Needle and Thread Thursday

Happy NTT, friends!  Well, another week of puppy chasing has been going down around here, so no sewing from me.  My original plan for that luscious stack of fabric I showed last week was a little complicated, including the cutting, so I have just shied away from it since I can't really spend lots of time on it at once.  So, I'm trying to come up with a much easier pattern for those fabrics, because I really want to cut into them.  I need something that will be easy to do in 10-15 minute spurts.

With no personal sewing progress to show, let's get right down to the highlights from last week's party, and my goodness!  There were SO many awesome things shared.  Take a look at this gorgeous quilt linked up by Vasudha at Storied Quilts.

Linda at Flourishing Palms sewed up a storm this week.  She shared this colorful beauty, plus several more in her post!

This fun quilt is by Cynthia Brunz Designs.  I love all of the pretty purples!

This beautiful and unique quilt is by Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts.

And Jayne at Twiggy and Opal keeps finding new and inventive ways to show off her amazing textured twist technique!

Okay, y'all!  It's time to party.  I can't wait to see what you have going on this week!

PS- NTT will be taking a break next week for fall break.  I'll catch you on two weeks, on 10/23!

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!  :)

Accomplishments and NTT

Sometimes in life, accomplishments are measured in vastly different ways.  For the past several days, the measure of my personal success has had nothing to do with my sewing machine, and all about keeping my curtains and the legs of my furniture chew-free.

On Saturday, we welcomed a brand new member of our family.  He is an 11 week old Boxer puppy, and we have named him Finn.  Let me tell you, it doesn't take long to fall in love with a puppy, and after losing our last Boxer last year, it took awhile, but we were finally ready for another one.  But, goodness!  At this age, they are so. much. work.  Between chewing and housebreaking, we have to have eyes on him every second.  He is a smart little guy and learns quickly, and I know it will all be worth it, but I really am looking forward to getting back into my studio.

I have this stack of beauties pulled and all ready for my next project... if I could just get to it!  :)  Until then, I'll have to sneak inspiration from all of your awesome links.  Sophie at Luna Lovequilts linked up this gorgeous quilt last week-

Vasudha at Storied Quilts shared this pretty, wavy quilt-

And Susan at Quilt Fabrication showed off this fun, Halloween inspired quilt.  So fun!

Thanks for keeping me in the quilting loop while I have to be away from my sewing machine friends.  I can't wait to see what you have going on this week!

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!  :)

Leftovers and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  One of my favorite ways to keep my scraps in check is to set aside some of my leftovers when I make a quilt, and immediately sew them up into a preemie quilt to donate to our local children's hospital.  It always feels great to finish something fast and simple, and I love not having to add lots of fabric to my scrap jars.  Otherwise, they can fill up in a hurry!  Such is the case with this little quilt-

These scraps were from the Seafaring quilt I made for my son, with the addition of a little bit of Kona Navy for some extra depth.  I just took all of my leftover strip pieces and cut them to a consistent 6.5" to create this little quilt, measuring 36" square.

In general, I had larger cuts of my yellows for his quilt, so naturally, I had more of those scraps left.  So for the back of this one, I used a strip of yellow scraps with some orphan block pieces, and widened it out with some Kona Steel from my stash.  I also had a piece of Cloud 9 Cirrus Solid in Denim which was just perfect for the binding.  This little quilt will join my sweet Amy Butler leftovers quilt for donation soon!  As the mom of a former preemie who was in the NICU for 5 weeks at birth, it always makes me happy to donate these.

It also makes me happy to see all of the awesomeness that y'all link up week after week.  Last week's party was no exception!  Jayne at Twiggy and Opal shared this sun-drenched baby quilt.

Look at this fantastically cool quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

And this quilt by Linda at Flourishing Palms is an absolute stunner!

Right now, life circumstances have hindered my will to take on more complicated projects, but let me tell you, I LOVE browsing all of the amazing things you're creating week after week.  Y'all are super-awesome, so let's get down to it.

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!  :)

Homecoming and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  This week has been such a blast for me, because I traveled down to Baton Rouge, LA to teach the Remember Me Quilt Guild.  In fact, I just got home this afternoon.  We worked on improv piecing scraps with the Detour quilt from my book, Stash Statement.  Take a look at the original quilt from the book-

This is actually the first time I've taught in my hometown, and the church where the class was held is literally minutes from the house where I grew up.  We had such a good time that several ladies ended up leaving before I realized we hadn't gotten a group photo.  Oops!

It is always amazing to see how the variety of scraps and background fabric choices make such a huge difference in the feel of the finished quilt.  Each one is unique, and they are all beautiful!  That's one of the greatest things about this technique.

Usually, I teach and present my trunk shows on two consecutive days (or even sometimes in a single day), but since I was visiting my parents and grandparents as well, having the class on a Saturday and presenting my trunk show on Tuesday night at their regular meeting was no problem.  My mom and I did a little shopping, hit some of my favorite restaurants, and had a grand time.  Those extra days gave a couple of ladies the chance to really get busy on their Detour quilts-

and one super efficient person even finished her ENTIRE quilt between Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening!  Amazing!

It is great to be back home with my husband and son, but if I have to be away, my hometown sure is a great spot to travel!  If your guild would like to learn a fun and EASY technique to tackle those scraps (I know we all have them!), just send me an email using the Email Me button on my right sidebar.  I still have plenty of availability in 2020, but it's filling up.  And, be sure to use the button at the top of my left sidebar to check out my book, Stash Statement, for yourself!

