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Saturday, January 30, 2016

Interference and a New Venture

As big as this quilt is (88" x 99"), it was really fun to make.  I don't often feel that way about queen-sized quilts because they are just so heavy and difficult to maneuver through my machine.  Well, cumbersome or not, this quilt includes the most stunning combination of colors, and even though I worried at first that it might be a little too dark, once I started pulling the fabrics, I was smitten with them.


The direction of the strips creates a cool, disjointed look, kind of like the quilt has been scrambled, and I've decided to name the quilt and pattern Interference.  The block is pretty straightforward, but I love the effect.


I must say that the trickiest part of this quilt was finding enough fabric variety in that shade of dark berry, which is in that perfect sweet spot between pink and purple (navy, aqua, gray, and teal were easy).  Not very long ago, that berry color seemed to be everywhere, but not so much now.  Everything I found in my local shops was either too pink, too red, or too purple.  I ended up ordering a few things online and hoping for the best, but also consulting with one of the best local sources of awesome, modern fabric I know- Janet at Simply Pieced. That girl has a stash that can make you go weak in the knees, and unless she is saving fabric for a specific project, she is always willing to stash-swap to help out a friend.

Although Janet has stepped back from her blog a little bit lately, she is still very involved in our local guild activities, and I knew she would come to the rescue in my hour of fabric need.  And let me tell you- she did not disappoint.  Many of the berry fabrics in this quilt are from her.


I used the leftover WOF strips on the backing, because you know I can't help myself.  I have to have lots and lots of print variety, which means lots and lots of leftovers.  Without a solid plan to use all of that fabric, I might have to start buying less (not going to happen).


And on the binding, there's that beautiful berry again.  Kona Berry to be precise, which is the deepest shade of berry in the quilt.  I thought that binding in the deepest shade would contain some of the crazy going on in the quilt, and I think it definitely does!

The Interference pattern is already in the works, and here's a peek at the cover!


So...the new venture.  You know, sometimes an idea just has to stew until it's good and ready to be shared, and I've been stewing on this one for quite awhile.  I don't know if you've noticed (because it has only been there for a couple of days), but I have a new "Teaching" page button.  I have decided to start presenting lectures/trunk shows, and classes, because you know, I am a teacher, after all!  Several people have asked me about it over the past few months, and I just had to wrap my head around it before jumping in. That being said, I would love to be able to present/teach at one of your guild meetings or retreats, meet you in person, and create something amazing.  Just send me an email for details.  You can check out the lectures/trunk shows and classes I'm offering HERE.  Happy weekend, all!


Thursday, January 28, 2016

As Promised

I just couldn't help myself.  I really love the Gemstones quilt that I finished last week, so the thought of leaving the less than stellar pictures was definitely not an option.  As tempted as I was to go back and edit last week's post to replace the rainy weather, indoor photos with the ones I took in the glorious sunshine today, I decided that another quick (mostly wordless) post was in order to really show this finish.

If you want to read the full story on this quilt, my pattern, the fabrics, and my temptation with the binding, you can read the original post HERE, but today's post is all about the photos.








I love, love, LOVE this quilt, and I'm so glad I was finally able to get some pictures of it that really do the colors justice.



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

NTT and a Wedding Quilt

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  I have been working on a huge quilt for a friend for the past several days.  She is getting married in a couple of months, and she and her fiancĂ© asked for a quilt made in the colors they are using in their wedding, to use on their bed in their home when they are married.  Remember that luscious berry fabric that tempted me so much with the binding of my Gemstones quilt?  Well, this was its intended purpose-


When someone has very specific colors in mind for a quilt, I always ask for photographs including the colors and style they like, or I even have them create a pinterest board to be sure that the vision they have in their mind matches my own.  Color can be so tricky to describe with words, because descriptors like light, soft, dark, deep, bright, and muted are so subjective.  The way these words are interpreted can change the look of the entire quilt.

Lately, I've found that asking for paint chips in the desired colors is a great way to make sure that the colors I include are exactly what a client wants.  While shopping for fabric, the paint chips are easy to hold against the bolts to make sure that my choices are just the right shades, and I can keep them clipped to the project notes in my planner so they're always at hand.  Another great thing about the paint chips is that they also include several shades within the same color family.  We all know that without some variation in colors, a quilt ends up looking flat, so those additional shades are important to give the quilt enough contrast.

