A Quilting Life

Just Stopping By...

2012-01-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's been incredibly busy/crazy (in a great way) around here lately. My school semester started this week (I'm teaching 2 English classes at a local community college), and I'm nearing completion of some big projects I haven't been able to share as of yet. But just like a breath of fresh air, one of my summer finishes arrived home the other day. The fabrics are Fresh Cottons by Fig Tree &

Pattern Testing...

2012-01-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

One thing I've been working on for the last week is some very exciting pattern testing for Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop. Each year Fat Quarter Shop hosts a Mystery Designer Block of the Month. I always participate and love each of the quilts I've made from these patterns. The blocks are always wonderfully designed, and Fat Quarter Shop always includes plenty of fabric. I've been working my

Hopscotch

2012-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas I got the chance to sew with Vintage Modern, a new Moda line by Bonnie & Camille! If you loved their earlier lines Bliss and Ruby, well then Vintage Modern is like the icing on the cake! I seriously heart this fabric...it's one of those lines where it's love at first sight! It was so much fun to piece "Hopscotch" for Camille (yes, I pieced the quilt, but she did the

Wordless Wednesday...

2012-01-18T08:21:00.000-08:00

Well...almost...seems I can't post without saying something. Thank you so much for all the motivation to work on this some more!

A "Work in Progress" Day

2012-01-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

You might remember these scrappy stars, made with left-overs from my Denyse Schmidt Swoon quilt. I wasn't able to make as many as I had wanted, so I've been trying to decide on another block to put with them. A little while ago I picked up some more Denyse Schmidt fabric and came up with a plan. Since there was no deadline for this project, it's been sitting a little while. It sure felt good

A Little Sample Sewing

2012-01-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

Just stopping in to share some of my recent "secret sewing" that doesn't have to stay secret anymore! Last week I got to piece together a sample for a fun table runner...out of some very whimsical patriotic fabrics! Introducing the Windy Point Park table runner made with Stars & Stripes by Mind's Eye for Riley Blake--did I mention these fabrics are really a lot of fun...I already have a few

Four Square Layer Cake Quilt

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today I can finally share some of my recent sewing! My Four-Square layer cake quilt made with Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda is on the Moda Bake Shop today! A big thank you to Korindi of I Heart Photography for taking some pictures of this quilt for me. I tried to get photos of the quilt in my backyard, and it just wasn't working; Korindi was able to get these great photos just down the road

Goals and Giveaway Winner

2012-01-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

I just finished a project with these fabrics...Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda. LOVE this line. I'll be able to share very soon (later this week)! And, I've been trying to formulate my quilting goals for 2012 so I can officially start working on them. After reading so many amazing posts about goals and after re-evaluating the goals I set the last couple of years, I've narrowed it down to just

Favorites on Friday

2012-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about sharing a few of my favorite things with you on Fridays. Sometimes I'll share notions, rulers, and patterns. At other times I'll share tips and ideas. So to get started, today I'd like to share five of my favorites! Please note: this is not a sponsored post...these are just items I've come to use on a regular basis--they make a quilting life so much easier! First up

The Quilting Garden Giveaway

2012-01-04T07:47:00.000-08:00

What better way to start the New Year than with a giveaway! Ronnie from The Quilting Garden is offering these 7 wonderful fat quarters from the Flora collection by Lauren & Jessi Jung for Moda. To find out all about the giveaway and to enter please GO HERE! Note: Comments entered on this post will not be eligible for the giveaway. You must click the link above to enter.

Back to the Farm

2012-01-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's been a little while since I did some visiting with my Farmer's Wife fabrics and blocks. It sure felt good to get back to the farm! I've been making note of my "works in progress" this weekend (luckily, I don't have as many as I'd feared), and I realized that I really do like having a few quilts that take a little time. I really enjoy the process with these "long-term" quilts! This

January

2012-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

Happy January and welcome 2012! I am really looking forward to the new year and the renewed sense of energy and optimism that always seems to come with it! If you are here for Another Year of Schnibbles you might have figured out that our first pattern will be "Full House!" I have a page set up with all the information on this quilt along, so if you're new or just want to brush up on the

Another Finish

2011-12-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

Another 2011 finish...for me! I think I am hooked on tumblers...I know I'll be making more in 2012! I've really been wanting to make a red, aqua and grey table topper and found a little time right before Christmas to put this together. I used fabrics from 3 collections by Bonnie & Camille...Bliss, Ruby, and Vintage Modern. Yes, Vintage Modern is an amazing line...I really really love it! I had

