Christmas in July Virtual Trunk Show

It's hard to believe that we're already halfway through the year. Is it just me, or has time flown by these past 6 months? And now it's time to start thinking about projects for the upcoming holiday season! We all need something to celebrate, so we've compiled some of our most popular Christmas patterns and launched a month long sale for you to enjoy. 

We'll be sharing all of our holiday projects throughout this month on Instagram, so join us there for a virtual trunk show! You just might see something that sparks your imagination and gets you in the Christmas spirit. 


To get started, I picked out some of my personal favorite quilt patterns that we've developed over the years and I'm so excited to share them with you now:

The first pattern is called Anticipation, and here it features the Very Merry collection from Andover Fabrics. I created this quilt early on in my quilting career, inspired by the idea to use actual ribbon for the bows on the packages. I've found this design to be super flexible and think it looks great recolored in birthday themed fabric or light colors for a wedding quilt. 

Anticipation designed by Heidi Pridemore

The next  two patterns are called Christmas Spirits and Under the Lights. In 2007 I was asked to design two quilts, the first for Quilter’s World and the second for McCalls Quilting for Christmas Magazine. I created Christmas Spirits for Quilter’s World, and chose Under the Lights for McCalls. I was both surprised and honored to have these quilts shown on the cover of both magazines. What a thrill!

Christmas Spirits by Heidi Pridemore

Under the Lights by Heidi Pridemore

This year I created The Midas Touch quilt, featuring Rejoice from Benartex Fabrics. This quilt will be featured in Benartex's Christmas in July project hop, so be sure to check out our previous blog post covering how this quilt was designed. We even have a three part quilt tutorial on our YouTube channel to walk you through the entire process, from cutting to block construction and final assembly. 

You can also track the entire Christmas in July Project Hop by following Benartex Fabrics on Instagram or reading their blog. This event started Monday, July 20th and runs through July 31st. Our quilt is set to showcase on July 21st.

The Midas Touch designed by Heidi Pridemore

And finally, the last pattern I wanted to share with you today is Twirling Trees. This project came to fruition during a wonderful collaboration with Island Batiks. Make it in reds and greens for Christmas, or try it in forest colors to make a perfect fall or cabin quilt!

Twirling Trees by Heidi Pridemore

I hope you enjoyed all of these great holiday quilt patterns and that you're feeling as festive as we are now. Please join us on Instagram @WhimsicalWorkshop and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our great free projects, tips, tricks, tutorials and more! 

Benartex Christmas in July Project Hop! Our Project The Midas Touch

The Midas Touch, designed by Heidi Pridemore

This week we have teamed up with Benartex for their Christmas in July Project Hop. This project hop starts on Monday, July 20th and runs through July 31st. Each designer gets the chance to showcase one of their patterns that features one of beautiful collections from Benartex Fabrics. If you'd like to follow along with the rest of the hop, the schedule and links are posted down below. 

We are thrilled to share our new pattern "The Midas Touch" with you. This quilt was designed by Heidi Pridemore, based on photos that her cousin took of tiles in Morocco. "I often draw inspiration from these photos, and each time the pattern just comes out stunning", explains Heidi. With all of the gold in this quilt, the name came easily. The pattern is currently available on our website: The Midas Touch Pattern

So, Merry (early) Christmas and happy project hopping!

Let’s get started! Here we can see all of the beautiful fabrics in the Rejoice collection designed by Greta Lynn for Benartex Fabrics. These stunning prints have a delicate outline of gold to make them really sparkle.

Once we got all 792 (!) pieces prepped with fusible web and cut, we were ready to start assembling the blocks.

All 72 blocks pressed and ready for the finishing stitch along the edges. We have done a video tutorial on how to do this. Make sure to check it out here! It'll help make this project a breeze. 

Now let's get to stitching. For this project, Heidi uses an open toe foot and Aurifil 50wt thread to finished the edges of the appliqué.  Make sure to check out our three part Quilt Tutorial on this project to see some of the shortcuts she used to finish these blocks in no time. 

