my fabric relish

Longarm Services

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 18:08:00 +0000

LONGARM QUILTING SERVICES

CURRENT TURN-AROUND TIME:

2 WEEKS (COMPUTERIZED E2E)

NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING CUSTOMS AT THIS TIME

Thanks so much for visiting my longarm quilting page! I live in the Dallas, Texas area and provide professional quilting services both local and mail-in. All quilts are quilted by me on a computerized HandiQuilter Avante. My machine has a generous 18" harp and sits on a 12’ frame. I am able to quilt most quilts ranging is size from mini to a king. Basic custom quilts (straight lines and stitch-in-the-ditch) are accepted by appointments only and rates vary based on quilt.

Be sure to read the instructions below and submit a longarm quilting request here!

PRICES

Computerized Edge-to-edge (E2E) pantograph design - All E2E designs are computerized ranging in price from $.0175 per square inch and up to $.03 for denser quilting designs. See available pantograph designs. Special request E2E designs will have a $10 fee starting January 1, 2019. Sorry for the new fee, but unfortunately the price for digital designs increased and I can no longer provide this service free of charge.

Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) – FMQ are non-computerized all-over designs and hand-guided by me. Prices can start from $.015 per square inch and up to $.05 depending on density and complexity of the quilting. Typical designs include stitch-in-the-ditch, meandering, loopy meandering, spirals, and straight lines. I am not providing custom quilting at this time.

Meandering or loopy meandering (loose $.0175, average $.02, dense $.025)
Straight line quilting - $.02 per square inch to $.05 depending on density and if more than one direction (example crosshatch).
- 1/4" or smaller (matchstick) spacing - $.04 - .05 per square inch
- 1/2" spacing - $.03 per square inch
- 1" spacing - $.02 per square inch
- 2" spacing - $.015 per square inch
- Double if crosshatch

Basting – $.007 per square inch and stitched in rows 4" apart. If you prefer to quilt your quilt by hand or on your machine, basting is a great option. Basting stitches are long stitches that are easy to remove.

Minimum cost - $50 for edge-to-edge

HOW TO ESTIMATE THE COST OF YOUR QUILTING:

To determine the estimate for your quilting, multiply your quilt measurements to get your total square inch and then multiply that the price per square inch. For example:

BABY QUILT: 44" X 45" = 2,025 SQUARE INCHES X $.02 PER SQUARE INCH = $40.50 -- $45 FLAT

TWIN SIZE QUILT: 60" X 80" = 4800 SQUARE INCHES X $.02 PER SQUARE INCH = $96

KING SIZE QUILT: 109" X 109" = 11,881 SQ. IN X $.02 = $ 237

Prepare yOUR QUILT TOP:

If your quilt top has piecing along the edge (so no borders), I recommend sewing a stay-stitch (stitch 1/8th inch from the edge of the quilt) to keep any seams from separating.

If your front or backs have designated tops and bottoms, please label the quilt or leave a note.

If I encounter any issues with the integrity of your quilt (unsewn seams, holes, tears, stains, etc.), you will be notified immediately to determine the proper course of action. If I do not hear back in a timely manner, the completion of your quilt could be delayed. It takes a special finesse to quilt out excessive fullness so if your quilt is too full or "bubbly", I will contact you directly to determine how to proceed. The flatter the better! If there is too much fullness, your quilt might not turn out square or with extra tucks to alleviate the excess fullness.

Please make sure to clean up all loose threads on the top of your quilt and any extra long threads on the back. Sometimes these threads can get caught in the foot while quilting and could damage the machine or your quilt or can show through your lighter fabrics. I try to catch any of these threads but sometimes I miss them.

Make sure your quilt is pressed well even if you think it will get wrinkled in the mail. If there are any pleats/overlaps on your seams, this could catch on the machine’s foot and damage your quilt or the machine.

QUILT BACKING

Please ensure that your backing is at least 4-5" larger than the quilt top on all four sides. If possible, horizontal seams are preferred if you are using a single print of fabric. Make sure your edges are squared so the backing goes on the frame straight. If your backing is not wide enough, I will add muslin to the sides needed at an additional fee ($12 per side).

I am happy to seam backing together if needed for a charge of $10 per seam. If you are sending you backing separate, please let me know.

MAILING

If you are mailing your quilt top to me, make sure you enclose your quilt top/backing and batting within a waterproof bag such as a giant Ziploc bag or a trash bag. I will return your quilt with the same integrity. Be sure to tape the heck out of the box as well. I recommend insuring your quilt for its full value and feel free to utilize signature confirmation on my end.

PLEASE MAIL QUILTS TO: MY FABRIC RELISH, 552 WINDY KNOLL DRIVE, MURPHY, TX 75094

Introducing Moonshine....

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:30:00 +0000

Introducing my newest pattern...

This was such a fun quilt to design and make! So much, I had to make three different versions and I couldn't just do one version for the pattern, I had to make four different ones.

You can purchase your patterns here, PDF or PRINT.

In the pattern, you will find instructions on how to make the basic NY Beauty block and then four different quilt pattern instructions. Here is some eye candy that might entice you....

