You've seen the books... we're always excited to share them when they're published.  The Moda All-Star series - scraps to minis, rows to charm squares.

We love these books for many reasons.  Each book is filled with variety - of contributors, of styles, of fabric choices, of difficulty levels and of sizes.  Each book has little interviews with the designers and contributors - the silly stuff.  Like who loves snacking on Gummi Bears while sewing - but only those by Haribo.  There are little tips and tricks included.  If the topic is a pre-cut - Lucky Charm Quilts and Mini Charm Quilts - there there are hints on how to use them.

But the best thing about the Moda All-Star books is that all of the proceeds go to charity - the designers happily participate knowing that their work is going to raise money for a good cause.  So every time you purchase one of these books, you're giving back too.

To date, there are six books in the series and they have raised over $31,000.

All In A Row was the first book, published in December, 2015.  The proceeds from this book have been going to No Kid Hungry - an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in America by ensuring that all children get the healthy food they need every day to thrive.

Making this quilt can help feed kids.

One of my favorite things about each of the All Star books are the questions each is asked.  In All in A Row, we got answers to these questions:

• If I'm not quilting, I'm...
• My go-tosnack food for a full day - or night - of quilting is...
• I can't begin a new quilting project unless...
• On my playlist while I'm quilting is...

Scraps Made Simple - published in May, 2016.  Scraps Made Simple benefits the Alzheimer's Association -  a national organization providing information on Alzheimer's disease and dementia symptoms, diagnosis, stages, treatment, care and support resources.

SCRAPS made simple... not quilts.

This is Flight Path.  It's Lisa Bongean's quilt.  I know... you're shocked.

But I shouldn't throw stones...

We both like triangles.  Lots of them.  This is Old School.

Scrap quilts... Scraps of Wisdom.  Everyone was asked:

• In my dreams, the ideal scrappy quilt has over...
• Let me tell you a little something about how I sort my scraps...
• Thumbs up or down - Scrappy binding?  Scrappy backing?
• If I had a signature move, I'd say you'll know a quilt is mine by looking because

My other favorite quilt in the book is In Bloom by Susan Ache.

After these big quilts... the All-Stars went small.  Mini.

Mini Marvels - circa October 2016.  Proceeds/royalties from Mini Marvels continue to benefit the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital - a pediatric orthopedic hospital providing world-renowned treatment for scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders, neurological disorders and dyslexia.

But someone - no names - thought mini meant lots of smaller pieces.  This is Main Skein.

Mini Marvelous designers were asked how they Make It Marvelous - and everyone was given a Super Hero name.  Futurama Mama?  Jen Kingwell.

• If I had a three-word mantra, it would be...
• If I were a quilting superhero, my superpower in the sewing room would be...
• On my mini playlist, what I'm listening to now is...
• My latest marvelous bing is...

Got charm packs?

March 2017 saw the arrival of Lucky Charm Quilts.  Alex's Lemonade Stand is the beneficiary for this book - the organization is the leading national childhood cancer nonprofit funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.

The quilts in Lucky Charm Quilts were made with one, two or three charm packs.  Matching or not.  Jen Kingwell used two charm packs - one bright and one neutral - to make this Spinning Tops pillow.

These pieced hexagon blocks can be made by machine, or by hand.  Jen loves hand-piecing and portable projects - all those long flights from Australia to the rest of the world - so this lovely is hand-pieced.

Charmed, I'm Sure!  The questions from the charming designers are:

• What charms me most about charm packs is...
• This works like a charm for me every time...
• If I taught at Quilter's Finishing School, I'd teach the students...
• If I had to pick a "lucky" charm out of a charm pack, I'd choose...

In October 2017, the rowing All-Stars returned.

All In A Row Again!  This time, the Moda All-Stars were rowing to Give Kids the World - the GKTW Village is an 84-acre, nonprofit resort in Central Florida that provides weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

There are four categories of rows in this book - four themes:  Flowers and Trees, Critters and Creatures, Buildings and Houses and Classic Patchwork.

In All in A Row Again, we got "the skinny" on everybody.  This is some of what we learned:

• I'm currently obsessed with...
• I'd line up every time to get...
• My go-to sewing thread color is...
• The most productive time of day for me...

Finally, this past February, the All-Stars pulled out their 2-1/2" squares for Mini Charm Quilts.

Mini Charm Quilts benefits LCC Canine Comfort Dogs. Golden Retrievers.  I'm all in... launched in August 2008, the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog program is a national human-care mission embracing the unique, calming nature and skills of purebred Golden Retrievers.

WARNING!  Cute puppy video ahead.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAkd0jQddwg[/embed]

I also love this article about the benefits of the LCC Canine Comfort Dogs traveling to Florida.

As for the quilts...

Merry Go Round by Karla Eisenach of Sweetwater.

Works Like A Charm questions for each designer include:

• Lots of good things come in mini size! Besides mini-charm squares, I like mini...
• If I had to name a color that every quilt could use a dash of, it would be...
• If I'm settled in for sewing and need a good binge-watching show in the background, I'll turn on...
• When it comes to basics, I love...

To everyone who has one of these books in their quilting library - thank you!  Together are making a difference for someone.

As for who contributes to the books, invites go out to many, many designers.  Even though most would happily contribute to every book, there is this thing called "life" that often gets in the way.  That's the downside of deadlines - no matter how much you want to do something, you don't always have the time to make it happen.

That's it for today... wait!  One more thing to share...

Coming on September 4, 2018.

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!