NTT, a Little Late

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday.  Please forgive the lateness of this week's post.  Sadly, my mother-in-law passed away after a battle with cancer, and we were traveling for her funeral.  Needless to say, priorities have been very different this week and sewing has taken a back seat to more important things.

Browsing through the amazing projects from last week's party has been a welcome distraction whenever I have had some down time.  Look at this stunner from Jen at deJong Dream House-

This quilt top by Tanya Quilts in CO is so charming!

Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting shared this fun, modern quilt.

Anja Quilts linked up this lovely quilt.  The stars pack quite a punch!

And I'm in love with this mini quilt by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal.

Okay y'all!  It's time to show me what you're working on this week.  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.  

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!  :)

Rock Candy Finish

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends.  Today, I'm super happy to show you my Rock Candy quilt finish.

Can I just say that even though I know it isn't glamorous, I love putting a nice, easy stipple on a quilt. Sometimes I discourage myself from all-over stippling, because I know there are other things that may look better, but there are times (as in the case of this quilt), that I'm just ready to get it done.  In fact, though I sometimes know exactly what kind of quilting a quilt "wants," trying to come up with the "perfect" quilting for some of my quilts really stymies me, and I end up just starting at it for a few days.  Since the actual quilting part is not really my favorite, those days are mostly spent arguing with myself, reconciling which quilt motif will look best on said quilt, and deciding whether the amount of work involved is just too much.

When this happens to me, it's good for me to remember why I quilt in the first place- for creative expression, and especially for pure enjoyment.  Stippling on quilts brings me joy, as does the faster finishes stippling allows.

On the back of this quilt, I used up my leftovers, and I might love the back just as much as the front.  Let's talk pieced backings.  I love using as many prints as possible in my quilts, which means that if I didn't use them on the back, I would have to add ALL of that fabric to my scrap jars, or make a whole separate project with them.  Piecing my backing also means that I don't have to search for yardage of a single print that I like, and that my backing always coordinates perfectly.  Plus, who wouldn't want a fun surprise on the flip side?  Yes, it's true that piecing the backing takes just a little more time, but really, we're talking a few minutes here.

Before cutting my backing pieces, I also made sure I cut some strips for a scrappy binding.  I gives a nice contrast to the white background on the front, and just disappears into the backing.  I'm still finishing up the pattern for this quilt, but when it's all ready, you'll be the first to know!

Before we get to the highlights from last week's party, I owe you a giveaway winner.  Shirley C. is the lucky winner of the Splendid charm pack sponsored by Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  Shirley, be sure to check your email!





Last week's party was amazing!  I'm positively drooling over this scrappy pineapple quilt top, shared by Tanya Quilts in CO-

Check out this beauty by Jen at deJong Dream House-

And I love this fun, scrappy quilt by Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework-

Okay then, friends!  It's time to party.  Show me what you've got going 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.  

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!  :)

And, We're Back!

Happy 4th of July holiday week to all of you here in the US!  For me, this week has been all about getting back into the groove of things after vacation (which was truly wonderful, by the way).  After vacation, my wild thing went home with my parents to spend the week with them, so I've been sleeping in every morning and the hubs and I have had date-night every night.  Throw in a three-day work week for the Mr., and life is pretty fantastic.  And my wild thing is having a grand time being spoiled by his grandparents- win, win all around!

I have carved out some time to work on my Rock Candy quilt, and a nice, smooth stipple was perfect for easing back into my routine.

Stippling really allows the gorgeous prints to take center stage, and you know it's my fave anyway.  I have the binding strips cut, and getting that sewn on will be my mission tomorrow.

So, without further ado, let's check out some of the projects from last week that really caught my eye.    This scrappy beauty is by Linda at Flourishing Palms-

How cute are these blocks by Made by Marney!?

I love these little minis by Leanne at Devoted Quilter, and she shares her process in her post-

And finally, I love this quilt by Something Rosemade, made from my Interference pattern-

Okay then, y'all!  I hope you have lots of fun things planned for your holiday week.  Before you hurry off to have a picnic or watch some fireworks though, be sure to link up your latest projects!

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.  

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!  :)

Summer Sponsor News and a Giveaway!

