Tag Archives: payhip

Constant Flux Christmas: Pattern Release!

December 11, 2017 kittywilkin 12 Comments

Back in July, I promised to release this pattern to the public when the snow began to fly. This past weekend, we had our very first snow of the season here in midcoast Maine, which happened to be perfect timing since today I’m pleased to present Constant Flux Christmas, a pattern hack on my original Constant Flux pattern.

When playing around with color placement on my Constant Flux pattern, I realized that by merging large sections, an entirely new pattern emerged–one that looks to me like a modern take on a wreath and star. I decided to make it easy and adjusted the pattern templates to reflect this heavily altered version, and thus Constant Flux Christmas was born. This is a fun, beginner-friendly pattern that would look great not only in traditional colors, but also in any other colors you throw its way! I’ll be sharing photos of all of the gorgeous versions sewn up by my pattern testers so you can see for yourself!

The pattern includes printable foundation templates, cutting suggestions, general foundation paper piecing tips, clear assembly instructions, and a coloring page to help you plan your project. There are no tricky angles, odd shapes, or difficult joins, yet the design options are boundless.

Constant Flux Christmas is now available for digital download both on Craftsy and in my Payhip shop for those of you in the EU. This week it will be available for an introductory price of $5, after which it will return to its standard price. ‘Tis the season for adding one more holiday sew to your list, right?

Pattern Tester Versions

Constant Flux Christmas by Jitka Clements — Pattern tested by Jitka Clement @jitkadesign

With this pattern, I finally got brave and put a call out for pattern testers on Instagram. I was amazed by the response, and within 24 hours had an eager and skillful crew of quilters ranging from absolute foundation paper piecing beginner to experienced, ready to tackle Constant Flux Christmas and provide feedback.

Constant Flux Christmas by Jitka Clement straight on — Pattern tested by Jitka Clement @jitkadesign

Future pattern testing groups will be quite a bit smaller, but there was so much excitement, I accepted quite a few!

Constant Flux Christmas by Isabelle Selak — Pattern tested by Isabelle Selak @southbaybella

Every single one of them did an amazing job, sewed up the mini quilt in less than a week (some were finished the first day!), and provided excellent feedback on ways to make the pattern even better. I’m so grateful for all of them, and am excited to show you all of their different versions.

Constant Flux Christmas by Nissa Boeckman — Pattern tested by Nissa Boeckman @baladigiraffe

Some stuck to the traditional red, green, and gold colorway, using both consistent fabrics throughout and scrappy versions.

Constant Flux Christmas by Lauren Wood — Pattern tested by Lauren Wood

Constant Flux Christmas by Jessical Lopez Enriquez — Pattern tested by Jessica Lopez Enriquez @thegorillaandthepig

Constant Flux Christmas by Angela — Pattern tested by Angela Hardin @pepperhardin4356

Constant flux by Amanda Allen — Pattern tested by Amanda Allen @another.amanda

Constant Flux by Alyson Olander — Pattern tested by Alyson Olander @alysonwonderlan

Constant Flux Christmas by Karen Weiderman — Pattern tested by Karen Weiderman @kayweedie

Constant Flux Christmas detail by Karen Weiderman — Constant Flux Christmas quilting detail by Karen Weiderman.

Constant Flux Christmas by Katharine Vonbibra — Pattern tested by Katharine Vonbibra. Love that EPP center!!!

I love how a couple of the testers got really creative with their centers–maybe the clever additions cover up a not-quite-perfectly-aligned center, or maybe the centers are PERFECT and it’s simply an added design element–you’ll never know, and the mini quilts look fantastic! LOL

Constant Flux Christmas by Darlene Cunningham — Pattern tested by Darlene Cunningham @dcapulus

Some of the pattern testers tried out different color palettes, and I really love the way this pattern looks in all of them!

Constant Flux Christmas by Lisa Tucker — Pattern tested by Lisa Tucker @duhquilts

Constant Flux Christmas by Cheryl Kirk — Pattern tested by Cheryl Kirk.

Constant Flux Christmas by Kat Ayers — Pattern tested by Kat Ayers @kitkabbit

Constant Flux Christmas by Evie Landry — Pattern tested by Evelyn Landry @evie_landry

Constant Flux Christmas by Rachael Loving-Painter — Pattern tested by Rachael Loving-Painter @glamstream

Aren’t they all gorgeous!?

I can’t wait to see Constant Flux Christmas done up in your fabric choices! Get yours on Craftsy and in my Payhip shop for those of you in the EU. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

I’ll be linking up to Let’s Bee Social, Finish it up Friday, and TGIFF. Flimsy finished are double the fun when they come with a pattern release!

Patterns, Quilting

Love Patchwork & Quilting Feature and a Pattern Sale

February 8, 2017 kittywilkin 10 Comments

I’m excited to share that a new pattern of mine is included in the latest issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine, Issue 44. Not only is the pattern included in the magazine, but it also made the cover!

