Here is a pattern I came up with last year while I was making Christmas cards. The card design and the little blocks I had stitched felt like they wanted to become a full Christmas quilt, so I bought more fabric and stitched one up in no time. I did not manage to write the pattern earlier with everything that was happening this year, but I finally pulled it together, just in time for Christmas.
These are not my usual bright and bold colours, but there is something about the simple elegance of the black and white metallic fabrics that I really enjoy.
I have also created a discount code – enter YULE20 at checkout to receive 20% off. The code is valid until November 25, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST and applies exclusively to the Yuletide Reflections quilt pattern.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and messages of encouragement and also clear up one small misconception. Dancing and quilting are my two big passions. Since I cannot dance right now, quilting has become my happy place. So when I feel well enough to work on quilts or patterns, it is not out of obligation. I have always loved designing, but my brain has to be in the right place for it. Being able to return to that creative work is actually a good sign.
The August block is a fat, cuddly Crocodile. Well, maybe do not try to actually cuddle him, but I wanted him to be more cute than scary. His belly looks quite full, so hopefully he is not in the mood to attack anyone.
As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the next block is released.
EDIT: The period of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
April was a wild month for me, and not in a good way, so I am very glad it is over. I had a ventrogluteal injection right before Easter. Colloquially, you might say it was in the buttocks, but it is actually given higher up in the hip area. Everything went well until about six hours later, when my buttock muscles decided they did not like the injection and went into spasm. That put pressure on my sciatic nerve, and the pain was so intense that I had to go to the emergency room. I spent all of Easter flat on my back, unable to walk more than a few steps. It has improved since then, and I am able to walk around again and stand and sit, but the nerve is still very irritated and can be quite painful at times. The things you can get! I had scheduled a lot of blog posts ahead of time, and everything published right on schedule, but I could not keep up with social media. Here is to hoping that May will be better.
Our next Safari animal is a kudu, an African antelope with long horns that curl in a corkscrew shape. I had to simplify the curves in the horns a bit, but I think it is still very recognizable as a kudu. They are surprisingly good at blending in, even with those dramatic horns. Ours is doing its best with a mix of browns and beige.
As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the June block is released.
EDIT: The period of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
Elaine is participating again in this year’s Safari BOM project, and as always, she is very reliable in sending me pictures of her finished blocks, which I appreciate very much. Her blocks are super cute, and I thought I would share them here in case any of you need a little extra inspiration. I especially love the tiny specks of light she added to the pupils of the animals’ eyes. They add so much realism! Click on the images for a larger view.
Welcome to April! I started a lot of seeds in March, most of them indoors because it is still too cold for many to survive outside. But my peas, radishes, spinach, and carrots are all in the ground, as they do not mind the occasional overnight frost.
My veggie beds are all in the backyard. In the front yard, I have the sunflower beds but not much else, so we have started turning the area into a rose garden. There was one very pretty rose there when we bought the house, a Peace Rose, with beautiful colouring and a wonderful scent. Then a friend came across a rose called Pumpkin Patch and just had to buy it for me. We added a few more, and they are doing really well, which gave us the idea to plant as many roses out front as will fit.
But roses are expensive, so this project will take multiple years. We have eight so far, and I have ordered four more, which I should be able to pick up any day now.
As for our Safari, it would not be a very satisfying experience without seeing a lion, would it? I fiddled around with his mane a lot, trying to keep it as simple as possible, but it needed to be a bit spiky to give it enough texture. I did not like the smooth variations I came up with, so be prepared to cut plenty of points. Overall, I am now very happy with the way he turned out, very majestic but still rather friendly-looking.
As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the May block is released.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
It was a lot of work, but I am happy to announce that the pattern gallery on my website is finally finished. Pattern sales will continue through the Square shop, as this seems to be working well. However, organizing patterns into categories and adding tags on my website gives me better control, making it much easier for customers to find what they are looking for.
I have essentially recreated the old website shop while linking each item to the new Square shop. The main pattern list displays all patterns in numerical order, with the newest ones appearing first. I decided to bring back all individual blocks from previous BOMs, but to keep the main pattern list manageable, they and the pattern bundles are not included. Instead, there are links in the sidebar to view all individual blocks in numerical order, as well as the available pattern bundles.
When you click on a pattern, it takes you to its page on my website, not the Square store. There, you will find a detailed description, including measurements, required skills, and skill level. If the pattern is part of a series, all related items are listed at the bottom. The buttons link directly to the corresponding items in the Square pattern store.
All individual blocks from my BOM projects, starting with Tuxedo Cats, are available for purchase. They are listed in the individual block category but can also be accessed from the full quilt’s pattern page. Simply scroll down to the series list, where each block is linked directly to its item in the pattern store.
I have checked everything carefully, but with so many links to add, mistakes can happen. If you come across a link that does not lead where you expect, please let me know, and I will fix it as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy the new pattern catalogue. Happy browsing!
Mary, a local quilter and fellow guild member, purchased my One Fish, Two Fish pattern last year and recently sent me a picture of her finished quilt. I love seeing what people create with my designs. Mary used the fish pattern to bring her own underwater scene to life, and it turned out beautifully. Isn’t it just adorable?
If Mary’s quilt inspires you, here is a picture of my original design, along with a link to my pattern store where you can purchase the pattern.
Für die deutsche Version der Anleitung 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 have pictures of projects you have finished using my designs, I would love to see them! Feel free to send them my way, and I would be happy to feature them here as well. My email address is on the back of the cover page of every pattern.
And we made it to March! I should be able to start my garden outside soon, and I am hoping to eat fresh asparagus by the end of the month. My asparagus bed is well established now, and I am really looking forward to cream of asparagus soup. It is wonderful to have something to harvest this early in the season while everything else is just beginning to grow.
For this month, our Safari sighting is a meerkat. One of my cats often assumes a meerkat position when she spots something especially interesting or exciting, and it always makes me laugh. So when I was looking for African animals and the meerkat came up, I just had to include it in this BOM. His round face turned out a bit cartoonish, but it was too charming to leave out. I hope you like him too!
Für meine deutschen Leser: Das deutsche Wort für meerkat ist Erdmännchen. In Afrika gibt es auch ein Tier, das auf Deutsch Meerkatze genannt wird, aber das ist eine Affenart und nicht mit den Erdmännchen verwandt. Manchmal machen Übersetzungen/Sprachen echt keinen Sinn.
As always, the pattern will be available for free download until the end of the month and move to the pattern store when the April block is released.
EDIT: The month of free download is over, and the block has moved to the pattern store where it is now available for purchase.
