Sandra's June Newsletter Recap

 H E L L O  +  R E C A P

Hello Creators. If you are new here, then welcome. This newsletter comes out the second weekday of every month with a bunch of freebies.

To summarize last month, we made the Freshman Quilt Pattern together. I posted my progress on Instagram and responded the best I could to all who commented. Thank you for saying hey and sharing your thoughts with me. I surely do appreciate it.

I also gave away a fat quarter bundle from my Applause fabric collection to Jackie in New Jersey. I threw in some extra things in the package as well, so I hope she enjoys all the goodies inside.

May has been busy for me and my family. Both my husband and I celebrated our birthdays. Then, there was Mother's Day (I hope all of you had a special moment for that day, too.). My daughter wrapped up her year in ballet with two performances and completed her academic year as well. I bet you all had a similar month of events in May, too. 

June is exciting too. I'm excited for June's quilt, called Litebrite, and summer.

Let's make something beautiful together,
Sandra

F R E E   Q U I L T   P A T T E R N

Say hi to this month's free quilt pattern, called Litebrite. Let's make this quilt together during the month of June. My journey will be evenly spaced out throughout the month. Join me and/or follow along. I'll share about my progress on Instagram and I hope you'll share your progress too. It's important to me to hear your voices. Your voices motivate and inspire me.

I know you have a ton of fabric, so start by downloading the pattern and go through your stash to pick out a color palette for this quilt. Tomorrow, I'll share my fabric selection on Instagram.

For the month of June, it's a free download on my website, www.sandraclemons.com. Grab the free download now. 


D O N A T E   T O   A   C H A R I T Y
The quilt you make is yours to keep for yourself or gift away. You'll also have the opportunity to donate your quilt to my friends at the Mile High United Way. The United Way supports young families by providing basic essentials for their new babies helping to create stability within the home. The second most requested item behind diapers, are blankets. When I heard this, a huge light bulb went off. A lot of us here are quilters and I bet we have a fabric stash we need to use up. Let's use what we have and make a beautiful quilt 

for these families to help jump start their growing family. My hope is when these families snuggle into our quilts, it'll remind them they aren't alone especially in those dark times, and we do love and care for them. Now doesn't this seem like an opportunity you want to be part of?

Q U I L T   T I P

Practice Free Motion Quilting The Easy Way

Before quilting your quilt, audition and practice different quilting motifs by practicing on paper with a marker and/or a dry erase board. This tip helps iron out details such as where to enter and exit a block for continuous quilting. Practicing builds muscle memory and working with paper or dry erase board is quicker and easier to access than making a practice quilting sandwich. 

F R E E   A R T   P R I N T A B L E

This month has a very special holiday, Father's Day. I made a sweet and precious art printable for you. You'll find this free printable in my shop at www.sandraclemons.com. It'll be free for the entire month of June. 

F R E E   C O L O R I N G   P A G E

I'm giving away a free coloring page featuring this art piece. I've colored mine above, but the download is an outline. You can download this art piece at www.sandraclemons.com 

Post your finished coloring page to social media and be sure to tag me. I don't want to miss it!

G I V E A W A Y

This month I'm giving away a layer cake and fat eighth bundle of At Home with Bonnie & Camille by Moda Fabrics. Moda is a supporter of this newsletter and graciously sent me fabric to use for Litebrite as well as this giveaway. Thank you, Moda!

Sandra's May Newsletter Recap

H E L L O  +  R E C A P

Hello Creators. I've started a newsletter. Every month, I'll published a bunch of freebies, including a quilt pattern, art printables, tips, and much more.

Each month's free quilt pattern, will allow all of us to make the quilt at the same time, together, for the month. I'll post my progress on social media. When I post, you'll have the opportunity to ask me questions about the pattern and for quilting tips to help all of us improve our skills in quiltmaking. 

The quilt you make is yours to keep for yourself or gift away. You'll also have the opportunity to donate your quilt to my friends at the Mile High United Way. The United Way supports young families by providing basic essentials for their new babies helping to create stability within the home. The second most requested item behind diapers, are blankets. When I heard this, a huge light bulb went off. A lot of us here are quilters and I bet we have a fabric stash we need to use up. Let's use what we have and make a beautiful quilt for these families to help jump start their growing family. My hope is when these families snuggle into our quilts, it'll remind them they aren't alone especially in those dark times, and we do love and care for them. Now doesn't this seem like an opportunity you want to be part of?