Thanks again for being such a supportive community and letting me do what I love on a daily basis!

xoxo
Melissa

An Unbirthday Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 02:54:00 +0000

Whoa! It's summer here in the Relish household and with that comes lots of time to hang out with my girls and chaos - perfect! They will both be together again at school this coming fall and I am so excited for them. My youngest is going to be in Kindergarten! Most of you can understand the emotions involved with that one sentence. She graduated pre-school and turned 5 all in the same week as well and all those changes were very hard on both of us. When I realized how hard these changes were going to be, I suggested we have a big birthday party and she could invite all her friends. She said she wanted a party, but not a birthday party, except she did want gifts (priorities). I suggested a Very Merry Unbirthday party like on Alice in Wonderland (one of her favorite stories/movies especially the Johnny Dep version) and she said yes, as long as she could wear her Alice dress (her previous Halloween costume, of course). It was a great party to kickoff summer and celebrate her big achievements. For her birthday gift, I made her an Alice in Wonderland quilt and that's what brings be here today....

I used a free pattern from Tula Pink called From the Heart and it's basically machine appliqued hearts. I was a fun and fast quilt and perfect for my Rifle Paper Co./Cotton + Steel Wonderland fabric. I quilted sweet and simple rose motif using gold thread.

I've been super busy longarming the past few months that my personal projects have been very neglected. I have a few exciting events coming soon including talking to the Dallas Modern Quilt Guild, Teaching at StitchFest, and a pattern release. I am trying to get a lot of my quilt tops on the longarm so I am able to share with everyone so stay tuned!

If you want to see what I am up to on a daily basis, check out my Instagram @myfabricrelish

Have a great week!

Melissa

QuiltNON

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 15:14:00 +0000

It's that time of year again - QuiltCon! I was lucky to attend the past two years but this year I decided to not go. I would have loved to visit Savannah and see friends and all the quilts but I also wanted to save my quilting travel money for other things (like Tula at Craft South next month!). I am excited to stalk Instagram all weekend to see all the fun being had, though!

I saw this quilt hanging at QuiltCon in the #craftsouth booth and had to have it! I love how the alternating blocks shimmer. The kit was based on the #creativebug Ohio Star by Heather Jones and kit put together by Craft South. #annamariahorner #ohiostarquilt #myfabricrelishquilting

A post shared by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Feb 17, 2017 at 4:03pm PST

Last year at QuiltCon, in the Craft South booth (I visited this booth multiple times each day), I saw this quilt hanging and it had to go home with me! I really don't know what it was about this quilt but it just spoke to me. You know how that goes...

Also, if you didn't know this already, Craft South is a quilt shop in Nashville owned by Anna Maria Horner. And if you didn't know, Anna Maria Horner is my JAM! I LOVE her fabrics and her style! I was also thrilled it was all kitted and ready to get tucked into my suitcase. The kit is based off the Ohio Star block from the Creativebug quilt block series by Heather Jones and kitted by Anna Maria Horner for her shop.

Like most fabrics and kits, it sat in my beautiful cabinet for almost 6 months but used Sewtopia (retreat) as my excuse to finally get it made. I am so happy she is finished. I plan to make this my new favorite sofa quilt.

Hotel beds make great design walls 😉👍✂️️ #sewtopiaaustin #sewtopiaatx

A post shared by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Nov 11, 2016 at 4:55pm PST

My first finish! I bought this as a kit at QuiltCon in the #craftsouth booth and fell in love. #sewtopiaaustin #sewtopiaatx

A post shared by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Nov 11, 2016 at 9:31pm PST

Quilting details {Modern Twist by Patricia E Ritter} #myfabricrelishquilting #craftsouth #creativebug #amhfabric

A post shared by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Feb 18, 2017 at 8:26am PST

Happy Sunday! I'm away from my sewing machine this weekend and enjoying family time but thank goodness for Instagram to still give me my fix. 😋

A post shared by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Feb 19, 2017 at 9:51am PST

I quilted it using Modern Twist pantograph by Patricia E. Ritter for Urban Elementz. For more on my longarm services, check out my website www.relishquilting.com.

If you want to check out my album from last years QuiltCon, you can go here. I tried to take a picture of every quilt hanging, including the guild charity quilts.

Have a great week!

Melissa

Briarwood with Craftsy

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:59:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Week! I am really proud of myself for writing another blog post. Yay me! I am even more proud of the quilts I am going to share with y'all today!

So, back over the summer, I received an email from the awesome people at Craftsy wanting to know if I would be interested in designing and making a couple of simple quilt patterns for one if their new Boundless Fabric collections. At the time, I didn't even know about their new Boundless fabric line and was super intrigued so I signed on and went to work! The fabric collection Craftsy needed me to design for was a beautiful line called Briarwood. While this line is a bit more on the traditional side of my fabric preference spectrum, it was easy to fall in love with the saturated jewel-toned flowers and foliage. And since I love reading and watching historical fiction, I took that as my inspiration for this project.

{Photos courtesy of Craftsy.}

First up, I would like to introduce Taking the Train. This quilt is a fun, fast, and fat-quarter friendly made up of HSTs. This quilt reminded me of trains for some reason. Maybe the triangles are like the front grill? Fun fact: did you know those grills are used to move the cows out of the way?

This quilt makes a perfect lap quilt at 61" x 61". Quilting was done by me (www.relishquilting.com)using Debs Swirls by Deb Geissler.

Next up is Molly. I really love how sweet and soft Molly turned out. At the time I named this quilt, I didn't think the significance would ring so loudly 6 months later. Molly Brown is one of my favorite figures in history (I even named my dog in high school Molly Brown) and this quilt reminded me of a Molly.

