Welcome to February’s Quilt Block Mania!!

The theme for this month is Connections. It was so inspiring to see all the ways this theme could be interpreted. I went Love Happy and re-created a traditional block called True Lover’s Knot or Interlaced. For me, this block represented reaching out for connection.

The block may look intricate, but it truly isn’t. It’s a great beginner block to learn with. The directions are written step by step with diagrams for each step. A beginner quilter can really perfect the scant 1/4″ seam allowance with this block.

Let’s make some connections with the Lover’s Knot block!!

Repeating the block four times will give you a lovely 24″ pillow cover just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Below, I have mocked up two lap size quilts with the block.

Are you inspired? Ready to download?

Lover’s Knot is no longer available.

You may see a new link at the end of my pattern. I am working on a large number of free products this year (12 months of Quilt Block Mania, the Quilt Concert quilt along, videos and tutorials) The time I spend on free product prevents me from creating the patterns I sell. For instance, I spent 4 days writing the pattern for Lover’s Knot. The link is for Ko-fi, a site that allows creators to receive tips from supporters. If you appreciate the work I do, feel free to click the link and buy me a coffee! I would truly appreciate your love and support!!

Here is the list of all the other wonderful creators for February Quilt Block Mania! Stay tuned to my stories on Instagram where I will feature one every day!

Heart and Star
Woven Heart by Inquiring Quilter
Puzzle Block by Inflorescnece
Connected Hearts by BoBerry Design Co.
Mardi Gras Geese
Chain Link by Sugar Sand Quilt Co.
Linked by QuiltFabrication
Irish Chain
DNA by Palm Creations
Hello at Patti’s Patchwork
Lover’s Knot at Lovingly, Lissa
Double Hearts by Appliques Quilts and More
Key to my Heart
Connections by Penny Spool Quilts
WiFi Signal by Crafty Staci
With Love By Sew Cute And Quirky
Text Me!
Braided Love by Kaye Collins
Celtic Tree of Life By Sallys’ Sewing Circle
Hearts Together Block by Sew Worthy Mama
Sunshine Village Church by Sarah Marcina
Braille Block
Left and Right Block at The (not so) Dramatic Life
Love Encircled by Jessica of Blue Sky Modern Craft
Celtic Hearts by A Piece of Quiet Quilts
Half Friendship Star with Heart by Blue Bear Quilts

Lovingly, Lissa

Hello!!!

Welcome to Quilt Block Mania!!!!

This is my first month contributing to Quilt Block Mania, and I am so excited to be here!

Quilt Block Mania is a monthly program when a large number of Quilt Pattern Designers come together to release a 12″ finished quilt block that all share the same theme. Mix and match the blocks, choose your favorites, create your own perfect for you quilt!

January is a month of Dessert!!! You’re going to see Cakes and Ice Cream, Pies, Cookies and MORE!!!

I’m presenting you with a Macarons block! These beauties stack much easier than the real ones, I can tell you from experience. I had a great time designing the block and even sillier time trying to get the real things to stack for photos! One got a little crushed so I had to eat that one. I wasn’t sorry. LOL!

Macarons has headed to the vaults.

I know you can’t wait to see all the other delicious blocks for the month! Check out all the inspiring makers this month!

Be sure to share your blocks on Instagram using the hashtag #quiltblockmania. Tag me there too, @lovinglylissa.

I cannot wait to see what you make!

Lovingly, Lissa

2022 has been a good year. Still a little rough around the edges, but so are we all. LOL!

I didn’t release my goal number of patterns, but what I lacked in quantity I believe I made up for in quality. Maybe the purchase of the new Long Arm will speed the finishing of quilts for pattern cover photos.

I am truly proud of what I have released. When I decided to sell my quilt designs I had no idea how hard it was to write a pattern. Everything I do makes sense in my own head, but now I have to try to explain what is going on in my head so everyone can understand it. It can be quite daunting. My patterns are available on Etsy and Quilt Pattern Mart.