While this is not the first time one of my patterns has been on the cover of a magazine (this was the fun first), it is the first time it’s on the cover of a printed magazine that my friends and family (and me, I suppose!) will be able to see on the newsstands in Joann Fabric and Barnes and Noble and the like. The issue came out Feb 1st in the UK, and will be showing up in stores in the US in 3-5 weeks. Please do let me know when you see it! If you’re techy, you could also get this issue instantly to your phone or tablet with the digital issues on Apple Newsstand, Zinio or Google Play.

This issue includes so many great patterns and inspiration, and even includes quilting stencils designed by Christa Watson. Visit the Love Patchwork and Quilting site to read and see more about what’s included in this fab issue.

Inspired by a tile pattern I saw a couple of years ago, this quilt is a great one to use for color play (or colour play!). It looks great in any colorway, and the fun accent block helps feature your focal or accent fabric.

I love the styling done by Love Patchwork & Quilting for the photos! I made this quilt using Kona cottons from Robert Kaufman and pieced and quilted it with Aurifil thread. I used 40wt thread in coordinating colors for quilting to make it a bit more substantial and echoed the geometric angles of the quilt, and I really like the aesthetic of the straight lines and the ease of quilting with my walking foot. This is a fun pattern and I do hope you’ll check it out!

Also, in the same color theme, I’m having a pattern sale through February 14th with all of my heart-themed patterns 20% off.

Craftsy | Payhip (please use Payhip if you live in the EU)

I made a BIG Love Struck block to help spread the world, and I think it eventually will become a festive pillow. Each heart-tipped arrow finishes at 6″ x 18″ and was a really quick sew, so if you’re looking for a fast and fun Valentine’s project, the BIG Love Struck pattern might be the perfect one! (or Hello, Love… or Love Struck… or Love is the Key… or…<3)

It’s a snow day here, so back to the kiddos–enjoy your day!

Business, Quilting, Sewing

Christmas in July Pattern Bundle Sale – 72 hours only!

July 11, 2016 kittywilkin 1 Comment

I’m not typically one to sew for the holidays, but in retrospect, perhaps it’s because I don’t begin my projects early enough to make it possible! Enter: Christmas in July. I’m beginning to understand why the term “Christmas in July” exists–since if you want to hand stitch gifts, you should be beginning in July! If you are the type who does like to sew holiday gifts, or even just someone who loves a great deal, today is your day! Note: This sale has ended for the year!

I’m excited to be joining a fantastic group of pattern designers to bring you a Christmas in July pattern bundle, available for $25 for three days only. There are 23+ great patterns included, as well as some great sponsor prizes. Both of my top selling foundation paper pieced patterns Lupine & Love Struck are included in the bundle, as well as a variety of other fantastic patterns by talented designers, both holiday themed and all purpose patterns great to have in your library.

As an extra special incentive, if you buy the bundle from me, you will also be entered to win a Quilter’s Planner 2017 Starter Kit, which includes a 2017 Quilter’s Planner as well as pens, stickers, and highlighters to help you stay organized, productive, and inspired! (Note: The winner will receive the starter kit as soon as it’s available, expected to be shipping in October). Congratulations to Sharon, the winner of the Quilter’s Planner Starter Kit!

Many thanks to Jen Frost from Faith & Fabric, who has organized this bundle sale and helped get everyone together to offer this great deal. Here’s a bit more about what’s included in the purchase of the bundle.

You will get immediate digital download of all of the patterns shown above, plus:

– two coupon codes: one for Gotham Quilts and one for Sulky
– one entry to win a free Craftsy Class
– one entry to win a 6mo subscription to Make Modern

PLUS, as I mentioned above, if you buy the bundle HERE, you will also be entered to win a 2017 Quilter’s Planner Starter Kit, care of yours truly and my dear friend Stephanie (Late Night Quilter), the mastermind behind the Quilter’s Planner. Talk about Christmas in July! Again, congrats to Sharon!

The bundle is no longer available since the sale has ended for the year. Stay tuned next July, and for those of you who purchased the bundle, happy stitching! ~~The bundle is available in my Payhip shop, and will only be live for 72 hours beginning RIGHT NOW! This sale runs from Monday 3pm EST until Thursday 3pm EST, so be sure to catch it now.~~ Once you purchase the bundle, greatly expand your library of sewing and quilt patterns, and get sewing, please share your creations using #sewchristmasinjuly on social media. We would all love to see what you create!

Business, Paper piecing, Patterns, Quilting

Bean Sprout: FPP Pattern Release

April 29, 2016 kittywilkin 12 Comments

Today I am excited to release my newest foundation paper pieced (FPP) pattern, Bean Sprout. Today is arbor day, so for now I’m thinking of it as more of a tree sprout, but regardless of which species you’re growing, this block pattern is ready to roll!

To me, the bean sprout is the epitome of spring, new life, and the wonder of discovery. I have watched my children’s excitement over the first sprout of newly planted seeds, and wanted to capture that fresh promise. This block is perfect for the gardeners among you, and I can see it as a focal block in a quilt, or even turned into pillows, tote bags, wall hangings, or table runners.

