Ryan Walsh Quilts, Modern Quilts, Sewing, Home Decor, Fabric

The One With The Valentine's Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Well, seeing how EVERY store I go into has shelves filled with Valentine's candy and cards, I thought I better start posting about Valentine projects here on the blog. *snicker* My first official finish of 2013 happened last week, when I finished piecing the backing to one of my newest quilts. This simple, one block quilt is made up of a bazillion half square triangles (yeah, I know I'm cray cray) but don't let that scare you. Organizing and cutting all your squares and chain piecing will help to move the project along.

Introducing True Love, my newest creation...

I'm currently working on the pattern and plan to have it release sometime in February. It will be the first in a line of PDF downloadable RWQ patterns available in my soon to be opened RWQ Studio Shop. True Love is currently on the way to Shelly at Prarie Moon Quilts for a little long arm treatment.

The quilt pictured uses Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics.

I'll be back soon to tell you about 2 more projects I'm finishing up to be included in my new self published pattern line.

Happy quilting,

TULA PINK WINNER

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 01:56:00 +0000

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome back to my blog. I love reading all your comments and with those pesky spam bots all over I've had to change my settings to moderate them. Sorry if that confused anyone!

I had a friend pick a random number from 1 to 166 and he chose, 58!

Congratulations to Alicia!

I'll be emailing you tomorrow Alicia, but if you get to it before I do, I'll need to know your mailing address. ryanwalshquilts at gmail dot com.

Thanks for visiting everyone! Talk to you all soon!

Would You Like To Win Some Tula Pink Fabric?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:01:00 +0000

Howdy quilting pals. I'm back... Happy New Year!

Just thought I'd start things off on the 'ol blog and spread a little luck around. I recently got in a great assortment of new Tula Pink Salt Water fabrics from my friend Brenda at Pink Castle Fabrics!

I love this line and think it plays quite nicely with the prints in another of Tula's well-loved lines, Neptune! Yep! Neptune, there, I said it. Who doesn't love Neptune? (pictured in the background).

Anyway, sitting on my cutting table is an extra half yard of Bubble Shells in Aqua!

Would you like it? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and I'll pick a winner on Tuesday, January 8th!

Good luck!

Of Quilts, Designs, and Other Fancy Things

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Around November of last year I started working on a quilt project at the request of Deb Hearn, editor of Quilt Magazine. They were looking for a designer to make a quilt with David Butler's debut line for Free Spirit under the name Parson Gray. Curious Nature was set to release in early 2012 and they contacted ME to design something with it. I couldn't believe it!

Shortly after accepting the project and submitting a few designs for Deb's approval life started getting VERY chaotic. My marriage fell apart, a stress-filled vacation took its toll, a new son was born... I began retreating from my blogging and designing duties (and life somewhat). I spent almost no time being creative. You may find yourself saying, aaaahhhh... it all makes sense now.

Long story short, I was able to get the quilt finished in time to make the deadline, but the pattern needed some work. Along came Deb and her staff to my rescue. For that, I will forever be grateful. If I haven't said it enough before, Deb (and everyone else at Quilt Magazine) thank you for giving me a hand with finalizing this project. I appreciate you standing behind my design and writing a terrific pattern based on the measurements I sent you.

Several other projects suffered at the hands of my crazy life... An inclusion in a modern blogging quilt book from Martingale/That Patchwork Place, Fat Quarter Gang over on Art Gallery Fabrics. I silently slipped out of those two projects. I may not have dealt with everything the "right" way, but I did it to the best of my ability. I'm sorry if my sudden decision to terminate my association with everything caused anyone stress or hurt feelings.

I'm slowly beginning to crawl back to life. I've been designing quilts again, finished up several projects in the studio for submission, and have been smiling a lot more. The silver lining so far is that my wife and I are still great friends (despite the direction our relationship has taken) and I can see our boys will benefit greatly because of that. I try my best to keep the quilting and personal drama separated here on the blog and that probably best explains my absence over the past several months.

I thought I'd share some photos I took of my quilt before I sent it off to the photographers. They did a wonderful job with the photos they took for the magazine. I think you can still purchase copies here if you're interested in the pattern (Spring 2012 Simple Quilts & Sewing). I'd like to work on offering it as a stand alone, but until I get a chance to talk about it with Quilt Mag, you'll have to wait. Sorry!

Hope to see you all again soon! Thanks so much for your continued support of RWQ!

The One With The Colored Pencil Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:51:00 +0000

A friend of mine recently professed his desire to start sketching as a creative outlet. I've had this colored pencil roll pattern by Kathy of Pink Chalk Fabrics for quite some time and quickly got to work in RWQ Studio one weekend a few months ago.

A quick trip to the local arts and crafts shop to get some good quality colored pencils and I was in good shape. Taking the pencils to my stash, I selected fabrics and started sewing.

