In every issue of Quilters Newsletter we feature four fabric collections in Staff Picks. After we choose the fabric collections as a team, Joli, Susan, Lori and I are each assigned a collection to use in sewing a block that will be photographed and included in the magazine alongside the fabric swatches. This is one of the most fun parts of the job, but also one of the most stressful — never is it so important for those seams to line up and corners to meet as perfectly as possible!
Typically, those who have a strong personal preference for one of the four collections get to work with that particular collection. But otherwise we’re happy to work with whatever fabric comes our way, which is how I felt when we assigned collections for the June/July 2012 issue and I got La Belle by Deborah Edwards for Northcott Fabrics. It’s beautiful fabric, but it’s just not the look I tend to choose for my own projects these days.
However, the block I ended up making has become one of my favorite Staff Picks blocks out of all that I’ve made.
Mary Kate's Devil's Claws block for June/July 2012 Staff Picks
It’s a really well-designed collection, with a wide range of values as well as complementary blenders and small-scale prints that make the large-scale prints pop.
Because this is a traditional collection, I knew I wanted to show it with a traditional block. I went through my copy of Quilters Newsletter’s 50 Best Blocks, a special issue from 2003, to find a block pattern that would work. Devil’s Claws seemed a perfect match.
Devil's Claws block pattern from Quilters Newsletter's 50 Best Blocks 2003. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
As you can see, I didn’t even play around with the fabric placement, but just followed the design recommended in 50 Best Blocks. Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, especially when you’re on deadline!
Courtesy of Northcott, we have a set of fat quarters to give to a lucky Quilters Newsletter reader. But this is a contest, not a giveaway. Instead of leaving a comment here* on the blog, we want you to send us an email telling us on what page of the June/July 2012 issue my La Belle block appears.
[Please note: this giveaway has ended. The correct page number on which "La Belle" appears in our June/July 2012 issue is 54. Congratulations to Diane H, our randomly selected winner from the correct entries!]
For a chance to win this free fat quarter bundle, send an email to submissions@qnm.com with “La Belle” in the subject line and the correct June/July 2012 page number in the body of the email before 11:59 p.m. MDT on Sunday, June 24. We will randomly draw a winner from all the correct entries. Open to those who haven’t won something from Quilters Newsletter in the last 90 days.
Good luck! Remember, the best way to keep up to date with our contests, giveaways and other news is to follow us on Facebook. We’re even on Pinterest now, too!
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