Hand Maker Blog Tour

I'm always happy to help a friend out, especially when that friend is as warm, generous, and gracious as Natalie Barnes of Beyond the Reef patterns. So when Natalie reached out to ask if I would participate in a special program to help celebrate the launch of her fabric line for Windham Fabrics, Hand Maker, at Spring Quilt Market earlier this year, I was thrilled to say yes.

Natalie had a great idea for her booth: she asked nine different quilt makers to each make a mini quilt that represents them -- their style, technique, and aesthetic -- that measures 30” x 30” when finished. A seemingly easy task, but we all know that the fewer and looser the rules of the game are, the more difficult it can be to focus on one idea.

I quickly decided to go through my mental rolodex and pull from a mini quilt idea that I'd long been wanting to realize, but never had the opportunity to do so. I reached all the way back to a blog post I had bookmarked in 2011, from the Purl Bee blog. Purl had been running a 'Mini Quilt of the Month' series, and I fell in love with their March 2011 entry, the Masking Tape Quilt. Though the quilt is made up of traditional Churn Dash blocks, I've always appreciated the secondary shapes and patterns that emerge from the repeating pattern as well as the eclectic fabric mix. I felt it was a great way to mash together a vintage-inspired idea with modern, 'of the moment' fabrics. Some simple quilt math helped me to resize the blocks to 10" finished each, and I got to work.

Here's an image of all 9 quilts that were created for Natalie's booth:

And here's a photo of the quilts in their natural habitat (Spring 2016 Quilt Market):

 Many thanks to Natalie for inviting me to take part in this fun, collaborative project ... as well as to get me back here to the blog to take part in the tour.

AND NOW IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!

Want to get your hands on a fat quarter bundle of Hand Maker fabric, courtesy of Natalie Barnes and Windham Fabrics? (See, I told you she was generous!) I'm excited to be able to give away a bundle to a randomly selected Quilt Dad reader. Simply leave a comment on this post and let me know your favorite quilt project that combined traditional and modern elements; either that you've made yourself or that you've admired from afar. Share your links for others to see!

I'll select and post my winner's name by Friday, December 16th,

For more chances to win, and to hear the story behind each of these 9 special quilts, be sure to visit the other makers' blogs.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Saturday 03 December 

    Natalie Barnes

    beyondthereefpatterns.com

    Ann Shaw

    annshawquilting.com


Sunday 04 December

    Angela Walters

    quiltingismytherapy.com

Monday 05 December

    Amy Ellis

    amyscreativeside.com

Tuesday 06 December

    Julie Herman

    jaybirdquilts.com


Wednesday 07 December
    
    John Q. Adams

    quiltdad.com

Thursday 08 December 

    Latifah Saafir

    latifahsaafirstudios.com

Friday 09 December

    Rose Hughes

    rosehughes.com

Saturday 10 December

    Jenny Pedigo

    sewkindofwondeuful.com

Sunday 11 December
    
    Cheri Leffler

    cherilefflerdesigns.com

    Scott Hansen

    bluenickelstudio.com

DREAMER Blog Tour

Today I am thrilled to share a quilt that will be displayed at Quilt Market this year. Whenever Carrie Bloomston asks me to work with one of her fabric collections, I can't resist. This year, Carrie is releasing a new line called Dreamer (with Windham Fabrics) and, after one peek at the beautiful prints -- the bees and the feathers, in particular -- I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

To showcase the prints, I made a large, square quilt from four oversized log cabin blocks. A nice, easy, meditative pattern that produces a big, comfy quilt is my favorite formula. Interested in a free pattern for this one? If there's interest, I'd be happy to type it up and post it here on the blog.

Carrie assembled an amazing team of talented sewists to make a variety of projects that unleash the potential of the collection. You can see them all in the Dreamer look book.

From Carrie's blog post, here is a description in her words of this beautiful new collection:

This sweet, fresh, bohemian collection is filled with layered patterns I made both with my typical collage technique and by hand-painted watercolor. This collection is a love song to the earth and to our ancestors around the globe who were MAKERS and who lived in harmony with nature.

Want to get your hands on some early cuts of Dreamer? Enter to win this beautiful fat quarter bundle on Carrie's blog post here.

WINNER | Scraps Inc. Vol. 2

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post. There were some great scrap sewing tips in there! Congratulations to the book winner, Iris of Crazydutchbirdquilts, who said:

congratulations on a great addition to what seems an awesome book.

It is an awesome book, Iris, and I hope you enjoy it. Please contact me so that I can make sure you receive and enjoy your book.

