Spring into Spring

Starting the day with appliqué 

I'm working on the front of the 

May Basket Tablestand.

Done - now on to the back.  

Tablestands are some of my favorite little quilts,

especially the backs as they are usually

four 6" squares.  I started doing them just 

because of the 6" squares on the back.  

I should be able to show them to you next week.

I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.

We decided to leave the coconut off of the

bunny cake this year for a change.

The weather was warm enough that 

he didn't need it to keep warm. :).

Gardening on the deck has begun in Ernest.

This year I cheated a little and got some lettuce 

plants at the greenhouse.  I planted a row of 

zinnias (small ones) behind then and they've already 

started sprouting.

And besides my herbs and succulents

I planted a few more zinnia seeds 

in the teapot for a splash of color.

This is Hovering Hawks and Peonies by

Denise French and the design of this

quilt has a little story.

I originally saw a picture of a full size quilt with

this border and these blocks.  It was in a book about

quilts of the Mormon migration.

I decided to make a wallhanging using the designs from

the picture so I drafted the blocks and drew out the borders.

And let me tell you those Hovering Hawks blocks 

weren't easy to draft - at least not for me.

Somewhere in this process a quilt magazine asked me

for quilt designs and I submitted this one, telling them

that it was an adaptation of an antique quilt.

They published the quilt but somehow forgot

to say it was an adaptation of an antique quilt.

Luckily after an outcry a different magazine author

wrote an article defending people who went to the

trouble to work out patterns from antiques so we all

could enjoy them.

But I made double sure after that when I sent patterns

from antique quilts that the publisher would verify

that it originally came from an antique.

I still really like this little wallhanging and thank you 

Denise for doing such a beautiful job on it.

   And if you're not on our email list,

get in touch with /Tammie to see how to join.

We're having a really special Easter sale kit this week.

See you next week ladies.

 

And It's Officially Spring!!!!!!

 

Starting the Day with Appliqué 

Still working on the center block 

of the Blockheads 3 Quilt

And doing a little multitasking --

for July, no less --

"Eagles and Stars."

As soon as I get the eagle appliquéd 

in place, I'll do the arrows and

olive branch.  This eagle is a 

star print from my stash - 

the second eagle is a dark

blue grunge fabric.  

The two large Circle/Star blocks

have the same background with

multiple squares of stash fabrics 

and Holly Taylor fabrics 

from her Violet Hill line.

The Little Lavender Chicken Bird is finished 

and both the pattern and kit are 

available in the store.

You can get to the store by clicking

here.

And I was sent this awesome little

chick quilt but I've lost the piece of paper

that I wrote the quilters name on.

She saw my little quilt on Instagram 

and made her own.

If you see this dear, would you please

send another picture and your name and I'll

try to remember to post it next week.

Speaking of next week - it will be April.

In fact tomorrow will be April.

Our vintage book for April is going to be

Festival of Life.

Meanwhile you might want to 

find a copy of

Tiny Treasures by my friend

Kathy Schmitz for Martingale..  It is awesome 

and just chock full of pictures, drawings and

embroidery information.

You need a copy.  You can get

one by clicking here.

One last thing and then I have to 

get back to sewing.

I decided to do a summer sew along with 

Moda and Martingale using Susan Ache's 

book Sampler Spree..  It starts in June, 2021.

I've wanted to make a purple and cream quilt

for a long time and I think this will be it.

Come join me as I fulfill a bucket list. 

I suppose I should warn everyone 

that I may sneak in an appliqué block or 2

if there aren't any in the book.

:)

 

Keep Quilting.  

If you'd like me to show your quilts on the blog, 

send jpgs to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

Thank you and

see you next week ladies.

And another Blockheads Wednesday.

 Starting the day with Appliqué 

- quite a few of them before the

center block is done.

It takes me about a day and a half to 

applique a set of stems and leaves

and the flower of course.

The stem with the "yellow rose of Texas" 

only has a couple of leaves but the flower takes

quite a bit longer than the lavender one so

it even out.

On a side note, Pep and I (and my sister Nancy)

got our 2nd Covid shots last Saturday.

Yay!!!!! - Soon we get to see our son Max 

and Cullen and Quinn.

BUT somehow I lost a day.

I usually write my blog posts on Tuesday and

schedule them to go up early Wednesday 

morning. I just realized it was Tuesday so this

is going to be really short.  

I've been thinking it was Monday. 

If I didn't goof it up, our kit on sale this week is 

Grandma's House.

Its 20% off, I hope,

If I did goof it up and you want it to help me celebrate 

getting to see my kids again, 

just email Tammy at janpatekquilts@gmail.com

and she'll take your order.

