Two more adorable pups have been added to my paper pieced dog block collection. Betty sent me photos of her sweet AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD to inspire me to create this new dog block.
Australian Shepherd
Here is a side by side comparison photo of my block and Betty’s pup.
I love how expressive he turned out! Find the pattern HERE on Etsy.
It was also brought to my attention that I did not have an IRISH SETTER in the collection.
Irish Setter
Making an image that has wavy or curly hair is very difficult in paper piecing. It is all an illusion, made from straight seams. I have always loved the beautiful fur on an Irish Setter, and am pretty in love with his soft wavy ears. You can find this cutie HERE on Etsy.
Last week I had so much fun paper piecing with the Village Quilters of Lake Bluff, Illinois.
Such a lovely group of quilters! It is inspiring being with friends who love to paper piece as much as I do. When I returned home, I was motivated to do more designing.
Carol, a customer from the West Bend Quilt Guild asked me create a set of blocks that would work for a special child who loves Paris. We brainstormed a bit about things that might work for the “Parisian Collection”.
Eiffel Tower Block
The EIFFEL TOWER is one of the images that Carol specifically requested. This grey check, used on the bias, worked well to give the illusion of the delicate lines criss crossing the structure.
Fifi the Poodle Block
FIFI THE POODLE needs a lot of small pieces since there’s quite a bit of detail in this block. I’m using gray and pink in all 3 designs to make them look like a complete collection.
Tiara Block
The TIARA BLOCK completes this Parisian Collection (for now!). I hope these images will work for Carol. I had lots of fun creating them. All blocks measure 8″x 8″ unfinished.
Please let me know what new paper pieced images you would like to see!
If you want to learn to paper piece and live near the Fox Cities, keep reading. The Darting Needles Quilt Guild from Appleton, WI is sponsoring me to hold an all day workshop on Paper Piecing Basics, Friday 14 from 9 to 3. This class will be held at the Fox Cities Quilt Company in Appleton.
Those attending the workshop will learn how to paper piece simple and combination blocks from my Sew Yourself A Merry Little Christmas book.
SIMPLE BLOCKCOMBINATION BLOCK
On Thursday, the day before the workshop, I will be lecturing on” Paper Piecing, and Selecting the Right Fabric for your Projects”. Join me for an evening of fun held at the First United Methodist Church on Franklin St, Appleton at 7pm. The lecture is free!
Contact JoAnn Nemitz for information about the Paper Piecing Workshop, (920) 731-3722.
I love my customers. They constantly motivate me. Kelly asked me to create a SKUNK BLOCK.
Creating paper pieced animals is one of my strong points, so this was a joy to create.
SKUNK
This Skunk Block would look great in my Forest Friends pattern, along with the other sweet woodsy animals.
All this designing has made me tired…
Here is an Owl Tote and a Fox Tote created by another customer. Mary is using the animals from Forest Friends for her handy totes.
Owl Tote
Fox Tote
Now do you see why I love my customers so much? They are super creative!
This Hedgehog Block was paper pieced with the coolest background color.
Instead of adding buttons, this customer used satin stitching for the eyes and nose. Super cute, and a great idea for a baby quilt.
Keep sharing your awesome photos! AND, if you are in northern Wisconsin this Saturday or Sunday, visit me at the Northwoods Quilters Quilt Show in Marinette. I better take lots of northwoods patterns.
I also recieved a message from a longtime friend who wanted me to design a Retriever dog quilt for her new grandson. I have a GOLDEN RETRIEVER block, but I wanted more than one retriever in the quilt.
Golden Retriever
I designed another RETRIEVER to add to the quilt. I decided this dog should be in profile.
Retriever
Here is the finished Retriever Quilt.
Retriever Quilt
The first dog is a pup that I thought could pass for a retriever. It is HAPPY DOG from the CATS N DOGS pattern.
You can learn how to create all six animals for the quilt, or do a smaller scale version by creating the table runner.
Table Runner
These animals are nice and easy, great for beginners! Both the lap quilt and table runner are in the pattern.
Thanks to Vonnie, for teaching this class. Vonnie also had some fun creating a tote from my Cute and Clever Totes book.
One side of the tote has a Hen…
and the other side has a Rooster.
Love her choice of fabrics! This may be another class offered at Julie’s Sewing Center in the future. You can call their shop for more info…(920)965-0680.
One of my proudest moments in 2018 was the creation of the “Doggie In The Window” quilt. The Orange County Quilters Guild in California contacted me in 2017 about using my dog block patterns to create their next Guide Dogs Of America charity quilt. I was thrilled!
Doggie In The Window
The hard working guild members used 30 of my different dog breeds to construct this 60″x 70″ masterpiece. The quilt traveled throughout the US during 2018, and was raffled to a lucky winner in December. This is their big yearly contribution to their favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America.
Close Up
I have been designing paper pieced dog blocks since 2014 and now have about 50 different breeds. This obsession started as a fun way to connect with my customers. They would email me photos of their pets, and I would try to recreate their breed in a quilt block.
I created this quilt pattern, “Dogs Only” after designing my first 11 dog breeds. Then all **** broke loose, and I was flooded from all over the world with requests from customers who wanted a specific breed to substitute into this pattern. Here are some of my favorites…
This was such an exciting week! My visit to F&W Media, home of the top quilting magazines, was so inspiring!
Boyfriend Tom (left), Mary (AKA Marney), and brother Jim (right)
When I was visiting my brother Jim who lives near Golden, CO, I asked my friends at F & W Media if I could stop by for a visit.
Mary with Lori Baker
Lori Baker, Acquisitions Editor, was there to meet me at the door and give me a tour.
The F & W “Crew”
Here I am with the F & W Crew. F & W Media publishes our favorite quilting books and magazines, like Quilty, Quilting, Quiltmaker, Easy Quilts, Quilting Quickly, Quick Quilts, Quilting Arts, and Modern Patchwork.
We sat down and had a lovely discussion about paper piecing, designing patterns, life, and great places to eat!
Here’s one of F & W’s many publications. My “RIBBIT, RIBBIT” pattern is in the Spring 2019 issue of EASY QUILTS. That’s my froggie on the cover!
This cute little table topper measures 15″ x 15″, and is so fun to paper piece. A great pattern for beginners! Those wonky eyes are made from buttons.
A great vacation full of exploring new vistas, eating at fun restaurants, and meeting new friends. As Tom and I are heading home to Wisconsin, I want to send a big thank you to F & W for the warm welcome!
Here’s my new LUCKY LEPRECHAUN block, just in time for your March projects. His nose is somewhat 3-dimensional, made from a fabric yo-yo with a bit of stuffing inside. I love his pipe!
Mug Rug made using the Lucky Leprechaun block, and adding a 2 1/2″ strip of extra background fabric to one side.
Here are my other St. Patty’s related blocks. This is CLOVER. This block was sewn by Allison. I love the fabrics she chose!
This gift sack was sewn by my friend Marilyn, using my Clover block. So cute! If you are thinking of more clever ways to use my St. Patty blocks, please share photos.