I'll let the pictures do all the talking...

What a fun project to use up an afternoon. The pattern is really easy to follow and there are so many neat ways to customize the look depending on the materials you select.

Happy quilting! It's so good to be back!

In Color Order Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern WINNERS!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 03:35:00 +0000

Woo hoo! It's time to give stuff away! I LOVE sending goodies to my readers and from what I hear, you love it too! A few weeks back I posted an interview with Jeni Baker of In Color Order. If you didn't yet get a chance to see it, please feel free to catch up with the rest of us here.

Jeni was gracious enough to provide not only one, but two copies of her pattern to give away to some lucky readers.

Let's get this party started, shall we?

The winners of Jeni's Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern are:

Deb of Trio Stitch Studio

and

Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt

Congrats ladies! If your email isn't posted in your profile, please contact me!

Thanks so much for stopping by with gifts for my readers, Jeni!

Happy quilting,

Smooth Sailing Bundle at Pink Castle Fabrics

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:29:00 +0000

Hi everyone! This stack of fat quarters arrived on my doorstep a week ago from Brenda of Pink Castle Fabrics! She contacted me on twitter to see if I'd like to select a bundle of fabrics for her to list in her shop. I told her, of course, YES! I mean, who would turn down a personal invitation to roam free through someone's shop? *no brainer*

I had the hardest time picking out my favorites. Not only because she carries some of the best fabrics, but I'm more of a touchy-feely type when picking out cloth to use in a project. My computer screen was immediately flooded with tabs here and there as I began clicking through her colorful collection. I sat for a few minutes trying to make sense of it all.

I started with bright reds and aquas (my favorite color combo) and added prints by Sweetwater, Aneela Hoey, Lizzy House and Joel Dewberry. As I was browsing, the dark navys and grays started to catch my eye too! Some American Jane, more Dewberry, etc. In my cart they went, oops, how does that happen?! :)

What I came up with after adding some solids and blenders is a total collection of 16 prints (see the listing for details) in a fun palette I like to call Smooth Sailing. It reminds me of summer fun on the lake and just the right amount of preppy. *wink*

What do you think? Right now, this stack sits next to my computer monitor waiting for the perfect pattern. If you'd like a bundle just like mine, they're for sale here. If you happen to make something, please feel free to upload a photo to the RWQ Flickr Group.

Thanks for inviting me to make a bloggers bundle Brenda!

I can't wait to show you pictures of the Curious Nature quilt I was talking about at the end of last year. My next post will be all about that quilt and pattern which was just printed in the latest issue of Simple Quilts and Sewing!

Lastly, don't forget to read my interview with Jeni of In Color Order and comment to win a copy of her Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern. The giveaway will only be open a few more days!

Designer Spotlight: Jeni Baker of In Color Order

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Today, I want to share with you an interview I initiated last November with a fellow quilting enthusiast. Every once in a while you happen across a quilting blog that's so inspiring, you spend hours reading through the posts and can honestly walk away with a renewed vision of your craft. A few years ago I was introduced to teacher/designer Jeni Baker's blog, In Color Order. Contained it its posts, I found a healthy discussion of color theory, design and construction techniques. Jeni has a great knack for mixing fabrics, documenting her creative process and throwing in just the right balance of her every day activities; especially the antics of her adorable pet bunny George! Those of you who don't know Jeni are in for a treat. Those of you who do know her, well, I hope you enjoy my interview with our friend.

My correspondence with Jeni began in late 2011 when she debuted her first commercial pattern. Previously, we had traded comments on each other's blogs and passed one another in the hallways, so to speak. We've appeared in a few books together and have a great respect for each other's style. I was a regular at her vintage sheet etsy shop, Iron Sea and would check into her blog daily to catch a glimpse of her black Netherland Dwarf rabbit, George. By the way, did you know George has his own blog now, with videos? What a famous little bun he's turning out to be!

After Jeni posted her Lined Drawstring Bag tutorial in October 2011 I knew I wanted to feature her. Well, I guess I should say I knew I wanted to feature her ever since discovering her blog, but the Drawstring Bag tutorial is what really made me contact her and say, let's talk feature! I thought her pattern was genius and really easy to follow.

This interview has been a long time in the making and I'm happy to finally be able to share what Jeni had to say about her quilting and her first pattern:

RWQ: Hi Jeni! Thanks for being here today. Please introduce yourself to everyone, they'd love to know more about you!

Hi, I'm Jeni! I love to sew and am currently trying to find my niche in the world!

I blog at In Color Order about my sewing adventures, thrifting finds, and my pet bunny George!

I love sharing sewing tutorials with my readers and I am excited to be self-publising a few patterns!

RWQ: It's no secret you enjoy working with color. Do you have any wisdom to share about selecting fabrics for quilting projects?

