Sunday, October 4, 2015

Maple Mini: A Tutorial on the C&T Blog - Plus Giveaway!


I just got back from three fun filled days teaching at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Thanks to all my wonderful students who came with an open mind and willing spirit. It was so much fun hanging out with you!

While I was away, this little tutorial popped up on the C&T Publishing Blog

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Head over there now for the tutorial and a chance to win a copy of my book Classic Modern Quilts!

Happy Fall, y'all!  (I'm allowed to say y'all after living in Texas for 3 years!)
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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Modern Quilt Guild Webinar featuring Me!


So, this is happening.....




Very excited! A little lot nervous. Oh, how hard can it be? No harder than teaching, right? Which isn't hard at all.

Hope you can join me! Register right here
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Sunday, September 6, 2015

Jaftex Blog Hop Day Six - And a Giveaway!


Welcome to day six of the month long Jaftex blog hop! Never heard of Jaftex? It's the parent company of some of my favorite fabrics: Sudioe, Blank Quilting and Henry Glass fabrics. 

Jaftex is celebrating it's 85th anniversary in style, with an amazing blog hop and giveaways each step of the way, as well as some really awesome grand prizes. (See below on how to win!)

30 bloggers were given a bundle of fabric with the directions: make something. Easy enough!

This is the bundle I received from the  Fusion Illusion  line from Blank Quilting.





As soon as I saw the bundle I started thinking of a rainbow quilt. And since I'm on a bit of a wedge kick right now, I decided to combine the two.

Here's my quilt Roy. (Named after my dad, and a nod to Roy G Biv!)



A little grainy. My photographer neglected to take any close ups.

Here's a better photo. Ignore the water pump in the foreground.

Here's a close up of the quilting. My guild-mates from the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild will be shocked that I chose variegated thread! Quilted by Maria O'Haver.




This quilt came together really quickly! I really love the results. I'm thinking of writing it up as a pattern. If you're interested, be sure to sign up for my newsletter on the side bar. You'll be the first to know when it's ready.

So, on to the giveaway! Would you like to win a bundle of Fusion Illusion?

Just leave me a comment below. What would you make with this awesome bundle? For an extra chance, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then come back here and let me know that you do. (Sorry, US only please. However, if you're the winner and international, I'll send you  a download of my Subway Art and a pattern. Deal?)

You can also enter to win awesome prizes from Jaftex right here:


85th Anniversary Giveaway



Here are all the stops on the blog hop! Be sure to see Kim Diehl's post from day one on American Patchwork &Quilting. The next stop is another Heather: Heather Mulder! Have fun and happy hopping!


September 1 - Kim Diehl guest posting @ American Patchwork & Quilting
September 2 - Pepper @ Pepper at the Quilt Studio 
September 3 - Anjeanette @ Anjeanette Klinder 
September 4 - Leanne @ The Whole Country Caboodle   
September 5 - Mark @ Mark Lipinski's Blog
September 6 - Heather @ Heather Kojan Quilts  (you are here!)
September 7 - Heather @ Trends and Traditions  
September 7 - Martha @ Wagons West Designs  
September 8 - Linda @ Linda Lum DeBono 
September 9 - Heidi @ Red Letter Quilts 
September 10 - Jill @ Jillily Studios  
September 10 - Dana @ My Lazy Daisy  
September 11 - Penny @ Sew Simple Designs  
September 12 - Ida @ Cowtown Quilts 
September 13 - Liz and Beth @ Lizzie B Cre8ive  
September 14 - Melissa @ Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
September 15 - Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl    
September 16 - Amy @ Kati Cupcake 
September 16 - Barbara @ QuiltSoup2 
September 17 - Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting 
September 18 - Leona @ Leona's Quilting Adventure 
September 19 - Margot @ The Pattern Basket  
September 20 - Sylvia @ Flying Parrot Quilts   
September 21 - Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts  
September 22 - Kim @ Aurifil Threads  
September 23 - Rebekah @ Don't Call Me Becky   
September 24 - Julie @ The Crafty Quilter 
September 25 - Mary Ellen @ Little Quilts  
September 25 - Mary Jane @ Holly Hill Designs 
September 26 - Daisy @ Ants to Sugar
September 27 - Melissa @ Happy Quilting
September 28 - Janet @ One S1ster
September 29 - Jenny @ Martingale& Co.
September 30 - Teresa @ Third Floor Quilts








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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Happy Birthday Jaftex!


There's a blog hop going on that you really should know about:


Prizes, giveaways, prizes, and, did I say prizes?

You can win a Janome Sewing Machine, fabric and a whole lot more.

