Three Plus Three and NTT

Good afternoon y'all, and welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday!  I've been sewing my tail off this week and have finished all three memory quilt tops and pieced all three backs for them.  It was quite an undertaking. 

Today, I've actually been basting all three of them, and it's been an all day affair.  I like working on all three quilts in tandem because the overall process is faster, but it does make each step feel monumental.  In case you're wondering, next week I'll just be over here quilting...and quilting...and quilting!  :)

Last week's party was ahhmazing, as usual!  Frederique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué linked up this stunning reversible quilt, and I can't decide which side I like better!

This gorgeous art quilt was linked up by Andree at Quilting and Learning-What a Combo, and the texture is fantastic!

Look at this striking quilt by Leanne at Devoted Quilter!

And finally, I can never resist the beautiful wash of colors in a Postcard From Sweden quilt.  This one is by Sandra at mmmquilts-

Okie dokie, friends!  Let's 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!  :)

Sewing Memory Quilts and NTT

Please forgive the delay in NTT this week.  My internet was down yesterday and has been spotty this morning.  This week, other than being snowed in, I've finished cutting up my grandfather's shirts, as well as the background fabric for all three quilts.  We're actually getting more freezing rain today (ugh), so I've started piecing the tops between cooking, watching movies, and working on a puzzle with my husband while we're both home all day.  

The pattern I've chosen for these three quilts is one I've made a couple of times before.  It's a simple pattern, but it's my favorite to use for shirts.  It allows the use of lots of shirts, and it shows them off well.  These quilts will feature 30 different shirts, so it was a natural choice.

I've also been finalizing several upcoming trips for this spring.  I'll be visiting the Charlotte Quilters' Guild in North Carolina this March, the Bartlesville, OK Quilt Guild in April (near Tulsa), and finally, I'm heading to the Bloomington Quilters Guild in Indiana in May!

I LOVE traveling to visit guilds, and I only have two available months left in 2024- August and September.  I would love to visit YOU during one of those months!  And of course, I'm already booking 2025 as well.  Please send me an email and we can get something on the calendar, or pass my information along to your guild's programming chair.

Okay friends, before we party, let's check out some of the amazing projects shared last week.  This lovely quilt is from Jan at The Colorful Fabriholic-

Look at this beauty from Kat at Scrapbook Quilts-

Maggie at Making a Lather linked up this fun, scrappy quilt-

JanineMarie at Quilts From the Little House shared this pretty quilt-

And finally, this one from something rosemade is so happy!

Okay y'all!  I know the party is later than usual, but I can't wait to see what you have going on in your sewing studio!

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!  :)

Happy 2024!

Hey there friends, and welcome to the first NTT of 2024.  The last few weeks were a much needed break after a hectic end to 2023.  These last couple of weeks, I've been slowly working on another project using the shirts of my recently passed grandfather (November).

I'm making three quilts from his button down shirts, one for my grandmother, my mom, and my aunt.  And then five keepsake Christmas ornaments for each of his five granddaughters (I'm the eldest).  My sewing room is an absolute MESS, which drives me a little crazy, but when cutting up shirts, there really is no neater way.  I'm using thirty shirts for these quilts and ornaments, and that is a ton of cutting.  It's slow going right now, because this is the most labor intensive part of memory quilting.  

Once I have all of the quilt (and backing) pieces cut out, I'll put all of those scraps in a bag and hold onto them until the quilts are finished.  Then I'll dig through the scraps to make the ornaments.  I'm really looking forward to getting those piles off my table and floor.

In other news, I am super excited to let you know that my first book, Stash Statement, has gotten a refresh and is being rereleased this April!  You may recall that Martingale (the original publisher) went out of business last year, and though Stash Statement had been out of print since 2021, it was still available digitally.  Unfortunately, that availability stopped once Martingale went out of business.  I'm so thankful that Fox Chapel/Landauer decided to purchase the rights and Stash Statement will soon be available in print and digital format.

Clearly, the book has a brand new cover, but that's not the only thing that's different.  It now contains 15 patterns- the twelve original patterns plus three new ones.  It also contains full finishing instructions, including quilting tips!  It's now available for preorder through Amazon, so check it out!

Our last party was all the way back on December 6th, which feels like forever ago!  But there were some great projects linked up, so let's check them out.  This lovely quilt is from Linda @ kokaquilts-

Take a look at this gorgeous appliqué piece by DonnaleeQ-

I'm loving these sweet little fabric postcards from Daryl @ Patchouli Moon Studio-

These happy stars are from Maggie at Making a Lather-

And finally, Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting showed off TWO rainbow scrap beauties!

