Lovebirds' Garden PATTERN RELEASE!

After a year in the works, the time has finally come to share... "Lovebirds' Garden" and "Lovebirds' Garden - Just The Shapes" with you!

... and what better way to celebrate than with a 20% discount on my latest quilt patterns PLUS my entire Payhip shop!  Simply enter the code: Lovebird when you check out. Sale runs from March 15th through March 25nd, 2018!

My Lovebirds' Garden Medallion Quilt, is for the intermediate to advanced quilter who enjoys appliqué as well as traditional piecing techniques. This 82" x 82" medallion quilt is sure to be an eye catcher, or equally as stunning as a smaller wall hanging... 

Lovebirds" Garden – "Just The Shapes" is a spin-off from my original Lovebirds’ Garden medallion quilt pattern, and just as the name suggests – includes “just the (applique) shapes”. The templates are outline drawings that can easily be printed on A4/letter size paper and then be traced onto your own materials to make appliqué shapes. Templates can also be used for paper projects.

Really looking forward to seeing some of your Lovebirds' Garden projects!

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"Lovebirds' Garden - Just The Shapes"

One more day... just one more day, and then I will be sharing what I've been working on over the past year!?! As I printed out ALL 31 pages of my Lovebirds' Garden pattern (which releases tomorrow!)... I have to admit that it was a really satisfying feeling. Almost as big of a rush when you put that last stitch in your binding, and you turn it over to see your finished quilt for the first time.

Additionally, I am really excited that tomorrow I will also be releasing, "Lovebirds' Garden - Just The Shapes", the first of five "mini patterns" that I will be offering. These mini patterns are simply the set of applique shapes, because some quilters love the freedom of coming up with thier own project/layout. I realize that many quilters enjoy the satisfaction of smaller projects in between those really big quilts, and not only that, perhaps first time appliquers might be more willing to try a small project before moving onto a larger and more intensive one.

You may rememer the pillow that I had mad using just the shapes from my Lovebirds' Garden motifs, and it's been fun to play around with a few layout ideas. I could imagine this next one as a sweet wall hanging...

Of course, the shapes can be used to make more traditional applique blocks, like this crossing design. By adding sashing and borders, another min quilt is born...

Somehow I really like the idea of taking a simple block like a log cabin block, and hightlighting it with applique shapes...

Or even taking those log cabins to the next level, and turning it into a star mini quilt with applique accents....

What ever your cup of tea, these "Just The Shapes" projects leave a lots of room for the imagination.

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow for the offical release and other information about the Lovebirds' Garden and Just The Shapes!

 

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Lovebirds' Garden FINISH!

Almost a year ago this month, I sat in a quaint little restaurant with my husband for a birthday breakfast, soaking in all the charm of the centuries old building. The fact that we often don't take the time to treat ourselves, made the day even more special. As I sat across from my husband, my gaze kept falling on the cross stitch piece that was behind him... which ended up being the inspiration for my latest quilt pattern Lovebirds' Garden, to be released next week, March 15th!

I could not have finished the quilt as quickly had it not been for a little help from Iva. She did the amazing quilting while I have been busy working on other upcoming patterns. She actually joined us this fall for our quilting retreat, and she found this perfect little spot on the grounds for a nice background... isn't it fun how the green in the quilt is picked up by the moss covered doors in the background?

It was at the retreat that we were able to coordinate quilting plans... I just love how she framed the center medallion, really making it the focal point of the quilt. I love the simple shadowing of the leaves and orange peel accents throughout.

Does this couch look familiar? Well, it should... somehow this blue keeps following me despite  not being a blue fan.

I have to admit that this had to be the hardest quilt photo shooting that I've done... remember all those weather shows that were talking about the "beast from the east" cold weather front that swept across Europe? Yep, that was our photo shooting day!?! My hands were so cold that I could barely hold the camera, and the wind gusts kept us from taking more shots. 

I'll be sharing more next week with the pattern release, so be sure to check back in... just in case you happened to miss the full story about the Lovebirds' Garden quilt?... then you can find it here.

Quilt: Pattern: Lovebirds' Garden Applique Medallion Quilt from Allison Richter for Campbell Soup Diary, releases March 15th 2018
Started: March 2017
Fabrics: Alison Glass, Basic Grey Grunge, Carolyn Friedlander, 1 Canoe 2. Various Low Volume backgrounds
Finished quilt size: ca. 82" x 82" in. (208 x 208 cm) 

Linking up for the 2018 Finish-A-Long!

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Checking Boxes

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)

• Baste Sweet Home Applique Sampler and get it under the machine... ✔check. (I used my favorite basting method... no bending down, no hurting knees, no aching back... another big ✔check!

• 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?

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Fall Retreat Happenings

Wheh - what a busy, exciting, and whirlwind of a week it's been - yesterday was the last day of our fall quilting retreat! If you've never been to a sewing retreat or quilting group then let me pass on to you two Murphy's Laws that always apply: #1. You always pack more projects than you can possibly accomplish in that amount of time, and #2. You never get as much done as you think you can.

This year I hosted the retreat with me just South of Bremen... and one of the major advantages of living in the country is that there is space. Since we were a smaller group it allowed for a very personal and whole group interaction. It's amazing how quickly one seems to connect with like-minded people, even though it might be a first time meeting. #quiltyfriendsarethebest, right?

Meal times were full of light-hearted chatter and meaningful conversations, and the rest of the day was a buzz of busy sewing machines...

@elbquilts gets the patience award for the weekend for working with my little guy. He stopped by and joined us for a bit... just look at this block that he helped her with! He was "allowed to drive" and for some reason he decided that these were called these "table blocks".

When you are the hostess, it's hard to think of everything, and for me that was taking pictures... so even though I didn't get around with my camera at all, I love that @puppilalla got a shot of my sewing chaos space.

In addition to finishing a few final summer smoothie blocks, I was able to add several more applique shapes to my Lovebirds' Remix project. So far it's coming together just as I've imagined it.

Never ending rows of HST's, sometimes makes it feel like there's not much getting accomplished, but I'd say this is progress nonetheless.

... and last but not least, a few purple applique leaves.

Perhaps Murphy's Law #3 for sewing retreats is that everyone NEEDS chocolate!... just look at these great favors that @mellmeyer made for us. I really love some of the creative outside locations that everyone discovered for great photos...Check out Iva's cookie cutter blocks, Katrin's round robin blocks, Friederike's tall tales blocks, Susan's ocean waves blocks, and Yara's double wedding block with self dyed fabrics. Hmmm... I might have to use a few of those spots for future picture ideas.

Even though we only said goodbye just yesterday, I'm already looking forward to seeing all my newly added quilty friends next year!... so, with that being said... it's well earned couch time for me now.

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The Making Of A Remake

I have a quilt in the works that I've been comtemplating how to put the blocks together... perhaps a simple sashing? or maybe something more complicated? what about out of the ordinary? Long story short, (enjoy it... it doesn't happen to me very often) I'm actually taking one of the top choice layouts that I had planned for it and using it for a Lovebirds' remake instead... but with a BIG twist!

... a simple layout with LOTS of HST's...

... mixed with unexpected color combinations, AND, wait for it...

... grey. Yes, you heard right, grey!?! (my "non-color" color that I very rarely use)

Do you have a hard time too with thinking outside the box that leaves can be another color other than green? Hmmm... perhaps like pinks and purples?!?

 ... and of course, there has to be a spot for fussy cut pomegranates

I'm looking forward to seeing how much I'll be able to put together at our fall retreat this weekend... is a finished quilt top too unrealistic of a goal? Well, maybe, but you gotta start somewhere.

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