#Materialgirlfriendspatterns

Mystery Class and Free Pattern for the 100 Day Challenge!

January 18, 2021 by Lisa Norton

Material Girlfriends’ Annual Mystery Class is back, Zoom style! Last two years this class was sold out the first day it was available for sign-ups. But with Zoom, we can increase the class size, yet everyone gets a front-row seat! Our Zoom classes have no less than three cameras with one of them being an overhead view so you can see everything cut, arranged, and sewn. Sign up early! We did limit the Zoom workshop to a manageable size.

In Between Stitches in Livermore, CA, hosts our Annual Mystery Class. Zoom class will be Saturday, February 20, 2021, from 10 am – 4 pm PST. The class fee is $35 and includes the pattern. Sign up by clicking the button.

Wallah! Mystery Class Registration

Fabric Requirements:

24 Color 10″ squares (Multiple colors, repeats are fine, or you can choose just one color.)
24 Light 10″ squares (Multiple colors, repeats are fine, or one color. Lora chose black. Lisa chose white.)
Optional 4″ border, 1 yard (Neither of us added a border to ours but I get asked all the time from the border patrol quilters.)
Binding, 1/2 yard (It is still enough if you added the border.)
Backing, 3 yards of 44″ wide or 1 2/3 yards of 104″ wide. If you added the border, you’ll want 3 3/4 yards of 44″ or 2 yards of 104″.

The quilt will be 48″ x 64″ (without the border) and the pattern will have a formula on how to make it bigger if you want.

If not using a pre-cut 10″ square set: For your Color blocks, select 12 fat quarters of different colors. You can get two 10″ blocks from a fat quarter. Fabric will be leftover from each fat quarter. OR Select six 1/3 yard cuts of different colors. Each 1/3 yard will yield four 10″ squares. A seventh 1/3 yard is recommended for design choices. PLUS 2 yards of Light fabric for your Light squares, yields twenty-eight 10″ squares – four extra for design choices or miscuts.

Really Recommend Tools: 8 1/2″ Quilting Square, a Quilter’s Ruler at least 18″ long and narrow, like 2″ wide is optimal. I used an 18″ x 2 1/2″ and my 8 1/2″ square for the entire project. I had no miscuts. 🙂

A spinning cutting mat is so convenient. But a small mat (like 12″ square) that you can turn on your bigger mat works great too. If you’re ambidextrous like Lora and Melissa, nevermind.

Yep, that is the same fabric recipe we have used for all the past Mystery Classes. Some tips, avoid using medium value fabrics mixed in with your lights or your darks. The mediums muddle the design. Keep a good contrast between your lights and darks.

Scratching your head on what to pick? Let us share the first “clue” to our Mystery quilts. Below are the yummy fabrics Lora chose. She used solid black for her background (her Light 10″ squares are Black) and her Color 10″ squares are from a layer cake called Kona Blueberry Thicket, from our online store. And wow, is her Wallah! Mystery Quilt stunning! She really is a genius with color. I say don’t use medium tones but she always blows my rules out of the water. Her layer cake was blues and purples with lights to darks. Her black fabric had plenty of contrast so the design showed up well. Who listens to me anyway?

Lora is using solid Black 10″ squares and multiple cool Colors from light to dark. Her Colors still have a contrast with the Black to show well.

This is what I used. Yep, I used charm packs. However, it will save you frustration and you’ll have fewer leftovers if you start with a layer cake. I just found a deal and it worked for this project. The fabric line is Lori Holt’s new one called Prim. Then I was going to use a bunch of tone-on-tone whites from my stash but Lora was so sweet and cut up 24 white 10″ squares for me so I pitched my scrappy whites back into their bin and went with one fabric for my Light 10″ squares.

Since I had extra squares and I know a little baby boy being born in the spring (Nope, not from one of mine, darn it), I’m going to make a baby size quilt. This is probably the one I’ll work and demo on during the zoom class.

The baby boy version I’ll work and demo on during Zoom class

I hope that helps with your fabric selection. Lora and I really have enjoyed making our Wallah! quilts and are so eager to show them to you, but not until the reveal! Worried about it being too hard? Nah, it is easier than Confetti Star but a little more complicated than Open Options. I’d say a beginner with some quilting experience can manage this just fine. Really.

If you need a little help with fabric selection, we gave Leslie and Melissa at In Between Stitches in Livermore CA, a sneak peek at Wallah! so they’re able to assist you with your choices. They’ve been sworn to secrecy so there is no use trying to twist their arms.

