Sewing Summary

My sewing machine has been rather busy lately (which is a great thing!) and I have finished quite a few major projects. Thank goodness the largest deadlines are complete, as I am getting ready to travel again (yep, I'm hiking the Grand Canyon this coming week). Recently, I finished six new pieces for AccuQuilt - I designed patterns and created samples for a throw quilt, a baby quilt, a table runner, a table topper, a bed runner, and a wall hanging...I can't share the details or photos with you just yet - you'll have to be patient a bit longer; however, here is a glimpse at some of the other projects I have been competing. I have been working on quite a few custom project bags and tool bags...lots of Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeves for my Etsy shop (the ones shown below are almost sold out, but I have 40 more cut and ready to sew when I return from my trip)...and couple custom quilts - one is a fabulous wall hanging that is almost complete (just needs quilting) - I will be sharing more on this unique original design in the near future. So, while it may have been a little quiet here in my blogland, there has been a plethora of activity in my sewing studio...

One last thing to mention - recently, while browsing online, I came across a cover photo for the upcoming Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks issue (it will be on newsstands on May 2nd)...imagine my shock when I see that I have a block on the cover...I had to double check and make sure it was really my submission - how awesome is that?! YAY!! I/they must be having some sort of issue with correspondence to/from the magazine, because I had no idea - and I have sent them several e-mails with no response. Unfortunately, this means I won't be involved in the big Volume 15 Blog Tour (boo hoo!)...but I will be posting here and revealing my block...so be sure to stop back the first week of May when I will be sharing the details and giving away a couple copies of the magazine...

That's all for today - I must get busy cleaning and packing for my trip...and we are headed out for a pizza party/birthday celebration this afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend...and I'll be back real soon...

Blooming & Blue:Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

Greetings friends, fans, and blog hoppers - I am thrilled to be one of the first stops on the Quiltmker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour. This quilty blog hop is celebrating the release of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 12...and to say I am excited to be a part of this special magazine and blog tour for the third time would be an understatement - I am such a HUGE fan, collecting the 100 block issues over the years...and I am honored, once again, to be in the company of so many extremely talented quilt designers that I admire...and even more thrilled to have my block on the cover!

If you are visiting my blog for the first time - welcome! Let me introduce myself...my name is Belinda Karls-Nace and I am a needlework and quilting designer, teacher, and professional finisher by trade (Blue Ribbon Designs). I picked up my first needle at the young age of six (and made my first quilt around the age of eight) and have been designing professionally in the Cross Stitch industry for almost 15 years. I am completely obsessed with just about anything created with a needle and thread - and when I am not working on my original cross stitch and counted thread designs, I find sheer enjoyment sewing and quilting...and in the very near future, I will be adding my sewing and quilting patterns to my brand (along with patterns that combine my love of handwork and quilting). I am an enthusiastic AccuQuilt fan, proudly owning all four of their fabric cutters and a wide assortment of cutting dies...and I am lucky enough to do freelance designing and sample piecing/quilting for them, as well. My blog follows my creative journey - including needlework, sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery...my handcrafted Etsy items...my original designs and patterns...tips and tricks...pretty much anything that inspires me...I hope you enjoy your stay and visit often!

Without further ado, here is my original block (YAY!!!), which I titled "Blooming Out of the Blue" - the magazine edited  my title (I'm guessing for space) to "Blooming & Blue", which I guess works just as well.  My original quilt block  is #1147 and can be found on page 31. My regular readers know I love to combine traditional piecing with machine appliqué, so creating this cheerful, floral block just came naturally.

