New Quilt Patterns - Little Miss and Sincerely

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to share with you my newest quilt patterns today!  I've been working on these for the past month or so and as of this morning you can find both of them in my shop.  First I'd like to introduce you to Little Miss - a layer cake or jelly roll friendly quilt that really lets your favorite fabrics shine!  

I named this quilt for my little niece who is equal parts sweet and sassy.  Some days she's "little miss trouble" and some days she's "little miss sassy" and the rest of the time she's "little miss cutie pie."

With one layer cake or jelly roll you'll be able to make the throw sized quilt which is shown here.  For this one I used the new First Romance fabrics designed by Kristyne Czepruyk for Moda.  This is Kristyne's first fabric line with Moda and I just fell in love with it as I made this quilt.   

I also wanted to show you a different take on this pattern, so here is Little Miss crib size, done in all solid fabrics.  

As with all of my patterns, Little Miss has measurements and instructions for multiple sizes of quilt (crib, throw, twin, and queen.) 

Next up is Sincerely.  This is a great pattern for showing off your favorite medium and large scale prints!  

Sincerely is a fat quarter friendly pattern and has instructions for four sizes of quilts (baby, throw, twin, and queen).  

The size shown here is the twin size, made from the new Flower Mill fabric line designed by Corey Yoder for Moda.  Flower Mill should be hitting stores this month so look for it in your local shops!

I actually have a story behind the name of this pattern.  My youngest son is in fourth grade right now.  A few weeks ago we were practicing for his spelling test and I took a short trip down memory lane.  I vividly remember learning how to spell 'sincerely' in fourth grade as we were practicing how to properly write letters.  My teacher gave us a few options of how to close a letter and "Sincerely" was my personal favorite.  It works well in so many situations and my fourth grade brain just loved that.  No one writes real letters anymore, do they?  It's such a shame.

Here's a second version of Sincerely - this time in Corey Yoder's first fabric line from 2015, called Prairie.  

I just love how these quilt blocks allow the pretty floral fabrics to take the spotlight!

Both Little Miss and Sincerely patterns are available now in my shop, as either a PDF (immediate download) or a paper pattern.  No need to pre-order the paper patterns - they're ready to ship today!  And for this week, get 20% off your entire order when you enter the promo code OCTOBER20!  Code is good until midnight on Friday, October 27 so don't wait!

Want to see your favorite A Bright Corner patterns in your local quilt shop?  Let them know they can order my patterns through Checker or Brewer distributors, or email me for wholesale pricing.  

Tips for Piecing Small Quilt Blocks

We're up to block number ten on the Patchwork Quilt Along with the Fat Quarter Shop!  

This month's block pattern is called Country Roads and you can find the free block pattern here.

As I sat and stitched up my blocks for this month I thought about the things I do a bit differently when I'm working with small (less than 8") quilt blocks and mini quilts.  So today I wanted to share some tips - and see if you have any tips to add!

Tip 1:  Starch!

I'm a recent convert to starching.  I used to view it as an unnecessary step.  Silly me.  I was sewing with a friend once who starches everything and I saw how nicely her small blocks were turning out.  I tried it once and was hooked.  I starch the fabric a bit before I cut all of the little pieces, then I also starch the adorable little blocks when they're done.  

Tip 2:  Cut Accurately

Take the time to cut each piece accurately.  When I'm cutting for a larger quilt I will line up a whole cutting mat of strips and cut them all at the same time for efficiency.  But when I make these tiny blocks, I take my time and cut just one or two pieces at a time.  I've found that cutting less at a time helps with accuracy.  Also, with larger blocks and larger pieces of fabric sometimes you can fudge things a little and the block will still look fine.  But when working with such tiny pieces, each 1/8 of an inch makes a big difference!

Tip 3:  Use Thinner Thread
I used to think that the thread I used didn't make much of a difference.  I would try to match the thread color to the colors of the fabrics, but other than that I didn't put much thought into my thread choice.

The first few blocks of this quilt along, I had problems with my block seams looking and feeling so bulky.  They just wouldn't press as flat as I wanted them.  Changing out my thread to a thinner thread made a difference!  Now when I'm working with small blocks I make sure to swap out my thread.  My current favorite is Aurifil 50/2 (50 weight thread, 2 ply.)  To learn more about thread weight, there's a great article here on the Connecting Threads blog.    


Tip 4:  Adjust The Seam Allowance
Each machine, each presser foot, and each quilter seems to have a slightly different 1/4" seam allowance.  I have a foot that works for my regular piecing, but when I'm piecing small quilt blocks I have to move my seam allowance over just a thread or two.  Just that tiny bit helps!  And if you think about it, with these blocks sometimes we'll have four seams across the 5.5" width of the block.  A thread or two difference in each seam can add up, and make the difference between a 5.5" block and a 5.25" block!


