Some Fun News and NTT

Happy December and welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, my friends.  I hope that all of you in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  This week, I've been deep into a secret sewing project.  It's an idea that I hope will become my fourth book, and it may seem odd to start something so big right before Christmas, but when inspiration strikes, you just have to get to it!

In other news, I've been working on another project behind the scenes for a few months now, and I'm super excited that it's finally ready share with you.  Beginning in 2025, I will be offering two different virtual trunk shows via Zoom.  I love visiting with quilters so much that I have resisted this option in the past, but I have had so many guilds inquire about it, I decided to take the plunge into the Zoom world.  

The first trunk show is called Make Your Scraps Work, and this is the trunk show that I currently offer in-person.  In this trunk show, I share the quilts from my first two books, Stash Statement, and Scrappy Improv Quilting, along with several others that showcase the scrappy improv technique.  

The second virtual trunk show option is called Show Your Back Side (wink!), and as you might guess, in this presentation, I share all of the different pieced quilt backs from my book, Perfectly Pieced Quilt Backs, along with several examples of how to adapt the patterns for your own individual quilt leftovers.  This trunk show is only available virtually.

As airfare and hotel costs continue to climb, virtual trunk shows are a great alternative, and I have learned that many guilds actually prefer them.  Best of all, presenting virtually means there are lots more open slots in my schedule.  For example, I could present two virtual shows in two different states on consecutive days, which is something I could never do when traveling.

To be clear, I LOVE meeting quilters in person, and I love having a hands-on approach to teaching the scrappy improv technique, so, I will still be traveling to in-person events if a guild invites me.  And keep in mind that I am also limiting my virtual options to trunk shows only, so if your guild wants a workshop, in-person is still the only option.

To get all of the details on pricing and scheduling, just click on the Email Me button on my left sidebar.  Or pass my information along to your guild's programming chair.  I'd love to get something on the calendar for your guild!

Okay, friends!  Without further ado, let's check out the highlights from our last party.  These THREE shares are from Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Sandra at mmm quilts linked up this sweet finish-

And this bit of scrappy awesomeness is from Maggie at Making a Lather-

Okay friends!  It's almost time to party, but before we do, I want to let you know that this will be my last post until after the new year.  I'll be taking a social media break for the rest of December.  Since New Year's Day falls on a Wednesday this year, I'll be back on Wednesday, January 8th.  I hope you all have a happy, healthy holiday season, and I'll see you in 2025!

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!  :)

Done and Delivered and NTT

Hey there, ya'll.  First of all, I want to thank all of you who reached out about my mom.  Her surgery went very well and so far, her recovery has been smooth.  She will definitely have to have radiation, and at this point, we are still waiting for the full pathology to determine whether she will have to have chemo as well.  But her prognosis is still good, and we're holding onto that.  I'm so glad I was able to be there all last week to help out.

As planned, I finished up this Ole Miss quilt and got it delivered before I left, and my friend loved it!

If you missed my last post, this quilt is a replacement for one I made for her several years ago.  She lost it when her car was stolen and wanted one as similar as possible.

I quilted this one all over with a quick stipple, and it has lots of great crinkly texture.  The stacked squares pattern is definitely one of my favorites for making a team quilt.  It works so well with just a small amount of licensed fabric, and my friend specifically wanted a limited amount of team fabric.

I used all the leftover block quarters on the back, along with the last bit of licensed fabric to finish out the stripe.  From a distance you can't see it, but the beige looking fabric in the middle is a small red and blue stripe.  You can see it close up in the photo above (bottom left).  I found this awesome polka dot fabric in the perfect shades of blue to finish the backing.

And though it looks solid, the red binding is a tonal crosshatch.  Other than the two team fabrics and the stripe I mentioned above, every bit of fabric for this quilt was purchased since my stash has been completely used up, and it felt a little weird to have to do precise calculations to be sure I bought exactly enough.   It was fun though!

