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2024 is Feeling Good

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“It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day, It’s a new life for me. And I’m feeling good.” ― Nina Simone

Michael Bublé is singing to me “Feeling Good“. It’s my new 2024 theme song. I love fresh starts, don’t you? It’s a new year and I’m feeling good. We’ve a lot of new beginning for the first month of 2024! Join us in Feeling Good.

First, join our 2024 Sew Along

Whoohoo! The year has begun! January starts off with not just one free 3YD pattern, but TWO!! The 3YD Echo will be a free pattern download all year. No matter what month you jump into this Sew Along, you’ll already have a free download pattern to start. The January download is 3YD Alpha. Click over to the 2024 3YD Quilt Series Sew Along page to get the download and view all the possibilities with this fun, easy, and versatile quilt block.

3YD Echo

3YD ALPHA

Second, join us on a 2025 Quilting Cruise

That’s right!! But it isn’t until April 2025. Check out all the details at Stitchin’ Heaven. Our husbands are coming with us. You can choose to room with a quilting buddy or bring your non-quilting sidekick. We may have to have a Quilters Enabler Support Group while we sew, lol! Plan on having an amazing cruise with us. Oh, and when you register, be sure to write in that the Material Girlfriends sent you. We get a little $ for each recommendation so we can purchase prizes for our participants! Sawheet!

Third, join us for our Annual Mystery Zoom Class

Introducing our 10th Mystery quilt! Watch the video to see all the previous mysteries. The recipe is the same for each mystery, 24 dark 10″ squares and 24 light 10″ squares, plus optional border fabric. We will be teaching this at In Between Stitches February 17, Delta Quilters Guild (members only) February 19, and via Zoom February 18. The Zoom class will be held February 18, 2024, 1pm-4pm Pacific Time and is just $30. Zoom class size is limited. Mystery Kits available in Navy and Cream batiks – same fabrics as our gorgeous sample quilt that Lora is dying to show you. She is so bad about keeping a secret! Don’t text her, she’s weak.

View the past 9 mystery workshops. Can you believe this is our 10th?!

Fourth, will you be my Valentine?

Are you a romantic? We’ve got some cute Valentine influenced projects, cause we know how you feel (I’m still singing with Bublé). Tea time with a grand baby? or a pretty runner for brunch with your quilting tribe? Check out the Cups of Love kit and patterns. We also have a lot of our kits back in stock. Thank you very much for shopping Material Girlfriends during the holiday season. We really, really appreciated it. You know how we feel.

A Charming Cup of Love Runner kit, $59.99 (includes fabric for both runners in the Charming Cup of Love pattern plus the pattern) or A Charming Cup of Love Runner pattern $11.99.

A Cup of Love kit, mini 19″ table topper, $19.99, includes the pattern.

Don’t forget to purchase your “I Love Me” present. Shop generously at

https://www.materialgirlfriendsshop.com and https://materialgirlfriends.etsy.com

Finally, find us at a Quilt Show

Come find us January 17-20 in Ontario CA at the Road to California Show, Booth #317-319. Lora, Diana, Mom (Carolyn), and I would love to see you!

Come find us February 2-4 in Folsom CA at the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Show, Booth #12. Sooo good to be back to this one.

Come find us February 29-March 3 in Puyallup WA at the Sew & Stitchery Expo, don’t know my booth # yet. This will be our second year at this show. We had sew much fun last year. We met lots of new vendors and customers. We hope to see you there as well. We’ll be praying for no crazy snow storms this time! Oi, I have lots of new gray hair from last year’s road trip.

As always, if you have questions please feel free to reach out. Email me at lisa@materialgirlfriends.com Oh, and if the sign up banner doesn’t show up for you and you’re using a tablet, try rotating the tablet from horizontal to vertical or visa-versa. Weirdly enough that seems to do the trick and the Join Our Tribe banner will magically show up at the top of the page. I throw my hands up into the air. I don’t get it either. Thanks for joining our tribe!

It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day, It’s a new life, for you and me. And I’m feeling good.

Happy Sewing,

Lisa Norton and Lora Zmak

Spring has Sprung!

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Last month we were whining about the rain. Thankfully, March came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. Now the sun is shining. We’re warming up. Trees and flowers are blooming… Oh. My. Goodness. I heard the pollen cloud can be seen from space! lol. The flowering is abundant and not just outside. We’ve had a lovely time with flower runners and quilts too. Check out the productive time we had with this recent class of the Round Rosie Runner. Aren’t they lovely!? And no itchy eyes and runny nose.

Learn how to make this fun runner by watching the video. Use your scraps to create this fun project. Round Rosie Fabric bundles are available online at Material Girlfriends shop. Get an instant download pattern on our Etsy store Round Rosie. or purchase a paper pattern at the Material Girlfriends Shop.