I am already working on my first release for 2023. It is a quilt I had written a pattern for a few years back but never released. I didn’t have the confidence. I’m sprucing it all up and will hire a tech editor to go over a few things I am still a little unsure on how to communicate. The pattern used to be called Temperance, but I don’t think it suits anymore, so I will be spending the rest of the year thinking of a new name.

I actually have a bit of a backlog on designed quilts that I haven’t created patterns for that I want to get out into the world in 2023. One of them is in my UFO pile! I had bought all the fabric and was prepped and ready to go!

Quilt Concert 2022 was a wonderful time again. I love meeting everyone on our Friday Night Zoom parties. There will be a Quilt Concert 2023, I can promise you that!

I am ending 2022 as a Swap Fairy for the MQG mini swap. I am looking forward to meeting all my swappers at Quiltcon! I don’t have any quilts hanging this year, but I am part of two group quilts that were accepted! Quilt Pattern Mart will have a booth there this year, so expect to see me skulking about there quite a bit!

A new pin cushion swap is on the horizon for 2023! I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a new pin cushion pattern. I haven’t decided if it will be released for sale or as a special class pattern.

Which brings me to classes and lectures! I’ve been spending the past few weeks putting together a few classes and a trunk show. I also have some lectures percolating. All this to say that I will be available to teach and lecture at your guild! I’ll have all that info on my website soon, so stay tuned.

I’m also toying with the idea of creating some Quilt Art miniatures to sell. Postcard size quilts. What do you think?

Phew! That is a lot. I need to remind myself that I have 12 months to get things done and it’s not all due January 1st!!!

Honestly, I am excited to see what the New Year will bring to me and to you!

Lovingly, Lissa

What’s the best smell that makes your stomach growl?

For me, it’s when I sauté garlic in butter. Add in some onion and peppers and I am a drooling fool!!!

This month’s Color Challenge is based on that wonderful spice, Garlic. The color is Cream.

I only used one cut of fabric to create this block. It is Ombre Confetti Sand by Vanessa Christenson for Moda Fabrics.

 I’ve been playing with ombre fabric a bit recently. I’m loving the versatility of one fabric being able to provide so much color and depth to a quilt.

You can cut various sections of the fabric to get various distinct values. I plan on using this in my new Diamondsionality pattern. Two different ombre colors and a contrasting color to define them.

Check out the mock up I did in Illustrator. It would be a cute crib quilt.

I used Fairy Dust Mint and Fairy Dust Coral and Moda Bella Solid Royal in this digital mock up and created a 5 x 5 grid for a 45″ x 45″ version of Diamondsionality.

But most recently you may have seen my use of ombre fabrics in my Big Apple Pattern. There are even cutting instructions on how to achieve the depth of the apple included.

When choosing an ombre fabric, check to see if it changes from selvedge to halfway and then back again like the Vanessa Chrstenson ombres, or does it continue all the way through like Jennifer Sampou’s Sky Line. I used those for a wonderful still life affect on this quilt based on the Big Apple pattern. Each apple is cut from one ombre fabric. You can almost pluck them right off the quilt to eat them!

Want to make your own Diamondsionality or Big Apple quilt? These patterns and more can be found at Quilt Pattern Mart.

Now go check out these other great makers participating this month!

Jen Shaffer of Patterns By Jen

Lissa La Greca of Lovingly, Lissa <—— You Are Here!

Kathy Nester of Penny for My Thoughts

Raylee Bielenberg of Sunflower Stitcheries

Andi Stanfield of True Blue Quilts

Happy Sewing!

Lovingly, Lissa

Back at the beginning of August I participated in a blog hop for Gotham Quilt’s new line, My NYC. The deciding factor in joining the hop was the awesome Pizza Rat fabric in the line. I also fell in love with the Pillow Panel they have for the line and was kinda wishing I could do something with that.

Who said wishes don’t come true?

I am thrilled to have received two panels from Gotham Quilt to have fun with. Well, that’s mainly because Lucas also fell in love with the Pizza Rat and asked if he could make it into a pillow. I have a hard time saying no when the kids ask to sew, and a harder time when they ask while home sick from school. So he made himself the pillow.

