In the middle of the Monkey Business BOM in 2021, someone left a comment on one of my posts, hoping for a cheeky monkey jumping on the bed. At the time, I was not familiar with the nursery rhyme and had no idea what they meant. Of course, that was not the motif for any of the blocks, as my BOM designs are always completed before I begin promoting them. However, their suggestion intrigued me, so I looked it up. The idea stuck with me, and I eventually created a quilt and matching pillow inspired by it. Both were finished quite a while ago, but I only found time to write the pattern this past summer. The monkeys can be boy or girl monkeys—or a mix—depending on your preferences. Customizing them is as simple as adding or leaving off a bow. Aren’t they adorable, having so much fun jumping on the bed? We will just imagine no one ever falls off or bumps their head!
When someone inspires me to create a specific quilt and write a pattern for it, I like to thank them by sending the pattern for free. Of course, there is no obligation to ever make the quilt. The Little Monkey projects were inspired by a comment left by Stacey B. in August 2021. I sent both patterns to the email address associated with the comment a few months ago, but I never heard back. It is possible the email address is no longer in use. Stacey, if you are reading this and have not received the patterns, please get in touch, and I will be happy to send them again.
Both patterns are now available for purchase in the pattern store. I have created a discount code: enter JUMPING at checkout to receive 20% off. The code is valid until January 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST and applies exclusively to the Five Little Monkeys quilt and the One Little Monkey Pillow patterns.
Die Anleitung für den Five Little Monkeys Quilt ist auf deutsch nicht verfügbar. Für die deutsche Version des Kissens mit metrischen Maßen bitte dem Kauflink unten für die englische Version folgen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke dann per email die Anleitung in der gewünschten Sprache.
If you would like both patterns, I have also created a discounted bundle, which will be available until further notice.
Happy New Year 2025! I hope it brings joy and creativity to you all. I am excited to introduce my brand-new Block of the Month project, Safari. This year’s format will be a little different from my previous ones. Instead of twelve blocks, there will be nine, running from January to September. In October, I will share the finishing instructions, and in November, the full pattern will be available. We will take a break in December, as it is such a busy time for everyone preparing for the holidays.
Safari is also different from my previous Block of the Month projects. Instead of one animal featured in different scenes, each month will showcase a different animal. All nine animals are inspired by those you might encounter on an African safari. While they will have a whimsical cartoon style, they will not display any human behaviours.
The layout will be similar to previous years, but this time it will feature a 3×3 grid instead of a 3×4. The finished quilt will measure approximately 52 inches square. The finishing instructions will be available as a free download in October, provided as a separate pattern. I always enjoy seeing pictures of your finished blocks! My email address is on the cover page of every pattern, in the lower left corner, so feel free to share them with me.
On the cover page, I have included an estimate of the amounts of background fabrics needed if you plan to use the same fabrics for all nine blocks. For the animals, simply dive into your scrap bin and see what you can find. The exact colours are not important—just work with what you have and, most importantly, have fun!
Our first animal sighting is a giraffe! Here is a picture of my sample block. Isn’t he just adorable with his big head, wobbly legs, and cheeky grin?
The free pattern will once again be available only in English with Imperial measurements. All other rules remain the same as in previous years, and here they are again as a quick reminder:
A new block will be published on the first day of each month at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard/Daylight Time. If any unforeseen circumstances require changes to this schedule, I will announce them here on the blog. Since I am in the Pacific time zone, it may already be the second day of the month for some of you. I kindly ask for your patience and request that you refrain from emailing me about the timing of the next block. I do not schedule posts to go live in the middle of the night, as this allows me to address any potential issues with the pattern files immediately rather than waking up to dozens of messages. If you do notice a problem, please do not hesitate to contact me so I can resolve it as quickly as possible.
Each block will be available as a free download during the month it is published. Once the next block is released, the previous block will move to the store section, where it can be purchased for a small fee. If you miss a block, you can buy it for just $2 CAD (approximately $1.39 USD or €1.34 at the time of writing—less than the cost of a decent coffee these days!). Please do not email me asking for a free copy, as such requests will be ignored. I also kindly ask that you respect my copyright and avoid sharing the pattern with others who may have missed the free download. Sharing patterns in this way discourages designers from continuing to offer free content in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read through all this. Without further ado, here is the download link for the first block—enjoy!
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
Edit: Bedauerlicherweise muss ich die deutschen Versionen meiner Anleitungen mit metrischen Maßen nun endgültig einstellen. Schon seit einigen Jahren habe ich diese zusätzliche Arbeit nur in kleinere Projekte investiert, aber mit der Schließung von Makerist zum 1. April 2025 entfällt mein Hauptvertriebsweg für deutsche Anleitungen, sodass sich der Aufwand für mich nicht mehr lohnt. Die bereits existierenden Anleitungen biete ich weiterhin über meine Website zum Verkauf an. Bei Interesse bitte dem Link zum Pattern Store folgen, die englische Version bestellen und beim Checkout angeben, dass die deutsche Version gewünscht ist. Ich verschicke diese dann per E-Mail. Für zukünftige Projekte, einschließlich des Safari Block of the Month, wird es leider keine deutschen Versionen mehr geben. Ich danke für Ihr Verständnis.
If you are interested in my previous Block of the Month projects, they are still available for purchase here:
The year is almost over, and Christmas is just around the corner. I have decided to take the rest of the month off, but I will see you all again on January 1 for the first block of the new BOM, Safari.
This year, I did not even manage to send out my Christmas cards. I started making them, but before I could finish, Canada Post went on strike in mid-November. They only resumed working this week, and there is a huge backlog to clear. So, I have decided to save my handmade cards for next year.
Instead, I thought I would share a picture of something I made before discovering quilting: a hand-embroidered Christmas table topper. I also have several embroidered tablecloths that I take out each year as part of my Christmas decorations. I don’t think I have the patience for hand embroidery anymore, but I still enjoy looking at these pieces every Christmas.
Wishing you a joyful Holiday season and a bright and healthy New Year!
When I visited Germany to see my mom this past summer, I took eight little preemiequilts across the Atlantic with me. I had completely forgotten about them until I came across the pictures a few days ago. I still make them using the same basic approach: selecting a suitable feature fabric for the outer border and back, then adding squares from my leftovers until the top is complete. They are quick and fun to make, and I am happy to continue supporting this project even from a continent away.
This was so much fun to do! I find appliqué quilts fairly easy to custom quilt. Somehow I just look at a block, and I know exactly how it should be quilted. This is especially true for quilts with traditional appliqué blocks like this one. What a lovely piece of art and labour of love, well done, Joan.