This entire block is AccuQuilt GO! friendly...and for those of you wanting to take advantage of the cutting dies I used, here is a complete list:

• GO! Square on Point - 4¾" (4¼ Finished) (55019)
• GO! Half Square Triangle - 3" Finished Square (55009)
• GO! Quarter Square Triangle - 6" Finished Square (55002)
• GO! Pomegranate (55371) - used for small circle 2½"
• GO! 2", 3", 5" Circles (55012) - used for 2" circle
• GO! Rose of Sharon (55045) - used for 3"W x 3"H Rose, 1" Circles, 1½"W x ⅝"H leaves
• A couple notes:
• for flower stems, I cut one GO! Square on Point - 4¾"  (55019), then  sub cut four ¼" strips for stems
• For those wanting to use the brand new GO Qube for the base block - use the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12" Block Set: Shape 4, Shape 5,  and Shape 6.

I like to audition my original blocks in multiples, with other traditional blocks, and with solid blocks to make sure they can be versatile...I also like to design blocks that will work well in a number of colorways. This particular block just happens to be a great scrap buster block! I had fun playing with this design in EQ7 (Electric Quilt 7 Software) and creating color variations to show it off...here is how it would look in a couple seasonal color schemes and how it would look as a 48" x 48" quilt...

For fun, I decided to work up my block with 1930's reproduction fabrics - which is totally out of my normal style/comfort zone...here is my block worked with fabrics  from the new collection Naptime 2 by Darlene Zimmerman for Robert Kaufman Fabrics...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and sharing in my enthusiasm (and for reading this far)...and as a reward, I have a few giveaway opportunities (NOTE: this giveaway opportunity has ended). 

• Quiltmaker Magazine is giving away a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 12 magazine to one of my lucky readers...
• ...and I have two copies of  Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 12 magazine to give away...

Yep, THREE of my blog readers will receive a copy of the magazine!!

NOTE: This giveaway opportunity has ended...
Keep an eye on my blog for future chances to win...

For a chance to win one of these prizes, simply leave me a single comment telling me about your handmade/homemade holiday projects - I would love to hear about your creative endeavors for the upcoming holiday season...

To be eligible, you must include your e-mail address or have your e-mail address visible in your profile - international entries are welcome - you must leave a comment, no e-mail entries will be accepted. The giveaway is open until 11:59 PM CST Thursday, November 19, 2015 and the three prize recipients will be announced on Friday, November 20, 2015. No prize substitutions. Good luck...

Make sure you look for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 12, on newsstands tomorrow (Tuesday, November 17th)...it's the issue with the green band across the top of the cover. To find links to all the other blog tour stops, to read all about the other 99 blocks, and to have the opportunity to win a plethora of fabulous prizes, stop by the Quiltmaker Magazine blog:
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/

A BIG thank you to Quiltmaker Magazine for including my original block in Volume 12...and thanks to YOU for visiting my blog - I hope you have been inspired and will return again soon!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour:Giveaway Winners

Hello friends, fans, and followers! I am thrilled so many of you stopped by for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour...and many of you left a comment for a chance to win a copy of Volume 11. I truly had fun reading about all your interesting hobbies and creative endeavors - it was so interesting to find out I have so much in common with so many of you. It is pretty clear that handwork, gardening, reading, and baking go hand and hand with quilting...and I loved reading that some of you are fellow walkers...and there were quite a few pet lovers, as well....and many of you listed some very unique projects. Thank you for sharing your favorite things with me - your comments made my heart happy (and I apologize I didn't have time to respond to each and every one of them)! I wish I had a 100+ copies of the magazine to giveaway, so I could send each of you a copy...but alas, I only have three...and the random generator chose the following:

samtaylorcjsmimi
Oh my - I just love your block and the pillow is fabulous!!! I have many hobbies and some that I no longer pursue! I've done macrame`, counted cross stitch, stained glass, crochet, knit, sewing, quilting.....my sister and I even had a ceramic business for a number of years!
Thanks so much for the chance to win :)

Loris
Lovely block! Wow! You own some handy fabric cutters! I would love to have an Accuquilt someday. In the meantime, quilting is my main hobby with a strong dose of walking with my dogs to keep me healthy and happy.
Thank you for joining in the Quiltmaker blog hop.

