Raise your hand if you're a quilty gardener. It's time to start sprouting seeds to prepare for the upcoming planting season. But what if you don't have a particularly green thumb? Never fear, there are also seeds to be "sewn." Let's look at some traditional projects that reflect the roots of quilting as well as some new modern prints that offer bright hope for a plentiful harvest. 

Consider the origin of quilts; those timeless works of art crafted by hand from what was available. Scraps. Worn clothes. Utility fabrics. Leftovers. They're the source of inspiration for quilting as we know it today -- seeds planted that have grown into an art that has nourished generations. 


The Shoo-Dash quilt shown above combines two of the earliest, most recognizable quilt designs from the past into one simply beautiful block. Karen Averett chose to continue this nod to quilt history by selecting an array of reproduction prints for piecing this 87" x 87" fat quarter-friendly quilt by Sweet Jane's Quilting Design. E2E quilting by Chelsea Hilton in a Daisy motif is just the thing! We have put together kits featuring 49 fat quarters for you to mix and match. The result is a quilt that looks as if it were found in great-grandmother's attic, an heirloom from an era of fruitful quilt heritage.

Here's a wonderful wall quilt that quite literally celebrates both sowing and sewing. Field of Flowers by Norma Whaley of Timeless Traditions is a combination of traditional piecing and wool applique. Tiny patchwork is sprinkled like seeds in a furrow while wool tulips bloom in rows. It's a folk art garden of color, again in reproduction fabrics. Marianne Michaels hand-dyed the wools and pieced this 48" square beauty. She has kits ready for you! Custom quilting by Ramona Sorensen highlights the applique and gives each border the attention it deserves.

And now for new fabric -- a modern take on garden inspiration. The Vegetable Patch collection by Jane Sassaman for Free Spirit has all the sunshine and vibrancy of a bountiful crop. You know you need a little asparagus fabric in your life (and diet), and oh, the sweet peas are sweet indeed! Do I spy some corn at The Wagon? Come "pick" your own delicious new quilt project!

I Love Fabric, and so do you! So, let's have a sale! Next Saturday, February 21st we're having an I Love Fabric Sale. Buy 1 yard of any regular price quilter's cotton and get another yard half-off! Pick up those prints you've had your eye on, find the perfect backing, spoil yourself with some serious yardage on sale! Minimum one-yard cuts. This discount cannot be combined with other offers and is available in-store only. We'll have extra team members on hand to help you so come see us next Saturday!