key | Night Quilter

Love is always the key. We know that. But now we can also SEW that! Those who know me know that I am a sap for hearts and I see them literally everywhere. One of my proudest moments was the first time my daughter brought me a heart she found in nature. It was a dirty old dried up piece of orange peel that she had found in the gravel driveway, and she was filled to the brim with excitement that she had found a heart. Since then, Maddie and I (and now Max, a bit) have found countless heart rocks, heart sea glass, heart snowballs, heart leaves, and more… since truly, love is everywhere. Reminiscent story aside, today I’m excited to release my newest pattern: Love is the Key.

Love is the Key is a foundation paper pieced pattern that measures 9″ square, but with an option for a 4.5″ wide by 9″ tall version. It features a heart-topped key and is a very easy, beginner-friendly paper piecing pattern. Believe it or not, this pattern was first conceptualized and sketched almost a year ago, on my flight home from QuiltCon. It’s a mash-up of my Unlocked and Love Struck patterns, since who doesn’t need more heart-filled pattern options?

To help celebrate the month of love, this pattern release is also kicking off a pattern sale of all of my love-themed patterns, today through Valentine’s Day. That gives you ample time to sew up some love for your partner, your kids, your parents, or hey–even for yourself!

Grab Love is the Key for only $3 while you can! The prices have already been reduced in my Craftsy and Payhip shops. After Valentine’s Day, all patterns will return to their standard prices of $4.50 (but my love will still be there).

I always love to see what you create, so please use the hashtag #loveisthekeypattern and tag me @nightquilter when you share on social media.

I’m also excited about a few add-on pattern features I’m hoping to release soon. Most likely not by Valentine’s Day, but soon you will be able to stitch up a flying heart key, and will have top and bottom options for a “create your own adventure” key. So much fun. So much love.

I’m linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts’ Finish it up Friday since I’m psyched I finally finished this pattern, even if it did take me a year!

Today I’m so excited to share that my magazine debut (as the covergirl, no less!) is here. My pattern Unlocked appears in this month’s edition of Make Modern magazine, and even graces the cover (can you say excited!?!).

Make Modern is a digital modern quilting magazine, full of great patterns for quilts and smaller sewn items, articles, tips, and features. This issue (Issue 7) has a lovely meet and greet with none other than the most glittery quilter around: Molli Sparkles. Based in Australia, Make Modern was the brainchild of three quilting friends: Jane, Lara, and Kristy. You can read about their philosophy HERE, which I definitely recommend. From the sustainability and accessibility of a digital magazine, to being a positive driving force in the modern quilting world, they’ve got it going on.

You can purchase single issues of the magazine or can choose 3 issue (6 month) or 6 issue (yearly) digital subscriptions. I’m honored to be a part of this publication.

I’ve shown you tiny peeks at my quilt Unlocked, but really nothing that gave away more than the obvious: it features the full Mercury and Grove lines from Alison Glass’s 2015 Sun Prints, on a gorgeous Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Charcoal background. I used my go-to thread panacea Aurifil Dove #2600 for piecing. It’s very scrap-friendly, since each key only needs a fat eighth of fabric. Unlocked is also super versatile since a simple adjustment of the number of keys made and surrounding background results in any sized quilt you want.

While I really wanted a castle door or giant gate in which to photograph this quilt, a trip to Ireland was not in the budget, so Belfast, Maine had to suffice. I have the world’s best quilt holding husband, who schlepped our kids and a quilt all over town at the whim of me, his crazy quilt-making photo-crazed wife. We got some great shots, though, so I’d say it was well worth it! He really should start a blog “Behind the Quilts”.

Unlocked was longarm quilted by my ever-talented friend Stephanie at Late Night Quilter and it looks amazing. She used the Cityscape Path straight line quilting style designed by Krista Withers and photos don’t even come close to doing it justice. I’m so grateful to Stephanie for quilting this, since I was able to finish the quilt top and mail it off to Stephanie right before giving birth to Finn. Then, she was able to quilt it and get it back to me a couple weeks postpartum so that I could bind it and photograph it in time for the publication deadline. Teamwork at its best!