Page Buttons

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Bonus Quilt and NTT

Hey there, friends!  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday.  This week, I've been playing with scraps from my Blossoms and Buds quilt to make this little baby quilt top (and y'all know scraps are my favorite).  

After looking at my leftovers, the shortest strips were 11.5", and my most narrow ones were right at 2", so to make the greatest number of useable pieces, I trimmed all of them to 2" x 11.5".  I had a chunk of Kona Bone in my stash, and it's the perfect complement for all of these saturated colors.  The finished top measures 36" x 44", and when it's finished, this sweet little quilt will be perfect for donating to our local children's hospital (one of our guild outreach programs).

When I have enough scraps from one of my larger quilts, I try to use them immediately rather than adding all of them to my scrap jars.  I can usually finish these little quilts quilt from my stash, and it's always fun to get these "bonus quilts."  They're quick and easy, and I know the families of the preemies and infants who receive them are so appreciative.  

Since I make pieced backs with the majority of my leftovers and bonus quilts when I can, I end up adding very few scraps to my scrap jars.  Gotta keep those scraps in check! 

Without further ado, let's get right to the highlights from last week!  Sally at Crafts, Cavies, and Cooking shared this beauty-


I love this cheerful quilt by Gretchen's Little Corner-


JanineMarie at Quilts From the Little House linked up this pretty quilt-


This lovely quilt is from Quilting Gail-


And finally, Turid at Den syende himmel showed off this stunner-


Okay friends, let's get our party going!

1You 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 within your 
    post.  
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!  :)



Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Back From TX and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I had the very BEST time presenting a trunk show and teaching a class to the Golden Triangle Quilt Guild in Beaumont, TX last week.  They are a such a friendly, talented group, and made me feel so very welcome.  I have said many times that I always have so much fun teaching that I'm terrible at remembering to take photos, and this time was no different.  I do have a few though!  

I taught scrappy improv piecing using the Churn, Churn, Churn class from my book Scrappy Improv Quilting, and I always love to see how others interpret my patterns.  Here are a few-

Michelle decided to add a fourth churn dash layer to the pattern to make a 48" square quilt.  She is toying with the idea of adding a fifth one too!  Because the color gradient is spread out between more than three layers, it is very gradual.  The inner churn dash is whisper-soft.


Lisa decided to use color theory to put her own twist on the quilt.  This one is aptly named Yellow and Blue Make Green!


And I love Melinda's soothing shades of blue.






My lovely hostess, Melinda, and me!  Since we moved from Texas to Tennessee fifteen years ago, I never quite get my fill of real TexMex, so Melinda was happy to grant that request for lunch.  YUM!






My face makes the weirdest expressions when I'm talking, lol!








There were 16 students in the class, and we had a blast!










And, since I have family in the Houston area (and I flew in and out of Houston), I was able to squeeze in a little visit with them as well.  It was such a fun trip!  

Is your guild looking for a fun and inspiring class for 2024 or 2025?  Please reach out!  I would love to share more information with you, and I would love to come visit your guild!

Oh, and one other thing happened that I haven't shared with you.  The release isn't until mid-June, but I was able to put my hands on this advance copy of my book!  Eek!!!  Not a great photo, but it's just so, SO exciting to finally see it come together in print.



Okay, y'all!  it's time to share some eye-candy from last week's party!  Like this stunning quilt from Kris at Sew Sunshine.  


This gorgeous quilt is by quiltingbydawn-


Gretchen's Little Corner linked up this lovely quilt top-


This striking quilt was shared by JanineMarie at Quilts From the Little House-


And this little quilt is also from Kris at Sew Sunshine, and I just couldn't help but share it as well-


Are y'all ready to party?  Let's do it!

1You 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 within your 
    post.  
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!  :)



Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Spring Break Teaching and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  At the moment this post publishes, I will be on a plane traveling to visit the Golden Triangle Quilt Guild in Beaumont, TX (thank goodness for scheduled posts!). I'll be presenting a trunk show and a full-day class with the Churn, Churn, Churn pattern from my book, Scrappy Improv Quilting.  

This week, I haven't sewn a single stitch.  I've been preparing for my trip and enjoying relaxed time with my son, who is on his very last Spring Break of high school.  We've rented his tux for his last prom, taken the dog on leisurely walks, eaten lunch together, had some great conversations, and I've even watched him play a video game he thought I would appreciate (it is strongly based in Greek and Roman mythology, so he was right).  Nothing earth-shattering, but quality time well-spent.  Mommas of little ones, the years really are shorter than you think.  I know that's an obnoxious thing that all of us "moms of older kids" say, but it really is true.  Even still, if you're raising littles, I know you won't fully appreciate that fact until you're here.  I know I didn't.

So, let's get right to the highlights from last week, shall we?  I absolutely LOVE this scrappy quilt by Sew Preeti, and the photo with those spring daffodils- so gorgeous!


