Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hi Quilters, 

Welcome to Week 4 of the Summer Jubilee Sew Along!

Don’t have your kit yet? No problem — get yours here,  and jump into the fun!

You've done all the heavy lifting.  You've made all the units and are ready to begin assembling the Rosette Blocks.  Hip hip hooray!

From here on out, it's just sewing.  That's the best part, am I right?

The only thing you really need to watch for now is making sure you don't flip around any pieces.

Keep reading, I have a couple of easy, quick tips to help with this.

First, I like to make an entire block first to use as a guide for my other blocks. Once I've assembled the whole block, I snap a quick photo with my phone.  For some reason, I find that I'm much better able to identify any turned around pieces when I see a block in a phone.  I've heard the same from many of my quilting friends.

Once I have confirmed that everything is in the right place, I hang it up over my sewing machine and use it as a guide for organizing all the pieces in my block.

Next, I like to use a tray to lay out all my pieces in the right order and with the right orientation.  I still use my first block as a guide as I go, but it makes the process go faster than if I were grabbing from piles.

If you hadn't used the coloring page on page 11 of the pattern, now would be a good time to go ahead and color that in.  This will help you be sure the blocks turn out exactly as you had in mind.

I hope you enjoy this week.  I find this to be one of the most satisfying weeks.  You have worked so hard, and now you will begin to see some real progress.

Please share pics of your blocks on the Facebook page or on Instagram.  Be sure to use hashtag #SummerJubileeSAL and tag me @midlife_quilter so I don't miss it.  If you have a private page, those tags don't work, but you can always send me pics in messages.  Seeing your work come to life is such a joy for me!

***Now to this week's prize!***

This week's prize is a 22" x 60" wool pressing mat by Novodon.  I received one of these mats earlier this year, and it has been a game changer.  You can put it on a table, and it makes pressing tops so much easier.

To enter the giveaway:

Sign up to the Summer Jubilee Sew Along: Click Here
If you're on Instagram - Follow me @midlife_quilter & @artgalleryfabrics
If you're on Facebook - Follow me Midlife Quilter & Art Gallery Fabrics

Leave the comment: "Summer Jubilee Sewalong" right here in the comment section of the blog.

I'll be drawing a winner first thing on Monday, May 26th. Entries close at midnight, May 25th.

Come join our public Facebook group! It’s the perfect place to share your fabric pulls, introduce yourself, and ask any questions along the way. Click below to join.

Join the Facebook Group

Don't forget there is still time to order a kit!  You can shop here.

See you again, 

Victoria Newmyer & Art Gallery Fabrics

Hi Quilters,

Welcome to Week 3 of the Summer Jubilee Sew Along!

By now, you have made your Starburst blocks, and now we are ready to dive into the Rosette Blocks!

Chain piecing will be your friend this week as we make all the little units that will become the Rosette blocks.

These blocks may feel complicated, but they consist of blocks you are probably already really familiar with:  half square triangles (HSTs) and Flying Geese (FGs).

The HSTs are made 8 at a time, and the FGs are made 4 at a time so you can create the units faster.

This video tutorial by Art Gallery Fabrics is one of the best I've seen on explaining how to make 8 at a time HSTs.  Give it a watch here if you need a refresher or are new to making HSTs with this method.

All the HSTs in this pattern are oversized so you can trim them down to get an accurate HST.  There are many ways to trim HSTs, and I encourage you to share your favorite method for trimming in our Facebook group.

I personally like to press all my HSTs open, then use a square ruler to trim them to the right size.  However, use whichever method you prefer and settle in because there are quite a few to trim.  The extra time will be worth it when all your HSTs are neat and perfect.

There are two types of FGs in this pattern:  a two-color FG and a three-color FG.

The pattern has diagrams to walk you through how to make each, but I have included a video tutorial here on making the three-color FGs, as that is a unique method you may not have tried yet.

Watch the tutorial here.

Don't worry about assembling the Rosette blocks yet.  This week is all about making the units, and next week, we will start the fun of putting our Rosette blocks together.

If you just joined, check out the Week 2 blog post here!