This quilt is a bit bigger and makes a great twin-size measuring 79" x 98". I am super grateful to my friend, Ashley Leon, for helping put Molly together. I had less than a month from the time fabric arrived to sending finished quilts off all during my busy longarm season. I also longarmed this quilt using Bountiful Feathers by Hermione Agee.

Lastly, I do have to say the hand and feel of the Boundless fabrics are amazing! The quality reminds me very much of Moda. So if this collection or any other Boundless collections are catching your eye, don't hesitate! Oh, and I almost forgot, these two quilt kits are on sale right now!

Thanks again for reading my blog my new patterns with Craftsy. I hope you have a great week!

Melissa

Sewtopia - Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 15:21:00 +0000

Hold the phones, I wrote another blog post! Wha?!?

Happy Monday and today I want to share two quilts that I started at Sewtopia - Atlanta this past spring with two amazing designers and teachers.

The first is my Frances Firefly (disguised as a butterfly). I was super excited to make this quilt because I knew my oldest butterfly-loving relish would love this quilt. That was enough motivation needed to get all the fireflies finished in Atlanta and finish up at home the week after. I officially shared this quilt on IG but I never took the time to share on my blog.

I loved taking this class with Elizabeth Hartman. If you like to be super organized when you piece, this is the quilt and designer for you! She even came supplied with labels for us. Here are my finished blocks in Atlanta:

I got my Francis Fireflies finished despite the power outage this morning. I had so much fun this weekend and so glad @cason.aj came with me! #sewtopiaatlanta #SewtopiaATL #fransisfirefly #elizabethhartman @elizabethagh #agsunprint

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 10, 2016 at 9:27am PDT

I used Alison Glass Sunprint 2016 for my fireflies and a gray print for my background (I don't remember the manufacturer or name, sorry). I went cheesy with the quilting and used a butterfly motif.

Firefly disguised as a butterfly and for my bug-lovin' 5-year-old. I think I like the back the most. She got to make a lot of the design decisions on this one...block layout, backing fabric, thread color, and quilting design. This will be her pre-k graduation gift from me - ALL THE FEELINGS! 😢😀😭💗 #myfabricrelishquilting #longarmquilting #handiquilter #elizabethhartman #alisonglass #francisfirefly

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 28, 2016 at 9:41am PDT

She's off the frame 💗 #myfabricrelishquilting #longarmquilting #elizabethhartman #francisfirefly

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 28, 2016 at 1:20pm PDT

Lets just say, oldest relish was delighted and sleeps with it every night.

Next up, was my Single Girl class with Denyse Schmidt. I loved this class and quilt. At first, I wasn't super hyped about making this quilt. I was just going to make the pillow and if I enjoyed it, maybe go bigger. Guess what? I went bigger!

I LOVED the laid-back approach to this quilt, from the improv-ish piecing of the arcs and the easy piecing of the curves. I did decide to switch to foundation paper piece the arcs but still kept it total improv and random. I was able to finish four completed circles in Atlanta, but finished the rest as soon as I got home.

Just finished my #freewheelingsinglegirl class with @dsquilts using some #alisonglassfabric - so fun! #SewtopiaATL

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 8, 2016 at 2:01pm PDT

I made 4! #freewheelingsinglegirl #SewtopiaATL #sewtopiaatlanta

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 8, 2016 at 8:24pm PDT

All the colors! #longarmquilting #myfabricrelishquilting #singlegirlquilt #denyseschmidt #sewtopiaatlanta #sewtopiaATL

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on Apr 28, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT

Straight quilting with random spacing and different colors thrown in 💗#myfabricrelishquilting #longarmquilting #singlegirlquilt #sewtopiaatlanta #sewtopiaatl #denyseschmidt #alisonglass

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on May 2, 2016 at 11:28am PDT

I loooove this quilt - manila folder yellow and all! 🗂 #singlegirlquilt #myfabricrelishquilting #denyseschmidt #alisonglass #sewtopiaatl #sewtopiaatlanta

A photo posted by Melissa (@myfabricrelish) on May 2, 2016 at 6:46pm PDT

I went with organic straight-line quilting using multiple color threads. I do have to say, this is probably one of my favorite finishes of 2016.

Lastly, here are some pictures of the finished quilts:

Thanks again for reading my blog and checking out my quilts. Hope you have an awesome quilty week!

Melissa

Bucket List

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 17:39:00 +0000

Hey, it's me, the worst quilt blogger, ever! Okay maybe not the worst, but lame at least. My last post was in August and that one doesn't even really count - sorry about that. I have lots of reasons for not blogging as much including one being Instagram - it's just so portable and fast. But others things are keeping me off the computer as well, like my growing longarm business and my growing girls. My oldest is now a kindergartener and my youngest will be joining her soon. So many mixed emotions about that one. In addition, I have been terrible about taking real camera pictures of my quilts. I love photography and the whole process but it also is another time consuming hobby that gets pushed aside too often. My birthday was this past week and I decided while the little relished were at school, I would go take some pictures of quilts that I have completed this past year. Ones that still haven't been properly shared even on IG. I also treated myself to a Photoshop upgrade while I was at it ;).

Do you ever have a quilt that joins your Quilt Bucket List and you just can't get it off your mind?

Loaded question, right? During Quilt Market 2015, Victoria Finlay Wolfe (VFW) debuted her new fabric line, Mostly Manor, and along with a stunning lone star quilt, Family Album Quilt. At that moment, I knew I was going to make that quilt. Some day.

