Category: Quilts

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Divination EPP Quilt Pattern

I’m so thrilled to finally have my Divination EPP quilt pattern out in the world! I am such a huge fan of 8-pointed stars that I knew I wanted my next pattern to be composed primarily of that shape. English paper piecing is such a wonderfully fun past time, and I really had so much fun picking fabrics and fussy cutting each of these blocks. This pattern looks deceptively intricate, but each fussy cut print is paired with a “blender” fabric that reads as a solid, so it simplifies the fabric selection quite a bit. It’s a great confident beginner project for those familiar with EPP, but not ready to pair complex fabrics together for each and every block.

I have been looking at my out of print fabric stash for quite a while now, and I LOVE using that fabric up. I want to use up every crumb and enjoy those fabrics in quilts and usable projects. The Divination EPP Quilt is a great way to use up those long hoarded fabrics without regret.

Many of these prints are so fun to fussy cut, especially with the help of Magic Mirrors to show you a preview of what the kaleidoscope effect will look like BEFORE you do the cutting! You can see each and every block I’ve cut for my Divination EPP Quilt by heading over to Instagram. You can search the hashtag #DivinationEPP to see the awesome blocks!

The Divination EPP pattern includes these features:

  • Clear instructions and fabric requirements (calculated in solids, but also includes a supplement with an exact diagram with specific fabrics used in the cover quilt and requirements for those fabrics))
  • Coloring page to help plan your quilt
  • Yardage requirements that aren’t usually included in EPP patterns
  • Step-by-Step instructions with pictures to guide you through
  • Instructions and diagrams for piecing quilt backs
  • Pattern includes printable templates for easy cutting
  • The option to purchase acrylic templates, making fussy cutting a breeze
  • Basting diagram so your seams spin and nest perfectly
  • Printable fussy cutting templates (this is especially useful if you are overseas and want to avoid shipping acrylic templates)
  • Fussy cutting diagram to illustrate exactly how to cut the Tiny Stripes prints
  • Fussy cutting diagram to illustrate exactly how to cut the striped stars, along with alternative layout
  • Options to make THREE different sizes
  • Expanded size assembly layouts for the 61″ x 82″ and 82″ square larger quilt options
  • Printable papers

Fabric Kits

You can purchase a stripe bundle that will get you going on all of those smaller starbursts here. And you can get Ultimate Tula Pink Rainbow bundles here to coordinate with each fussy cut star in the top.

Ultimate Tula Pink Rainbow Bundle
Ultimate Tula Pink Stripes Bundle

Fussy Cutting? What’s that?

Divination Fussy cutting acrylic templates

Fussy cutting is one of my favorite things to do. And the Divination EPP pattern is made for fussy cutting! You basically take a fabric and look at the print on it. You decide what part of the print you want to show in your piecing and determine where your seam allowance will fall. A great way to look at this is with a set of Magic Mirrors to show how the pattern will repeat if you cut so many of the same print. I like to place the Magic Mirrors directly on top of the seam line of my fussy cutting template (that way, the angle is perfect) and move them on top of the fabric to see the different possibilities for fussy cutting.

Fussy cutting preview with mirrors

Once you decide on the area of the print that you like, you use the acrylic templates to fussy cut the print so it creates a new and unique repeat. Half the fun is turning the pieces in opposite directions to see how much of a difference you can get from one print! Below are some great samples of fussy cutting turned into Divination EPP blocks.

New to English Paper Piecing?

That’s okay too. I’ve got you covered with a basic EPP video where I tell you about all my favorite tools, tips, and tricks for getting started with EPP. I’ve also got one on my favorite basting method  I’m team glue basting all the way. There are tons of different supplies, methods, etc. and every single EPP-er seems to have some pretty strong opinions about which method and what supplies they prefer. English paper piecing is a fun way to take a project with you, and I invite you to explore the different methods and find the one that you like the best!

My favorite English Paper Piecing Accessories

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Hexie EPP Stocking Pattern

A group of hexagonal patterned socks in different colors.

