New Online Tool by Threadbias

While at QuiltCon we were able to interact with new people, new companies, and new ideas. There was a lot of great energy and we had a wonderful time being able to meet each and every person that came through the Moda Bake Shop booth.

There was one new company in particular that really jumped out at me and caught my attention. Threadbias is a sewing community on the web – you can connect with other Theaders, exchange ideas, share projects you're proud of and join or create groups. But the best part of the Threadbias website is their online Quilt Design Tool.

 

I was quite impressed to see this online tool in action at QuiltCon. It is very intuitive and has hundreds, if not thousands, of fabrics already uploaded and ready to use in your design. And YES, you guessed it... all of the Moda Fabrics collections will be available on the tool for you to design your heart out with all our latest collections.

You can't have a great tool without the fantastic people behind the scenes. The entire Threadbias team is super to work with and is ready to answer any of your questions regarding their new tool.

Pictured is Alex, the guru behind the Threadbias website and online Design Tool.

Read more about it here. We would love to see what you create using their tool and your favorite Moda Fabrics! Share them on our Flickr board... http://www.flickr.com/groups/modafabrics

Typography & Text on the Moda Bake Shop

Text and typography prints are all the rage at the moment. You can see this trend in several recent Moda Fabrics collections.

March on the Moda Bake Shop is all about typography. Join us all month long to see projects featuring text and number prints, as well as projects that incorporate text into the design.

Zig Zag Ruler

This darling quilt is so simple to make with the new ZIG-ZAG ruler from The Cotton Cottage Press. It is available in Regular 5" & Mini 2.75" 

You can find this template at your local quilt shop. If they don't have it, they can order directly from United Notions. 

Since I have a tiny bit of an obsession with the fresh new fabric line, Spring House, from Stephanie Ryan I decided to use it for this project. 

This quilt could not be easier. 

I started out making a table runner and ended up turning it into a quilt. 

Here is the table runner... 

Finished Size: 16" x 42"

Below is the free pattern I used from the designers of this template...

MATERIALS
Zig-Zag™ Ruler
¾ yd. Red fabric
¾yd. White fabric
½ yd. Backing fabric
Batting - 18”x 44”

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

Print fabric -

Cut 5 – 2½”w strips (3 are for binding)

Cut 4 – 2¾”w strips

Solid fabric -

Cut 3 -2½”w strips

Cut 4 – 2¾”w strips Left and Right block

Cut 3 – 3½”w strips(border)

PIECING INSTRUCTIONS

Using the 2¾” solid strips and the 2½” print strips make 2 of the following strip sets. Press the seams toward the print fabric strips.

(From these 2 strip sets use the Zig-Zag™Ruler

in the Zig position and cut 8 Zig's.)

 

Using the 2¾”w print strips and the 2½”w solid strips make 2 of the following strips sets.

Press the seams toward the print fabric strips.

(From these 2 strips sets use the

Zig-Zag™ Ruler in the Zag (upside down)

position and cut 8 Zag's.)

Make 4 Left and Right blocks (shown below). 

Sew them into one long row. 

Press the seams between each block open.

For the border cut 2 of the 3½”w solid strips the length of the runner. 

Sew these to the sides and press the seams

toward the border strips.

Cut the last 3½”w solid strip into 2 strips the width of the runner. 

Sew these to the ends and press as before.

Layer the backing, batting and runner together. 

Baste and quilt as desired.

FOR THE QUILT... 

I follow the same method but just kept on going! 

I made 4 rows of these blocks and sewed them all together & finished them off with a small inner boarder and a larger outer boarder. 

Won't this be the perfect picnic quilt for Spring?! :) 

I can't wait to try all kinds of different things with this ruler! 

Chevron Quilt it NEXT on the list. :) 

In your experience do you enjoy using templates? 

Will you give the Zig-Zag ruler a shot?

Mix 'n Match: Combining Moda Collections

 

Hello! It's Sherri from A Quilting Life, and today I'd like to talk a little bit about mixing and matching Moda collections. Mixing and matching collections is one of my favorite things to do in my quilt projects--I think mixing it up just a bit adds a lot of depth and interest to your quilts.

 

A few years ago I fell in love with the Urban Chiks collection, 1974; I was a little late to the party, though, and was only able to gather a charm pack and a few fat quarters. My little collection sat in a box until one day I realized it coordinated really well with the new Urban Chiks collection, Boho. I also found that Urban Cowgirl (also by Urban Chiks) worked really well with both lines--so...problem solved! I now have a workable stash and have already started a few projects mixing these collections.

 

 

I often quilt using the various Fig Tree collections in combination with one another--they seem to work so wonderfully well together.

But there are also combinations of fabric collections that work amazingly well that you might not think of without stepping a little bit out of "the box."

Here is a fun combination I found almost by accident...the fabrics on top are from Boho by Urban Chiks while the fabrics underneath them are Avalon by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree & Company. I love the way these collections work together.

Here are the greens from both Boho and Avalon...isn't this fun?!

And here is another Boho/Avalon combination--I just love the way the Avalon aquas look with the greens in Boho.

And how about these navy fabrics? Navy pieces from Happy Go Lucky by Bonnie & Camille are on top with navy fabrics from Avalon beneath them. I love combining the various collections by Bonnie & Camille, too--I'm currently working on a quilt using Bliss, Ruby, Vintage Modern, and Happy Go Lucky--it's been so fun to combine all of those lines.

