Open Gate Blog

I am so excited to partner with Oliso Irons!  They sent me a Pro TG1600 and I absolutely love it! There are so many features that I love about this iron.  First and foremost, it stays on for 30 minutes if you are not using it.  So, in other words, you can cut, piece and then go to your iron and if it's before 30 minutes is up, it's still hot!  Now, that's what I call handy for a quilter!!  Also, you can either leave it down with the feet engaged or upright and it won't turn off.  Have I told you about the feet?  They are so cool.  All you have to do is touch the iron on the top and the feet retract!  You don't have to keep turning it up, once you take your hand away, the feet will engage!  I will be doing a demo of the iron on Thursday at 7:00 PM central time on my Facebook Live Event.  (Except, I won't be live this Thursday, we will be out of town but I will still have a video!) Also, I will be giving the next step on the...

Happy Thursday! It's time for the Splendid Sampler 2 block #12.  It's called Free as a Bird and is designed by Irene Blanck.  I decided to switch to machine applique.  Why, you ask?  For a couple of reasons, time being a main issue.  While I love hand applique, it takes so much longer than machine applique.  Also, I wanted to use my Aurifil thread.  I love the variety of colors and the high quality of their thread! Don't forget to tune in tonight for my Facebook Live at 7:00 pm central time.  I will be reviewing cutting for our Sew Along.  Also, there will be giveaways, sales and demos!  Be sure to join us! Many people have been asking about the Lotus pattern that I had posted on Facebook.  Here's the link and it's on sale until the end of the weekend! Thanks for stopping by! Monique

Hi Everyone! Have you been tuning in every Thursday night at 7:00 PM central time for my Facebook Live?  If not, be sure to catch up on what you've been missing by going to my Facebook page. OpenGateQuilts   I'd love to see you there! We have a lot of fun and if you have questions, I'd love to answer them!  Also, we are starting a Sew Along and this is our quilt that we are doing: You can download the supply list and cutting instructions on my website.  It's called Night Sky Quilt Along.   Hope you can join us! Time to catch up on Splendid Sampler 2 blocks.  Here are the blocks that I've done since I last blogged.   Block 9 in the The Splendid Sampler 2  Quilt Along called Flowering Tree by Amy Friend. I love the way the Coastal Chic Batiks  are working so well in the blocks!! Thanks Amy for a great block!! Block 10 of  The Splendid Sampler 2  Quilt Along  by Rachaeldaisy called Around Four Cor...

Hi All! It's a busy week at Open Gate Quilts!  I received back the quilt I designed for American Patchwork and Quilting!  It's called Seaside Steps and features Coastal Chic Batiks.  I love the beachie feel of this quilt and of course, as you know, I love these batiks!  Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Doesn't this picture make you want to go to the beach and feel the breeze coming in your open windows?  It does for me!!  Here is the cover so that you can pick up your copy at your local quilt store or retailer.  Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Tonight at 7:00 pm central time, I will be holding a Facebook Live video on how I designed this quilt and how to put it together.  Make sure to stop by at 7:00 or on my Facebook page: OpenGateQuilts after 7:00 to watch!...

Hi all! I hope you had a chance to tune in to Quilting in the Valley's Live Facebook post last night.  It was so much fun to talk to Lisa about Coastal Chic Batiks, my new patterns, ruler demos and how I designed Coastal Chic Batiks.  If you missed it, you can watch it here .  My parents were here for a visit but I did get a chance to work on Block #7 of the Splendid Sampler 2.  Here is my version of Sharon Burgess block For the Love. Thanks for stopping by!  See you next week! Monique

Hi All! We are on Block #6 of The Splendid Sampler 2 Quilt Along.  Have you joined us yet?  If not, there's still plenty of time to start.  One of the many nice things about the Quilt Along is that the blocks are smaller, 6" finished so to catch up, it doesn't take long.  Also, you don't have to do all the blocks, you can pick and choose...after all there are 20 free blocks with a total of 80 blocks to choose from! Here is my version of Block #6...love my theme of Coastal Chic Batiks and the way that it feels like you are at the beach! Coastal Chic Batiks are arriving in stores!  Check with your local quilt shop for availability.  So excited!!   Thanks for stopping by! Monique

It's hard to believe we are on block #5 already!  This is designed by Susan Ache called Point Taken.  I decided to go with a dark background to make the star pop.  I think it worked!  If you want to join our Quilt Along, there's plenty of time to catch up!  You can get all the blocks up to this point on https://www.thesplendidsampler.com/ Join our Facebook group: The Splendid Sampler and make sure you follow me on OpenGateQuilts Facebook page and @OpenGateQuilts on Instagram. Thanks for stopping by and see you next week! Monique