I love putting together different fabric combinations, choosing the fabrics for a project is my favorite part of the process. I spend a lot of time talking about fabric and color on my blog, in my Art of Choosing series. Sometimes working with color and pattern can be a little scary, but I try to take the fear out of it and make it more accessible!

RWQ: I'm a big fan of your Art of Choosing series. From what I understand you taught a similar class at Sewing Summit last year and plan to return again this year?

Yes, this fall you'll find me teaching fabric and color selection at Sewing Summit, a conference for the modern sewer and blogger! I spoke at last year's inaugural event, and I'm honored to be returning! So if you're attending, make sure you say hi! I'll be teaching about fabric and color again, we'll be talking about color basics and how to choose fabrics for your various sewing and quilting projects!

RWQ: Let's talk about your Lined Drawstring Bag pattern. This fun pattern is the reason why I invited you here today. Please tell us all about it.

The Lined Drawstring Bag pattern is for a simple drawstring bag, easy enough for all sewers. The pattern includes 8 sizes, bag construction tutorial, detailed instructions on designing your own size, and a printable worksheet. These bags are great for just about anything! The sizes range from tiny (4" tall!) to big (26" tall!). They're great for storing your current hand sewing project, wrapping gifts, or as a gift itself!

RWQ: To help the readers get to know you a little better, I thought I'd ask a few fun questions. Here goes, OK? What is your favorite color?

Purple! Almost any shade but especially Eggplant and Lilac. Purple has been my favorite color since I was in grade school! I'm so excited to see more designers using purple in their fabrics!

RWQ: Do you have an all time favorite fabric line?

Oh geeze, just one? I'm a collector by nature, which is very dangerous in combination with a hobby like sewing! I think it's a tie for me, between Mendocino by Heather Ross and Park Slope by Erin McMorris. I love Heather's whimsical drawings and rich color schemes, and love Erin's mid-century modern style.

RWQ: What color are you most lacking in your stash?

I think the color I am most lacking in my stash is probably either brown or yellow. I don't tend to use a lot of brown, so I naturally don't buy a lot of it. Yellow on the other hand I love and use often, so I simply go through a lot of it!

RWQ: Where do you find your quilting inspiration?

I am inspired a lot by my surroundings, which is why my craft room is absolutely covered from floor to ceiling in mini quilts, bulletin boards, fabric and other various collections. Often times I'm inspired by the fabric itself! I like to start with my fabric selection or a color scheme and then design something around it. I also love Pinterest for finding inspiration. Before the internet, I loved clipping things from magazines and pinning them up on the wall or saving them in scrapbooks etc. Pinterest allows me to do that much quicker and easier!

RWQ: When you visit a quilt shop what section do you typically go to first? (Do you get down to business and dive right into the fabrics? Do you chat up the person behind the counter to see what is new?)

Honestly, I usually try to find the sale section as soon as possible, I love a good bargain! I generally like to take my time, perusing everything. You never know what you might find hiding amongst fabric that's not ordinarily your taste!

RWQ: Smart girl! I tend to hang around the sale section too! Just because we all love a few good stash photos... can you share a few shots of your fabric and creative space?

What a beautiful space! Jeni recently had her sewing room featured on Art Gallery Fabrics blog here.

RWQ: When you're not posting to your own blog, where can we find you?

When I'm not creating tutorials and patterns for my own blog, you can often find me guest blogging around the web! This year I've worked with Moda, sharing a Patchwork Chevron Quilt tutorial on their blog, Moda Bake Shop. You'll also find a Triangular Log Cabin Pincushion tutorial on Riley Blake's blog, Cutting Corners! It can be fun to work outside of your comfort zone sometimes! :)

RWQ: Thanks so much for being here today, Jeni!

Here's a link list for all of the places you can find Jeni online:

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jenib/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Color-Order/189973187724477

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jenib320

Blog: http://incolororder.blogspot.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenib/

Please be sure to stop by Jeni's blog and let her know you saw her feature on Ryan Walsh Quilts! You are more than welcome to leave comments for her here as well.

As a special thank you to my readers, Jeni has offered to give away an electronic copy of her Lined Drawstring Bag pattern to one lucky reader.

To enter, leave a comment on this post. I will pick a winner using the random number generator and announce the winner here in an upcoming post.

Happy quilting everyone! See you next time,

Are You Ready For It?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:35:00 +0000

I'm baaaaaack and I missed you!

Are you ready for more fun designer interviews? More inside scoops about upcoming fabrics? I've got several new posts in the queue, ready to go.

Stay tuned! I'm going to spill the beans about why I've been away and share all the exciting new things you can look forward to see right here on Ryan Walsh Quilts! See you soon...

Split Pea, Sweet Potato & Ham Soup | Recipe Box

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:32:00 +0000

This is a recipe variation I've been working on for a few days that pays homage to one of my favorite Winter soups. Traditionally, you add carrot to split pea soup, but I decided to substitute another sweet vegetable we had left over from Thanksgiving. I love cooking sweet potatoes in savory dishes and this way was delicious! I opted not to process my soup in the blender after it was cooked to give it more texture.