Max slept for 36 hours after he got his shot and I only slept  

most of Sunday afternoon so I guess I was pretty lucky.

Here are a couple of quilts of mine that

people have sent me jpgs of.

Sophie & the Rose Trees by Suzanne Steil

Spring Break by Lizzie Dillingham

Thanks Ladies, they're great!  :)

See you next week and

Keep Quilting

Happy Blockheasds Wednesday

 This is the center of my Blockheads 3 Quilt.  I designed it for my ladies that 

love appliqué.  My Blockhead blocks are mainly 8" blocks so the 

center is  cut 27 1/2' x 27 1 /2 (finished size 27" x 27").  Three 8" finished blocks 

with 1" finished sashing on each side and the top and bottom. It will grow with 

8" blocks and sashing  out from there until we have used all of our blocks.  There were a few blocks that were only done in 12" and 4 of those will be the corners with a 1" stop border and 12" borders. ( I think -I'll let you know more next week after quite a bit of sewing. )

Meanwhile it is Spring even if Colorado sent us some of their leftover winter weather.

The kit on sale this week is the Tablestand Bunny Hop for

20% off and

the Vintage books for March are the patterns

Sunshine on my Shoulder and 

Patchwork Garden, both for the price of $14.95 (2 for the price of one)

You can go to our store to purchase any or all by

clicking here

This is my Front Porch BOM done by

Lizzy Dillingham .  Great work Lizzy, I love it.

If you want to see your quilt made from one of my patterns on my blog, 

just send it to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com and one by one, I'll post them 

on the blog.

And they don't have to be big.  

I just love this little birdhouse block made

by Your Quilt.  Doesn't it just say "Spring"?

Well, I'd better stop chatting and get to work - that center block is going

to take a minute or two.  :). See you next week.

Spring brings all sorts of goodies

My little chicks have all

grown up and the hens are laying profusely.

Its a rule around here that if 

you come to visit you have to 

take a dozen eggs with you

when you leave.     

Very shortly some of the hens will 

go broody and there will be more chicks.

That means that the Lavender Orpington

and Silver Laced Orpingtons needed to be 

moved to houses with covered yards due to an

abundance of Red tailed hawks in the area.

They don't bother the adults but babies disappear

rather quickly if the yard isn't covered.

Moving chickens is easier said than done.  

They don't herd well at all and resist 

being caught and carried. 

Usually, you can only have one rooster per yard

but the Orpingtons all get along quite well.

Back inside I'm working on the center

for my large Blockheads 3 quilt

 for my appliqué followers.

The center is a 27" x 27" block.  

Besides a background it still needs

lots of leaves and 3 lavender blooms.

This week I'm showing you 2

                                                            Birdsong quilts by Nancy Craze 

                                                                and her sister Laura Denson. 

Awesome quilts ladies, thank you.

If you'd like me to show your quilts on the blog, 

send jpgs to janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

Thank you and

see you next week ladies.

 

Saying Goodbye to Winter - we hope

People have asked if I 

decorate with my quilts.

The answer is always 

a definite YES.

Since it's 63 outside it about time

for the house quilts to change from winter to

spring so I thought I would

show you what things look

like at the end of winter.

My couch has 

"Trip Around the Cabin"full of

warm, soft homespuns and lots of 

stars around a center block with a cabin.

And of course you need a couple of 

angel pillows - one homespun, one print.

My chair - where I appliqué each

morning and evening, not only

sports a winter quilt but sits in

front of the desk sporting the Winter

Tablestand Quilt.

Snowmen abound on the mantel

from after Thanksgiving until March.

The rifle is my husbands and is a replica of

a Baker Rifle - a muzzleloader and the first 

rifle adopted by the British, used to defeat Napoleon.

No quilts here but

around the corner in the foyer I always 

hang a large quilt.

This is one of my winter favorites

"Winter Solstice".  It is 73" x 80"  

and was a Mystery Quilt one year.

The Mystery Quilts are some of my

favorite quilts because one block or

set of blocks goes out each month.  

That means I get to appliqué most of

the quilt myself.

At the end of the hall going to the back

bedroom there a space for a small

quilt to hang over my mother's bell

cabinet.  It holds small quilts now and

a few of mom's bells.

This is my sister Nancy's room.

She mainly takes care of the chickens

now since my arthritis is so bad.  She loves 

"Homestead" a Mill Creek Garden

quilt with a chicken house and 3 

Lavender Orpington chickens. 

Orpingtons are an English breed, are

great egg layers and you really can get lavender ones.