Ann McCay
Absolutely stunning! I'd actually try it, IF I were taking a class with you! :)
Over the years I've tried many hobbies and past-times. Now I quilt and do some paper crafting - scrapping and card making. If I'm not doing those two things then I'm doing my genealogy research or reading. So many ancestors, so many books! Thanks for this opportunity.

My block - "Sunshine and Daisies" - Block #1051 - Page 37

I have sent each of the recipients an e-mail with details...

Today, I will leave you with a fun slideshow featuring all 100 Blocks from Volume 11 - I am just thrilled to be a part of this special issue - there are so many wonderful quilt blocks...and I guarantee you will see something that catches your eye...

Sunshine and Daisies:Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

Greetings friends, fans, and blog hoppers - I am thrilled to be one of the stops on the very first day of Quiltmker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour. This quilty blog hop is celebrating the release of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 11...and to say I am excited to be a part of this special magazine issue and blog tour for the second time would be an understatement - I am such a HUGE fan, collecting the 100 block issues over the years...and I am honored to be in the company of so many extremely talented quilt designers that I admire.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time - welcome! Let me introduce myself...my name is Belinda Karls-Nace and I am a needlework and quilting designer, teacher, and professional finisher by trade (Blue Ribbon Designs). I picked up my first needle at the young age of six (and made my first quilt around the age of eight) and have been designing professionally in the Cross Stitch industry for over 10 years. I am completely obsessed with just about anything created with a needle and thread - and when I am not working on my original cross stitch and counted thread designs, I find sheer enjoyment sewing and quilting...and in the very near future, I will be adding my sewing and quilting patterns to my brand (along with patterns that combine my love of handwork and quilting). I am an enthusiastic AccuQuilt fan, proudly owning all four of their fabric cutters and a wide assortment of cutting dies...and I am lucky enough to do some freelance designing and sample piecing/quilting for them, as well. My blog follows my creative journey - including needlework, sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery...my handcrafted Etsy items...my original designs and patterns...tips and tricks...pretty much anything that inspires me...I hope you enjoy your stay and visit often!

"Sunshine and Daisies" - Block #1051 - Page 37

My original quilt block for Volume 11  is called "Sunshine and Daisies" - it is block #1051 and can be found on page 37. My regular readers know I love to combine traditional piecing with machine appliqué, so creating this cheerful, floral block just came naturally. This entire block is AccuQuilt GO! friendly...and for those of you wanting to take advantage of the cutting dies I used, here is a complete list:

• 55000 (Square - 6.5")
• 55006 (Square - 3.5")  
• 55002 (Triangle 4 7/8")
• 55009 (Half Square - 3" Finished Triangle)
• 55327 (Daisy)
• 55045 (1" Strip Cutter) - used for stems - 1" WOF strip was put through a Clover Bias Tape Maker (Art No. 464/12)  and sub cut to make four 1/2" x 6" stems or simply cut four 1/2" strips (6" long), if preferred.

I like to audition my original blocks in multiples, with other traditional blocks, and with solid blocks to make sure they can be versatile...I also like to design blocks that will work well in a number of colorways. This particular block just happens to be a great scrap buster block! I had fun playing with this design in EQ7 (Electric Quilt 7 Software) and creating color variations to show it off...here is how it would look in a few different color schemes and how it would look adding borders for a table topper or wall hanging....

Since this is a 12" finished block, I decided it would make a fun, bright, and  cozy pillow. For a change, I chose to work it up in shades of blue and green, using Robert Kaufman fabrics for the the blues and a fun older Island Batik for the green. I simply added 1" strips (1/2" finished) on all four sides...and then 2" strips (1-1/2" finished) and 2" square (1-1/2" finished) cornerstones on all four sides... and added an envelope back...perfect for a 16" square Pellon pillow form...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and sharing in my enthusiasm (and for reading this far)...and as a reward, I have a few giveaway opportunities!

• Quiltmaker Magazine is giving away a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 11 magazine to one of my lucky readers...
• ...and I have two copies of  Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 11 magazine to give away...

Yep, THREE of my blog readers will receive a copy of the magazine!!