You may remember my first iteration of this Bean Sprout block, which I turned into a pillow and donated to my daughter’s school for their annual fundraiser auction/raffle. Since then, I made a few tiny tweaks to the pattern to make it a bit more versatile, easier to piece, and clearer to follow. The block finishes at 8″x12″, but can easily be made into a 12″x12″ finished block by adding two side strips, which is explained in the pattern.

The pattern includes clear piecing diagrams, sewing tips, and templates for the 8″x12″ finished block, with various shading to help with accurate fabric placement. Quarter inch seam allowances are included on all pattern pieces to help ensure easy piecing, and a 1″ reference square is on every printable page so that scale can be confirmed. Full foundation paper piecing instructions are not included in the pattern, but I have a thorough paper piecing tutorial HERE. Lee Heinrich from Freshly Pieced also has a fabulous tutorial on the Bernina We All Sew blog HERE, which will ensure you will never miss corners again. Knowing all of the information in these two tutorials will help demystify FPP, or at the very least will GREATLY reduce seam ripping.

bean sprout block bring spring no matter the weather — Sew up the bean sprout block to bring spring no matter the weather!!

Bean Sprout is available for sale in my Payhip shop, at an introductory price of $2.50 through the weekend. Tuesday morning EST, it will go up to its standard price of $5.00.

I pushed spring into summer with my latest version of the block, using Cotton + Steel teals and coral that remind me of watermelon. I wanted to show the versatility of the color possibilities with this true-to-life block. While my brain initially goes to the greens and blues true to real life bean sprouts and summer sky, there are many other combinations that could work well to make the block shine! (For the avid gardeners among you, yes, I know the seedling shown is a brussel sprout plant, not a bean!)

There’s not much more exciting than seeing what others create with my patterns, so if you make this block, please use the tag #beansproutblock on social media and tag me @nightquilter. Sending an email would also work! Enjoy, spread the word, and go grow some quilts!

I’m linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it up Friday, Needle and Thread Thursday, and Let’s Bee Social.

Paper piecing, Patterns

Love is the Key: Pattern Release and Sale!

January 22, 2016 kittywilkin 12 Comments

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!

Patterns, Tutorials

Tips & Tutorials Tuesday: A New Linky Party

February 10, 2015 kittywilkin 3 Comments

I have had a bunch of tutorial ideas on the back burner for quite some time. Even the best ideas, without a babysitter and a day with sufficient bright light for photographing, get stuck on the back burner sometimes. My friends Stephanie and Michelle over at Late Night Quilter are kicking off a new link-up for quilter bloggers called Tips & Tutorials Tuesday, which is the perfect ~~kick in the pants~~ motivator to get me sharing some of those tips and tutorials I’ve been wanting to share with you for months.

Did you know that I have a few tutorials available now? If you click the “Tutorials” heading on the top toolbar of my blog, it will take you to a collection of my tutorials. Today, I thought I’d feature the tutorials I’ve created so far.

Key to My Heart

My most recent tutorial goes along with a pattern I released recently for Valentine’s Day (or any other purpose, since you can fussy cut anything you want for the center of the heart) called Key to My Heart. It’s a quick and easy pattern that includes paper piecing to help perfect the accuracy and placement of the features within the heart, and applique to make the heart-part easy peasy! The tutorial takes you through each step with photographs to help clarify the instructions.

You can find the tutorial HERE and buy the pattern for only $2 on Craftsy or Payhip. (See below for information about a killer sale I’m offering for the next week).

Basic Foundation Paper Piecing

Since I design paper piecing patterns, I thought it would be a great help to create a basic foundation paper piecing tutorial. I absolutely love the accuracy, perfection, and endless possibility of designs that paper piecing brings you, but I know that it is a struggle for some. Once I wrapped my brain around the fact that I was sewing something backwards while looking through a mirror, it all clicked. Hopefully my tutorial is helpful to those of you who perhaps want to paper piece, but don’t quite know where to begin. Here are some sneak peeks at the tutorial, which you can find HERE.

Perfect 1/4″ Seams

The third and final tutorial is more of a tip. It’s just one of the little tricks I’ve found to help sew accurate 1/4″ seams. As extraneous as it may seem, I’ve found that taking the extra few minutes to cut accurately and employ little tricks to help ensure your seams are consistent throughout your project really makes a HUGE difference with the outcome. Read the tip HERE and let me know what you think!

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Finally, since Valentine’s Day is only four days away, and in celebration of all of my new followers, I am having a flash sale for the next week: buy any three (3) patterns for only $4. Patterns usually range from $2.50-$4.50 so this is definitely a deal! Since coupon codes and open offers such as this one aren’t really compatible with Craftsy, if you buy three patterns, I will immediately refund the difference from $4, so you will be paying only $4 for three patterns of your choice. Visit my Craftsy store HERE. For interested international buyers, if you see a pattern on Craftsy that is not available in my Payhip store, email me at thenightquilter@gmail.com and I will be sure to get the pattern either up on Payhip or emailed directly to you.

I hope you find these tutorials helpful, and I’m looking forward to sharing more tips and tutorials in the future. I’m linking up with my fellow Late Night Quilters for Tips & Tutorials Tuesday. Go check out some of the other great tips, too!