The countdown has officially begun... I'm about a week away from heading out to Nadelwelt, and I couldn't be more nervous and excited at the same time. So much to think of... pack... plan... check off the list, and that's exactly what I'm doing.
I shared last week my two latest kicks that I am somehow needing to get out of my system - felt and reverse applique. Both of these projects are blocks from my Home Sweet Home applique sampler, which releases in May!
I usually make a lot of pillows with several factors in mind. Firstly, I always like to show smaller sample projects that can be made for a large quilt pattern... it gets ideas flowing for how a pattern can be translated into a smaller and more doable piece - not everyone likes doing long distance marathon quilts, you know.
Secondly, it gives me the opportunity to experiment... so far I've been in my safe "swirls" free motion quilting bubble, and it gives me room to try other quilting motifs. For my "Blooms" pillow, I branched out a bit and did a combination of flowers, leaves, and swirls. I don't always feel confident with connecting one movement to the next, but that's why you practice... right?
Thirdly, I find that I actually need smaller in between projects as a breather when I am working on a bigger one. Sometimes my sewing time is a bit here and there, and if it takes too long to get back into a big project, at least I'm still sewing on an easier to pick-up-where-I-left-off project... I'd say that's killing a lot of birds with just one stone!
So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to check here in next week since I'll be super busy packing my bags, but don't go too far because there's a lot coming up in May... my Home Sweet Home applique sampler is finished, and releases May 16th!... PLUS I've got a little surprise coming up on Instagram.
Hope to see you at Nadelwelt - be sure to say hello if you are there!
Linking up for the Q2 Finish-A-Long
When I was a little girl, I would take a peanut butter sandwich in my school lunch everyday... and I really mean EVERY day. No jelly, just peanut butter. I suppose this went on for years, and I have to admit that I smile inwardly when my littlest asks for a cream cheese sandwich, yup, you guessed it... EVERY day.
While I no longer eat peanut butter sandwiches on a daily basis, I do notice that I have a tendency that when I get in a phase, that I stick with for a while... just like my peanut butter sandwiches. I suppose that the need to get it fully out of my system sometimes doesn't just stop with the first project. And it would appear that felt applique is the current flavor of the month.
I had shared little sneak peeks of my washing symbols project last week, but now they are finished up and ready to go to Nadelwelt. I really wanted to focus on more detailed quilting, and love the way these turned out once they were framed... see, I don't always make just pillows ; )
But as you can imagine, one project snowballs into another, and then into the next... like a potato chip, I couldn't stop with just one, right?!? I shared this sneak peak on Instagram this week of yet another felt applique project that I am working on... quilted up and ready to be turned into? what else...
... another peanut butter sandwich. You can see it coming now, can't you?
Do you have a tendency to get stuck on one favorite technique, pattern, favorite fabric pull like a favorite sandwich?
Well, I suppose that Santa Claus is not the only one who makes a list, and checks it twice... the only difference is that I'm not concerned with finding out who has been naughty or nice. But, just like Santa, my checklist for finishing two patterns for release by May plus class preparations for Nadelwelt has keep it busy, busy here behind the scenes...
- Finish binding my Lovebirds' Garden quilt for the official release date on March 15th! ... ✔check
... Isn't Iva's quilting just amazingly fantastic?!? (boy, oh, boy... how I wish I could take credit for it!)
- Line up the photo shooting location for proper quilt finish photos... ✔check. (just needing the Northern Germany weather to co-operate with me... and that's actually asking a lot)
- Finish the pattern corrections that have come in so far... ✔check. (talk about some serious fine tuning?!? It's not easy making sure all those i's are dotted and those t's are crossed)
- Finish 5 mini patterns - 1 spin-off from Lovebirds' Garden, and 4 mini patterns from Home Sweet Home Applique Sampler... ✔check.
- Prepare materials kits for Nadelwelt ✔check (super excited that Alison Glass put together a template set that will be exclusive for class participants!)
- Work on Nadelwelt presentations for May... ✔check
- Work on samples for Nadelwelt ... ✔check
Even though I've been checking off so many boxes these days, there's still a lot on my list to finish by May... what about you? what have you been checking off your to-do list these days?
If you stopped by today because you know that Wednesdays are my regular posting days, then perhaps I should let you in on a little something you might have missed yesterday... the release of my Christmas Snowbird applique template - now available in my Payhip shop!
