Fun in the Works and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  If you missed my chat with Pat Sloan on Monday, no worries!  You can listen HERE!  Pat was so much fun to talk to, and you definitely don't want to miss it.  This week, I've also been playing in my scraps.  It seems to be something that I can't stay away from for too long because I enjoy it so much.

This is just the start of something super fun, and I can't wait to get more of it finished.  Can you guess what it will be?

Before we get to last week's party highlights, I owe you two giveaway winners!  First, the winner of the $25 gift card from Lady Belle Fabric is comment number 4, Alison V., and Simply Sarah, comment number 61 is the winner of the adorable Mulberry Lane charm packs from Fort Worth Fabric Studio.  Congrats, ladies!

                                 

 

At last week's party, Louisa at Sewmotion linked up this amazing rainbow quilt.

This beautiful value quilt is by Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

And just look at this gorgeous quilt shared by Liz at Savor Every Stitch.

Y'all are amazing!  I can't wait to see what you have going on 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!  :)

Lots of News and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  Today, I get to share a couple of bits of news with you.  First, I am absolutely ecstatic to let you know that next week, I will be a guest on American Patchwork and Quilting Radio, hosted by Pat Sloan.

Pat and I will be chatting live on Monday afternoon.  The show begins at 3:00 pm CST, and my segment will start at about 3:28 pm CST.  You can listen live on your computer HERE.  You can also subscribe to American Patchwork and Quilting through iTunes, or even download the podcast to a player to listen.  I hope you'll mark your calendars and plan to join us!

Also today, I am happy to announce that my Aloha Sunrise pattern is now available in my Etsy and Craftsy shops.

The fiery, tropical colors in this quilt pack a big punch, and it will look great whether you choose to use solids or prints.  For more information on the exact Kona colors I used in my version, check out my original post on this quilt HERE.  The pattern is written in lap, twin, and queen sizes, and includes detailed step-by-step instructions will full color illustrations.  Best of all, it is created with all straight, traditional piecing methods.  Check it out!

Last week, lots of amazing projects were linked up, including this amazing quilt by Jasmine at Quilt Kisses-

I love this improv top shared by Luna Lovequilts!

and Linda at Kokaquilts showed off this beautiful scrappy HST value quilt-

Y'all just bring the inspiration week after week, so let's do this!

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!  :)

Gift Wrapped

I had a fantastic day on Saturday presenting a trunk show of my Stash Statement quilts and teaching a class to the Music City Modern Quilt Guild in the Nashville area (you can see all of the scrappy goodness from the class on my facebook and Instagram pages). Before I headed out of town though, I managed to finish my Christmas X Plus quilt.

I don't know about you, but I really love to work on Christmas things when the season isn't yet upon us.  Somehow, once Christmas actually gets here- you know, in mid-October in some places, and everything is decked out in red and green, my mind almost gets too saturated with those colors, and I don't enjoy it as much.  So, making this quilt in September felt just right.  I think the X Plus blocks look sort of like beautifully wrapped gifts with bows on top, so I'm calling this one Gift Wrapped.

I used the X Plus measurements in my tutorial HERE to yield a 10" finished block, but instead of using seven different fabrics in each block, I only used four.  With such a limited color palette (just reds, greens, and whites), I opted to use just one consistent fabric the four X pieces, rather than four different prints as most X Plus quilts do.  The look is a little more uniform this way, but still so pretty.    I threw in some metallic gold for a little glam, and it gives some unexpected pop to the quilt.

Since this pattern is busy with several stripe prints adding lots of fantastic movement, I quilted it with an allover stipple, which is still my favorite standby design for letting the piecing and prints really shine.  Of course, it helps that I can practically stipple in my sleep.  It is super relaxing for me.

Since I only had a quarter yard of most of the prints in the quilt, I didn't really have any leftovers for the back, but I found a few other fun Christmas prints that look awesome on the back.  In fact, I wish I had found the peppermint print beforehand so I could have used some on the front.

The darkest green fabric in the quilt is Kona Basil, and when it came time to choose the binding, I decided that a rich, dark frame would contain all of the movement in this quilt very nicely.  It's the perfect Christmas tree green, and I just love it!

This quilt, along my Fall Foliage quilt, have already been sent off to their new home.  So, my friend and his family are all set when the weather starts to get a little chilly.

CMM September Blocks

It's the middle of the month, and that means it's time to share our latest blocks for the Classic Meets Modern QAL, and let me just say that my design wall is officially full of awesomeness.  It's a good thing that we only have a couple more months of blocks left, because I am ready to put this baby together!

I am loving the way these blocks are all looking and I can't wait to finish them so I can start putting the top together.  

The first block this month is the Squash Blossom block, and I love the interesting shape this block makes.  The components of this block are not difficult to sew, but I will say that it took some paying attention on my part to make sure that everything in this block was pointing the correct way.  The resulting block is awesome though, and it's actually the basis for lots of the southwest inspired quilt patterns that are out there.

The second block this month is the Eccentric Star, and it doesn't get much easier that eight HST and a center square.  Even considering its simplicity, the spinning shape of this block is super cool.  

And because I'm a big ole copycat, I couldn't help but steal the brilliant digital planning method that Something Rosemade is using for her blocks.  I finally got around to it this week, and it was so much fun!  Since I have always left a little white space around my blocks in my photos (and I am just too lazy to re-crop every single one), my digital layout isn't quite as neat as hers, but I still love seeing it take shape without actually having it sewn together.  Each digital pattern includes this blank layout guide, so if you want to you can do this as well with any free online photo editor.

Can you believe that we only have one more month of blocks, and then our filler geese and snowballs left before it will be time to put the top together?  I am having a tough time wrapping my head around just how quickly 2018 has flown by so far.