Before we get to last week's party highlights, I owe you FOUR winners from my September sponsor post.  First, the winner of the $25 gift certificate is comment number 11, Lee.  The winner of the cute wooly mug rug kit from Shabby Fabrics is comment number 50, Pamela.  The winners of the two cute charm packs from Fort Worth Fabric Studio are Kathy and Danette, comments 16 and 7.  Congratulations to all!  I sent emails to you this afternoon so you can get your prizes.  :)

Last week's party was awesome!  This cheery quilt is by Mary at Fleur de Lis Quilts-

These soft Ohio Stars are by Alison at Little Bunny Quilts-

And this pinwheel stunner is by Leanne at Devoted Quilter, and it's featured in Make Modern magazine!

Wow!  I'm a little travel weary from driving home today, but I know that browsing all of your beauties will perk me up.  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!  :)

Seafaring and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  My wild thing's quilt is all finished, and already in use on his bed, and let me tell you- it is definitely snuggle-worthy.

The pops of yellow, paired with the darker blues and grays give this quilt so much sparkle and depth, and I never seem to get tired of the Stacked Squares illusion.

I picked a dense ripple quilting pattern, and it adds lots of movement and texture.  As much as I love finishing my own quilts, my neck is glad that I sent this one to the long arm quilter.

On the back, I chose a gray print with tiny plus signs, and it perfectly compliments the strip of block leftovers that I added down the center of the backing.  And of course, I am in love with the way the quilting shows up against it!

For the binding, I chose a denim blue tonal fabric that almost has a Grunge look to it.  I usually like solid bindings when my quilt is a little busier, but I wasn't able to find a solid shade of blue I really liked.  I'm happy with the way this binding frames the quilt though.  It adds a little something extra to the quilt while still looking simple and clean.

This quilt is queen sized, measuring about 86" x  94", and it already looks amazing in my son's bedroom.  The stormy shades of blue and gray, sunny yellow, and ripple quilting all add to this quilt's nautical vibe, so I've decided to call this one Seafaring.

Last week's party was full of amazing inspiration!  This Jelly Roll Waves quilt by Anja Quilts is super cute!

I love this string quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts.  The colors are so soothing.

This lovely quilt top is by Linda at Koka Quilts.

And these two low volume beauties by Gretchen's Little Corner are so calming.

Wow!  So much awesomeness linked up last week.  I can't wait to see what you're working on now.  Let's get our party started!

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!  :)

September Fabric Deals and Four Giveaways!

How is September almost halfway over already?  If you're like me, this is the time of year when you really start making a mental list of everything you need to accomplish before the holidays... and then panic a little bit.  You know, it's closer than you think!  If you need some inspiration, or if you need the perfect fabrics to get started, read on!  I've rounded up the best deals from my favorite shops around!

First up is the sponsor of our first giveaway of the day, LouLou's Fabric Shop!  LouLou's is such a fun place to stock up on yardage and precuts, but one of my favorite places to check out is their Bolt End and Clearance section.  There are SO many great deals to be had.


Pictured on the left is the latest LouLou bundle.  These bundles are perfectly curated each week to take away the guesswork for you!  You can just grab one and jump right into a project!

LouLou's is giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner this month.  Woohoo!

Autumn is already in full swing over at Shabby Fabrics.  If you love just a pop of seasonal decor in your home, they've definitely got you covered.  One of my favorite series is the Year in Words wall hangings.  Take a look at the ones for October and November.  So cute!  You can check out ALL of the special Autumn products HERE.

               

Shabby Fabrics is also sponsoring the second giveaway for the month.  Check out this Wooly Mug Rug for September (yep, they have one for every single month).  If you've never worked with wool but want to try it out, these little kits are just perfect for you.  One lucky winner will get this fantastic September kit!                       

If you're looking for a Halloween collection with a bit of elegance, look no further than Lady Belle Fabrics!  I just love the Haunted Gala collection.  The colors are a bit softer, and the prints are a little more subtle.

Even if you're ready to get started on a Christmas project, Lady Belle it still a great place to shop.  This fat quarter bundle of the Garland collection is in the Last Chance section right now (along with SO many other great collections).  Check it out!

Finally, our last two giveaways for the day are sponsored by Fort Worth Fabric Studio, where there are lots of great things happening.  They have lots of new arrivals, including the Crescent and Brushed collection by Ruby Star Society.  I especially love those brushed prints.  They are such great stash builders!            


If you're a lover of holiday projects, Fort Worth Fabric Studio makes it simple to get everything you need.  Their Haunted House and Holiday House sections of their store keep everything organized and make life easy peasy!

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is generously giving away a charm pack from each of their seasonal houses.  One US winner will receive a charm pack of the Fab-boo-lous collection, and a second US winner will receive a charm pack of the Sweet Christmas collection!  Awesome!

                                  

To enter all of the giveaways, just leave a single comment on this post, and then hop over to these fantastic shops to take advantage of these amazing deals.

Since two of today's giveaways are only open to US residents, please be sure to let me know if you're international.  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 (September 18th).  Happy shopping and good luck!  :)
This giveaway has now closed.  Thanks so much to all who entered!