"A Season of Grace"
May 2010
We happy to announce that "A Season of Grace" Block of the Month is complete!
Emilie and I both did our our settings. Mine are blocks, and hers is for hanging your adorable 3D stockings.
And the Grand prize went to Sew Joy Sarah! And we want to again mention that our "half way there" prize went to Cathy In Florida.
Emilie and I want to thank you so much for hanging out with us and making this quilt. We really enjoyed the process and seeing your stockings!
Be sure to visit all the things Emilie at Emilie's quilt studo page! And sign up for her newsletter it's really nice! She also blogs so you can follow that too!
CLICK HERE to Download the FINAL Seasons of Grace Layout
Be sure to put your finished quilts in the Flickr folder CLICK HERE
My Quilt top
My backing .. using up bits and pieces!
Emilie's Quilt - COMING SOON
The Grand Prize that was sent to Sarah!
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February 2010
Emilie's Stocking -
Pat's Stocking -
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January 2010
Be sure to visit all the things at Emilie's quilt studo page!
Pat's Stocking -
Emilie's Stocking -
All Pat's blocks so far
And a decorated snowman.. so much better!
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December 2009
CLICK HERE to Download the Dec stocking
Pat's Stocking -
And all my blocks so far!
Emilie's Stockings -
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November 2009
Remember to load photos to our Flickr folder so you can be in the running
CLICK HERE to Download Nov stocking
And Emilie and I are trying to plan a lunch date for November.. can't wait as we'll have new photos of us!
Be sure to visit all the things at Emilie's quilt studo page!
Pat's Stocking -
Emilie's Stockings -
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October 2009
Some months are just crazy.. and October is one of them!
Emilie and I are taking a stocking break ... and that means those of you who are caught up can work on something else... if you are behind.. well get working!!
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Sept 2009
Remember to load photos to our Flickr folder so you can be in the running
Down load the Sept block Click HERE
Be sure to visit all the things at Emilie's site!
Pat's Stocking -
And Cathy did hers and sent them in already!
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August 2009
How are your blocks coming along? I really want you to be in the running for the grand prize! See the photos at the right... what a collection eh?
Remember to load photos to our Flickr folder so you can be in the running
My block is for august... I wanted us to have another pieced block.. so get those HST made up!
And be sure to visit Emilie's Quilt Studo page!
Pat's Stocking -
and ALL my stockings with a possible sashing/border fabric
Emilie's Stockings -
And be sure to visit Emilie's Quilt Studo page!
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July 2009
July and the stockings are looking SO DARN ADORABLE!
Remember to load photos to our Flickr folder so you can be in the running for our FABULOUS gift bag of fabric, patterns, calendar, threads... oh la la it's a TERRIFIC gift!
July is Emilie's month and her stocking is SO DARN CUTE! You may want a whole quilt of these babies!
Emilie's Stockings -
Pat's Stocking -
My 'nude' snowman....need to embellish it soon!
Cathy's Stocking -
Cathy always does her stockings right away.. HAD to share hers!
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June 2009
It's June and time for summer vacations and excellent reads.. including our companion book to this project: "Sisters Choice"... have you read yours yet?
Emilie and I had lunch the other day we are are just so excited to see so many stockings being made! But we want more... more... more!!!
So on the right is the Grand Prize that we have collected 'so far'. Books, fabric, thread, a calendar and a totebag! And that tote will be FULL by the time our adventure ends. (ps... click the photo for a larger image).
So to be in the running for this GRAND prize you must have loaded your photos to the flickr photo group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/season_grace/
Our techie friend Margi has a Flickr 'how to' just for you!
http://maverickcrafter.blogspot.com:80/2009/03/how-to-use-flickr.html
Please
follow the guidelines in the videos to sign up for, log into, and
upload your images. If you need help please contact Margi at mborck@charter.net and she will guide you through the process"
We can't wait to see your stocking blocks!
Click HERE to Download the JUNE stocking
Click HERE to view the June block photo tutorial
Visit Emilie's site too - http://www.emilierichards.com
Pat's Stocking -
Emilie's stockings -
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May 2009
Emilie designed the 'Candy Cane Stripe' block for May and it's DARN adorable!!
Go to Emilie's site to get the block http://www.emilierichards.com
Emilie and I have come up with a GRAND PRIZE for our Season of Grace Block of the Month. A prize to be given at the end. We started thinking that a little 'motivation' to finish your blocks was in order. We would LOVE to see your monthly blocks and then your finished quilt top...as we KNOW you will finish!
As you finish your blocks post them at our new Flickr Season of Grace group folder. Then at the end of the project we'll pull a random name from all the finished quilts. And the prize is going to be good.. very very good. As we are collecting goodies to put in a tote bag... fabric, books, thread... and knows what else! Can you hardly STAND it??
This is a peek at what just ONE thing that will be in the Prize bag!
