Quilt Now Issue 43 arrived recently at newsstands. A copy of this modern quilt magazine dropped into my mailbox as a reference sample. Oh how excited I was to stroll through the pages and find so many Zen Chici things here and there. The main reason I got the reference sample was, that they feature an interview with me. A designer portrait, Q&A style. So lets stroll together through the magazine, shall we? Grab a cup of coffee, find a cozy place and let's have a bit fun:

QUILT NOW ISSUE 43 comes with a bonus booklet

What's very exciting about the current issue is: There is a little bonus booklet attached to it. It is a calendar for quilters and I will go with you through that little helper later in this post.

Let's have a look

INSIDE THE MAGAZINE

and see what the content pages have to offer:

Besides the typical pages like NEWS or ON THE BOOKSHELF we find a section TECHNIQUE FOCUS, a detailed tutorial for how to make a Dresden Plate Block. And to make it even more exciting it is followed by a project to train your new gained skills, a pillow using this block.

What other projects will you find? I counted instructions for 6 quilts, 2 pillows, 3 pouches, 1 bag and 3 baby toys (hope I am right). Some of them are even for English Paper Piecing fans (don't you love to snuggle up on a couch with a cup of tea, wintery cold outside, cozy warm indoors, having a hand sewing project and your favorite TV series? Another expression for heaven).

Here are two of my favorite projects
Kerry Green's vintage-style floor cushion (I have to make one!)

and Lynnes Goldworthy's supersize Mariner's Compass quilt (70" x 70")

Another interesting section in Quilt Now magazine are the

GIVEAWAY PAGES

Three pages point out special occasions to get discounts or win a giveaway like quilt kits, fabric baskets, books, fabric and thread bundles, fleece and a cutting mat. The worth of these prizes to win is more than $1.000.
And you get a free Riley Blake Fat Quarter bundle for a Quilt Now subscription.

What I was of course most excited about, was the

HUGE SPOTLIGHT IN THIS ISSUE ON ZEN CHIC

You know, I am a lover of Scandinavian Design and minimalism, and so I was interested in reading Katie Garnet's article about how has Scandi chic translated into the region's quilting style?  Strolling through the pages, I discovered my fabric lines TRUE BLUE and FRAGILE in the section Favorite Fabric Finds of the Month.

And not only the swatches were shown, no: TWO quilts featuring the collection TRUE BLUE are in this magazine with complete instructions. I'm totally in love with these two quilts made by Naomi Clarke. Both of them are English paper pieced. Don't they look just gorgeous?

And then there is a

DESIGNERPORTRAIT

a Q&A-style interview, which I had with Quilt Now. It's about how what is on my sewing table, what collections I will have in 2018, Christmas gift ideas, tips for making a modern quilt.

I feel totally honored to be so well represented in this magazine issue.
And last, but not least back to the little

BONUS BOOKLET - GIVEAWAY

It is basically a diary for quilters. A 2018 calendar, with one month per page and mixed in 12 quilt blocks with detailed instructions.

This is so much fun, so I thought one of you should have it. I will give this little booklet away,

So if you want to have it, leave a comment and follow me either on my blog or on Instagram. Let me know, what quilt project is on your 2018 planner (and don't forget to leave your email address, so I can contact you).

I hope you had fun sitting next to me on my cozy couch, having a coup of tea and a look into this magazine!

My Splendid Sampler Block - Under the Apple-Tree

Since this fun project is around already all year long, chances are you’ve heard of the Splendid Sampler. If not, just a couple of words to introduce you in all that fun!

The Splendid Sampler is a year-long quilt-along hosted by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson. There are nearly countless designers taking part in the fun and sewing with the Splendid community. Each week you get 2 new 6” x 6” quilt blocks. You can read more about the Splendid Sampler here as well as visit the Splendid Sampler Facebook Group to get all the blocks and exchange ideas and inspiration.

The new block for today is designed by me! What a fun it was to make it!

The name of this block is "Under the Apple-Tree", you can download the pattern here.

When my hobby of doing patchwork grew more and more in something I could maybe someday make a living of, I had a cosy dream: I would invite some fellow quilters during Summertime into my garden and we would sit under the apple-tree, have a sewing retreat full of laughter and fun and enjoy the magic of a Summer-weekend. Today I really live my dream of a full time career as a quilter, and the word apple became even more importance to me: I sit in front of my apple each day to create all my designs and ideas. 

