Today is National Quilting Day and World Wide Quilting Day, a celebration of our favorite activity. With the current situation, I am sure many of the planned events have been canceled, including our own local show. It is unfortunate as our local guild was making placemat size wall art for the show, then would have donated those to the local Meals on Wheels. I hope we’ll still do the donation, just not the show, although the participation may not be as good since there are no meetings right now. In the meantime, I thought I would do a virtual quilt show for you, and share some special deals for today only. Read to the end for a challenge for you, too! I do a lot of free patterns on the blog, and new readers might find something new, while long time readers may rediscover something fun to sew while we are spending more time in our sewing rooms.
Magnolia Attic Windows is a great way to showcase a large motif print. I go through the steps of adding the sashing and borders to make the blossoms shine.
With this quilt, I show you how to take a print and turn it into an art piece. Sakura Tsuki means Cherry Blossom Moon. Click on the name to see the first of several posts on how to make this quilt.
For the past few years, in October, I’ve done a month long event called Autumn Jubilee. Projects include a quilt along, each year something new. In 2016, we did leaves and pumpkins. Here is the Autumn Jubilee Table Topper.
We took the same blocks for a runner, and I gave several setting options on this post – Autumn Jubilee Table Runner. You can also click on Autumn Jubilee on the sidebar to see all the free patterns for quilting, wool work and more.
Another year, Autumn Jubilee featured an original pattern I called Stars on Autumn Lane, with two different ways of making the alternate block for two different looks.
Have you ever tried pin-weaving? Make my pin woven tote for an intermediate project that has a bit of wow factor for the ambitious sewist. I find if I have a complex project, it makes this downtime go faster. This one will use a bunch of jelly roll strips and will keep you busy while you have a chance to use some of your decorative stitches on your machine. Click on Wild Orchid Pin Woven Tote on Moda Bake Shop for the tutorial, and a downloadable pdf.
Here is my original Chocolate Cherries quilt, with cherry pink and chocolate brown fabrics, with a bit of tan nougat mixed in. The pattern for this quilt, and all my Scrap Dance quilt patterns for sale are on My Patterns page.
Long time readers of my blog may remember this pillow design I did for Moda Bake Shop in 2016. When I finished it, I thought that the tree looked a bit plain, and it might be fun to embellish it a bit with some hand work. So, the next year, I dug out some Christmas buttons, pearls and large red crystals to trim the tree. The original pattern for the pillow can be downloaded with this link in a pdf file – Christmas Tree Pillow.
My white on white Snowflake Table Runner is a low volume project with custom quilting.
Using the TriRecs Rulers, this post Elongated Tri Recs Star will show you the step by step tutorial, and several projects.
Or make a Patriotic Table Runner with a variation of this same block. Hopefully by the time summer arrives, we’ll be able to have cookouts with friends again.
I did a pattern for a Sudoku Quilt, showing a full tutorial and how to be sure you have the blocks right.
I’ve done several mini quilts for table stands, like this Spring Tulip Mini Quilt. Paper piecing and custom quilting are features of this project. To see more mini quilt designs, just click on that category on the sidebar.
Now for the challenge! How I Spent My Corona-cation!! Make a placemat size mini quilt – 12-14 x 18-20, with any design you like that represents how you spent this time at home, and send it to me by the end of April. Lightly quilted and folded in half, it should be able to ship first class mail, so not too expensive to mail. You can also enter by sharing your creations on Facebook in our sharing group and donating to Meals on Wheels in your hometown.
If you spent your time gardening, maybe a nice floral design. If you spent your time fractured with too much going on at home, maybe a pineapple. Perhaps you finished a long time UFO, and can make a placemat with that block design. Let your imagination take over. I’ll do a virtual quilt show with all the entries received, with a prize to be determined later, and then all the entries will be donated to Meals on Wheels. Share your creations on Instagram and Facebook with #Corona-cationChallenge. Let’s have some fun with our sewing time! Here’s a button for your blog if you’d like one.
Have fun quilting today!! What are you working on this weekend?
Here are the special deals from my affiliates for National Quilting Day.
Fat Quarter Shop has a special 20% off all mini-charm packs for Quilt Day, along with a special new pattern on their blog, Jolly Jabber. No coupon code needed. Plus there is 20% Off Butter Churn Basics, March’s Basic of the Month, and 30% Off Taylor Seville pins and more, the Notion of the Month, and check out the Daily Flash Sale – something new at clearance pricing every day!
C&T Publishing has a special for today only, 50% off selected quilting ebooks. For all other books, they provided a 20% Off coupon code, good for any of their hardbound and paperback books to every participant of the Safelight Project, use code CTPUB2020 for 20% off through April 15th. See my post on New Quilting Books for reviews on some of my favorite new titles.