Fast forward a bit to when the The Quilters Guild of Dallas announced its show theme, "A Charmed Life." The rules for the theme are simple - your quilt can have only one shape in its piecing; however, the shape can be different sizes and trimmed along the edge. Umm, duh - easiest decision ever!

I was also pleased to see that VFW made this beautiful quilt into a pattern WITH templates! Score! The pattern and templates were a bit pricey ($69) but really not more than what you pay for specialty ruler and I definitely plan to use these again.

Deciding on the fabrics was another challenge. I wanted to use Alison Glass' newest collection, Seventy-Six, but it wasn't set to be released until Oct 2016 and then it was delayed a couple weeks after that. Since the quilt top needed top be finished before Jan 5, there was a bit of a crunch. So over the Christmas break, I worked on it and finished it up Christmas day (my Christmas gift to myself).

I do have to say that this quilt is easier and faster than it looks. Once you get the angled piecing down, it's really a matter of staying organized. I did deviate from the pattern in one place. Instead of squares in the final corners, I used diamonds in keeping with the show rules.

For the quilting, I went with an all-over sketchbook design using monofilament (invisible) thread. I even recorded the design and hope to use that on customer quilts in the future!

If you are interested in longarm services, please check out my longarm website: www.relishquilting.com.

Thanks so much for taking the time took look at my blog and have a great day!

Melissa

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 14:05:00 +0000

Just a PSA about my next fabric dyeing workshop in October! Just a couple more spots left...

Melissa

QuiltCon and APQ Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 22:09:00 +0000

Is it spring yet? It feels like it is Texas and I am sure it will when I am in sunny California this weekend when I head out to QuiltCon. I am super excited to get to see some old quilty friends and meet some new ones. I am most excited about seeing all the quilts on display. I entered two of my quilts for the show, but they weren't accepted and that's okay - that just means the show should not disappoint! Both quilts did get accepted into the Dallas Quilt Show in March so if you are local, I hope you get a chance to check out them and all the others. To keep up with all my shenanigans at QuiltCon, be sure to follow me on IG @myfabricrelish or click the IG widget on the right toolbar.

But what I really wanted to tell you is tomorrow, I will have a recorded chat with PAT SLOAN and you will get to hear our chat live on Monday. Whah?!? I hope I don't fumble over my words. We are going to talk a bit about my fabric dyeing and other teaching and quilting adventures so be sure to take a listen next week (link below).

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you take a look at my IG feed this weekend and take a listen to American Patchwork & Quilting on Monday!

Fabric Dyeing Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 01:19:00 +0000

Are you dying to dye your own fabric? If you are local to the Dallas area, I will be hosting a fabric dyeing workshop on December 5th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. out of my home. Fabric dyeing can be messy but it is so much fun and super rewarding! I like to dye my fabric in my garage and laundry room because of the mess it makes so I decided to open my home and let you make a mess with me!

So what does this workshop include? I will talk a little bit about color theory, mixing dyes to achieve certain colors, and the whole dying process. You will then get to hand-dye your own 12 fat quarters! Lucky for you, I will do all the rinsing and washing - which is the hardest part!

Class Fee: $55 (additional $5 for shipping)

The class fee will include the instructions, fabric for dyeing, and dyes to use in class. You will need to leave your fabric here to be washed, so if you live far away and can't come by later in the week to pick it up, I will be happy to ship it to you for $5.

When: December 5th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.Where: Murphy, TexasSign up: email me at myfabricrelish@gmail.com

Hurry, spots are limited!

I will have additional add-on items to purchase and will send those details out in an email later.

And if you need a little twist of the arm, here are some quilts I've made with hand-dyed fabrics:

Hope that you'll join me!!

My Quilt Design Process

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 21:16:00 +0000

My sweet friend, Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts, recently released a wonderful e-book called DIY Block Design and I am so honored that she invited to me to share my quilt design process during her DIY Block Design Challenge and Blog Hop! My first thought was how the heck am I going to get the crazy mess of quilt ideas, colors and designs from my head into a blog post! So I am going to break it down a bit and start with inspiration....

Inspiration:

I find inspiration everywhere! I think the heart and what draws me most to quilting is the fabric. The patterns in the fabric and the colors are the foundation to all of my quilts. I usually buy my fabric then decide what I want to make with it later. Sometimes I slice into a fat quarter bundle the moment it lands in my studio and then sometimes is sits on the shelf for a month or two (or 24 - Hi there, my Tula Pink stash). I recently started my journey in dying fabric and it has been so much fun creating my own color palettes and taking more ownership of my work.

Instagram, blogs, quilt magazines and quilt shows are usually where I find a lot quilt design inspiration. If at all possible, I take a picture of it, but if that isn't an option, I try to catalog them on Pinterest or my iPad. Then when something that has inspired me so much that I can't get it out of my head, I then begin my design process....

MY Design process:

When it comes to designing a block or a quilt, I go straight to my EQ7. My husband bought this program for me over two years ago and I love it! Before EQ7, I did all my work on graph paper and while this method is definately tried and true for most, there is nothing better than designing a quilt with the fabric you hope to use and see if your imagination rings true with reality. There have been many quilts that have been left on the cutting room floor so to speak - and that's ok! Just like a sketch or drawing, sometimes it's just an exercise to improve your skills and not suppose to be the masterpiece. Now, I am going to share my inspiration and design process of a recent quilt of mine so you can see my process in action!