Every month, I'll extend an offer to donate the quilt. It is totally up to you and there's no pressure. Perhaps, this month you want to keep it, but maybe next month, you're willing to give your quilt away. That's totally acceptable and exciting. 

To conclude, I appreciate you. Stay with me and watch us grow.

Sandra

F R E E   Q U I L T   P A T T E R N

Say hi to this month's free quilt pattern, called Freshman. Let's make this quilt together for the month of May. My journey will be evenly spaced out throughout the month. I'll share about my progress on Instagram and I hope you'll share your progress too. It's important to me to hear your voices. Your voice motivates and inspires me.

I know you've got a ton of fabric, so start by downloading the pattern and going through your stash to pick out a color palette for this quilt. This quilt is a great option for beginner quilters. The experienced quilter can still enjoy making this quilt because it is quick and easy. It's the perfect kind of pattern for a graduation gift, hint hint. Come on, join me, and let's quilt together.

For the month of May, it's a free download on my website, www.sandraclemons.com. Grab the free download now. 

There will be a free quilt pattern every month. Each month, the community will come together to make the quilt and share our progress together on Instagram. 

Q U I L T   T I P

Picking Fabrics for the Freshman Quilt

If you're having trouble deciding on a color scheme for the Freshman quilt or any quilt, I have two effective suggestions. The first suggestion is to select a main print fabric. The main print is usually the border and sashing, or backing of the quilt. Use the colors in the main print to audition fabrics for the blocks. If you choose a busy print, then the fabrics for the blocks could be simple tone on tone patterns. If the sashing and border print is a simple fabric, then have fun using up your large scale prints for the blocks and mix in some solids to add variety. The picture above is an example.

My second suggestion, select a main color and two additional highlight colors. The quilt I'm making this month uses this color strategy and is shown below. I chose a summer blue as my main color, and bright green and white as my highlighting colors. The Freshman quilt asks for 20 fat quarters for the blocks. I selected about 70% fabrics of different values of blues, another 20% of greens, and 10% of whites. Find me on Instagram to see how it turned out. 

F R E E   A R T   P R I N T A B L E

This month, I'm giving away my Free Your Mind art printable. I was inspired by the 90's R&B band called En Vogue. En Vogue sang a song called Free Your Mind, and still to this day, I know every lyric. I felt compelled to make this art printable. In fact, I had been avoiding it's creation for some time. Nearly every morning, I take 30 minutes to write, to spell out thoughts, to ask God for creativity, and search for God's answers. This printable kept on coming up in my quiet time. Often times when I create, I feel these boundaries of how I should create, because most of the time, I seek approval from other's. To free my mind of rules will help me become the authentic artist that I aspire to be. I hope you'll print this art off too, tape it to the wall and remember, rules are meant to be broken, judgement is not our worry. Free your mind.

You'll find this printable in my shop at www.sandraclemons.com. It'll be free for the entire month of May.

F R E E   C O L O R I N G   P A G E

I'm giving away a free coloring page featuring the art piece above for Mother's Day. Print this piece on art paper, and have the kids color it in for a loving gift for mom. You can download this art piece at www.sandraclemons.com 

Post your finished coloring page to social media and be sure to tag me. I don't want to miss it!

G I V E A W A Y

This month I'll be giving away a fat quarter bundle from my Applause fabric collection to say thank you. I am so grateful for my community and appreciative of your support. The bundle consists of 28 prints. Below is the collection description:

My daughter is a ballet dancer. She craves the opportunity to dance on stage. She spends the semester practicing and perfecting her moves. The result of all her hard work is showcased in the season’s dance recital. The performance is a success. The music stops and she releases her last pose. She searches the audience to lock her eyes to mine. I feel the transfer of pride + joy in her heart as she hears the roar of the crowd’s applause. The APPLAUSE fabric collection encapsulates this very moment. You’ll find ballerinas in position, music notes, crowns, and so much more. The colors are in whimsy pink, green, blue, and purples to bring a nice rhythm to the collection. APPLAUSE will inspire you to make beautiful things. You too will hear the applause of your hard work.

To enter, follow me on Instagram. Sometime this month, I'll post the giveaway along with instructions detailing how to enter.

If you'd like to collaborate on next month's giveaway, then shoot me an email at sandypan28@gmail.com and we can discuss next steps.

