QuiltCon, Secret Sewing, and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  This week, I've been finishing up a couple of projects, and getting ready to go to QuiltCon.  Since it's in Nashville this year it's only a quick, three-hour road trip for me, and my quilty BFF and I can't wait!  I'll be there on Saturday and Sunday, and If you see me, be sure to stop me to say hello!

As for sewing this week, I've been working on a quilt with this soothing bundle of fabrics, and I just finished the last stitch in the binding this afternoon.

I really love how it turned out, but this is a secret project so I can't reveal it just yet.  Here's a little sneak peek though.

I'm taking advantage of my time away at QuiltCon to take my machine in for her regular servicing.  Even though she is sewing perfectly, I'm always worried that when I take her in, they'll need to keep it for some unforeseen reason.  I lost her for two whole weeks once, and I thought she was fine then too, so now I always worry a little bit.  I have a backup machine and like piecing on it, but the feel of the machine is so important with free motion quilting that I only do that on my trusty Bernina.  So, since this secret project is on a deadline,  I pushed to get it done beforehand.  You'll get to see the full reveal in a few weeks!

At last week's party, Jen at DeJong Dream House shared this lovely quilt, also made with soothing colors-

This scrappy beauty is by Cynthia at Quilting is More fun Than Housework-

Check out these awesome improv minis by Sophie at Luna Lovequilts.

This quilt by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal is so cool!

And you may have missed this one by Tami at Sew Much for Free Time because her link didn't post properly and the thumbnail didn't show up.  Both the quilt and the background are so gorgeous, and I couldn't resist showing it to you though!

Before we party, I owe you TWO winners from last week's giveaway post.  The winner of the fat quarter bundle from Lady Belle Fabrics is comment number 17, Tanya Quilts in CO.  And the winner of the pretty rainbow heron scissors from Fort Worth Fabric Studio is comment number 76, Suze.  Congrats, ladies!  I'll be contacting you via email for your information so you can get your prizes!

                                   

Okay, friends!  Let's party, and if you're going to QuiltCon, I hope we can party in person soon!

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!  :)

Moving Right Along and NTT

Oh, this color wheel project is so much fun!  In the past week, I've finished two more minis, and pulled scraps for the next color. I have some secret sewing with deadlines fast approaching, so I've had to take a little break from these, but I can't wait to get back to them.

This orange quilt is called Ember.  The colors dance like glimmering fire, or more specifically, like the glowing wood below the flames, and even though it moves from light to dark like the others, it is slightly different.  Since I almost never use the darkest burnt orange or lightest peachy orange tones in my quilts, the color gradient is not quite as pronounced in this one.  That's okay though, because I definitely want the predominant colors on the wall to be the shades/scraps I love most.  Clearly my orange zone is more narrow, ranging from vibrant tangerine orange to softer creamsicle.

I quilted this one with the same swooping spiral.  This design is really fun to quilt and it creates so much movement.  Though I don't know that I would want to quilt this on a full size quilt, it is pretty quick to do on a mini.

On the backs of these, I've decided that I'm just going to pull whatever stash fabrics I have in that color.  They're going to be on a wall, so the backing really is secondary here.  This orange print does the job nicely.

Giving a nod to Valentine's Day, the other color I finished this week is pink!  If I had to pick a least favorite color in the rainbow it would be pink, so I didn't think this one would be as much fun.  I honestly just wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way.  I was so wrong though.  I love this one just as much as the others.

I actually had plenty of scraps ranging from hot pink to baby pink.  When my quilt calls for it, my personal favorite shade of pink is dark and saturated, but I've made a few baby quilts this past year where baby pink was specifically requested, so I had plenty light value scraps in my jar as well.

The quilting on this one was a bit of a happy accident.  When I drew the chalk line to guide my quilting, I was so focused on centering the spiral and evenly curving the swoops that I accidentally put both swoops on one side of the quilt, rather than opposing corners.  Yes, I am officially using the word swoop as an honest-to-goodness word these days.   Anyway, if you can believe it, I didn't step back from it and really look at the whole spiral before I started quilting, and I didn't realize it until I had quilted three full lines on the mini.  Yikes!

You know I'm not one to rip things out if I can think of a way to fix it on the fly, so I decided to add a swoop to the other two corners.  So, this one has four!  Now the only thing to do is to make half of the minis one way, and half the other.  Crisis averted!

Even though this dark pink print has navy accents, I decided to go ahead and use it for the backing since I had enough without piecing it together.  Again, on the wall the backing won't matter a bit.  All of this scrappy, swirly texture reminds me of the petals in a full, lush bloom so this one is named Peony.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a few secret sewing projects to finish up, but I've already been sorting my yellows, and I can't wait to get to them.  It's my last warm color!