Once we finished the edge stitching, it was on to assembling the rows. Due to the overlapping layers in the seams, we chose to press the seams open to make the quilt top lay flat.

Here's a close up of the center block finished and ready for borders. Isn't it stunning?

Here you can see how we've prepped the border pieces and are now ready for the next step.

If 72 blocks sounds like too many, you can always opt for making the center block and then just adding a few borders to for simpler quilt. This method brings you down to only 36 blocks, and it still turns out beautifully. 

Here is a close up of the finished edges on the block. We wanted to use a thread that disappeared effortlessly into the block, and the gold thread fit the bill perfectly. 

Here's a look at the finished quilt top, now ready for some quilting magic!

I hope you've enjoyed walking through this project with us! We have also created a three part video series on our YouTube channel that takes you step by step through the entire construction of this quilt. It's a great way to learn quilting tips from Heidi herself and follow along as you create your own version. 

We also have plenty of videos on Heidi's preferred quilting tools, tips for organizing your studio, stash and sewing space, other free quilt tutorials and so much more. Our YouTube community is growing quickly, along with the amount of videos we upload so subscribe today and don't miss out! 

Click here to check out and subscribe to our YouTube Channel

See below for the schedule and links to our fellow designers hoping along with us:

Monday July 20^th – Nancy Scott, Winterberry 

https://masterpiecequilting.blogspot.com/2020/07/benartex-christmas-in-july-blog-hop.html

Tuesday July 21^st – Heidi Pridemore, Rejoice 

https://heidipridemore.blogspot.com/2020/07/benartex-christmas-in-july-project-hop.html

Wednesday July 22^nd – Laura Piland, First Frost http://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/

Thursday July 23^rd – Lisa Ruble, Camp Joy https://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com/

Friday July 24^th – Debby Kratovil, Festive Chickadees https://debbykratovilquilts.blogspot.com/

Saturday July 25^th – Wendy Sheppard, Ode to Joy https://ivoryspring.wordpress.com/

Sunday July 26^th – Debby Brown, River’s End DebbyBrownQuilts.Blogspot.Com

Monday July 27^th – Charisma Horton, Deer Festival http://charismascorner.com/

Tuesday July 28^th – Sandra Walker, Better Not Pout https://www.mmmquilts.com/

Wednesday July 29^th – Kate Colleran, Joy https://seamslikeadream.com/

Thursday July 30^th – Tammy Silvers, Snow Village & Rustic Village Christmas  https://tamarinis.typepad.com/tamarinis/2020/07/christmas-in-july-project-hop-double-dutch-in-snow-village-and-rustic-village-christmas-from-benarte.html 

Thank you for visiting to our corner of the internet, The Whimsical Workshop blog. Here we like to share quilt tutorials, sewing tips, free projects,  and more with our community of followers. If you're interested in seeing more or if you're a visual learner, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and please share with your all of your crafty friends! 

Christmas in July Project Hop! Join us this week for all the Fun

It is the middle of July … the sun is shining and flowers are blooming, so it is the perfect time to start thinking about Christmas! Join Benartex, Kanvas and Contempo fabrics and 11 talented pattern designers for a Christmas in July Project Hop from July 20^th through the 31^st. Each day will bring an amazing new project and fabric collection feature – all the fabrics are in stores now so you can get started on your projects right away and beat the holiday rush! Hang your stockings, play your favorite Christmas carols, make yourself a mug of frozen hot chocolate and enjoy!

We are posting our Project on Tuesday July 21st so make sure to hop on back to see our stunning quilt "The Midas Touch! We also did a Youtube Video series on our project you can check out here !

