quilt books – Stash Lab Quilts

Purr-fect Patchwork Blog Tour

August 27, 2021

Well, here we go! Welcome to my stop on the Purr-fect Patchwork blog tour featuring the projects you will find in my friend Pamela Morgan’s delightful new book Purr-fect Patchwork with C&T Publishing!

Full disclosure, I am not a current cat owner – but that didn’t disqualify me from joining the blog tour! (I do have a golden doodle named Winston and cats like me, so maybe I was just grand-fathered in or something.)

Whether you’re owned by a cat or just know someone who is, this book is full of adorable projects. One of the things I love about this book is the mix and variety of projects – quilting, appliqué, and embroidery. When it came time to pick one, I was thrilled to get to do one featuring wool appliqué because, well, Modern Wool, what can I say?

Here’s Pam’s version of the Cat Nap Pillow I chose, it’s delightful. Pam is multi-talented and she did all the photography in the book herself and it really is beautiful. Just imagining her setting up the photo shoots for all the projects is beyond me. When you see some of the settings you’ll see what I mean!

Cat Nap Pillow #1, photo courtesy of Pamela Morgan

Cat Nap Pillows 1 & 2, photo courtesy of Pamela Morgan

So The Cat Nap Pillow #1 it was! The scrappy low volume background was right up my alley of course and I had fun pulling those fabrics. And then when choosing my wool, I stuck with Pam’s original colors but went a bit brighter/darker only changing the color of my kitty. We have a neighborhood orange tabby visiting our yard so I went with two shades of orange for him.

There’s a Cat Nap Pillow #2 also but you’ll have to check out my fellow blog hostess Nichole Vogelsinger to see that one!

Here are my two quick tips for wool appliqué: first, when using fusible, group all the pieces you plan to cut from the same color close together when you trace your shapes like this…saves wool and helps keep you organized.

My second tip is to arrange your prepared wool pieces on the background on your ironing surface. This way you don’t have to risk your pieces shifting while carrying it from a table to your ironing board before they’re fused into place!

O.k., here it is! I think it turned out pretty good and it looks like it might have been made just for this spot in my studio. It matches that chair pretty purr-fectly! (I couldn’t resist.) I might just keep it there!

A blog hop isn’t complete without some PRIZES so let’s get to it!

2 WAYS TO WIN

To win an e-copy of Purr-Fect Patchwork, please leave a comment below telling me where you’re from and your cat’s name – or make up a good name for your hypothetical cat if you were to suddenly get one! ( No worries, the prize is an e-copy of the book, not a real cat!) Winners will be announced and contacted after the end of the Blog Tour, by August 30th.
For a chance to win a grand prize bundle from Pamela Morgan you must visit each of the blog tour stops and comment. Pam has a grand prize bundle of goodies for one lucky winner! Including her book and a bunch of sponsor goodies you won’t want to miss!

Want to buy your own copy of Purr-Fect Patchwork? Shop Here!

Purr-fect Patchwork Virtual Tour Schedule

Fri. August 20:

C&T Publishing | http://www.ctpub.com/blog/ | IG: @ctpublishing

Pamela Jane Morgan (that’s me!) | pammiejane.com/blog | IG: @pammiejane

Sat. August 21:

Sherri Noel | https://www.rebeccamaedesigns.com/ | IG: @rebeccamaedesigns (Chasing Dreams Quilt)

Shannon Fraser | https://shannonfraserdesigns.com/ | IG: @shannonfraserdesigns (Stabby Tabby Pincushion)

Sun. August 22:

Lorna McMahon | https://sewfreshquilts.com/blog | IG: @sewfreshquilts (Get Your Paws Off the Tablerunner)

Tracy Brittain Loyek | https://www.purplekatzquilting.com/blogs/news| IG: @purplekatzquilting (Purr-fect Pocket Tote)

Mon. August 23:

Natalie Santini | https://sewhungryhippie.com/blogs/tutorials | IG: @sewhungryhippie (Hiss and Make Up Bag)

Kaitlyn Howell | https://knotandthreaddesign.com/blog/ | IG: @knotandthread (Ziggy Kitty Quilt)

Tue. August 24:

Audrey Mann | https://www.theclothparcel.com/blog/ | IG: @theclothparcel (Just Kitten Around Pillow)

Charisma Horton | https://charismascorner.com/ | IG: @charismahorton (Feline Floral Quilt)

Wed. August 25:

Mollie Johanson | http://blog.molliejohanson.com/ | IG: @molliejohanson (Tale of Two Kitties Needle Book)

Corinne Sovey | https://www.corinnesovey.com/home/blog/ | IG: @corinne.sovey (Tuxedo Cat Wristlet)

Thu. August 26:

Melissa Averinos | https://yummygoods.com/blogs/yummy-goods-blog | IG: @melissaaverinos (Blooming Curiosity Quilt)

Jeni Gaston | https://woolenwillowdesigns.com/blogs/jeni-s-blog-at-woolen-willow-designs| IG: @jenifergaston (Whisker Away Quilt)

Fri. August 27:

Tonya Alexander | http://stashlabquilts.com | IG: @stashlabquilts(Cat Nap Pillow #1)

Nichole Vogelsinger | https://wildboho.com/ | IG: @wildboho (Cat Nap Pillow #2)

Sat. August 28:

Stacey Day | http://www.staceyinstitches.com | IG: @staceyinstitches(Laser Cat Quilt)

Amanda Niederhauser |http://www.jedicraftgirl.com | IG: @jedicraftgirl (Self Pawtrait Softie)

So that’s it! I hope you’ll click through all the stops for your chance to win some great prizes from Pam! This project was so fun to make, the book is beautiful, and I’m sure you’ll love it!

