Blogger's Quilt Festival | Spring 2010

So I'm back from Quilt Market in Minneapolis and I have a ton to share -- including some great pictures and fun giveaways! -- but I have literally been swallowed up by work, family, and life commitments since the moment I stepped off of the plane.

While I work on pulling all of that together, I wanted to squeak in to Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival before tonight's deadline.

I'm entering my "Off the Grid" sliced nine-patch quilt that I made for the Moda Bake Shop. I'm entering this quilt for several reasons. First, it's made from one of my favorite fabric lines: "Wonderland" by MoMo for Moda Fabrics. Second, it was my first real attempt at coming up with and writing a pattern for a full quilt, which was a wonderful learning experience. Third, I've been rewarded time and time again by the great feedback that I've received from this quilt as well as by the many people who have let me know that they've made a quilt from my pattern -- I never get tired of seeing them! It's such an honor to have my work appreciated in that way.

And finally, it was one of the first things that I made and have been able to keep for myself!

Be sure to check out the Blogger's Quilt Festival -- there are literally hundreds of quilts on display ... and some amazing giveaways, too! Be sure to say "hi" to Amy for me, and thank her for all of her tireless work on this great event.

For those of you in the U.S., have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

MBS | iPad sleeve tutorial

OK, I am back from quilt market and I have so, so much to share! The experience was phenomenal and my head is still spinning from everything I saw, everyone I met, and all of the exciting things that lie ahead.

Alas, the real world (aka my job) beckons and I am behind, behind, behind. No time to blog about market or share all of the great pictures I took yet, but in the meantime I have a new Moda Bake Shop tutorial to share.

While I was at market, my tute for three different iPad sleeves went live. If you have an iPad, or have a friend / spouse / significant other / family member / co-worker that does, I promise this is a FAST project that looks great when it's done.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Quilting Bee Blocks | March 2010

Wow, what a difference a weekend makes. I have lots and lots to share with you, dear readers. The best news is we sold our house this morning! Fingers crossed that it all goes through OK, but it looks like we'll start looking for our new home closer to Chapel Hill. We've also got a new member of the family, and those of you who follow me on Twitter already know what I'm talking about ... if you don't, stay tuned for more info. It seems like my blog writing can't keep up with the pace of my life these days!

In the meantime, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on sharing my quilting bee blocks. I really love the batch of blocks I have to share with you today! March was a good month for quilting bee inspiration.

First up, for the SewConnected 2 group, Rita sent out some really gorgeous shot cottons and wanted "love" blocks in the spirit of this amazing quilt. I went around and around on what to make for Rita (so many ideas!) and finally landed on a "Be Still My Heart" block from Jacquie's free block tutorial over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio. I added some extra borders and was quite pleased with how it turned out!

In the SewConnected 3 bee, Solidia asked for spiderweb blocks using mostly Denyse Schmidt "Hope Valley" fabrics and a nice charcoal gray for the centers. These blocks were a bit of a challenge because, unlike other spiderweb blocks that I've made, these were not paper or foundation pieced. Solidia asked us to use an online tutorial that uses regular piecing. I had to work over the numbers a few times in my head before starting to cut, but I think they turned out OK!

Also in SewConnected 3, Leah requested the popular "Circle of Geese" block. I love making these blocks. They might look intimidating, but this was the first paper-pieced block pattern that I ever tried. Trust me, it's beginner-friendly!!

Over in Buzz Cuts, Jennie sent out red, white and black fabrics and wanted us to feature the adorable chickens however we saw fit. I made two big 15.5" blocks, and can't wait to see how Jennie's quilt turns out.

SO cute!

March was Julie's turn in the {Bee} Imaginative bee. Julie wanted wonky log cabins / square-in-square blocks, and pointed to this wonderful quilt as her inspiration. I was able to make two for Julie, and really enjoyed working with her fabric selections.

And that's it for March! Another month in the books. I just finished up my April blocks this weekend (nothing like waiting until the last minute), so I hope to have them up to share soon.

Have a great week!

Another "Off the Grid" sighting

I heard from the lovely Sarah a few weeks back, letting me know that she had just finished a quilt made from my sliced nine-patch pattern (from the Moda Bake Shop).

And here it is ... being shown off by Sarah's lovely assistant!:


Isn't it great?


All pics are from Sarah's blog. You can read more about Sarah's quilt on her post about it here.


Thanks, Sarah! Does anyone else want to share?