Thanks to everyone for your kind words about my Origami Garden quilt. I hope to have some more completed quilts to share with you soon.

Happy sewing!

SCRAPS INC 2 | Meet my Origami Garden quilt

Today I am excited to share that I am one of the 15 designers whose quilts will comprise the upcoming book Scraps Inc. Vol. 2, an upcoming title by Lucky Spool! You may be familiar with the Scraps Inc. books because the first volume was such a success. Well, volume 2 is now available with 15 all-new original quilt project that are perfect for busting your fabric stash, and at the end of this post I'll share both how you could win a free copy of the book as well as how to receive a discount when purchasing it.

First, let me tell you about my quilt. I went about creating this quilt in a very different way from normal for me. Usually, I start with a pattern or quilt design, then pick or purchase fabric to match it. Or, I start with a stack or a collection of fabric and then select or design a pattern to showcase them.

For Origami Garden, I started with a color scheme. Nothing more. I loved the combination of deep plum, teal, magenta, and charcoal gray, and realized that I had a lot of scraps in these colors left over from other projects. With a pile of scraps in hand, I set about designing a small block that didn't require any large swaths of fabric and could be made with decent-sized scraps. I landed on a combination of a basic flying geese unit and a slight variation of a half-square triangle -- both approachable techniques for a beginner quilter -- and arranged them in such a way that the color placement, to me, resembled a folded paper flower. A tulip, to be more precise. The blocks are laid out in a basic row and column format, but the varied arrangement and use of negative space (via blocks of just the background print) helps to 'scatter' the flowers across the quilt top.

Hence, Origami Garden! I am extremely pleased with how it turned out.

The other quilts in the book are equally impressive. When I first saw the list of contributors, I knew I had to bring my A-game. And everyone really stepped it up for this book. All of the designers are participating on this blog tour, so to see who else has quilts featured in the book and links to their blogs, simply scroll to the bottom of this post. I've included the full list.

One of the most exciting things about this book is that it was photographed by fellow quilter and featured designer Nydia Kehnle, and her vibrant photography makes each and every quilt jump off the page. The book is eye candy, pure and simple. So even if you're not a big scrap sewer (and, by the way, each and every one of these quilts would look great in a more planned, purchased-fabric way as well), the photography alone will provide heaps of color and pattern inspiration.

Here's a little bit more about the book from the official description:

The wait is over. Introducing Volume 2 of the best-selling Scraps, Inc series. Create 15 stunning scrappy quilts using a variety of techniques, from curves, to triangles and from strips to squares. Carefully collected and constructed based on a common mood board of trendy, soft, spring-time blues, creams, pinks (and even metallics!), each of the 15 contributors has created a design that focuses on using those impulse-purchased fat quarters or all of the beloved scraps you have left over from sewing previous quilts. Each will stretch your creative skills whether you like quilts with a minimalist feel or with a plethora of piecing, there is a pattern sure to please in this book. 

You might decide to sew them all!

Are you interested in winning a free copy? I have one copy of the book to give away and, to have a chance to win it, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me something about scrap sewing: either a tip, a favorite project, an unexpected fabric combination that you discovered ... anything. I'll randomly pick one comment as the winner and announce it on Monday, February 15th … that way you can still take advantage of the purchase discount (see below) if you are not the lucky winner.

In case you're not one of the lucky winners, readers of the blog tour are eligible for a 30% discount when purchasing the book. This is only a limited time offer, though. Use this link to order the book directly from the Taunton site, and use the code Scraps30 to get your 30% discount. The discount is good only through Tuesday, February 16th at midnight, no matter what your time zone. That way, you have time to visit all the stops on the blog hop before you buy.

As for my Origami Garden quilt, it has already gone to live with a good friend across the globe in Christchurch, New Zealand. Deb, I hope you're enjoying the quilt and that it's providing a little bit of a reminder of your adventure through the United States.

Here are pictures of some of the other quilts included in Scraps Inc. Vol. 2:

Hope you enjoyed a sneak peek of this great new book! If you'd like to learn more about the other quilters in the book, see and hear the stories behind their quilts, and collect more chances to win a free copy of Scraps Inc. Vol. 2, be sure to visit all of the stops on the blog tour:

Monday, February 8

Amy Smart, Diary of a Quilter

Nydia Kehnle, Nydia Kehnle Design + Photography

Tuesday, February 9

Amy Friend, During Quiet Time

Alexandra Ledgerwood, Teaginny Designs

Wednesday, February 10

April Rosenthal, April Rosenthal – The {Studio} Blog

Dorie Schwarz, Tumbling Blocks

Thursday, February 11

Erin Harris, House on Hill Road

Janice Ryan, Better Off Thread

Friday, February 12

John Adams, Quilt Dad (YOU ARE HERE!)

