Open Gate Blog

Happy Holidays!  I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season!  It's a Merry Christmas because I can now sell my Juicy Cactus pattern!  I currently have it on digital and will soon have it as a paper pattern.  Thanks for all who have patiently waited for this! Happy New Year to all of us at Open Gate! Monique

It's fall and such a wonderful, busy time of year.  I've been very busy getting quilts designed, made and quilted for Craftsy.  The first two are made from a new line they created called Collage.  It's a wonderful tone on tone collection in yummy colors. Check them out! Charted Course : Map your way to a piecing adventure with Charted Course in Boundless Collage! A variety of blocks will keep you interested as you stitch. To create crisp points in your Mariner's Compass-inspired blocks, I used Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design Corner Beam ruler.  Great ruler!   And Charted Course is king size!! Seeing Stars: Master two simple blocks, and you'll bring this quilt together in no time. The illusion of gentle curves is actually achieved with basic piecing, so no trick seams here! Stay tuned for more quilts...I've been busy!! Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Everyone! Did you know that I'm on Instagram?  Well, I am and you can follow me @opengatequilts.  I'm currently holding an Instagram contest where you leave a comment and if I draw your name, I will send you a Fit to be Quarter 6.5 & Companion!  So, make sure you check me out on Instagram, start following me and leave a comment! Hope to see you there!

Well, almost...just a week or so and then it's officially fall.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the cool crisp weather and beautiful colors.  Very inspirational! The cool weather also makes me want to sew more. I love getting together on fall retreats with my quilting friends and enjoying the friendship, laughing, eating and oh yeah, sewing too.   Have you seen the 2018 American Patchwork & Quilting?  There is the cutest Halloween quilt for October called, Bewitched. Not only is there a cute Halloween quilt, there is also a fun Christmas tree wall hanging made by yours truly!  Good news!  Twinkling Stars in teal is back in stock on Craftsy.  Check it out here : Hope the fall inspires you today! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm so honored that Pat Sloan interviewed me on her podcast!  Tune in today at 4 pm Eastern.  Click here to go to American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast.  Hope you tune in to hear it!  Speaking of American Patchwork & Quilting.  I'm excited to be included in the 2018 Calendar!  My design, All Decked Out is December's quilt.  It combines paper piecing and strip piecing to create a fun Christmas Tree quilt.  Also, I'm teaching All Decked Out and Tumbleweed at my dear friend, Denise's retreat at Quilter's Window in New Hampton, IA in  November.  Check out her website for details!   Thanks for stopping by!

I have several new quilts on Craftsy.  One of their latest fabric lines, Tailor's Tack is comprised of small, shirting prints in reproduction era colors.  Here is the first one made from Tailor's Tack, Simply Dashing: The second quilt, Goose Iron , is made of flying geese and is a scrappy twin sized quilt.  If you are having trouble making your flying geese, try my Fit to be Geese ruler.  It makes creating flying geese accurate and fun!  Also, Craftsy is having their biggest sale of the year, Maker's Black Friday .  Check out all the great deals! Thanks for stopping by! Monique

After many months of not being able to sell some of my Craftsy patterns, I finally can sell them on my website!  I'm currently offering pdf patterns but if you are interested in a paper pattern, let me know. Here they are: Garden Path Old Glory Black and Tan Regent Tumbleweed Glory Days Welcome Home Stepping Stones Thanks for stopping by!

Guess what!?!  Although Craftsy is out of the kit for Fruit Slices, they have decided to sell the pattern on their website!  You can click the link and it will take you to Craftsy and the pattern. Fruit Slices: If you are still interested in the kit, contact help@craftsy.com and they will let you know when they come in. As seen on The Midnight Quilt Show with Angela Wlaters.   Thanks for stopping by!

One of my favorite weekends of the year is the weekend that I teach at my friend, Gail Brown's quilting retreat.  She holds the retreat in Elkton, MI every year in June, usually the first weekend.  People from all over Michigan come to the retreat and as far as Loves Park, IL (that would be me!)  I met Gail at a different retreat in the Chicago area many years ago.  We became friends and started holding the retreat once a year.  Next year will be the 10th Anniversary.  I can't believe we've been doing it for so long!  If you are interested in attending next year's retreat, the dates are  June 1st and 2nd, 2018.  If you want to be on Gail's mailing list for this awesome retreat, you can contact her and find out more at:  https://www.facebook.com/gailbrownquilts Here are a few examples of what was worked on that weekend: Fruit Slices Fruit Slices in progress Lady Slipper Marquis Radiant Star I usually teach two ...

Does anyone make sample blocks?  I sure do!  There are two different times that I make a sample block. First, I create a sample block when I'm designing a pattern and I want to make sure that my sizes and instructions are correct.  Usually I make it out of scrap fabric but on occasion I like to make the sample block into something.  For example, I created a sample block using the center of the quilt that I designed for Craftsy, called Frequency Quilt Kit .  If you click the link, it will take you to the kit and pattern available through Craftsy. Here is my sample block of the center of Frequency that I made into a table topper. The other time that I make sample blocks is when I get the fabric in and want to see how the fabrics work together (and I'm also excited about the quilt and HAVE to see a block!) Let me know if you make sample blocks and what you do with them.  I'm always curious as to how people go about making their quilts. Thanks ...

Where have you been, you say???  Well, I've been on Facebook and Instagram.  You can check me out on those sites with the following links: Facebook:  Open Gate Quilts Instagram: @opengatequilts Open Gate has been busy.  We have a new website , have been very active with Facebook and Instragram as well as traveling to teach and lecture.  To see where I'm going to be, check out my Facebook page and Instagram.  Next week, we're off to Quilt Market in St. Louis, MO.  Although, I won't have a booth, I'm going to be walking the show and seeing what's new.  It's always fun to catch up and see what's new in the quilting world.  One of the other things that I have been doing is working with Craftsy . I have been designing lots of quilts for their new fabric, Boundless Fabrics.  It's been a lot of fun and wonderfully challenging.  Love it!  Here is one of my newest quilts on their website, Frequency .  They offer the patte...