This is a sneak Peak Video from Benartex Fabrics for the Project Hop

See below for the schedule and links to our fellow designers hoping along with us:

Monday July 20^th – Nancy Scott, Winterberry 

https://masterpiecequilting.blogspot.com/2020/07/benartex-christmas-in-july-blog-hop.html

Tuesday July 21^st – Heidi Pridemore, Rejoice 

https://heidipridemore.blogspot.com/2020/07/benartex-christmas-in-july-project-hop.html

Wednesday July 22^nd – Laura Piland, First Frost http://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/

Thursday July 23^rd – Lisa Ruble, Camp Joy https://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com/

Friday July 24^th – Debby Kratovil, Festive Chickadees https://debbykratovilquilts.blogspot.com/

Saturday July 25^th – Wendy Sheppard, Ode to Joy https://ivoryspring.wordpress.com/

Sunday July 26^th – Debby Brown, River’s End DebbyBrownQuilts.Blogspot.Com

Monday July 27^th – Charisma Horton, Deer Festival http://charismascorner.com/

Tuesday July 28^th – Sandra Walker, Better Not Pout https://www.mmmquilts.com/

Wednesday July 29^th – Kate Colleran, Joy https://seamslikeadream.com/

Thursday July 30^th – Tammy Silvers, Snow Village & Rustic Village Christmas  https://tamarinis.typepad.com/tamarinis/2020/07/christmas-in-july-project-hop-double-dutch-in-snow-village-and-rustic-village-christmas-from-benarte.html 

Thank you for visiting to our corner of the internet, The Whimsical Workshop blog. Here we like to share quilt tutorials, sewing tips, free projects,  and more with our community of followers. If you're interested in seeing more or if you're a visual learner, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and please share with your all of your crafty friends! 

Crossroads Sew Along: Wrap Up

Hi there! Welcome back to The Whimsical Workshop blog. We spent all of May hard at work with all of our fellow Sew-Along members, wrapping up the beautiful Crossroads quilt that made up our first sew-along.

When we decided to launch our first sew-along, I'll be honest in that I wasn't entirely sure how it would go. Would people want to join? Would we be able to complete this successfully over Facebook live videos and downloadable patterns?

Thankfully we have some of the best (and most talented!) followers and group members in the quilting industry and wow, did you all create some truly great projects! This was a learning curve for us all and I'm so grateful that you took this journey alongside me.

 If you missed this class - it's ok! We've just started another sew-along, this time for our Dutch Wonderland quilt. It's a stunning 100 x 100 project, made up of 8 blocks. We go live in our Facebook group, Heidi's Quilting Help Desk, every Wednesday 10:00am PTYouTube Channel the following Monday. This way, you'll never miss a part of the class and can follow along at your own pace.
and post the video to our











To celebrate the end of this Crossroads project, I want to share some of our student's work from this class here with all of you.

Created by Monika Zeller

Created by Kathy Wilson Pettis

Aren't those quilts just gorgeous? I think so! Ready to make your own? 

Don't forget to join our Facebook group, Heidi's Quilting Help Desk. You'll get first access to sew-along videos and a chance to connect with me directly if you have general sewing or quilting questions. 

If you want to make the Crossroads quilt, all of our sew-along videos have been posted to our YouTube channel, The Whimsical Workshop. 

Or, join the Dutch Wonderland sew-along, happening now! Catch up on the first couple videos on YouTube and join us on Facebook every Wednesday 10:00am PT for the next block.  You can make the whole quilt or just stop by for  the block tutorial each week.

Are you interested in setting up a private class or lecture for your guild/group? Due to the current state of the world, all classes are being held over Zoom, but I can promise you that it will be as engaging, fun and educational as always! Just send us an email at heidi@thewhimsicalworkshop.com to discuss timing and prices. 

Happy sewing!

FREE Buckets of Fun Summer Block for Block Mania Blog Hop

Hello there! I'm so glad you stopped by for this free Buckets of Fun Summer Block that I designed as part of the Block Mania Blog Hop. Make sure to check out all the beautiful blocks in the hope through links at the bottom of this post!

If this is your first time here, then welcome to our little corner of the internet, The Whimsical Workshop blog! Here we cover all things quilting and sewing, from organizational tips to free projects and sew alongs. Most of our posts are supported by video tutorials on our YouTube channel so be sure to give us a follow! We also have a Facebook group, Heidi's Quilting Help Desk, where you can get quilting advice, connect with other passionate quilters, and talk to us directly. We'd love to see you there.