The new flickr photo group is at http://www.flickr.com/groups/season_grace/
To be in the running for the grand prize you must load your images to our flickr group. Our techie friend Margi has created a Flickr 'how to' just for you!
http://maverickcrafter.blogspot.com:80/2009/03/how-to-use-flickr.html
Please follow the guidelines in the videos to get sign up for, log into, and upload your images. If you need help please contact Margi at mborck@charter.net and she will guide you through the process"
CLICK HERE TO Download the MAY stocking
We can't wait to see your stocking blocks!
Pat's Stocking -
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April 2009
For April we have a wee bit of Applique on our stocking! A little Holly sprinkled, add some buttons and off you go!
The stocking is being hosted by me this month
CLICK HERE TO Download APR stocking
Look through your button bin to bind some sweeties to go on your stocking, I love the BIG button I found for the toe!
Emilie and I have planned some more fun for this BOM... we'll announce it very soon... so be sure you are signed up for both our newsletters!
Visit Emilie's site too - http://www.emilierichards.com
Pat's Stocking -
Emilie's stockings -
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March 2009
This month the stocking is being hosted at Emilie's website, so when your done here jump over there to get the pattern!
Emilie and I meet for an Italian Lunch. We visited, did some planning and caught up on things!
This is where Emilie signed the first round of her 'Sisters Choice' books for people...see them on the table? Our awesome server took our photo, and she READS! So she was super interested in Emilie's books... AND Emilie showed her my Arabella fabric... it was a LOVE Fest!
The best part about these books is that Emilie personalized EACH pre-ordered book as the person wanted, how cool is THAT???
I will do a second pre-order of Sisters Choice books for Emilie to sign. If YOU would like a personalized copy for yourself, a gift (mother's day?), your book club, or for your guild... please email me at pat@patsloan.com and I will confirm your order the middle of March.
**March pattern and read Emilie's post, click to her site
Download March stocking final pattern v1
Emilie's stockings
Pat's Stocking - this was fun!
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February 2009
... an Advent Quilt by Emilie Richards and Pat Sloan
Hi this is Emilie Richards and Pat Sloan! We have teamed up to bring you a gift of a NEW year long Block of the Month called 'A Season of Grace'. The ideas and the quilt were designed by us in many emails and lunch dates. Now how fun is THAT? Let me have Emilie, the beautiful writer on our team, tell you the story and idea behind the quilt.
**Since 2004 I’ve been hard at work on a series of novels entitled The Shenandoah Album. Each book has a traditional quilt block title, and quilts feature prominently in each one, but in different ways. Leisure Arts liked the books and asked to do patterns for the quilts in each story, and so the Quilt Along With Emilie Richards books began.
For Sister’s Choice, book five of the series, I needed a quilt to spark a rivalry between two senior quilters, Helen and Grace, and so I designed—in my head, where it’s easiest to make perfect quilts—a stocking Advent quilt, five blocks long by five blocks wide. Each stocking was different and little treats could be hidden inside. I wanted to make one myself! When I mentioned the quilt to Pat, we decided this would be such fun to do as a block of the month on both our websites. And so 'A Season of Grace' (because Grace designs this one in the novel) was born.
Because many of MY readers aren’t necessarily quilters, this is a great way to get started. If you can sew, either machine or by hand, you can make the stockings and the very simple background. We’ll
give tips along the way. And this is a perfect quilt to use up your scraps, so it’s not an expensive quilt to make. In fact we both found gorgeous Christmas fabric online for very little, and you will, too, if you start looking right away. Or be creative and use some of Pat’s gorgeous new fabrics. Who says Christmas has to be all about red and green?**
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INTRODUCTION FLYER
Download Season of Grace introduction flyer
Would you like an Autographed copy of Emilie's Book 'Sisters Choice'? Just send me an email by clicking here - Pat@patsloan.com Tell me how many you would like in the email.
Blocks found here at Pat's website -
Feb, Apr, June, Aug, Oct, Dec
Blocks found at Emilie's Site -
Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov, Jan
Click to Emilie's site
My Fabric Selection
I decided to use my VAST collection of Christmas Fabrics for this project. The background is going to be this tone on tone. Sashing the stripe and maybe the red. Border will be this poinsettia print. These are all older fabrics I've collected. My blocks are going to use a limited number of fabrics bit still be scrappy. I'm going to have FUN with this project!
I may even applique the quilt name in the border...mmm... the wheels are turning!
My February Block
I'm going to use as much of these 2 fabrics as I can in the blocks to keep my quilt less scrappy. We'll see how it goes!
Emilie's February Stockings
Emilie's fabric... so yummy!
And her February Stockings.. aren't they ADORABLE?? Emilie's Advent version are real 3D stockings. You add a loop at the top and then you can fill the stockings and hang them on your quilt on each block. Then during Advent you remove each stocking and take out the treats... isn't it wonderful!!!