Serve with sourdough rolls our croutons to give it an extra bite! You can add quick barley to enrich the nutritional value too.

Serves 6 to 8.

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. package dried green split peas
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 medium ham steak, diced
2 32 oz. cartons low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary*
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme*
1/4 teaspoon dried basil*
1/4 teaspoon dried citrus peel*
1 bay leaf

salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. To soften, soak split peas over night in a bowl with enough water to cover them.

2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, celery, sweet potato, salt & pepper. Cook until onions & celery are translucent and tender.

3. Add chicken broth, split peas, ham, garlic, bay leaf, & remaining herbs & spices. Simmer over low-medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until sweet potato and peas are tender.

4. Remove bay leaf and serve!

* I used Penzeys Mural of Flavor seasoning.

Have a great Sunday,

Curious Nature Quilt Update | More Peeks!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

The Curious Nature quilt is finished and I've got an appointment to drop it off to the long arm quilter tomorrow morning! I would love to show everyone photos of the whole quilt...

...but I can't do that right now. Sorry.

It has to be in the hands of the editors of Simple Quilts & Sewing (Quilt Magazine) by no later than the 9th! Eeek! Talk about cutting it close.

As soon as I find out when the quilt will appear in the magazine, I'll let you know.

On to the next project!

Happy quilting,

Quilting From Little Things... Blog Tour | Sarah Fielke

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:01:00 +0000

- Sarah Fielke, author Quilting From Little Things
Happy Wednesday everyone! Today we're discussing designer Sarah Fielke and her latest book, Quilting From Little Things. Newly available from Krause, this book celebrates Sarah venturing out as a solo author and discovering her own, unique style as a quilter.

Co author of the hugely popular books, Material Obsession & Material Obsession 2 (two of my absolute favorite eye candy quilt how to's) Sarah explains in her introduction that this book is a daring "journey of self discovery" and urges everyone to "find the courage to try something different." All of the projects in this book are shown in pairs: one in mini, or doll quilt size, and one full size inspired quilt. Sarah's reasoning behind this concept? It's simple, she feels that you'd be more apt to try a new technique or method if you weren't committing to a large project. Try something small, get comfortable with it, master the art before working on the larger scale.

Sounds real user friendly and encouraging, right? It is!

Here's a picture of Sarah working in her studio. She's lovely, right? She looks calm, peaceful and right at home. I'm sure all of us strive to be this relaxed and focused when working at our craft. To say that I don't have the biggest quilting crush on Sarah would be a lie. Her quilts and the way she mixes fabrics get me all hot and bothered, in a quilting sense. I love her to pieces.

I hope I can persuade you enough today to run out and buy a copy of Quilting From Little Things. If not for the awakened understanding of quilting you might obtain, but for the beautiful way this book is photographed. It's just as exciting visually as it is mentally. I may sound like a big quilt geek here, but Sarah doesn't disappoint with Little Things. The photography is right on par with the standards that were set in MO and MO2. Rich, bright quilts full of scrappy style in attractive settings. And plenty of close ups to get your mouth watering.

One of the main aspects of this book that I like so much is that it's written in first person for the majority of it. It's almost as if you're having a conversation with Sarah in her studio and she's telling you all about how she chooses fabrics. Her philosophy about using large scale prints, how she hardly uses any solids in her quilts... as each chapter progresses you get to know Sarah more and more. This book is real personal for her and gives the reader a peek into the reasoning behind her quilting process.

Ten pairs of projects ranging in difficulty from straightforward piecing to more than one complex technique required take you through different skills and descriptions like: Row by Row Construction, Strip Piecing, Deconstructed Piecing, Applique with Bias Strips, Flying Geese and Foundation Piecing, Inset Piecing, Needle-Turn Applique, Using Wedges, Step-Down Piecing, & Feathered Blocks. The instructions are clear cut and full of hand drawn diagrams.

And have I mentioned the GORGEOUS quilts?

The way she presents the material in this book is inspiring and the lessons she teaches are worth their weight in gold. This is not a straight forward, run of the mill quilting book. It's a tool to help you grow as a quilter and one, I'm sure, you'll be coming back to again and again! Sarah Fielke is a super talent in the quilting world and a wonderful teacher.

Thank you Sarah, for inviting me to participate in you blog book tour! It's an honor.

I want to leave you all with a quote from the book and one of the reasons why I believe Sarah and I would get along famously...

- Sarah Fielke, author Quilting From Little Things
... a woman after my own heart! Bless you, Sarah!

Here are several other sites talking about Quilting From Little Things...