Happy July, friends!  After getting home from vacation this weekend, I've been mired down in laundry and unpacking, but since this is 4th of July week, I couldn't let it pass without filling you in on all of the latest happenings at my favorite shops.

Over at LouLou's Fabric Shop, they've just had a massive moving sale, which means that there are tons of brand new bolts in the shop!



And don't worry, even with all of the hustle and bustle, they still have their fantastic, perfectly curated LouLou bundles.

At Lady Belle Fabrics, I'm still crushing on her amazing Last Chance section.  There are so many treasures to be had, like this Tula Pink Eden bundle.

As the shop organization and clean-out continues new items are added, and when items in this section are gone, they're gone forever!   Be sure to keep your eyes peeled.  Lady Belle is on vacation until next week, but all orders will be filled as soon as they return, so go ahead and secure that fabric before it gets away!

Shabby Fabrics is embracing Christmas in July, and has just released a whole slew of upcoming Christmas projects (it will be here sooner than you think, you know!), and my favorite by far is the Wishing for Christmas Advent Calendar kit. Counting the days until Christmas has always been a favorite activity in my family, and what a cute way to do it!  Check out the details HERE and reserve your kit now!              

And finally, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio, they are having a great July sale!  Use the code JUL20 for 20% off the items in the July Bargains section.  There are lots of goodies to be had here, including plenty of great blender fabrics, so stock up!  These deals are only good through July 10th, so hurry on over.


                    

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is also generously sponsoring this month's giveaway.  One lucky US winner will receive a charm pack of the Splendid collection.  I love the colors and prints in this collection.  It's classic Christmas!












To enter the giveaway, leave a single comment on this post, and then head over to these amazing shops to take advantage of the great things happening right now.
Remember, this giveaway is only open to US residents (sorry, international folks!).  Don't forget to leave an email address if you're a no-reply blogger, and only one entry per person please!  Unfortunately, replies to your own comment counts as an entry (the system numbers those, too), so remember to put your email address in your comment if necessary.

Additional replies/comments/entries are always deleted.  I'll announce the winners at NEXT week's NTT (July 10th).  Happy shopping and good luck!  :)

Rock Candy Top and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends.  This week, my sewing has definitely taken a bit of a back seat.  We're gearing up to go on vacation and that means lots of extra laundry and housework to take care of before we go.  My wild thing also got his learner's permit this week (which is both scary and exciting), and we've been doing plenty of driving practice.  With all of that going on, I feel like I've been working in slow motion, even though I have managed to get my latest quilt top put together.

I've decided to name this one Rock Candy, and I could stare at these colors and prints all day long (if I had the time, that is).  Though I have made many quilts using Amy Butler's fabrics, it has been awhile since I used them last, and there is no doubt- I still love them just as much.

I have the backing for this quilt all made and I've even basted it, but that's as far as I'll get before we leave for vacation.  That's okay though, she'll be waiting for me when I get back!

Okay friends, check out some of my favorite links from last week!  Maggie at Making A Lather shared her progress on this fantastic string quilt-

chrisknitssews linked up this kaleidoscope beauty!

Sew Preeti Quilts showed several of her quilts at a quilt show, including her Fire Pit quilt made from my book, Stash Statement!

And I LOVE this modern, graphic quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine.  It's so neat!

Before we party, remember that NTT will be on vacation next week, 6/27, but the party will return the following week on 7/3.  So, you'll just get to link up double the projects then.  Let's get our party 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.  

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!  :)

Farewell Amy and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  Earlier this year, the quilting community learned that Amy Butler would no longer be designing fabric, and my just heart sank at the news.  If you've been a long time reader, you know that I love the bright, saturated colors and big, opulent prints in her fabrics and have made many quilts using them.  I've been quilting for close to 20 years, but the first quilt I made that I consider to be modern used the Soul Blossoms collection (about six months before I started my blog).  If you know another quilter that loves Amy's fabrics as much as I do, you should send her my way because I'm certain we should be friends.

So, when Free Spirit released a Farewell Amy Butler bundle, I snapped it up without hesitation.  And now that my scrap jars are completely empty, I have loved cutting into them (and adding a few others) for this brand new pattern.  Clearly, I am not one to hoard my precious fabrics.  They energize my creativity and I love them in a quilt much more than I could ever appreciate them on a shelf.  What about you?  Are you a precious fabric hoarder, or do you love to cut and use them up?  What's your special designer/collection?