Here's where you can enter to win:


And here's the roster of bloggers on this amazing trip (and by the way, be sure to come back to my blog on September 6th where I'll have a luscious fat quarter bundle to give away!)

September 1 - Kim Diehl guest posting @ American Patchwork & Quilting
September 2 - Pepper @ Pepper at the Quilt Studio 
September 3 - Anjeanette @ Anjeanette Klinder 
September 4 - Leanne @ The Whole Country Caboodle   
September 5 - Mark @ Mark Lipinski's Blog
September 6 - Heather @ Heather Kojan Quilts  Hey! That's me!!!
September 7 - Heather @ Trends and Traditions  
September 7 - Martha @ Wagons West Designs  
September 8 - Linda @ Linda Lum DeBono 
September 9 - Heidi @ Red Letter Quilts 
September 10 - Jill @ Jillily Studios  
September 10 - Dana @ My Lazy Daisy  
September 11 - Penny @ Sew Simple Designs  
September 12 - Ida @ Cowtown Quilts 
September 13 - Liz and Beth @ Lizzie B Cre8ive  
September 14 - Melissa @ Sew Bitter Sweet Designs
September 15 - Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl    
September 16 - Amy @ Kati Cupcake 
September 16 - Barbara @ QuiltSoup2 
September 17 - Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting 
September 18 - Leona @ Leona's Quilting Adventure 
September 19 - Margot @ The Pattern Basket  
September 20 - Sylvia @ Flying Parrot Quilts   
September 21 - Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts  
September 22 - Kim @ Aurifil Threads  
September 23 - Rebekah @ Don't Call Me Becky   
September 24 - Julie @ The Crafty Quilter 
September 25 - Mary Ellen @ Little Quilts  
September 25 - Mary Jane @ Holly Hill Designs 
September 26 - Daisy @ Ants to Sugar
September 27 - Melissa @ Happy Quilting
September 28 - Janet @ One S1ster
September 29 - Jenny @ Martingale& Co.
September 30 - Teresa @ Third Floor Quilts

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Monday, July 6, 2015

The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters Blog Hop - part deux- and a Giveaway!!

It was December of 2013 when I first heard of Sherri Lynn Wood. A guild member had suggested her as a speaker. Curious, I popped over to her blog to check her out. I hadn't done a lot of improv quilting up to this point (that was about to change!) and was intrigued by her quilts. It just so happened she was putting a call out to quilters to test some ideas she had for her upcoming book The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters





I'm a hand raiser. I said yes. A week later I was given my assignment.

I was to test her Bias Petals  score. Sherri gave us some general guidelines and links to helpful videos. Then it was up to us to create.

From the beginning, I knew I would improv piece the centers of my petals. 






From there, I figured I'd arrange them in a flower shape and call it a day. 



Eh, it's okay. Not great. I took the shapes to my design wall. There they were, all lined up like little kayaks. Or surfboards. 



This felt right. 

I'd love to say that the rest was smooth sailing (see what I did there?) But it wasn't. How to fit an oval peg into a rectangular hole, or something like that. I struggled for a while. Tried some things, ripped them out. Then I quit. ("I don't have time for this. I don't owe her anything. She doesn't know me. She'll have plenty of other testers.)

And after I talked myself off the ledge, I figured it out. 

But really, it wasn't until I got to the point of squaring up the rectangles, that I felt comfortable again. That's what improv (and this book) will do to you. Push you out of your comfort zone, make you try new things, make you make things you don't like, until you get to the other side and realize you love what you made.

Here's my quilt: Surf


I took a picture. Sent it off. Hoped for the best.

And a few months later got this email from Sherri Lynn: 

Thank you for submitting your quilt, "Surf". We love it and would like to publish it in the Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. There were 164 amazing submissions and 22 were chosen for publication. Congratulations! 

And there you have it!

Here's my page in the book ( I'm neighbors with the awesome Sarah Fielke I might add!)



About that giveaway.....would you like to win a copy of the book?

Just leave a comment about improv piecing. Love it, hate it, never tried it, etc. For an extra chance, follow me on instagram, then come back and let me know.  A winner will be chosen July 13th. Please make sure I have a way to reach you by email.

Please visit these other quilters included in the blog hop:

July 1: The Quilting Edge by Marianne Haak with giveaway!
July 6: Heather Kojan Quilts with giveaway! (you are here!)

Thanks for visiting and good luck!


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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Small Projects, Big Ideas


That sums up my quilting lately. A few little things, like this mini quilt (that I'll be sending off to someone in the #textmeminiswap) 



and this bag, which I hope will develop into a class




and this journal cover, just because I haven't made a journal cover in a year or so



and this pouch, which will accompany the a fore mentioned bag.