 

Quilt Pattern Releases

Hello Friends,

I have exciting news. For the next 12 weeks, MIB will be publishing a new quilting pattern each week. All of these quilt patterns use the strip piecing method to allow for a quicker and simpler construction process.

The strip piecing is a method where strips of fabric are cut and then pieced together to make strip units. These strip units are then subcut into smaller units. For example, a quilter could cut a bunch of 2" squares and then piece those squares together to make a block. Instead of piecing tiny piecing together one at a one, the strip piecing method makes piecing easier.

Follow me on instagram to keep up-to-date on the latest patterns.

Make your quilt making blossom.
Sandra

In Bloom Fabric Collection & Butterflies

Hello Friends,

I'm home from a wonderful time in St. Louis. There, I spent time at the International Spring Quilt Market, while mixing in a little family time as well.

My inlaws live outside of town and my dad made the 5 hour drive to spend time with me. I hauled my husband and daughter 12 hours cross country from Denver to support me in market while we visited with family. My dad finally got to see what market was all about and the effort it takes to setup a booth. I'm pretty sure he was proud of me, evidenced by him taking a photos of me and my booth.

I enjoyed my time selling MIB products and networking with industry professionals. The most surprising part of market was these butterflies. I didn't realize it was going to be such a hit with attendees and on social media. I hadn't planned on making a pattern, but by the end of the weekend, the demand was so great, I had to make one. I am here to please. :)

I made 500 butterflies using all 24 prints in my new fabric collection called In Bloom for Michael Miller Fabrics. Each butterfly took me 5 minutes to make. I had to make a bunch to make it impactful.

The pattern is a small $5 fee that you can either download or receive in hardcopy. This fee covers the time it took for me to develop the pattern by delivering you clear instructions and photos, while formatting it in a nice package. The pattern comes in 4 butterfly sizes and is in color.

Now that spring market is over, it's time to plan out fall market. I already have my next collection drawn and now waiting for strike-offs to review and approve. I have some creative ideas for my booth display and quilt patterns. I can't wait to get back to pencil and paper to draft the ideas in my head.

Til next time,
Sandra

Patchwork on the Runway

Hello Quilting Friends,

Of my networks of quilters, I know half of you are all about quilted patchwork clothing and the other half says, not for me. I've been in the latter boat for most of my quilting career, but the last 2 years I've had a slight change of heart. In that time, I have seen a couple of half-circle skirts and a wedding gown made from quilts. I had thought of patchwork clothing in batiks and/or traditional fabrics. Though the skirts and gown were made from vintage quilts with lots of white and faded fabrics. 

This past month, Calvin Klein debuted their 2017 fall collection. And whaddya know, they showcased 3 coats in antique patterned quilts. 

Here's one that is a classic Ocean Wave pattern. It combined with men's suiting for sleeves. It's interesting, right? I would totally wear this and wish I thought of it before.

Here's my Ocean Wave quilt. Here's the dilemma. I could cut this quilt for a half circle skirt, maybe make my version of Calvin's coat, but I just can't do it. See, I can run over to the mall to pick up a coat for $250, where as the quilt below took about $500 of materials, somewhere around 80 hours to make, not to mention my hard effort in matching those points. A coat could last a couple of years through wear and tear, but a quilt can last for generations.

(Pattern is available at my online shop. Head to Etsy for an instant pdf or to my website to order a paper copy.)

And here's a couple more by Calvin Klein. I would like to be a little fly on the wall to overhear his team discussing quilts in fashion.

This one has an antique postage stamp quilt cut for the lining of this quilt. It does give me a Christmas vibe to it, but definitely gives off an antique quilt feel.

And here's a drunkard path quilt. I really like this one, my favorite of the three. For nearly most of my life, I wasn't a pink kindof person. Since having my daughter, I've had a change of heart and I'm making up for lost time. I can foresee a MIB interpretation coming soon.

It is pretty cool to see fashion work with quilts in clothing. I hope it'll grow a greater appreciation from the population at large and in the art world. Meanwhile, I'd like to go through my stack of quilt tops and finished quilts to see if any them are worthy for a clothing experiment.

Sandra

Tutorial - Fabric Easter Basket

 

Easter Basket Tutorial

Today, let’s make an Easter Basket out of fabric. This is quick and easy, and o so cute. 

Materials

Exterior fabric – 1 Fat Quarter

Handle and Interior Fabric – 2/3 yard

Heavyweight fusible interfacing – 2/3 yard

Basic Quilting and Sewing Supplies

Trim – 1 yard (choose lace, rickrack, ribbon, etc.)