Kari Vojtechovsky, Craft Happy

Saturday, February 13

Katie Blakesley, Swim Bike Quilt

Kati Spencer, From the Blue Chair

Sunday, February 14

Melissa Lunden, Lunden Designs

Allison Harris, Cluck Cluck Sew

Sherri McConnell, A Quilting Life

Good luck & happy quilting!

#maysmallworldQAL | Part 1

Hello, quilt-alongers! (Or is it quilters-along? I never know.) I am so sorry to be posting the week 1 post so late in the week. The truth is, I've been putting off writing this post in the hopes of completing my Part 1 but -- and I'm you see where this is going --  I wasn't able to keep up. No worries -- I'll still fill this post with tips, tricks, and plenty of eye candy for all of you playing along. And for those of you that make it to the end of the post, look out for a fun giveaway!

Now, the first thing you need to know is that the published pattern has a few errors. Quiltmania has been great about correcting diagrams and publishing errata. One of these mistakes is in section 1 and, more specifically, diagram 9 (pg. 61). Click HERE to download the correction for Diagram 9 and click HERE to download the other corrections. Or, you could borrow Kerry's great idea and simply print the diagram below and tape it over the incorrect one in your magazine:

Even though I haven't been able to complete my part 1 yet, I've certainly been following along with all of the action on Instagram at #mysmallworldqal. The general consensus seems to be that: (1) the piecing is quite small; (2) striking the right balance of low volume prints for the sky can be challenging; (3) participants are finding the small piecing to be quite time consuming; and (4) despite 1-3, this project is a ton of fun!

Since section 1 starts with piecing the patchwork sky, I've taken particular note of how people are handing that part. It's been interesting to see that some quilters are sticking to straight low volume, others are introducing bits of blue, others are leaning towards a sunny yellow sky, and at least one quilter that I know of (Angela of Cut to Pieces) has chosen to piece a fabulous dark night sky.

The best place to see all of the amazing work going on so far, of course, is to follow the #mysmallworldqal hashtag on Instagram. But for some immediate visual inspiration, I've collected a few beautiful work-in-progress shots from a variety of Flickr users:

Here's co-host Kerry's completed part 1. Amazing!

Part 1 completed by Karen C. / Flickr user @Spetziemom

Part 1 completed by Courtney / Flickr user @courtiepie

Partially completed part 1 by Flickr user @silort

Partially completed part 1 by Eva-Marie / Flickr user @zusjeb.blogspot.com

Partially completed part 1 by Sherri / Flickr user @RebeccaMaeDesigns

For those quilting along, have any tips or tricks to share with your fellow quilters? As for me, I've been brainstorming some shortcuts that might make this daunting quilt a bit easier to tackle. First, I'm wondering if the sky has to be as scrappy as Jen Kingwell's version. I've got my eye on this print from the upcoming First Light collection by Eloise Renouf for Cloud 9 fabrics to use in large squares rather than the tiny patchwork:

The other things that can definitely make life easier when making this quilt are cheater prints. If there are parts of the quilt that use techniques with which you are uncomfortable, or just want to swap out a complicated piece section for a single cut of fabric, a good cheater print will still give the look of the quilt without having to tackle every piece of patchwork. (For a good example, take a look at diagram 13 in part 2 of the pattern.) I've stocked up on a few colors of this great print by Suzuko Koseki for Yuwa (currently on sale at Pink Castle Fabrics!)

Here's another one that I found online at Superbuzzy (multiple colors available):

One thing I am definitely not interested in doing in hand-sewing hexagons. So when I saw diagram 25 in part 5 of the pattern, I knew this was a job for a cheater print. I found this great cheater print (also at Superbuzzy) that fits the bill perfectly.

Next, when I see all of the half-circle motifs throughout the quilt (see part 1 illustration 9, part 3 illustration 17, and the half dresdens in part 5), I can't help but think there's some way to use Melody Miller's viewfinder fabric from Playful (for Cotton + Steel) to create this effect.

And speaking of Playful, I know there's GOT to be some way to use this print to great effect in this quilt top. I'm just trying to figure out the best way how ...

