Lakeview Quilters and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Lakeview Quilters Guild near Houston, Texas.  This trip was originally scheduled right as Covid hit in March 2020, and and I'm so happy that I finally had the opportunity to meet them in person.  The guild was so friendly and welcoming.  I loved chatting with them, and the shop that hosted us was just gorgeous.  We worked on the Beach Retreat pattern from my first book, Stash Statement, and had SO much fun!

On of the ladies in the class decided to go with the same soothing beach colors as the quilt in the book, but the rest took off in their own color directions, and I love that!  It always makes me so happy to see how different color choices change the entire feel of the quilt.  

Though my trip took up a few days last week, I also got to finish two more blocks for my Star of Bethlehem quilt.  My design wall is filling up and it makes me happy! 

Since some have asked, I don't have a tutorial or pattern for this block, but HERE is one by Lori Holt for a 6" or 12" block.  My block construction is just a little different and my blocks finish at 16",  but the resulting block looks the same.  Also, the Swoon quilt pattern by Camille Roskelly is a simplified version of this traditional block.

Last week's party was filled with a whole lot of amazingness, like this quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

And take a look at this EPP beauty by Turid at Den syende himmel.  Y'all, those are quarter-inch hexes!

Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting linked up this pretty quilt-

And this simple, sweet quilt is by Institches with Bonnie-

NTT- Making Up For Lost Time

Hey there, y'all!  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday.  Since I didn't get any blocks done last week, I decided to really push and get four done this week instead of my usual two.

I've shuffled things around a little bit, so picking out the newest ones might be trickier.  The newest four are row 1/block 3, and row 4/blocks 2, 3, and 4.  Bit by bit, these blocks are coming together, and I still really love them!  I can't decide if I'm going to make 16 or 20 blocks.  It will just depend on whether I have enough fabric for a full 20 blocks.  We shall see.

The BIG reason I was able to do a little more sewing is that I finished the first draft of my book!  I have it all printed out and ready to start proofing.  I find it better to proof with "fresh eyes," so I'm planning to put it away for a little while before I start checking math and perfecting everything (which actually takes just as long as getting the draft done).  Until I start that task, I should be able to fit in a little more sewing.  

Okay, friends!  Check out some of the amazing highlights from last week.  Yvonne at Sew Yummy shared this lovely quilt top.  So much scrappy goodness in there!

This quilt by Quilting Gail has such a fun illusion!

And finally, this sweet Heather Ross quilt is by Angela at Better 'n Dog Biscuits-

What are you working on this week?  I can't wait to see.  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 

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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!  :)

Happy NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  If you were in the path of last week's winter storm, I hope you fared okay.  The Memphis area got about 1/2" of ice, which led to downed limbs and power lines and a loss of electricity for so many.  In fact, there are lots of people across our metro area that are still without power almost a week later!  We were extremely lucky though.  We kept our electricity, and because temps were in the 50's last Wednesday before the storm hit, it didn't build up on the roads.  We did have to clean up some debris, and we will have to replace a little bit of our fence where a big limb broke it, but overall, I'm feeling very thankful.

I'm especially thankful because the lack of ice on the roads meant that a long-planned ladies' lake trip was still possible (not in Memphis).  Even though it was freezing, it was so wonderful to get away and enjoy a couple of days with my friends, and the setting was gorgeous, even if we only enjoyed it from inside the house.

For me, a winter storm means obsessive weather watching, and then the weekend at the lake also means that there wasn't any extra time for sewing this week (I've been sewing my blocks mostly on the weekends and writing during the week), so no new blocks to share.

Instead, we'll go ahead and check out the highlights from last week's party!  This beauty is by Brenda at Songbird Designs-

Mary at Quilting is in My Blood shared this stunner-

Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room linked up this sweet little quilt.  There are full photos on her blog, but I just had to show a close-up of the ric-rac!

And just look at this charming photo of all of these donated quilts by heARTS Creations!  You can see individual photos of the quilts in her post, but seeing all of them hanging on the line makes me so happy!

Okie dokie, y'all!  Let's 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!  :)

Then There Were Eight- and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  This week has been a busy one.  Though it's not something I can really show, I made major progress on my book this week.  Getting the first draft of the manuscript done is always a huge hurdle, and though I'm not finished with it, I knocked out a big chunk this week.  I also finished two more Star of Bethlehem blocks.  I'm planning on 20 total blocks for a 64" x 80" quilt, so I'm almost at the halfway point.

The orchid stripe block on the bottom right corner looks a little out of place right now, but I'm confident that it will blend right in when all of the blocks are done.  I'll just keep plugging away at them!

The other big thing that has been going on for the past couple of weekends is this cabinetry wall in my kitchen-

Since moving into this house a couple of years ago, we've been adjusting to a little less storage in our kitchen.  Actually, it's a little odd.  The house is much bigger than our old one and we have the same number of cabinets, but the cabinets have shorter shelves that can't be adjusted, so finding space for taller/bigger things like small appliances, etc. was a challenge.  

