Arboretum

It is absolutely gorgeous weather here in Northern Virginia - sunny, breezy and temps in the 60s and low 70s. To celebrate this delightful day, here is a brand new quilt/pattern - layer cake friendly and on sale! It is 25% off till Sunday, June 7, 2026. 

Thank you, Paul

Arboretum is a layer cake friendly quilt that I made for the Norwegian Quilt Magazine, Quilteblad. 

Arboretum on the Cover

It is the fabrics, Garden Glory - an original collection by Claudia Pfeil for Island Batik, that enchanted me. 

I love every fabric in this collection, no exceptions. So I designed a quilt using all 20 of them. The orange, rust and maroons became the trees, cleverly cut to minimize waste. The greens were used to make the Irish chain blocks. The leftovers became the scrappy border. 

White Background, Brown Tree Trunk

I used a white background and a coffee brown for tree trunks. Arboretum finished at 60" by 80". The size is perfect for Quilts of Valor, large throw, charity quilts, picnics, car rides and TV watching. 

So if you have a layer cake waiting in the wings, the Arboretum Quilt pattern can help you transform those 40 squares into a star.

I am already grateful but sometimes I get lucky :-) See the picture below.

I could write a poem or an essay about the perfect juxtaposition of the Fall colors in Arboretum against the orange and yellow kayaks, but then a picture is worth a thousand words.

The waters are murky and the reflection is shaky but my feeling of triumph is intact. 

Oh Paul, you are my sunshine!

Arboretum Quilt Pattern is available in my Etsy shop. I have included detailed instructions with colored graphics for each step. The clever cutting technique makes piecing a breeze, limits waste and minimizes the number of seams.

Scrappy Border - Pinned in Place

The leftovers are put to good use in a fun scrappy border.  Although I have written the instructions for 10" squares, the pattern can be easily adapted to 2.5" strips. You can also use your stash/scraps. To audition your fabric choices, I have also included a Coloring Sheet.  

With 11 pages of graphics and instructions, it is a steal at $12. But Arboretum Quilt Pattern can be yours for just $9 till Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Giveaway Update

The winner is #10 - Alycia. Email sent.

But if you'd like a copy of the pattern for free, leave me a comment on this post. I will announce the winner on June 7, 2026. If you are Anonymous/No-Reply Blogger, please make sure you include your email so that I can reach you.

Thank you, Wooden Horse

In other news, I am participating in the Sunflower Spice Blog Hop. The blog hop begins June 1 and I'll be posting on June 7. Watch this space.

Here is a peek of the backing.

Mari (The Academic Quilter) usually starts her post with a note about the weather and I tease her about this. How's the weather, professor? Since she has been quiet, I am channeling her vibes in my post today. What/Whom are you thinking about today?

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

Rainbow Sprouts Quilt

Rainbow Sprouts is a multicolored, beginner-friendly, scrapbuster quilt pattern that was first published in Make Modern Magazine's Issue #68.

Rainbow Sprouts

Rainbow Sprouts is now available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop.

Made with Island Batik's Basics, Rainbow Sprouts is the answer to the question - Why do leaves have to be (mostly) green?

Yellow, Orange & Red

Each leaf has a dark and a light fabric and the number of those combinations is only limited by your imagination.

Teal and Green too

Finishing at 61" by 84", Rainbow Sprouts uses 16 fabrics (8 light and 8 dark) plus Solid Black (Stems) and Egg White (Background). 

It is an excellent way to showcase your favorite fabrics. I am showing off Island Batik Basics including Chambray & Harbor (Blues), Flamingo & Candy (Pinks), Banana & Taxi (Yellows), Chameleon & Parakeet (Teals), Mystic & Caribbean (Aquas), Ballerina & Rosewood (Reddish Purples), Marmalade & Flame (Oranges), and Pistachio & Apple (Greens). 

Love these Colors

To make Rainbow Sprouts, you need 4.5 yards of background fabric and the rest can easily come from your stash. Make it scrappy with many fabrics or control the chaos with a monochromatic color scheme. 

Thank you, Paul

I had fun making this quilt and these hues are yummy enough to eat. The pattern is super simple but that is not all.

Glaze (Island Batik Neutral) Backing

Let me show you the Bonus Project. The off-cuts make a smaller quilt that is cute as a button.

Bonus Project

I am calling it Rainbow Seeds. We went to the children's playground to take some fun pictures.

Rainbow Seeds, 44" by 55"

Island Batik fabrics are wider than most fabrics, so I still had some leftovers. I used them to piece a fun backing, making sure to use every bit of the gorgeous fabrics.

Fun Backing

The Rainbow Sprouts Quilt Pattern is detailed with step by step guidance and colored graphics for each step.  I am offering it at a 25% discount till Sunday, 5/10/26. 

Yes, of course there is a giveaway too.  If you'd like a copy of the Rainbow Sprouts Quilt Pattern, leave me a comment on this post answering any of the following three questions.

What is the best Mother's Day gift you have received? What is the best Mother's Day gift that you gave? What is the best book you've read in 2026?

If you don't want to participate in the giveaway, leave me a comment anyway but mention the no giveaway thing. I will announce the winners next week.

Update - The two winners are #1 and #14. Emails have been sent.

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. 

Starry Seas BlogHop

Welcome to Day 3 of the Starry Seas BlogHop.

Here is my response!

Dawn to Dusk

When Jennifer of Inquiring Quilter asked me to join the Starry Seas BlogHop, I did not respond at once. I needed to see the fabric collection first. 

Hmmm, what does that inspire? Let's take another look.

It reminded me of my commute. My new job requires me to leave home before dawn and return after dusk, meaning that I experience sunrise and sunset (especially during these winter months), through the sometimes murky train windows. It is both sad and beautiful.