I wanted to make a tote bag using one of the panels and my Big Apple block from the previous blog hop. The Pattern is available at Quilt Pattern Mart.

I thought it would be fun to applique one of the panels onto some background fabric and do some embroidery. Originally I was going to use the Statue of Liberty and embroider fireworks, but that Rat kept calling me.

My Big Apple block finishes at 20″ so any of the panels would work. For extra background fun I pulled out my remaining stash of My NYC fabric and created four log cabin blocks, this way it would also tie in to the log cabin in the Big Apple.

Turning all the low value sides to the center created a perfect frame for Mr. Rat. I used a lightweight double sided fusible so he would stay in place while I did the embroidery to secure him in place.

I found some sparkly thread, beads, and buttons and totally bling-ed him out.

I attached some Annie’s Soft and Stable to give structure to the bag, bought some gold lame for the straps (because it was just perfect) and boxed the bottom corners.

Lucas tried to take it out Trick or Treating the other night, but I hadn’t taken photos yet. LOL! Annie thinks it’s a perfect size to fill with books. Denis just rolled his eyes at me (such a 16 year old).

What do you think?

It’s absolutely amazing all the different things you can create using pillow panels. Be sure to visit all these wonderful creators to see what they made and be inspired!

November 1	Jen Strauser	Dizzy Quilter
November 2	Swan Sheridan	Swan Amity Studios
November 3	Lissa LaGreca	Lovingly, Lissa <–You are here!
November 3	Emily Leachman	The Darling Dogwood
November 4	Deborah Fisher	Fish Museum and Circus
November 5	Siobhan Fitzpatrick	CDM365 Studios
November 5	Autumn Shatto	Geometry And Joy
November 6	Laura Piland	Slice of Pi Quilts

Lovingly, Lissa

This is a blog that’s been a long time coming!!!

I don’t even remember when Heidi of The Whimsical Workshop asked me to join a blog hop announcing her new Batik line so long ago. But it’s finally here!!!

Introducing Woodcut Blossoms.

I re-created the Crossroad block from Quilt Concert 2022, Seasons of Love with a few of these pieces.

Crossroads is a great block and these colors really pop and play! Finishing at 12″ you can create a really great quilt in no time with just this block and playing with direction of the diagonals!

Here is the free download, available until Monday, September 12th.

I digitally recreated the whole Seasons of Love quilt using the Woodcut Blossom line. It truly is beautiful.

The Quilt Concert 2022, Seasons of Love quilt along has finished up now, but you can still purchase the pattern for this quilt at Quilt Pattern Mart.

Be sure to check out all these other wonderful makers and happy Blog Hopping!!

Lovingly, Lissa

Heidi Pridemore

Leanne Parsons

Tiffany Hayes

Tammy Silvers

Laura Piland

Kris Driessen

Jen Frost

Laureen McMurry Smith

Raija Salomaa

Rebecca Lidstrom

Laura Lindsay Strickland

Lissa LaGreca <—— You are here

Katie Mae Quilts

Sandra Starley

This is it, my friends. We have pieced and assembled the blocks. Now let’s quilt that baby!

For my Valentine inspired quilt I went with an edge to edge heart design. This was done on a longarm by computer. In a matter of hours I have a quilt done and dusted this way. I completed this using Cassandra’s longarm, but if you don’t have access to one you can always hire someone to do it. I recommend Alloway Quilting. Penny has quilted a few of my quilts for me and she is wonderful to work with. We spent time looking at the quilt and various designs that would fit the quilt, along as deciding thread color together. She’s great at listening and guiding you to get the finished quilt you want.

Sometimes I want a more custom look for my quilt. These quilts are completed on my domestic Juki machine. When I am in a meditative mood I will just put on a free motion foot and meander away. I use the walking foot for straight line stitching, but have also managed some curves with it! I’ve had some issues using a ruler foot, but have recently received some advice from friends that I will be trying out. Hopefully they will work. Oh, and I have hand quilted one quilt, that was fun, but I don’t have the patience. I want things finished!