My husband mentioned that since we have SO much space behind the table in our breakfast area (almost 5 feet!), a wall of cabinetry would be doable.  You can see what the wall used to look like in my post HERE.  So, I picked out some stock cabinets, and he and my father-in-law installed them and trimmed them out to the ceiling for me.  My hubs and I spent last weekend painting them a rich green (Valspar- Northern Glen) and putting the pulls on the doors.  Y'all know green is my jam, and I am super thrilled with them.  Best of all, even with all of the extra storage, I still have about three full feet between the table and the cabinets, so it didn't make the room feel smaller at all.  I love that I have such handy men in my life who are willing to do this for me.  So, a busy week indeed.

(ps- my Daddy used to do stained glass as a hobby, and made the stained glass for us when we bought our first house almost 20 years ago)

We're gearing up for an ice storm here that's supposed to move in tomorrow morning, so I'm crossing my fingers that our power holds.  Ice is always more dangerous than snow with regard to power lines and trees, and there's not much you can do with it besides wait until it melts.  We're as prepared as we can be, so hopefully we'll keep our electricity so we can stay warm and I can still do some sewing (and of course, so I can still use my computer).  

I hope you're all snuggled up in your warm house and getting plenty of sewing time.  I loved seeing your creations at last week's party.  Check out this awesome quilt top by Linda at kokaquilts-

I am loving the progress on this quilt by Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room.  I can't wait to see more!

And this gorgeous ombre quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts seems perfect for the weather right now!

Okay friends!  It's time to get our party going.  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 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!  :)

Coming Together! and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  Little by little, these blocks are coming together!  As much as I love seeing them finished up on the wall, I am finding it so difficult to get them made.  They're interspersed with my writing, so each new block feels like a new project, and I have to get in the groove all over again. I just keep telling myself that this quilt will be worth it!

SO many gorgeous things were linked up last week!  Jocelyn at Canadian Needle Nana showed off this pretty red and white quilt top-

I never tire of seeing Postcards from Sweden quilts, and this one by Something Rosemade is mesmerizing.  Using prints instead of solids is really gorgeous!

Sandra at mmm quilts finished up this beautiful 2021 temperature quilt-

This fun, scrappy finish is by Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework-

And finally, this stunner is by Sew Preeti Quilts-

Alrighty y'all!  It's time to get our 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!  :)

Two By Two, and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all.  I got two more Bethlehem Star blocks put together this week, which really is all I can fit in my schedule right now.

These block are so very time consuming.  It's okay though, because I'm loving the way these are looking together!  I'm just going to keep plugging away in my spare minutes!

Last week's party was filled with awesomeness!  Take a look at this soothing scrappy finish by Gretchen's Little Corner-

Jennifer at Life's Little Adventures shared this cute, unique quilt-

This beauty is by Sew Preeti Quilts-

And finally, this quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine is SO happy!

Y'all are rocking and rolling in 2022!  Let's see what you have going on this week.  Time to 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!  :)

  

NTT- One At a Time

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I started a new quilt this week.  I used the navy floral as my inspiration fabric, and pulled this pretty palette straight from my stash.

For the first time ever, I pulled fabrics, decided on a block, and just started cutting willy-nilly.  I am a planner and I always pull exactly the number of fabrics I need, devise a cutting plan so I don't waste any, and cut all of my fabrics at once for the entire quilt, including all of the background pieces.

Well, that's not happening with this one.  I got as far as counting up the numbers and sizes of each piece I needed for a single block, and I didn't make it any further (to be fair, it is a fairly involved block).  Instead, I just grabbed three fabrics, cut the pieces for a single block, and sewed it up.  When I had time for a second block, I grabbed three more fabrics, cut those pieces and made it.  Do I have enough fabric pulled?  I don't know.  Am I wasting fabric cutting this way?  Probably.  This quilt is happening in fits and spurts between book-writing tasks, blogging tasks, the gym, cooking dinner, and family time, so it will just happen as it happens, and I'm okay with that.

I made a 24 inch Bethlehem Star block as part of my Classic Meets Modern BOM quilt a few years ago, and since then, I have thought about making a whole quilt with this block.  I sized it down to 16 inches for this quilt, and it will be fun to see it come together bit by bit.

Though you can't see the progress, I am rocking and rolling on my book pattern writing lately, and it makes me pretty happy that I was able to squeeze in a little bit of sewing this week too!  

Last week's party had plenty of beauties.  Check out this fun pear quilt by Jennifer at Life's Little Adventures-

And I love this scrappy quilt by Gretchen's Little Corner-

And Deb at A Scrappy Quilter did a huge roundup of all of her finishes for 2021, but I think my favorite might be this scrappy star quilt-

Okay, friends!  It's time to get our party going.  What are you working on this week?

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!  :)