It was good to be back in Lancaster. I love when customers come back and share results of quilts they have made with my patterns!! I had not one, but two show me pictures of their quilts. First up is Diann Trotman making a Tool Box quilt. She used a focus fabric from the Rainbow Fish on this baby quilt.

I LOVE how she quilted it with bubbles to keep with the theme of the quilt. And look at the pink bubbles background fabric! Sweet!

I enjoyed her comment about the pattern Tool Box, “It came together so easily and the pattern is so versatile! Thank you!” A big that you to Diann for sharing her quilt with me so I could share with you!! Well done!! You can find Tool Box on my website, HERE. It uses Brilliant Bindings as a cutting template. You don’t have to have the tool to make the pattern, but it is so much easier to cut around acrylic than a paper shape. Brilliant Bindings is also on the website, (click on the blue highlight) http://www.wendtquilting.com

I had another customer come by the booth to see what was new. She told me she was working on Won’t You Be but calling it her condominiums instead of a neighborhood. Kelly Hollis showed me a picture of her quilt and you can see why….

SO CLEVER, Kelly! She also said she is not finished. She might add more houses and borders. I’m looking forward to seeing where she “builds” next!! Great job! I loved seeing these results!

As many of you know, Houston International Quilt Festival is early in October this year. Oct. 9 – 12, 2025 with preview night on the 8th. So, I’m madly preparing for my Machine Sewn Bindings class, the Wednesday Sampler demo, packing quilts, getting my patterns ready and getting everything lined up for the 4 day drive! PLUS Quilt Market (for shop owners and industry professionals, not the general public) is the weekend before Festival from Oct. 4 – 6.

I got a late start on my latest quilt pattern (and with the show being earlier), I’m sorry, I doubt it will be ready for the show. I’m hoping it will be later this fall. You’ll be the first to know!

I did some prep work last week on the new quilt. I was marking my 1/4″ corners. My vendor neighbor in Lancaster sells these neat boards for marking fabric. Deb Eggers of “the Cottage Rose” uses her Rough Board II for marking applique shapes. It was the perfect size to mark my Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. pieces!

I was working on this gorgeous grape batik and using my favorite white marking pen by Clover. In moving my Jr. template around on the fabric, the board would rub the template. SO, I layed a Hex-a-ma-jig half hexie next to the pieces I was marking…wa-la…no more rubbing! The template slid smoothly across the fabric. I love the Rough Board II and glad I found a fix to not scratch my Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. template.

You can find the board at Deb’s website… cottagerosequiltshop.com

Hex-a-ma-jig and Hex-a-ma-jig Jr. are over at my website!

#1 – Show off your quilts! Designers LOVE to see what you have made with our patterns!

#2 – Tools HELP the process! I really glad I bought Deb’s board. She uses it to mark applique and the paper shape is place on the fabric. When I was using my acrylic template, I needed a way to move the acrylic smoothly across the board. The extra fabric next to the piece I was marking helped! Most often, there is a solution and a tool for THAT. (whatever THAT may be!!)

in quilting,

Debbie