Mother’s Day is Coming

Hint. Hint. What a lovely gift a Rosie Runner or a Charming Cup of Love Runner would be for any lovely mum. Runners are thoughtful, quick, and useful gifts.

Or make a lovely Kitchen Quilt. Kitchen Quilts have multiple uses. They vary in size, generally from 6″ to 12″. Sometimes they’re square. Sometimes they’re rectangles. No matter their shape or size, these small quilts are very useful. They cushion pyrex, or teflon pans, keep eggs from rolling off the counter, and protect cold glass refrigerator shelves from hot leftovers. They are a mini placemat when having a bowl of soup or a yummy snack. Oh, and they make good pot holders too. What do you use your Kitchen Quilts for? The I Love Us in May block would be a perfect Kitchen Quilt gift for Mother’s Day. The pattern is a FREE download for 90 days. Click the link in the previous sentence or click the I Love Us Sew Along tab above. Scroll down to the bottom to download the FREE lovely 12″ block. Sew, quilt, and bind for a quick pretty Kitchen Quilt for mom or for yourself. Who are we kidding? Mom can make her own. 😉

I Love Us in May Block

Happy Sewing,

Lisa Norton

In Like a Lion, Out like a Lamb

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What is with this weather?

In Like a Lion, Out like a Lamb. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the weather folklore stems from ancestral beliefs in balance, meaning if the weather at the start of March was bad (roaring, like a roaring lion), the month should end with good weather (gentle, like a lamb). Wavy.com

I, for one, am looking forward to the end of March. Lora and I live in the East Bay Area of California. We’ve had years of drought – longed for the rain, prayed for the rain, delighted when it sprinkled. The last three months have not been at all “typical” California weather. Blink, blink.

I Love Us Sew Along

To brighten your day, we’ve a few FREE downloads for you. First, I’ve added the April block to the I Love Us Sew Along. Just check on this link (also in the header) for all the details and all the free downloads to the I Love Us Year Round quilt.

I Love Us in April block

April Showers Free Download

Next, we have another cute Bite Size block to share. This April Showers bite size 12″ block is the same size as the I Love Us Sew Along blocks. You can swap blocks, or make as an individual decoration. Download the April Showers block below. Available for a limited time. Download will expire in 90 days.

April Showers Bite Size Block
April Showers Download

We have kits for this pretty block too. The kits have die-cut fusible appliqué pieces! Kit includes pattern, fabrics for the front and the binding. The kit does not include backing, batting, or hanger. Check them out here.

Easter is Coming!

Speaking of kits, check out our new kit for the Bite Size Bunny! It turned out so cute! He was very popular at our last two shows (hoppy to be home). He is now listed on our MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com page. You’ll also find a new Bunny Runner pattern and kit too.

Bunny Bite Size kit
A Charming Bunny Run Table Runners
Material Girlfriends Shop

Lora and I will be headed to Sonora, CA for a quilt retreat this coming week. Woohoo! We’re sew looking forward to it. The forecast is rain, rain, rain. However, I think we’ll do as Mr. Angelo recommends.

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. – Anthony J. Angelo

And plenty of quilt projects to sew.

Happy Sewing!

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak

Boing Boing Boing

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You know when you have too much to do and you just bounce from one project to the next? I’ve been feeling that – especially since two of the new projects are super cute Easter Bunny patterns.

First off, Lora and I are headed out Monday (2-27-23). Through rain, sleet, hail, or snow, we will carry on to the next quilt show. Who am I kidding? I throw in the towel at sleet, hail is iffy, and “Jesus take the Wheel” if I have to drive in snow. Fortunately, Lora is a pro at driving in the snow. This California girl is still trying to figure out how to drive in the rain. Nonetheless, spring is in the air and the hills are turning green and we’re super excited to get on the road. We’re headed to Puyallup, WA for the Snow-Expo, I mean, Sew-Expo. Come visit us in our booth, row 800. We will have sunny smiles and warm hugs waiting.

Free Sew Along

If you weren’t aware, we are doing the I Love Us sew along. Last month we gave the February block as a free download. This month the March block is a free download. Check out the tab above, 2023 “I Love Us” Sew Along for all the details plus the download link for the blocks.

March 12″ square for I Love Us quilt
or for mini quilt decor.

Mystery Revealed!

We had an amazing time with the Mystery. Introducing Bundles and Bows our next 10″ square series pattern. This design is created from 10″ squares. You only need 24 light 10″ squares and 24 medium/dark 10″ squares. Slice and dice to make two L blocks (light L and dark L) then watch the magic happen in Lora’s video demo! L block construction notes are in the video comments. Like, subscribe and leave us a comment!