I cannot wait to see how all of you quilt your quilts. Don’t worry about rushing, you only need the flimsy (quilt top) to be entered into the grand prize drawings (more on that in a bit). I only finished quilting Quilt Concert 2021 right before we started 2022!! And I know I still see newly quilted 2021s popping up on Instagram!

Grand Prize Bundles!!!

Cassandra and I have split the Grand Prize into THREE bundles!!!!

Bundle 1 – Must be a U.S. Resident

Our first grand prize is sponsored by Hobbs Bonded Fiber and Hancock’s of Paducah.

Get your next quilt started using the $50 gift certificate from Hancock’s and a Queen size batting from Hobbs!!!!

Bundle 2 – Must be a U.S. or Canada Resident

You know I love me some Sew Fine Thread Gloss!!!! Sherlock Holmes would have no problem deducing all my sewing spots since each one has a tin of Sew Fine sitting there. There is a pack of three tins in this prize bundle.

Oliso is sponsoring one of their new Pro Plus irons for this Grand Prize bundle!! I need to get my hands on one of those!

Bundle 3 – Resident of Planet Earth

Last, but certainly not least we have our wonderful sponsors, Make Modern Magazine and Aurifil Thread

Dive into a six month subscription to Make Modern for endless inspiration and get sewing with an Aurifil Necessities collection of thread!

How do I win a Grand Prize bundle?

• Follow both hosts on Instagram: Lissa and Cassandra
• Use the primary and weekly hashtags: #quiltconcert2022 and #quiltconcert2022week12
• Tell us in your post what country you live in so we know which bundle you qualify for!!!!!!
• Post a photo of your QUILT TOP using a public Instagram account by 11:59 Eastern on Thursday, September 1st, 2022 (if you don’t want to make your primary account public, you can always create a second, public account to use for this quilt along and other projects like this)
• Winners will be selected by random drawing and will be contacted via Instagram direct message by Saturday, September 3rd, 2022. The winner must claim their prize by responding to the message with their mailing address by 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. If the prize is not claimed at that time, we will select an alternate winner.

Cassandra and I will post all the winners around September 9th, so stay tuned for that.

And we WILL be back with Quilt Concert 2023!!!!!!

Lovingly, Lissa

You’ve got the thread, the machine and the BLOCKS!!! Now it’s time for the Assembly Instructions!! (I tried to work an Avengers Assemble joke in here, but wasn’t digging anything I came up with)

Let’s turn this…

into this…

(I may have forgotten to get a photo of the flimsy)

Are your ready? Are you excited? Let’s get it going!!!!

We still have a prize to give away this week. Get your flimsy (non quilted quilt top) posted to Instagram!

This week’s Sponsor

Let’s all give a round of applause to Hobbs Bonded Fibers for sponsoring this our quilt along this week! Hobbs will be sending a Queens size heirloom 80/20 batting to one of our Concert Goers.

How do I win this awesome prize?

• Follow both hosts on Instagram: Lissa and Cassandra
• Follow our weekly sponsor on Instagram: Hobbs Batting
• Use the primary and weekly hashtags: #quiltconcert2022 and #quiltconcert2022week12
• Tell us in your post if you are a US or international resident. This week’s prize is only available to US residents, but we have international prizes coming up in future weeks!
• Post a photo of your cut fabric using a public Instagram account by 11:59 Eastern on Thursday, August 25th, 2022 (if you don’t want to make your primary account public, you can always create a second, public account to use for this quilt along and other projects like this)
• Winners will be selected by random drawing and will be contacted via Instagram direct message by Saturday, August 27th, 2022. The winner must claim their prize by responding to the message with their mailing address by 11:59pm on Monday August 29th, 2022. If the prize is not claimed at that time, we will select an alternate winner.

Whenever I work on a project, I always do the hardest parts first. That way it gets easier as I go along and I don’t get too frustrated and walk away.

Our last block in the Quilt Concert Series is a relaxing exhale. A few large Flying Geese blocks.

So take it nice and easy this week. Catch up if you need to!

