Block 17 of our Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along is Christmas in Italy designed by Lenna Green. Long-time readers might remember Lenna from the fabulous embroidery video tutorials she did here last year. Our friends at Fort Worth Fabric Studio have a fabulous 40% off Super Deal for you to enjoy too.
How does the quilt-along work? Over a 12-week period, 36 fabulously talented designers will be making 12″ blocks that you can make. You can pick and choose which blocks you want to make. Sash them, add borders, baste it, quilt it, and have it ready to give-away or keep for yourself this Christmas. Or you might want to use some of the blocks for a mini quilt, a table runner, bags, whatever you like.
Make new quilting friends, meet our featured designers, take advantage of our Super Deal bargains, and most of all just have some fun!
Super Deal from Fort Worth Fabric Studio
Fort Worth Fabric Studio is an online quilt store full of fabulous fabrics, bundles, kits, and patterns! You can expect great customer service with special attention to your order. Nearly always, next day shipping and many times, same day shipping! We promise you "online service with a smile."
We are home of the Friday Bundle Batch, an assortment of fabrics that are hand-selected to perfectly complement each other! Check for a new Bundle each Friday!
Today’s Super Deal:
40% OFF all Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Robert Kaufman. No special code is required. The discount applies to all Grinch yardage, bundles, and kits! SALE runs until October 25 at midnight, CST.
Get your Super Deal Savings here!
Featured Designer: Lenna Green
What is your quilting style?
Many of my designs are influenced by my love of cottages and gardens.
Although I enjoy hand appliqué and quilting I’m most passionate about free hand embroidery and often experiment with combining this with colour wash painting in my quilts. I also enjoy traditional piecing with templates, and only resort to the sewing machine through necessity. Many of my first quilts were pieced by hand.
My designs typically have an aged or antique look about them. I am particularly passion about antique floral fabrics and love nothing more than hoarding them away in my fabric cupboard for a special project. I have to confess that I have some fabrics that are too precious to use and so they just adorn my fabric cupboard and make it look pretty!
How did you get started quilting and/or designing?
Formally trained as a secondary school design and technology teacher, I took time off to have my family and discovered the world of patchwork and quilting. It was on one of my many visits to the local patchwork shop that the owner asked if I would like to start designing my own projects and teaching classes. I remember being amused because at the time I was 8 months pregnant. However despite this, shortly after the arrival of our third child I started teaching classes in the evening in between 3 hourly breast feeds. I often came home to find hubby pacing the floor eagerly waiting my arrival.
Teaching patchwork and quilting classes was a wonderful experience. Over 7 years, I met many kindred spirits and made some lifelong friends. Designing projects for my classes prompted me to start writing patterns and I branded my designs Little Green Cottage, named after the 100 year old home we were painstakingly renovating at the time.
A move interstate prompted me to take the next step forward and establish my own Internet business, Stitching Cow. My online business has been up and running for 5 years and features Little Green Cottage patterns and other helpful resources related to sewing. It also offers online classes and video tutorials for both beginners and the more experienced.
Do you have a favourite quilt?
I think my favourite quilt is always the one I am currently working or have just finished. At the moment it is "Christmas in Italy" which is a new block of the month quilt design, inspired by my recent trip overseas.
Quick and fun questions:
- Favourite colour: Would have to be green, I often use green and dusty pinks in my sewing projects.
- What part of the quilting process do you like the most? I love playing around with different fabrics whilst trying to decide on the right colour way to work with.
- What part of the quilting process do you dislike the most? Tacking out a large quilt for hand quilting, my back and knees always complain!
- Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or: Chocolate of course
- Most exciting place you’ve travelled: Last Christmas my family and I spent 2 months in Italy.
- Favourite quote or mantra: Less is more.
Block 17 – Christmas in Italy
Here’s Lenna’s Christmas in Italy block. It’s a companion block to Lenna’s recently-released Christmas in Italy BOM pattern. Lenna has included great hints and tips on putting this block together. Head over to Lenna’s blog to download the pattern.
Share Your Photos
Upload your completed blocks to our Flickr group for a chance to win some adorable buttons from Button Mad – Incomparable Buttons. One winner for each of our quilt-along blocks will be randomly chosen. You have two weeks to complete Lenna’s Christmas in Italy block to be eligible to win.
Quilt-Along Links
Please share the Quilt-Along graphic on your own blog. The more participants, the more FUN!
