Sweetie Pie Pinwheels

I just adore working on projects for Valentine's Day - it makes me happy to work with red, pink, and white fabrics...and I always have fun with heart shapes/motifs. I have been working with various Valentine fabrics in my stash (and a few new fat quarters I picked up at a local quilt shop) and enjoying every minute of it! Today, I am sharing with you my January project for the AccuQuilt Blog - my Sweetie Pie Pinwheels table topper.

This project was cut entirely with my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter (you could also use the GO! Baby or the GO! Big Electric) and the new GO! Qube Mix & Match 8" Block....plus I used the GO! Strip Cutter-2" to cut my binding. I chose two traditional blocks - the GO! Double X No. 1 Block (because I could see hearts in it) and the GO! Turnstile Block (because I wanted some festive pinwheels)...and I created a center block, which I call the Four-way Heart Block, to pull it all together. You can find the complete tutorial to create this heartfelt table topper on the AccuQuilt Blog - I provide you with step-by-step instructions and have images to help you follow along. If you are looking for a sweet Valentine quilting project for your February decor, this should do the trick!

  



This project is great for scraps or fat quarters...and while I used more traditional holiday colors, it would look great in a variety of color pallets! It finishes a nice size (24” x 24”) - perfect for your Valentine decorating...

So be sure to stop by the AccuQuilt Blog for a materials list and step-by-step tutorial, with images:
https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-product-tutorials/go-qube-jan-project-v10/

...and while you are there, check out a plethora of creative projects - there are TONS of wonderful ideas to get you in the sewing/quilting mood!

Owl You Need Is Love

In December, I was busy working on two new Valentine's Day designs for AccuQuilt (my regular readers may remember seeing a couple sneak peeks)....and I am super excited that I can finally share them with you. I created a pair of patterns/samples that are sure to fill your heart with love - one is traditional piecing and one is piecing with machine applique. I had quite a bit of fun designing these two projects and working with the lovely Robert Kaufman Fabrics (pinks and reds always brighten a mood)!

First up is the GO! Log Cabin Love Wall Hanging. This log cabin heart might look a bit complicated, but it truly is easier than you may think...it uses one cutting die for the entire quilt top - the GO! Log Cabin-12" Finished Square by Leslie Main.  Twelve 12" log cabin quilt blocks fit together to make a large heart wall hanging that measures 48" x 36". The GO! Log Cabin cutting die cuts makes it SUPER simple to cut the quilt blocks...and to make this project go even more smoothly, be sure to keep your cut pieces organized and follow the images in the pattern (the instructions breakdown each block and the layout).  For added convenience, I used the GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) to cut my binding strips.

...and for a little cute overload, here is my GO! Owl You Need is Love Wall Hanging. This heartfelt machine applique project give you a chance to be a little creative with the layout. It utilizes the following cutting dies:

• GO! Owl
• GO! Queen of Hearts
• GO! Heart-2", 3", 4"
• GO! Value Die
• GO! Stems & Leaves
• GO! Strip Cutter-1 1/2" (1" Finished)
• GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) (binding)

Be sure to iron on your fusible web before cutting the applique shapes and you will have this super sweet wall hanging complete in plenty of time for Valentine's Day!

You can find both these patterns (along with several other new valentine projects) on the AccuQuilt website...and for a limited time, they are FREE...so visit the following links to download the patterns and make a couple heart-filled projects for February!

GO! Log Cabin Love Wall Hanging Pattern

GO! Owl You Need is Love Wall Hanging Pattern

Blue Ribbon Designs In The Spotlight

If you stopped by the AccuQuilt blog or website this week...or if you get the AccuQuilt e-mail newsletter, then chances are, you may have seen the Quilter's Spotlight story they wrote about me/Blue Ribbon Designs. It has a fun question/answer session and some assorted photos of my recent work. I was very flattered they chose to write about my creative endeavors...and pleased they asked about my Komen 3-Day journey! They asked for a "fun" photo of me - and what says "quilting" more than an image of me with a bunch of hungry alligators?? It made me chuckle that they used it for the top of the article....and it's a little scary they didn't size it down (no one needs to see my face that HUGE). So, if you want to read a little about what I have planned for the future...and you haven't seen it already, you can find this article by visiting the following link:
http://www.accuquilt.com/blog/inspiration/quilters-spotlight/needlework-designer-belinda-karls-nace-is-a-triple-threat/

...and just a note...
Last week, my desktop computer (where I do the majority, if not all of my work) crashed...I had done a full back-up about a week before (as I had been experiencing problems), but I am still trying to get everything sorted/transferred to my laptop. I have all my design files, photos, financials and important business things...but I am missing all my e-mail folders and address book - plus I lost a couple days of e-mail. If you sent me a message needing a response and have not heard from me, please do resend and I will respond as promptly as possible (I'm not ignoring you, I promise!). Thank you for your patience - I know many of you have probably been through the same ordeal and can understand...just a little bump in the road to start the new year...