Alright friends, let's check out some highlights from our last party!  This lovely quilt is from Jan at the Colorful Fabriholic, and it looks super cozy and perfect for the season!

This bright beauty is from Maggie at Making a Lather, and if you missed her post, she actually shared several finishes!

And finally, Sandra at mmm quilts linked up this gorgeous quilt.  You know I can't resist a scrappy rainbow!

Okay friends, let's get to the 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!  :)

Coincidences and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, my friends!  A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a friend who was going through a terrible ordeal.  Her car had been stolen, along with all the things that were inside.  She is a big Ole Miss football fan (we live only an hour from the campus), and since she tailgates and goes to the home games, she always used the Ole Miss quilt I made for her on chilly nights.  Unfortunately, it was in the stolen car, and she was so upset to have lost it. So, I made another one for her.  

The original quilt I made for her was the Stacked Squares pattern, and she wanted the new one to resemble the original quilt as closely as possible. It is a complete coincidence that I just finished a Stacked Squares quilt a little while ago, and another coincidence that the last of my true blues, reds, and grays, which would have been a great addition to this quilt, had just been cut up for my Cabin Cozy quilt.  So, the fabrics for this quilt were my first purchases since the spring!

Having something stolen from you, or being robbed or burgled, is not only a loss of physical things.  There is the loss of the feeling of security, and for my friend, there was also a huge sense of violation.  I can't wait to get this finished and delivered to her, just to help her recover some of what she lost.

Before we party, I need to let you know that Needle and Thread Thursday will be taking a break next week, 11/13.  My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and will be undergoing major surgery.  Her prognosis is good, but I will be there next week to help her.  NTT will return the following week, on 11/20.  Even though I'm planning to get this quilt all finished up and delivered before I go, I will share this finished quilt at our next party in two weeks.

Okay, y'all, let's check out some of my faves from last week.  This finish by Something Rosemade is simply stunning!

This sweet quilt top is from Gretchen's Little Corner-

This little pillow from Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room is so perfect for the season.  Love all that quilting texture!

And speaking of the season, the other thing I've been super busy doing is decorating for Christmas.  I am always fully decorated before Thanksgiving, because we only see my husband's brother and his family once a year, and Thanksgiving is kind of like our Christmas.  Since I'll be gone next week, I needed to get it done before I go.  You can see my five Christmas trees, plus some of my other Christmas decor HERE (from a couple of years ago).

So nope, it's not too early to start showing off those holiday projects!  Vicki's Crafts and Quilting linked up this super cute table topper-

And finally, Kat at Scrapbook Quilts shared this fun, pretty quilt top-

Alrighty friends!  Let's get this 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 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!  :)

The Whole Shebang and NTT

Whoop, whoop!  It is done.  Finished.  All used up.  My stash is officially GONE.  All that's left in my cabinet are a few odds and ends- pins and tape for basting, tape for shipping, and my little bag that holds my credit card reader, business cards, etc. for traveling.  Oh, and a mountain of comic book boards that used to hold fabric (and that's not even all of them)!

I have exactly two pieces of fabric left (on the top shelf), and they were each saved for a specific purpose.  The fiery Alison Glass print is destined for the back of a remake of my Starfire quilt, which I'm teaching on a Stitchin' Heaven quilt cruise next spring.  I will be supplied the fabric for the top, but this chunk will be a great addition to the back!

And, I'll be using that piece of Kona Black on a scrap quilt soon, because even though my stash is bare, my scrap jars are full!

As a reminder- here is what my stash looked like in April when I decided to try to use it ALL up without purchasing a single bit of fabric-

Here's the rundown of how each color has made its way into a quilt, and I linked the post for each finished quilt below, just in case you missed any!