And then the big ideas, like what to do with beautiful stack of fabric from Blank Quilting. (A blog hop and giveaway will be a part of this! Stay tuned.)





And when to finally learn this





And how to find the time to put together these (a graduation quilt for Kyle, who graduated 6 weeks ago.)



and the list goes on and on. 



I find that my quilting is like that. Big and small. Ebb and flow. I knock off a few things on my little's list, then dive into a bigger project. Usually there's a healthy portion of both on my quilter's plate. One thing for sure, I'll never starve for need of another project.


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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

100 Blocks Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Yeah!!! It's Blog Tour time and my giveaway day for Volume 11 of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks!!

If this is your first time here, Hi! I'm Heather. I've been quilting for over 25 years. I'm the founder of the Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. I teach and lecture in and around Baltimore, MD/PA/DE and Virginia as well as with the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo.  I'm also a contributing author to Classic Modern Quilts. Thanks for stopping by!

This is my second time in Quiltmaker's 100 blocks, and I'm thrilled to share my bock with you: 

Strippy Scrappy Kisses (note: naming blocks and quilts is not my strong suit!)

Here's the cover of the magazine, so you can recognize it in the stores:


Oh, hey, there's my block on the cover! Left side, second one down!


For this one, I stayed with what I like: scrap quilts, improv quilts, string quilts. The block components are simple, and can be changed up in lots of ways.

Here's the original:




And here are some other ways to assemble the block. So versatile!









How about that giveaway? Would you like to win your own copy? Just leave me a comment below. Now that the warm weather is finally here, let me know what your favorite summer beverage is. (Mine is green tea lemonade: brew 8-10 green tea bags in about 2 cups of water. Add to a 2 quart pitcher. Add one sleeve of crystal light lemonade mix. Top with water and ice to fill pitcher. Delish!) For an extra chance to win, follow me on instagram. I'm @heatherkojan. Then come back and leave another comment letting me know you're a follower! Oh, and make sure I have a way to reach you, too!

Thanks for visiting! Enjoy all the other stops on the blog tour!
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Monday, May 4, 2015

English Paper Piecing with Snowflakes, Jessie and Faraway Road

Let me tell you about my sweet friend, Jessie.  I met her a few years ago when she was president of the DC Modern Quilt Guild and I was president of the Baltimore Modern QuiltGuild. She is one of the nicest people, and also makes beautiful babies:



Jessie and baby Vivian

About a year ago, Jessie and I were having lunch, and she told me about her idea for die cut, freezer paper English Paper Piecing pieces. Although I wasn't much of an EPP-er at the time, the idea sounded fantastic. 

Fast forward to now, Jessie has made her dream a reality!

Snowflakes Freezer Paper Pieces are now available!

A few months ago, Jessie offered to send me some snowflakes to try out. I was already making some 6 pointed stars, so requested 60 degree diamonds (Jessie offers 5 shapes, all in several sizes.) 



Aren't they pretty? I think I'll need about 100 for a decent sized quilt!


 There's so much to love about the snowflakes. First, they're much thinner than the shapes I was using, which, I think, will translate into more accurate piecing. Second, because they're freezer paper, when you iron them on to your fabric, they stick! No shifting! A huge bonus if you want prepare a bunch of shapes in advance. Also, no need for pinning or paper clips. So nice when EPP-ing in the car (as a passenger, of course. Do not sew and drive!) 

If you haven't delved into English Paper Piecing, or have tried it but would like some pointers, Jessie has a series of tutorials on you tube. Her ladder stitch tutorial makes everything so clear! 

So, are you ready for a new project?

Spring Basket


Go to Sew Mama Sew  for the tutorial for this darling Spring Basket. Jessie has some kits available in her shop as well.

I hope you'll give Snowflakes a try! (Oh, and they don't melt in the summer heat, lol!)

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Sunday, May 3, 2015

A Name Tag Swap

Don't you love a swap that's cute and practical?

We just had one with my guild, The Baltimore Modern Quilt Guild. We did a name tag swap. A quilted name tag has been on my list of things to do forever. And yet it never gets done. So I was super excited for this one.

My partner was Kat. I was hoping to get her! She's super cool, and she has a short name, lol! Her only request was to make it green. I pieced her name using Tonya Ricucci's Word Play Quilts and couldn't resist adding one of my tiny improv log cabins to it. There's room on either side of the log cabin for a pin or two, and the back side has a pocket for business cards, cash, whatever. I made it lanyard style - easy on, easy off.


