Welcome Back to NTT!

Hey y'all!  It's been a little bit since our last Needle and Thread Thursday, but things have been anything but quiet around here.  I've been consumed with the launch of my latest book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, and I've been so pleased with how well it's been received.  I'm sure you know by now that it's available everywhere you buy books, or you can pick up a signed copy in my Etsy shop HERE .  I promise you'll love it!   If you missed any of the details, be sure to look back over my posts since our last party to see all the goodness packed in there!

Needless to say, shipping books and managing the blogging/social media surrounding its release has taken up a good chunk of my time and no sewing has been happening at all.  That's okay though, there were tons of amazing things linked up at our last party, and we'll still have plenty of quilts to ogle. 

I love this fun one by Sew Preeti Quilts-

This one by Quilting Gail is so pretty!

And I love these blocks by Alycia at Quiltygirl.  The purple is so striking!

Okay, y'all!  It's time to link up, but before we do, I want to let you know that since next week is the 4th of July, we will be taking a little trip to see family, and will be traveling on that day.  So, NTT will pick back up in two weeks.  See you then!  Now we can 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 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!  :)

Launch Day and Blog Tour!

Can you believe it, friends?  We've spent almost two weeks rolling out the quilt designs and bonus patterns  included in my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, and the big day is finally here- it's launch day!

In case you're still on the fence, let me remind you why pieced quilt backs are amazing.

*They are a little extra surprise for the recipient!  The back of the quilt is often overlooked as a great place to add a little extra design flair, and even the simplest pieced quilt backs can accomplish this.

*They really don't take too much time to create.  Let's be clear here, The designs in this book aren't meant to create a double-sided quilt.  They can be put together with just a little extra time; an afternoon at most, and many of them are much quicker.

*A perfectly matched quilt back!  With a pieced quilt back, there's no need to search for "the perfect backing fabric."  By using scraps and leftovers from the front of the quilt, your back is sure to coordinate perfectly.

*And most importantly- use up those scraps and leftovers!  The back of the quilt is the perfect spot for those extra bits that usually get thrown into your scrap bins.  And guess what?  When you use up those pieces, you can go fabric shopping guilt free!

What's in the book?

*30 total pieced quilt back designs- each full pattern is written in three sizes, including cutting and piecing instructions and diagrams.

     -15 designs featuring scraps and leftovers.  These are arranged by small, medium, and large/mixed-size scraps, so you can easily choose a pattern based on the scraps you have on hand.

     -15 designs featuring stash and yardage.  Even if you don't have scraps (or if you want to save those scraps for another project), you can make a pieced quilt back with a few coordinating prints.  These designs are organized by the number of fabrics used in the design to make your choice easy.

     -Of course, the book contains everything you'll need to make the designs exactly as written, BUT if you're feeling adventurous, these designs are easily customizable once you have the basics of piecing your quilt backs.  For example, this quilt back combines the improv of the Every Little Bit back and the construction of the Toppling Tower design to create something completely unique!

Or this one combines the Walking Path and Coin Strip designs-

*18 FREE downloadable bonus patterns.  If you're stumped on what to make, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs even gives you some options for the front of your quilt!  The book even includes the instructions for the piecing techniques included in these bonus patterns.

*Quilting basics- the book contains all the info on tools, tips, and techniques you'll need to make a quilt from start to finish.  Basting, quilting, binding- it's all in there!

Who if this book for?

In short, everyone!  

*Newbies to making pieced quilt backs?  This book has all the guidance you'll need to make a quilt the looks amazing from both sides!

*Pros who make pieced quilt backs all the time?  This book is full of fresh ideas to get you out of a rut.  There's no need to make the same few designs over and over!

*Quilters who want all the details figured out.  This is more than idea book, friends!  The designs are FULL patterns with fabric requirements, cutting instructions, and step-by-step instructions for construction- with illustrations.  There's no guesswork!

Several of my quilty friends are helping me roll out Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, and I can't wait for you to see all of their beautiful creations!  Each of these bloggers has graciously agreed to make a quilt back from the book to share with you, along with a personal review of the book.  

Be sure to take a few minutes and visit them!

Sandra @ mmm...quilts

Rose @ Something Rosemade

Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts

Jayne @ Twiggy and OpalTwiggy and Opal

Anja @ Anja Quilts

Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting

Vasudha @ Storied Quilts

Kris @ Sew Sunshine

Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

Rebecca @ Rebecca Grace Quilting

Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts

Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts

Linda @ Flourishing Palms

Anne-Marie @ Stories From the Sewing Room

Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

Gail @ Quilting Gail

Kat @ Scrapbox Quilts

Julie @ Julie's Quilts and Costumes

Jan @ The Colorful Fabriholic

So, what are you waiting for, friends?  Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs is a comprehensive guide that you need in your quilt library.  One last time-

You can get a signed copy from my Etsy shop HERE, or by clicking on the book image at the top left sidebar.  

It's also available everywhere you usually buy quilt books- Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's being carried by all of the major distributors, so you can also ask your local quilt shop to carry it.