This Week’s Sponsor

This week our sponsor is Oliso!!! They are sending a mini project iron to one of our concert goers in either the U.S or Canada.

I have one of this little guys. It lives next to me on a small ironing board whenever I paper piece and travels easily. I love the rest/cover that comes with it.

How do I win this awesome prize?

• Follow both hosts on Instagram: Lissa and Cassandra
• Follow our weekly sponsor on Instagram: Oliso
• Use the primary and weekly hashtags: #quiltconcert2022 and #quiltconcert2022week11
• Tell us in your post if you are a US or international resident. This week’s prize is for U.S and Canadian residents!!
• Post a photo of your cut fabric using a public Instagram account by 11:59 Eastern on Thursday, August 18th, 2022 (if you don’t want to make your primary account public, you can always create a second, public account to use for this quilt along and other projects like this)
• Winners will be selected by random drawing and will be contacted via Instagram direct message by Saturday, August 20th, 2022. The winner must claim their prize by responding to the message with their mailing address by 11:59pm on Monday, August 22nd, 2022. If the prize is not claimed at that time, we will select an alternate winner.

Hi!!!!

I love blog hops! But I will admit that I almost didn’t join this one. I’m in the middle of summer with the kids home, a quilt along, and a gazillion and a half quilt ideas to create and submit for Quiltcon. So when Jen asked me to join, I was a little unsure if I would participate.

Until I scrolled in on these fabrics from Gotham Quilts.

Here’s the close up that sent me over.

I started laughing and couldn’t stop. And one motto I live by is, if it makes me laugh I have to do it. There is even a pillow panel!!!

I am DYING!!! Loot at that Pizza Rat!!!!

Gotham Quilts has also curated a great solids bundle to go with the new line. It’s absolutely perfect!!

I grew up outside NYC, in fact whenever anyone talks about NY I always assume they mean the city. In fact a friend asked how my trip to New York went and I had no idea what she was talking about until she specified my UPSTATE New York trip (it went great!)

But growing up so close means I take a lot of NYC for granted. I was only ever in a NYC taxi once, we walked everywhere. I was 13 before I went to the Statue of Liberty even though I would see it every week as we drove to my Grandmother’s house, and in college before I went to the top of the Empire State building.

It was a gut punch flying home after 9-11 and the skyline looking different as I landed in Newark, years later from the parking deck at the pediatrician’s I still really couldn’t look in that direction. I never thought that skyline would change.

So how do I honor all that I grew up with and miss? I started playing with a New York Beauty design by straightening the curve in those blocks and tried to make it more modern. It didn’t quite work for me and I put it aside for a minute and went back to playing with Quiltcon ideas.

And BOOM! Two ideas merged. Quiltcon has a log cabin challenge. I wondered if I could turn a log cabin into an apple for the Big Apple and well, the answer was I could. So I did.

The center of the apple is a paper pieced log cabin. I also paper pieced the bottom, sides and stem. The optional leaf is appliqued onto the finished block. There was quite a bit of fussy cutting for this block. I LOVE a good fussy cut!

As always, go big or go home- the block finishes at 20″ square.

This pattern is brand new and releases TODAY!!! It looks great with ombre fabric and the pattern shows you how to cut ombre fabric to create the highlight effect.

The pattern is available at Quilt Pattern Mart with 20% August 13th! Use code LissaNYC

I put four of the apples together to create a great 40″ x 40″ wall hanging. I can’t wait to get it quilted.

Be sure to go visit all the bloggers! And watch our Instagrams for a prize loop later this week!

August 1 – Dizzy Quilter

August 1 – Sugar Sand Quilt Co

August 2 – Go Go Kim

August 2 – Fish Museum and Circus

August 3 – The Darling Dogwood

August 4 – CDM 365 Studios

August 5 – Powered by Quilting

August 6 – Geometry and Joy

August 3 – Lovingly, Lissa <———- you are here

August 7 – Slice of Pi Quilts

And be sure to head over to Gotham Quilts to get your My NYC fabric!

Lovingly, Lissa