After the Zoom class, share your quilts with each other by posting on your social media and add the hashtag #WallahMaterialGirlfriends. By using the hashtag, it will create a gallery of Wallah! quilts to see and share just by clicking on the hashtag. Thanks!

Visit www.inbetweenstitches.com class section to register.

We’re looking forward to seeing you via Zoom, Saturday, February 20, 2021, from 10 am – 4 pm PST. The class fee is $35 and includes the pattern. Sign up by clicking the button.

Wallah! Mystery Class Registration

Free Gift for 100 Day Challenge

Setting aside the horrible political unrest, one thing I hope we can agree on is an aggressive stance in fighting Covid-19. We are participating in the “Wear a Mask for 100 Days” challenge. Read about it here.

Often I have a hard time hearing people. Reading lips was a wonderful way to fill in the audio gaps. With masks mufflers, hearing and speaking are indeed a challenge. I hope the irony isn’t lost on you. “Read My Lips” is a humorous reminder to bare the difficulty in communicating (and breathing!) rather than bare a face. We can do this! But we all need to do it together. Download this free 12″ appliqué block pattern to make and display at work or home as a gentle reminder to wear a mask. This free download is for a limited time only – 100 days! Download expires 4/28/21.

Crease or draw a chalk line for a baseline to align the letters.

Laser-cut appliqué makes this a quick and fun project!

Lora will even put a 12″ block on her long arm! She marked the quilting lines with an air erasable marker. Marker sold on our online store, www.MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com

“Read My Lips” Free Pattern Download

New to Material Girlfriends! We now have a laser-cut appliqué source. The Read My Lips kit comes with laser-cut appliqué pieces. Check out our online shop for the Read My Lips kit. The $17.99 Kit includes the pattern, the same fabrics shown in the example, fusible appliqué, and binding. It does not include backing and batting.

Mmfpsewm mfplongh! What? That was mask-speak for, Sew Long!

Lisa Norton and Lora Zmak

Five Ways of Making Half Square Triangles

January 4, 2021 by Lisa Norton

Double Bear Paw

Our brother, Mike, and his wife Sue had used a gifted quilt on their bed for 20 years. Sue brought it to us this past summer, at an outdoor get-together and asked if we could mend it. We looked at that threadbare, well worn, used-up quilt and said, “Frayed not. Nope. Don’t think so.”

When we make quilts for our family we give them a guarantee. If it gets a hole, has a seam pop, we’re happy to mend it. If it wears out, we will make them a new one. It was time for a new one.

First, we had them choose a pattern – one of ours of course. After a game of Rock Paper Scissors, they selected Double Bear Paw. The pattern includes various quilt sizes; Baby Bear, Goldilocks, Momma Bear, and Papa Bear. They have a Cal King – Papa Bear size, it is, 102″ square. The Double Bear Paw is a strong, stunning block and a king-size quilt will require lots of Half Square Triangles!

Next, we had Mike and Sue choose the fabric. We had just received Material Girlfriends’ batik collection from Marcus Fabrics. We had used this line for the Willow Lake Block of the Month pattern and program. The batik fabrics are deep, rich, woodsy, and natural. Mike and Sue live on the delta and the colors of these batiks sang to both their souls. No Rock Paper Scissors game was needed for the fabrics choices. Slam dunk. Nothing but net. We eliminated the purples, golds, light green, and a couple of the lightest neutrals. We wanted to keep the palette browns, blues, and greens with the background being a nice light golden batik.

Now it was time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Five Ways of Making Half Square Triangles

I might complain about making a bajillion Half Square Triangles, but I really do like them in a quilt block. Half Square Triangles and Flying Geese are the building blocks of quilt blocks. Once those two units are mastered, piece work is a piece of cake.

One of our favorite sizes to use in our patterns is the 2 1/2″ Unfinished Size Half Square Triangles. Finished Size is 2″. “What?”, you say, “What is the difference between Finished and Unfinished?” Unfinished size is the size it is once you sew it. When it is sewn into your block, the Finished size is what it is without the seam allowance. It can get a little confusing. I know. Who comes up with these terms?

One method and an accurate way to make Half Square Triangles is to use a paper product called Star Singles. This is where the Unfinished and Finished size confuses quilters. On the package, Star Singles are listed by Finished size. You’ll want the 2″ Finished size Star Singles. This is a good tutorial on how to use Star Singles.