Monday 28th November: Fat Quarterly & Amy Ellis

Tuesday 29th November: Thomas Knauer

Wednesday 30th November: Camp Follower Bags & Ryan Walsh Quilts

Thursday 1st December: The Happy Zombie & Moda Lissa

Friday 2nd December: Mrs Schmenkman Quilts & True Up

Saturday 3rd December: Pink Chalk Fabrics & Pam Kitty Morning

Sunday 4th December: Sew, Mama, Sew! & Pat Sloan

You can purchase your own copy of Quilting From Little Things at the Martha Pullen store. They're currently offering $5 off if you use the promo code QUILTLITTLE.

Happy quilting,

Pretty in Patchwork Holidays | ebook Available Now

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:26:00 +0000

I hope you are all having a restful Sunday and are on the mend to start another week at work beginning tomorrow.

Several months ago I was asked, along with my P2 design cohort Charlie, to design a project for an upcoming book to be published by Lark. My buddy John Adams was venturing out as a solo author, compiling a list of holiday themed projects. YAY John, CONGRATS DUDE!

Together, Charlie and I submitted several ideas for the book and one was accepted. A table runner featuring trees that Charlie had designed was given the go ahead with one condition...

They wanted us to make it into a tree skirt!

Our project, Trees All Around Tree Skirt appears on page 64.

Even though the softcover version of the book won't be available till Spring/Summer 2012, Lark is offering an ebook version for sale now here.

They've also officially announced the project on their blog and have a free PDF pattern for a Handmade Shopping List Holder by Terri of Sew Fantastic.

Look for more news about this book along with a personal interview with John right here on RWQ!

A Happy and Productive Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 23:21:00 +0000

Things are getting back to normal in the Walsh household after all the activity from Thanksgiving. My wife's side of the family got together at their mother's house and we decided to make an appearance there this year. Luckily for us it is only a few blocks away, so with both kids in tow we didn't have much of a hectic travel time.

Friday was spent at home with the family and then back to Mandy's parents for dinner.

Today, however, I excused myself to the studio cave (with Mandy's permission, of course) and began sewing blocks for my Curious Nature quilt for Simple Quilts magazine. What a process! After one mistake was corrected in the quilting math, progress is being made. I hope to finish this up to send out to the quilters by the middle of next week. Photography is scheduled for the 8th of December!! Eeeep! I only received the fabrics a few days ago. Might need to quilt this myself depending on how long it takes me to finish.

I took a break during the middle of the day to make a bag from Jeni Baker's AWESOME drawstring bag tutorial for my Secret Santa Swap (#ssswap on twitter) partner. All the handmade presents I sewed and purchased fat quarters fit right inside perfectly!

Now I just need to wrap everything and send it off to my partner. Once I get a chance to take better pictures of everything I'll post an update here.

Rowan spent a little time with me in the studio too. Mandy sent him in for a "break." AKA: A time out. He was a little wound up from all the activity this weekend. We chatted a while during sewing and he settled down.

Hope you have a great Sunday!

Curious Nature by Parson Gray | Free Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:07:00 +0000

I got an exciting package in the mail a few days ago that I want to share with you all! My advance yardage of Curious Nature arrived for a project I'm working on with QUILT Magazine and Simple Quilts. The folks at QUILT and Free Spirit just recently gave me permission to begin blogging about the project. YAY! It's been in the works for a few weeks now and the design was finalized a few days ago so Westminster went ahead and shipped the fabric to me...

... and it's GORGEOUS!

I've only seen photos of this line by David Butler (Amy Butler's husband) in images of his booth from the recent Quilt Market. Thankfully, several of my friends were able to attend this year and posted photos on their blogs.

I can see myself ordering yardage of this line when it's released next year. It's printed on a great quality cotton. Something I've come to expect of all lines from Free Spirit/Westminster. I just love the colors.

I can't wait to show you photos of the project I'm working on, but nothing too revealing...

I think this last print is my favorite out of the entire line. It's called Cocoons The scale is nice and large. The individual "cocoons" are around 3.5" long.

Generation Quilt has a fun interview up with David on their website here.

Talk to you all soon!

Sew to Swap Blog Tour | Win A Copy!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:50:00 +0000

Thanks for stopping by on my day for the Sew to Swap book blog tour. I was honored to be asked by author Chrissie Grace to contribute to this swap-inspired book along with 16 other amazing quilters. I'm also excited that I get to tell you a little more about the book today!

I had a great time exchanging fabric and making quilt blocks while getting to know everyone that participated a little more. Swapping at its essence is all about friendship, inspiration, trying new things, etc. and I think Chrissie did a wonderful job capturing that in Sew to Swap. I'm an avid swapper and I participate in dozens of swaps and bees every year. Whether it be embroidery pieces, fat quarters of fabric, mini quilts or simply blocks; I believe swapping is an integral part of where I am today as a quilter.

