Ho, Ho, Ho: New Miniature Holiday Quilts!

Hey, Stitchers: I've got some sweet new MINIATURE HOLIDAY QUILTS for you, and they look just like traditional American quilts with fun, festive centers:

 

 

I had so much fun stitching these cuties up -- I worked the set shown below on 18 ct. canvas in eggshell with the gold flecks.   What's fun about using the shimmery gold canvas is you don't really need to stitch the background because the canvas is so sparkly, it adds an extra elegance to the small quilts (and it also makes them faster to finish!)  As you can see below, I stitched two of the quilts WITH the quilted background and two of them WITHOUT the background, so you can see the different versions and decide which you like best....

And please note that I couldn't decide which color border I liked best - red or green - so I did two of each!  You can stitch all the quilts with one color border, or alternate them like I did.   I also couldn't decide if the little quilts would look better on 18 ct. (5" x 5") or 24 ct. Congress Cloth (3.75" x 3.75") so I stitched up one of the quilts on Congress Cloth just to see how cute they would look on the finer canvas:

For the smaller quilts, I used Gentle Arts Simply Shaker Sampler Threads, which gives them a slightly vintage look.  By the way, the pattern includes the complete thread list for either size of the miniature quilts, as well as a bead pack with red, green and gold seed beads.

Super cute, super fun, super easy!!!   And these quilts would also be great way to highlight a large holiday charm, button or bead in the center -- wouldn't that be eye-catching??

So if you're in the mood for stitching up some quick holiday pieces, you might want to add this new MINIATURE HOLIDAY QUILTS pattern to your stash.... Please visit my website to see the thread list and complete ordering information.

A NEW QUILT: Sagebrush Stars!

Are you feeling the arrival of Autumn where you live?  Are you enjoying the cooler weather and getting out your flannels and sweaters?   Is it also time to start some fun Autumn Stitching Projects??

I'm so happy to share my latest quilt design, SAGEBRUSH STARS, as a fabulous new fall piece:

 
Woo Hoo, was this a fun stitch! I deliberately chose to use the same thread/color palette as my popular INDIAN SUMMER and INDIAN AUTUMN patterns show below:

           

This counted canvaswork piece is done on sandstone 18 ct. canvas (you can also use eggshell, since you fully cover the canvas with your stitching), and the finished size is 10" x 10".  There's just something about that Watercolours 168, "Rainforest" in combination with the muted blue, green, lavender and terra cotta colors that makes me happy.  And while the colored elements are done in #5 pearl cottons, the background is stitched with 4 ply DMC floss, which is a nice change and easy on your hands - I love that, too! 

And then there are the stars.... don't you love stitching stars?  I had fun making different star centers in each of the smaller stars, which added a bit of surprise "scrappiness" to the overall look of this piece.  Here's a close-up look at the stars, plus the various triangles (or flying geese motifs, as I like to think of them):

 So, if you're itchin' to do some Autumn Stitchin', please saddle up your pony and trot on over to my website and check out the rest of the information on this new SAGEBRUSH STARS pattern!  And Happy Weekend Stitching, Everyone....

Time to Hit the Stitchin' Trail!

This past year I've worked on such a variety of painted canvases, complex geometrics and composite stitch collages that I've started to crave the simplicity of a good ol' stitched quilt! So I sat down and designed a new quilt called "CALIFORNIA TRAILS" which uses Watercolours 244 - "Olive Garden" as its base, with a handful of blue and green #5 pearl cottons and a splash of gold metallic Ribbon Floss for good measure.

How blissful it is to work up simple geometric shapes using diagonal satin stitches and straight stitches - and that's it - no fancy stitches here!!  Yeah, I could add Rhodes Stitches, Waffle Stitches, beads and buttons, but I truly think of these as miniature quilts.... so I design them as if they were flat pieced quilts with traditional blocks and motifs.
 

 In CALIFORNIA TRAILS, the central block definitely has a traditional feel, but adding the multi-colored diamond border kicks it into an art quilt look, I think.  So this design is equally traditional AND modern/contemporary at the same time.  Also, I've wanted to use the blue/green combo of Watercolours' "Olive Garden" for a long time now, and this quilt certainly seemed like the best way to show it off.  And the colors remind me so much of the colors of the rugged Pacific coastline or the mountains of the High Sierra:

I like the rather masculine look of this piece and could see it as a pillow for a comfy leather chair - can't you?   And just the other day I had a query from a stitcher asking for a good design for a pillow for a church bench and this design sang out as a good choice....