A Second method, if you have an AccuQuilt machine ( I do – but the dies are always at my sister’s house), you can use dies to quickly and accurately cut your triangles. They’re No. 5 from the 8″ cube. Just be sure to get extra fabric. There is a bit more waste. But what a time saver!! We did about half the required Half Square Triangles for Mike and Sue’s quilt this way. Then when more fabric arrived, the dies were indeed at the wrong house and we made the rest in the Eight-at-a-Time method.

But the Three Methods below are truly what we use most and are what we include in our patterns. Plus you don’t have to purchase stuff. Below you’ll see I’ve posted page 4 from our latest pattern Willow Lake. Feel free to print it out for your reference. It gives cutting, sewing, and detailed diagrams to help you to sew the number of Half Square Triangles that you might need for a block or quilt top.

Check out this home-grown video on how to make the Half Square Triangles described in the Three Methods above. It is a cut portion from the Willow Lake tutorials for those that are experiencing Dejá Vu. 😉

There you have it – five ways to make Half Square Triangles. Lora was determined to have The Double Bear Paw – Papa Bear size done before I completed this post. She just sent me a text that she is pressing the last seam. It is ready for the long arm! Be sure to follow our Facebook page and Instagram for quilting updates and finishing photos of the Papa Bear Double Bear Paw quilt. Isn’t it beautiful? The pictures just can’t capture how rich the colors are.

Final tip. What if you want to make your Half Square Triangles a size other than 2 1/2″ Unfinished? Let me share an awesome resource with you. Patchwork Math Using Quilting Design Components by Lynn Wilder. I use this book all the time. Lynn collected formulas for years and then put them in a book for all of us to use. It is brilliant and a resource every quilter should have in their library.

I’m ready to get back to my sewing machine. This time I’ll work on a simple Double Irish Chain with NO Half Square Triangles.

Happy New Year! We both wish you many blessings in 2021.

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak

You’re Invited!

December 19, 2020 by Lisa Norton

Join us for a New Year’s Eve Sew Along!

As we kick 2020 to the curb, let’s say “So long” with a Sew Along! Join us via Zoom to celebrate the victories over one of the toughest years we have faced in ages.

Out with the Old, In with the New! Sew on your UFOs with Lora and/or start a new quilt with Lisa. Register and receive your free pattern, Double Irish Chain. The Double Irish Chain is a simple quilt top to construct and it uses up our stash! Register here for $5 to reserve your spot. Register early! Space is limited. An email will be sent a couple of days before the party with the pattern download and the Zoom link.

Lora’s UFOs – Eek! I think she has plenty of work for the night!

Lisa’s stash choices for the Double Irish Chain

Double Irish Chain Graphic – Digital Pattern Download will be emailed with Zoom link.

The party starts at 6pm. Topics we’ll be chatting up:

What Makes a Good Scrappy Quilt and Tips on Fabric Selection
Strategies to Complete UFOs
Double Irish Chain Instruction
New Year’s Resolutions for Quilters

Fabric requirements to make throw size, 54″ x 54″ Double Irish Chain quilt:

1 3/4 yards total of lights (or white)
1 yard total of darks (or black )
1 1/4 yards total of mediums (or green)
1 yard border (optional)
1/2 yard binding
3 1/2 yards backing

You can make it scrappy or in 3 fabrics. Pre-cuts (layer cake, charm pack, jelly roll) work great with this pattern. There are so many design options! Check out my Pinterest board on some of the lovely ideas floating in cyberspace. If you need some fabric for the project, contact Melissa or Leslie at In Between Stitches in Livermore, CA, 925-371-7064.

BYO dinner, snacks, mocktails, or cocktails. Feel free to come and go as the evening progresses. Though we will give instructions for the new pattern, the format is low-key and casual. Slip into something comfortable. Unless it is a personal safety hazard, bras are not required.

Have a very safe and Merry Christmas. We’re hoping to see you New Year’s Eve!

Lora & Lisa

A Free Gift for You

December 8, 2020 by Lisa Norton

Hey, thanks. You have no idea how much your support has meant to us this year. We all know 2020 has been tough on small businesses, but you all have been crazy supportive. Our email subscription has grown by a thousand. Our Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Pinterest followers have more than doubled. We had record Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales. So, thanks. Really. From the very center of our hearts (the bottom can get kinda gooey) we thank you for a… (what’s an appropriate adjective for 2020?) surprising, amazing, persevering, challenging 2020. We made it. I honestly wondered in August. Truthfully, I considered getting a “real” job. I’m glad I pulled up my big girl britches and stuck it out.

We want to share a pattern with you. This is a Christmas Elf mug-rug; aka mini-quilt or hot pad. Click the download button below. It is paper-pieced, but don’t worry, I have a tutorial for you.