The Hexie EPP Stocking Pattern is finally here! This is a perfect pattern for a quick finish, and it saves time and fabric by not having to fussy cut. I designed these stockings to have a similar look to the cute Buffalo Plaid that has a more clean and modern Christmas-y look, but with hexagons. The pattern details how to make the stocking using the 3-color solids, or for a more fun look, a 6-color solid multicolor stocking. Using solids eliminates the need to spend tons of extra time fussy cutting, and you can use the stack and cut method to cut multiple hexies out at once. I think the most I was able to cut at one time was 8 pieces.

This pattern includes:

  • Detailed instructions for solids: 3-colors or 6-colors or fussy cut your own pieces
  • Pattern includes Youtube tutorial sew along to assemble the stocking
  • finished stocking measures 6″ wide at top x 14″ tall X 11″ wide heel to toe, complete with hanging loop
  • Blank coloring sheet to design your own colorway or plan for fussy cutting
  • Fabric requirements for the 3 and 6 color stockings
  • Detailed cutting diagrams
  • Full color diagrams and step outs
  • Stocking template
  • Printed pattern version includes a full sheet of hexie papers for you to copy and cut out yourself, should you choose
  • PDF version includes a printable sheet of hexie papers

So many options!

Kits for the Hexie EPP Stockings:

Find the perfect kit for you! These solid stockings are curated in the perfect shades of Tula Pink solids by FreeSpirit. Grab the color that fits you, or make an entire fabulous rainbow gradient to fill your mantle!

If you aren’t a fan of fabric kits, you can also grab your own acrylic fussy cutting template and precut EPP papers to save you a little time. Or cut your own hexies with the papers that are included in the PDF or the printed pattern. Both options have a printed OR printable paper Hexie fussy cutting template.

Customizing your stocking

You can choose to quilt your stocking with fun hand quilting, easy domestic machine quilting with simple straight lines, or pick a fun pantograph and throw it on the longarm for a bit of punch! Alternatively, you don’t have to quilt the stocking at all and the inside is fully lined to protect all the seams. Pattern instructions include a hanging loop.

Orange Peel Quilting
Honeycomb Panto
Night Light panto
Simple free motion quilting
Rainbow hearts panto
Baptist fan panto
Bountiful Feathers panto

I’m so excited to finally share this pattern with you. I feel like I have been working on it for years and perfecting each version so it will bring you SO much joy when you make it. I hope you’ll share your makes with me using #HexieEPPStocking . Thanks for reading, friend, and happy sewing!!

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Spellbound EPP – a magical quilt pattern

A colorful quilt with many different colors of hexagons.

My labor of love (aside from longarming) this year has been the Spellbound EPP pattern! When Tula Pink released her black and white line called Linework, I knew I wanted to make something really special with it. I love black and white fabrics and adding a pop of color to them really sets them apart. I’ve had a blast on this journey picking the fabrics and fussy cutting different elements of each fabric to make it shine. The Spellbound quilt pattern will be available this Friday, October 29!

I am a little bit of a mover and a shaker. You know what I mean–I’m one of those people that can’t stand to just sit idle and not do anything. If you’re here, and reading this, you might have this problem too 😉 . If I have some free time and a free set of hands, you better believe I’ve got some EPP prepped and ready to go. Aside from longarm quilting (which I do almost all day), EPP is my favorite way to pass the time.

I always have a little EPP kit in my purse so that if I’m caught waiting at the doctor’s office, or getting my car inspected, or whatever, I always have a little something to keep me busy AND productive (I posted a list of my favorites at the end of this post). I hate wasting so much time on my phone when I could be sewing something, right!?

It’s such a convenient way to pack a little sewing kit and get things done when you otherwise couldn’t. I love the portability and convenience of EPP, and my daughter Gemma has even helped me finish a few stitches. You can see a ton of my Spellbound EPP shares by heading over to Instagram.

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Hurricane Quilt Pattern

A quilt with the words hurricane on it.

Today is the Hurricane quilt pattern Release Day! And I love to celebrate pattern releases with a sale, so you can get the Hurricane quilt pattern on sale through 8/10/2021 and use the code HURRICANE for 20% off everything else in my shop. You’ll want to keep reading until the end because there are kits, too! Also, there are some sweet free patterns in there too, if you haven’t checked them out!