So these are "Little Lavender Chicken Birds"

:)

On my bed is "Jan and Pep's Marvelous 

Adventure" - our 50th Wedding Aniversary quilt.

And this is "Little Lavender Chicken Bird" mini

quilt that will hang in the hall starting next weekend.

It will be a busy weekend and a fun one.

Have a good one, ladies.

 

Happy Blockheads Wednesday

I'll always think of Wednesday

as Blockheads Wednesday so

that's what I'll say from now on.

Now, however I'm working on 

the 2021 Mystery Quilt and 

"Starting the Day with Appliqué".

This is Block 3 of "Bees, Birds and Baskets".  

Come join us by emailing Tammy at

janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

The temperatures are coming back

up - it was 60 degrees here yesterday

afternoon after days registering a high 

of -3.  While it was so cold we filled the

bird feeders twice a day.  This is the small birds

feeder up close to the house,

and these are the two on further out.

(My poor big house I got at Country Threads

one year has a battered roof from getting

knocked over so much by raccoons. We finally

started going out at dusk and setting it on the ground

so they wouldn't ruin it.). 

We scatter feed on both the large bench and 

around the birdhouse.

This is Midnight, my sister Nancy's cat.  

He follows her around like a dog and we all

love him.  And unfortunately he is a great hunter.

That is just fine with me if its mice - but not birds.

The middle feeder sits on concrete

blocks on both sides.  

From where Pep sits to read he could see

Midnight go in-between the blocks, be very still,

and grab a bird that came too close.  

Then he brought it to the house

to give to us.  It was still alive so we got it 

and put it in a box to warm up. When 

we let it out later   - it flew away.

We couldn't count of that kind 

of good luck again so I had to come

up with something else to do.  The birds

really needed that much food 

and that many feeders

First I stopped leaving food there 

but needed another feeder.

Here's the new feeder we cobbled up

in the front.  And the great thing is

that I can see it from the chair where I appliqué.

So now I can watch birds in the kitchen and 

the living room.  :). Thanks Midnight.  

This is "Living the Good Life"

the Mystery Quilt from 2019.

I'm not sure what happened but

somehow we never got the pattern or 

kits in the store.  

Well they are both in there now and 

you can go to the store to get one 

by clicking here.

           I thought each week I would start showing 

                                                       you a few quilts people have made using 

                                                         my patterns or elements of my designs.  

I just love seeing what people have

done with them and thought you

            might like to see them too.                     

This is an awesome log cabin by Janet Hedberg. 

She's pulled designs from quite a few different patterns.

I love it.

 

And this is the Stinson Family Homestead by Denise French.

She said that she'd never appliquéd a pig before.

Georgie Farney and Russ Stinson were our neighbors 

and with the good old Missouri red clay, Denise,

that probably would have been how Santa got 

a sleigh full of toys out here.

If you want me to include a quilt you've made just

send a jpg to Tammy at janpatekquiltsinc@gmail.com.

I'm going to borrow a tip from Country Threads 

and ask you to attach a piece of paper with

your name on it.

That's all for today. I'm going to get off

of the computer and go to the loft after lunch

to start working on my Blockheads 3 quilt.

See you. next week and

Keep Quilting. 

:)

Snow and cold and No heater :(

We did indeed 

get the Winter Storm.

This morning I opened the door to

let the dogs out, 

Elizabeth stuck her head out and

turned around and came back in.

Dobby - our Welch Corgi - has 

quite a bit more fur than a bulldog,

so he went out.  Elizabeth finally did too,

but only after I grabbed my coat and earmuffs 

and went out first.

The first things we did was go

out back to the bird feeders and 

load them up.   When the day starts 

out at 9 degrees, we have to fill them twice.

This is what the living room looked like 

for two days - only with the door closed.   The

wood burning stove sits inside out fireplace. 

Mice had gotten into the heat pump - they

fried themselves but they fried the switches

on the heat pump too so we heated with wood for 

2 days.  And Pep and I only got to sleep for 2 hour 

stretches so we could load up the stove to keep it going.

This is a space heater that helped a little

And here's what helped a lot.

This is "Living the Good Life" our

Mystery Quilt from two years ago.

I sat in my chair and dozed and sewed

on the binding.  

Anyway.  The heat pump is fixed now and 

both the pattern and the kit for the quilt will be in the

store later today now that I finally finished it.

Its been hanging over the railing in the foyer all

of this time because I forgot to do the hand sewing on

the binding.

And this is the back of the Winter Tablestand 

that I'm working on.

Right now - I'm off the the beauty parlor.

Have a good week ladies.