quiltmaker in 2009 No. 129. It was designed by Marilyn Larson of of North Dakota. Mine is still lacking the finishing touches such as the eye lashes, backing, quilting..finishing.

I also made a Scribbles Monsters II wallhanging last year. The panel is from Clothworks. And yes, it isn't finished either. I added some "Juggling Summer" fabric to it which gave it a nice modern feel. Hope you enjoy. You can see the rest of the photos on my flickr feed here.

Happy Halloween! Stay safe. Don't eat too much candy! Give out some healthy treats too such as tattoos or pencils.