And finally, if you're as terrified of / frustrated by handwork and things like needle-turn appliqué, then repeat after me: raw-edge fusible appliqué is your friend. If it's a technique you've never tried before, then a simple Google search will return lots of great tutorials to get you started. Here's one that shows just about the same technique that I use (though I prefer to use my machine's blanket stitch or zig-zag stitch rather than a straight stitch):

Raw Edge Applique {Sewing Tutorial} | Nikki, In Stitches 

Are you quilting along and have finished Part 1? Join the link-up party below and share your quilt! I'll choose one post from the list below to win a special fabric giveaway prize -- some items from my stash custom selected especially to coordinate with your quilt -- sometime next week.

Happy sewing!

An InLinkz Link-up

My local: Cary Quilting Company

Cary Quilting Company, Cary NC

I am fortunate to have a few great local fabric shops here in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. Located in an old house in a quaint little downtown area, Cary Quilting Company (Cary, NC) might just be the most unique shop in town, and also the most enjoyable to shop! (Cary Quilting company is on Facebook, too!)

Seeing that we're neighbors, I've had the pleasure of getting to know the shop's owner, Julianne Walther. It turns out that Julianne and I have quite a bit in common. Aside from a love of quilting, we are both parents of multiples (twins!) and spend the majority of our free time cheering our children along from the sidelines of a soccer field.

Julianne Walther and family

I wanted to showcase Julianne and her shop here on the blog, and she has been kind and generous enough to offer a discount to Cary Quilting Company for Quilt Dad readers as well as a fabric giveaway. Details on the offer & giveaway -- as well as a link to one of Julianne's free patterns -- are at the bottom of the post but, in the meantime, enjoy learning more about one of our community's local shop owners!

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How did you get started with quilting?

My mother taught me to sew as a young child.  I made myself lots of clothing in high school in college, but I was often disappointed with the fit or drape.  In 1995, I decided that if I made a quilt, it would have to fit.  The bed wouldn’t gain or lose weight, and a two-dimensional quilt would have to be easier, right?  I bought myself a “make your own sampler quilt” book and I never looked back.

What made you decide to open a business?

In 2005, I had 4 kids aged 5 and younger, and I was a stay at home mom.  I don’t sit still very well, and needed something to do during naptimes and after the kids went to bed at night.  My husband created a little webpage for me, Patchwork Memories was born, and I started making t-shirt quilts for people.  Seven years later, Patchwork Memories had grown to a 10-person company in need of more space (that didn’t include 3 pets and a toilet that was used for aiming practice by three boys).  We moved the company into a beautiful historic house in downtown Cary.  The house had been empty for a couple of years and was was the prior home of Etc. Crafts, my local quilt shop.   Almost as soon as we had moved in, quilters were knocking on the door, wanting to know when we would be opening our quilt shop.  We got busy and a couple of months later, we opened a quilt shop!  Now, Cary Quilting Company operates from the first floor of the shop and Patchwork Memories operates from the second floor.  We also have a classroom and a long arm quilting machine on the second floor.

Cary Quilting Company runs a long arm quilting machine on its second floor

What are your favorite parts about owning a quilt shop?

I love shopping for new fabrics, and I really love when the boxes arrive!  It’s like Christmas day every time we get a new shipment of fabric.  It’s a little frustrating because I love everything that comes in (since I chose it!), and I want to make quilts and bags and projects with everything in the shop.  There’s just not enough time in the day.  I also love the people!  Seeing how proud people are when they bring in show-and-tell, seeing inspiration come to life, and helping people find just what they need for their quilts is so fun.

The wonderful staff of Cary Quilting Company & Patchwork Memories

What types of quilting do you enjoy?

I’m all over the map!  I love paper piecing, machine applique, traditional piecing, modern quilts, batiks, solids, prints, novelty, you name it!  I really love quirky fabrics.  Some of my recent favorites are Packmate Llamas by Michael Miller and Farm to Fork Bacon fabric.

An article about Julianne's business in our local newspaper

What do you do when you’re not at the shop?

My 4 little ones are now 4 bigger ones - aged 10 - 14.  I’m either in the car, at a soccer field, at the orthodontist (yes, all 4 are in braces!) or at gymanstics with the kids.  I also run half marathons and sometimes I even sew.  Don’t ask me to cook though - you’d regret that request pretty quickly! 

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A fun bench pillow made from a mini charm pack and 1 yard of fabric.
Julianne's free pattern is featured on the Moda Bake Shop.

If you ever find yourself in the Raleigh area, make sure you carve out some time to go visit Julianne and the staff over at Cary Quilting Company. Oh, and be sure to contact me first -- I'm always happy to go fabric shopping, and I'll buy you a cup of coffee!