*Edited to add (since several have asked, and I can't believe I forgot to mention it)- Yes!  I am already working on the pattern for this quilt!  I am calling it Interference.

The paint chips for this quilt included navy, aqua, teal, and gray, but my friend asked if I could include one additional color to add some pop.  I gave a few options that I thought would look pretty with the palette, but we both decided that this shade of rich berry was perfect.  Berry is a tricky color, because it's hard to go lighter without it looking too pink or purple, but I do love how well these colors play together.  I can't wait for her to see it!

There was all kinds of awesomeness linked up at last week's NTT.   Here's a little sampling some of that amazing creativity!  These diamonds by Sew Preeti Quilts are absolutely gorgeous!


Young Texan Mama's Advent Calendar finish is too cute!  I love seeing Christmas projects pop up throughout the year!


and The Easy Quilter showed off several charity quilt tops in her post, but this scrappy rainbow bowtie is my favorite by far!


Okay y'all;  it's time to party!  Just remember-

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!

*Welcome to any new quilty friends joining this week's 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!  :)


Saturday, January 23, 2016

I Owe You Some Winners!

Winner, winner, winner!  I get to announce three giveaway winners today!  Just an FYI- when I have more than one giveaway in a post, I always choose the winners in the order that the giveaways were listed in my original post.  So, let's get to it!

First, the charm pack of Lil' Red, generously provided by Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  The winner is comment number 73, OhioLori!


Would love the Lil' Red!! the fabrics are Awesome! & the lil' Grangirlie here asked if I could make her that doll.. Awww,,,gotta bless her for sure! Love the My Lil'Lady too! Thanks for chance to win any of the Prizes..such an amazing give-a-way! 
ReplyDelete




Next, the winner of the $75 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop is Chiska, comment number 60.


                 ChiskaJanuary 16, 2016 at 8:20 AM
                   Oh I love lil red! So much to wish for!
                   ReplyDelete
   







And finally, Anita, comment number 48, is the winner of the $100 gift certificate from FinerRibbon!


All the prizes are great, but I like the labels best!
ReplyDelete







Congratulations to all of you, ladies!  These really are some awesome prizes.  I'll be contacting you by email soon about your goodies!


Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Gemstones and NTT

As far as I'm concerned, 33 degrees and drizzling is just about the most unfair weather ever.  All of the bitter cold, and none of the fun (yes, my Northern US and Canadian friends, I do know that is probably balmy for some of you right now, haha!).  Just one tiny degree means the difference between the nasty weather we have here today, from a beautiful blanket of snow.  Of course, that also means the difference between a pristine snowy backdrop to show off the vibrant colors in my latest quilt finish, or dull inside pictures.  Clearly, you can see what I had to go with.


The larger-scale prints and bold colors in these Flora fabrics are so gorgeous, and I really love how the size of the blocks kept those lovely prints intact, which is always a plus.  By the way, you can find the Baubles pattern in my Craftsy shop HERE and also in my Etsy shop HERE.


On the back of the quilt, I used up all of my leftovers.  I used 24 different prints instead of the 16 that the pattern requires, specifically so that I would have some extra bits (okay, a little more than bits) for the backing.  That, and it's just too hard to choose which prints to exclude.  I did end up having to add that golden yellow print to the scraps to make the best use of every bit of the Flora.  Without the addition of the yellow, I wouldn't have had enough fabric for two complete columns (but way more than enough for one), and several fabrics would have gone into my scrap jars.  It looks solid in the photo, but this fabric is from Art Gallery's Cultivate collection-


The other part of the backing that I want you to see up close is the gray fabric that I used to widen the backing.  It is a Cloud 9 organic fabric, and it is a shot cotton.  It's kind of like an Oakshott, but much more subtle.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a shot cotton is a fabric that has one color thread for the warp (the lengthwise threads that provide structure to the fabric), and another color for the weft (the threads that are woven over and under the warp threads).  When those two thread colors are very different, as in Oakshotts, the fabric looks iridescent and almost seems to shimmer, even though it is 100% cotton.  It is quite striking.  This particular fabric is shot in two shades of gray, so it doesn't take on the iridescent quality of an Oakshott cotton, but it definitely doesn't look flat in person.