Deb got me as a partner. She knows me well - an improv star!


She got all fancy and had my name embroidered! Thanks, Deb! Love it! And I'll never be nameless at a meeting again.



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Saturday, May 2, 2015

100 Quilt Blocks Blog Tour!!

I'm thrilled to have another block in Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Spring Edition. This is Volume 11 if you're counting!


Hey, this time I'm a cover girl! (Left had side, second one down.) Stop by Tuesday for a chance to win a copy of your own!

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Saturday, April 11, 2015

Sheesh, January?


Yup, looks like that's the last time I blogged. I try to pop over to Instagram every now and then, but blogging has been slower.

I've been sewing here and there. But mostly I've been preparing!

Back in December I was contacted by The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo to see if I want to teach some classes for them.  Uh, yeah I do!

Classes, kits and patterns have kept me consumed for the past few months. It's one thing having a class idea in my head. Its entirely different when I need to write the pattern, print the pattern and kit the project. lol. All good though. Now that the heavy lifting is done, the getting ready part is much easier.

My first show was in Atlanta in March. I taught 5 classes over three days. What a blast! The Expo staff couldn't have been nicer, the students were wonderful. Overall, a great experience.

Next week I head to Worcester, MA for another show (scroll down to see my class offerings!) If you're in the Worcester/Boston area, I hope you'll come to the expo and I'd be thrilled if you came to a class!



Right after Worcester, I'll be heading out to visit the Old Kent Quilters Guild in Chestertown, MD. I'll be giving a lecture April 20th (Quilt Math!) and teaching my Half Square Triangle Master Class on April 21st. Looking forward to it, ladies!



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Friday, January 30, 2015

Budgeting


My first job out of college (if you don't count my awesome waitressing job) was in radio advertising sales (Hello PYX 106 in Albany!) Like most newly minted college graduates, I suddenly had more money than I ever had before. What's a gal to do? Well, this gal bought a car. Then a wardrobe. Then a new sofa set. Since it was all on payment plans, shopping was a breeze. Until I sat down and realized that my weekly paycheck (yes, back then we got paid every Friday! How quaint!) was quickly diminishing. What's a gal to do? Well, this gal returned half the clothes (yes, unworn, tags still on), cancelled the sofa and kept the car. I needed that car.

So what does this have to do with quilting? A few years back, when flickr was hot, blogs were cooking and Instragram was just a twinkle in some coder's eyes, I was a swapper. And a bee-mate. And a Quilt-A-Longer. I joined just about everything that came my way. I had just moved to a new city, where I knew no one, so I may have been a tad bit lonely. My new found (on-line) friends kept me company and gave me something to do - sew things for them! And it was great. It was only 2 blocks per month. It was only a mug rug due in 6 weeks. It was only 2 more blocks per month. It was only a mini quilt due in June. Before I knew it, I was committed to 12 blocks and a few swaps per month. When it got to the point where I needed a spread sheet to keep track of everything, I knew it was time to back off. I fulfilled my obligations and I stopped swapping. Cold turkey.

Fast forward to now. These days, I'm very aware of my quilting "budget." Not money, but time. I work full time, travel/teach/lecture and like to see my family and friends every so often. I'm still tempted by swaps (just yesterday, I had my application for the Cotton and Steel mini swap on Instagram all filled out - it's only a mini! - and then came to my senses and deleted the whole thing. I will happily cheer from the sidelines and add my likes to those images that show up in my feed.) I will do an occasional swap with my guild, but only if I know I have time to do it and do it well (no one likes to receive a crappy swap item. Believe me, I know.)

As for quilt-a-longs, I'm doing my own personal quilt-a-longs this year. I'm resurrecting my Farmer's Wife Quilt (I joined that QAL over 3 years ago.) At the time, I thought, oh, it's only 2 blocks per week. Right. I made about 12. This time around, no pressure, just sewing fun. I cut a few blocks at a time, sew when I want, and it will get finished when it get's finished. To help motivate me, I made some cute design boards, using Lori Holt's tutorial. Mine turned out a little sloppy (I really need a better glue gun) but for now they'll do the trick.





Farmer's Wife block 14 (I think)

Farmer's Wife Block 16 (I think)




My second long term project is my EPP star project. No deadline on this one. I figure I'll need about 100 stars to make a decent sized quilt. If I get half way through this year, I'll be happy. Actually, even if I don't get half way through, I'll be happy. There's something about hand sewing that I crave lately.

3" 60 degree stars

My EPP travel kit



What about you? Are you a joiner? Are you doing any swaps or quilt a longs? (Even though I don't want to join any, I still want to know about them!)

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