Pink- Fiesta Party, Tumbling Hearts

Red/Maroon- Tumbling Hearts, Funky Frames, Cabin Cozy

Orange- Fiesta Party, Southwest Beadwork, Funky Frames

Yellow- Fiesta Party, Southwest Beadwork, Funky Frames

True Green/Yellow Green- Seedlings

Blue Green/Aqua/Teal- Fiesta Party, Emerald Coast, Southwest Beadwork, Funky Frames

True Blue/Navy Blue- Fiesta Party, Southwest Beadwork, Cabin Cozy

Purple- Grape Soda

Gray- Grape Soda, Tumbling Hearts, Seedlings, Cabin Cozy

Black- Tumbling Hearts, Seedlings

Brown/Tan- Southwest Beadwork, Cabin Cozy

White (the remainder of my bolt of Kona White)- Grape Soda, Tumbling Hearts, Funky Frames

Extra Solids/Multicolor Prints- Misfits

If you're counting, this list only contains nine quilts, which doesn't sound like that many to use up an entire stash.  But keep in mind-

*The backings for each of these quilts are pieced from stash and leftovers, so really, I've made the fabric equivalent of 18 quilts since I started this mission in April.  And don't forget the bindings!  Those are all from stash too!  

*If you've followed along for awhile, you know I always shop my stash when making a new quilt. But, since I didn't have a strict goal of not buying ANY fabric, I would often buy just a little bit to supplement, or for the backing and binding.  Here is what my stash looked like in September of 2017.  You can see that this goal to use up my stash has been ongoing, even if I wasn't as strict and focused as I have been for the past eight months.  I've been using it up, little by little, over the past few years.

Many of you have asked what my plan is once my stash is gone, and of course my scraps are next on the agenda.  I love to clean out my scrap jars every so often, and I haven't done that since my Rainbow Galaxy quilt in Fall 2022.  It's time to get after them, because as you can see, my blues and grays/neutrals are overflowing!

After the scrap jars are empty, I'll just purchase fabric as I need it for a quilt, maybe for a couple of quilts at a time.  I'm not saying that I'll never build up a stash again, but I do know that it feels amazing right now to have used it up.

Now, let's get to some party highlights from last week, shall we?  This stunner was linked up by Linda at Flourishing Palms-

This lovely one is from Gretchen's Little Corner-

Quilting Gail showed off this striking finish-

And finally, this gorgeous quilt from Sandra at mmmquilts looks perfect against that fall landscape-

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

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!  :)

Cabin Cozy and NTT

Hey there, friends!  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday!  My trip to Weatherford, Texas was fantastic last week, even though I am officially the worst at taking photos.  We just get so engrossed in the class that I forget almost every time.  

It's been nice to get back to my sewing machine though, and I am super excited that I have a finish to share today.

As I mentioned in my last post, I think this quilt has a very rustic feel, and looks like it belongs in a cabin in the woods, so I'm calling it Cabin Cozy.  It used up all of my true blues (mostly solids), including a few navy blues, some chunks of red leftover from my Tumbling Hearts quilt, and the last of the grays.  There is even a little bit of brown and khaki thrown in there, which adds to the outdoorsy appeal. 

I don't know if this pattern has a name, but I call it offset patchwork.  It's a very simple block, made from a 4.5" square and a 6.5" x 4.5" rectangle (unfinished), resulting in a unit measuring 4" x 10" finished.  So, this quilt measures 64" x 70".  This is the same block I used to make the three memory quilts from my grandfather's shirts, but those quilts have a consistent background fabric, which really gives it a different look.

I sewed all of my background chunks into long strips, and arranged them horizontally to make the backing.  

The two fabrics you can see in this photo have really been tough to fit into a quilt.  I love both of them, but they've both been sitting in my stash for years.  Had I not been working to use up every bit of stash, I may not have included the navy/green print, but that tiny bit of green doesn't detract from the quilt at all.

I had a chunk of Kona Navy that was almost enough for the binding, but since it's one of my favorite fabrics for binding, I knew I had leftover binding strips in my scrap jar.  I was able to pull those out and with those added, I had just enough to bind this quilt.

I can wait to show you my progress on my stash busting mission, so be sure to look for that update next week!