Playing Catch-Up

2011-12-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

While starting to clean/organize/plan for the new year, I found some blocks that had been cut out but not sewn. I always like to have a block of the month project going, and one of the ways I keep up is to cut out the block the day it arrives and store the pieces on one of my design boards. Somehow with all the hustle and bustle of fall and the holidays I had three blocks still not sewn. First

2010 Project Collages

2011-12-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

It's always a lot of fun to review my projects for the year. Almost everything in these two collages has been quilted and finished. Two exceptions are my Farmer's Wife blocks in both colorways--but I've spent so much time with them that I had to include them with the other finished projects! My Farmer's Wife quilts will be big finishes for 2012! Looking back always helps me to set project and

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T23:46:00.000-08:00

This is the last gift I finished up for Christmas 2011! It was a lot of fun--the tumbler blocks go together quickly, and this project also gave me the opportunity to practice my straight-line machine quilting. I've been using the small tumbler die from Accuquilt which cuts out 3 tumblers at a time and really makes the cutting go quickly. These tumblers finish at about 3'' tall. (The fabric

Keeping Christmas Traditions

2011-12-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

I realize things have been a little quiet here on the blog--I've been trying to finish up gifts...keeping my Christmas tradition of sewing up until the very last possible moment. This morning I got up a little early to do some machine quilting on this mini tumbler table topper. I'm getting ready to put the binding on this afternoon! I've also been making some compostition book covers. My

Sew, Mama Sew Giveaway Winner

2011-12-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

Just stopping to in to announce Leah is the winner of my little bag from the Sew, Mama Sew Giveaway Day! The countdown to Christmas is definitely on, and I've got so many things I still want to finish! Although it might be nice to be finished early one year, it's sort of become my Christmas tradition to still be sewing for others at this time of the season! Thanks so much for stopping by!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

2011-12-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, Christmas. I'm finally getting to some things that have been on the list a very long time! I've had so much fun sewing with some of my older Christmas scraps this week! I was able to make a stocking for a foreign exchange student staying with a friend's family this year. I delivered it as soon as the last stitch was sewn, and I'm pretty sure it will be well-loved this year and for

Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day

2011-12-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Welcome! Participating in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day during the holidays has become a fun tradition for me! If you're new to my blog, I hope you'll browse through my posts and visit again. I post regularly about my adventures in quilting and about all things fabric and sewing! If you'd like to win this little clutch made with some of my favorite Ruby fabrics, just leave a comment on this

Deck the Halls

2011-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

You know it's time to get decorating when your teen-aged son asks when you are going to decorate. I'm not quite finished...we still need to get our tree up, but at least it's looking a little bit like Christmas here! I finally managed to create a tiny version of Carrie's houses...and now I need to make more of these. If you love her regular sized houses, the tiny one will be a favorite as well

Canton Village Quilt Works Giveaway

2011-12-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

How about a giveaway?!!! Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works has 11 fat quarters of Kaffe Fassett's Aboriginal Dots fabric to give to one of my blog readers. To find out all the details and to enter the giveaway Go Here! Please note: comments on this post will not be entered in the giveaway. Make sure to click the link above to enter your comments. Thanks so much! Have a great day!

Odds and Ends

2011-12-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

I've been running a little behind, but hope to finish my Christmas decorating by tomorrow. I have my 12 Days quilt draped over a chair right now, but just might have to hang it up so all the cute blocks show! Just a few odds and ends to share today--I still haven't heard from Lori who won the Green Fairy Quilts giveaway...I'll wait until my next post, and if I haven't heard back I'll choose

December? Already!

2011-12-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

The days, weeks, and months have been speeding by--here in southern Nevada our gorgeous fall turned cold and blustery almost overnight! Along with the change in the weather came the first day of December. I've always loved December 1st...seems I can really start preparing for Christmas then! So...I've been sewing with Christmas fabrics, and making hexagons using every last scrap of my 12 Days

Vintage Quilts and More

2011-11-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

I've been out of town two weekends in a row visiting with family; both mini-vacations along with Thanksgiving were a lot of fun, but it sure feels great to be back home! My Grandmother (who I was able to visit on our first trip) let me take some of her family quilts home for a little while so I can photograph and document these precious family heirlooms. Actually, I'm having fun just looking