Check Plus ++ Baby Version

I am revisiting an old pattern of mine today, Check Plus, one of my first plus sign quilts and my first quilt/pattern in a magazine.  I originally made Check Plus in some Bonnie and Camille fabrics all of the way back in 2014 for Quilty Magazine.

I remade the quilt in a baby size for my new nephew.  For this version of the quilt, I used various blue and green fat quarters from my stash paired with a gray print background by Angela Walters (this print was actually the remnants from a wide backing fabric from my Flutter quilt).  I backed the quilt with a teal shot cotton which is not only a beautiful color, but also super soft.

I decided to quilt the quilt the same as my first version, with a variation on a cross-hatch using the piecing as a guide (no marking makes me happy).

The quilt is Reeses approved :)  (Don't worry, my nephew is not allergic to cats and I washed the quilt before mailing.)

You can see some additional versions of Check Plus over on Instagram #CheckPlusQuilt and grab a copy over on Etsy: digital, paper.

Here was the original version which now lives with my parents...

Splendid Sampler - Star Plus

Hi and welcome to my day in the Splendid Sampler 2 quilt along! I was so excited to be asked to be part of the Splendid Sampler 2 book by Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson.

STAR PLUS BLOCK

My block, on page 117 of the Splendid Sampler 2, is called Star Plus which combines one of my favorite quilting designs, the plus sign, within a star.

Star Plus, like all of the blocks in the sampler, measures 6 ½" x 6 ½" (6" x 6" in the quilt). It is fun to make such cute and little blocks. My block incorporates both traditional and paper pieced techniques and I used EQ8 to design the block.

I had fun remaking the block in some of my new Maureen Cracknell fabrics to make a mini quilt, a perfect mug rug size :)

ADDITIONAL COLORWAYS

One of my favorite things to do with a quilt block is to play with it to create different quilt top layouts and colorways.  Here are a few of my favorite layouts:

ABOUT ME

For those that are visiting my blog for the first time, a little about me: I am a chemical engineer who now writes technical textile patents by day and quilts by night after the kids are in bed. 

If you have a minute, you can use the tabs above to visit some popular features of my blog including my yearly mystery quilts (the next on starts in July), my first book Modern Plus Sign Quilts, my patterns, and my series on Pattern Writing 101.  

In addition to the blog, you can find me on Instagram @MeadowMistDesigns and on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY
Update: Giveaway now closed, congrats Rhonda!

How about a GIVEAWAY to celebrate the Splendid Sampler?

I am giving away an 8-piece fat quarter bundle of some of my favorite FreeSpirit solids to one winner :)

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post, any comment. If you would like a topic/question to answer, I would love to know what inspires you to quilt.

2. My blog followers (old and new) get a bonus entry. Leave a second comment with how you follow the blog. (Here are some links for following... Bloglovin, Email)

The giveaway will run for 4 days, until 8 pm EST on Sunday, January 20th and the giveaway is open to everyone around the world.

I try to respond to each and every comment I get on my blog, but with giveaway posts the numbers are usually too great to do this. PS - If you are a no-reply blogger, please leave your e-mail address so I have a way of contacting you if you win.

Remember, you can pick up a copy of Splendid Sampler 2 (affiliate link) and visit www.thesplendidsampler.com to join in on the fun! 

Don't forget to check out the other 3 blocks from the Splendid Sampler 2 posting today:

Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill of Whole Circle Studio

Shannon Gillman Orr

Pat Sloan

Modern Plus Sampler Quilt ++ My Paper Pieced Areas

January's instructions for the Modern Plus Sampler were the Paper Pieced Areas, based on the Kaleidoscope Plus and Faceted Rings quilts, two of my favorites from the Modern Plus Sign Quilts book. 

I do love sewing paper pieced blocks and creating designs with such interesting angles compared to what is possible with traditional piecing.

There have been some wonderful blocks posted on the Facebook Group and on Instagram (#ModernPlusSamplerQuilt).  If you have a chance, please check them out :)

You can find the Paper Pieced Area instructions for January here and find out all about the quilt along here.

Image by Amy Garro of Quilt Photography Co.

Also, I also wanted to highlight a project that Carole from My Carolina Home has been organizing, the Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project. The project is to collect new and nearly new bed size quilts for the victims of Hurricane Florence and Michael on the North Carolina coast.

The project will go through the summer and completed quilts are needed as well as help making quilt tops and quilting the quilts. More information and updates can be found on Carole’s Blog and the Carolina Hurricane Quilt Project post.

Modern Plus Sampler ++ Paper Pieced Areas

Happy New Year and welcome to the January instructions for the Modern Plus Sampler!  

Just a look ahead...this is the last month of instructions for new blocks.  February will be the quilt top assembly instructions and then the parade will be in April (March will not have any instructions to give you a full two months to finish your quilt tops/quilts).  To enter into the parade you need either a finished quilt top or finished quilt.