You'll see many beautiful illustrations scattered throughout the book by Ariel Eldridge along with detailed photos of the quilts we assembled. A unique aspect of the book that we all participated in is a feature called, Ask the Contributors. We were asked a series of questions by Chrissie like, "What's your favorite sewing notion or tool?" and "What's your all-time favorite swap?" Our answers to those and many other questions appear all over the book and once again establishes that "get to know you" aspect of the spirit of the book.

All the participants were asked to contribute to a certain number of swaps and I was fortunate enough to be included in:

The Diamond Block Swap

The Scrapbuster Swap

The Curvy Block Swap

As a collaboration between all of us to commemorate the swap, we exchanged signature blocks that were incorporated into this quilt.

The book is broken down into four distinct chapters: Get Ready to Swap, Super Small Swaps, Marvelous Medium Swaps, and Gorgeous Gigantic Swaps, and also discusses topics like basic sewing supplies; choosing fabrics; quilting, pressing, and piecing; backings, borders, and binding. It's an all around great read. Especially for someone who's looking to plan and get involved in quilt swapping.

If you'd like to win a copy of Sew to Swap, please leave a comment on this post letting me know you'd like to win. Feel free to let me know if you've ever participated in a swap and if you had a favorite one you were a part of.

As a bonus I'll even throw in a bag of scraps hand picked from the over flowing scrap tubs I keep in my studio.

Only one entry per person, please. All duplicate entries will be deleted!

I will draw a winner using the Random Number Generator and announce them here in an upcoming post!

If you haven't yet, please feel free to visit the other contributors who participated in the blog tour.

November 7 Lovely Little Handmades

November 8 Stitches & Scissors

November 9 Cluck Cluck Sew

November 10 My Three Sons

November 11 Twin Fibers

November 12 Stitchy Quilt Stuff

November 13 The Creative Juices of Ariel

November 14 Texas Freckles

November 15 Quilt Dad

November 16 Artsy-Craftsy Babe

November 17 Little Miss Shabby

November 18 A Cuppa and a Catch Up

November 19 A Quilt is Nice

November 20 A Little Sweetness

November 21 House of A La Mode

November 22 Ryan Walsh Quilts

November 23 Little Bit Funky

November 27 In His Grace

You can purchase Sew to Swap now for just $14.99 ($10 off the retail price!) Visit the Martha Pullen Online Store and enter SEW2SWAP at checkout to receive the discount!

Happy quilting,

Pat Bravo Modernology Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Thanks for visiting RWQ over the past few days to read all about Pat Bravo's new line with Art Gallery Fabrics, Moderology! By all the enthusiastic comments I saw, many of you are looking forward to creating with Pat's new fabric.

As promised, 2 winners were chosen and here they are:

Winner #1 is comment #12, Chancy!

Winner #2 is comment #98, Shanon!

Thanks for playing along everyone! And thanks Pat for stopping by RWQ again! We love having you.

There's still more time to enter the Amanda Murphy pattern giveaway and read her feature here. I'll draw 2 winners on Wednesday!

Happy quilting,

Designer Spotlight | New Patterns from Amanda Murphy Design

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:13:00 +0000

On this edition of the RWQ Designer Spotlight series, fabric and pattern designer Amanda Murphy is here today to introduce her new patterns that were just released and will be available at your favorite fabric shop soon!

Amanda has added 8 new patterns to her portfolio that feature fabrics from her Swiss Chocolate and Veranda lines for Robert Kaufman. Several also include new fabrics from Laurie Wisbrun (Modern Whimsy) and Kona Solids.

I really enjoyed looking over the preview patterns Amanda sent to me. I think she has a great eye for modern design and came up with this clever poem to tell you all about her new patterns.

Be sure to click the links she included as they will take you to her blog and posts about each individual pattern!

"A big "thank you" to Ryan for inviting me to guest-blog,

Like many of you, of quilts I have a backlog.

So I thought I'd take a just minute or two,

To share some of my recent work with you.

I confess I have a crush on Kona, you see,

So designing for Robert Kaufman has been fortunate for me.

Such a wide range of colors I have in my stash -

If you came to my house we'd have a quilting bash!

That rainbow of colors covering my design wall

Inspired my new patterns debuting this fall.

First there's Bedazzled, where one block design attains

The illusion of several interlocking chains!

Make some changes and add another block in

And Beribboned arrives where Bedazzled had been.

And if you, by chance, have holiday travel plans,

Yo-yos for Bejeweled would occupy your hands,

For quilters like to stay busy, when the work involves sewing,

(Of cleaning and dusting I claim not to be knowing.)

Bejeweled features Modern Whimsy, which is colorful fun,

Make some matching yo-yos and you are almost done!

And then there are reprints - designs from the past -

Instructions for which people have repeatedly asked...

Garden Jewels features Veranda, a favorite of mine,

Flying geese and bright colors are simply divine.

