Castle Garden Quilt

Castle Garden Quilt

Castle Garden quilt pattern by Sharon Holland

Hi everyone, I’ve got a new PDF pattern release in my SHOP! The beautiful Castle Garden quilt pattern is now available as a PDF download and in addition you can now purchase and download this pattern directly from my website in a secure shopping cart.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be adding my other for purchase PDF patterns to my SHOP page so it’s more convenient for you to make purchases—rather than sending you off-site to a second-party like in the past. My patterns will still remain up on Crafty but now you can shop right from this blog as well.

My Castle Garden quilt pattern was originally designed for the May 2018 Quilter’s Candy Box as a collaborative project using Maureen Cracknell’s Flower Child fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics and was originally available only as a printed pattern.

Hidden amongst mother earth’s beauty lives the Flower Child. A world filled with lush meadows, wild bouquets & the spirit of the flower child painted with fuchsia, blush pink & teal.

Maureen always creates magical collections and when she asked me to design a quilt for her Flower Child prints I wanted it to be special and showcase the beautiful Sisterhood print of crowned flower girls.

The extra-large Castle Garden blocks are perfect for showing off all the prints and framing the Sisterhood print in what I like to think of as an aerial view of a four tower castle complete with Pure Element solid peach flags.

I’m very pleased with how this quilt looks and from a piecing-geek perspective, how I devised and new no-waste method of piecing a tricky patchwork unit used in this design. I do label this quilt as intermediate because there’s a lot of moving parts to the blocks and several different types of units to make before block assembly. But, with that said, the instructions are fully illustrated with step-by-step instructions and I feel confident great results can be achieved even from a confident beginner level maker.

This full-size bed quilt was quilted with Hobb’s Tuscany Silk batting inside and you know by now how much I love that batting. It’s lightweight, drapes beautifully, and handles like a dream. I chose to do a clam-shell type of freeform quilt design with an extra curly flourish in the center. I like how the quilting feels wispy and cloud-like around the castles.

This pattern is now available in print or PDF format. See SHOP for details and select desired format type when ordering.

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Giveaway now closed. Congratulations to: Kathryn Laposata, Anna Brown, and Amy Loar!

To say “Thank you” to my wonderful followers and celebrate me finally getting around to implementing the digital download feature on my commerce page I want to give away PDF versions of my Castle Garden quilt pattern.

I will randomly draw three lucky winners from the comments left on this post. Winners will be sent a Castle Garden PDF pattern via an email address. Please remember to leave some way to get ahold of you—I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to redraw a name because of no contact information.

Note: This giveaway is open to everyone. If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment(s)--you can't win if I can't get a hold of you!

1. Simply leave a comment here under this post telling me what you’re thankful for.

Enter now through Tuesday, November 13th! The winners will be picked at random around 4pm Eastern. I will post the name of the winners on this post once they've been notified and responded to my email.

Thank you!

Sharon

My Signature Sampler Week #2

My Signature Sampler Week #2

I'm so excited by how many of you will be sewing along with me on the My Signature Sampler quilting sew along!

I've been anxious to make a sampler quilt with my new Signature fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics so I came up with an idea for a sampler sew along that will be as fun for me as it is for you! The bright idea is to utilize all the block instructions from the Sewcial Bee Sampler (SBS), Community Sampler (CS), AGF Quilt Block Collection (AGF), and the blocks from the Quilter's Planner magazine (QP) and let you be the designer! 

Using the previously written PDFs from my past sew alongs, the AGF block tutorials, and the beautifully written and illustrated Quilter's Planner block of the month instructions allows me more free time for other sewing and designing matters. Each week I will provide links to the various blocks I put into my sampler and if I've made any variations to the original block instructions I will give you that information in the blog post.

Remember, you can always refer back to the Sewcial Bee Sampler and Community Sampler blog post tutorials the accompanied each past sew along block by using the search bar at the top of this blog. There you will get additional information on how to piece each block or technique. 

If you need extra help with your patchwork or would like to learn how to control the direction of your prints in half-square triangle units and other piecing techniques, visit my Tutorials page for lots of great tutorials all in one place. 