Happy stitching,

Tonya

My version of Cat Nap Pillow #2, little knit mousy made by my friend Val!

Pre-ordering for Modern Wool!

February 21, 2021

We’re a step closer! I’m happy to share that you can now pre-order your copy of my upcoming release of Modern Wool: 12 Projects to Get You Stitching right on my website. If you’d like a signed copy, be sure to drop me note in the comments on your order. Anticipated date is currently March 25, 2021!

You can also pre-order a copy directly with C&T Publishing or – and this is a BIG ONE – go to your favorite local quilt shop – ask them to preorder a copy for you and help support their shop! There are so many ways to use your consumer dollars in important ways, especially now while so many small businesses are struggling.

There are 12 projects, but there is a double bonus because I featured both a low-volume and a dark version of every project! Thinking about how we see color and how colors appear on dark or light backgrounds, all became part of my exploration of wool along with combining wool with modern, mixed cotton fabrics for all of the backgrounds. I think it’s fascinating how the exact same color in the applique shapes can change appearance, all by just changing the background! Here’s an example of what I mean:

This is the project called “Rest” in both the dark and light versions. It’s my take on traditional penny wool projects and the wool pennies are exactly the same in both versions. The only difference is in the background fabrics I chose. Colors can appear to recede or advance with a simple change in the background creating so many wonderful design opportunities in your projects! Here are some more quick images of some of the projects:

I’ll definitely be sharing more images and details about each of the 12 projects as we count down to publication but most importantly wanted to share that you can now pre-order your copy now.

Be well my friends and happy stitching,

Tonya

New book release for 2021!

January 9, 2021

Let’s just pretend 2020 never happened, o.k.? I am only looking forward – and to the most exciting thing – a new book release coming in March 2021!

I couldn’t be more excited to share my newest book project with you. It’s bright, it’s beautiful, and every project just makes me smile!

Reinvent wool appliqué with bold projects

Take wool appliqué and make it bright, bold, and modern. Contemporary quilters can now experience the joy and satisfaction of working with wool and traditional quilt blocks and techniques, but with a fresh twist on color combination and design choices. These 12 projects are made with beginners in mind and include helpful step-by-step commentary. Beautiful, forgiving, mobile, satisfying, a few of our favorite things about wool hand appliqué projects.

12 projects each with two colorway options (light and dark backgrounds)
Modern aesthetic for table runners, wall hangings, pillows, needle books, pincushions, and more
Perfect for wool appliqué beginners! Includes tools, techniques, and tips

Modern Wool: 12 Applique Projects to Get You Stitching is being brought into the world with my partners at Stash Books and C&T Publishing and will be available at the end of March 2021. Pre-order information will be available soon!

Be well friends,

Tonya

A boulder, a book, and a few other things…

March 3, 2019

Just south of town there’s a giant spray-painted boulder referred to locally as “Blue Rock”, “Graffiti Rock”, or simply “the Rock.” It’s the unofficial billboard for the masses: team cheers, memorials, prom proposals…You name it, this boulder announces it to the world and has been doing it since at least 1966!

So, what does this boulder have to do with quilting? Well, it’s a stretch but it’s a great analogy of life, my life and the boulder of life I’ve been living under for the last 4-5 months. Sometimes you’re on top of the boulder of life, sometimes you feel like you’re underneath it! And I think if I were to connect the boulder with quilting, it would be that sometimes we have a great amount of creative energy and mental space to create, and sometimes we just don’t. And that’s o.k. Some may ask, Tonya, where have you been? What are you working on? Why aren’t you posting three times a day on social media? Your last blog post was in OCTOBER!

Well, my personal boulder would have several things written on it over the last few months and it would say something like this:

Sell house #1, buy house #2, pack house #1, move to house #2, sell a house #3, pack house #3, move house #3 across 3 states to join house #1 at house #3, break out in shingles, survive the holidays, and sadly say goodbye to puppy #1 after almost 14 years as a member of our family.

Now as complicated and stressful (at least to me!) as all of that sounds, there’s LOTS of good in all of that, with the exception of losing the puppy. It just took a few months of focus, or should I say, distraction, to get there.

Sugar Shack, by Tonya Alexander

I’m happy to say I made it through the muddle, life is returning to a better balance, and we’re in a beautiful home, including a dedicated sewing space! Yeah! While I’ve been under my own personal boulder, a new book came out that included one of my favorite projects, Sugar Shack. (See, I did finally bring it back around to quilting!) And with all of my house-related drama lately, it seems pretty perfect!

Martingale just released a big, beautiful new book of lap quilts and it’s called, you guessed it, The Big Book of Lap Quilts. Sugar Shack is making it’s second appearance, first being featured in another Martingale title called I Love House Blocks as part of their popular Block-buster series.

Sugar Shack is a project perfect for fat quarters and uses some easy half square triangle piecing for the roof line making it a quick and easy project. So if lap quilts are your thing – they are one of mine – then you’ll want to check it out. You can visit my shop page or ask for it at your favorite local quilt shop, they’ll be glad you did!

Other fun things are happening, visiting quilt guilds, teaching workshops and classes, and even finding a little time to sew with friends. More about all of that another time. But for now I think I will close with one more pic of the BEST. DOG. EVER. We miss you, our beautiful Seamus. Thank you for being a such a beloved part of our family. You were a blessing and made our lives full of unconditional doxie-love that is hard to imagine ever replacing…