So, head on over and I'll get yours shipped out to you ASAP!  Thanks so much, friends!

All the FREE Bonus Patterns!

Guess what, friends?  If you were still on the fence about my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, let me give you one more reason you need to go ahead and get it.  Actually, make that 18 more reasons, because this book includes 18 (!!!) FREE downloadable bonus "front" patterns.

These downloads include the lap size version of each pattern so you can make a full quilt from start to finish.

Remember, the book also contains-

*Full instructions for basting

*Tons of helpful tips for quilting to give your quilt lots of crinkly goodness

*Binding instructions

*Piecing instructions for the techniques included in the bonus patterns.  

This book is truly comprehensive, and I am so very proud of it!  I would be honored for you to include it in your quilt library.  I know you'll enjoy it!

Pop over to my Etsy shop HERE and pick up a signed copy of Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs for yourself.  I'll get it shipped right out to you! 

Or, you can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's also being carried by every major distributor, so you can ask your local quilt shop to carry it! 

Thanks so much for your support!

** If you're having trouble accessing the patterns, try restarting your browser.  I have found that using Safari instead of another browser is the best!  Also, make sure you don't have pop-ups blocked!

*If you are still having trouble, please use the EMAIL ME button on my right sidebar to send me a message and I will try to help you figure it out, but please do not put the website for the free patterns in a comment!  That website is included in the book itself, and a perk ONLY for those who purchase the book.  I will have to delete any comment that lists the free pattern website.  Thank you for understanding.    :)

Fast Fat Quarters, Intersection, and T-Stripe

Hello there, my friends!  Can you believe that I've showed you 27 different quilt backs over the last nine days?  That means that today I get to share the final three designs from my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs!  

The Fast Fat Quarters quilt back is a fun one with tons of possibilities!  When I'm shopping for fabric for a quilt, I occasionally buy half yard cuts and cut each print into two fat quarters.  I use one for the front of the quilt, and save one fat quarter for the back!  I also love to use the Fast Fat Quarters back for scrappy quilts.  This is another one where I love to shop my stash.

Whether you choose bold focus prints or tonal blenders, your Fast Fat Quarter quilt back will look amazing!

This design is easy to customize to suit your needs.  On this one, I added a coordinating stripe for a little extra length rather than adding another row of fat quarters.

The Intersection design is up next, and the three coordinating fabrics uniquely arranged around the background fabric gives this design the look of a busy traffic intersection.

And here she is, the very last quilt back in the book- the T-Stripe design!  This design is a great place to use long quarter yards, but the design works with any selvage-to-selvage strips of any width!  In fact, the vertical strips in this quilt are various widths.  Just use what you have!

This is another quilt back that I love to make.  Turning the design on its side gives this one a different look.

I've even made this quilt back with just one top stripe-

Well friends, we may be finished seeing the quilt back designs from the book, but we're not done yet because this book is jam-packed with goodness.  Be sure to come back tomorrow to see the 18 free downloadable quilts included with your purchase!

Until then, I hope you'll consider adding Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs to your quilt library.  Head over to my Etsy shop HERE and pick up a signed copy, and I'll ship it out to you ASAP!

Or, you can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's also being stocked by every major distributor, so you can ask your local quilt shop to carry it! 

Thanks so much, y'all!

Subway Stack, Skinny and Wide, and Great Big Granny

Hey there, y'all!  Are you ready to check out another three designs from my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs?  I hope so!

Today's first quilt back design is the Subway Stack.  This is a great quilt back if you just can't narrow down your fabric choices!  The brick layout is awesome, and with big rectangles, it's so easy to put together.

Or, go crazy with a completely scrappy look.  You can even arrange the bricks vertically.

Up next is the Skinny and Wide design.  The mix of selvage-to-selvage cuts with shorter pieces, along with the alternating direction gives this quilt back lots of interest.

Today's final design is the Great Big Granny quilt back.  I just love a jumbo quilt block.  Some of them are impractical to use on a quilt back because of the piecing involved, but this one definitely works.  If you can sew squares together, you can make the Great Big Granny quilt back!

It's also a great choice if you have just a small amount of a focus fabric.  Notice how the large floral print takes center stage.  It doesn't take much yardage to draw your eye with this design.

Okay, y'all.  I hope you'll add Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs to your quilt library!  You can get a signed copy from my Etsy shop HERE, or by clicking on the book image at the top left sidebar.  

It's also available everywhere you usually buy quilt books- Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's being carried by all of the major distributors, so you can also ask your local quilt shop to carry it.

So, head on over and I'll get yours shipped out to you ASAP!  Thanks so much, friends!

Don't Box Me In, Toppling Tower, and Stash Rainbow

Welcome back, friends!  We're moving right along with the quilt back designs from my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs!  Today, I'm sharing three more designs from the Stash and Yardage Backs section of the book.

The Don't Box Me In quilt back is a fun, easy design that looks a lot more complicated than it really is.  The three coordinating fabrics are arranged in a unique way to give this quilt back a neat look.  These pieces are nice and chunky, so they still go together really quick.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Stash and Yardage Backs section is organized by the number of fabrics required for the back.  The first several designs use just two or three fabrics, and the last several use four or more fabrics for a scrappier look.