Last weekend was birthday weekend for my son and me, so I've been working a little less hurriedly on this quilt, but even so, the top is almost done.  The blocks are all finished and I just have to put them together and add the sashing.

Before we get to the party, check out some of my favorite projects from last week, and since I don't have any really pretty outdoor photos of my own project to share yet, I'm including extra eye-candy.  Something Rosemade shared this gorgeous finish-

This finished Trinket quilt is by Lori at Crossquilt.  I had the pleasure of seeing this one in person at our guild meeting Sunday!

I love this one by Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty-

Rebecca Grace at Cheeky Cognoscenti linked up this beautiful finish.  So lovely!

This striking quilt is by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Celine at Espritpatch shared this amazing scrappy rainbow quilt.  You know I'm a sucker for a rainbow!

And finally, I looooove this soothing mini by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal.  It makes me want to drop everything and head to the beach!

Wow!  I think I could have easily added several more, but I know you're ready to party.  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.  

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!  :)

Gossip Queen Texture and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I am so excited to share my finished Gossip Queen quilt today, and I am completely smitten with it.  You can read more about the origin of the fun name HERE.

Y'all, it's hard to tell in the photos, but this quilt has texture for daaaays.  I used six different 50 wt. Aurifil threads, blending the thread colors through the quilt.  It is quilted with a dense spiral design with four side swoops as I did on some of my color gradient minis (check out my yellow mini to get a really good look at the overall design on this quilt).  Getting the spiral centered and balanced on the quilt took some planning, but I love how it turned out.

On the back of the quilt, I used my leftover scraps in a mixed-color strip, along with a rich, berry purple tonal main fabric.  You can almost make out the distinct quilting lines in the photo of the backing.  

The whole goal of the photo shoot for this quilt was to show off the color and texture.  Getting the vibrant colors to show well was easy, but really capturing the texture was a little more difficult.  The improv piecing is so busy that although the texture shows up well in person, in a photo it just blends right in.  (ps- that is not a pucker in my backing, just a weird wrinkle where the quilt was folded)

To really show the texture, I had to take a photo indoors.  Those quilting lines are about 1/4" to 1/2" apart throughout the entire quilt.  Since I quilted this one with free-motion, the spacing and curve of the lines is organic, but I think the lack of perfect regularity really adds to the movement and charm of the quilt.

I set aside enough of my yellow scrap strips for a scrappy binding, and it blends right into the quilt without boxing the colors in.  I love that it just disappears!

If you're looking closely, you'll see that this binding is actually finished by hand (gasp!).  Unheard of for me, I know, but I love this quilt so much that I think I might enter it into shows, and I thought it deserved to be as perfect as possible. 

I really do hate hand sewing, so it's a good thing that I have a quilty BFF that doesn't mind it.  Barter is a beautiful thing, y'all.  Since I made the Louisiana and Tennessee home pillows, my friend has been wanting a Texas Home pillow, and she and I agreed to a little deal.  I made a Texas pillow for her in exchange for beautifully hand finishing the binding on my Gossip Queen quilt.  Win, win all around!

This color blending technique is SO much fun, and much easier than you might think.  It takes a little patience and planning, but the result is well worth it.

Since this technique uses the method from my book with just a little different execution, I've decided to add Using Scraps to Explore Color and Texture as a full-day class offering next year, in addition to the other classes from my book Stash Statement.  I've just started booking for 2020, so if your guild is looking for a fun, unique workshop, be sure to contact me soon for more info and reserve a date on my calendar!

Okie dokie!  Before we get our party on, let's check out some highlights from last week, shall we?  Look at this gorgeous plus quilt by Alison at Little Bunny Quilts.  Be sure you go check out all of the yummy quilting on this one.

I am all about scrappy texture (obviously), so I think this beauty by Katie Mae Quilts is just fantastic!

The transparency effect is so cool in this quilt by Anja Quilts-

And finally, this scrappy quilt by Sarah Goer Quilts is hot, hot, HOT!

Alright friends.  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.  

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!  :)