For a listing of online shops that carry my Signature and other AGF collections, visit my Fabrics page.

If you're just joining, let me tell you a bit about this sew along: You can create your own sampler quilt or sew along with me as I make my sampler. I've made a handy-dandy fabric and coloring book page for you if you want to make a quilt with the same blocks as mine. Both the colored (fabric) version and blank version have a block list that contains the block's sources and week order in four columns below the illustration. I've even included fabric information for the materials I'll be sewing with on the colored (fabric) version. Find the coloring pages on the My Signature Sampler Begins post.

For this week's block I've made the Friendship Star from the Sewcial Bee Sampler. Download the instructions from the Sew Along page. To get this block up to a 12-1/2" square I followed the instructions and added a frame around the pieced block in the new AGF Pure Elements Flamingo solid.

SPONSORS

Art Gallery Fabrics | Hobbs Batting | The Quilter's Planner | Quilters Candy Box | Bloc_Loc | Dritz |  Omnigrid | Fat Quarter Shop 

GIVEAWAY

Every Friday when I reveal a new block to My Signature Sampler, I'll also be posting the weekly giveaway. 

This week's giveaway comes from me. I'll be sending a lucky winner a Castle Garden quilt patterns and a signed copy of my book, Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living.

Starting July 1st, 2018 I'll be listing a limited number of hard copy patterns of the Castle Garden quilt to my STORE page. This quilt pattern was written and made by me exclusively for the May Quilter's Candy Box collaboration with Maureen Cracknell's AGF Flower Child fabrics. 

Castle Garden by Sharon Holland

My quilt design couldn't have been anymore perfect for Maureen's magical fabric collection of a world filled with lush meadows, wild bouquets & the spirit of the flower child painted with fuchsia, blush pink & teal. The name for this quilt came to me once I placed the crowned girls in the center of the castles, complete with peach bunting flags!

The second part to this giveaway is a signed copy of my book, Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living. 

Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living by (moi) Sharon Holland (Landauer Publishing 2017) is as much a lifestyle book as it is an 80-page, beginner-friendly guide to patchwork. Find easy-to-follow instructions, beautiful photos, fully illustrated step-by-step essential techniques and information to stitch 12 different quilt projects from beginning to end.

Each project is fast-pieced and encourages creative changes with skill-building design tips throughout. The lovely patterns are a reason for you to dig into your stash to make quilts you love. 

Tracery Rose by Sharon Holland

I had the great please to remake the Tracery quilt from my book in my new Signature fabric collection. It was so much fun and by flipping the lights and darks from the original quilt I've come up with a completely different look and vibe to this vibrant variation. I want to find time to remake all the quilts from my book because--there's so much yet to explore!

Giveaway Now Closed. Congratulations to Marianne!

Note: This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment--you can't win if I can't get a hold of you!

1. Simply leave a comment here under this post! (First comment entry).

2. Follow me on Instagram or Pinterest. Just let me know that you did by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (Separate comment-second entry). 

3. My blog followers get a third entry! If you follow via subscribing to my posts, just let me know by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (Separate comment-third entry).

4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Spread the word about the My Signature Sampler sew along on YOUR instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest by pinning any of my pretty images in this post, etc... (separate comment-fourth entry). 

That’s FOUR possible entries! Enter now through Monday, July 2nd! The winner will be picked at random around 4pm Eastern. I will post the name of the winner on this post once they've been notified and responded to my email.

*Don't forget to enter into this same giveaway on Instagram by posting images of your sampler inspiration, sampler fabric pull, blocks, or posting the My Signature Sampler badge (below). Use the official #mysignaturesampler hashtag every time you post about this sew along on IG to better your chances of winning. See my Instagram giveaway post @sharonhollanddesigns for full details. 

P.S. To Maxime Suchoski, I need you to contact me (use the contact from to email me) about being last week's fat quarter bundle winner. Your fabrics are waiting to be shipped!

Community Sampler Grand Finale (Blog) Giveaway

Community Sampler Grand Finale (Blog) Giveaway 

For the final week of the Community Sampler we have a huge grand finale Friday Giveaway that's so big it has to be done across two social media platforms!

