It has been nearly a year since we closed our brick and mortar store. While business continues to be very busy, we do miss seeing you all, those who live close by and those of you just passing through town. It has been a tough year for all of us but there is one thing we do keep hearing from you – how grateful you are to have quilting in your lives and to have fellow quilters to communicate with even though it has to be either virtually or socially distanced.
We recently had a quilter reach out to us about something she picked up online from half a world away which led to this month’s “Get to Know Jinny Beyer” section where I write about something I never thought I would be passing along in the Studio’s newsletter.
Also, in this newsletter, we give you a peak at an upcoming quilt (pictured above) inspired by our new Grand Bundle, Sonoran Spring. Plus, you’ll get a peek at our upcoming web specials for the month of March.
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Sonoran Spring Grand Bundle , Quilt and
“Scrap” Lessons
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Last month, I introduced you to my latest grand bundle, Sonoran Spring, with the many colors of the southwestern desert in springtime. The vivid yellows of the desert marigolds, the bright greens of the new foliage, the brilliant blues of the clear sky, the soft grays, tans and browns of the soil and rocks plus pale pinks of the prickly pear cactus all inspired the fabric choices for this bundle.
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In addition to the fabrics, I have been designing a new quilt, Desert Star, the pattern for which will be available next month. The pattern shows this design with and without the border print (shown in the opening above) and is being written to use not only with these fabrics but to use with your collection of scraps and fabrics from your stash. In the coming months, we will be talking about how to make quilts with a scrappy look and the many different ways to achieve this.
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Desert Star with the border print. |
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Upcoming Weekly Web Specials |
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• We have useful notions for you on sale now which are popular here at the Studio for making and using templates.
• I am known for my border print fabrics so I have selected several to bring to you at a reduced price.
• For the “special” days each month we love to choose sale fabrics to celebrate and this month we’re inspired by St. Patrick's Day.
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• Last month you loved the table runner so this month we are bringing you the Piñata quilt and backing.
• Sonoran Spring mini-bundle #2 with more blues, pale grays and soft pinks will go on sale.
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Moon Glow is Still Going Strong |
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With so many of us staying close to home these days, we have found more time to spend on our quilting projects. Recently, we have been getting pictures from many of you of completed Moon Glow quilts plus a good deal of interest in those who want to start their own.
In 1999, RJR Fabrics asked me to design a Block of the Month quilt using only Palette fabrics. I decided to have each block be a Mariner’s Compass type design with each one getting a little more complex as the months went on. They would contain a variety of piecing techniques so each month would be a mini sewing lesson. My friend, Carole Nicholas, made the log cabin style setting blocks and I did the compasses with a light-colored background.
When the blocks were finished we laid them all out and decided that the white background was too stark and made the blocks stand out too much so I remade the compass blocks with a black background.
This quilt has remained our most popular kit for more than 20 years and you can download the pattern for free here. |
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We received an email from Jan about a postcard she bought on eBay from a woman in Latvia. Included was a photo of this card and she was wondering if we could tell her more about it. Shown here is that card. Yes, that is me from very long ago.
Many of you may know that, besides quilting, one of my other interests is amateur radio. While I lived in Nepal, one of only two ham radio operators in the country, I was able to talk with my father back home almost every day. One of my frequent contacts was with King Hussein of Jordon who was also a “ham.”
You can read the full story on in this blog post. |
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Many of you have visited my YouTube video channel for video lessons on working with border prints, mystery quilts, and various quilting techniques. In addition to these videos, you can visit my website for even more lessons, both video and written, covering piecing, choosing fabrics, hand quilting and more.
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You will find my YouTube channel here and make sure to hit "subscribe" so you don't miss a single lesson.
For additional quilting lessons, visit my “Tips and Lessons” page here. |
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717A Walker Road
Great Falls, VA 22066
(703) 759 0250
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