New Patterns by Barbara Brandeburg

Prolific quilt book author and pattern designer Barbara Brandeburg has mixed a bit of old with new in her newest set of patterns, and we think they are Awesome (with a capital A!). I mean, just look at those owls!! You will love the fun, flighty new designs and the refreshed variations of her “back by popular demand” quilts. She tells us more about the thought behind these delightful designs today!

Hi there! I’m excited to be a guest blogger today for Jolly Jabber! I’ve been designing quilting and sewing patterns for fifteen years under the Cabbage Rose label. Many of you are familiar with the books I’ve published over the years. Two years ago I decided to come full circle and do patterns again. It has been very liberating and exciting to be right back where I started – designing projects in whatever direction my mood carries me. With book publishing, you usually have to stick to a theme for a grouping of projects, so this has been a fun format for me to return to. I live in Redding, California, with my husband. My daughter is finishing up college and my son is in Washington with his family. He is a Night Stalker in the US Army, involving helicopters and some pretty amazing stuff.

This new grouping of patterns was really fun to work on. There has been a lot of gloomy economic stuff on the news lately, and I just felt I needed cheering up. I figured I wasn’t the only one. Like most of my work, it all started with the fabric — a happy Jelly Roll bundle by my favorite designer, Mary Engelbreit, in her Baskets of Flowers collection by Moda Fabrics. The Jelly Roll Seasons Bag is a new and slightly smaller version of my original Jelly Roll Bag, which was a popular hit. This pattern includes little appliqué pockets that can be changed each season with Velcro pieces sewn to the pocket corners. Well, more is better, right?! I couldn’t stop at four seasons, so my little bird appliqués are a bonus block.

Mister Who is a project I worked on with my sister, Carol Burniston, who is also a quilting author with C&T Publishing. She used traditional colors in the green, turquoise, and chocolate brown colors that are so popular right now. I can’t wait to see this cute pattern worked up in other color ways. Send me your pictures!

I get many, many e-mails requesting patterns from some of my out-of-print books. New technology and the ease of printing individual patterns allowed me to freshen up some of my old favorites. Carrot Cake also includes the original French Rose pattern, and can be made from layer cakes! My daughter picked out the fabrics for Carrot Cake and wasn’t very happy when she visited my blog, discovering I had used her yardage, so I’ll have to make it up to her.

I decided to do Dresden and the original Dresden Posie because of the revival of English Paper piecing that seems to be popping up everywhere. This pattern uses easy freezer paper appliqué and fusible appliqué, yet also has templates for paper piecing and needle turn applique. I’ve included an “easy does it” method for completing the Dresden points, so this is a great way to pick up some new appliqué skills and expand your repertoire.

I hope you have fun with my new cheery projects! Be sure to stop by the blog and say hello. I’ll have a new website up in a few weeks.

Barbara Brandeburg
Barbara Brandeburg’s Blog