The block has all the colors which you will find in an apple and it looks like there are eight yummy slices.

It must also be fun, to hand-sew under an apple-tree, comfortably seated in a Summer chair, protected from the heat by the shadow of the leaves. I have to imagine this scenario, since I actually made this block already in last November, more during a rainy and cold weather, not the perfect apple-tree-under time (although perfect for a glass of tea and some cookies on the couch). I mention this, because... when I made this block one year ago, I must have been so absorbed in the cosiness of hand stitching that I forgot to take pictures of each single step. Or ... I took them, but then they disappeared in the overwhelming file load of my computer storage. Anyhow - I only found pictures from the finished block. But I guess most of you will know, how to do English Paper Piecing or can find a youtube tutorial. Sue Daley has an excellent series of youtube tutorials about EPP.

What I love about the Apple-Tree Block are the unusual shapes for the EPP-technique. Most of us have done hexagons, at least one time. But this block hast a lot of new shapes to play with. And they will be perfect for fussy cutting, playing with color options. Can't wait to see what you are doing with yours!

(BTW: be careful, the white triangles of the sewn block look symmetrical, but they are not; one of the long sides is slightly longer than the other. So mark them or cut them from paper with different colored sides so you don't accidentally mix them up. On your paper sheet you can recognize them by different colors, white and light grey. Also the both triangle shapes for the corner squares are different, but look so similar that they could be confused. So mark every shape clearly to not get in trouble. Refer to the colors on your pattern sheet).

Imagine you and a quiltfriend, perhaps me - under this apple-tree, with a hand stitching project, a fresh drink and a piece of apple pie. Chatting about the last quilt ideas, fabric collections and upcoming retreats. Should we call this quilter's heaven? :-)

Some Insights and tips about solids

If you know me for a while, you might have realized that I often have some solids in my quilt patterns. Moda asked me about my tips and my experiences how to design a quilt with solids and here is my interview...

Why I hate this Quilt Market thingamajig…

pssst, SHE doesn’t know it. SHE would be anyway to busy to notice it. But well – I really hate these days.

SHE becomes so neglecting. Cuddling hours going to zero. Food only after the second loud and clear demand. And I am still so supportive…

It all starts when this car stops in front of our door – and I watch out for it!

 

The guy drags heavy boxes in my home and SHE freaks out with joy, jumping around as if SHE would have found an unsealed and open XXL-cat-food package. Then SHE disappears with all the stuff for hours into her studio and I hear HER singing, and working until late night. I mean, let me check that box – are there any drugs in????

All I could find were such odd bundles, who knows what those are for… Human beings are weird, aren’t they…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I don’t get the point what HER hype is all about, it seems to be something you can play with. At least SHE can spend hours and hours with that kind of thing. I mean – ok, it’s comfortable to dive into this watchamacallit fabric, but I prefer to have just a nap on the spread out scraps.

BTW – does SHE even get the point what playing is all about – having fun, chasing and throwing things around. When I watched HER the other night, when SHE were on HER knees seeming to have all the burden of the world on HER shoulders while pondering which of HER snippets should go where – OMG, look at that – this was her sad result. I mean PLAYFUL, baby?????

I was so sorry for HER. Out of pity for HER miserable outcome I took heart and thought, let me assist HER a bit, so SHE can feel better. I brought all that stiffness out and made a good example for what we call having fun!

Yes, that was really supportive!

I think I should teach HER more of this good stuff. Living la vie en rose instead of waking up with dark circles around the eyes due to last night’s overtime hours. Relax, baby! There is more in life than working hours!

Let’s see what SHE is doing right now… Going outdoors to take pictures from her latest whatsit.

What could this be good for?

no clue…

 
perhaps something interesting underneath….

  
This is just a perfect place to relax and bask in the sun. Well, if I am only a shining example – maybe SHE will follow and find insights about the most important things in life…

There SHE goes! That wasn't so hard, was it?

I’m curious about what my colleagues have to report about all the other weird Moda freaks,  hopping over today to

Kathy Schmitz

Vanessa Christenson

Laundry Basket

Basic Grey

Modern Craft and Sewing Room

As a designer for modern fabrics and for quilt patterns I was recently invited to be featured in the premier issue of ROOM TO CREATE. It is a brand-new magazine, which inspires with craft spaces of women. All sorts of crafts – paper design, sign making, fine art, styling, scrapbooking, sewing and – yes, quilting!