The Toppling Tower design uses four prints, plus background yardage, and it's such a fun way to use up full selvage-to-selvage cuts.

The final design today is the Stash Rainbow quilt back.  This is one of my very favorite ways to shop my stash when I've made a quilt top entirely from scraps.  Those quilts tend to include every color in the rainbow, so naturally, I feel like the backing should too.  This quilt back is a great place to use "hard to match" fabrics, like the pistachio green or creamsicle orange in the quilt below.

It looks great to carry each print consistently across the quilt back, but you can build your rainbow stripes however you like!  The quilt below has chunky stripes, with each stripe made from more than one print- and it still works!

Of course, this quilt back doesn't have to be a rainbow!  You can use the same design to match specific colors in your quilt, like this-

So, here's the part where I tell you to head over to my Etsy shop HERE and pick up a signed copy of Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs for yourself.  I'm so proud of this book, and I know you'll love it! 

You can also find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's also being carried by every major distributor, so you can ask your local quilt shop to carry it! 

Thanks so much, y'all!

Broken Rugby Stripe, Tunnel Vision, and Focus Stripe

Hey y'all!  It's time to talk about another three pieced quilt back designs from my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, and as I mentioned in my last post, we're now in the Stash and Yardage Backs section of the book.  These final fifteen designs use coordinating fabric to make a lovely quilt back when you don't have scraps leftover (or if those scraps are destined for another project).

The Broken Rugby Stripe back is first up today!  This simple design makes quite an impact, and with just three coordinating fabrics, it's so easy to put together.

Of course, you know I always like to show a design's versatility, and this one definitely delivers on that front.  Here is a scrappy version.  Using more fabrics changes the look, but I think it's important to see how easily these patterns can be customized to suit your own quilt and fabrics.  You can always make the pattern as written in the book, but if you have leftovers, you can definitely use them!

The Tunnel Vision is another simple design with two fabrics, but the right angle gives it some extra interest.  The secondary fabric is a great place to draw attention to one of your favorite prints.

And finally, the Focus Stripe back is one of my favorite go-to pieced quilt backs.  In this design, the main stripe is centered and bordered by coordinating fabrics.  This is a great place for a focus print, and that's how this one got its name!

Of course, as with the others I've shared, this one can be customized too!  Use a column of scraps as your focus stripe for a fun look!

Or, use a solid fabric and make your focus stripe consistent with the width of the blocks on the front of your quilt to really show off some custom quilting!

ps- Are you worried that lining everything up is too difficult?  Remember, I've got your back!  Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs gives instructions and lots of little tips and tricks for keeping your quilt front and back perfectly aligned.

So, head over to my Etsy shop HERE and pick up a signed copy of Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs for yourself!

You can also find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's also being carried by every major distributor, so you can ask your local quilt shop to carry it! 

Thanks so much, friends!

Checkerboard, Walking Path, and Islands

Welcome to another post highlighting the quilt back designs from my new book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs!  Today marks the beginning of the second half of the book, which has fifteen pieced quilt back designs that use stash and yardage.  These Stash and Yardage Backs are perfect if your quilt top has used up every bit of fabric you have, or if you want to save the scraps for another project.  The backs in this section are organized by the number of fabrics used.  So, let's jump right in!  

Quilt Backs With Two or Three Fabrics

If you can sew simple, big squares, you can make a Checkerboard quilt back!  Choose two fabrics that coordinate with the front of your quilt and you'll have this one put together in no time at all.

Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can certainly make this quilt back with more than two fabrics.  Using several fabrics loses the checkerboard look, but the construction is the same!

Speaking of easy, the Walking Path design is up next.  This quilt back has just two long seams, so it's practically as easy as a single-fabric back.  If you're a newbie to pieced quilt backs, this one is a great one to get your feet wet!

This is one I use a LOT!  Sometimes my "walking path" is a solid with a print background, and other times, I switch it up.

It's easy to make variations on this simple design to suit your needs.  You can use a third fabric on one side-

Or use two fabric stripes in the middle of the background, instead of just one-

Or this one is easily modified to use scraps!  Orphan block pieces (or scraps) as the "walking path" look great too.  There are lots of possibilities to make this one your own!

The final featured design today is the Islands quilt back.  When you have a gorgeous large print and you just can't bear to cut it into smaller pieces, the Islands design is the perfect choice!  This quilt back preserves those luscious prints, and the random, floating layout is fun and whimsical.

Okay, so I know you're wondering how to get a copy of Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs for yourself.  It's easy!

If you want a signed copy, you can get it from my Etsy shop HERE, or by clicking on the book image at the top left sidebar.  

It's also available everywhere you usually buy quilt books- Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Connecting Threads, Missouri Star, and Fat Quarter Shop.  It's being carried by all of the major distributors, so you can also ask your local quilt shop to carry it.

I truly hope you'll consider adding it to your quilt library.  Thanks so much, friends!