Folk Dance Encore and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  With my roses in full bloom, it's my very favorite time of year to take quilt pictures, so I hope you'll indulge this slightly picture-heavy post.

As I mentioned in my last post, this quilt is a remake of my original Folk Dance quilt, and I'm keeping this one as a class sample, as well as for trunk shows (pattern available HERE and HERE).

I thought a dense, allover flower quilting motif would compliment the Anna Maria Horner fabrics nicely, and I have to say- I am as proud of this quilting as any I've ever done.  I even had a quilty friend ask if I had bought a longarm machine.  Nope- all quilted on my domestic BERNINA, but I take that as a huge compliment!

Even though I used 25 different prints in this quilt, I am saving the remainder of these fat quarters for a king size quilt for my bed.  I did use the smallest leftover pieces on the backing though, and it adds just a little bit of flair.

This quilt has a full rainbow of color, so I could have chosen almost any color binding.  This Kona Oasis was already in my stash, and I love how it frames the twirling skirt blocks, so it was a no-brainer.

Okie dokie, friends!  I owe you some winners from last week's April sponsor post!  First up, the two winners of the adorable Hello Spring embroidery from Fort Worth Fabric Studio are comments 20 (Lee), and 16 (Mary).

 

Next, the winner of the $25 gift card to LouLou's Fabric Shop is comment number 52 (Angela Bowling).

And last, but certainly not least, the winner of the $25 gift certificate to Lady Belle Fabrics is comment number 34 (Susan L.).  Congratulations to all four of you, and happy stitching and shopping!

Time to check out the eye-candy from last week's party!  This stunner is by Cyndi at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework-

Katie Mae Quilts shared this lovely quilt.  Definitely check out the post for some close ups of the quilt, but I couldn't resist including this gorgeous rainbow shot here.

Speaking of beautiful photos, check out this quilt from Elm Street Quilts.  A gorgeous quilt, and I love the beautiful setting!

The talent showcased at NTT week after week is simply amazing.  Without further ado, 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!  :)

Back At It, and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  Well, my quilts, manuscript, and other materials for my book have been shipped out to Martingale, and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted right off my shoulders.  Though I'm sure I'll have plenty of contact with my editor and some revisions to do before the book is released next spring, I'll be getting much more sewing time now that the big push is over.  Woohoo!

After all of that work, I needed some fast, fresh inspiration.  Anna Maria Horner to the rescue!  I've been hoarding AMH prints for the past several months for an eventual king size quilt for my bed.  By hoarding, I mean that I have amassed 120 different fat quarters (umm, that's 30 yards of fabric- yikes!), and though I am not quite ready to tackle a giant quilt right now, I couldn't help but cut into several of them.  This quilt is my Folk Dance pattern, designed to look like bright, twirling skirts, and it took just over a fat eighth of 25 different prints (including a couple of Amy Butler fabrics for good measure).  I sold my original Folk Dance quilt before I began teaching quilt classes and presenting trunk shows, so a remake was in order, and these prints were the perfect choice for a celebration quilt.

It also occurred to me that I never got the chance to share this fun mini with you here.  My guild organizes a couple of swaps each year, each with different themes, and they are always SO fun!  The theme for this particular swap was Savvy Solids.

This mini has 24 different solids and each strip only measures 3/4" wide, making the entire mini 18 inches square.  Most are Kona colors, but there are a few Moda Bella solids, and even a couple of Cloud 9 Cirrus solids as well.  I quilted it very densely and matched the thread as closely as possible to each solid.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the thread actually makes its own soft rainbow in the background.  I love this little mini so much that I almost kept it for myself (and I definitely plan to make a second one someday), but it makes me happy to know that the recipient truly loves it.

Don't feel sad for me though, because the swap mini I received flat-out rocks!  I was lucky enough to receive this mini made by prolific modern art quilter Paula Kovarik, who is also a member of our guild.

So, let's get down to the eye-candy from last week's party!  This improv sampler from Diann at Little Penguin Quilts is awesome!

Just look at this fantastic mini created by Lori at Crossquilt.  Lori is one of my guild friends, and I always love getting to see her projects in person.

Check out the Grape Fizz quilt from Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty.  It's gorgeous, and the addition of the single print amongst the solids is a great design choice.

And I just can't help but share this improv quilt with stunning quilting by Mary at Fleur de Lis Quilts. Be sure to check out her post for close-ups of the quilting.

Wow, friends!  I am floored by your amazing work week after week.  This week, it was particularly difficult to choose features.  I hope you're having lots of fun in your sewing space this week, too.  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!  :)

Needle and Thread Thursday

Happy NTT!  The weeks are moving right along these days.  I can't believe it's almost Easter!  This past week, I have had my nose to the grindstone, getting all of my book stuff ready to send to Martingale.  I have just one last thing to check off of my list, and then everything will be on its way.  That being said, there hasn't been a lot of sewing going on around here for the past several days.  So, I've decided to just go crazy with highlights from last week.


This Rainbow Rose mini is by Sevenoaks Street Quilts.  You know I can't resist a rainbow!

Look at this sweet Jack and Jill quilt set by Sew Preeti Quilts-

This cute and scrappy quilt is by Teje at Nero's Post-

The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts shared this fun jelly roll quilt-

This amazing whole cloth quilt is by Jess at Quilty Habit-

Sewgiving linked up this lovely quilt, and the setting is so picturesque!

I told you I was going to go crazy!  Last week's party was so amazing, and I just didn't want to narrow it down!  Alrighty 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!  :)

Anniversary Quilt and NTT

Welcome to the downhill slide of another week, friends!  Spring has definitely sprung, and around my house, that means evenings and weekends at the baseball field and enjoying the perfect temperatures as much as possible.  Today, I have a finished anniversary quilt to share with you.  My friend's parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this month, and my friend asked me to make a special quilt for them (for privacy reasons, I've blurred their identifying info that is embroidered in the center of the quilt.

This quilt was a long time in the making (for me, anyway).  My friend wanted the quilt to be personal and represent their family members, and she actually began collecting the handprints at Thanksgiving and Christmas last year!

She traced each family member's handprint onto Heat n Bond Lite, wrote their names on them, and mailed all of them to me.  She fell in love with the Dixie fabric collection by Allison Harris, and I think these cheery fabrics are perfectly lovely in this quilt.  I constructed the quilt in 12 inch blocks, fitting the handprints around the center.  I was even able to arrange the handprints by family group.

On the back, I used all of the leftovers, and used a navy tonal fabric to widen it out.  Wide-ish stippling kept me from quilting through the handprints and embroidery too much, and I chose a red binding to frame it out.  It's not my usual type of quilt, but I'm so happy I was able to make this quilt for my friend, and I do love the Dixie fabrics.

Last week's party rocked, and I have the highlights to prove it!  Look at this improv string diamond quilt by The Lilac Cat!

This fun quilt is by Quilting is More Fun Than Housework-

and oh my goodness, this little mini by Slice of Pi Quilts is awesome!

and because I can't help myself, I have to share another mini by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal.  What a cool twist on the pattern!

I can't wait to see what's going on at your machine this week!  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!  :)