Okay friends, let's take a look at some of my faves from last week's party.  Check out this Urbanologie quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

Something Rosemade linked up this awesome quilt, and that green background is calling my name!

And this sweet quilt is by Shannon at The Flemings Nine.

Okay, y'all!  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!  :)

February Sponsor News and TWO Giveaways!

Happy February, friends!  It's Valentine's Day week, which means that it's the perfect time to show yourself some fabric love!  I've rounded up the best sales and happenings from my favorite shops on the web, and even a couple of giveaways for you today.

Let's kick off this month's post with the first giveaway, shall we?  At Lady Belle Fabric, there is lots of awesomeness going on.

Right now, you can get 20% off of your entire order with the code winter20.  Plus, Lady Belle is including FREE batting with all longarm services.  That's hard to pass up!

Lady Belle Fabrics is also sponsoring the first giveaway today.  One lucky winner will receive this sweet peachy pink bundle containing 8 perfectly curated fat quarters!

Shabby Fabrics is a great place to shop if you're looking to add just a touch of seasonal decor to your home.  Their Year of Words wall hangings and pillows are fantastic.  This Valentine wall hanging is available as a full kit, or just a pattern. Personally, I find it easier to decorate with pillows, and this one is so cute!        Shabby Fabrics has a wall hanging and pillow design for each month in the year, and best of all, they ensure that these projects are quick and easy for you!  All of the appliqué pieces are pre-fused and laser cut, which means that all you have to do is peel off the paper backing, iron in place, and stitch them down.  So simple!

LouLou's Fabric Shop has plenty of bundles that will put a smile on your face for Valentine's Day, but I think my favorite is this stack of red and white beauties.  I personally love that the colors give a nod to the season, but since they aren't novelties, the prints can easily be mixed with other fabrics.               

Since this is a sale post, I would be remiss if I didn't also let you know that LouLou's sale section is massive.  Yardage, bundles, precuts, kits, patterns- TONS of it on sale with amazing prices.  This Wild Flowers kit has me looking forward to spring!

Finally, over at Fort Worth Fabric Studio, they are definitely looking ahead to spring with two brand new bundles that are so fresh.  These Party in Paradise and Everyday Moments bundles are so pretty, and I love the vibrant colors!

     

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is also sponsoring the final giveaway this month.  Last month, they generously gave away a pair of these rainbow heron embroidery scissors, and the response was so overwhelming that they are giving away another pair to a US winner!  Aren't they awesome?


                           



Okay then!  Before you head off to these amazing shops to see all of the goodies they have to offer, be sure to leave a single comment to enter both giveaways.

If you are not in the US, please let me know!
Remember 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 (February 2oth).  Happy shopping and good luck!  :)
This giveaway has now ended.  Thanks so much to all who entered.  I'll announce the winners at this afternoon's NTT.  

Studio Inspiration and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I don't know if you have noticed this, but I really don't make very many mini quilts.  I don't always know what to do with them, and even though I do have some display space in my studio, I like for the things on my wall to be a bit more cohesive (more on that later).  Because of this, I rarely sign up for swaps and challenges (even though I know I'm missing out on some fun).

Well, when I dove into my blue scraps last week for the BLUE show, I had a little epiphany.  I had so much fun with it, I decided that I'm going to create a giant scrap color wheel on the only available wall in my studio, and I'm SO excited about it.

I decided to pull out my reds next, because I knew the color gradient effect would be a little trickier to pull off.  I figured that if I could make the reds work, then the idea would be a go.  Lighter reds can very easily read as pink, which I tried hard to avoid.  Instead, for the lightest reds on the edge, I chose red prints mixed with lots of white.  It definitely works!  The color gradient shows up well, but the entire mini quilt still looks red.

I'm naming this little quilt Caboose, and I quilted it with the same swooping spiral design as the blue, using 50 wt. Aurifil #2265, Lobster Red.  I didn't mark the beginning spiral first with chalk this time though, so this one is not quite as smooth.  It isn't noticeable on the front, but lesson learned.  I'll mark them from here on out for sure.  The cloudy daylight is also casting some weird shadows making this one look wrinkly on the back, but it really isn't.