Tip 5:  Press Seams

This may seem like a common sense one to you, but when there are pressing recommendations as a part of the quilt pattern I pay attention!  Usually when I disregard them- thinking I know better, then the block doesn't lay quite right, or piece as accurately as it could.   If there are no pressing directions in the pattern, then take a minute to think about how the block will go together.  Press seams so they will nest if possible.


Tip 6:  Use Small Scale Prints 

 Ok so this isn't really a tip that will make your piecing more accurate, but it still fits in this list!  Small scale prints work great with small scale blocks.  You absolutely can use large scale prints in small blocks, but you'll lose some of the best parts of the large scale print when you have to cut it up into small 1.5" x 1.5" pieces. 

That being said, use what you want!  There's been times when I love the print so much I use it anyway.  See the red block below?  You can't really tell that those are sailboats, right?  The print I used in the second photo is much more effective for the small block.  It's just something to consider when selecting fabrics for your small quilt blocks & mini quilts.  

So there you go - my favorite tips for piecing small quilt blocks.  Have any tips you'd like to add?  


And if you're sewing along with us, be sure to visit the Patchwork QAL Facebook group and add a photo of your blocks!  Want to see more inspiration?  Visit the list of bloggers who are also joining in the quilt along:

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl (@jedicraftgirl)

Amy of Diary of a Quilter (@diaryofaquilter)

Andy of A Bright Corner (@abrightcorner)

*Bonnie of Cotton Way (@bonniecottonway)

*Camille of Thimble Blossoms (@thimbleblossoms)

Debbie of Happy Little Cottage (@happylittlecottage1)

Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)

Heidi of Buttons and Butterflies (@buttonsandbutterflies)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)

Pat Sloan of PatSloan.com (@quilterpatsloan)

Renee of Sewn with Grace (@sewnwithgrace)

Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)

Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)

Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie of Moda Cutting Table

Patchwork Quilt Along Block Nine

Alright - are you ready for block nine of the Patchwork Quilt Along?  It's available today from the Fat Quarter Shop.  

This month's block is called Grandmother's Choice, and if you go here you can find the free downloadable pattern and a video tutorial as well - along with the blocks and videos for the past months!  After this one we have just three more!

All year I've been making my blocks from Bonnie & Camille scraps, and now that their new line (The Good Life) is available in shops, I thought it would be fun to add some of these new fabrics in to my quilt. 

Here's the list of bloggers who are sewing along, and be sure to check out the Patchwork QAL Facebook group!  

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl (@jedicraftgirl)

Amy of Diary of a Quilter (@diaryofaquilter)

Andy of A Bright Corner (@abrightcorner)

*Bonnie of Cotton Way (@bonniecottonway)

*Camille of Thimble Blossoms (@thimbleblossoms)

Debbie of Happy Little Cottage (@happylittlecottage1)

Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)

Heidi of Buttons and Butterflies (@buttonsandbutterflies)

Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)

Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)

Pat Sloan of PatSloan.com (@quilterpatsloan)

Renee of Sewn with Grace (@sewnwithgrace)

Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)

Sherri of A Quilting Life (@aquiltinglife)

Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)

Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)

Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)

Carrie Nelson/Miss Rosie of Moda Cutting Table

Holly Jolly Christmas Tree Skirt and Sale

The Holly Jolly Tree Skirt pattern is one of my best sellers, and I gave it a little update this last weekend!  I also wanted to update my family's tree skirt this year so I took this opportunity to make a new, fresh one from the Comfort and Joy fabrics from Riley Blake.  I love that red plaid!  

I've been hearing from customers that some brands of fabrics (usually sold at big box stores) tend to not be as wide as some of the brands sold at quilt shops such as Moda, Art Gallery, Riley Blake, and Michael Miller.  To accommodate the narrower fabrics, I adjusted the pattern's cutting instructions slightly. 

Another adjustment was to make the backing more longarm quilter friendly!  More and more of you are sending quilts out to your favorite longarm quilter and those quilters appreciate a backing that is 7 to 8 inches wider than the quilt top.    

Speaking of backing, did you know you could make this a reversible tree skirt?  Choose a coordinating print for the backing (like a fun plaid, or novelty print), and you'll have the option to flip the skirt over to change the look!  You can see an example of a reversible skirt here in this blog post.   

For the backing on this skirt, I used a red swiss dot print from Riley Blake.  

If you're considering making a new tree skirt this year, now is a great time to get started!  Especially if you're thinking of sending it to be quilted - beat the end of year rush!  For the whole month of September, the Holly Jolly Tree Skirt pattern is on sale for $6.00 in my shop.  No code needed - just add the pattern to your cart and checkout!  