Hurricane PDF Pattern
Hurricane Print Pattern



Inspiration

Before we had kids, my husband and I started our work careers in Houston, TX. In the few years that we lived there, we had countless tropical storm warnings and a handful of pretty serious hurricanes. One particularly memorable storm was IKE. I had just started a new position at a brand new high school (really–it was the school’s first year to be open) and we didn’t know if we should stay and ride it out or evacuate. We ended up leaving after the storm hit and we lost power to stay with my parents a few hours away, since we didn’t know when the power would be restored (spoiler, it came back on within a day…womp, womp). My new high school sustained a lot of damage and, if I remember right, closed for two weeks for repairs.

I can’t stand bad weather…but love to make the best of it

If you’ve ever evacuated an area in hurricane/tropical storm territory, you’ve probably noticed the little graphic painted on the highway shoulder and marked on road signs to indicate a storm route evacuation. I really can’t stand storms and bad weather, and I remember thinking how much I liked the little symbol and the hundreds of painted ones we passed on our way out of town–in spite of what it stood for. The symbol for those storms has always stuck with me and I needed to create a scrapbook of sorts with the symbol. So the hurricane quilt pattern was born and it ALMOST makes me not hate those destructive storms and what they stand for. I like to think of it as a way to turn lemons into lemonade 🙂 .

The PDF and print copies are here for you to make your own stunning Hurricane quilt. I’ve made sure this pattern is jam packed full of all the resources you might need or want, including:

Hurricane Quilt Pattern Features

  • Easy to read cutting diagrams
  • FIVE sizes, including:
    • Baby
    • Throw
    • Twin
    • Queen
    • King
  • Easy to read color-coded charts and diagrams
  • Cutting chart/checklist
  • Clearly written instructions and colorful diagrams
  • Backing prep diagrams for each size
  • Coloring/planning sheet
A picture of different sizes and colors of the same pattern.
Size options
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Retro Groove Quilt Pattern

A poster of a room with a chair and table.

Today is the Retro Groove Quilt pattern release day! And you know I love nothing more than to have a little sale when I drop a new pattern…You can get the Retro Groove quilt pattern on sale through 5/16/2021 aaaaaand use the code GROOVY for 20% off everything else in my shop. Don’t forget to check out the free patterns, too.

Retro Groove PDF Quilt Pattern
Retro Groove Paper Pattern
A blue and purple background with the words " groovy 2 0 % off regular price store wide ".

Retro Groove Pattern Features

The Retro Groove quilt pattern features five different options, including baby, throw, twin, queen, and king sizes.  The Retro Groove pattern is fantastic for showcasing big, bold prints or using up those solids and tone on tone prints.  Retro Groove has some easy curves and I’ve made some supplemental videos that you’ll get access to when you purchase the pattern that walk you through each and every step. Here are some other fun things you get with the pattern:

  • Full size templates
  • An awesome coloring page and fabric amounts required for each size.
  • Backing assembly instructions for each size of Retro Groove are included. You don’t have to worry about doing any quilt math for your backings!
  • Colorful, easy to read diagrams and written instructions.
  • Detailed cutting diagrams AND a cutting checklist are included for ease of use.
  • Supplemental video to accompany the cutting chart.
  • Supplemental video that walks you through assembling a block & sewing curves, step-by-step.
  • The finished size options include the following:
    • Baby 54″ x 54″
    • Throw 63″ x 81″
    • Twin 72″ x 90″
    • Queen 90″ x 108″
    • King 117″ x 117″
  • Skill level is confident beginner to intermediate. If you haven’t sewn curves before, I would recommend stitching up a practice block with some scrap fabric before cutting into your gooooood fabric. The video and pattern steps will walk you through the curves.

Tester Retro Groove pics

The Retro Groove pattern testers came up with some amazing versions of this quilt. I can’t wait for you to see how versatile and all around awesome they are!

A colorful quilt is on display in front of a building.
Kelley’s Retro Groove
A quilt that is sitting on the floor.
Angie M.
A colorful quilt sitting on top of grass.
Haley M.
A blanket that is sitting on the grass.
Sarah H.
A person is holding onto the arm of a pillow
Mahalia D.
A quilt hanging on the side of a fence.
Angela J.
A quilt with pink and green designs on it.
Margo D.
A colorful quilt hanging on the side of a tree.
Meredith E.