***Now to this week's prize!***

This week's prize is a beautiful tailor's clapper from Modern American Vintage!  I met the owner, Chris, at Quilt Market this year, and he is the nicest man. His whole family helps with his business, and his work is top notch.  He donated this lovely tailor's clapper with a stars & stripes motif for our sew along.  What a great guy!

To enter the giveaway:

Sign up to the Summer Jubilee Sew Along: Click Here
If you're on Instagram - Follow me @midlife_quilter & @artgalleryfabrics
If you're on Facebook - Follow me Midlife Quilter & Art Gallery Fabrics

Leave the comment: "Summer Jubilee Sewalong" right here in the comment section of the blog.

I'll be drawing a winner first thing on Monday, May 19th. Entries close at midnight, May 18th.

And don't forget to join the public Facebook group. It will be a great place to show your fabric pulls, introduce yourself, and ask any questions that may pop up.  Click the link below to join.

Join the Facebook Group

Don't forget there is still time to order a kit!  You can shop here.

See you soon, 

Victoria Newmyer & Art Gallery Fabrics

Hi Quilters,

Welcome to Week 2 of the Summer Jubilee Sew Along!

If you are just joining or haven't chosen fabrics yet, kits are still available HERE.  Grab one while they last!

This week we are cutting our fabrics and will begin assembling the units to make our Starburst blocks.

I love to start with a fresh blade and usually begin with cutting the background first since this usually has the most cuts (and honestly, it keeps me motivated to keep cutting since the prints are the most fun to cut, right?

There are fabric labels provided for you on page 9 of the pattern to keep your cuts organized.  I highly recommend using these labels.  It will make assembling your blocks later so much easier!  I like to use large paperclips or binder clips to keep my pieces together.

Once everything is cut, you can begin sewing your half rectangle triangles and your snowball blocks.

If you are new to making half rectangle triangles (HRTs), I've included a video link below to help guide you through that process.

Watch the Video Tutorial

There are two important things to keep in mind when making HRTs.

1.  You need to be sure to orient the pieces the right way to make the units have the color on the correct side of the block.
2. Make sure to trim them so you have a 1/4" seam allowance.  That's what will get you the sharp points in your Starburst blocks.

The snowball blocks are easy peasy, and the diagrams in the pattern will guide you through those simple blocks.

As always, you can contact me at [email protected] or drop your questions in the Facebook group.

If you just joined, check out the Week 1 blog post here!

***Now to this week's prize!***

This week's sponsor is Omnigrid.  I've been using Omnigrid rulers since I first began quilting.  They have a permanent place on my cutting table.

Omnigrid is providing a 1/4" ruler set and a rotating mat.  This prize will make some of the future sewing so much easier! 

-
To enter the giveaway:

Sign up for the Summer Jubilee Sew Along: Click Here! 

If you're on Instagram - Follow me @midlife_quilter & @artgalleryfabrics

If you're on Facebook - Follow me Midlife Quilter & Art Gallery Fabrics

Comment "Summer Sewalong" in the comments below to be entered.  The winner will be drawn on Monday, May 12th.  Entries close at midnight on May 11th.

Don't forget there is still time to order a kit!  You can shop here.

We can't wait to see you next week!

Victoria Newmyer & Art Gallery Fabrics

Hello, Quilters! It's Victoria Newmyer Here! 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Summer Jubilee Sew Along!  

I'm so happy you are here. I know this is a busy time of year with graduations and summer approaching, so I appreciate you sewing along with me. It's always more fun to sew with friends.

Ready to quilt up some summer magic? Grab your Summer Jubilee Quilt Kit and jump into the fun! Don’t have your kit yet? No problem — get yours here, and let’s get stitching! 

If you haven’t signed up to the Sew Along yet, don't worry— you can sign up here and jump in at your own pace. It’s all about community, creativity, and having fun!

Buy the Summer Jubilee Quilt Kit

This week's task is all about choosing fabrics!  If you don't know me yet, then you may not know that this is my absolute FAVORITE part of making a quilt.  I love curating fabric bundles and seeing how the same pattern can look completely different depending on the fabrics you choose. It's like magic!

For my Summer Jubilee quilt cover, I chose a fresh, summery palette of reds, whites, and blues. Quilt kits are available for purchase here!

