Sewjo...MIA, and NTT

Hey there, y'all!  This week I've been prepping for a fun trip to visit the Central Oklahoma Quilt Guild.  In fact, at the time of posting, I'll be up in the air and on my way!  So, no sewing from me this week.  

Check out the highlights from last week's party!  This fun quilt is from Rita at Quiltpiecer-

I love this one from Something Rosemade-

And Sew Preeti Quilts shared this slice of sunshine-

Okay friends!  I'll be teaching and speaking for the next couple of days, and I know I'll have some fun stuff to share next week!  Until then, let's get our party going!

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!  :)

Stash Busting and NTT

Hey there, my friends!  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday!  This week, I've been working on my Twinkling Stars pattern and considering what I want to sew next.  I've been working diligently for a few years to reduce my stash, making as many quilts as possible without adding to it, and it just hit me this week how successful that effort has been.

Obviously, I've purchased some fabric during that time, but a few years ago, this cabinet was absolutely jam-packed with fabric; all four shelves, with no room to spare.  Here's the thing though, as my stash dwindles, I get a huge sense of accomplishment but it gets harder and harder for me to get inspiration from it.  I still have a good bit of fabric, but some colors are pretty sparse, and I think I'm getting to the point where I need to start purchasing some fabric and using my stash to supplement, rather than trying to sew a complete quilt from stash.  I'm still thinking about whether or not I can some up with something without buying, but I'm not sure it's going to happen.

Last week's party was once again filled with really amazing links, like this stunning quilt shared by Rebecca Grace Quilting-

Rita at Quiltpiecer shared this fun quilt-

And check out this awesome quilt from Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Okay friends!  Are y'all ready to get our party going?  Let's get to it!

With that, it's time to show what you've been working on this week.  Let's do it!

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!  :)

Twinkling Stars Finish and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, my friends!  I am delighted to share my finished Twinkling Stars quilt with you today!

The more I worked with this color palette, the more I loved it.  I feel like it is just perfect for this time of year.  With the addition of aqua and navy, the colors are definitely summery, but the orange, teal, and purples allow the quilt to lean into autumn just enough.  Our high temp here yesterday was only 76 degrees, so I feel like this quilt is a great representation of art reflecting nature.

I quilted this one with an allover swirl motif, and it adds just enough movement and texture to the stars.  

I think I'm most excited to share the back with you.  I used 25 total prints in this quilt, which is way more than I really needed, but y'all know I love a scrappy look, AND a pieced quilt back.  I had a mix of fat quarters, long quarters, third-yard cuts, and half-yard cuts, which means that my leftovers were a variety of sizes.  I chose to make the Chunky quilt back from my book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, because it works well with a pile of mixed-size scraps.  

I didn't have to go purchase a large quantity of a single backing fabric, and using all my leftovers means that the back is a perfect compliment for the front of the quilt.  Best of all, this back is a little surprise when the quilt is turned over!  

After being released in late June, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs is already in its second printing!  If you've been on the fence about it, now is the time to get your copy.  I promise you'll love all the fresh ideas for adding a little wow factor to the backs of your quilts.  It will help you use up those scraps and leftovers so they don't get tossed into your scrap bin!  

You can get it everywhere you usually buy books, or get a signed copy from my Etsy shop HERE.

For the binding, my initial plan was to use Kona Berry.  It's one of the fabrics in the blocks, and as the darkest fabric in the quilt, I thought it would frame everything nicely...except when I went to cut my binding strips, I found that I didn't have quite enough.  In the name of stash busting, I went through my solid stash to find something else that would work, and came across this Kona Cerise.  It's not quite as deep as the Berry, but it definitely picks up plenty of the magenta-purples in the quilt, and I had juuuust enough of it.  

I've named this one Twinkling Stars, because the larger four-point star in the secondary pattern creates the fun twinkling effect.  I'm currently working on the pattern for this one, so stay tuned!

Y'all shared so many great projects at last week's party!  This beauty is from Rita at Quiltpiecer-

And check out this lovely finish from Linda at kokaquilts-

Gretchen's Little Corner did it again with another pretty holiday quilt.

I love this one by Sew Preeti Quilts-

Deb at A Scrappy Quilter shared this scrappy finish-

And finally, this striking quilt is from Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl-

Can you tell I had a really tough time choosing highlights this week?  There was so much inspiration!

With that, it's time to show what you've been working on this week.  Let's do it!

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!  :)

September Sponsor News!

Happy mid-September, y'all.  Is it starting to feel like fall where you are?  We're starting to get little hints of it here and there, and I am so ready for some cool, crisp air, sweaters and boots, and nights by the fire pit.  This time of year also means that holiday sewing and gift planning season is upon us, unless of course you've already started, in which case, hooray for you!  If you're looking for a spark on inspiration, I have lots of great things rounded up from my sponsoring shops.

LouLou's Fabric Shop is feeling the autumn vibes with their latest LouLou Bundles.  These two are so lovely!

LouLou's curates a brand new LouLou Bundle every week, and they usually follow seasonal trends.  So, if you're in need of a quick little jolt of fabric inspiration for a project, they've got you covered!

Each of these weekly bundles contains eight fat quarters, perfectly curated from a variety of fabric collections.  They're great for smaller projects, or a great starting point for a larger quilt.  Or of course, you can just use them for stash building! 

Of course, if you want an entire collection for a larger quilt, there are plenty of bundles as well- even in their amazing sale section!  This Awesome Autumn collection by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake is so warm and cozy.

              

Lady Belle Fabric always has lots going on, and fall is in the air there as well.  This Road to Round Top bundle by Elizabeth Chappell for Art Gallery Fabrics is more muted, but still has an autumn feel.  It's brand new in the shop.

And this collection might be called Summer in the Costwolds, but the colors feel more suited for autumn to me.  It's in the Last Chance section of the shop, so don't miss out!

                  

Okay, friends!  It's time to head off and check out all the awesomeness that these shops have to offer.  I promise you'll find what you need, and you'll be given the very best customer service, too!

Happy shopping!

Making Good Progress and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday!  I'm making good progress on my star quilt.  I've finished the top and made an awesome pieced back that I can't wait to show you, and it's all basted and ready to quilt. I'm looking forward to adding some great texture to these stars!

Per usual, last week's party was filled with fantastic projects.  Rita at Quiltpiecer linked up this lovely quilt-

This fun quilt is from Margo at MY Quilts and Crafts-

Love this scrappy string quilt from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

And finally, this quilt from Gretchen's Little Corner has me ready for the holiday season!

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

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!  :)