Hi all! I've been stitching away getting ready for this week's block 4 for Splendid Sampler 2.  It is SO cute and again I got to use my embroidery and applique skills.  Here is Balance by Wenche Wolff Hatling.  You can download the first four patterns on www.thesplendidsampler.com Coastal Chic Batiks is now being shipped to stores!  Make sure that you check with your local quilt store to see if they are carrying it.  This past weekend, my friend Katie, shot a Facebook Live video of me showing you how to put the block together on the free pattern that comes with Coastal Chic Batiks.  You can see the video on my Facebook page: OpenGateQuilts.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram where I give you updates and pictures of what I've been up to!  @opengatequilts Thanks for stopping by and see you next week! Monique

I've been working on Block #3 by Helen Stubbings.  Part of the fun is picking out the fabric.  This is one of my favorite things to do when I'm starting a project.  Imaging what it will look like and playing with the different combinations.  My husband teases me about petting my fabric...you get it right?!   His favorite quote of mine is:  "I just want to stay at home and play with my fabrics!"  What more could you want?!   Meanwhile, here is Block #3.  This one had both applique and embroidery.  I will admit that I am a bit rusty on my embroidery but I pulled out my case full of thread and stitched away.  I googled how to do both the backstitch and the running stitch and that was super helpful.  It's like riding a bike, once you get going, it all comes back to you.  I'm sure there will be more embroidery so I will get to "ride my bike" again.   If you want to sew along with us, click o...

Hi All! Last year at Quilt Market in St. Louis, I stopped to chat with Pat Sloan.  She is super nice and a go- getter!  She mentioned that she was doing another Splendid Sampler.  I asked if I could join and I am honored to be included! Here is the cover for Splendid Sampler 2 : I am also participating in the Sew-Along and our first block was last week.  I decided to do the Sew-Along in Coastal Chic Batiks and here is my version of first block by Alex Veronelli called Quilt Market.  I used my Fit to be Quarter 6.5 ruler to square my block up.  It worked great!  I also used spray starch before I squared it so the bias edges wouldn't fray and distort. The second block is called Milk and Cookies and is by Rebecca Bryan.  It was so much fun to reacquaint myself with applique!  I decided to do needle-turn and used the Olfa Circle Cutter to get wonderful circles out of freezer paper. Join me each week to see the bloc...

Hi all! It has been busy!  Not only did we attend Quilt Market, I debuted a new fabric line and several new quilts. Here's the recap: Quilt Market was awesome!  We had a chance to conduct a Schoolhouse to show how to use pre-cuts and my new fabric line, Coastal Chic Batiks.  They were lined up outside the door to come in!  Crazy!! Our booth was by Maywood's so we could show our fabric and new quilts.  Here are pictures of our booth. Mark showing off his Coastal Chic Batik tie I made for him Corner View of Booth Juicy Cactus The most exciting thing about Market was the debut of Coastal Chic Batiks .  I know...that doesn't look like me!  But, Maywood is wonderful and let me try something new and different.  I've been wanting to design batiks for a while and finally with the inspiration of our wedding in San Diego, I was able to!  Love them!  They are a rich combination of purples, blues, teals, sands and creams...so...

2018 Quilt Market  Here We Come!!! Well I took a week off to re-coop and spend some time with my family up in Montana! Let me say something about Montana, if you haven't visited I would highly recommend going to see it. Mark & I put on our snowshoes and and hiked around Big Mountain (Whitefish, MT). We also went and visited some Quilt Shops in Montana and they are all super excited about the new line of fabric that is coming for the Spring Quilt Market in Portland. The booth is rented and ideas are flowing now if I could just find a way to create time to do everything that I have to do that would be great ;)  So I have a question for all of you... What would you like to see this year at Quilt Market from Open Gate Quilts? Books, New Patterns, Rulers, Giveaways???  

Hi Everyone! I am so honored and thrilled to take over American Patchwork and Quilting's Instagram account this weekend!  Stop by @allpeoplequilt to see what's new, what I've been working on, old favorites and learn a little more about me.  Here is my mini quilt in the February, 2018 American Patchwork and Quilting issue, called Tiny Treasures.  I love how they take such wonderful photos of the quilts!  Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.  I also have a tablerunner in Quilts and More, called Country Table.  Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. sed with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights rese...