I’m so excited to see what you’ll come up with for your version of Retro Groove! I’ve been itching to make another version with some really big prints that are hard to use in other quilts with smaller blocks. You can see in Margo’s tester quilt that big prints look pretty awesome in those squiggly curves! Don’t forget to share your makes (I want to see those fabric pulls too!) on Instagram with #retrogroovequilt . Happy sewing!! -Joanna

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Kapow! Quilt Pattern

A poster of different colors and shapes of flowers.

Today is the Kapow! quilt pattern Release Day! And since we’re coming in hot to Labor Day Weekend, let’s celebrate with a sale! You can get the Kapow! quilt pattern on sale through 9/7/2020 aaaaaand use the code LABORDAY for 20% off everything else in my shop. Also, there are some sweet free patterns in there too, if you haven’t checked them out!

Kapow! PDF Quilt Pattern
Kapow! Paper Pattern

A blue and black poster with the words " coupon code laborday 2 0 % off regular price store wide ".
https://kustomkwilter.com/shop/

I always love star patterns so much and I wanted something that gave a feeling of an explosion from the center of the star, like fireworks. The PDF and print copies are here for you to make your own stunning Kapow! quilt. I’ve made sure this pattern is jam packed full of all the resources you might need or want, including:

Kapow! Quilt Pattern Features

  • Fat Quarter Friendly – includes cutting diagrams
  • SIX sizes, including:
    • Baby
    • Throw
    • Full
    • Twin
    • Queen
    • King
  • Easy to read color-coded charts and diagrams
  • Cutting checklist (cheat sheet)
  • Clearly written instructions
  • Backing prep diagrams for each size
  • Coloring/planning sheet
A collection of quilt sizes and measurements.
A table with the fabric requirements for throwing and twin size.
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Cabin Fever Quilt Pattern

Today is Cabin Fever Release Day! I’m so excited to share this modern log cabin quilt with you today, as it’s a design I planned out about two years ago. It’s always difficult to be patient waiting for this day! The PDF and print versions are now available :)–and a limited amount of kits.

Cabin Fever PDF Quilt Pattern
Cabin Fever Print Pattern
Quilt Kits!

The inspiration for this quilt came from a few things…even though the name conjures images of being stuck inside. (Which, admittedly, we can all probably relate to currently.) First, I wanted to make a quilt that came together fast and looked great with solids or prints. I like to try out new quilting motifs, and this quilt is so much fun to practice on. Secondly, our daughter was one at the time. A lot of times, I felt the repetition of house chores and potty training (who was I kidding? She still wears a pull up to bed sometimes–and I’m fine with that 😉 made me a little cagey. So I jokingly named it Cabin Fever. The geese represent breaking free from routine and they’re ridiculously fun to quilt.

A colorful quilt with many different designs.

Funny enough, I didn’t realize how appropriate the name would be at the time, but here we are!

The Cabin Fever quilt instructions come in two sizes, baby and throw. These quilts go together really quickly, and they’re a nice break from traditional block-based quilts. The pattern comes with some fun and easy tips for making flying geese quickly.

Tula Pink Solids / Kona Cotton Equivalents

This colorful version is one of my favorites. I’ve been using all Tula Pink solids and stripes to work on another quilt, and I stumbled across a perfect stack of colors just as I was about to make an all blue version. Sadly, after I made it, I realized the Tula Pink solids can be a bit hard to find, so I matched them closely to Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids. Thank goodness for color cards! I quilted the outer border with some ghost geese to make it appear the entire border had flying geese. Then I did some fun ruler work in each strip of color. I love how the straight lines pop so much on solids! This is the baby version, which measures 52″ x 52″. It’s a really nice size, and I use this one to cover up on the couch while I english paper piece.

  • A close up of the colorful quilt
  • A table with the names of all the candy in each color.

Blue & Grey Cabin Fever

This colorway is the very first one I had planned out but didn’t end up making until just recently. I love how the brightness of the blues contrast with the darkness of the grey. I haven’t decided just how to quilt this one yet. Some nice ruler work and custom quilting would really pop against those solids, but I have a new edge to edge design I’m itching to try out. This is the throw size, which measures 81″ x 81″.