So if you're hankering for a simple but satisfying new project, please consider my new CALIFORNIA TRAILS pattern, which you can read more about over on my website: www.laurajperindesigns.net.   Happy Stitchin' Trails, everyone!!

Just a Quick Snapshot or Two

 

This weekend I pulled together some models to send to a Trunk Show at Nordic Needle, in Fargo, North Dakota, for the month of June. This is one I'm sending, called "Ducks In A Pond" which is built around a quilt block of the same name.  Can you pick out the ducks in the middle?  Or the zig zag track of webbed feet in the border?   It's a fun mix of simple stitches and serene colors. 

 I stitched the model in blues & greens, using Watercolours 229 - "Oasis" and I love these summery colors.  But I was curious to see what it might look like in other colors, such as teals and tans:

 or maybe purples and browns:

Totally changes the feel of the design, doesn't it?

Anyway, I just thought it would be fun to share these with you.... 

Also, I wanted to mention that I've started posting snapshots of my projects - new and old - on INSTAGRAM.  So if you ever go looking at photos there, try my hashtag #laurajperindesigns to see what I've posted thus far.  It's also fun to check out the other needlepoint sites as well (there are some stitchers, shops, and finishing posts to view).  Try looking under #needlepoint, and #countedcanvaswork (I think I started this one, so there's not much available yet).  It's a very fun way to get some quick stitching inspiration!.

INDIAN SPRING is here!

Over the years, one of my most popular quilt designs has been INDIAN SUMMER, with its muted fall colors (using Watercolours 168 - "Rainforest") and complex star blocks:

INDIAN AUTUMN is another favorite, with more Southwestern/Indian blanket motifs, and using the same color palette as the previous INDIAN SUMMER design:

A year or two ago, I added INDIAN WINTER to the set (using a blue & brown color palette with Watercolours 279 - "Martinique", although it would be equally lovely in the same "Rainforest" colorway used in the other quilts):

And since then, I've had lots of queries from stitchers asking if I was going to do an INDIAN SPRING design to complete the four season set.  Of course I had always planned to do a spring design, once I could figure out a quilt design that
     1)  had an Southwestern/Indian blanket kind of motif in it;
     2)  had a floral look to it as well;
     3)  could evoke a springtime feel; and
     4)  would fit in with the other three designs in the series.
And that was harder to find that you can imagine...

But -- TA DA!  I finally found a quilt block that met all those requirements and once I had it partially graphed out, boy-oh-boy, I did some marathon stitching.  Here's what the new INDIAN SPRING quilt design looks like:

I just love how it turned out!  Especially since it hits all my design targets, PLUS I think it has a rather contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright look to it as well!  For a spring design, I wanted brighter colors, but not pastels...so I used Watercolours 093 - "Painted Desert" for the variegated thread, and picked a vibrant mix of pearl cottons from that.  [BTW: while the lower half of the dark green border looks like a different color, it's not - the stitches go in a different direction and the scanner reads it as a lighter color!]

And, again, although I stitched the model in spring-like colors, it would be equally impressive done in the fall "Rainforest" palette.... or how about a traditional Indian blanket color scheme of black/grey/red??  Something to think about, huh?

So if you're one of those stitchers who's been waiting to complete the Indian quilt series, now you can stitch up your INDIAN SPRING!!   Please gallop on over to my website for ordering information....

Old-Fashioned Quilts

I was doing some printing this week of older quilt designs and came across some favorites that evoke old-fashioned quilts that are softened and faded with time.  I pulled out a few of the models so I could look at them and reminisce about stitching them many years ago.  sigh... I still love these traditional quilt designs....

SAWTOOTH SAMPLER, originally stitched in soft pastels, but great for working from your stash:

I also stitched it in slightly BRIGHTER colors, and list those threads on the pattern as well:

Then there's FLOWER BASKET, a soothing geometric quilt, which I love for its scalloped borders:

And this is FLOWER GARDEN, which has a slightly stained glass look to it, I think, and looks good in lots of different spring color combinations... The first model I stitched in greens and pinks:

...then I stitched it again in cool greens and apricots (another yummy combination!):

Then there's GRANDMOTHER'S GARDEN, which has such a lovely old-fashioned feel to it
(and LOTS of little squares to stitch!!):

So if you're in a soft pastel, old-fashioned quilt kind of mood, please check out these quilts, along with many others, in my American Quilt Collection, over on my website....