To receive a 15% discount off of all online orders, now through May 31st, simply enter the discount code QUILTDAD at checkout. (Local customers can use it, too -- simply choose "local pickup" as your shipping option and the order will be cut and ready for you upon pickup.)

Julianne also has some fat quarter bundles to give away! Want to win some free fabric? It's easy. Just do the following before April 30th:

1. Like Cary Quilting Company on Facebook (if you don't already)
2. Like the post on the Cary Quilting page with the Quilt Dad link on it
3. Sign up for the Cary Quilting Company newsletter (link at the bottom of the Cary Quilting Company website)

A winner will be selected on Friday, May 1st. Good luck!

'Bathtime', Julianne's original pattern for the 2015 Row by Row Experience shop hop

Winners winners chicken dinners

It's time to close out a bunch of open giveaways that I've been hosting here on the blog. Are you ready to see if you're a lucky winner?

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From my Beyond Neutral Blog Tour post:

A copy of Beyond Neutral (courtesy of Martingale) and a Nature's Elements fat quarter bundle (courtesy of the Fat Quarter Shop):

CONGRATULATIONS DEB OF MOUNTAIN MUSINGS!

A Nature's Elements fat quarter bundle, courtesy of the Fat Quarter Shop:

CONGRATULATIONS JUDY OF QUILTING IN THE BIRDS!

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From my stop on the Quick Column Quilts blog tour:

A copy of Nancy Zieman's book, Quick Column Quilts:

CONGRATULATIONS KATE OF A SOMETIMES QUILTER!

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From my blog post celebrating the release of Sarah Fielke and Amy Lobsiger's book, Little Quilts:

A copy of Little Quilts, courtesy of Cico Books:

CONGRATULATIONS GINNY OF FISHCREEK STUDIO!

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And from my Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration challenge post:

A fat quarter bundle of Hadley, courtesy of Denyse Schmidt and Free Spirit Fabric:

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN OF CAPITOLA QUILTER!

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Congratulations to all of the winners. Please email me with your mailing information and I will pass it along to the appropriate benefactors. Thanks for reading and for your continued support of my blog!

Little Quilts Book Tour + Swap

Have you been following Sarah & Amy's Little Quilts book tour? It's to celebrate their adorable new book, Little Quilts, of course. And, like any good party, the fine folks at Cico Books are making sure there are goodie bags for partygoers; this time, in the form of a free copy of Little Quilts. Read on for more on how to win.

Mini quilts aren't for everybody, but long-time readers of my blog know that I love them. I love to make them, swap them, and receive them. To me, they scratch an itch when you want to play with a particular fabric, or try out a new idea or technique, or create something from start to finish when you don't have time for a full quilt. Plus, the whole aspect of swapping lets you make design decisions with someone else in mind. And I LOVE giving gifts.

That's why I was so excited not only to peruse this beautiful new book -- and, lets face it, everything that Sarah and Amy make is spectacular -- but also to participate in the book tour, because the tour is also doubling as a little quilt swap!

With my secret swap partner in hand, I had to decide what quilt to make in the book. On first glance, I passed this quilt (called Not Quilt Hawaiian) right by. Gorgeous, but … applique? Not my thing. I was deciding between two or three of the other projects in the book, but my mind kept coming back to this one. I figured that a little bit of fusible interfacing and the blanket stitch on my Bernina could be my best friends. And, with my partner in mind, I envisioned the most perfect color and fabric combination to bring it to life for her.

Flowers. Cats. And a little bit of bling in the form of gold ink in the Cotton & Steel background. Perfect for my partner. Any guesses on who it could be?

Honestly, this might be one of my favorite things that I've ever made. All of that machine stitching took a while, but it was totally worth it. The way the teal of the floral print matches the background and the use of pink Aurifil thread just makes the whole thing sing.

And really, who can resist those peek-a-boo cats?

I'm totally not a cat guy -- AT ALL -- but this print won me over. I don't remember the name of the print or the manufacturer, but I picked it up at Pink Castle Fabrics when I was there a few months back.

My bottom line on the book itself? It's fabulous. But I didn't expect any less. Gobs of great designs and color and print inspiration -- definitely a book I'll come back to again and again. And it's all wrapped around a wonderful story -- one of two friends living oceans apart that were brought together by a shared love of their craft. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Want to win a copy of Little Quilts, courtesy of Cico books? Simply leave a comment on this post and answer one of these two questions:

• Who do you think this quilt was made for? (Hint: all of the stops on the blog tour are listed on Sarah and Amy's blogs.)
• What two fabrics do you think would make an amazing Not Quite Hawaiian quilt?

I'll randomly select one winner next week. Good luck!