Tracey M. Brookshier - Brookshire Design Studio

Tracey M. Brookshier is a quilt artist, pattern designer, teacher, lecturer and quilt judge. While you may be familiar with her patterns, she is also well known for organizing international quilt challenges.





Her Bento Box design is one that I’ve loved to use when making charity quilts and/or wanting to use up some of my fabric scraps. As Tracey has come up with an updated and expanded version of her original pattern, I wanted to understand how the two patterns might differ.























I’ve concluded that both patterns are lovely and compliment each other. The new pattern provides 12 new quilt top designs, cutting instructions for 3”, 4.5”, 6” and 9” blocks in addition to the original 7.5” blocks, and hints on how to choose the most effective fabrics for your quilt. I also like all the ideas in the new pattern for different ways to layout your blocks, creating variations to the original Bento Box, while retaining the original simplicity to create a quilt that I fell in love with when making the original Bento Box design.

All of Tracey’s patterns are delightful and I know she provides excellent instructions and diagrams with her patterns. If you haven’t yet tried any of Tracey’s patterns, I’d highly recommend you give them a try. I bet you’ll be hooked like me. I am now trying to select which of her lovely patterns I’ll make next.

Possibly I’ll make her “BB Bag” design is so cute. It also looks like a great project for those that like to machine embroider or embellish. I can just imagine how nice a monogram, cute embroidery design, or embellishment would look on the front of this charming bag.




















But her “Butterfly Town” quilt pattern would be also be great fun to make. It is such a cheerful quilt. And, while I do love butterflies I think this quilt would make a wonderful charity quilt (e.g. can’t you imagine a little kid snuggled in this quilt)!




















On the other hand, I do need to start making things for Christmas gifts. Her “Christmas Stockings” looks like a fun design that I’m sure many would love to receive at Christmas. It is also another great design for those that like to do machine embroidery and/or embellish.




















And then, there is her “Napa Forest” patterns suggests to me that I sit back and enjoy a nice glass of wine, while I’m trying to decide which one of Tracey’s lovely patterns I want to make next. There are so many to select from. But wouldn’t this Napa Forest quilt be great when you have people over for a glass of wine?





















Or what about the other wonderful patterns she has created. Hymm…..which of Tracey’s patterns should I try next? So many wonderful patterns to choose from. Which one do you want to try?

You may want to join me with a glass of wine and determine which of Tracey’s designs you’d like to make next, or if you want to attend one of her workshops, or if you want to have her come to your guild to lecture and/or teach, be a judge at a quilt show, or………? She is a lady of many talents, so there are certainly a lot of wonderful options.

You can contact Tracey directly via email at: mailto:tracey@traceybrookshier.com
Her website also provides insight on all her designs, as well as her schedule.

http://www.traceybrookshier.com/