Backing Progress, or Lack Thereof and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  Do you ever have those weeks where you aren't exactly sure what has sucked up all your time?  In theory, there should have been time to sew, but for some reason, there just wasn't?  Well, I would love to tell you that the backing for my rainbow galaxy quilt is coming together, but that would be untrue.  In truth, other than pulling out and sorting some scraps, not much progress has been made.  Instead, I was consumed with the first week of school, plans with several friends who were waiting for their younger kids to go back to school to schedule social things, and even a trip to the theater (To Kill a Mockingbird is ahhh-mazing, btw). There's always next week though!

So, let's jump right to the highlights from last week's party.  Sandra from mmm quilts linked up this soothing quilt with tons of texture-

This fun quilt is by Something Rosemade-

And finally, Liz at Savor Every Stitch finished this beautiful quilt.  Such gorgeous free motion detail!

Okay friends!  I hope you're ready to party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

August Sponsor News!

 Hey there, y'all!  I can't believe it, but the kids are back in school (around here, anyway), and summer is winding down.  And it's the middle of the month, so that means it's time for a roundup of all the very best sales and happenings at my favorite shops around the web.

We're kicking this post off with an offer you won't want to miss!  LouLou's Fabric Shop is graciously offering $10 off any order of $50 or more with the code save10. This code is good through 8/22! 

There are SO many amazing beauties in the shop;  I know you won't have any trouble taking advantage of this coupon!

LouLou's has tons of new kits available, like the Meander quilt shown above.  There are even some for those of you looking ahead to fall or holiday projects!

LouLou's always has something new, which means they're ALWAYS making room in the shop with new markdowns.  Their sale section is bursting right now with yardage, precuts, and even bundles. Head over there and check it out!

Up next is Lady Belle Fabric!  I love browsing through Lady Belle's shop.  It's a great place to find bundles of fabric with more muted, unexpected color palettes.  And of course, I always check out the new arrivals and sale sections first!

This Busy Bee quilt kit has a classic muted color palette, and it looks so soft and cozy!




          

If you're looking for a sale, check out their bundles!  Lady Belle has their sale bundles grouped by 20%, 30%, and 40% off!  I'm loving this Liliput bundle in the 20% off section.

And finally, let's talk about Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  If you're not on their email list, you should be.  They are constantly announcing a new flash sale, or a new quilt along, or a brand new fabric collection in the shop, and receiving their emails is the best way to make sure you don't miss anything!  Their emails show the price per yard of the fabrics listed, so you don't have to search for them!

Right now, the entire Midnight in the Garden collection by Moda is on sale, including this gorgeous Queen Bee quilt kit!

Also included in their emails is a link to the monthly bargains section of the shop, where you'll find yardage, remnants, kits, patterns, and even bundles marked WAY down.  This Effie's Woods bundle is in the August Bargains section and it is too cute!

             

Okay, friends, you have some browsing to do!  Take some time and show these shops a little love. I promise you won't be disappointed in their fabrics, or in their customer service.  Happy shopping!

Fun With the Minnesota Quilters! and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  As I previously mentioned, I spent several days with the Minnesota Quilters this week, presenting two trunk shows and two classes, and my first trip to Minnesota was really a fantastic time!  Check out a few photos from my trip (and btw, two weeks ago, I cut about ten inches off my hair, so I look a bit different from the photo on the right sidebar!) -

At my trunk show on Thursday night, I also got to meet Nancy from Grace and Peace Quilting.  Nancy and I have emailed back and forth through our blogs for years, and she even helped me with the release of Scrappy Improv Quilting by making a quilt for the blog tour.  It was wonderful to get to finally meet her in person!  I just love when that happens!

If your guild is looking for a fun program, I would LOVE to come visit you.  I only have a couple of openings left for 2023, but I am booking 2024 now.  Send me an email using the Email Me button on my right sidebar and we'll talk!

With everything going on, I didn't remember to post NTT until much later than usual last week so the party was a little small, but it still had some great projects linked up.  I love these scrappy blocks by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Sally at Crafts, Cavies, and Cooking shared this super fun hexie quilt-

And finally, this beauty is by Anne Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room-

Okay friends!  Now that I'm unpacked, this week I'll be over here plugging away on the backing for my Rainbow Galaxy quilt by dealing with the last of my scrap jars- the multi-colored jar.

Let's party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

The Payoff and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this finished quilt top with you today.  After all these weeks of scrappy improv sewing, it feels so good to finally see my vision turned into a reality.