PDF patterns are available now (immediate download), and paper copies are available for pre-order.  They'll ship as soon as they arrive next week!  And if you're a quilt shop owner, you can contact me at abrightcorner@gmail.com for wholesale pricing.

Looking for other Christmas ideas?  Check out these projects!  

Cabin Cushion

Christmas Patchwork Pillow

Christmas Surprise

Free Craftsy Classes? Yes Please!

Hey there everyone!  I just wanted to let you know about a great opportunity coming up this weekend.  All day on Labor Day (Monday, September 4) Craftsy is having a free, All-You-Can-Watch deal on their classes.  Did you catch that?  It's FREE!  So if you've been eyeing some classes, or have some on your wish list, this is your chance to catch them!  

Here are a few great ones:

And here are a few that I'm hoping to watch that day:

All-You-Can-Watch Day starts at 12:01am on Monday and ends at 11:59pm - so make yourself comfortable, and get watching!

Split Stars Quilt in Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine

I'm so excited to be able to share that I have a quilt in the latest issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting!  And to my delight...it's on the cover!  Issue 51 is available now in the UK, and will be heading to the US soon.

  My inspiration for the quilt came from this photo I found on Pinterest:

I immediately fell in love with the color combo!  I took a screen shot of the photo on my phone, and used it at the quilt shop as I chose the colors of Riley Blake Confetti Cottons I wanted to use.  Here's the stack that I pulled off the shelves in the shop:

I'm a long time fan of mixing aqua & green together (here, here and here), but I love what the purples add to the group!

You can see sneak peeks of the other projects from the issue here on the Love Patchwork & Quilting site.  And watch for issue 51 to hit your news stands.  I know I'll be stalking my local Barnes & Noble for the next couple of weeks!

A Piece of Cake!

It's really been a summer filled with Christmas quilts!  This is the third one I've worked on this month (I'll share the others soon), and I have to say it's a little strange to go out and photograph a Christmas quilt when it's 90+ degrees outside and there's plenty of green grass around!  

Today I'm sharing a quilt that I made from this fun new book:

A Piece of Cake - Sweet & Simple Quilts from Layer Cake Squares written by Peta Peace (a.k.a. She Quilts A Lot).  The book is filled with great quilt designs, lovely photos, and easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams.  

When I fall in love with a new fabric line, often I'll buy a layer cake of it.  A charm pack isn't quite enough, and I find layer cakes to be more versatile than a jelly roll.  But then the layer cake sits there until I figure out what to make.  This book will be a great resource - it has so many great quilts, all layer cake friendly! 

The quilt I chose to make is called Surprise.  It finishes at 56" x 71" and I used a layer cake of North Woods designed by Kate Spain.  The line came out last summer and I've been holding on to this layer cake since then - looking for the perfect pattern.  I love the little presents!

I backed this quilt in a soft mint flannel - it will be perfectly cozy come December!  For the quilting I used a longarm panto from Urban Elementz called Cake Walk. 

You can see more projects from the book by following along on the blog tour.  We've already seen three fun quilts from Sedef, Jemima, and Samantha - and there's plenty more to come!  You can also check out some other quilts from the book on Instagram with the hashtag #apieceofcakebook.

14 Aug Sedef - Down Grapevine Lane

15 Aug Jemima - Tied with a Ribbon

16 Aug Samantha - Aqua Paisley Studio

17 Aug Andy - A Bright Corner

18 Aug Kirsty - Bonjour Quilts

19 Aug Lisa - A Spoonful of Sugar Designs

20 Aug Alison - Cotton Factory

21 Aug Carrie - Moda Fabrics

22 Aug Nadra - Ellis and Higgs

23 Aug Angie - Gnome Angel

24 Aug Tara - Tara Sews

25 Aug Jules - The Creative Retreat

26 Aug Kristyne - Pretty by Hand

27 Aug Kimberly - Fat Quarter Shop

28 Aug Lissa - Moda Lissa

29 Aug Amy - Diary of a Quilter

30 Aug Kerry - Kid Giddy & Cat - Hello from Cat on Instagram

31 Aug Jane - Modern Makers Retreat

1 Sept Kate - Never Enough Hours

2 Sept Jodie - Vintage Ric Rac

3 Sept Sharon - Patches Indooroopilly (in store & online!)

4 Sept Amanda - Material Girl Quilts

5 Sept Amber - A Little Bit Biased

6 Sept Xanthe - Wife Made

7 Sept Rachel - Family Ever After

8 Sept Jenny - Martingale

9 Sept Amy - Nana Company

10 Sept          Peta - She Quilts A Lot