ChristmasElfMugRugPattern Download

Originally, it was a cute little hot pad or mug rug, 6″ x 8″. But check out how fun he is in this Christmas table runner, 30″ x 20″. I’ve not sewn it up yet. I’ve pulled out my Christmas fabric tub to dig through my options, though!

Here is a video tutorial. Yep, that’s me. Keep in mind videos add 50 lbs and 20 years to your looks. My sweet husband, Michael, was my camera man. We’re taping in my dining room (oh, so professional) because my office/sewing studio was being repainted. It was also filmed a few Christmas’ past and was my very FIRST video tutorial. I was really nervous. I’ve added a title screen, but basically it is a video-newbie at her best.

Now, if you didn’t catch all that and don’t want to sit through the overly loud music again, here are a few easy steps.

Copy your pattern onto some foundation paper. You can use printer paper but Carol Doak’s foundation paper is so much easier to remove. You can also use Alex Anderson’s foundation paper and leave it in. It will dissolve after it is washed. Trim away the bottom portion of the pattern. You only need to paper-piece the hat.
Trace the lines and numbers on the back of the paper. This is to assist you in positioning your fabric.
Pre-cut your fabrics. I estimate an inch or more bigger than the space it will cover.
Start with number one. On the back side of the paper where you drew the lines, pin right side up the fabric piece so it covers the entire area by at least a quarter inch on all sides.
Position the fabric for number 2 right sides facing together on top of the fabric for position 1. Check the position. Imagine if you sewed on the line between 1 and 2 to make the seam, then as fabric 2 is opened, it should cover the entire area of spot 2 plus a quarter inch beyond. Pin to hold it in place, flip it over and stitch the line between 1 and 2 with a small stitch. I use 1.8 on my machine’s settings.
Finger press the seam open. Does the fabric generously cover position 2? No, seam rip and try again. Yes? Trim the seam to 1/4″ using a postcard to fold the paper over and an Add-A-Quarter ruler.
Before adding fabric for position 3, it is easier to pre-trim the seam allowance on the line between two and three before adding the next fabric. From the front, align the post card on the line between 2 and 3. Fold the paper back over the postcard. Butt the Add-A-Quarter ruler along the card edge and trim the quarter inch. Now you can easily align the fabric for position 3.
Continue in the same manner until you’ve covered all the pieces. Trim on the outside solid line and tear away the foundation paper.
Cut a background rectangle 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″. Trace the face onto the paper side of double-sided light fusible web. Follow your products directions. Stick to the wrong side of your fabric and trim out on the line. Trace the nose and mouth and then stick to the right side of the 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangle aligning the face at the top edge of the rectangle. Heat set in place. I did a blanket stitch around the curve of the face.
Sew to the bottom of the hat and give it a good pressing.
Quilt and bind. You can add some rosy cheeks with fabric paint or crayon if you want.
What about the hat’s pom-pom? On one mug rug I traced a quarter on some fusible web and created a pom-pom from some chenille. On another, I sewed a jingle bell. A button, yo-yo or yarn pom-pom would be just as cute! Have fun finishing him up.

Now if you like the table runner idea, add a 6 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle of your background fabric at the top of every other elf. Add a 6 1/2″ x 2″ rectangle at the bottom of every other elf. If you like the shoulder detail, before adding the bottom rectangle to the elf, just cut a 1″ square of background fabric. Draw a line from corner to corner. Position the square to the upper corner of the body rectangle. Sew on the line. Trim off the extra bottom two pieces of fabric 1/4″ to the seam to reduce the bulk and discard the corner piece. Press the seam toward the background fabric. Repeat for the other shoulders. Add borders if you want to make it bigger. Quilt as desired, bind and enjoy!

Once a month we like to give a free download. We shoot for the second Monday or Tuesday of the month for a fun freebie. The last Monday or Tuesday of the month we’ll share our newsletter. Be sure to subscribe or follow us so you’ll not miss out!

Merry Christmas,

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak

Best Sales EVER

November 23, 2020 by Lisa Norton

Lora and I are so thankful for all the support our customers have given us this year, we have fabulous sales to offer you!

Enjoy our Black Friday Sales this entire week! Enjoy 30% off all patterns with this coupon code 30offMGPat, valid now through 11/27/20 midnight. ALL Material Girlfriends patterns are at the lowest sale price ever. Don’t miss out! Patterns are designed, tested, and printed in the USA.