Other than getting this quilt top finished, I've been prepping to teach the Minnesota Quilters (leaving bright and early tomorrow morning!).  I've never been to Minnesota, and I can't wait to visit!  

We've also been gearing up for my son's SENIOR year of high school!  I don't know how we got here so fast, but I'm going to treasure every single moment and all the "lasts." I know this year is going to fly by.

While I'm waiting in airports and hanging in my hotel over the next few days, you know I'm going to love seeing all of the pretty things linked up!  Before we party, check out some of my favorites from last week. Sew Preeti Quilts shared this gorgeous quilt-

This unique piece is by LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color-

And this cute quilt is by Quilting Gail-

Okay friends!  I can't wait to see what you've been working on this week!  It's time to party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Time to Cut Them Up! and NTT

Hey y'all!  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday.  This week, I sewed, and sewed, and sewed some more, and finally finished up all of my neutral scraps.  With the full rainbow and neutrals finished, it's time to cut up these panels and work on making my vision for them come to life.

Take a look at a few highlights from last week.  Love this one by Sew Preeti Quilts-

This simple and sweet quilt is by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

And this fun, scrappy quilt is by Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

Before we party, I want to let you know that I'll be flying to visit the Minnesota Quilters next week- yay!!!  I'll be presenting two trunk shows (one at each of their meetings), as well as a full day class next Friday, and a half-day Intro to Improvisation class next Saturday.  There are a few spots left, so if you're in the area, check it out!  You can check out all of the details, including information on how to sign up HERE!

Okay, friends!  Without further ado, let's get our party going.

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

A Screeching Halt and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  I'm so sorry I missed last week without so much as a quick post letting you know why the party wasn't up.  The reason can be summed up in a single word- Covid.  Despite vaccinations, boosters, and our family's ability to evade the virus for more than two years, last Tuesday evening it hit all three of us- me the hardest, and our lives came to a screeching halt.  I'm grateful for my "mild" case, though it still came with a high fever, chills, body aches, overwhelming fatigue, loss of taste, and of course, cough and congestion.  It took several days for the worst of the symptoms to start getting better, and a full week to feel almost back to normal.  Thankfully, we're all pretty good now.  My husband and son went back to work today, and I finally got back into my studio yesterday.

These neutral scraps have been sitting on my table waiting to be pieced for so long, and though these three panels have made a good dent in the pile, I'm nowhere near finished with them.  So, I'll just keep sewing a little bit here and there until they're all done.

In the meantime, let's take a look at a few of the amazing projects linked up at our last party.  This happy quilt is by Something Rosemade-

Look at this festive quilt shared by Rebecca Grace Quilting.  I do love Christmas in July!

I love this scrappy beauty by Gretchen's Little Corner-

These placemats, by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl, are a great way to use up leftover fabric strips!

And finally, I can't resist showing this mini by Diann at Little Penguin Quilts.  She made the cover quilt from my latest book!  It makes me SO happy to see quilters enjoy making quilts from my books and patterns.  :)

Okay friends!  I know your last week MUST have been more fun than mine (or at least I hope it was!).  Time to show what you've been working on!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

A Full Rainbow and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I hope all of you in the US had a great 4th of July holiday, and thank you to everyone who sent their well wishes while I was under the weather.  Thankfully, I'm almost back to normal.  If I could just get rid of the stopped up feeling in my ears, I'd be in business.

This week, I finished up my purples and got a full rainbow laid out on my wall.  This isn't how the quilt will look at all, but a complete color wheel never fails to put a smile on my face!

Before I can start putting this quilt together, I need to tackle one more jar, and it's the one that's the most full- my neutrals.  My poor, neglected neutral jar contains all of my gray, low volume, beige, white, and even a few black scraps, and though I add to this jar with almost every quilt, I don't pull from it nearly as often as I do the vibrant color jars.  Nevertheless, the neutral scraps will be emptied out for this quilt.  I'm looking forward to seeing this design really come together!

Last week's party had SO many fantastic projects shared.  This scraptastic quilt is by Yvonne at Sew Yummy-

Rita at Quiltpiecer linked up this gorgeous quilt-

This beauty is by heARTS Creations-

This fun scrap quilt top is by Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

And finally, Cynthia at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework shared this pretty patriotic quilt finish-

I say it all the time, but I really mean it.  I could have chosen lots more projects to feature this week.  There were so many beauties!  If you missed last week's party, you definitely need to go back and take a look.  Alrighty!  Let's link up!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)