My JoAnn's actually carries Cloud 9 fabrics in their designer fabric section, and I managed to score a remnant that was just an inch shy of a whole yard!  They come in several different colors, and if your JoAnn's doesn't carry them, you can find them on fabric.com and Hawthorne Threads (not sponsors, just passing on helpful tidbits).  This collection of shot cottons is called the Cirrus collection.


As soon as I saw the Flora fabrics and started planning my quilt, I had this fabric in mind for the binding.  It is from the Fantasia line, and I thought it would be a spot-on match for the sherbet orange in these fabrics.  When I saw them together, my hunch was confirmed, so I went ahead and made my binding, thinking that I was way ahead of the game.


Soooo... I wasn't wrong.  It IS a perfect match... but then this happened-


I ordered several berry colored fabrics for an upcoming quilt, and they arrived last night.  As I unpacked them and laid them out right next to this quilt, I fell in love with the way the rich berry color complimented these prints.  Look how awesome that berry sketch looks with the Flora fabrics!  I really cursed the fact that my binding was already made, and since I don't have any upcoming quilts with orange, I knew I couldn't immediately use the binding elsewhere.  It took every bit of responsible quilter fortitude to go ahead and use that orange binding so it wasn't wasted, but I did it.  Rest assured, my next quilt WILL have a berry binding!

I am just itching to get some really good outdoor photos of this quilt, so don't be surprised if you see a couple of them pop up in another post!

So, let's move along to last week's features, shall we?  By the way, I haven't said this in awhile, if you're featured on NTT, feel free to grab a "Featured" button for your blog if you'd like!

Sue Daurio's Quilting Adventure shared this fun, bright tumbler quilt (plus a couple of super cute, modern baby quilts within her post)-


Christine at Triangles and Squares linked up this fantastically fresh quilt, made with Kate Spain's Jingle-


And I am loving that orchid color in this quilt by Shannon of The Fleming's Nine-


It's almost time to party!  Just one last bit of business before we get down to it.  There are three amazing giveaways going on right now, and if you haven't yet, you can enter HERE.

Party time!!  Show me what you've got!

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!

*Welcome to any new quilty friends joining this week's 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!  :)




Monday, January 18, 2016

Flora Baubles and News!

Happy Monday, friends! Today, the temperature never made it out of the mid-twenties, and let me tell you- that's cold for the south!  I took the opportunity to stay inside in the warmth and finish up a new quilt top.


This is made with Joel Dewberry's Flora collection, and the colors in this line are truly delectable.  The palette is really unique, and so vivid.  I have been wanting to make another quilt in my Baubles pattern for awhile, and when I saw these fabrics, I knew they were perfect.

With the Baubles pattern, I had the option of a vertical or horizontal layout, and unlike the pattern cover quilt, I decided to arrange the blocks vertically.  I think they look like jewels!  I can't wait to finish this one up!



I have another bit of wonderful news to share with you as well.  I am delighted to welcome back Southern Fabric as a sponsor!   A few years ago, when I first began reading modern quilting blogs and fell in love with modern fabrics, Southern Fabrics was one of the first shops I found.  I loved the shop right away, and I still enjoy shopping there today!

Southern Fabric has an amazing selection of precuts, bundles, yardage, kits, patterns, notions...you get the idea.  Their selection is just huge!

Southern Fabric stocks Art Gallery, Free Spirit, Riley Blake, Moda, Cotton and Steel...and the list goes on and on.  Like I said- HUGE selection.

They offer super fast $5 flat-rate shipping, with free shipping for orders over $150, and great customer service to boot.

With such a plethora of fabric choices, it's no surprise that you can really get lost in Southern Fabric's clearance section!  There really are some amazing deals to be had.


Southern Fabric is home to the Daily Deal, which is a ridiculously low price on a different item each day.  Today's Daily Deal happens to be a Wanderer charm pack for $1.82!

Additionally, Southern Fabric regularly sends out coupon codes for subscribers to their email list.  Just so you know that it's worth your while, today's code is in honor of MLK Day, and is for 25% off store wide, and this does include pre-sale and clearance items!  The code is mlk.

