Pretty Little Patterns

My sister e-mailed me and said she hadn't heard a peep from me in over a week, what was I up to? Well, let me tell you. I've been such a busy bee lately. After I posted that photo of my little Valentine's Day table runner I made, using  the Little Sweethearts fabric designed by Renee Nanneman for Andover, I got quite a few e-mails asking: Excuse me, where is the free pattern for this sweet little thing??

 

 

I wish I wish I wish I could just give away the patterns for every single quilt I make but sometimes I have to add them to my list of patterns for sale and try to make a living. You understand. I know it's a very simple little quilt and many of you can draft it yourselves but for those of you who cannot or don't want to take the time, I created a pattern for it that's available here on my website. I thought the fabric I used was soooo cute (little hearts mixed with shirtings). So I ordered more of that and then also plan to make up a few kits for sale too because I suspected some of you would like to make one just like mine.

The fabric is not here yet and so it may take me a week or 2 to make up the kits and get them out to you but you can order anyway and I'd appreciate your patience. I ordered a certain amount of fabric for a limited number of kits and when that's gone, it's gone, but the pattern will still be available on my website for awhile.

 

 

Don't worry that you're not being creative if you buy a kit to make one just like mine. Sometimes it's fun for us girls to have some of the same things in the same colors.  When I was 9 or 10, my best friend Audrey and I used to love to dress alike. I remember whenever she got a new dress or shirt I'd beg my mom to buy the same one for me. We'd walk to the local library by ourselves wearing the same outfits. Back in that day it was perfectly safe for kids to walk 4 blocks to the library in the city of Chicago without an adult. No one gave it a second thought.

 

I was taller than Audrey and she had red hair and freckles so anyone could easily tell us apart but I could see our friends the library ladies smiling when we came in the door, pretending they couldn't tell us apart and we played the game too. "Call me Audrey today and you be Kathy" I whispered, giggling. Those were fun times, putting one over on the library ladies.

My own kids did not inherit this dressing alike tendency. For years, they would not shop at certain clothing stores because they didn't want to dress like the herd (their words) and see themselves coming and going in the same outfits as everyone else at school. "Why not? WHY NOT?? Those Gap shirts look so cute on you! So what if  Kevin has one too." I never understood. I sneaked in a shirt for my son in his gifts one Christmas and when I saw the same one on the boy down the block I knew where I'd find my son's - shoved under his bed, unworn.

 

So, I know how it is when you see something cute that another quilter has made and you want one just like it for yourself. Quilt envy. As long as you don't sell the pattern for it and say you're me I think you're okay. If you decide to make this little quilt, imagine, we'll all be like BFFs, showing off our little red, white and pink quilts on our tables, set for tea or cocoa.  

 

Oh, speaking of tea, I had a bit of leftover Chateau Chambray fabric that Andover sent me to use to make the Sweet Pea quilt in conjunction with the Valentine's Day giveaway last week. (Find the pattern here -  yes, yes, this one is FREE). I didn't want it to go to waste so I made another darling table quilt using a Sugar Bowl block. I call it Tea Time.

OMG, I love the soft colors and romantic prints, don't you? I used up just about every print in that collection. I hope you like it, especially the center block with the floral motif. Some of you who were winners of the giveaway on my blog last week will be getting a charm pack of either this fabric or the Little Sweethearts fabric. Andover told me to let you know that they will be shipping soon, maybe even today.

 

Sugar Bowls! So sweet.

 

I know some of you only like 1800s reproduction fabrics and those are still my favorites too but sometimes it's just so much fun to make something pretty with a different type of fabric than I'm used to. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. It was a lot of fun.

 

 

As I sat there quilting it while watching the last 2 episodes of DA I could totally see myself sipping tea at Downton Abbey. Wished I had a hat though.

 

 

 

 You can purchase the pattern for this one on my website too.