Cover Quilt

It goes together very fast. You can make it in a weekend. Throw size, 48″ x 64″ or add the optional 5″ border for 57″ x 73″. The pattern is now available. It is Bundles and Bows is $11.99 on our web store, plus we have kits available. For instant gratification, we have Bundles and Bows for $10 on our Etsy store. Oh, did I forget to mention there are 16 layout options in the pattern?! You can get so many different looks with this one block! Lora – clever girl – designed this one. How many light bulbs did Edison make before he actually got it to work? Yep, about that many squares hit the trash. But, working with the “disappearing block” technique, Lora came up with a winner!

Boing Boing Boing

I told you I was bouncing. Check out our new Easter patterns! The Bunny Bites size just got a little facelift, and we now have kits. The pattern is a $4.50 download on our Etsy store. Our get a kit or paper pattern when we get back from the SewExpo. We just didn’t get all the kits made (we have 75!) but they’ll be available soon.

Our newest addition is this fun Charming Bunny Run Table Runner. I just got the instant download version listed on Etsy. Paper patterns are en route and the kits are made up, waiting for the patterns. Check back in a week or so for this charming Bunny Run Table Runner. I know, what a tease, right? The tails or sooo cute. We used white fleece.

We have a bunch new kits now online. Check them out. We’ll ship your order when we get back from the SnowExpo, SEWExpo!

I hope to see you all sewn,

Lisa Norton

Hello Fall

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Hello fall, I missed you.

I had my first pumpkin spice latte yesterday. For me, a pumpkin spice latte kicks off autumn. Granted, we may have a couple more 100+ degree days before autumn can get a good grip, but September 22 is, officially, the first day of fall. Yay! Here is an easy Pumpkin Spice Recipe for you to try.

Pumpkin Spice Compound Butter

  • 2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Spice

Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Mix in the powdered sugar and pumpkin spice with a hand mixer or fork. Place on wax paper or plastic wrap and roll into a log. Chill in the refrigerator. Spread on toast, pancakes, biscuits, or baked sweet potatoes. Yum!

This isn’t a cooking show! Enough. Let’s get to the lovely quilted pumpkins, fall quilts, and the monthly FREE pattern download. Bring forth the pumpkins!

Autumn is my favorite season. You can tell by how many fall quilt patterns we have! Here are just a few pumpkins to get you in the fall mood. First up is Autumn Breeze.

Next up is this Happy Jack Bite-Size pattern. He comes as a kit as well, Happy Jack Kit. A quick little project, this 12″ mini quilt will brighten any spot in your home.

The third pumpkin quilt is our Charming Pumpkin Runner. This pattern includes instructions for two runners and can be made from a single charm pack (5″ squares) plus background and border yardages. Aren’t the 3D leaves fantastic? They’re just cut from flannel and stitched on like the veins of a leaf. I like to embroider, but Lora free-motion stitched her vines with her longarm machine.

Free Pattern Download

Finally, our monthly FREE pattern download. Feather your nest this fall with this beautiful feather runner or mini quilt wall hanging. Feather size is 4″ x 8″. The finished runner or mini wall quilt is 10″ x 26″. Download will expire 90 days from original post. Link expired.

Feather Mini Quilt Wall Hanging 10″ x 26″

The pretty feathers are paper-pieced. Yes, the P word. Don’t fret. We’ve got your back. We have a few paper-piecing tutorials on Youtube. Check out the Material Girlfriends Patterns channel on Youtube and type paper-piece if you need a reminder or are new to paper-piecing. Be sure to follow us to receive a notification for when we upload a new video tutorial.

Youtube Material Girlfriends Channel

But, how do you select the fabrics? Well, I used batik scraps. But let me clue you in on how to find a fresh color palette. I love Pinterest. I have a board that I collect color images with color swatches. Check out these color palettes. Can you image your feather runner made in these? I need to make another one.

We can hook you up on some batik bundles. Check out MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com for some pretty groups of batik fat quarters.

Material Girlfriends Shop

Additionally, did you just love the driftwood hanger and macrame accent? Check out Etsy.com/shop/BlueEyeDesignz for the hanger and feather dangle. Although she makes them as jewelry holders, I bet if you contacted her, she could customize one for you.

Upcoming Shows

Both Lora and I will be heading to three shows in October. Be sure to catch us at the Sierra Gold Quilt Show, Pacific International Quilt Festival, and the Independence Hall Quilters Mountain Heirloom Faire.

Quilters’ Color Therapy Booklet and Sew Along

Lastly, we have a brand new booklet to introduce. It is called Quilters’ Color Therapy, The Use of Color Psychology in Quilting.

Color Psychology is the study of color’s impact on human behavior. 