                   Southern Fabric


There is just one last thing I want to share with you before you hop off to take advantage of that discount code!  Southern Fabric is home to several fabric clubs, and they are starting a brand new one.  Each month, a bundle of 12 coordinating prints will be sent out to club members, chosen by a different Sew-lebrity each month!  Of course, membership in this club entitles you to a discount on these bundles!  The club has a limited number of spots available, so go check out all of the details (including the list of Sew-lebrities) HERE!

Wow!  So much awesomeness in one place!  If you've never shopped with Southern Fabric, you definitely need to check them out!



Friday, January 15, 2016

Fabric Enabling and Three Giveaways!

Happy Friday, all!  I'm going to start this post out with a little disclaimer.  If you made a New Year's resolution to stop buying fabric, then this is probably not the post for you.  The way I see it though, when amazing fabric is available at an amazing price, it is fiscally irresponsible to NOT take advantage of it.  That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it.  Of course, this post also includes giveaways from three amazing shops, so feel free to keep on reading guilt-free for a chance to win some quilty goodies!  This post is jam-packed, so let's dive right in!

To kick off this month's post, I have the honor of introducing my newest sponsor, LouLou's Fabric Shop!  LouLou's is a new discovery for me, and I can tell that I'll be visiting often!


LouLou's has an amazing selection of fabrics from a wide variety of designers, including precuts, bundles, and yardage- all at great prices.

There are a couple of fun things that LouLou's does that help them stand out-

*Daily Deals- sometimes the deal is on a certain product, sometimes it's on a specific collection, and other times it's on an entire category, but it's always a steal!  LouLou's promotes the Daily Deal on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as the Daily Deal tab on the shop site.  Today's Daily Deal is on a FQ bundle of Lucky Star!


*Monthly Giveaway- LouLou's also gives away an awesome prize each month.  Details on entering are available on the Giveaway tab of their shop.  This month's goodie is a FQ bundle of Farm Girl.

*Preorder Deals- you can save 10% on preorders by using the code preorder, and LouLou's even offers the option to pay in installments for upcoming collections.  That is certainly unique and helpful when you know you'll want a giant bundle!

All of the fantastic deals and giveaways that LouLou's offers are widely advertised on social media, so you'll definitely want to follow them through at least one of those outlets so you don't miss out!


LouLou’s Fabric Shop



LouLou's Fabric Shop is kindly offering a coupon for 15% off for my readers using the code quiltinfatuation.  This code will be good through next Friday!  You definitely need to hop over there and spend some time in this fun shop!




There is lots going on at Fort Worth Fabric Studio, including a couple of great sales and an adorable new collection. If you've never shopped at FWFS, you're in for a treat.

There are currently some spectacular sales to be had at Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  Right now, Modern Country by Wyndham Fabrics is $5.55 per yard with no code needed!  These are really beautiful low volume prints.

The next sale is what really has me drooling, though.  Hello Darling is 35% off from now through January 21st with the code HELLO35!  I don't know if I can pass up such a deal on these fresh, gorgeous fabrics!

                              Fort Worth Fabric Studio

The latest collection in stock is Moda's Lil' Red.  What an adorable collection!  The colors and prints almost has a vintage look, which really is a perfect representation of a timeless fairy tale.  So sweet!  FWFS has the entire collection plus charm packs!

Speaking of charm packs, Fort Worth Fabric Studio is generously giving away a charm pack of the Lil' Red collection, so you can get a look at all of these precious prints!       


Up next is Shabby Fabrics!  Shabby Fabrics has a huge selection of kits, bundles, precuts, and yardage, and their sale section is huge!



Just to give you an idea of what I mean- currently there are 87 different collections on sale- 87!  I have put together a little collage of a few of my favorite lines on sale, but you can look HERE to see all 87.  From this page, you can view a text or picture listing of all of the sale collections, and only look at the fabrics that you want to see.

                   





Shabby Fabrics has several new collections right now, including Farm Girl and Lil' Red, but one of my favorites has to be My Lil Lady.  The colors are so bright and cheerful, and they make me long for warmer spring weather to get here soon!




Another new one I love is Soho Calico.  These prints are available in several rich color ways, and are a fresh take on smaller florals!