Here is a sneak peek of the fresh magazine brimming with eye-candy and organizing tips

If you want to have some valuable tips how to decorate and organize your craft room, be inspired by other women and how they run their business, get your copy at the newsstands now!

Now – here are two big chances for you!   

1 You are invited too! If you think you have an inspiring craft room and some organizing tips to share:

contact the magazine at roomtocreatemag@gmail.com if you want to submit your craft rooms/studios/ateliers to them for consideration! The magazine needs your contact information, blog name and URL and some pictures of the room. They are also now considering smaller spaces - like a wall, a craft closet, a great cabinet, etc.

2 this is a giveaway – So for your chance to win a copy of this beautiful issue, please forward this blog post to a friend who

might be interested in contributing to the new magazine either with her craft room or with a smaller space. Thank you!

Moda fabrics giveaway, Zen Chic

Hello my dear friends! It’s been a while since I posted on my blog and at least each blog hop brings me back to this place. Most of you are connected with me meanwhile at facebook where we meet every single day and exchange ideas and inspiration.
What I have to tell today is way too long for a facebook post. I’m gonna talk about what’s going on right now here at the Zen Chic Studio, chat about some quilt layout ideas and give you all details about how to win a Fat Eighth fabric bundle of my current line FIGURES.

So first let’s talk a bit about quilt layouts. When we, the Moda team, are at Market, we have a kind of presentation there (called Schoolhouse) where we all show the newest fabrics and patterns. And to find a mutual subject, Lissa, our Marketing Director, sends out each time a task to everyone. Actually it is the same task for everyone, but of course we will show our personal twist on it.
In Pittsburgh Schoolhouse our task was to sew a quilt (looks like a mega block) with a layer cake from our fabric line. Each person had that same quilt layout as a starter, but ended up with her personal interpretation on it.
So that was our original layout – the Moda Love Layer Cake Quilt  (which you can download as a free pattern here).

Of course I wanted to interpret this block in a more modern way, so I started to exchange plain squares by simple Lob Cabins to form some Pluses, to turn some blocks around and give them another direction – and to make it even more impressive to arrange the prints in color order.
I eventually ended up with a version, which looks quite modern and definitely needed an own pattern ;-)
I called it BIG PLUS and it’s now available in my pattern series.

And then we do also more fun stuff at Markets, this year for example we were all sewing scientists (at least pretending scientists) working in the Moda Laboratory. We wore a Lab Coat and taught our audience about our tips and tricks. Would you like to get to know Prof. Dr. Dr. Zen Chic from the Institute for Sophisticated Quilting? Voilà.
My new line Figures has a maritime color way with a nautical blue, aqua, salmon, linen and saffron in it and the patterns in the line are as always graphic and fresh. I was playing around a bit with sorting the fabrics by colors and figuring out how different a quilt would look if I just scale the complete range of fabrics down to certain color stories. I was surprised by the many variations I got:
I could have a serious and way of masculine look with the saffron/nautical combination

or a very feminine look by choosing the salmons and linens

but it could also be jus a youthful combination for a teenager with the aquas and reds.

or it would look lovely for a boys nursery… (BTW: I will become grandma of a little boy for the first time. Next January, so happy!!!)

I could play for hours to find new combinations… But I’m sure you have your own ideas and imagination and you will come up with projects that surprise me and make me oohing and aahing. (I love when you send me some pictures, which I can show).
So – you will need fabric! Of course! Time to talk about our giveaway. Here is a darn yummy bundle of Fat Eighths waiting for you!

For your chance to win: please hop over to my Zen Chic facebook page, like it (so you are a follower, you will get the news and inspiration and we can meet there) and leave a comment on my facebook’s post about this blog hop. That’s all!

HERE IS AN UPDATE: Since some of you said they are not at FB and wouldn't have a chance to win:
Your comment on my blog will also go in the drawings. So if you are not a FB user, you will have a chance to win if you comment on my blog also.

Today my Moda colleagues Kathy Schmitz and Edyta Sitar are also posting their giveaways. Don’t miss to stop by and take your chance to win.
The winners of this blog hop will be announced at the 13th of September.
Brigitte