  • A blue quilt with an abstract design.
  • A table with the number of baby throws in each group.

Peaches and Pinks Cabin Fever

This was the very first Cabin Fever Quilt I made. I mixed in prints with Kona cotton solids, but I’ve added a color chart in just solids. The great thing about Robert Kaufman fabrics is they generally use the names of the coordinating solids in a lot of their prints. It’s easy to mix and match prints from different collections to what the coordinating solid would be. This is another throw size.

  • A yellow iron sitting on top of a rainbow colored table.
  • A table with all the fabric and size of each type.

Ruby Star Society – Clementine

Have you seen Miss Melody Miller’s new collection for Ruby Star Society called “Clementine”? I love it so much!! She’s a wizard when it comes to color, and these ethereal pinks and blues are insanely good together. I used Rashida Coleman Hale’s Speckled as the sashing/background fabrics. My daughter Gemma saw me putting this one together and claimed it before I could say no. I let her pick out a color of Shannon Cuddle. Her favorite color is pink, so it was a no brainer. And then she got to pick the edge to edge design that I quilted. They’re subtle, but they’re little heart rainbows. This is the softest quilt, so cozy and squishy.

A yellow iron sitting on top of a rainbow colored table.

I can’t wait to see what fabric collections or solids you guys pick for your Cabin Fever quilts! I love seeing the amazing different quilts that y’all make and the incredible fabric selections you make. Have fun with this one–I know I do 🙂 If you want to see more of the photos I’ve been posting of Cabin Fever, you can head over to Instagram and check them out!

  • A person using an ipad on top of a table.
  • A colorful quilt with different colored triangles and stripes.

-Joanna

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Trippy Triangles Quilt pattern release

A pink and blue background with green triangles.

I’m stoked to finally introduce to you the Trippy Triangles Quilt pattern! This quilt has been a pet project of mine for the last year (and then some). From picking just the right fabrics–I changed my fabrics several times before I finally got with it stitching–to fussy cutting, etc. and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m currently working on another version and planning yet another with some fun fussy cutting 🙂

The thing with EPP

Here’s the thing with English Paper Piecing: It’s an obsession of mine. Aside from longarm quilting (which I do almost all day), EPP is my favorite way to pass the time. I always have a little EPP kit in my purse so that if I’m caught waiting at the doctor’s office, or getting my car inspected, or whatever, I always have a little something to keep me busy AND productive. I hate wasting so much time on my phone when I could be sewing something, right!? It’s such a convenient way to pack a little sewing kit and get things done when you otherwise couldn’t.

Continue reading Trippy Triangles Quilt pattern release
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QuiltCon 2020 recap

A woman standing next to a pink and blue wall.

QuiltCon Austin

Last week was QuiltCon 2020 in Austin, TX. I had the best time one could have–and got the full experience of teaching a handful of classes too. I dropped my kiddo off at daycare on Wednesday and headed to Austin (only about a 2 hour drive for me), checked in, and had lunch at Moonshine across from the convention center. Me and the hubs had a meal there a few QuiltCons ago the last time it was in Austin and the food is SO good. Then I got settled into my AirBNB–check out the gorgeous couches in this place…I pretty much picked this airbnb for those couches…and the reviews on the super comfy bed–it did not disappoint.

A living room with purple furniture and a coffee table.
Cutting out a quilt for one of my upcoming quilt patterns in my favorite fabrics 🙂
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How to English Paper Piece – sewing pieces together

A woman is sewing paper pieces on the wall.

How to English paper piece

In this series of blog posts, I’ve talked about start up supplies (what my favorites are) and discussed glue basting (also my favorite). Now that you know how to prepare for sewing, lets get going! In this video, I’ll show you how I sew my paper pieces together once they’re basted. There are many, many ways to accomplish this. I’m showing my favorite methods, in case you haven’t seen them before, in the hopes of inspiring you to try new things!

There are different kinds of stitches you can use to sew the pieces together. My go to is a simple whip stitch, but I’ve heard people rave about the flat back stitch. I tried the flat back stitch, and it wasn’t for me–but you might love it (so def. check it out!).

A person is sewing the fabric on a bikini top.
Sewing the pieces together
Continue reading How to English Paper Piece – sewing pieces together