Made By Marney

Posted on April 28, 2026April 28, 2026 by maryhertel — 3 Comments

Cute Critters to Paper Piece

For the past year I have been featured in American Quilter. Every issue has one of my paper pieced block patterns, and a link to a helpful video on paper piecing techniques.

The May 2025 issue featured this Spring butterfly and daisy. You can watch all the videos on my Made By Marney YouTube channel. If you are new to paper piecing, or need a refresher, watch PAPER PIECING TUTORIAL: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT on YouTube. This is a great starting point with simple tips for easy piecing.

Try some of my favorite Cute Critters in your next project…

These are CUTE CRITTER POTHOLDERS, with a Raccoon, Skunk, Porcupine, and Possum.

SILLY SAFARI QUILT includes Zebra, Toucan, Flamingo, Parrot, McCaw, and the fabulous Boa Constrictor.

POND COLLECTION includes adorable dragonflies, a turtle and a frog.

SEW CUTE & CLEVER FARM AND FOREST FRIENDS has the EASIEST animal blocks ever! It is specially designed for the beginner paper piecer. Sixteen adorable animals that you can whip together fast!

I also have an AARDVARK pattern, MOUSE, QUAIL, and EAGLE… all designed by request from various customers. Let me know what “cute critter” you need:)

Posted on March 8, 2026March 8, 2026 by maryhertel — 1 Comment

Some Bunny Loves You

I am pleased to offer these brand new adorable bunny patterns in time for our Easter season. What’s cuter than a bunny… so cute that I couldn’t stop designing them! Here are my 12 favorites. Choose just one or two for your Easter or Spring project, or get all 12 included in the BUNNY QUILT pattern displayed at the end of this post.

BUNNY WITH BOW is one of my favorites. Using striped fabric, like in this bow tie, can be challenging in paper piecing. Because you are flipping the fabric in place after you sew, the stripes can go in all kinds of wonky directions, not always the direction you wanted. I have a sure fire way of always getting your stripes to be perfect. CLICK HERE to watch a video on paper piecing with striped fabrics.

BUNNY WITH BUTTERFLY is another favorite of mine. This is a fairly easy block to paper piece. That tiny white dot in it’s eye is a French knot. I love giving my animals more life by adding an eye highlight.

BUNNY WITH CARROT would make such a cute pillow! I can’t resist a rabbit in a garden.

BUNNY WITH DAFFODIL is another cute rabbit in a flower patch. The daffodil is my favorite spring flower… so cheerful.

BUNNY WITH TULIP highlights another favorite spring flower. This tail would also look cute with a big pom pom attached!

BUNNY 2 and BUNNY WITH BASKET are nice and easy blocks. If you are new to paper piecing, you might want to start with these blocks. I found this awesome basket weave fabric for this basket. Gives it a nice texture.

BUNNY 1 and BUNNY 3.

BUNNY WITH BONNET uses that great basket fabric again.

BUNNY WITH BUTTERFLIES is a lop ear bunny. BUNNY WITH EGG sports the wildest fabric I could find for the egg.

If you want all 12 bunny block patterns, and the directions to put them together into this adorable quilt, you will find my BUNNY QUILT pattern on ETSY.

I would love to see what you create using these bunnies. Let’s spread some “bunny love”.

Posted on February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by maryhertel — 2 Comments

Valentine Patterns for Your Loved Ones

If you are new to paper piecing, I would love to share some tips for a beginner, or as a refresher. This past year I did a series of patterns and helpful videos for the American Quilter magazine. I can’t offer the pattern to you at this time because of publication rules, but I would love to share this short video on paper piecing tips. The video was linked to the January/February issue. Every issue in 2025 has a link to a video with my paper piecing tips.

PRESS HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

This video explains the “butterfly effect”. Understanding this helps so much when placing your pattern on the fabric. Have you ever sewn your piece, then after flipping it behind the pattern, find that your piece is not fully covered with fabric? You maybe should have placed the fabric a bit higher or lower? If you use the butterfly effect, this will never happen again. There are different approaches to paper piecing. Every little tip can help as you discover the methods that work best for you.

These adorable honeybees were the January/February 2025 block featured in American Quilter. See how the tail from the bee outlines a heart? This could work for a Valentine.

If you are looking for an idea for a hand made gift for Valentines , or just because… this pattern was published by McCalls, but is now available for sale on my Etsy shop. The FOXY VALENTINE would be super cute on a pillow or potholder.

If you have a valentine who loves animals, RACCOON ROMANCE is just the ticket. This was also published in McCalls, but now can be offered to my customers on Etsy.

This is one of my favorite gnome patterns…HEARTY GNOME. I used it for a pillow and gave it to myself 🙂

But this is my customers favorite valentine gnome…GNOME WITH HEART. Can you think of a clever way to make this into a Valentine’s gift? Please share with me at maryannhertel@gmail.com

Posted on January 31, 2026January 31, 2026 by maryhertel — Leave a comment

Projects for Horse Lovers

These brand new COZY HORSE patterns are so adorable. Why can’t our horses be warm too?