There are so many fun combinations you can come up with by mixing fabric lines. Background fabrics and neutrals often look fantastic when mixed with other fabric collections, too. I'll finish up for today with a collage of some more fun coordinates. From top left and going clockwise we have:

• Greens from Comma by Zen Chic and greens from Happy Go Lucky
• Brights from Ticklish by Me & My Sister and brights from Snap Pop by Sandy Gervais
• Pinks from Honey Honey by Kate Spain, and pinks from Posy by Aneela Hoey
• And finally, brights from Simply Color by Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. and Cuzco by Kate Spain

I hope you've had a little fun today with some of these mix 'n match collections. I'm just wondering, do you have a favorite Moda combination?

QuiltCon 2013: Modern Quilting with Precuts

Skip the cutting and start sewing!

Lisa Calle of the Moda Bake Shop demo's how to create improv blocks and hexagon quilts using Layer Cakes and Honeycombs at QuiltCon 2013 in Austin, TX.

 

The Moda Bake Shop offers tutorials using a variety of precut fabric.

Honeycombs from Simply Style by V & Co.

Layer Cakes from Basic Grey

Let us show you how to create the modern projects using honeycombs, layer cakes, and bella solids from Moda Fabrics.

Isn't technology fun?

Due to technical difficulties the Jan Patek block is posted block Here
 We have also included a link to additional house appliqué that was added.
Sorry for any in convenience.

Why do you love Aurifil?

We are loving all of the bright new collections of Aurifil threads.

Browse through these new collection and then check out the fun video below!

  

We all have our own reasons for LOVING Aurifil threads. 

It couldn't have anything to do with this handsome Italian could it??... wink, wink. 

Watch this little video to see why your favorite designers love it so much. 

Now we want to know why YOU adore AURIFIL... 

Mark Your Calendar

 

Growing up I remember singing,

 Make new friends but keep the old,

 at the end of every girl scout meeting. 

Here are the lyrics just in case you need a refresher.

WARNING: Song will stick in your head the rest of the day, not a bad thing.

Make new friends, but keep the old.
One is silver, the other is gold. 

A circle is round, it has no end.
That's how long, I will be your friend.

A fire burns bright, it warms the heart.
We've been friends, from the very start.

You have one hand, I have the other.
Put them together, We have each other.

Silver is precious, Gold is too.
I am precious, and so are you.

You help me, and I'll help you
and together we will see it through.

The sky is blue The Earth is green
I can help to keep it clean

Across the land Across the sea
Friends forever We will always be

This song is a good mantra for the upcoming designers friendship blog hop. 

Afterall read this part of the song,  

You help me, and I'll help you and together we will see it through.

Isn't that what quilting is all about?

You have one hand, I have the other. Put them together, We have each other.

Quilters love to lend a hand and help each other out.

I could go on and on, but I will get right to the reason you are here.

You may already have some favorite designers but throughout this blog hop I am sure you

 will make some new friends. Several of the moda designers will be sharing their 

friendship block designs with you.

Here is the list of old and possibly some new friends.

FEB 18th

Barbara Brackman
http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/
Basic Grey
http://blog.basicgrey.com/?p=6326

Blackbird Designs

http://blackbird-designs.blogspot.com/

FEB 19th

Bonnie- Cotton Way
http://cottonway.blogspot.com/
Brigitte- Zen Chic

www.farbstoff-bridge.blogspot.com

Anne- Bunny Hill

http://bunnyhillblog.com/
FEB 20th

Camille- Thimbleblossoms
http://www.camilleroskelley.typepad.com/

Deb Strain

http://debstrain.blogspot.com/

Eric & Julie Comstock

http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/

FEB 21st

Jan Patek
http://janpatek.blogspot.com/
Joanna-Fig Tree
http://figtreequilts.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Jenn Ski

http://jennskistudio.blogspot.com/

FEB 22nd
Kaari-French General
http://frenchgeneral.blogspot.com/
Lynne-Kansas Troubles
http://kansastroublesquilters-lynne.blogspot.com/
Kate Spain
http://katespaindesigns.blogspot.com/
 You have the weekend to rest or sew these blocks.
 We hope you are having fun collecting all these quilt blocks.

FEB 25th
Kathy Schmitz 
http://kathyschmitzstudio.blogspot.com/  
Edyta- Laundry Basket

http://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/blog/index.php 

Lauren & Jessi Jung 

http://laurenandjessiblog.com/

FEB 26th
Lisa- Primitive Gatherings

http://lisabongean.wordpress.com/ 

Malka Dubrawsky

http://stitchindye.blogspot.com/

Me & My Sister

http://meandmysisterdesigns.com/blog/

FEB 27th

Minick and Simpson

http://minickandsimpson.blogspot.com/

Pat Sloan 

http://blog.patsloan.com/ 

Sandy Gervais 

http://piecesfrommyheart-sgervais.blogspot.com/

  

FEB 28th

Sweetwater

http://sweetwater.typepad.com/makelifesweet/ 

Stephanie Ryan

http://www.stephanieryandesignstudio.com/ 

Vanessa Christenson

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/

March 1st

The Cutting Table
 http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/

Across the land Across the sea, Friends forever We will always be

Isn't that what the quilting world is all about? 

Thank you for choosing moda.

-modalissa

 Not all designers will be posting during this event, to learn more 

about the designers visit modafabrics.com/designers