What are the things that really make a home? It almost goes without saying that for most, it's the people around you... but we all have those special "things" around us that are sweet, little reminders of the connection we have to the place that we call home... and my Home Sweet Home Applique Sampler quilt embodies just that. When I first introduced a few blocks from the quilt, I shared a lot of personal connections and stories behind the blocks, and what better way than to highlight all those sweet blocks than framing them in an Irish Chain layout.
But I realize that not everyone likes to make such time intensive projects, so I decided to also release a few of my favorite blocks as applique template sets. These are prefect for those that want to explore applique before tackling a whole quilt, for those who like to work on small, in between projects, and of course for those who ALWAYS deviate from the original pattern to make it their own. No quilt pattern instructions, but "just the applique shapes"... I have to admit that the Flora & Fauna set has to be my favorite.
Kitchen and food themed projects are always such fun, don't you think?... and I could really imagine that these templates would be great made up into pot holders, hand towels, or even framed as prints. Here is a deliciously bright pillow that I made using the Edibles set combining felt and fabric applique.
If it's not already painfully obvious, my heart beats for flowers, which is not to say that I have a green thumb. I'm deeply amazed by the variety and the delicate and tiniest details of blossoms both big and small. This pillow, using the Blooms set, is everything that is soft and subtle in a garden.
I could imagine that it also goes without saying, that where I sew, it a big part of my home. I am blessed to have a space where I can create, mess up,clean up, and start all over again. There are so many sewing related projects possibilities with my Stitches set like needle books, thread catcher, sewing matching cover, fabric organizers, and the list goes...
... and saving the best part for last, I am running an 20% off introductory sale on all these patterns and the rest of my shop, starting today through May 27th, 2018. When you check out, be sure to enter the Sale Code: Home.
So much of the first part of my year has been the push get ready for Nadelwelt, which included finishing my fourth pattern, Home Sweet Home Applique Sampler. I was able to pre-release the pattern for the show, and it officially releases next week! Right now the dust has not yet settled, and I've not even really had time to fully process the whole event, but I can assure that I had a blast!
The first day of the show I taught a class on the starch applique method. I really have it in my head to possibly put out a couple videos on this fantastic technique, but everything in it's time, right? I ended up taking my two latest quilts, as well as a good number of smaller applique project samples.
... you may have already noticed that my patterns are now available in print! I'm
also excited to that a few shops in Germany
will be carrying my in-print patterns. I'll be sharing details very soon!
Even though the class was listed that I would teaching in English, because there were only German speakers in the class, I actually found it helpful to flip to German... talk about a challenge - try explaining a technique, using technical terms in a foreign language... but I'm glad to say that I came out on the other side without any major injuries.
I got the feeling that my class participants really enjoyed a different approach to applique, and I was asked by a couple of shops to offer courses with them too... keep your eyes peeled for more on that as it develops.
So, start your one week countdown clock... I've got some pretty exciting news to share next week with the official release of my Home Sweet Home quilt pattern... and it has something to do with fabric!
Really happy to check this first finish of the quarter off my Finish-A-Long list!
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
I'm pleased to say that I seem to be right on track with my
progress from the last FAL quarter even though that means that I only got one
quilt finished... but it was a biggie! The best part about this quarter is that I know that I will definitely
have at least one sure finish... the quilting is finished,
and binding is all that's left to do for my Home Sweet Home Applique Sampler. (pattern releases May 16th!)
I have two small spin off projects that I'm adding to the list, and reverse applique circles are my current flavor of the month, but I really like the way it highlights these applique blocks...
I usually don't like to give myself self imposed deadlines because I enjoy quilting more when I can work on what I'm in the mood for. On one hand my biggest deadline in May has been pushing me pretty hard, and I found that while quilting, there were a good number of times that I found it really unenjoyable... hey, isn't our hobby supposed to be enjoyable? On the other hand, it's nice for me to have the deadlines to push myself towards finishes... and that's a good feeling too!
Even though I have more projects in the works than are on my list this quarter, I am keeping my FAL list relatively small this time. My Whirly Girl pattern has been bumped to the back burner twice - the first time so there would be enough time for pattern testing Lovebirds' Garden, and then again when the momentum of finishing Home Sweet Home to introduce at Nadelwelt cut line. But after the dust settles, I'm pushing this one for a fall release!
Summer Smoothie has made it to my list again. This is pretty high up on the priority list too because I am queen bee coming up soon, and it's a good feeling to finish one bee quilt before starting another.
Lovebirds Remix quilt top is so close to being finished, but there are a few "I'm a perfectionist" things that are standing in the way. I keep trying to convince myself that I don't have to unpick the whole applique vine that is already stitched down. (but I'm not so sure that I won't just do it anyway)... we'll see.
That's it... doesn't seem like much, right? How are you coming along with your quarterly goals?
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?
I wanted to talk about a quilting topic that doesn't get a whole lot of coverage (no pun intended) in the quilting scene... and that's the back of a quilt. So, what's your approach for the backside of your quilting masterpiece? I thought that
it would be fun to share the current backing that I am working on, as
well as sharing in one place all those quilt backings that are supporting the "stars-of-the-show"...
Pieced backing planned for my Home Sweet Home Applique Sampler quilt pattern to be released in May at the Nadelwelt in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Since I've been quilting, I've ended up piecing the good majority of the backings for my quilts. Somehow, stitching two big pieces of plain fabric together, with a seam smack dab in the middle, was never very appealing to me. However, I find that I piece my backings often for quite another reason than putting orphan blocks to good use, although this is a fantastic way to give even those rejects a piece of the pie... this one for example.
Back of my "Chrunstile" quilt... I actually sleep under this one.
Often I might not have large quantities of a single fabric on hand that match my current project, and if I don't want to eat up all one favorite fabric "just" for the back, then I find that piecing is a good option. I'm always taken aback when people tell me that they actually like the back of my quilt better than the front, but I'll just leave that in the "things-that-make-you-go-hmmmm" category.
"Facing East" backing... this one actually got the "I like the backside better" comment.
... and perhaps we should just leave the topic of double-the-price fabrics that one pays in Germany on the backburner. This coupled with high shipping cost, and long waiting times, pushes me again in the same direction of pieced backs.
Back of my "Swell" quilt... another one that adorns one of my beds.
The stars are the "star" of my Penny quilt, but a simple backing was a good choice for a pieced backing.
I've always like adding just a little bit of the unexpected... it's a little bit like ordering a crossiant at the bakery, getting it home, and realizing that it's filled with chocolate when you bite into it.
I was able to use up even more scraps not only for the front of my Scrappy Windmill quilt, but the back too!
So how about if I end things by sharing a little things-yet-to-come backing... the back of my Whirly Girl quilt. Just a little more quilting, and I'll be ready for my big reveal!
Looking for some more quilt backing inspiration? Check out my favorites on Pinterest.