Color and its effects on the brain, and on an individual’s behavior, have been studied for years by various groups from scientists to marketers. Your personal feelings of color are rooted deeply in your upbringing, experiences, culture, age, gender, and situational factors. The meanings of colors are going to fluctuate and change as you do. With this booklet, learn to use Color Psychology purposefully to help you feel and express your emotions through color and quilting.

Basically, the booklet includes color psychology information on a rainbow of colors as well as a Block of the Month pattern. It includes all the instructions for the quilt (queen size 87″ x 87″, kit available), plus a few optional in-depth color therapy mini-projects.

We are certainly excited about this project. Lora and I are planning a Quilters’ Color Therapy Sew Along beginning January 2022. Keep an eye out for more information and registration information next month. I hope you can join us!

Absewlutely,

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak

Sunflowers and Sunshine

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Sunflower Bite Size Pattern Mini Quilt, 12″

Sunflowers and Sunshine go hand-in-hand like hugs and kisses. Sunflowers are my favorite summer flower. I once planted sunflowers in a row alongside my fence. The stalks grew tall and straight and the heads grew fuller and fuller and then they opened their beautiful faces toward the sun. Unfortunately for me, the sun showed over my neighbor’s house. My neighbor loved the sunny yellow flowers peeking over the fence at her. I couldn’t get them to turn their heads to shine back at me and my kitchen window! Ha! If you make a sunflower from a Dresden plate block, you can have the happy yellow flower face you no matter which way the sun shines!

To be honest, the Dresden plate block always intimidated me and was a block I put off learning for years. Once I finally tried it I was amazed at how easy it was! All this time I had thought it was a difficult block to make. Try this Bite-Size Sunflower block. It’s just a 12″ block. Because we want you to try this fun block, we’re making it a free download just until the last day of summer. The free download will expire on Sept. 22, 2021.

Sunflower Bite Size Block, 12″ mini quilt
Sunflower Bite Size Block Pattern Free Download Expired

Create this Dresden plate block with a variety of scrappy yellow fabrics. Place a large center circle in the middle and accent with random buttons. What a lovely mini quilt to make for yourself or to give to a friend.

“True friends are
like bright sunflowers
that never fade
away, even over
distance and time.”
~ Marie Williams Johnstone

We have the Sunflower Bite-Size block kit available as well. $14.95 plus a little postage. While you’re visiting the shop, check out the Bite Size hanger and stand.

Sunflower Bite Size block with green polka-dot background and green floral binding.
Sunflower Kit $14.95

Since I got hooked on the Dresden block, I started a Pinterest board with a variety of ways to use this fun block. I even used Dresden ‘petals’ as wings for an owl in my Night Watchman Block of the Month pattern. Check out our Dresden Pinterest board. Once you discover how easy they are to make, your creativity will just bloom with all the options.

The Dresden is our Sunflower, now check out our Sunshine…

Open Options in Yellow.

Open Options is a quilt you can make from 10″ squares or 10 1/2″ squares. But all your squares need to be the same size. The reason they can be one or the other is that the block is created in thirds. One-third of 10″ is 3 1/2″ – you need to round up, can’t really cut 3 1/3″. One-third of 10 1/2″ is 3 1/2″. See? Therefore, you’re going to cut your strips at 3 1/2″ whether you have a 10″ block or a 10 1/2″.

Then you’re going to make L blocks. An L block is a standard unit that is used in many blocks. Just like so many other “disappearing” blocks, this L block is cut, pieces swapped, sewn back together and you’ve just created your dark and light Open Options blocks. There are no little triangles to sew! Because you end up with two blocks, a light and a dark, the layout options are amazing. The pattern includes 14 different options to try!

We made this little quick tutorial to show how easy the block goes together. This is a beginner-friendly quilt pattern!

Want to see the 12 other layouts? Check out this flicker album to see the gallery of Open Options quilts.

Open Options Gallery
Open Options Partial Kit, $28.99
Material Girlfriends Shop

We have starter kits for the Orange Open Options at our online store for $28.99. All the orange fabrics are in the kit but you’ll need to purchase the background fabric separately. We have 2 yards of solid marshmallow (our favorite solid white from Marcus Fabrics) available or you can scrappy up your backgrounds with a variety of lights from your stash.

Since it’s such a hot summer, let’s heat it up just a bit more with the Material Girlfriends’ Summer Heat Sale! Man, it’s hot! The Open Options Pattern is 33% off. And for how long? Until the end of summer, baby! Sunshiny days ahead! The sale price expires on September 22, 2021. I must be delirious from the summer sun because I just added 7 more patterns at the $7.00 sale price! Check out at www.materialgirlfriendsshop.com

$7.00 Sale Price!
Open Options 33% OFF!

Enjoy the sunflowers and sunshine! I’m headed for some shade and ice tea.

Absewlutely,

Lisa W. Norton and Lora W. Zmak