#ModaBellaChallenge Quilt Contest

To celebrate the 15th year of its "Bella Solids" fabrics, Moda Fabrics is calling on all quilters around the world to enter this creative quilt-making contest -- with big awards to those whose quilts are selected for purchase, showcasing at the International Quilt Market in Houston, and for archiving by
 Moda Fabrics.

 

First place: US$5,000.00

Second place: US$3,000.00

Third place: US$2,000.00

Click here to review the rules and to get started.

Gardening Tip: Coleus Propagation -- Take One

Hi! I hope your new year is off to a good start. It's snowing here, so I thought I'd take a moment to dream of the garden. At the end of last summer, our friend Tracy was at our house and saw some of our window boxes planted with annuals. She asked me if I over-winter the coleus. I had never thought about trying! Here's what Tracy told me to do:

1. While the plants are still going strong, snip about 6" sprigs from each plant.
2. Strip the leaves from the bottom 3" of the stem.
3. Plunk them in a small glass of water then put the glass on a sunny windowsill. 
4. Periodically, refresh the water.

I did this and lo' and behold after a few weeks, roots started to appear! I'll probably have to put them in a bigger glass soon, but by spring these will be ready to plant! It's exciting to learn something new, and a bonus when it also happens to be beautiful.

New! Quilt-Planning Coloring Pages

We got a nice call the other day from Amy in Oklahoma.

Amy asked if we had a blank black-and-white version of the Felicity quilt pattern for her to print out and color in. “Like a coloring-book,” she said.

Amy wants to create a quilt kit featuring my pattern and coordinating fabrics. She’s kitting this up for her local quilt shop (LQS) Modern Vintage Quilts in Claremore.

But, Amy admitted, she’s not decided on which fabrics to use. (An aside: May I recommend my collection for Moda Fabrics, North Woods ? A nice selection of the line is offered by my LQS, Christie’s Quilting Boutique, in-store or online, and elsewhere. Wink wink.)

And so, in trying to help Amy with her interest in playing around with some colors -- something that's integral to my process -- I decided to make her a template “like a coloring-book” and to send it to her. It’s available for free on our shop now.

And thanks to Amy’s request, we’ve decided to include a color-in template with all our new quilt patterns offered on our shop. 

Right now, these are the patterns that you’ll get a free coloring template with, when you get the pattern online from us. 

The fabrics I’d recommend for the Nest and Morning Glory quilts? My “Early Bird” collection for Moda Fabrics (shown on my bed above), shipping in March.

Best,

Kate