A Maureen Cracknell Giveaway Prize will be offered on Maureen's blog (see entry details below) and a Sharon Holland Giveaway Prize will be offered on Instagram. 

Even though the Community Sampler officially ends this week, there will still be quilters who want to make the sampler. If you are just joining us, pick up the Introduction PDF on the Sew Along page and you'll get a material list along with coloring pages so you can get started planning your quilt. Then, work your way through the first Community Sampler post to the present and take advantage of the in-blog tutorials for the different patchwork techniques used throughout the Community Sampler. Both Maureen and I will leave all the Community Sampler downloads up on our blogs for you to download long after this event is done.

Also, check out the #Community Sampler hashtag on Instagram, you'll see an amazing array of beautiful blocks as inspiration overload! Soon, you'll be seeing finished Community Sampler quilts too! Be sure to use the #CommunitySampler hashtag when posting your Community Sampler blocks and quilts to Instagram and tag both my @sharonhollanddesigns and @maureencracknell so we don't miss any of your beautiful work!

A Big Thank You to the 2018 COMMUNITY SAMPLER SPONSORS

Lady Belle Fabric  Omnigrid  -  Aurifil Thread  -  Art Gallery Fabrics  -  Hobbs Batting -  Dritz  -  Fat Quarter Shop -  Bloc-Loc

The Blog Grand Finale Featured Sponsors are:

Maureen Cracknell, Art Gallery Fabrics, Aurifil Thread, and Hobbs Batting!

Maureen Cracknell is a wife, momma to three, AGF Fabric Designer, Craftsy instructor, Janome girl, and Aurifil Thread Designer. Her blog is filled with sewing and quilting inspiration, tutorials, and Friday fabric giveaways. Maureen is the co-host of the 2017 Sewcial Bee Sampler and 2018 Community Sampler run with sister AGF fabric designer Sharon Holland.

Blog  *  Facebook *  Instagram  * Pinterest  *  

Maureen has designed eight fabric lines for Art Gallery Fabrics and is generously including a 20-pc. fat quarter bundle of her Flower Child fabrics as part of the Grand Finale Community Sampler Giveaway. 

Art Gallery Fabrics was started in 2004. Since then creativity, beauty, and design have been their passions, and to this day, they have not changed, bringing a chic and modern perspective to the quilting industry.

When it comes to designing a fabric collection we always keep originality and uniqueness on the top of our list. We have the pleasure of working with a talented fabric designers who create enticing color palettes and artful, intricate prints that make our collections one of a kind. Art Gallery designs modern fabrics that keep up with ongoing trends and at the same time it encourages our customers to use new colors and patterns so they venture out of their usual comfort zone.

At Art Gallery Fabrics believes strongly in the quality of the fabric and that is transcended in their superior thread count and fine weave. This makes our premium cotton as soft and smooth you can get. You really feel the difference with just one touch!

Blog  *  Facebook *  Instagram  * Pinterest  *  

 Art Gallery Fabrics is offering this gorgeous 10-piece Blue and Yellow fat quarter bundle and the 9-piece Colorful bundle both with prints from various AGF designers! Be sure to follow Art Gallery Fabrics on all their social platforms.

AGF Blue-Yellow fabric bundle

AGF Colorful bundle

Aurifil is a wonderful thread company dedicated to developing amazing, new products based on quality and solutions. Established in 1983, Aurifil is an accomplished Italian company based near Milano, with a full-grown experience in producing superior quality threads for professional and domestic quilters. The company headquarters is the ground where new ideas generate original items, always more refined and advanced, to provide assistance to all the quilting needs through a wide range of threads in several weights and accessories. Aurifil's success is based on developing projects carefully, always looking for high quality and great style, with a commitment to create contemporary products that will appeal to everyone!

Aurifil.com  *  Instagram  *  Facebook  *  We hope you enjoy visiting Aurifil!

For the Community Sampler Finale (blog) Giveaway, Aurifil is offering the lucky winner the Maureen Cracknell Bohemian Garden Aurifil Thread Collection! This hand-selected set of threads includes TWELVE large colorful spools of Aurifil thread, in 50wt 100% cotton, in colors chosen to coordinate with Maureen's Art Gallery Fabric collections!