So, this wall is where my giant color wheel will go, and right now it is pretty uninspiring-

My original plan for the wall was to create a mini quilt for several of my favorite patterns, using similar colors as the quilt on the cover of each pattern.  Though it seemed like a good idea at the time, after making these four, I just wasn't feeling it.  I really don't like tiny piecing, and the wall was looking too hodge-podgy for my taste.  Without a better idea I just left them up, but now I can't wait to sew and hang my color wheel.  Two down, seven to go.  Stay tuned; orange is already in the works!

Last week's party was amazing.  Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts shared this beautiful quilt, and just look at how it sings against the snowy landscape!

This Fruit Salad quilt by Katie Mae Quilts is super fun.

And finally, this mermaid quilt by Jen at DeJong Dream House is so adorable that I can't stand it!

Okay y'all!  It's time to link up the latest happenings in your sewing space!

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!  :)

Blue Challenge

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends.  I know I've mentioned that my first goal of 2019 is to empty my scrap jars.  It will take awhile, but I'm well on my way.  My Woodwork quilt completely cleared out my grays and greens, and now it's time to move onto other colors.  This week, I pulled out some blues for a specific purpose.  A local arts group is hosting a specially curated quilt show this spring called BLUE.  The show guidelines simply state that the piece should measure exactly 24" x 24", have three stitched layers, and showcase the color blue.  You knew I had to use my scraps and improv for this, right?  Of course I did.  It's kind of my thing.

Though I had the option of adding an accent color, I decided against it.  I played with color gradient to create depth in the center of the piece, which really draws the eye in.  I think that adding another color would have taken away from the effect.  I'm calling this one Abyss, which fits it well, I think.  The spiral quilting is fun, and I swooped each end of the spiral outward to add a little extra swirly texture.

I really didn't want to frame this quilt too much with the binding, so it is pieced with light blue and white solids to carry the improv look all the way to the edge.  It really just disappears, which is exactly what I was hoping for.

It's difficult to see in the photo (though a little easier on the back side), but I actually used three different shades of Aurifil 50 wt. thread, #2783 (Medium Delft Blue), #2815 (Teal), and #2710 (Light Robin's Egg) to quilt it, going from the center of the quilt outward, from darkest to lightest thread color.

The deadline for the show isn't until April 1st, but I figured that I should go ahead and get this done before I use my blues in a bigger project.  And, it's always nice to be ahead of the curve.

So many amazing projects were shared at last week's NTT.  Check out these amazing rubies by LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  I love these and I can't wait to see what they become.

Melanie at A Bit of Scrap Stuff showed off this super adorable quilt.  I love those sweet woodland prints!

And I love the simplicity of this quilt by Leanne at Devoted Quilter.

Y'all, it gets more and more difficult to choose the highlights every week.  Y'all just rock!  So, let's go ahead and 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!  :)

Woodwork

Well friends, the sun finally came out and though the temps were frigid (for Tennessee anyway), I managed to get some photos of my latest quilt finish.

I love everything about this quilt.  The gray and green scraps play so nicely together, and the simple pattern allows them to really shine without the quilt becoming too busy.  Even though the greens are more prominent in the photos, in person, this quilt has an equal amount of gray that really soften it.  The solid strips are Kona Bone, and the creamy color keeps the quilt feeling more natural than a stark white.

I gave a sneak peek of the wood grain quilting at last week's NTT, and I am so excited to really show it off today.  This is only the second time I've done wood grain quilting, and I am so pleased with the way it turned out.  I love that the wood grain follows the vertical design of the pattern, and the soft wavy lines of the motif move so gracefully down the quilt.  Best of all, it adds such fantastic texture.  I quilted it with Aurifil 40 wt. #2311 (Muslin).  I usually use 50 wt. for quilting, but the slightly thicker thread shows up really well.

Even after finishing the top, I had plenty of green and gray scraps left, so I decided to go for the gusto and sew the rest of them up for the backing.  I am happy to report that my green and gray jars are now completely empty.  Woohoo!

I widened out the improv strip on the back with a gray near-solid, and I love the way the scraps (and quilting!) really pop against it.  Before I sewed up all of my greens, I pulled out just enough strips for a scrappy binding.

With shades of green and gray along with the wood grain quilting, this quilt feels a little outdoorsy, so I've decided to call it Woodwork.

If you've vowed to empty your own scrap jars this year, structured improvisation is an easy and fun way to do it!  Afraid of improv?  My book, Stash Statement, gives three different methods for sewing your scraps together, along with twelve full quilt patterns that take the guesswork out for you.  Once you learn the technique, you can apply it to any quilt pattern.  It's easy peasy, and so versatile!

You can get a signed copy in my Etsy shop HERE, or find it on Amazon, Connecting Threads, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.