MadamSew has great deals on their Wool Press Mat, Ultimate Presser Foot Set, and MadamSew’s Weekly Deals. Plus a special promtion today only, buy one get one free for everything on the store! One can also mix and match – ie buy 2 different products and get the lower priced product for free.
Share your projects on our Facebook group, Friends of From My Carolina Home.
From My Carolina Home 
Enjoy National Quilting Day. Your posts are always a good read. I am planning on spending today sewing some pillowcases that will be donated to a local women’s abuse shelter. I am working on sewing tube strips tot urn into HST for another quilt, that will also be donated, but to our local hospital for a little one who needs some comfort. Enjoy your day.
I love the placemat idea. I live in a very small town and there are only 22 meals on wheels clients. I think I’ll use my orphan blocks and batting scraps to make reversible placemats for them. Great way to practice free motion quilting. (And I may empty a box.)
The quilts are beautiful . I was going to make the Magnolia attic quilt. Now is the time!
I love seeing that treadle sewing machine you show with quilt draped over it – if I had more room that would be high on my list to find
You and your energy wear me out just reading about your projects!
I love your magnolia quilt – I made 2 Sudoku comfort quilts for my guild. In light of this year’s special situation, I’m sewing face masks, not quilts today. I’m fortunate to live in an area with an academic medical center in addition to a robust community hospital network. Our Network is running out of clinical-grade masks. While cotton masks are not as effective, the CDC says they can be used, especially in conjunction with a face shield.
@Julie Choate – what pattern & fabrics are you using?
Me, too, Julie. A small hospice/home health group locally requested 100 masks so 3 of us are doing what we can for them. I was SHOCKED yesterday when I went to Joann’s and Michael’s that the 1/8″ flat elastic had already been wiped out!!!
My daughter suggested cutting hair elastics in half.
Your placemat challenge will be fun! I’ll join in!
What a wonderful “Show”. Tried to pick a favorite. I failed!!!
Such wonderful projects!! I have a tote in my sewing room labeled “Autumn Jubilee”. I have made SO many of your leaf and stars and pumpkins out of that container. I decided that Autumn colors are my favorite “fabrics”.
I am doing an online FMQ class, and I’ve made my practice sandwiches all placemat size. Our guild donates each fall to the Meals on Wheels program, and when completed mine will be given to that guild project.
What fun remembering the wonderful projects over the years. Autumn projects and scrap dancing have been such Joy’s. Scheduled to fly home on 1st but don’t know if we can get out of Hawaii to Atlanta and drive home into Florida. At least I have a sewing machine and access to long arm to finish 3 quilts to gift here and for a charity quilt. Love your blog and your inspiration .
Hello Carole, With everything going on I keep getting started later each day by just reading and supporting any person I can. I enjoyed going through the quilt projects you shared again on this post. Your special project for placemats for Meals on Wheels is outstanding!! I know two of the people that deliver the meals in our community and will donate as many as I can to them. You come up with the best ideas! I am now going to get busy sewing today and chatting on Facebook with all of the Friends! Have a fabulous day sewing!
Such a lovely collection! Especially love the Snowflake quilting. Had to enlarge that! So yep we are busy at the machine, made a Snowflake Quilt – looks more like Coat of many Colors, and a Pecking Order – that was a lot more fun and easier than I thought and FAST – for the kids and another Repeating Crosses (oldies but goodie). On top of quarantine, it has also been rainy and cold but WHO CARES! It’s quilting time.
p. s. I bought the Quilt marking pens, will let you know how they are, look very good.
Hi Carole, sure did enjoy your mini quilt show. Today I finished another step of Scrap Dance Tango, and am getting ready to start some masks for our hospital as well.
Hi Carole,
I hung 6 quilts on my front fence today. Brought some smiles to our street. One man said it reminded him of all of his grandmothers quilts. Another neighbor said thank you for the “local” quilt show, another took pictures to share. And yes I did post them on Facebook. I feel like it was a “feel good” day for everyone. So maybe I’ll do it every couple of weeks during this crisis. Heaven knows, we all need a “feel good” smiley day.
I am going to try for your place mat challenge, Have never made one before–truthfully–so am stepping out of my box. Thank you for all you do. Hugs
Sorry – I didn’t make a Snowflake Quilt just loved yours so much – it was a Snowball Quilt. So easy, fast. This one the balls are colors, and the background and corners are white, kind of Eye Spy for HomeBound Kids.
On your patriotic table runner, how did you handle the binding on the points? I have made a runner that has the pointed ends and I have sewn on the binding but I am not sure how I will stitch the binding at the points. I am currently stitching down the sides. Carol in Texas
Lovely to see many of your delightful quilts.