For those of you who are new to the Block Mania Blog Hop, it is a blog hop that features a group of the quilting industry's top designers who each create a FREE 12" quilt block for you to enjoy. You get to learn about each designer and collect a wide array of free quilt block patterns for your personal collection.

The theme for this month is "Summer", so of course I wanted to design a block that referenced the best part of summer - going to the beach! This block is called Buckets of Fun and you can download it on our website:
https://media.rainpos.com/4806/buckets_of_fun_pattern_with_cover_fr074_07022020.pdf

Below is an image showing the fabrics we used in this block, along with the Heat n Bond-Featherweight fusible web that we used in this block:

I recently purchased my first Cricut machine and I was really excited to use it in constructing the pieces for this block. We'll be including the free SVG files we used for this project along with the pattern. Don't have a cricut maker? No worries, we also included the reversed templates for traditional fusible applique in the pattern as well.

If you just got a Cricut machine or if you're interested in learning how to incorporate your machine more into your quilting projects, check out our YouTube channel. I have a video tutorial for this specific block, along with a growing playlist of Cricut for Quilting tips and tricks videos.

When finishing the appliqué and edges of this block, I immediately reached for my favorite sewing and quilting thread, Aurifil 50 wt. cotton thread. If you don't like to use 50 wt, 40 wt will work as well! 

If you make a version of this block before August 4th, 2020, make sure to post it in the comments below for a chance to win a special secret prize! We'll be announcing the winner and their prize in our next blog hop post that day. 

I hope you have enjoyed this month’s free block. Make sure to visit our website for more whimsical patterns and connect with us on social media! 

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest

Here are the other blogs to check out in the Block Mania Blog Hop

Here is the HTML:

https://alwaysexpectmoore.com/2020/07/quilt-block-mania-summer-tent-quilt-block
http://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2020/7/7/quilt-block-mania-july-is-summer-fun
https://prettypiney.com/flippity-flop-a-flip-flop-quilt-block/
https://www.seamstobesew.com/quilt-block-mania-month-1-is-here/
http://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2020/07/beach-party.html
https://poweredbyquilting.com/2020/07/07/quiltblockmania-summer-fun/
https://freckledfoxquiltery.wordpress.com/
https://aroundthebobbin.com/quilt-block-mania/
https://heidipridemore.blogspot.com/2020/07/free-buckets-of-fun-summer-block-for.html
https://sewbrainy.com/blogs/news/wonky-beach-umbrella-block
http://www.devotedquilter.com/2020/07/quilt-block-mania-starfish-dance.html
https://glendawilderdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FREEBIE-Sail-Away-Free-Block-Pattern-Quiltblockmania-Summer-Fun.pdf
https://www.duckcreekmountainquilting.com/blog/2020/7/7/q6haf3gb1f2jtnj7vcprf6n59qh1il
https://orangeblossomquilt.com/blog/f/delvecchio’s-down-the-shore-frozen-delights 
http://www.quiltingmod.com/2020/07/quilt-block-mania-summer-fun.html
https://www.sewjoycreations.com/2020/07/quilt-block-mania-sleeping-under-stars.html
https://blockofthemo.com/freebies/
https://www.quilted-diary.com/post/quilt-block-mania-summer-fun
https://www.perkinsdrygoods-blog.com/welcome-to-quilt-block-mania-july/
http://charismascorner.com/quilt-block-mania-month-1-welcome/
https://www.amararcreacions.com/en/quilt-block-mania-hello-summer/
https://scrapdash.com/block-of-the-month-tall-ships/
https://www.hissyfitzdesigns.com/sandy-fitzpatrick-of-hissyfitz-designs/2020/6/30/free-patterns-for-you
https://www.offthewallquilt.com/blogs/news/things-that-make-me-uncomfortable
https://www.quiltfox-design.com/post/quilt-block-mania
https://www.quiltfabrication.com/2020/06/summer-fun-surfboards.html
https://lindabcreative.blogspot.com/2020/07/quilt-block-mania-summer-fun.html
http://blog.doohikeydesigns.com/twoscoopsforquiltmania/
http://cottonstreetcommons.com/blog/quilt-block-mania-summer-fun/