One day while hanging out on Pinterest, I came across this picture and uploaded it into Play Crafts Palette Builder. Using this palette as my guide, I attempted to derive those colors onto my hand-dyed fabric....

In this case, the picture and colors reminded me of the changes of colors during fall and inspired me to make a maple quilt. In EQ, I started with just a simple maple quilt...

Loving the colors but not the uniformity, soooo....

Now loving the different directions the leaves are falling but still not quite....

Ohhhhh, digging the negative space! But thinking I want to switch back to a lighter background. Oh wait, what if I.....

...invert some of those blocks! Yes! I love it!

So once I have a visual gameplan, I get to work doing the quilty math. While EQ7 does help you decide on block size and quilt size, the cutting guides are not enough to get you to cutting straight away. This is when graph paper, a calculator and DIY Block Design comes in...

I don't always use the EQ cutting suggestions and sometimes I like to make my HSTs based on the size of fabric I am using. In Alyce's book, she gives you the measurements and shows you several options for making HSTs - so useful!

I also make sure I take detailed notes when I make a quilt. I want to be able to recreate it again or if I decide to make a pattern or submit it to a magazine, it's all ready to go!

No quilt is completely finished until it has been photographed...

Now that you have seen a little bit of how I process my inspiration, head over to Instagram and share what inspires you to enter Alyce's fun giveaway ( #myDIYblockdesign )! Find out more details here! If you want to see what I am up to on Instagram, you can follow me @myfabricrelish :) Maybe I can inspire you!

Want to check out all the other bloggers participating?

October 2
Heidi @ Fabric Mutt
Christa @ ChristaQuilts
Angie @ Gnome Angel

October 7Ros @ Sew Delicious
Leanne @ Sewn By LeanneAmy @ And Sew We Craft

October 9Jennie @ Clover & Violet
Jane @ QuiltJane
Melissa @ My Fabric Relish

October 14Jen @ Faith And Fabric
Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

October 16
Sandi @ Crafty Planner
Anne @ Play Crafts
Jess @ Elven Garden Quilts

October 21Joy @ Quilty Joy Joy
Linden @ Vine Lines Quilting
Cassie @ Cassandra Madge

October 23Keera @ Live Love Sew
Janice @ Better Off Thread
Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts

October 28
Kelly @ A Place Of My Own
Abby @ Color Bar Quilts

Fall....but not quite

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 22:37:00 +0000

So it's fall here officially but Texas didn't get that memo! I think it was 92 today and I'm totally over the heat. Not cool, Texas, not cool!

So this summer, before the girls were back in school, we had a fun two days of tie-dying shirts (the girls) and dying fabric (me).

It all started with a picture I found on Pinterest of beautiful fall leaves.

I threw the image into Play Crafts pallette builder and formulated a color game plan. Now, if you have ever dyed fabric, you know there is no guarantee on the outcome of your colors. The second you pull them from the dryer is the moment you know exactly what color you made. This could be terrifying and exciting at the same time.

Score! I was so pleased with my outcome that I waited 3 whole seconds before I sliced into my new fabrics!

Since my inspiration was a picture of leaves, I decided I needed to join the modern maples fan club. Enjoy the picture overload ;)

Quilting is the Kindling pantograph. It's quite dense and creates a wood grain or fire feel depending on how you look at it.

It's backed with this beautiful C + S print form Melody Miller's Picnic. I'm obsessed!! This measures at 90" x 90".

While on the inspiration topic, I want to do a quilt shoutout to my friend Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts. She recently published a book about designing quilt blocks and figuring out the math involved called DIY Block Design (buy it here and it's on sale!) and I had the honor of checking it out before it was officially published and it's awesome! I thought it was perfect for any quilter from the beginner who's learning the basic block construction to the advanced who's just a bit quilt math impaired. - I am so glad for quilt design software! Alyce is hosting a fun blog hop in October to promote her book and to inspire others to well, inspire!

October 9th will be my turn but check out all the details here! I hope you have a great weekend and the fall weather inspires you to create something cozy!

Melissa

Pickle Tucker Relish Prairie

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:06:00 +0000

I just wanted to jump on and share another version on my Pickle Relish pattern using the brand new Tucker Prairie fabric by 1Canoe2 for Moda. The colors and prints in this collection are just beautiful and when I got my hands on some sample spree fabric, I knew I needed to make another version of my Pickle Relish pattern. My original one is made in Cotton + Steel Halloween fabric, so I knew I couldn't keep that one out year round - or I could - but in all honestly, I wanted an excuse to make Pickle Relish again but with a darker background and some really vibrant prints.

I had a lot of fun custom quilting this one with a mix of rulers and FMQ.

That sun glow!

{Background fabric is Robert Kaufman Interweave Chambray in Pepper. Backing is Cotton + Steel Picnic Rose Garden Neutral.}

If you would like to buy my pattern, you can download the PDF version from my Craftsy shop here. If you would like the paper version, you can order one from my shop here.

Thanks so much for visiting today! I hope your week is going awesome and have a great weekend!

Rachel's Star Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 01:30:00 +0000

Happy Friday and happy back to school! I still have one more week with my little relishes before their school starts and I'm counting down the ~~days~~ ~~minutes~~ seconds! We've had a great summer and the girls have been super awesome letting me quilt and sew when I needed to, but boy, it will be nice to have a quiet house again.