My original plan was to release a stocking pattern including the applique templates, but since there are already so many great free tutorials out there (like this one), I decided to simply offer the applique templates, and let you come up with your own plan. Yesterday I shared a few inspiration ideas for possible projects, but today I get to share my own finished Christmas Snowbird project...
I think that perhaps free motion swirl quilting is making its way into the "signature style" category with me, but I love the ease of the movement while quilting. I used Auriful 2326 on a dark espresso Essex linen because I love the contrast and that the quilting shows off more than my standard - quilting takes the back burner style.
I've had this Cori Dantini fabric for a while, just waiting for the right project to come along... does that happen to you too? You have a fabric that's been in your stash for a while, and all of a sudden a project that you work on lets you know that there simply IS no other fabric than "this one" for the finish?
I'm really excited to see projects popping up here and there with the Christmas Snowbirds... what does your holiday sewing to-do list look like this season?
As a general rule, I tend to avoid highly quilted projects. I think in part because sometimes more is just, well... more. I'm a fabric, color, and print girl, so I'm naturally inclined towards simplicity in quilting and letting those elements shine. But secondly because I've not reached the comfort level that I would like to "over-quilt" a project, at least not on big ones anyway. With each new small project that I've taken on recently, I've decided to push myself when it comes to free motion quilting... and with my latest "Lovebirds" bonus project, I really wanted the quilting to go beyond my usual "keep it simple" mantra.
Quilting designs are not always as obvious to me as I would like them to be. I have several quilty friends, that immediately see a quilting design when they get ready to sit down and start quilting. Actually it was my husband that encouraged me on a few of the designs, and voted for favorite motifs. Like the pebble filled pomegranates and simple feathered bird wings...
... I'm thinking that I might like to revisit these simple curves to embellish my favorite orange peel designs.
Hmmm... ask me if I'm brave enough to go this dense on the big one? I may just have to get back to you on that one. Any stories of quilting bravery to share?
With two boys that are fairly close in age, I find that if I do something for one kid, that I have to do it for both kids... so this past Christmas I really wanted to give the boys something that I had made for them. I love paper piecing, and my oldest guy loves pirates... so why not combine the two? For the last three years his birthday parties have been about eye patches, treasure maps, and of course treasure hunts. Ahoy, Matie!
Pirates don't exactly fit to his tractor/automobile themed room, so it was a bit of a stretch, but I knew that this guy would flip over the dangerous pirate ship that was sailing the seven seas, (free pattern found here) and I would simply be happy that it somewhat matches his room.
I'm finding more and more that I actually enjoy spiral quilting, and have used it in some recent projects. I'm still working on feeling comfortable doing it, and practicing on smaller projects really helps.
In addition to the decorative pillow, both boys desperately needed a few pillowcases. I still had leftover fabrics from both rooms, and made a few "burrito pillowcases" This is a really nice way to add a few decorative pipings, but still end up with nice finished edges.
I'm pleased to say that both of pillows were a big hit and I'm looking forward to when I can make quilts for them... I'll wait until they get a little older.
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
We recently bought a new sofa for out living room that is large enough for the whole family, and the old one shifted into my husband's office. To my surprise, he has actually been using it a lot, and it's been nice for him to have a second comfortable place to retreat to when the first one is booked out.
If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed that I've accumulated quite a number of quilted cushions that have landed in our living room, but somehow recently they've been disappearing... a lot. The culprit, who shall remain nameless, keeps carrying them into my husband's office, and they are usually noticed missing when I want to sit down for the evening.
So, as a birthday present, I decided that the thief "borrower" needed a few pillows of his own. I've always thought that Tim Holtz fabrics are just smart for projects for guys, and have had it in my head to use the map/expedition print since my husband has a large world map on his wall. I added a cigar box labels print to the mix since he enjoys a leisurely smoke on occasion.
The cigar labels print was my color inspiration for the Raspberry Kiss x's pillow (free pattern here). I have to say that it was a good challenge for me to find prints in my stash that are truly "guy" fabrics... I didn't realize that most of my fabrics lean more towards what I would grab for a girl project rather than a guy project.
As if my husband didn't already have enough to keep him busy for every hour of the day, he has taken on a new hobby/job working with wood. It would seem that his love for trees is growing just as much as his love for soil, for this through and through farm boy. I debated for a long time if a wood grain quilting design was the best choice for the more graphic x's, but since it is so fitting to him personally, and it's free motion quilting practice for me, I decided it was the best way to take out two birds with one stone.
With these three pillows to lounge on, there should be no more disappearing act excuses... fingers are crossed!
Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.