          Shabby Fabrics



Fat Quarter Shop is always full of fun news, and they also happen to be sponsoring the second giveaway of the day, so read on!


You can join Fat Quarter Shop on the Crossroads Quilt Along right now!  This quilt along benefits the March of Dimes, whose mission is to prevent premature births. As the mom of a preemie born at 31 weeks gestation, and weighing only 3 lbs. 10 oz, this organization is near and dear to my heart!

There are a limited number of quilt kits and pieced backing sets available, using the Strawberry Fields Revisited collection by Fig Tree Quilts, so you can jump right in!  If you'd prefer to use your own fabrics, that's fine too!  The fabric requirements are available starting today.

                          Fat Quarter Shop





If you're just itching to be an over-achiever, you can get a head start on your holiday projects for next year.  The Holiday Wishes book is available for preorder now, and will arrive in the Spring.  The book contains 12 different Christmas projects for every room in your home!

Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring our second giveaway, and it is a great one!  They are offering a $75 gift certificate to one lucky reader to spend however you wish!  Keep reading for details on how to enter!







Last week, I welcomed Five Monkey Fabrics as a sponsor, but in case you missed it, I want to include a recap for you!



Five Monkey Fabrics offers beautiful bundles and yardage from a wide variety of designers at fantastic prices!

Their customer service is wonderful, and their shipping is quick and cheap.  In fact, for all orders over $50, shipping is free with the code FREESHIP!  



We all love a good sale, don't we?  Well, the sale section at Five Monkey Fabrics is filled with beautiful fabrics at rock bottom prices.  Some of their fat quarters are only $1.50!  This is just a small sampling of some of the beauties that are available in the sale section!   You really need to check it out!


           Five Monkey Fabrics


There are plenty of happenings at Lady Belle Fabrics as well!

The latest collections include the brand new Cotton and Steel Cat Lady, as well as Fig Tree's Strawberry Fields Revisited, and sweet Lil' Red (including the doll panels!).

          




Lady Belle is also extending their offer of free shipping for US orders with the code freeship for another week, so definitely take advantage of it!

Another steal that you can't pass up is their Aurifil thread sale!  There are several thread boxes, as well as some single spools, including my personal favorite, 50 wt white, on sale for
prices that you just can't beat!  Don't miss out!
                       Lady Belle Fabric

Last, but certainly not least, is Finer Ribbon.  You all know how much I love my custom labels.  I love the professional touch they add to my quilts, and designing them couldn't have been easier!

These labels are full color, machine washable, and very soft!  The designers at Finer Ribbon worked with me to make sure that my text and logo appeared exactly as I envisioned.  In fact, they even sent a proof that was perfectly to scale. I was able to print the proof, cut it out and fold it, and see exactly how my labels would look before printing!

                 FinerRibbon





The labels I ordered are listed HERE, but please note a couple of important points.

*My labels are 2.25 inches wide.  You have to select the size you want, as the smaller sizes won't really work for quilts.

*My logo and text are printed from side to side on the ribbon, rather than running the length of the label as shown in the example on the website.







Having the label printed from side to side allowed me to utilize the space on the back side of the ribbon for laundry care symbols!

The spool of labels includes lines for cutting, so when I'm finishing a quilt, I can easily cut one off and sew it underneath the binding on the back side.

There are 1000 labels on one spool, so that works out to less than 10 cents per label.  Even if you know you could never use all of them, that's still a great deal!


Finer Ribbon is sponsoring the final giveaway of the day, and it is a doozie!  They are offering a $100 gift certificate to their shop!  You can use it on a spool of labels, or on any of their other products!

So, with all three of the giveaways from my generous sponsors, I know you all want to know how to enter!  Well, it really couldn't be easier!  Just leave a comment on this post to let me know what bit of quilty goodness has really caught your eye!  Please be sure you leave an email address so that I can contact you if you are a no-reply blogger!  I'll announce the winners next Saturday morning, 1/23.  Good luck to all, and happy shopping!

This giveaway has now closed.  Thank you SO much to all who entered.  If you didn't get a chance to enter, just know that I post fabric deals and giveaways every single month.  Be sure to subscribe by email or blog reader so you don't miss out!  :)





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