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Hello all,

We’ve had an exciting couple of weeks. We just received the first copies of America Quilts Hometown Favorites. This special issue is packed with great quilt patterns and fun information about our 16 inspiring shops. These shops are located from Idaho to Massachusetts to Florida to California; all over the country!

To celebrate this issue, we are having an Online Shop Hop. Just go to each of our shops’ websites on their designated day and enter to win their free quilt kit. If you enter at all 16 shops, you’ll be automatically entered to win one of our two grand prizes (fabulous Moda fat quarter packs!). Click on the link at right to go to the Online Shop Hop page and read more about it.

We look forward to seeing you hopping and entering to win all of the free prizes!

Kathy Hannah

my design wall

It’s been a busy week at McCall’s, what with shipping the Sept/Oct issue to the printers and getting our first-bound copies of America Quilts Hometown Faves. We’re gearing up for our online shop hop May 10-14, and we also have a brand-new program about to roll out…Quilt Design Star! If you like Project Runway, you’re going to LOVE this idea. Details coming soon…

But the best thing about Friday is, tonight and over the weekend I’ll have time to work on the projects that are on my design wall right now. I’ve just started blocks for a wedding quilt (upper left in photo). My niece is getting married in August, and she wants her guests to each sign a quilt block. After the wedding, I’ll turn them into a memory quilt.

Plus, I’m itching to get back to my Outer Banks quilt (bottom left). I only have 2 blocks done so far, but I’m very encouraged by the results. I’ve never done a large quilt based on a photo before, so this is a real challenge for me.

And then there’s my newest obsession, English paper piecing. I started the tumbling-block flowers (at right in photo) while anxiously sitting in a hospital waiting room, and let me tell you, hand work is a lifesaver in those situations. Now I’m longing for every 30s repro print I see, since I think this is going to be a charm quilt of some kind. If you think you’d like to try some English paper piecing, we have a free pattern online at http://www.mccallsquilting.com/articles/Patriot_s_Home…check it out!

What are YOU working on this weekend? Let us know by posting a comment here!

Hello all,

In an effort to improve our Blog, we’ve added “Categories” on the left side of the screen (see picture below). By clicking on a category, you can narrow down the entries to review. It also gives you an idea of the types of entries we’ve had. Now that we have this improvement in place, we can start blogging again. Watch here for new blog entries!

Hello all,

Just a note to tell you about our upcoming special issue, America Quilts Hometown Favorites, and the online shop hop we are holding to celebrate. This special issue is amazing! It features 16 shops from around the country, giving you details and pictures of the shop, and an exclusive quilt pattern from each shop.

The week of May 10 – 14, 2010, we are holding an Online Shop Hop to celebrate the launch of this issue. Every day, we will feature 3 – 4 shops. If you go to each shop’s website on their specified day, you may enter to win a free quilt kit (of their featured quilt), plus two other prizes provided by McCall’s Quilting and many different vendors.

To preview the shops that are participating, click on the Hometown Favorites Online Shop Hop at right; you’ll also see our 2 Grand Prizes! To be eligible for the Grand Prizes, you must enter the drawings for all 16 shops.

So, there are 2 reasons to participate. One, you might win cool prizes, and two, you get to shop at all these different shops. Who doesn’t love to shop for quilting notions, quilt kits and fabrics? Enjoy the ride and have your credit card ready!

Well, here it is! The quilt center is complete and sewn together.

Quilt Center

I’m very pleased with how the top came together. I think the colors work well and I managed to keep my goal of using different values in mind. I guess you can be the judge of that! We went out this weekend and found two fabrics for borders, and I think once the borders are on, it will look even better.

Sarah and I spent quite a while moving blocks around and playing with colors, but ended up with all of the blocks back in their original position! What we found is that we had to replace a few of the filler blocks with different colors. Tomorrow, I’ll show you the blocks we replaced and talk about why. Until then..

Kathy

The last block!! Today is the Rising Star.

Rising Star

Again, Sarah chose the fabrics for this block.  She started with the large print for the middle (which she claimed she just had to have). Then we chose a medium red to compliment for the small star and a dark blue with both red and green for the large star. She was very happy when we found the cream with the little rosebuds that looked like they were falling for the background!

This is the last large block for the quilt – I can’t believe it!  I have just a few filler blocks to complete. On Monday, I’ll do an entry with the filler blocks, then on Tuesday, I’ll show you the quilt top (either on the design wall or sewn).

I wish you all a Merry Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate)!

Kathy

Merry Christmas!  Today’s block is Tree Top Twist.

Tree Top Twist

This is the second block that Sarah chose the fabrics for, and she was very pleased with her choices! She kept saying, “It looks so elegant!” As for me, I was just happy that I was getting comfortable with bias edges at this point. Actually, it was not a hard block to make, and I really like how it turned out as well.  I think it’s a nice addition to the quilt.

Tomorrow’s block is the last block!!! It is the Rising Star.  Until then…

Kathy

Sarah came home! She saw the quilt, and she loved it! She immediately started moving blocks around in her head (like mother, like daughter). So, she helped choose the fabrics for the block today, Year’s End.

Year's End

I had these fun bandana prints that I had not used yet, and she immediately picked one of those up. Then she added the cream lasso print. It makes for a busy block, but definately very cute (and very Sarah)!

Even better, she sat with me in my sewing room and we talked as I was sewing yesterday. Eventually, she ended up falling asleep because she had only slept 2 hours the night before (oh to be 18 years old again )! I don’t know of any better feeling than spending the afternoon sewing with my daughter sleeping in the room with me. What a gift.

Tomorrow, the Tree Top Twist block. Until then -

Kathy

Today is the Old School House. What a great block!

Old School House

This block was so much fun because I was able to throw out convention and look for fabric that looked like sky and earth and windows, etc. I used one of my favorite light blue stripe on cream for the sky, and a brown arrow and star for the roof. To continue the schoolhouse theme, I used a light blue alphabet for the front of the schoolhouse, and a medium red leaf/star to simulate brick for the schoolhouse body. I went for a fun stripe for the windows (thinking they might have window shades!), and a cute little tan floral for the ground.

Just a fun block all around.. and easy to sew! Next entry, Sarah comes home and sees the quilt. What will she think?

Kathy