GET the February Block - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
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My tips the Stocking Window and Fusible Applique
Cut the stocking shape out and use as a window to see how you like the look of the block.
For Fusible applique turn the pattern over so you stocking faces the same way as mine when done. Now trace the reversed stocking onto the fusible.
I cut away most of the fusible leaving just a tiny bit INSIDE the line. Fuse to the BACK of the block. You can read more about this technique in my 'Learn to Applique' book
http://patsloan.biz/learntoappliquewithpatsloan.aspx
Emilie and I are having a GREAT time with it and it's great to hear you are too!
Posted by: Pat Sloan | March 02, 2009 at 09:10 AM
I am going to join. Thank you for doing this. I've read all the books and have enjoyed them all. I'm going to start a book club at our local quilt shop and was looking for things about the books and stumbled upon this project. I'm looking forward to it.
Posted by: Tracy Reeb | March 01, 2009 at 05:49 PM
Just saw Susan Webb is here. Hi Susan! Susan long-armed a quilt I made for my wonderful and long time editor. She did the most wonderful job on it.
Yes, I bought Laurel Burch Christmas fabrics when they were on sale at Hancocks of Paducah after the holiday. Got pieces of this and that and just used the purple kitty one in my March block, coming to MY website soon. Just sent the photo to Pat.
One reader wrote to tell me she's making 10 of the Advent quilts, one for each grandchild. Wow. And I saw on line where two women are each making two identical stockings, then trading each month.
The creativity is so wonderful here. I think I'll learn a lot from all of you.
Emilie, writing up March's directions.
Posted by: Emilie Richards | February 21, 2009 at 04:41 PM
I'm excited, too. I am an ardent fan of the Shenandoah Album series. I haven't read Touching Stars or Sister's Choice yet. I've been waiting for the paperbacks. But I do have the quilt pattern books. I'll go fishing for my Christmas fabrics to get started. Thanks, Emilie and Pat. This is a wonderful idea. Caren
Posted by: Caren Bryant | February 20, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Oh this is going to be so much fun. I am going to do the one where we will attach them later. I am glad I stumbled here. Thanks to everyone envolved in getting this together for us!!
Donna
Posted by: Donna | February 04, 2009 at 11:14 PM
I think we will post photos of quilts everyone is doing.. so send me photos!!!
Posted by: Pat Sloan | February 03, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Emilie - Love your fabric stash used for these blocks.Seein Pat's choices is amind-opener too in choosing fabrics. Sew much to see; sew little time! Fun idea! Are you using some Laurel Burch fabrics? I've got to get some for my Christmas fabric stash, which is pretty bleak right now. (Haven't been to a fabric shop for a while).
Great idea;it'll be fun to see end results of quilter's creativity. Will you be posting some pics from your readers?
Susan W. in snowy Titusville
Posted by: Susan Webb | February 03, 2009 at 12:31 PM
This is soo exciting I can't tell you how long I've looked for just the right "creative" Advent calendar and this is so perfect for me, a quilter. And having just taken Bonnie Hunter's "Crumb" workshop I now know how to use all those scraps I end up with !!!
Thanks Ladies,
Denise
Posted by: Denise Konar | February 03, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Also, Denny, if you're making the version with the removable stockings, (what we're calling the Advent calendar) then the background quilt will come later, and you'll attach the stockings with buttons (or Velcro or snaps, but what fun is that?)
So glad everyone's enthused. I know we'll see a lot of gorgeous versions out there.
Emilie
Posted by: Emilie Richards | February 02, 2009 at 02:26 PM
The General Directions are right in the middle.. I'll put a little something there to make it more obvious
Posted by: pat sloan | February 02, 2009 at 02:14 PM
You two are fabulous and Advent calendars are an absolute favorite of mine. On the page with the stocking pattern it says to see the general directions document for how to apply the stocking to the background. I must have missed it somewhere. Can you direct me. Thanks so much - there was a lot of work in this FREE pattern and idea and I for one appreciate it tremendously. And I just happen to have Emilie's Sister's Choice book which isn't read yet but will be soon.
Hugs,
Denny
Posted by: Denny | February 02, 2009 at 01:49 PM
This looks like fun, I can't wait to go home and start pulling fabric for this....
Peggy in NJ
Posted by: Peggy Aront | February 02, 2009 at 10:59 AM
awesome tip Emilie! Now I can't wait for March! LOL
Posted by: Margi | February 02, 2009 at 08:07 AM
Hey Pat!
Waving from across the Metro area. Just wanted to let our BOMers know that once they cut out their stockings, SAVE the scraps. I just used mine in my first of two March blocks. By scraps, I mean what's left of the block you made before you cut out your stocking. You'll see why in March. But we're at a time when saving and reusing's a good thing, right? So people like me, who save every teensy weensy scrap are suddenly cool.
Emilie
Posted by: Emilie Richards | February 01, 2009 at 05:46 PM