Dawn

Dusk

You get the picture. But there is more. In the tall glass-paned structures along the way, the ombre gradation of the morning sky is reflected such that I can break it into myriad distinct colors/values. 

Ombre 

Can you see how it starts at orange in the bottom, smoothly transitioning to blue in the top, one perfect step at a time?

Sometimes, it is the reflection that reveals what the original cannot. Yes, I am bored. Yes, I look out of the window a lot. 

I had an idea. I shared with Jennifer and she blessed it.

EQ8 Mock-up

I used Solid Black and Egg White, in addition to the fabrics from the collection. The thread is Aurifil. The batting is Thermore by Hobbs. 

The pattern is simple. Are you craving simple in these turbulent times? 

Quilting in process

I let the fabric do the talking. I just took notes.

Quilting Detail

The quilting is simple too - following the seams with my walking foot using the squiggly lines. The Binding is Gray Dots. Dawn to Dusk finished at 60" by 80". 

On the banks of Potomac

A very windy Sunday made the photoshoot a challenge. Having a good and experienced holder (of quilts and me) makes all the difference.

Barren Trees & Dry Earth - How long must we endure?

 

A moment of respite

If I cannot take pictures over the weekend or need more pictures after the weekend, it is a challenge due to the limited daylight hours. So I took the quilt to work and took the following pictures from the top floor (penthouse). 

Going with the Flow

If Winter is here, can Spring be far behind?

If you like this pattern and would like to win a copy of my Window Dressing Quilt pattern (or any other pattern from my Etsy Shop), please leave a comment on this blogpost, including your email address. I will pick the winner on Jan 21, 2026.

Giveaway Update - The two winners are #7 and #40. Emails have been sent.

Here is a list of the participating Blog Hoppers and make sure you visit Jennifer’s blog to have an opportunity to win a Fat Quarter Pack of this beautiful fabric!

• January 12th – Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter (ENTER TO WIN A FAT QUARTER PACK!)
• January 13th – Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
• January 14th – Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts (You are here!)
• January 15th – Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• January 16th – Laura @ Slice of Pi
• January 17th – Lisa @ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
• January 18th – Gail @ Quilting Gail
• January 19th – Sandra @ Textile Time Travels
• January 20th – Leah @ Quilted Delights
• January 21st – Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter (WINNER ANNOUNCED!)

Veronica - Layer Cake Friendly Quilt Pattern

Sometimes, as I am playing in EQ8, shapes will magically align and something extraordinary happens. Such as this pattern - Veronica.

Made with Poetic Bouquet Fabric collection, Veronica finishes at 60" by 84".

 

Cleverly pieced, it comes together in the most elegant way. All you need is a Layer Cake of your choice plus 4 yards of background fabric. No special rulers or fancy dies.

The detailed directions include colored pictures for every step. The clever piecing means you don't have to fiddle with little pieces. Quick for experienced quilters and easy for beginners, Veronica is a win-win.

The pattern is easily adapted to your choice of fabrics. Here is an EQ8 mockup showing Veronica as a Quilt of Valor and also as a two-color quilt.

Veronica was first published in Quilteblad, the Norwegian Quilt Magazine.

The pattern was painstakingly translated from English to Norwegian and the units from yards/inches to metres/centimetres. The editors at Quilteblad are awesome! 

No, I can't read/understand Norwegian. I just read my name, see my pictures and smile till my face hurts :-D  

Veronica is now available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop. On sale for one week only, you can get Veronica for just $9.

But of course, there is a giveaway. Leave me a comment on this post, telling me your favorite book this year, and I will enter you in a contest to win a free PDF copy of the Veronica (or any other pattern from my Etsy shop).  I will announce the two winners when I publish "2025 in Retrospective". 

Giveaway Update - The two winners are #14 (Heather Hamby, please send me an email) and #27 (Bonnie, check your email.)

I will be sharing with Quilting Jetgirl's Favorite Finish and all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. 

In other news, the T-shirt beast quilt is completed. That will be the first post in 2026. Look at me, planning ahead :-D

Basting the Beast

Yamini - A Jelly Roll Quilt

Meet Yamini.

Yamini

Designed in EQ8 and made using Island Batik fabrics, Yamini is a jelly roll quilt finishing at 60" by 80". Yamini was first published in Make Modern Issue 65. 

Sparkle & Sizzle

 "If you’re after a fun showstopper of a quilt for a gift, this one is a perfect choice. Grab a jelly roll, pair it with a high contrast solid background fabric, and watch the magic happen!" - Make Modern Issue 65.

I love how the bright colors pop on a Solid Black background like night lights in a big city. The binding is also Solid Black. I used my Walking Foot to quilt squiggly lines.

Thank you, Paul

Yamini Quilt Pattern is now available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy shop. Listed at $12, you can get it for just $9 (25% off) till Sunday, 11/23/25. 

The pattern is super-simple. Detailed instructions, with colored graphics for every step, it is a breeze to make Yamini. I have also included a Coloring Page so that you can audition your color choices.

What is a pattern release without a giveaway? So if you'd like a copy of the Yamini Quilt pattern, please leave me a comment on this blogpost and I will announce two winners on Monday, 11/24/25. If you show up as Anonymous, please include your email so that I can reach you. If you need a prompt, you may share your favorite thing about Thanksgiving. 

Update - The two winners are #6 (Cindy) and #27 (Sue). Emails have been sent.

Here is one of mine. On one of the long drives, returning home after celebrating Thanksgiving in Georgia, the following exchange happened

Me -  If I drive, we'll get home sooner. 
Paul - If I drive, the brakes will last longer.

Yamini on the banks of Potomac - Earth, Wind, Fire, Water & Sky

May your conversations be as sparkling. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties including Yvonne's Favorite finish for November. See full list on the sidebar.