Caramel and Cocoa is a modern bargello,

That is great for modern prints or your favorite fellow.

You can make Garden Sampler to display on a bed.

The big blocks are quick with fabric and thread.

Also perfect for lots of feature prints, I think,

Is Cafe Mocha - so fun to sew. (Or to drink!)

But which wins my heart? My blog friends could guess.

Beflowered is my favorite, I must confess.

Triangles, hexes, and lots of flowers,

Came together in a design that kept me busy for hours.

But it was so gratifying to see my design plans

Emerge from fabric I cut with my own hands.

And that is why I love quilters, you see.

They value their friends and their art (and they even put up with this poem from me).

There is no greater gift that a quilter can impart

Than to use someone's patterns to create their own art.

So on behalf of designers and in the spirit of celebration,

Thanks for giving life to our ideas with your creations!

Thanks again, Ryan, for inviting me to guest blog."

Thanks so much Amanda for visiting with me today. I hope everyone enjoyed your poem as much as I did.

If you'd like to win a bundle of Amanda's new patterns, please leave a comment on this post letting me know. Feel free to tell me what pattern is your favorite and what fabric you'd like to make it with!

Only one entry per person, please. All duplicate entries will be deleted!

I will draw two winners using the Random Number Generator and announce them here in an upcoming post!

For a second chance to win, please visit Amanda's blog because she'd also like to know what new pattern is your favorite!

All of Amanda's patterns will be available soon at the Fat Quarter Shop!

Happy quilting,

Designer Spotlight | Modernology by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:24:00 +0000

Designer Pat Bravo is returning to RWQ today to talk with us about her new line from Art Gallery Fabrics called Modernology!

Pat's really out done herself on so many levels for this collection; even breaking though some personal boundaries and trying out some new colors she hasn't gravitated toward in the past.

One of my favorite aspects of Modernology is the flavorful language Pat used to name the fabrics. Using words and phrases like, Contempo, A la mode, Posh, and Mod to describe her prints really give this line a flair for the dramatic. And when you see the lush colors ... let's just say it's a good thing you all are sitting down in front of your monitors.

BTW... have you visited the Art Gallery website recently? Right now, they have an awesome inspiration video highlighting Hyperial Garden.

I emailed Pat about a week ago to invite her for a visit and she quickly accepted! Here's what she had to say about Modernology:

"First of all, thank you Ryan for giving me the chance to be on your blog! It's always nice to get the opportunity to spread the word on my latest collections…

So this time, I'm introducing MODERNOLOGY (one of my personal favorites!)

Those who know me and are familiar with my designs and color palettes, probably know that I'm not that much into red and navy blue (to be honest, they used to give me the chills!) but when I first started sketching I started to sort of gravitate to those colors without really noticing… and a couple of weeks there you have it, intense cherry reds and deep navy blue mixed with uber-bright lime!

My inspiration for this collection was the Scandinavian modern lifestyle, with their clean lines and sophisticated simplicity. But of course I had to throw the big florals and intrinsicate lines in there! And as a result, this is what I got… what do you think?

I chose this collection to be featured on my showroom for Quilt Market, so we made a modern-ish quilt using the White Linen from the Pure Elements and prints from the Vogue Blue palette… along with some pillows and pillowcases to complete the look. Swear to God that bed looked so comfy we were all dying to take a nap there hahaha. Those who've been to Market know what I mean!

Oh and that's Martha wearing a caftan dress made with my new voile! (yeah, we gave the mannequin a name lol).

Isn't this dress the cutest little thing?

And the slippers? Someone actually wanted to buy them at Market! Haha! I love how the blue pops out against the white rug…

What do you guys think?? Any favorite prints already? Can you think of something you would make with Modernology?… Well you better cause I'm giving away TWO HALF YARD BUNDLES to Ryan's readers!"

WOW! Did you all hear that? Thanks so much for visiting Pat, and bringing gifts for my readers. We'd love to have you back any time!

If you'd like to win a bundle, Pat asks that you head over to Facebook and "LIKE" her Pat Bravo page. Please leave a comment on this post letting me know you "liked" her. Feel free to let me know what you'd like to make with it! Only one entry per person. All duplicate entries will be deleted!

I will draw several winners using the Random Number Generator and announce them here in an upcoming post!

If you'd like to purchase Modernology yardage or precuts, it is available from the following sponsor shops:

Hawthorne Threads
Fat Quarter Shop

Happy quilting,

Craizee Corners Feature | Dresden Wedges Mug Rug

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! I'm visiting with Chef Sharon over on her blog today to celebrate Bonnie & Camille month. Please come join in all the fun.

Thanks for stopping by,

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour | X-Blox

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that today is the day Charlie and I participate in the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog tour! Our original block, X-Blox appears on page 64 of their newest edition (vol 4). You can read a little of the post and see the block by clicking on the link to the P2 website below.