With summer ending, so did time with family. My husband's parents are teachers so summer is a great time for longer visits and family vacations. My sister-in-law and her family were also here in the States on furlough from missionary work in India and I was able to make them a fun and fast quilt to take back to India with them (shipping there is unpredictable).

I used a V and Co. layer cake of Color Theory and Moda's fun and free pattern here!

I quilted it using the easy orange peel pattern/pantograph to mimic the awesome orange peel pattern in the fabric. {You can read more about my longarm services here}.

Since this quilt is so fast to make, it makes for great gifts and I definitely see more in my future.

I was also happy to find a new home for a favorite and simple patchwork quilt with my other sister-in-law (couldn't leave her out;). I used BariJ's super sweet Emmy Grace fabric for this one and it washed up so soft and cuddly.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend! Oh, I almost forgot....my PDF quilt patterns are on sale for $4.95 (regularly $7.95) in my Craftsy shop for the rest of August to celebrate back to school and my fun little feature in Love Patchwork and Quilting MAGAZINE! Eeek! Thanks so much for everyone's support...It truly means the world to me and puts a big smile on my face everyday!

Skipping Pinwheels on the horizon....

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 17:20:00 +0000

This time last year I was waiting very impatiently to see my first published quilts in Quilty Magazine. It hit the shelves last September with two of my designs inside...

I'm still so in love with my Anna Maria Horner Skipping Pinwheels quilt and it rests comfortably on my guest bed. I'm also so excited to get started on developing this quilt into a My Fabric Relish pattern since I will obtain my publishing rights next month. Yay!

Now, I am not going to pretend that I designed some super original block design that no one has seen before. It's a block with and a very basic design using only half-square triangles (HSTs) and squares that become pluses and commonly called the "Calico Puzzle" block. I designed this quilt with beginners in mind and Quilty was a platform to reach those beginning quilters (even though their readership was anywhere from novice to professional). As a teacher by nature (and heart), I embrace the philosophy of catering to beginners wholeheartedly and hope my patterns provide the same comfort including Skipping Pinwheels.

I have since made another Skipping Pinwheels quilt using Amy Butler's Bright Heart with a very vibrant green chambray background and now need to figure out which one should be the pattern's cover?

I'll let yall know when this pattern will be available for purchase in my Shop or on Craftsy!

Thanks again to everyone for your support!

xoxo

Christmas Card Wall Organizer and a GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 13:30:00 +0000

Today I am sharing this fun and super fast Christmas Card Wall Organizer over at Benartex's blog, Sew in Love {with Fabric}. Go check it out and come back to not only get a chance to win a FQ bundle of Frosty Forest, but two patterns! Cherry Guidry, designer of Frosty Forest, has so generously offered two of her patterns in this giveaway! Yay!

If you are needing some additional fun Christmas inspiration, be sure to check out all the stops on the blog hop:

Monday Chris from Made by Chrissie D using Happy Holidays Snowmen
Tuesday Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts using Homespun Holiday
Wednesday Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation using Ornamental Splendor
Thursday Kristen from KD Quilts using Santa's Here
Friday Melissa from My Fabric Relish using Frosty Forest
Monday Nikki from The Girl Who Quilts using Frosty Forest
Tuesday Wendy from Ivory Spring using Shades of Winter

GIVEAWAY RULES: To enter to win a FQ bundle of Frosty Forest and these two adorable patterns, simply be sure to follow both Sew in Love {with Fabric}'s blog and my blog and leave a comment saying so. For an additional entry, be sure to follow Cherry Guidry's blog and leave another comment letting me know. I will draw a name randomly next week once the hop has finished. Goodluck!

If you would like to purchase these patterns, be sure to check out Cherry's shop here!

Little Words, Big Finish

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 01:48:00 +0000

Summer is going full force here in Texas and between teaching kids sewing camp, vacation, and swim lessons for the girls, I am already feeling pretty tuckered out. I have been meaning to write this blog post for over a month but just never got around to it. You might have noticed that I also released a new pattern called Pickle Relish and that sucked up most of my June and then volunteered to do some charity quilting for the #floodtexaswithlove campaign (check out the hashtag on IG too!) and before I knew it, June was over and July was already two days in! Such is life, right?

Well, if you follow me here or on IG, you already know about my adventure in hand-dying (started at QuiltBLISS) and what I decided to make with all my dyed fabrics. If you missed it, here it is in all it pictoral glory with no commercials...enjoy! --yeah, I'm that lazy--

Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July (or just a plain old weekend for my non-American friends)!

XOXO

NEW! Pickle Relish Quilt Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:00:00 +0000

I am so very excited about my newest pattern! I am all about making super easy to follow patterns that give you lots for your money, so with my latest pattern, it gives you two different techniques to make the main block: traditional and foundation paper piecing. Yay!

I think everyone has their prefered method of piecing and with this pattern it's completely your decision. If you are unsure, try out both and see what works better for you! With the traditional piecing method, I provide detailed cutting charts so all you have to do is whip out your fat quarters and start cutting! If you want to use half-yard cuts, the instructions are the same with longer strips to cut. If you are afraid to cut on a 45 degree, the pattern gives you full color cutting measurements or if you have a 45 degree ruler that you are still wondering why the heck you bought it, then whip it out and make it useful. If you are new to foundation paper piecing or just need a refresher, I have included a step-by-step page with diagrams to help you along!

