First, I have to say how thrilled I am to be here as Editor of this magazine. I've spent the last couple months in training and as much fun as the work is, my hat is off to Maria, who served as Editor for the last year and a half. She did a wonderful job and set the bar high. I can only hope to do as well as she did. She lives in Canada, while I live in the Midwest, where our Spring comes much earlier than hers does. The garden has been in bloom for at least a month now. We've been busy cleaning up winter and have already mowed the lawn several times. Don't you just love the soft green of new grass? It's one of my favorite colors.

Karen

We have a jam-packed issue this lovely month of May. We continue with block 4 of Wenche's Baltimore Christmas BOM, another basket Block from Cindy, and Susan-Claire Mayfield is Feeling Blue with her denim Big Block Project. We'll be starting a Mystery Workshop with Marija Vujcic called, The Colors of October, Part 1 of 4, and Kristi Parker brings us a new design called, Color Explosion which I think is so appropriate for spring!

We'll check in with Anna Branch and see what's happening in her neck of the woods, and also with Chris Hammacott across the pond. Cindy has designed a darling Kitty Penny Rug and Maria and I did a Book Review of Square-agonals, a new method of avoiding set-in triangles that could open up a whole new world of quilting for you! And, of course, we have a brand new puzzle for you to work and exercise your brain!

Last, but not least, you'll have to check out my little article on my idea for the back cover of the magazine. That's all I'll say about that. You go find it and see what you think. Have a Happy May!

Come play a game with us and win two  issues of The Quilt Pattern Magazine!

All you have to do is play our In Stitches game and answer all 10 questions correctly. Do not worry about missing any. You can keep playing till you get them all right. Everyone is a winner!

Please let all your quilting friends and family know about the game so they can get their  issues too!

Click here to play the game.

We hope you’ve found Joan Bassett’s, Fabric Panel Magic, article in the March issue of The Quilt Pattern Magazine, as inspiring as we have! To help spur on your creativity, we’ve decided to have a Panel contest, exclusively for TQPM subscribers. Find a ready-made fabric panel and turn it into a quilted masterpiece!

The Rules:

• Only TQPM subscribers are eligible to enter.
• Any ready-made fabric panel may be used.
• You must add at least one border to the panel, but you may add more.
• Your project must be quilted.
• Your project must be complete (edges finished or bound, for example).
• Any project meeting the above requirements will be eligible, so don't limit yourself to just wall hangings or quilts!
• You may enter more than one project.
• Photos of entries with a brief description must be mailed to the Pattern Editor at, , no later than, May 15th, 2012.

The winner will be selected by TQPM staff. In addition to a prize, a photo of the winner’s project and description will appear in the July 2012 issue of The Quilt Pattern Magazine.

Click here to participate in this fun discussion at Pattern Pastiche!

Click here to see the panel entries we have so far.

We invite subscribers to enter our TQPM Seasons of Hope Block challenge!

We invite all quilters to send blocks to help charity! We accept all 12-1/2" x 12-1/2" blocks made from 100% cotton fabric.

Click here to enter your blocks!

Click here to volunteer your guild to receive blocks!

Click here to see the blocks we have so far.

Polar Notions

Inspired by the brilliant colors of autumn in Western NewYork, this wall hanging is designed to teach you several different blocks (Bear Paw, Bow Tie, Square In A Square, Flying Geese, and Easy Stars). As well, it teaches an easy way to cut and piece gentle curves without any templates and make mitered corners.

The techniques included are doable for confident beginners and will enrich everyone's skills. I always pack every pattern with as much instruction as possible. As we go along, you will learn several alternative techniques. I hope this workshop will inspire you to try something new!

As a fun ending to each part of the workshop, we will explore creative design possibilities for every block or technique in a section called, “What If…”.

Begin by choosing the inspirational print (fall foliage, flowers, holiday prints, for example) that will be used in the outer border. Next, decide on either a light or a dark background fabric. Choose colours from the print for the rest of your fabrics. These can be solids or read as solids (small prints which look solid from a distance.)

Please join me on this four-part journey of learning, creating, and becoming filled with inspiration for this and future quilts! - Marija

Click here to join this workshop at Pattern Pastiche!

A lovely assortment of baskets designed by Cindy Mccoy. Each basket has the same general shape. However, each one is unique in the way the basket and the flower are pieced together.

Cindy designed this BOM so that you can test and refine your piecing skills! With each installment, the number of pieces per basket and the difficulty level will increase. If you are a novice quilter, this is the perfect project to expand your skills. If you are an experienced quilter, you will appreciate the increasing complexity of the blocks.

This project will be presented in nine installments. Two blocks per month will be introduced beginning with the April issue and running till the October issue. In the November issue, the large center block will be introduced followed by the setting, borders, and finishing directions in the December issue.

Use Cindy's color scheme or create your own!

Click here to join this project at Pattern Pastiche!

Freddy buzzes around looking for fun quilty projects.

This month he provides a quilting crossword puzzle which you can print and share with your quilty friends and guild members!

Click here to visit Freddy's Freebees' page.