For a chance to win one of these prizes, simply leave me a single comment telling me about the hobbies you enjoy - I would love to hear about your creative endeavors...

To be eligible, you must include your e-mail address or have your e-mail address visible in your profile - international entries are welcome - you must leave a comment, no e-mail entries will be accepted. The giveaway is open until 11:59 PM CST Thursday, May 7, 2015 and the three prize recipients will be announced on Friday, April 8, 2015. No prize substitutions. Good luck...

Make sure you look for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 11, on newsstands tomorrow (Tuesday, May 5th)...it's the issue with the orange band across the top of the cover. To find links to all the other blog tour stops, to read all about the other 99 blocks, and to have the opportunity to win a plethora of fabulous prizes, stop by the Quiltmaker Magazine blog:
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/

A BIG thank you to Quiltmaker Magazine for including my original block in Volume 11...and thanks to YOU for visiting my blog - I hope you have been inspired and will return again soon! ...and one more thing...be sure to check out my quilt "Kites in Flight" in the May/June issue of Quiltmaker Magazine on newsstands now too...

Weekly Wrap-up and Winners

Things have been a bit of a whirlwind this week, as I have taken on quite a few freelance jobs and custom orders...plus I have been completing more needlework finishing jobs in time for the holidays. I am knee deep in several large projects - including more designs for AccuQuilt (yay!), a new design model for a quilting magazine, several cross stitch designs/models for Just CrossStitch magazine (woohoo!), and several unique custom sewing and quilting projects for customers...oh, and the needlework finishing too! I feel very blessed to have a list of creative jobs to keep me busy...I have a prioritized list and I am steadily working through each item...and if I plan things out just right, I can make a little time for new Etsy projects (I have some really cute ideas for my shop). Someone please wave the magic wand and give me just a few more hours in each day! Here is a little peek at some of the custom needlework finishing I completed this week...

"The Sowing Sampler" designed by Lori Brechlin/Notforgotten Farm
for The Prim Sister's Club/Country Sampler
Finished into a 14" pillow...

"Warm Hearts" by The Trilogy
Finished into a hanging pillow with pom pom trim....

"Christmas Trees II" (#87) by The Prairie Schooler (thanks for the info Robin!)
Finished into a large project bag...

...and let's end today's post with a little good news for a couple of my blog visitors! My Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour Giveaway has ended and the two recipients have been contacted...

The recipient of the copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 10 magazine coming directly from my friends at Quiltmaker magazine is:

Lee Ann L., who commented:

Besides quilting/sewing, I enjoy cross-stitching and making beaded ornaments and jewelry. I also enjoy camping and reading.

Your block is awesome! Congrats!

The recipient of the "pre-cut block package" with all the pieces needed to make one "4 Corners of Happy" block in the same fabrics as my magazine submission, along with one copy of the magazine is:

Rachell, who commented:

oh my, right up my alley! Stars and traditional blocks, with a twist! I'm always looking to learn new skills, so adding applique to a block is great for me. I would be lucky indeed to win your prize!

I learned how to cross-stitch at a very early age, before I could use a sewing machine. I've done latch-hook rugs, a bit of toll painting, painting ornaments, and lots of other things. I sew clothes and home dec items, cross-stitch, bake, love to read, and of course I'm obsessed with quilting! I love to dance, like ballroom and latin and country.

Congratulations to the recipients....and thanks to everyone who visited my blog during the 100 Blocks Blog Tour and left a comment - I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your hobbies, pastimes, and creative endeavors!

Lastly, I thought I would share a little slideshow of some of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks (including mine!) that Quiltmaker Magazine posted on Instagram...enjoy!

Another snazzy sampling of Quiltmaker's #100blocks Volume 10. On newsstands now or visit quiltandsewshop.com.