When I was making this quilt, I realized there were lots of large angled scraps leftover and decided that those would be great for a mini quilt, which is also included in the pattern (this one is foundation paper pieced)!

I have listed the PDF version on Craftsy and you can purchase it here. I also have paper ones you can purchase from my shop here. If you would like to carry my patterns in my shop, send me an email so we can chat!

Finished size - 72" x 72" (Bonus mini - 21" x 21")
Fabrics used - Spellbound by Cotton + Steel

Lastly, I want to thank everyone so much for your support and encouragement with my patterns. It truly means the world to me and puts a big smile on my face daily!

Clam Shells! Stop it!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 20:22:00 +0000

I want clam shells everywhere! So I've been on a clam shell kick lately (you might've noticed) and I have several recent projects that can attest to my obsession. I've been sharing some of these over on IG but wanted to give them the blog love as well.

Back in November, Michelle at Urban Spools asked if I would like to design the Row by Row Experience row for the shop and of course I said yes!

This year the theme is water and it didn't take me long to pick clams as my quilt design. I picked out some fresh fabrics that reminded me of water and pulled out my Accuquilt and came up with this:

Well, after my first try at clams I was officially hooked and in love and couldn't stop...

This is my clam sham and having a class at Urban Spools later this month. You can read more about the pillow here!

I even made my Alison Glass mini swap partner her own clam mini.

But then I decided to go bigger with an 8" Accuquilt die and made an Anna Maria Clam (remember my AMG goal of sew all the AMH?)! I used mostly Folksolg by AMH with a little Pretty Potent and Oakshot cottons mixed in.

I went with a pantograph called Moxie and love this design. It's probably my favorite!

Even this butterfly appreciates clams. Can you spot it?

So, even though I use my Accuquilt to cut my clams, that doesn't mean you need a die cutter to make your own clam pillow or quilt. You can find a great free pattern on Craftsy by Latifah Saarif with great instructions and a templates (8", 12" and templates for 4" and 6").

So what's your summer quilting obsession?

Xoxo,

Melissa

Prairie Willow in Loominous

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 14:52:00 +0000

Happy June! Last month I released my first quilt pattern and it's been so uplifting hearing the feedback from so many of you. Thanks so much!

Click the image to go to Craftsy to download.

So, I realized lately that I have grown quite an extensive collection of Anna Maria Horner (AMH) fabrics. You see, I love AMH! Her colors are these amazing jewel-tones that make me deliriously happy and as a collection they create this very bohemian vibe that wins me over every time. I buy her collections no matter what but then I sit on them thinking if I use them they will be gone forever. Well, I've finally realized that is the dumbest thing ever! They need to be made into quilts and other lovelies so when I pet them I don't look like a full blown lunatic. You might find it hard to believe that I have a seemingly bottomless pit of AMH by the fact you've seen me share lots of AMH projects, but I do, for example....

HST Pillow

Sew Together Bag

AMH Room

Dining Room

Christmas Tree Skirt

And there's actually several more projects but I'm tired of looking for the pictures, but you get the idea. So, why am I sharing this with you? Well, I have challenged myself to sew all of it (yes, ALL of it) before her next collection comes out. You might have noticed on IG that I've been making some dents but I still have the entire Honor Roll collection (1/2 yards) and a ton of Pretty Potent left to devour. Today I am going to share Loominous...

So I recently got her newest collection, Loominous, a few weeks ago and I was totally shocked at how eager I was to cut into them (see hoarding tendencies above). Have you seen Loominous? They are yarn-dyed (fabric dyed while still in yarn form) fabrics with incredible texture and weave and a few fun metallic threads thrown it. It's great for home decor, quilts, and clothing. The first time I petted Loominous, I knew it needed to become a patchwork quilt with little breakage of the design. Then I thought about my Prairie Willow pattern that's part of my Positive Trio pattern booklet and knew it would be perfect. Now, I am going to be honest, I totally fudge the pattern a bit in order to use every last little bit of my FQ bundle in order to not have to order more or include other prints to the top and I'll tell you what I did in a bit, but for now here is the EQ7 version and some pretty pictures of it finished:

I used a print from AMH's Pretty Potent line for the back and another print from the same line for the binding. It was by sheer luck that I had that print for the back and how well it with together. I only had 3 yards instead of the 4 yards required but I made it work and literally had only an inch left on the bottom after I longarmed it. I FMQ'ed it with a fun little snail/flower design all over and quite pleased. I knew I needed a dense quilt design for this one because some of the fabric weaves are a bit looser than typical quilting cotton and didn't want to risk any holes or fraying. I also pieced the top together using a smaller stitch length then normal as well. If you have the patience (I don't) then starch your fabrics before you cut or at least starch each block like I did.

So, I recommend using the amount of fabric stated in my pattern, BUT if you are like me and don't want to order more fabric, you can cut your corner background squares a bit smaller to 2.5" but not any smaller. The pattern has you cut these squares a tad bit bigger in order to keep a little extra space between the points on the adjacent blocks. I would have prefered more space, but like I said, I didn't want to buy more fabric. This is the small throw size (60" x 60").

I photographed 6 quilts on my last photoshoot and can't wait to share them so stay tuned! Also, did you happen to notice that I've added a new tab on the top of my page? Check it out here! Thanks so much for visiting today and hope you have a great week!

