This weekend I took the opportunity to make my flying geese blocks for Step 4 of my Sundance quilt pattern, available exclusively through BERNINA dealers.  This time I’m making it in my Topiary collection for Blend Fabrics.  (Last year I made the original using my “Bonjour, Mon Ami” collection.)

The original “Sundance” quilt.

I wanted to make something in a completely different color story this time. I and worked up three different options using Topiary.  I ended up using the one with a pink border.  SKU information for all three options, as well as the original option, can be found here, but the directions are only available though BERNINA.

The fabrics for Flying Geese block (the third Topiary option)

And the finished block!

I entered this quilt into Blogger’s Quilt Festival – make sure to stop by because there are some fabulous quilts over there to look at all the great entries!  They are taking viewers choice nominations now and voting starts on the 24th.

Next month will be appliqué!

Happy sewing!
Amanda

I can finally show you all one of my favorite projects that I have ever made!  Introducing Flower Power!

Flower Power (44-1/2” x 60-1/2″)

It is appliqué in a modern style and is unlike anything I’ve done to date.  I think I channeled my inner Brady Bunch (does that date me?) but it is such a cheery quilt and I love how it turned out!. I used Kona solids from the Sunrise fat quarter palette and added in the aquas.  (I listed the particular solids in the directions.)  Did I mention the blooms are fat-quarter friendly, whether you use solids or prints?

There are so many opportunities to be creative with stitches (thank you, BERNINA 780)…

And with quilting…

I’m entering it in the appliqué category of Blogger’s Quilt Festival – make sure to stop over there and see all the fantastic quilts!  Voting starts on the 24th…

The retail price of Flower Power is  $19 and all placement diagrams are included true to size so your quilt will look just like the original.  The appliqués are huge so it goes together quickly!  Best of all, I’ve made all the SVG files available free on my website so using your favorite fabric cutter is a snap!

For quilt shops – Flower Power is now on its way to Brewer, Checker, and United Notions, so you can order it everywhere.   (And you can see it in Brewer’s booth at Market.)  You can also order it by emailing me.

I’m missing Market this time due to a family commitment but I want to be sure to celebrate Flower Power’s debut so let’s have a little sale, okay?  20 percent off all patterns (PDF and printed) in my shop through this Sunday night, including, but not limited to, Flower Power.  Use the promo code FLOWERPOWER.

Happy sewing!
Amanda

Announcement:  The winner of the fat quarter bundle and magazine over here is Amy DeCesare and the winner over on my instagram account is crazyquiltlena.  Congratulations, ladies!  Send me your snail mail addresses and I’ll get them out to you.  Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments – you’ve given me so many ideas!

It is Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks time again and today is my day blog about my block and have a giveaway!

Can you guess the inspiration for my block?  It kind of knocks you over the head, doesn’t it? It is my fabric line, “Topiary” for Blend Fabrics, which, in turn, is inspired by the gardens of the South. (I’d show you a picture of my garden, but I have whatever is opposite of a green thumb, so that’s no fun…)

I wanted to do a  simple-to-sew appliqué block so I chose one of the trees I drew for this line and enlarged it quite a bit, then added borders and corners so that it would create a diamond pattern when joined with its neighbors.

So… onto the giveaway.  Quiltmaker is giving a copy of the magazine to one of you and I’m throwing in a fat quarter bundle of Topiary!  To enter, leave me a comment letting me know what colors you’d most like to see in a quilt collection for a boy.  (I know this is off-topic considering the style of the fabric in this block… but I’m curious.)  And I’ll also be picking an additional winner from my instagram followers so if you don’t follow me there already please consider it.  (My user name over there is amandamurphydesign.)  The deadline to enter is this Friday, May 2nd, at midnight.

They have lots of other great prizes over on the Quiltmaker blog so make sure to stop by!  (Including a grand prize at the end of the week that has both my books, as well as all sorts of other goodies!)

Happy sewing.