Hobbs Quilt Batting has manufactured high-quality batting for hobbyist, commercial, art and show quilters since 1978. They're proud to come from a family of quilters and are committed to providing the same quality Hobbs batting that provide to their own family of quilters. At Hobbs Batting, they never forget that quilts are gifts from the heart - an expression of love, commitment and caring for a specific recipient - or an expression of artistry and skill- artistry and that's submitted and judged in quilt shows and events around the word - or both! At Hobbs they're committed to doing their part to enhance our #JoyofQuilting!

Hobbsbatting.com  *  Blog  *  Instagram  *  Facebook  *  We hope you visiting Hobbs Quilt Batting!

For the Grand Finale Community Sampler Giveaway, Hobbs Batting is offering a lucky winner both here and on Instagram $100 worth of their wonderful batting! Maureen and I both love the quality of this batting, especially Hobbs line of Tuscany battings that includes Silk, Wool, Polester, and Cottons that add a soft, luxurious feel to any quilt!

TAKE A LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL PROPERTIES OF HOBBS BATTING HAS TO OFFER:

Chart courtesy of Hobbs Batting

What an amazing giveaway of prizes--enough goodies to make several more quilts! Good luck to everyone and thank you for being part of the 2018 Community Sampler!

ENTER TO WIN!

Visit Maureen Cracknell's blog to enter the Community Sampler Grand Finale Blog Giveaway. On Maureen's post you'll be instructed how to enter the giveaway. 

For a chance to win the Sharon Holland Community Sampler Grand Finale Instagram Giveaway, visit mine or Maureen's Instagram feeds at @sharonhollanddesigns and @maureencracknell to see the prizes and learn how your #CommunitySampler hashtag posts automatically enter public Instagram accounts into this Instagram drawing. 

A BIG thanks to all of you who took part in the Community Sampler sew-along and to those who enter our Giveaway!  

♡ Sharon

Community Sampler Giveaway Week #11

Community Sampler Giveaway Week #11

Each Friday, throughout the Community Sampler sew-along, that Maureen Cracknell and myself are co-hosting, will be a Giveaway Friday. We've coordinated special giveaway prizes with our amazing participating sponsors for each and every week! If you've happened to miss the first Community Sampler posts, take a look back from the first post Community Sampler Week #1 to get caught up to the present. Feel free to start sewing with us at anytime--it's never too late to join in, and it's free! 

COMMUNITY SAMPLER SPONSORS

Lady Belle Fabric  Omnigrid   Aurifil Thread  Art Gallery Fabrics   Hobbs Batting  Dritz 

 Fat Quarter Shop  Bloc-Loc

TODAY'S FEATURED COMMUNITY SAMPLER IS SPONSOR IS LADY BELLE FABRIC!

Lady Belle Fabric is run by husband and wife team, Rob and Brooke. In their shop you'll find both bundles and single cuts of hand-picked fabrics that are fresh, modern, and fun! Designer fabrics include many of our favorites -- Art Gallery Fabrics, Cotton + Steel, Free Spirit, and Moda, just to name a few! Lady Belle Fabrics goal is to offer the most gorgeous fabric as quickly as they can! 
   
Shop  *  Instagram  *  Facebook  *  Pinterest

This week our giveaway will be a beautiful 20-piece fat quarter bundle of Maureen's new Flower Child fabrics for Art Gallery Fabrics. 

This beautiful bundle is also available for purchase at Lady Belle Fabrics along solid bundles that coordinate with Maureen's Flower Child prints. Lady Belle is currently having of 20% off all bundles and notions, prices as marked. We hope you enjoy visiting Lady Belle Fabric.

ENTER TO WIN!

Maureen and I take turns hosting the Community Sampler Giveaway Fridays. This week I'm sending you to Maureen Cracknell's blog to enter!

A BIG thanks to all of you who are joining the 2018 Community Sampler sew-along and to those who enter our Giveaway!  

♡ Sharon