This table runner/wall hanging pattern has my favorite scalloped binding. This binding is challenging, but so worth it! Always use bias cut binding strips when adding any curved binding.

The COZY HORSES pattern includes all 3 paper pieced horse patterns and directions for the wall hanging.

More horse patterns you might enjoy…

PALOMINO

NICKER

Or get all 11 horse patterns in HAY GIRL.

And here’s my most popular FREE horse pattern…

Yes it is FREE, however Etsy cannot process any order for under 60 cents, so you will be charged this tiny amount… so let’s call it …

Kinda “FREE” HORSE PATTERN

I love seeing what you are doing with my patterns…so please share photos to maryannhertel@gmail.com

Thank you to my friendly customers who shared these adorable projects!

You will find lots more horse block patterns at my ETSY SHOP.

Posted on December 31, 2025December 31, 2025 by maryhertel

20 Adorable Woodland Animal Blocks for Creative Sewing

With 20 adorable woodland animal blocks to paper piece for your sewing fun, this book will give you hours of creative projects! Plus, all of these blocks are interchangeable with the projects from my previous books.

Adorable “Zippy Pouch” and large enough to hold a tablet.

Sew a Winter Woodland Christmas Book

$27.95

“Sew a Winter Woodland Christmas” book contains 20 mix & match paper pieced block patterns and 9 projects; including lap quilt, Christmas tree skirt, apron, pillow, table runner, stockings, zip bags, and gift bags. Price includes shipping.

Category: Books

Tags: paper pieced book patterns

Enjoy creating these 20 winter images. Let’s embrace winter with these new block patterns.

These stockings are for the puppy and kitty in your life. With patterns for a quilt, tree skirt, table runner, pillow, apron and more…get ready for some frosty fun!

SEW A WINTER WOODLAND CHRISTMAS book is available from this post, or press here for my ETSY SHOP.

Posted on July 26, 2025July 26, 2025 by maryhertel — 3 Comments

Cluck, Cluck, Cluck…Baaaack

Here are more farm animal paper pieced block patterns for you! I am on a chicken and rooster creating spree. Here are my latest to add to your farm projects.

CHICKEN BLOCK is so easy and cute. I love a fat brown hen!

ROOSTER WITH FLOWERS is adorable with my other Farmhouse Animals wearing flowers.

FARMHOUSE TABLE RUNNER PATTERN

ROOSTER BLOCK PATTERN was so fun to use a chicken wire fabric that I came upon.

SIR CROWS A LOT block will prance right onto your quilt project!

The HEN block is a whimsical chick ready to try to fly. This pattern will add a cute touch!

I would love to see some farm animal quilts using my chickens and roosters! Please share your photos.

Posted on April 14, 2025April 14, 2025 by maryhertel — 4 Comments

This is exciting…

Every 2025 issue of AMERICAN QUILTER magazine will include a Made By Marney Collectible Pattern. How exciting!

Each issue has not only the full pattern, but also has a link to a free video with paper piecing tips and tricks. “Bee My Honey” includes this free video Using the Butterfly Effect While Paper Piecing…

The “Some Bunny Loves You” issue includes this pattern and a free video on Connecting Paper Piece Segments Together. This bunny would be great for an Easter project.

The “Think Spring” block will be arriving in the next issue very soon. All magazines can also be purchased in digital format.

Start your collection of Made By Marney patterns and find many more fun designs at MADEBYMARNEY.ETSY.COM, or just PRESS HERE to go directly to Etsy to see my newest Easter block…BUNNY WITH BUTTERFLY.

Have a lovely Easter! I love seeing what you are creating. Please share photos of projects you have created for Easter to: maryannhertel@gmail.com

Posted on March 29, 2025March 29, 2025 by maryhertel — 1 Comment

Something Fishy…

Twelve fresh water fish patterns included in the SOMETHING FISHY QUILT PATTERN, plus directions to construct this lap quilt.

Fish included: PERCH, BLUE GILL, GRAYLING, MUSKIE, TROUT, SUNFISH, WALLEYE, CRAPPIE, BASS, PIKE, SALMON, and BULL HEAD. All of these fish blocks are also sold separately.

POND COLLECTION is a bundle of 4 block patterns. FROG, TURTLE, and DRAGONFLIES.

Plus this CATTAIL BLOCK is an extra block that can be used along with the Pond blocks in a quilt.

And for the gnome lovers…GNOME WITH BIG CATCH is a fun block pattern. I hope this gives you some inspiration for creating something fishy of your own.

Posted on March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by maryhertel

Bunny Love and More…

Its time to dust off those bunny decorations. Let me help you with that!

Here are some of my favorite paper pieced Easter patterns…

All 6 of these bunny and peeper blocks are included in one pattern: EASTER TABLE RUNNER AND POTHOLDERS. Easy peasy patterns, and a great way to use up those scraps!