Happy Birthday, Little Relish!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Wed, 20 May 2015 07:00:00 +0000

I can't believe my littlest relish is turning 3! She is the most spunky and lovable child I know and what better way to celebrate...a spunky and lovable quilt!

You might remember me blogging about my adventures in hand dying fabric at QuiltBliss and then at home. I made a lot! After I made my Celestial quilt (it's almost finished, just needs binding) I still had so much fabric left. I knew the only way I wouldn't feel guilty about dying more was if I used up as much of what I already had.

So I busted out my Accuquilt (AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter Starter Set
affiliate link) and cut a bunch of 6" HSTs (AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutting Dies; Triangle 6-1/2 inch; Quilt Block C - affiliate link again) and just started piecing them together randomly. So randomly, that I even asked big relish to get in on the fun and just hand me any two pieces, as long as they were two different colors or shades. And so she did. I think it just took me an afternoon to get the HSTs together and since I used my Accuquilt, no need to trim! YES! Then another quick afternoon making rows and then a top.

I wasn't planning on actually getting to quilting the top so quickly, but when I stopped by Urban Spools last weekend for their 2 year anniversary, there was this Alexander Henry fabric just sitting there with H's name all over it!

How could I not and the colors were spot on...BECAUSE IT HAD EVERY COLOR! {Don't worry, two color catchers went in the wash with this one ;}

I asked H what quilting design she liked the most and she picked the raindrops. Score for me because it was actually a free download on Urban Elementz. She's got a good eye!

For Mother's day I requested to just sew all day and be fed and that's what I got! It was my pleasure spending that day quilting/finishing H's birthday quilt. While it would have been ideal to wait till her birthday, I just couldn't pass up giving it to he early to keep her safe and warm while she slept. After all, she had a menagerie of animals to keep her company. The tortoise is my favorite!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE RELISH!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Large

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Sun, 17 May 2015 15:13:00 +0000

Back again! For my second entry into Amy's Creative Side's Blogger's Quilt Festival, I want to enter my Feathers quilt into the Large category. Y'all, I love this quilt....like, loooooooove this quilt! It was a blast to make and I'm excited I get to shamelessly share it again. You can read about it's original blog debut here.

The pattern is called Feathers by Alison Glass, measures 55" x 66", and fabrics are Alison Glass' Handcrafted.

If you would like to nominate my quilt for viewers choice, you can do that here. Just simply leave a comment nominating me or any of your other favorites.

Have a great week and I do have a finish to share this week, so stay tuned!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Mini

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Sun, 17 May 2015 14:44:00 +0000

It's time again for Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival! I think it's so awesome that Amy does this not only once, but twice a year! This is a great way to once again shamelessly share our quilty pride and joys!

First up is my mini that I created for Fort Worth Fabric Studios Mini Mania blog hop this spring....

This was so much fun to make! The four blocks are paper pieced and then traditionally pieced together into the mini. I used Bonnie and Camille's Daysail fabric for Moda.

If you would like to nominate my mini for viewers choice, you can do so here! I would love you forever if you did!

Thanks so much for visiting and if you are new here, thanks so much for simply clicking on the little thumbnail picture of my mini!

{Link to download this free pattern can be found on my Quilt Patterns and Tutorials toolbar at the top of my page}

Positive Trio Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Mon, 11 May 2015 17:19:00 +0000

I am super excited to finally share something that I have been working on the last six months....

My first quilt pattern!

This pattern is more a little booklet with three different patterns in four different sizes all based on the variation of the plus block. I am really excited about this pattern because I did everything from the designing/making the quilts, taking the pictures, and creating the graphics and designs for the pattern. It's all me and I learned so much!

{What Goes Around using Etno by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics}

{Prairie Willow using Priory Square by Katy Jones for Art Gallery}

{Flying Happy using Mochi by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cotton+Steel}

I really want this pattern to be more than a quilt pattern and hope you to feel like you are getting a lot for what you pay for. More bang for your buck, so to speak. I have listed the pattern on Craftsy for $7.95 and you can purchase it here! Or for my lovely EU peeps, you can download it on Etsy! If you would prefer a paper copy, I am in the process of navigating those waters so I let you know when that happens!

Lastly, I would really like to say thank you to my readers. You are awesome!

Clam Sham Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa at My Fabric Relish) — Fri, 08 May 2015 15:20:00 +0000

Hey Guys! It's been a bit since I've been on here but wanted to formally share my new little pillow....

I've been sewing a bit of clamshells lately thanks to my Accuquilt. I would not want to have to cut these. I use my 4" die and even though the cutting is a breeze, I wish I could say the piecing was a cinch. It's not. It's tricky and a bit frustrating at first. There are much larger clam shell patterns out there that probably sew together nicely but these bitty 4" ones take patience, pins, and a good show on the TV. With that said, once you get your rhythm going, they go together smoothly. Promise!

I was totally going to hand quilt these while on vacation, but guess what, I didn't. Shocker. In my defense, it was windy (cruise) and I was reading a really good book. So I machine quilted it this week with a coral thread and while quilting it up I texted Urban Spools to make me a FQ bundle of Gardenvale because this fabric is just so perfect! I want more!!!

I'll be teaching this class on June 27th at Urban Spools if you are local and want to keep your sanity (at least because you are in public) while doing these little buggers. Trust me, they are totally rewarding and get easier once you do a few.

Hope you have a great Mother's Day weekend!

Melissa