And speaking of spring backdrops, take a look at this lovely quilt by Julie's Quilts and Costumes- and those stunning azaleas!


LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color shared this finished beauty.  That wash of color is so soothing.


Hooray for Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room, who won a ribbon with this beautiful quilt-


And finally, Karen at Quilts...etc. linked up her progress on this cozy quilt top-


Y'all are just amazing!  You give me so much inspiration, week after week.  So, let's get our party on!

1You 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 within your 
    post.  
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!  :)




Tuesday, March 14, 2023

March Sponsor News!

It's the middle of March, and you know what that means!  It's time to round up the latest news from my very favorite shops.  Let's jump right in!


First up is Lady Belle Fabric, and the biggest news here is that the shop is CLOSED for maternity leave!  That's right; they're welcoming a new little one and are taking a much needed break to get adjusted.  Don't worry though, they'll be back to fulfilling orders after April 17th, and you can get all your beauties then!

               Lady Belle Fabric











At Fort Worth Fabric Studio, there are always lots of fun things going on.  Right now, their March Bargains and Sale sections are bursting with lovelies like this super cute Sew Much Fun collection!














One of my favorite collections in the shop right now is this Old Fashioned Fourth bundle.  I love that it uses patriotic colors without "hitting you over the head" with a theme.  Don't get me wrong, I do love a theme quilt, but sometimes it's nice to have a bit more subtlety.

              Fort Worth Fabric Studio










And finally, LouLou's Fabric Shop has a HUGE selection, and there's always something new.  Their weekly LouLou Bundles are curated in-house, and are a great little pick-me-up and perfectly seasonal.  Take a look at this week's fresh selection!











And, in order to make room for the constant new additions, they're always marking bundles down to make room in the shop.  You can score some amazing deals!  All Christmas fabrics are 25% off (and I'm always looking for new Christmas fabrics!), and there are plenty of other bolts as low as $6/yard.  Plenty of bundles, precuts, and kits are marked down as well, like this sweet Happy Days bundle.



                     LouLou’s Fabric Shop



Each of these shops offers a great selection and impeccable customer service, so head on over there and refresh your stash for spring!  Happy shopping, friends!



Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Blossoms and Buds, and NTT

Happy Needle and Thursday, y'all!  I'm delighted to share my finished quilt with you today, and though the pattern doesn't take center stage (you can read more about my thoughts on that HERE), this quilt is still beautiful.  With these luscious Anna Maria fabrics, how could it not be?


Because these prints are so large and the quilt is a bit busy, I just quilted this one with a nice, easy stipple.  It adds plenty of crinkly texture, and doesn't add any extra pattern to the mix.


On this quilt, I also used my very favorite backing trick.  When I'm buying all new fabric for a quilt rather than using my stash, I find sometimes that half-yards are the smallest cut that some quilt shops will cut.  In that case, I always cut two fat quarters from each half yard, using one for the front of the quilt, and reserving the other one for a pieced backing.  For this quilt, I cut each "leftover" fat quarter down to 18" square, and was able to fit all sixteen prints on the back side.  It really is a lovely mix of fabrics.


Cutting the 18" squares from each backing fat quarter also give me a nice little strip for a scrappy binding.


As I mentioned in my post a couple of weeks ago, I will likely remake this quilt with different fabrics that will show off the actual pattern a little better.  Since I don't particularly enjoy remakes, that will probably wait a few months though.  I'm calling this one Blossoms and Buds. The primary shape of the blocks creates the "blossom," and the "buds" come together in the secondary pattern.

There were so many beautiful projects linked up last week.  Take a look at this stunner by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl (gorgeous against all that snow!)


This pretty quilt is from Brenda at Songbird Designs-


Sew Yummy shared this fresh, springy quilt top-


And finally, Kris at Sew Sunshine showed off this beauty-


Y'all make it so difficult to choose highlights!  There are always so many lovely things linked up!  So, let's do this!

1You 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 within your 
    post.  
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!  :)




Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Glorious (Probably Fake) Spring and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  My latest quilt is ready for binding.  The quilting was done over several days in short little bursts because the weather has just been to pretty to stay inside and sew.  It has been a beautiful 75 degrees, breezy, and sunny, and though it feels like spring, I know I'm just being lulled into a false sense of hope.  Yucky, freezing weather is always a possibility through March.  It's supposed to start raining this evening and rain for three days straight, so the binding will get done then.  

Instead, take a look at these beauties from last week!  This stunner is from Michelle at My Bijou Life-

This pretty quilt is from Maggie at Making a Lather-


I love this cheery quilt from Sew Preeti Quilts-


Time 4 Stitchn linked up this gorgeous quilt top-


Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting linked up this lovely quilt (along with a second version in her post!)-


And Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl linked up another version!


Okay y'all!  Let's get our party going!

1You 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 within your 
    post.  
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!  :)



09 10 11 12
Blogging tips