Friday, April 5, 2019

My Tea Party Quilt in APQ Magazine

Tea Party Quilt for American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine by Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

It's amazing to me how many events in my life have been marked by a tea party. My mother loved to splurge at least once a year by taking my sister and I to a tea room in our small town when we were growing up, and sometimes my grandmother would come along too. For our first official date, my husband James took me to the Rose Garden tea room at the Huntington Library in California on a rainy January day. I remember walking around the gardens with him afterward, sharing an umbrella together as we laughed and talked and took our first steps into the most important relationship of our lives. I took my extended wedding party out for tea before I got married, joined my mother and mother-in-law for tea when James' parents came to visit from Arizona, and celebrated a bittersweet tea party with the women in my family before we left California for Texas. I've hosted special holiday teas in my home for friends and family each year, and I've enjoyed making tea and cookies for my daughters on Friday afternoons to celebrate the end of a long week. Every family has little traditions that become part of the fabric of who they are, and this has definitely been one of ours.

Tea Party Quilt for American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine by Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt

So it seemed like such a natural fit to design the Tea Party quilt featured in the June issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. I wanted to make a different kind of sampler quilt, something small that would be fun for fussy cutting, and I loved the idea of using tiny traditional quilt blocks to decorate teacup blocks. The flying geese border makes me think of a string of party bunting all around the quilt. It looks so happy!

Tea Party Quilt for American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine by Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt

There's nothing that I enjoy more than a scrappy quilt, and this project is perfect for emptying out the scrap basket, especially treasured little bits that are out of print now. Some of these fabrics were designed by wonderful friends and a few were even from my own collections, so that made this quilt extra special to me.

Tea Party Quilt for American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine by Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt

I think this mini would be so sweet to hang on the wall in a kitchen or dining room or even a child's room. Finishing at only 38 1/2" square, it makes a nice gift for a little one. I often made quilts this size for my daughters to use as play mats for tea parties or soft spots to cuddle up with a pillow and a picture book when they were young. If you don't have time to make a whole quilt, try turning one block into a cute mug rug (see the magazine for this adorable idea from one of their project testers). And wouldn't these blocks make such a darling set of little tea time placemats?

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2019 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

If you make one of these, please share it! You can add the hashtag #teapartyminiquilt, and be sure to tag me @fabricmutt. The June issue of American Patchwork and Quilting is out on newstands now -- isn't that cover quilt amazing?! -- so be sure to grab a copy while you can!

17 comments:

  1. Love, love, love! I'm not usually a fan of sampler quilts, but I really like how you've incorporated yours.

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  2. Hej Heidi,
    i will hope this pattern comes as a tutorial or to buy? This mini quilt is so cute! Can´t get the magazine in Denmark :0( Greetings from denmark, Ulrike :0)

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  3. Where can I get the pattern? Just love it.

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    1. You can find American Patchwork & Quilting in most shopping markets or at Barnes & Noble! Just look for this cover to find the right issue!

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  4. This is a fabulous quilt, so pretty. I will be looking out for a copy of this magazine in England. x

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  5. Congratulations for being publised and sure more to come.Your Tea party quilts it´s just fantastic!

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  6. Absolutely sweet quilt pattern! Loved the great story memories behind this - and how wonderful it is to fussy-cut for these blocks. Now I 'have' to get this magazine :)!

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  7. I just adore the tea cups. I have a small tea set collection and several tea pots, so this really appeals to me. The patterns are just precious. I am elderly and new to quilting and having so much fun learning. Your idea of following the white rabbit is the kind of quilter I will probably be. It seems so creative, and I am absolutely in love with your follow the white rabbit quilt. It is beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  8. Love the whole thing! The mini quilt and the stories! I love having tea parties with my granddaughters!
    Great job. Love the scrappy...

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  9. This is such a sweet quilt, just love the different tea cups and look forward to making them up, as a wall hanging and as mug rugs for special friends. Unfortunately I am having issues getting this magazine where I live in Australia, so I will have to be very patient in the meantime.

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  10. Got my copy of the magazine in the mail last week. As soon as I saw your teacup quilt I knew it would become a must-do on my list as I'm a tea fanatic. Just hoping I get past the looking at and planning stage on this one.

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  11. My magazine came in the mail today and I just love this tea party quilt! It is so delightful.

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  12. I saw this adorable quilt in my issue of AP&Q and have to make it! I love all of your designs😍

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  13. Seven members of our church quilting group have decided to meet an extra day each week to make our own Tea Party quilts. All of us have completed at least 5 teacups. We are enjoying the time together sharing opinions on fabric choices, tips for cutting, piecing & pressing, and celebrating each other’s completed teacup. We have a question related to pressing in order for the seams to nest: Assemble Block - Step #4 both horizontal seams pressed toward the top of the cup. In Step 6 the two horizontal seams are pressed in the opposite directions. This does not allow for the Handle Unit seams to nest with the Cup Unit seams when the vertical seam is sewn. Would you recommend a change in the pattern that allow for nested seams and a flatter block? Are there any other changes or suggestions to the pattern that you might suggest as continue working on our wall hanging quilts. Thank you for a great pattern!

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  14. Replies
    1. I used a mix of different fabrics from my personal stash!

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