Fresh Eggs!

 

Is there anything more satisfying that stitching on a springy project in the depths of winter?
Not much.... except maybe FINISHING a new project, so you can start another -- am I right, Stitchers?!?

Anyway, I've been happily stitching on a fun new quilt design that is a springtime companion to the HOLIDAY GIFTS quilt design I did around Christmas time.
  
 I've finally finished it, and it's called SPRING SURPRISES:

Oh, Yum!!  This was just plain fun to stitch, especially working with perky Watercolours 145 - "Carnival" - which I don't think I've ever used before. And then there are the four happy eggs.... they were lots of fun to design and stitch, using the simplest stitch patterns I could think of (there's not a lot of room on these eggs to use complicated stitches!)   Here's one of them up-close and personal:

Happy, happy stitching, I gotta tell you....
So if you're in need of a springy new project to boost your spirits in the midst of this rainy snowy season, please grab your flower basket and hop on over to my website to gather up some fresh eggs to create your own SPRING SURPRISES!

Colorful New Quilt Design!

I can't wait to share this new quilt design with you -- it's CALICO STARS, and boy, is it a fun and colorful project!  It combines traditional quilt blocks with fun colors and easy stitch patterns to create a very special counted canvaswork piece:

 It's larger than most of my other quilts, being 12.5" x 12.5", but that just makes it a bigger feast for the eyes (and fingers).  And speaking of your stitchy fingers, I decided to combine #5 pearl cottons (which make up the main textured sections of the quilt) with the easier-on-the-fingers DMC floss colors that are used for the background areas.  I don't know about you, but as I get older, and after having stitched dozens and dozens and DOZENS of pieces with #5 pearl cotton, my fingers are getting a bit tired of pulling it through the 18 ct. canvas.  So I've found mixing in cotton floss offers a nice break for my hands!

Anyway, this was a very happy piece to stitch up.  I built the PINK palette around the pastel colored Watercolours thread 048 - "Far Horizons."

Then I decided to include a BLUE palette as well, featuring Watercolours thread 236 -"Appalachia", shown below.

Both colorways are equally yummy, but for those of you who love blue, I hope you'll enjoy the threads I've picked out.

My philosophy for designing these small quilts is to make them look as if they were real quilts.  I love the idea of stitching precisely pieced miniature quilts (much easier to me than sewing itty bitty snips of fabric!), and for that reason I avoid using stitching "gimmicks" like beads or fancy composite patterns in my quilt designs.  The most I'll do is add some metallic ribbon, if I want a bit of sparkle. And as you can see in the detail photo below, just using a few easy stitches can create quite a bit of textural variety:

So if you'd like to stitch up your own miniature quilt for the new year, please skip on over to my website and get all the ordering info on this new CALICO STARS pattern! 

Sneak Peak at a New Quilt Design

I've been busy this week polishing up my next quilt design in the AMERICAN QUILT COLLECTION.  This one is a rather large design (12.5" x 12.5") done on my usual 18 ct. canvas.  I'm calling this new design CALICO STARS, which seems appropriate, as you can see below:

It's been fun working on snippets of patterns that replicate calico fabric
 (all done in #5 pearl cottons),

then adding the background colors in DMC floss.  I stitched the model shown above 

with a PINK palette using Caron Watercolours 048 - Far Horizons as the foundation,

 but the Materials List also includes a thread list for  a luscious BLUE palette

 that features Watercolours 236 - Appalachia as well! 

IN any event, I'm sending out the patterns to my distributors this week, 

and you'll be able to view the whole CALICO STARS piece and purchase it next week 

on my website. 

 So stay tuned, Stitchers, for more quilty fun for 2016!!

Fast, Fun, and Festive!

Now that the holiday season is fast approaching, maybe you're in the mood to stitch something that's filled with red and green and lots of glitzy gold metallic.  I had a holiday idea that I've been madly stitching on these last few weeks and can now share it with you: a new American Quilt Collection design called "HOLIDAY GIFTS":

Oh, boy, this festive quilt design was so much fun to stitch up!