This fabric palette holds a special place in my heart—it's a tribute to my late dad, who was a proud veteran.  I wanted to make something he would have thought was so "cool."

Also, this palette is inspired by my summer beach days along the coast.  I live in West Michigan and we have some of the most beautiful beaches. One day, I’d love to visit the East Coast beaches too (it's on my bucket list!). My vision was Nantucket, lobster rolls, and the classic preppy style that was so popular when I was a teenager. That vision really guided me as I chose my fabrics. In fact, I chose my backing to capture that Americana, Ralph Lauren-esque vibe! That deep blue floral stops me in my tracks every time! 

This fabric pull mixes several Art Gallery Fabrics collections, blending multiple shades of red and blue—from a deep pink coral to rich ruby, and sky blue to deep indigo. Even though the palette focuses mainly on two colors, using a variety of shades really helped balance the overall look.

And, as you can see, I mostly chose smaller-scale, low-volume prints so they would show up beautifully in the quilt blocks. Since the pieces are quite small, I avoided using large prints, which can easily get lost—I really wanted each fabric to have its moment to shine.

One of my many favorite things about Art Gallery Fabrics is how seamlessly their collections can mix and match. Even though I pulled fabrics from a variety of fabric collections, they blend together so beautifully. In my mind, that is Art Gallery Fabrics' superpower.

So grab a kit here, and then get ready for some more fun because we have a gift of fabric for one lucky winner!

The prize this week is a fat quarter bundle from Art Gallery Fabrics.  You get a chance to win the Beloved bundle (curated by me when I was an AGF Sewcialite). 

Beloved FQ Bundle by Victoria Newmyer

To enter the giveaway:

Sign up to the Summer Jubilee Sew Along: Click Here
If you're on Instagram - Follow me @midlife_quilter & @artgalleryfabrics
If you're on Facebook - Follow me Midlife Quilter & Art Gallery Fabrics

Leave the comment: "Summer Jubilee Sewalong" right here in the comment section of the blog.

I'll be drawing a winner first thing on Monday, May 5th.  Entries close at midnight, May 4th.

And don't forget to join the private Facebook group. It will be a great place to show your fabric pulls, introduce yourself, and ask any questions that may pop up.  Click the link below to join.

Join the Facebook Group

We can't wait to see you next week, and make sure to order your Summer Jubilee Quilt Kit!

See you soon, 

Victoria Newmyer & Art Gallery Fabrics

It's that time of the year again! Dust off your broomsticks and polish your cauldrons, Halloween is just around the corner! Get into the spooky spirit with a quick and easy last-minute witch hat garland project with your little ones. These adorable hats are fun to make with fabric scraps or our Fabric Wonders: 10” Square Packs, and they’re perfect for decorating your Halloween festivities!

We’ve whipped up some spooky magic with our 'Spooky ‘n Witchy' premium quilting cotton collection for these adorable little witch hats! Watch our quick how-to-video and download the Little Witch Hats Garland Template for a simple yet enchanting project. It's easier than brewing a potion! 

*Featuring fabrics: Spooky ‘n Witchy by AGF Studio 

Here’s what you'll need:

• Little Witch Hats Garland Template (download here).
• Fabric Scraps or Fabric Wonders: 10” Square Packs of your favorite Art Gallery Fabrics. 
• Thread
• Scissors
• Regular Batting 
• Ribbon or twine
• Glue Dots or Glue Gun

Here's how to make each little hat:⁠

• Step 1: Print the template and cut out the witch hat shapes.
• Step 2: Begin by quilting a 5" square from your chosen fabrics and batting.
• Step 3: Trace templates A and B onto the quilted 5" squares.⁠
• Step 4: Sew template A together to create the cone.⁠
• Step 5: Pin the cone and the brim right sides together around the circumference and sew them together. Make two of these using different colors from the collection.⁠
• Step 6: Take two hats with the right sides together, sew them around the brim, and leave a space to turn it inside out. Once it's right side out, sew the opening by hand and top stitch around the brim at about 1/8" of an inch.⁠
• Step 7: Repeat steps 1-6 to create as many witch hats as you need for your garland.

