Garden Path Quilts
“All About Quilting!” Newsletter
Barbara Grutter
Cedar Springs, MI
May 2015
Volume 1, Issue 1
Hello and Welcome!
“Traditionally Modern” Free BOM
Thank you for joining me in my first
online newsletter for “Garden Path Quilts”.
This will be a monthly project where I will
give you lots of fun news pertaining to
everything quilts.
My name is Barb, and I used to own a
quilt store in my small town for a little over
13 years. I used to mail out newsletters to
my customers every three months with
store information. Now it’ll be fun to send
out newsletters each month through the
web.
I’ll keep you updated with any of my
newest patterns, new and upcoming
fabrics, other pattern designers, new
quilting gadgets, and quilting tips and hints.
You’ll also find free patterns through my
site (my own and from others!), and you’ll
be introduced to a different Etsy or Craftsy
store owner each month! I think you’ll
enjoy becoming part of the family here at
“Garden Path Quilts”!
Yep! It’s a Mystery! This free Block of the
Month program will be my third annual
program. I love designing quilts, and love
being able to offer a yearly free BOM!
This time around I have designed a six-month
program that will include twelve 12” finished
blocks along with the finished instructions.
The program will run from June through
November 2015. On the next page you will
find the fabric supply list.
The first two blocks will be available in
June’s newsletter. And two more blocks will
be available in each of the following
newsletters. The finishing instructions will be
included in November’s newsletter along with
the final two blocks.
This is a beautiful quilt using Batiks! While
the blocks are very traditional, the fabric used
is quite modern. Hence the name of this BOM
is “Traditionally Modern”! The finished quilt
will measure approx. 81” square.
“Siesta” Silver Jewelry
New English Paper Piecing Book by Sue Daley
From C & T Publishing
Gorgeous Quilting Jewelry!
I met Karla,
owner of Siesta Silver Jewelry, a couple of
years ago at our annual Cedar Springs Quilt
Show. She designs beautiful silver jewelry
and has many designs with quilt motifs! Check
her site out at www.siestasilverjewelry.com.
Garden Path Quilts
Skinny Wallet
I could never find a wallet at a
department store that I really liked. I
didn’t want bulk or tons of slots,
windows, and pockets! So I created my
own design! The “Skinny Wallet”!
This wallet has a long pocket for dollars,
two small pockets for punch cards,
license, and credit cards. Then there is
a zippered pocket the width of the
wallet for coins and receipts.
“Quick Trim Ruler”
There have been times when I’ve wanted
to quickly create a circle when I’m designing
a quilt pattern. Just one circle. Nothing
fancy, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time at
it, and I didn’t need loads of different sized
circle templates.
This easy ruler from Creative Grids is
called “Quick Trim Ruler” 3.5” x 12.5”. She
also has a big sister that measures 4.5” x
24.5”. There is a hole in the middle of the
ruler to aid you in spinning the circle around
at an accurate measurement. Now how
simple is that? Retail $18 and $25.
Page 2
“Traditionally Modern” Fabric List
It’s a mystery! Gather up your batiks all
at one time or collect your fabrics as you go
each month. You will only be purchasing fat
quarters. Each block is a separate color
wave.
All blocks will need a Light, Medium, and
Dark fat quarter in a specific color wave of
your choice. Ex: Block #1 might be done in
blues, Block #2 done in oranges, Block #3
done in greens, etc.
Exceptions:
Block #5 only needs a Medium and Dark
Block #6 will need an extra Light
Block #10 will also need a Medium Dark
Please purchase a black fat quarter to be
used in a couple of the blocks.
I suggest you purchase your fabric for
finishing the quilt after you have your
blocks done. This will allow you to bring
your finished blocks with you to the quilt
store and play with different sashing colors
and borders.
Finishing supply list:
Background
2½ yds.
st
1 Border
1 yd.
nd
2 Border
1¼ yds.
rd
3 Border
¾ yd.
Backing
2¾ yds. @ 90”
or 5½ yds. @ 44”
Binding
⅔ yd.
You can find several of my patterns on
the “Connecting Threads” website!
Garden Path Quilts
Page 3
Fabric to *sigh* for!
“Charise Creates”
I discovered Charise Randall’s Craftsy store
last fall. I fell in love with her cute, vintagelooking paper-piecing designs of aprons, sewing
machines, and more. I purchased the apron set
first! I also really enjoy her blog which is full of
beautiful designs, free patterns, and sew alongs!
I just had to have Charise as my first
newsletter feature designer.
I can’t resist showing these two bundles of
fabric to you! They don’t come out until this
coming August, but they are just too special to
pass up sharing!
These are “Drawn Sorbet” in fabulous, mouthwatering shades of orange, yellow, and coral!
Also “Drawn Water” in languid greens, aquas,
and blues of a sparkling lake.
Both bundles were created by Angela Walters
with Robert Kaufman Fabrics. They’ll run about
$46 for the 12 piece fat quarter collection. Or
find them in individual bolts at your favorite
quilt store!
Charise writes:
“After 20 wonderful years working as a fashion
designer I decided to stay at home with my young
boys. Being someone who loves to create, I decided
to start a business designing and creating sewing
patterns.
Being surrounded by beautiful hand made objects
brings joy to my life and my hope is to share that
passion with others.
“LIKE” me on
Facebook!
I am inspired by vintage textiles, quilts and fashion
all of which find their way into my designs!
Sharing my skills is such a joy and you can find
tutorials and free patterns on my blog ~
ChariseCreates.blogspot.com.
You can also find my designs at
Stitch Magazine
Quilt Maker Magazine
Sew News Magazine
Fat Quarterly
"Playful little paper pieced projects" by Stash Books
"Best of Stitch, Beautiful Bedrooms" from
Interweave Books “
Find Charise’s patterns on Craftsy and Etsy.
Thank you for letting me share, Charise! Barb
Garden Path
Quilts
Did you know . . . ?
. . . that you can easily download free patterns
from your favorite fabric lines directly from
the maker’s website? Try these sites:
www.redroosterfabrics.com
www.ttfabrics.com (Timeless Treasures)
www.windhamfabrics.com
I’ll list more next month! Cool, huh?
Garden Path Quilts
Page 4
My Fixation For Scissors!
Quilting Tips and Hints and Tricks!
I admit it. I’m a scissor junky. I have a
passion for scissors! You’ll find them
everywhere on my sewing table, cutting table, in
my hand work boxes, and in my tote that I bring
to quilt groups. I know I can only use one at a
time but . . . there’s usually two or three nearby!
I’ve been quilting for 25 years, taught many
quilt classes, and now design my own quilt
patterns. But I will admit that sometimes I
have trouble with putting fabric colors together
for my quilts.
Sometimes it’s because I get stuck in a rut
over my usual “go to” shades, prints, or designer
lines. And then sometimes it’s because I second
guess myself A LOT over colors and mixing
prints.
A while back I took the time to learn how to
use this item:
Look! Penguin Scissors! They are 3.5” by
Tooltron. And the other is called “Wren” by
Fiskars and are 4”. What can I say?!
“Garden Path Quilts” found here:
The “3 in 1 Color Tool” by C& T Publishing is
kept nearby, and I always take it with me when
I go fabric shopping. What a difference using
this has made in my fabric choices! I now tend
to look outside my comfort zone when it comes
to quilt colors.
Free! from Joeysquiltingco.com/fabric-boxtutorial-made-in-30-minutes/