I grabbed a skein of Watercolours 025 - "Holiday" as well as a handful of reds, greens,

and golds in #5 pearl cottons and metallic Ribbon Floss -- then started stitching

some happy little packages.

I'm thinking about turning this cutie into a sofa pillow for holiday display, 

instead of framing it on the wall....

And I've also included alternate thread colors (blues) for a Hanukkah version.

So if you want to stitch yourself into a holiday mood this year, just jingle on over

to my website and get all the ordering info on this new HOLIDAY GIFTS pattern!

Ho, Ho, Ho and Happy Friday, Everyone!

A Little Free Friday Fun

Happy Friday, Stitchers!

I thought I'd surprise you with a fun new freebie design

 you can use with bits and pieces from your stash. 

I call it LITTLE FLOWER BASKET #1

(and yeah, I'll be sharing others as I have time to whip up the graphs!).

   

 Anyway, this little cutie can be worked on 18 ct. canvas with #5 pearl cottons

and the design will be approximately 3.5" x 3.5".

If you want to stitch it on 24 ct. Congress Cloth with 3-4 stranded silks or cottons,

your design size will be approximately 2.5" x 2.5". 

I've graphed it with a minimum of threads, but feel free to play around with it --

stitch some variegated colors in the flowers or basket; add more beads

in all the flower centers; place a fancy charm or button on the center flower;

tie a small bow at the top of the basket; or work on colored canvas and omit all

 the ecru background stitches (super fast stitching!).

This would be a fast and easy hand-held project for those lazy summer days of 

sitting by the lake or beach, chatting with friends, or watching golf or a baseball game...

HAVE FUN

AND

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER DAYS!

Stitchin' The Blues

When the summer days are long and hot, I always seem to gravitate towards those projects that have cooling blues and greens.  I've done a lot of designs that use those serene colors, and I find them the perfect antidote for sticky, sweltering hot days (especially if you can sit stitching under a nice ceiling fan, or better yet, by cool ocean breezes).  Anyway, here are a few of my favorites:

REFLECTING POOLS (from my Impressionist Collection:

 EBB TIDE (in my Sampler Collection):

BARGELLO & BUTTERFLY (also in the Sampler Collection):

And some very fun American Quilt Collection designs... super cool FLYING GEESE:

and ultra serene OCEAN WAVES:

If you're eager to dive into any of these summery projects, please visit MY WEBSITE for more ordering information.

HAPPY FRIDAY, SUMMERTIME STITCHERS!

Beachy Blues!

I was in the mood to stitch something fun and easy and colorful.... so I sat down and created a perfect project for a summery day at the beach; I call it SEASIDE BLUES.

Of course, the first thing I had to do was find just the right Watercolours variegated thread to build my palette from, and I chose 207 - "Bermuda Reef", which is absolutely perfect for this design, don't you agree?  Add in a handful of cool blues and aquas in #5 pearl cottons and my fav Ribbon Flosses (Yum) and you have a really fun design to work on this summer!

Here's a look at the easily stitched blocks in the center area, with their slightly shimmery metallic centers:

I hadn't stitched a quilt design in quite a while, so it was a pleasure to work with easy diagonal satin stitches that moved quickly over the canvas; these quilt designs are definitely "no-stress" projects!
 I also wanted to add a bit of beachy bling as well, so I snuck in some shimmery Ribbon Floss colors for cool accent touches.  (Although, this design would work well in other colors as well: how about bright primary colors for a pillow in a child's room?  Maybe warm fall colors for the upcoming Autumn months.... Or even soft pastels for a springy look?)

Anyway, if you're in the mood for a summer project you can take to the beach for a fun "no-brainer" project, please check out my new SEASIDE BLUES pattern that is available on my website under the AMERICAN QUILT COLLECTION.

Fall Color

Over the years I've designed many pieces for the autumn season. 

 The first ones were quilts, such as FALLING LEAVES,

  

 CHEROKEE STAR,

 

MAPLE LEAF,

  

INDIAN AUTUMN, 

   

 and FOUR WINDS

 They are all built around traditional quilt blocks that stitch up fairly quickly and easily, and provide an excuse to play with lots of rich reds and golds and greens in a satisfying geometric design.  So if you're looking for an autumn design that is fun to work while sitting in the evenings watching tv, 

these fall quilts are just the thing!!