This month's instructions are the Paper Pieced Areas within the large plus sign.  Remember, if you would rather not do any paper piecing for the quilt top, we have other options here.

Modern Plus Sampler

About the sampler - the Modern Plus Sampler started in July 2018 and will run through April 2019 with a set of directions revealed the first Thursday of every month. The quilt is a large lap sized quilt finishing at about 63" x 78".

Here are the instructions in an easy to print pdf format:

Modern Plus Sampler - Paper Pieced Areas

 Additionally, the directions and all of the other information related to the sampler quilt along can always be found on the Modern Plus Sampler Page.

Facebook Group 

I encourage you to join the Meadow Mist Designs Facebook Group (if you have not already).  We now have over 3,200 members in the group and I am so excited to see your progress!

If you want some feedback on possible fabric choices or have any questions during the quilt along, the Facebook is an excellent resource.  You can find the Facebook Group right here.  Please share your progress pics on social media with the hashtag #ModernPlusSamplerQuilt and tag me at @MeadowMistDesigns.

Paper Pieced Areas

Cutting Instructions for both blocks

FABRIC A

Cut 1 strip 2 ½" × WOF.  Sub-cut as indicated in book patterns.

FABRIC B

Cut 1 strip 2 ½" × WOF.  Sub-cut as indicated in book patterns.



FABRIC D

Cut 1 strip of 4" x WOF and 3 ¼" x WOF, and 2 strips of 3" x WOF.
     Sub-cut each as indicted in the book patterns.
Cut 2 strips 2 ¾" x WOF.
     Sub-cut into 2 pieces 2 ¾" x 14" and 2 pieces 2 ¾" x 9 ½".
Cut 2 strips 1 ¼" x WOF.
     Sub-cut into 2 pieces 1 ¼" x 14" and 2 pieces 1 ¼" x 12 ½".

FABRIC E

Cut 1 strip 4 ¾" × WOF.  Sub-cut as indicated in book patterns.

FABRIC F

Cut 1 strip 6" × WOF.  Sub-cut as indicated in book patterns.



Kaleidoscope Block

Use the Kaleidoscope Plus pattern on pages 68-73, the kaleidoscope plus foundation A pattern on page 107, and the foundation paper piecing instructions on pages 12-13.

1. Foundation paper piece two kaleidoscope plus foundation A patterns using the following fabrics for each segment:

2. Sew the two foundation A pieces together to make one full kaleidoscope block 9 ½" x 9 ½".

3. Sew a fabric D piece 2 ¾" x 9 ½" onto the right and left sides of the full kaleidoscope block. Sew a fabric D piece 2 ¾" x 14" onto the top and bottom of the block to make a kaleidoscope block 14" x 14".

Faceted Rings Block

Use the Faceted Rings pattern on pages 30-35, the faceted rings foundation A and B patterns on page 105-106, and the foundation paper piecing instructions on pages 12-13.

1. Foundation paper piece four each of the faceted rings foundation A and B patterns using the following fabrics for each segment:

2. Sew the eight foundation pieces (4 of foundation A and four of foundation B) together to make one block 12 ½" x 12 ½".

3. Sew a fabric D piece 1 ¼" x 12 ½" onto the right and left sides of the full kaleidoscope block. Sew a fabric D piece 1 ¼" x 14" onto the top and bottom of the block to make a kaleidoscope block 14" x 14".

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of the Modern Plus Sampler!

Honey, Bunny, and Doll | Sew Fresh Quilts | Make Modern | Aurifil

Cooking Up Quilts | Quilting Jetgirl | Quilter's Planner

Needle & Foot | Fat Quarter Shop | BackSide Fabrics | Whims and Fancies

Meadow Mist Designs | Tish's Adventures in Wonderland | Busy Hands Quilts | C&T Publishing

The next set of instructions will be published on the first Thursday of February (the 7th).

Quilter's Planner Sampler ++ Snowflake Hexie and New Alternative Pyramid Layout

Happy New Year!  The Quilter's Planner Sampler kicks off this month and I wanted to show you the original Hexie Snowflake Layout and the brand new alternative Pyramid Layout.

There was some feedback that some quilters would like an alternative layout with less negative space so Stephanie asked me to work up an alternative design.  This new alternative is called the Pyramid Layout and it uses the same blocks as the original, just in an different layout.  The Pyramid Layout is also a lap sized quilt.

You can download the instructions for the Pyramid Layout right here (this pdf gives instructions for the numbers of blocks to make and how to assemble the quilt top, the pattern magazine is still required to make the pattern as the pdf does not contain the block instructions).

Here is the original Hexie Snowflake version:

Photograph by Kitty Wilkin - Night Quilter for the Quilter's Planner

You can get the sampler pattern by purchasing a Quilter's Planner which includes the pattern magazine with the sampler along with over a dozen other patterns. 

The magazine is not available yet as a stand alone, but they might be sold separately in a few months if there are any are left.

Are you planning on joining in?  Which is your favorite, the Hexie Snowflake or the Pyramid Layout?



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