Charlie and I are so excited and honored to have a block in Volume 4 of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine. We're both huge fans of the publication and love all the inspiration contained in each issue; not only for the mass of swaps we participate in every year, but for the wide range of fabrics and block styles represented. Yes, it's true, Quiltmaker's 100 is a great resource for quick and easy bee block patterns!

... to read more and win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Volume 4, please visit the P2 blog.

Have a wonderful day,

Trendy Tuesday | Houndstooth!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Reminiscent of the "jagged back teeth of a hound," houndstooth is a common example of a tessellated pattern; or a mosaic of shapes that when placed together create no overlaps or gaps. A honeycomb is an example of a tessellation as are many works by the artist M. C. Escher.

Originating in Scotland at an unrecorded time and cycling itself with comebacks every decade it seams, houndstooth has started making an appearance again in quilting fabrics and patterns. Companies like Westminster/Freespirit have released house-designed, complete lines of houndstooth in multiple colorways as shown below.

Moda/United Notions have also released at least two lines during 2011 with houndstooth. Sophie by Chez Moi in August.

And Etchings by 3 Sisters in September which features a teeny tiny, mini rendition.

My personal favorite is the larger houndstooth fabric from Paula Prass' 2009 Summer Soiree for Michael Miller.

Considered a classic and timeless design, houndstooth is spotlighted throughout the fashion world and placed on a multitude of consumables. From Swiss Army Knives, to Umbrellas and all sorts of clothing, we can expect this pattern to pop up for a long time to come.

What do you think of Houndstooth? Would you use the print in a quilt? Have you? We all want to know! Please tell us about your experiences incorporating a houndstooth print into a project.

A neat piece of trivia about houndstooth: newscasters or individuals who are often filmed are advised not to wear houndstooth patterns on air. The pattern creates problems with the sampling in the lens while filming and produces an effect known as "strobing."

Happy quilting,

Sunday Stash | Urban Chiks Jelly Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:45:00 +0000

I was digging through my precuts this weekend and came across these jelly rolls, all by the Urban Chiks for Moda (who are incidentally two in-house designers, Alison Scully and Holly Hickman). They are quite possibly some of my all time favorite lines from Moda and I can't bear to cut into any of them. Swell being at the top of my list, followed by 1974, Hullabaloo and Blossom. The only two I don't have are Sweet and Dream On. Gotta hunt those down I guess...

It will take a special project to get me to open any of them. What are some of the fabrics in your stash you can't seem to gather the will to cut into?

Palette of the Week | Mustard, Teal & Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:03:00 +0000

Inspired by Amy Butler's new line Lark Sateen and the rich colors of the collection, I gathered a group of fabrics playing off the teal in her Souvenir print.

I hope you like, because I do! A lot ...

Row 1:
Lizzy House/Outfoxed - Outfoxed in Yellow
Sandi Henderson/Meadowsweet 2 - Daisy Path in Robins Egg
Amy Butler/Lark Sateen - Souvenir in Mineral

Row 2:
Joel Dewberry/Heirloom - Opal in Jade
Jenean Morrison/Silent Cinema - Iris in Yellow
Dena Fishbein/Taza - Ribbon Damask in Neutral

Row 3:
Laura Gunn/Magnolia Lane - Geometric in Aqua
Zoe Pearn/Sweet Nothings - Sweet Dots in Blue
Creative Thursday/Meet the Gang - Friends in Yellow

Have any of these fabrics in your collection? Please feel free to upload projects you've made using this grouping in the Ryan Walsh Quilts Flickr Group.

Winners! We Like Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:17:00 +0000

This post has been many months in the making...

So, who wants some free fabric?!?

It is my pleasure to announce the winners of my recent giveaways!

Winners of a charm pack of Hometown by Sweetwater, generously donated by Kimberly of Fat Quarter Shop are:

Comment #77, Robin!

Comment #122, Erin!

Comment #228, Lindsay!

Comment #129, Mainer!

Thanks for donating prizes to those lucky winners, Kimberly!

Winners of a charm pack of Storyboek by Jay-Cyn Designs, generously donated by Cynthia of Fabric Worm are:

Comment #20, Cass!

Comment #89, Bobbi!

Thanks for donating prizes to the winners, Cynthia!

Winners of a mini charm pack of Terrain by Kate Spain, generously donated by Kate are:

Comment #114, Diane!

Comment #69, blund!

Comment #62, Linda!

Comment #212, Vera!

Thanks Kate for donating prizes to the winners!

Winner of an autographed copy of Modern Basics by Amy Ellis, generously donated by Amy of Amy's Creative Side is:

Comment #83, Jennie!

Thanks so much for donating a book to one of my readers, Amy!

CONGRATS to all the winners! Look for an email from me asking you to claim your prize.

All winners were chosen using the Random Number Generator.

Have a good weekend,