Cutting Instructions

Exterior Fabric – Cut one pieces 15” x 15”

Interior Fabric – Cut one pieces 15” x 18”, two pieces 2” x 15”, and one piece 5” x 18”

Interfacing – Cut two pieces 14 1/2” x 17 1/2” and one piece 5” x 18”

Sew with 1/4” seam allowance.

Make Handle

Iron on fusible interfacing on the wrong side of the handle.

Fold the strip of fabric in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and press along the fold to make a crease. Each half is 2 1/2”.

Open up the strip. Press each end in to the fold, wrong sides together, to the center crease made in previous step. It should fold 1 1/4”.

Refold the strip with the ends tucked in. The handle’s width is 1 1/4”.

Edgestitch the length of the handle on both sides.

  

Assemble Basket

Stitch the interior 2” strips to one side of the exterior fabric. Make 2. Press the seam allowance towards the interior fabric.

Iron and center interfacing to the wrong sides of the exterior and interior units. Approximately 1/4” around the perimeter of the units will not have interfacing. This is to reduce the seam bulk.

Top stitch over the seam bulk on both exterior units and then add trim. Here I used a ruffle lace. Top stitch the lace along the seam line to secure it in place.

Optional: Take one interior unit to place your label inside.  Top stitch it into place. I centered my label 7 1/2” along the 15” length of the fabric and 1 1/2” down from the fabric’s raw edge. Pay special attention this side of the fabric is the top of the basket.

Fold the exterior fabric in half with right sides on the inside to make a folded rectangle measuring 15” x 9”. Stitch the 9” ends with a 1/4” seam allowance. This would be a good time to trim away the lace. The folded side is the bottom of the basket.

Fold the interior fabric in half with right sides on the inside to make a folded rectangle.  Stitch the 9” end with a 1/4” seam allowance. The opening is the top of the basket. Make sure your label is facing right sides up.

To make the basket stand on its own, find the center of the basket bottom by making a crease.  Pick a side seam and match it to the bottom crease to form a triangle. Use your finger to pop out the point. Press the seam open. Repeat for all four corners of the exterior and interior units.

Pick a corner and measure 2 1/2” from the point with a ruler. Align the ruler along the seam and draw a line. Repeat for all four corners.

Stitch all four corners on the line drawn to box the basket. Make sure to backstitch the beginning and end of the stitch. Fold the seam allowance (shaped as a triangle) under the basket.

Feel free to trim the handle to your desired length. I kept mine at 18”. I liked the ability hold the basket over my shoulder. Mark the center of both exterior and interior units on both sides.

Place the handle at the center mark of the exterior unit. Edge stitch it to secure it in place. Repeat for the other side of the handle.

Turn the exterior unit right sides out and place it inside of the interior unit, which is wrong sides out.

Pin together the exterior and interior units. Pin the side seams first. Align the center marks and pin. Then fill in the gap with more pins.

Stitch around the top of the basket with a 1/4” seam allowance. Back stitch over the handle and side seams to give those areas extra strength. Leave about a 3” opening between the one of the side seam and handle.

Turn the basket right sides out by inserting your handle through the opening and grabbing the end. Pull it through the opening.

Work the boxed corners and seam along the top perimeter of the basket with your finger. Make sure to fold the boxed corner to the base of the basket.

Pin the opening closed by folding 1/4” seam allowance inside the hole. Continue to pin around the basket to make the seam is completely pushed out.

Edge stitch the top of the basket to close the hole.

Now that you have all the ingredients to make your very own Easter basket, it’s your turn to make it blossom.

Enjoy!

Sandra

American Patchwork April 2017

Hello Quilt Friends,

I have a quilt published in a magazine, called Star Bursts. This one is in the the April 2017 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. If you're not a subscriber, then head over to your local store or to www.allpeoplequilt.com/april to pick up an issue.

 

I'm so happy to see my project published in American Patchwork. They are an awesome team to work with and I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to show my quilt to their audience.

The quilt features Cotton Couture fabric by Michael Miller, although the backing was a quick buy from Hobby Lobby. The Warm Company sponsored the Warm & White batting and Aurifil sponsored the thread.





My family and I took a cross country road trip to see my parents in Moline, Illinois, and on our way there, we hand delivered this quilt to the American Patchwork corporate office. The quilt will arrive any day now and I can't wait to brighten up my home with this quilt.

Sandra