Nancy Rink Blog

      Oliver and I have been working on a new book.  The tentative title is El Camino Real: Quilts Inspired by Early California History and is due out Spring 2014 from Kansas City Star.   There have been moments when I've asked my husband, "Are we crazy? I think we forgot how much work this is!"  Of course that was when I still had three unfinished quilts with two weeks left until the photo...

    Here are most of the fabrics in my new line, El Camino Real. This collection is a colorful grouping inspired by California's rich history, a blend of Spanish, Mexican, and Native American traditions. Bright color and intricate motifs echo the decorative tile work  and architecture of the region, Marcus Fabrics is offering a block-of-the-month program that runs January 2014 through December 2014. I've designed the quilt and written the patterns. Today, I put the...

A lot of times a block of the month quilt begins with a fabric collection. Ode to the Blue and Grey (right) began with a set of swatches from the Adelaide collection designed by Faye Burgos for Marcus Fabrics. It was one of those collections I immediately fell in love with. Before I knew it, my computer was fired up and I was busy designing in EQ. The block of the month quilt I am working...

Technique: How to Make Borders Fit and Lay Flat A quilt that lays flat with nicely squared borders is a thing of beauty.  And, although pattern designers like myself provide border measurements, sometimes due to sewing differences and handling of the quilt top, those border measurements don't quite match those of your quilt. So here are some steps to assure that your borders fit your quilt. 1. Always measure your quilt vertically and horizontally through the quilt's...