Join me on a Hawaiian Cruise! I posted all the information on my website – please click this link to go directly to the newsletter.
Registrations for this wonderful event are available through Cruise Holidays: Click this link
I’ll add more details in the future. I hope YOU can join me!

Patchwork Sassaman Style

Jane’s Early Birds fabric

Happy stitching, ALL!

SewCalGal is hosting her GOLDEN QUILTER AWARDS −and I have been nominated in several categories! The final day to vote is by March 31st!

Here are the nominees and categories −you can place your vote for your favorite teacher, author and designer, too! Please join in the fun−let YOUR voice be heard!

I layered six repeats (six layers) on the cutting mat, carefully pinned to keep the images aligned exactly and cut 3-3/4″ strips, selvage to selvage. After cutting the 60-degree triangles from the strips, I arranged the hexagons on my design wall, rotating the units so the colors were clustered in groupings.

Here are some detail images of the hexagons created by cutting 60-degree triangles from the Alexander Henry Harajuku Lady fabric.

I am teaching the Framed Diamonds / Dancing African Ladies quilt in Grand Junction, Colorado, Oct. 15, 2011. The location is Quilters’ Corner in Grand Junction. Due to my travel schedule, I am unable to loan out the original Dancing African Ladies quilt. Therefore, I selected two related fabrics from my stash (these are older fabrics, no longer available):

(Cutting directions available in the Quick Diamond Quilts book).  I cut the tropical floral print at a 22.5-degree angle (to control the grainline) and sub-cut into 45-degree angles. The grain runs through the center of the diamonds, and the quilt will be stable once it is pieced.  I also cut the striped fabric on an angle, and sub-cut into quarter diamonds. These are the ruler sets I used, in addition to the long 6″ x 24″ ruler.

click the image above to order the Fussy Cutter diamond rulers, or the Quarter and Half ruler set

I sewed combinations of framed diamonds, and arranged them on my design wall. I alternated a pieced diamond with a floral diamond, all arranged in rows. The edges looked a little too “blendy” between the striped diamonds and the print, so I added a narrow dark brownish batik fabric trim at the edges of the striped diamonds.

I pieced the rows of diamonds diagonally, creating larger sections, and finally assembled the entire top. I sewed 3 fabrics together, creating borders. The borders were added, and the corners mitered finish the design.

I have been off the blog for a while now. My travel schedule has been steady, and our summer was filled with family reunion, bathroom remodel at home, shipping, teaching, travel between engagements, and so on!

 I have gotten a couple of sewing projects completed. The first is a quilt design that originated with two fabrics (above). I created the Dancing African Ladies quilt – and it is a featured pattern in my book, Quick Diamond Quilts and Beyond.

My son and his wife really like this quilt, and I wanted to make them a quilt using the same fabrics and diamond technique, but add a pre-printed panel from the Julia Cairns African collection (the fabrics are no longer for sale).

(click image to go to Julia Cairns’ website)

The diamonds were oriented in a radiating star placement, slightly off-center, with the sunshine (in the panel) as the central radiating point. The pieced elements were completed, and the panel was appliquéd into the pieced diamonds. Here is the finished quilt – machine quilted by Sylvia Fox.

 

Dancing African Ladies Starburst with printed panel by Jan P. Krentz, 2011

From my student, Jacque M:

Hello Jan,

Took your class in 2008 at Asilomar.  Wanted to share the round [Quick Star Quilt] one with you. Made it for someone having chemo,  wanted it to feel like the ocean on the back and earth on the front.  Did not know where to stop on this one,  just though it needed to be round.  She loves it, hope it helps somehow. 

I often use the large diamond when I need a fast quilt for a gift. Thanks for that!  Jacque M

I had the opportunity to visit with Loretta Ivison at the Long Beach Quilt show, and she has come up with a terrific tool! Please take a look at the Pinmoor pin cover quilt tools! They are colorful and simple to use, creating a fast method for pin-basting a quilt without injury to yourself, suffering from pin sticks and – much worse – pins in the carpet causing severe injury to bare feet, children, babies, pets and husbands!

Thank you for your clever design, Loretta! Order your Pinmoor tools directly from the inventor by clicking here.

Slideshow design made with Smilebox

This is a great article on the Wall Street Journal: 

Quilting Trucker
Enjoy!

I have just returned from Toronto! What a great bunch of quilters at the York Heritage Quilt Guild! We had a program and two workshops: Colorwash Hunter Star and the Summer Salsa Lone Star. Thanks to the wonderful organizers:  Erica and Jeannie, Katie, Carolyn and Linda! Katie loaned me a winter coat, which allowed me to bring extra quilts!

It was great to show the newest book − Quick Diamond Quilts − and quilts from all 5 books to the warm and friendly York quilters in Toronto. Even better? Watching the Olympics in Canada as they cheered their athletes to victory! I admire the hard work – seven years of preparation – and think the Canadians are hosting a wonderful Olympic event.

One evening I went with guild members to Glow Restaurant − which features a unique menu of local and healthy offerings. Glow was located right near an ice carving display, and a small figure skating rink. The ceiling changed colors and the menu covers had grasses imbedded in a thick plastic.