Okay, y'all!  It's time to link up your September blocks!

1.  If you're a little late to the party, it's okay!  You can still join in anytime.  This is a Block of the Month Quilt Along, so we will only be completing two blocks each month.  The pace is leisurely and it will be easy to catch up.  You can get the Classic Meets Modern pattern in my Etsy or Craftsy shops (links on my right sidebar).  As long as you have a finished quilt top at the end of the year, you'll be eligible for the prizes.

2.  Remember, the link party opens on the 15th of each month, and will close at midnight CST on the last day of the month.  You can certainly link to the weekly NTT post if you like, but be sure to link your quilt along blocks to this party, so everyone is sure to see your progress.

3.  You don't have to have a blog to join in!  You can link to an Instagram post, or even a Flickr account.  Use the hashtag #classicmeetsmodernbomqal on Instagram!  If you do have a blog, grab a button to let everyone know you're participating!  You can get the button on my right sidebar.

Christmas X Plus

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  In case you missed it, I posted the finish of my Fall Foliage quilt that I shared at last week's party HERE (quilted with woodgrain!), and I'm pleased to say that my wishful thinking worked like a charm.  We have been given a reprieve from the super hot temperatures for the past few days and it's actually starting to feel more like autumn is on its way.  Well, we all know that after fall comes the most wonderful time of the year, and it will be here before we know it!

As it turns out, this quilt is going to the same friend who is receiving the Fall Foliage quilt.  His family just loves my quilts and they decided they needed one for Christmas.  In fact, this will be the fourth quilt of mine that they own.  They already have an LSU Stacked Squares quilt for football season, as well as a Mardi Gras diamond quilt.  Since the Mardi Gras season follows right after Christmas (beginning on January 6th) and lasts through the start of lent, they will officially have the fall and winter seasons covered with quilts!  It makes me so happy to know that they love them so much.

It appears I'm not the only one getting in the Christmas spirit!  Sew Preeti Quilts shared this fun Modern Christmas Trees quilt-

Bambi Quilts shared this lovely Farfalle butterfly quilt-

Vasudha at Storied Quilts linked up this cool quilt.  Be sure to check out her amazing quilting on it.

and finally, this cool Oklahoma quilt is by Katie Mae Quilts.  What a neat way to show team spirit-

Y'all rock, friends!  I can't wait to see what you share 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!  :)

Fall Foliage

My Fall Foliage quilt is finished and I am so excited to share it.  If you missed my last post, this quilt is destined for someone who loves everything about the fall season.  The muted palette of this quilt is way outside of the norm for me but it definitely screams autumn, and I know she is going to love it.

The scattered maple leaf blocks finish at 16 inches and 8 inches, and I designed them with plenty of negative space to keep them looking like they are floating gracefully down the quilt.  I love how the Kona Khaki background makes the quilt look very woodsy.

I decided to make my maple leaves with eight points.  I think the shape is a little less chunky than the more traditional maple leaf block, even though that meant lots more points to worry about.  As much as I love the shape and layout of the leaves, my favorite part of this quilt is the woodgrain quilting.

I knew deep down that this quilt needed the woodgrain motif, but I was apprehensive about it because I had never even tried it.  After quilting a practice quilt sandwich, I decided to just do it, and hoped that the organic nature of the design would hide any imperfections.  I am so glad I did, because I absolutely LOVE how it turned out and it adds so much to the quilt.  It is quilted with 50 wt. Aurifil Beige, #2314.

On the back, I used all of my scraps, along with a stripe of Kona Khaki, and a pretty leaf print.  Since I wanted the leaves to look more natural on the front, I stuck with tonal fabrics and didn't actually use any fall novelty prints.  I figured that the back was a good place for one.

This maroon woodgrain print echoes the quilting motif perfectly, and creates an awesome frame for the quilt.  This finished quilt measures 54" x 72", so it is a really great lap size and will be a perfect addition to their home.  I can't wait to ship it out!

Wishful Thinking and NTT

Lord, please rescue me from this heat!  Even though it is September, the heat index has continued to hover close to 100 degrees every day and let me just say that I am OVER. IT.  I want sweaters and boots, crisp temperatures, and pumpkin spice everything.  Like, yesterday.  But alas, I am in the South, and that won't actually become a reality here for about another month, so my latest quilt is just wishful thinking.

This quilt is for a friend from college whose wife loves all things autumn.  They were married in the fall, and he asked me to make a quilt that he could give to her for their anniversary.  I designed these maple leaves to scatter across the quilt, and chose a Kona Khaki background to keep it looking very rustic.

I have a special plan for quilting this one (a new motif for me that I think will look perfect), and I can't wait to get it all quilted up!

Before we link up, take a look at some of the projects from last week that really caught my eye- there are so many awesome ones!  This Pantone Challenge Ultra Violet quilt by Sarah Goer Quilts is amazing.  Just look at that graffiti quilting!

Jen at de Jong Dream House shared this lovely wedding quilt-

Sandra at mmm! quilts shared this fun Movin' On Up quilt.-

This gorgeous pickle dish quilt is by Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-

This fun, scrappy HST quilt is by Sarah at 9658 Textiles: Quilting-

Barb at Mountain Quiltworks showed off this beautifully modern quilt top-

Barbora at skalabara quilts linked up this striking cross tile quilt-

And finally, Jayne at Twiggy and Opal shared this stunning quilt made with all shot cottons!  Check out her post for close ups of those awesome little twists.

Wow.  I went a little crazy on the highlights this week (I think it's the most I've ever shared), but I couldn't help myself.  Y'all rock!  Okie dokie, friends.  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!  :)