Saturday is our Shop Small Business Sale! Enjoy 20% off your entire order with this coupon code 20offSSB, valid 11/28/20 only. (“Lisa, are you crazy?” “Yep, I’m crazy. 20% off everything on our web page.“) It has been a tough year for small businesses. Lora and I have had to reinvent our business model since we are a ‘Stage 4’ business. We love being vendors at quilt shows and miss it terribly. We are truly grateful for your online order through our web shop.

Monday is our Cyber Monday Sale! Enjoy 25% off Yazzii bags with this coupon code 25offYazzii valid 11/30/20 only. Yazzii bags are wonderful organizational tools. We love these totes and light tablet/mat carriers. The Universal Companion and the Mat Carrier are my personal favorites! This is the best price ever that we have offered on these lovely totes!

All sales are limited to stock on hand, and my husband thanks you for clearing more space in our ‘warehouse.’

What’s new with Material Girlfriends?

New on our web shop is this fun dual tool. Check out the Quilter’s Ruler and Seam Guide Phone Stand. Lora and I like to think we came up with this clever tool, but it was Lora’s husband, Kelly, that made it all happen. He had made her an acrylic phone stand with our logo on it with his fancy laser engraver machine. We thought, why not make it a ruler and seam guide too?! After a few prototypes, Kel designed a fabulous multi-tool. It is a 3″ x 5″ acrylic ruler with a slit near the bottom. The T-stand is a tool to test your 1/4″ seam setting. Slide the T-stand into the base of the ruler, and it creates a stand to hold your phone for hands-free chatting with your quilting friends, taking Zoom classes, or watching Youtube tutorials! Follow us on Youtube!

Quilter’s Ruler & Seam Guide Phone Stand

A few weeks ago Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Company featured our Confetti Star quilt pattern in a tutorial.

The Confetti Star tutorial and pattern have received an incredible response! It has been such a pleasure working with Jenny and her team. They have been amazing in supporting and promoting our little pattern business. We met Jenny at the Road to California show in January 2020. Jenny and the Missouri Star Quilt Company team have been a highlight of our year!

We have Confetti Star patterns, kits, 2 1/2″ rulers, 8 1/2″ squares, and corner trimmers available in our shop.

I’ve been combing through recipes and making grocery lists. Thanksgiving is this week! Yes, we’re getting together, but it is just 11 of us, and we’re eating outside, spread out, and doing our best to keep each other safe. Whether you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving big, small, or privately, we hope you too can reflect on the reason for the holiday; thankfulness and gratitude. We are truly grateful for your support. Truly. We hope you enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving celebration.

Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak

Lovely Weather for Ducks

November 9, 2020 by Lisa Norton

Lora and I are happy to share with you a fun and FREE pattern today. As Marcus Fabric designers, we were invited to participate in a program called Mondays with Marcus. Every Monday a free pattern download is offered by a Marcus Fabrics designer or designer team. Monday, November 9, is our turn to offer a free pattern download! We are very excited to share Lovely Weather with Ducks Pillow pattern with you!

LovelyWeatherForDucks.MaterialGirlfriends.F Download

There is a sweet old song called Lovely Weather for Ducks, sung by Rosemary Clooney.

"When it’s pouring rain and people complain
And things aren’t worth the shucks.
Don’t you yell, just say Well,
Lovely weather for ducks..."

Listen to “Lovely Weather for Ducks” sung by Rosemary Clooney

If you’re loving the fabrics, so are we! The fabrics in the Lovely Weather for Ducks kit are designed by Material Girlfriends (that’s us) and printed and distributed by Marcus Fabrics. Be sure to request these pretty batiks at your local quilt shop. Click on this link to purchase Lovely Weather for Ducks Kit.

We also created a video tutorial for this pattern. We will take you from start to finish.

But wait, there’s more. We have an opportunity to actually connect. We miss you! Yes, really. Let’s chat via Zoom and make this fun project together. Check your calendar for this coming Sunday, November 15, 2020 from 1pm – 5pm Pacific time. Click on this link to register for Lovely Weather for Ducks Zoom Class with Lora Zmak and Lisa Norton.

We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the other free project downloads by the Marcus Fabrics designers. Visit the Marcus Fabrics website for more free project downloads. Be sure to follow us on Facebook so we can clue you in on the next freebie. Follow us on Instagram, Material_Girlfriends, because Lora’s always has pics of gorgeous quilting and her talented quilt photography.

Thank you! Stay safe and sound.

Until we can see each other again, happy sewing!

Lora Zmak and Lisa Norton

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Free Gift for 100 Day Challenge

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