⁠

Voila! Just like magic, your reversible little witch hat is done! Now, gather them up to create your Garland Decoration.

**We recommend using regular batting; it's easy to work with, and given the hat's size, extra firmness isn't necessary.⁠

⁠**You can use a dot of glue (glue gun) on the tip of the hat and glue it to a string of twine. ⁠

There you have it! A spooky and stylish witch hat garland to hang in your home.

As you dive into this frightfully fun project, be sure to check out our Halloween-inspired collections! We have an array of fabric project lookbooks filled with festive ideas to spark your creativity. From spooky home decor to whimsical costumes and enchanting accessories, there’s something for everyone. If you're a seasoned crafter or just starting out, you'll find plenty of inspiration to make this Halloween truly spooktacular!

Spooky ‘N Witchy Lookbook 

Eerie Lookbook

Whether you’re making a spooky statement or adding a dash of whimsy to your décor, this Halloween garland is sure to cast a spell. Don’t forget to share your creations with us—we can't wait to see the magical things you conjure up this season! 

Happy crafting!

-Your friends from Art Gallery Fabrics 

To paraphrase Ebenezer Scrooge, "We will honor Quiltmas in our hearts and try to keep it all the year!" In fact, we'll keep in for several years, because this year marks the Fifth Year of the Quiltmas Spectacular! In case you haven't heard of the Quiltmas Spectacular, let me tell you! Twelve quilt pattern designers were busy in the Quiltmas Elf Workshop designing 12 quilt block patterns to celebrate the wonderful, wintery season! Every day, December 1 through 12, the Quiltmas Elves unwrapped one free quilt block pattern and shared it with everyone.

To celebrate the fifth year of the festive fun, the elves calculated yardage for you to make all the quilts into one coordinated quilt top (more on how to get that info in a bit!). We kicked off this year with an extra special giveaway from Art Gallery Fabrics. The giveaway included enough yardage of PURE Solids to make the all the blocks, plus 4 bonus FQs from the Wintertale holiday line by Katarina Roccella. 

We used the same solids and fabric collection to make all the Quiltmas blocks - in fact, we've used Art Gallery fabrics for several years of Quiltmas! Take a look through the Instagram hashtag #quiltmasspectacular to see all the past years' designs and how we've used Art Gallery Fabrics's holly-jolly holiday fabrics throughout the years.

To keep Quiltmas in our hearts for the rest of the year, let's revisit all the 2023 Quiltmas blocks!

On the first day of Quiltmas, Elf Heather of Gladhand Sews brought us the North Pole block.

On the second day of Quiltmas, Elf Holly of Holly Clarke Design brought us the Deck the Halls block.

On the third day of Quiltmas, Elf Ben of Ben Millett brought us the Snowpal Kit block.

On the fourth day of Quiltmas, Elf Astrid of Apples and Beavers brought us the Little Robin block.

On the fifth day of Quiltmas, Elf Lynett of Lyns Avenue brought us the Country Glow block.

On the sixth day of Quiltmas, Elf Satomi of Satomi Quilts brought us the White Snow Globe block.

On the seventh day of Quiltmas, Elf Amanda of Broadcloth Studio brought us the Snow Quartz block.

On the eighth day of Quiltmas, Elf Andrea of 3rd Story Workshop brought us the Twinkly Lights block.

On the ninth day of Quiltmas, Elf Shannon of Shannon Fraser Designs brought us the Christmas Crackers block.

On the tenth day of Quiltmas, Elf Laurel of Porcupine Sews Threads brought us the Wreath Around the Block block.

On the eleventh day of Quiltmas, Elf Emily of Peach and Honey Studio brought us the Holiday Ribbon block.

On the twelfth day of Quiltmas, Elf Erin of Mija Handmade (that's me!) brought you the Charlie's Tree block.

If you haven't signed up for Quiltmas, you can still jump the sleigh! Sign up for the Quiltmas Spectacular, and you'll immediately get access to all the block patterns, as well as the yardage information. Make sure you download the patterns before December 31st - that's when we close the Quiltmas workshop and pack up the patterns.

Whether you've made all the Quiltmas blocks, one or none, we hope these blocks bring you all the season's cheer, and you remember Quiltmas all through the year!