Alright, friends!  Your linkups from last week's party gave me lots to look at while I was in my hotel and in the airport.  Check out a few of my faves-

quiltingbydawn linked up this gorgeous quilt.  What a stunning photo!

This lovely quilt is from Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

I love this scrappy quilt from Maggie at Making a Lather-

And finally, Andree' at Quilting and Learning shared this sweet floral quilt top-

Alrighty friends, it's time to share what you have going on in your studio this week.  Bring it 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 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!  :)

A Cozy Quilt Top and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I'm leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to visit the Quilter's Guild of Parker County in Weatherford, Texas.  And by bright and early, I mean that I have to be at the airport at 4:00 am!  But before I go, I am happy to share a new finished quilt top with you.  

I'm calling this one Cabin Cozy.  The simplicity of the pattern, and the mix of red, blue, tan, brown, and gray look like something you might find in a cabin in the woods.  There's even some chambray thrown in there.

I'm still on my mission to use up every bit of my fabric stash by making quilts without purchasing a single bit of fabric.  If you check out the My Quilts page, you can see that I've been diligently working through color ways, but I'm at the point where I don't have enough of a single color way to make an entire quilt.  So, this one is mostly full of true-blues, but also catches some "straggler fabrics," like those brown and khaki solids.

When I get back, I'll get this one all finished up, but now, it's time to check out the highlights from last week.  This beauty is from Something Rosemade-

This gorgeous, scrappy quilt is from Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room-

Gretchen's Little Corner shared this soothing blue finish-

And finally, check out this gorgeous quilt shared by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting.  And, just in case you missed it, there is another beautiful quilt in her post too!

Okay, y'all!  It's time to party.  I can't wait to scroll through all of your lovely projects while I'm sitting in the airport tomorrow!

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!  :)

Funky Frames and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, my friends!  This week, I've been moving right along with my stash sewing and I'm happy I can share another finish with you today.  I'm calling this one Funky Frames, and it's such a fun quilt.

As I mentioned in my last post, this quilt contains the last bits of several color ways- mint greens and aquas that didn't make it into my Emerald Coast quilt, yellows and oranges that didn't make the cut for Southwest Beadwork, and a couple of maroons, and a few multicolor prints that just didn't fit anywhere else.  

It's a palette I probably wouldn't have put together normally without the goal/necessity of using up every last bit of stash without purchasing more fabric.  Considering this fact, I have really appreciated the creative exercise of this little stash experiment.  Though I haven't been making crazy complicated quilts, I've been stretching my creativity in a different way that feels equally productive for me.

By the way, in case you missed it in my last post, this quilt is inspired by the Stacked Squares tutorial from Kitchen Table Quilting, originally part of Moda Bakeshop.  Her original pattern uses precuts; a layer cake and a jelly roll.  I tweaked the measurements and make it fat quarter/quarter yard friendly since I almost never use precuts.  My modified cutting instructions can be found HERE.

I quilted this one with an allover stipple for lots of great texture, and I had a big chunk of these aqua color gradient chevrons that I used for the binding.  

To make all of the partial squares work, my version of this pattern (in this size) requires at least 18 fabrics/blocks, and it leaves very few leftovers.  Of course I had more fabrics, so I made 20 blocks instead, but used 28 different fabrics.  Of course, all the leftovers got used up on the back!

I sewed the leftover partial squares into blocks, then just started building around them with my chunky scraps, and I just love it!  Somehow the maroon, that I ordinarily never would have put with these other fabrics, adds just the right amount of contrast and depth.

Okay, y'all!  It's time to check out some of the eye-candy from last week.  Let's get to it.  This sweet quilt was shared by Quilting Gail-

Take a look at this finish by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Sew Preeti Quilts shared this gorgeous quilt, along with a second full quilt finish in her post, so don't miss it!-

This finish from Maggie at Making a Lather is just WOW!

And finally, I am absolutely in love with this pineapple quilt from Gretchen's Little Corner-

Y'all are such an inspiration, week after week!  Are you ready to party?  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!  :)