Wow!  Y'all really finished off 2023 strong!  Let's kick off another awesome year of Needle and Thread Thursday, shall we?  Bring on the eye candy!

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!  :)

Wednesdays Sneak Up On Me!

Hey there, friends!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and I'd like to apologize for missing last week's post.  The days just got away from me, and I didn't even realize I hadn't posted until last Friday evening.  This week has been super busy too, and I even finished a little quilt.  To be fair, this one was a joint effort.

For each of her great-grandchildren, my grandmother embroiders a quilt panel (or blocks), and then she passes them to me to turn it into a quilt.  I picked this one up at Thanksgiving and will bring it back finished at Christmas.  My youngest cousin is expecting her third child, and this one is for her!  I'm always in awe of my grandmother's beautiful handwork.

I'm also prepping for TWO Christmas parties this weekend.  Friday, we are hosting my husband's department for a party, and then we're hosting our Sunday School class on Saturday.  Each party will have about 30-35 people, so at this point, we're in full crazy party-prep mode.  Yesterday and today were all about the leaves (though there are obviously still plenty on the trees, so I feel like this is a losing battle).

After our two parties, things will not be slowing down.  My husband and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and we're squeezing in a trip before we travel (again) to see family at Christmas.  Whew!  It's a lot to fit into the last few weeks of the year.

All of this is to say that after today's party, I will be taking a social media vacation for the remainder of 2023.  Don't worry, I'll be back in 2024 refreshed and ready to see all of your creations!

So, let's check out the final party highlights for 2023!  Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl linked up this beauty-

Take a look at this fun little quilt by Quilting Gail-

And I love this scrappy one by Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

Okay friends!  Let's make this last party of 2023 a great one!

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!  :)

Thankful for NTT

Hey there, friends.  Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday.  Thank you to all who expressed condolences on the loss of my grandfather.  It was a beautiful service, complete with a military honor guard, and I even managed to make it through the eulogy without breaking down.  I think he would have been proud.

Instead of sewing, this week has been all about finishing my Christmas decorating and recovering from Covid, which I unfortunately must have picked up from someone at the funeral.  I'm almost a full week out from my first symptoms and doing much better now.

Without further ado, let's get right to the highlights from our last party, which was two weeks ago.  Maggie at Making a Lather linked up this scrappy beauty-

Something Rosemade showed off these two lovely quilts-

I love this pretty finish from Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room-

And finally, this modern quilt by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl is a stunner. 

Okay friends, before we party, I want to let you know that NTT will be taking a break next week for Thanksgiving.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with lots of family, friends, and food.  I'm so thankful for YOU!

Now, 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!  :)

No NTT This Week

Hello friends. I’m sorry but there will not be NTT this week. I am currently driving to attend my grandfather’s funeral, so please save all of your projects for next week. 

-Kelly

Father Christmas and NTT

Welcome to a (slightly late) edition of Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I finished my pillow this week, and I love it so much.  Whether you call him Santa, Father Christmas, Papa Noel, or any one of the many names for him, he sure is cute!

This pillow measures 12" x 20" counting the binding width, and I'm loving the tall, narrow size.  In this photo, he is sitting on the bed for scale.  Here's another one propped up in an upholstered rocking chair.

I don't always opt for dense, detailed quilting, but for this little project, it was a must.  The quilting really brings him to life!

I used long lines and coordinating thread to add dimension to Santa's robes, skin, and belt, and a continuous spiraling line to give shape to the bag.  My very favorite parts though, are his beard and white fur trim.  I had a little bit of doubt that I would be able to make swirls that small, but I did it!  Those trim pieces on his cuffs and hat are only 1/2" wide, and even the wider center stripe is only one inch!  I kept the background simple with a dense stipple, so this entire pillow is covered in amazing texture.

I made an envelope closure on the back, using this fun holly swirl print that I had in my stash, and I had just enough of the red plaid fabric for the binding.  There are lots of different way to finish a pillow, but if you're unsure of how to do it, you can check out my tutorial HERE.

Okay, friends!  It's time to check out some of the amazing stuff from last week's party.  Maggie at Making a Lather linked up this fantastic scrappy quilt top-

Wow!  Look at this fun one from Deb at A Scrappy Quilter-

This gorgeous green quilt is from Quilting by Dawn-

Okay, friends.  Since I'm already a little late, let's get down to business!

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!  :)