A video posted by Quiltmaker Magazine (@quiltmakermag) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:10am PST

Four Corners of Happy: Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour

Greetings friends, fans, and blog hoppers - I am thrilled to be one of the stops on day four of Quiltmker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour. This quilty blog hop is celebrating the release of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 10...and if you are doing the math (10 volumes x 100 blocks), then you know this collector's edition marks the milestone of 1,000 original quilt blocks! To say I am excited to be a part of this special issue for the first time would be an understatement - I am such a HUGE fan, collecting the 100 block issues over the years...and I am honored to be in the company of so many quilt designers that I admire.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time - welcome! Let me introduce myself...my name is Belinda Karls-Nace (don't let the little typo in the magazine fool you, as they misspelled my last name) and I am a counted thread needlework designer, teacher, and professional finisher by trade (Blue Ribbon Designs). I picked up my first needle at the young age of six (and made my first quilt around the age of eight) and have been designing professionally in the Cross Stitch industry for over 10 years. I am completely obsessed with just about anything created with a needle and thread - and when I am not working on my original cross stitch designs, I find sheer enjoyment sewing and quilting...and in the very near future, I will be adding my sewing and quilting patterns to my brand (along with patterns that combine my love of handwork and quilting). I am an enormous AccuQuilt fan, proudly owning three of their fabric cutters and a wide assortment of cutting dies...and I am lucky enough to do some freelance designing and sample piecing/quilting for them, as well. My blog follows my creative journey - including needlework, sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery...my handcrafted Etsy items...my original designs and patterns...tips and tricks...pretty much anything that inspires me...I hope you enjoy your stay and visit often!

"4 Corners of Happy"

My original quilt block for this special issue is called "4 Corners of Happy" - it is block #944 and can be found on page 40 (and on the cover!!). My regular readers know I love to combine traditional piecing with machine appliqué, so creating this cheerful block just came naturally. This entire block is AccuQuilt GO! friendly...and for those of you wanting to take advantage of the cutting dies I used, here is a complete list:

• 55000 (Square - 6.5")
• 55022 (Square - 2")  
• 55002 (Triangle 4 7/8")
• 55009 (Half Square - 3" Finished Triangle)
• 55319 (Half Square - 1.5" Finished Triangle)
• 55045 (Rose of Sharon)
• 55382 (Rose of Sharon #2)

I like to audition my original blocks in multiples, with other traditional blocks, and with solid blocks to make sure they can be versatile...I also like to design blocks that will work well in a number of colorways. This particular block just happens to be a great scrap buster block! I had fun playing with this design in EQ7 and creating several pieces to show it off...here is how it would look in a table runner...

Since this is a 12" finished block, I decided it would make a great bright and cozy pillow...I simply added 2 1/2" strips on all four sides and added an envelope back...perfect for a 16" square pillow form...

Thank you so much for visiting my blog and sharing in my enthusiasm...and as a reward, I have a couple giveaway prizes!

• Quiltmaker Magazine is giving away a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 10 magazine to one of my lucky readers...

• I have put together one "pre-cut block package" with all the pieces needed to make one "4 Corners of Happy" block in the same fabrics as my magazine submission, along with one copy of the magazine. I die cut all the pieces on my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter and the applique shapes even have paper-backed fusible web attached for quicker piecing...the recipient of this prize can have their block put together in no time!

NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED.

For a chance to win one of these prizes, simply leave me a single comment telling me about the hobbies you enjoy - I would love to hear what types of projects you like to work on.... 
To be eligible, you must include your e-mail address or have your e-mail address visible in your profile - international entries are welcome - you must leave a comment, no e-mail entries will be accepted. The giveaway is open until 11:59 PM CST Friday, November 21, 2014 and the two prize recipients will be announced on Saturday, November 22, 2014. No prize substitutions. Good luck...

Make sure you look for Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Vol. 10, on newsstands now...it's the issue with the purple blue band across the top of the cover. To find links to all the other blog tour stops, to read all about the other 99 blocks, and to have the opportunity to win a plethora of fabulous prizes, stop by the Quiltmaker Magazine blog:
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quiltypleasures/

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you will return again soon!

On The Road Again...

Treasures I gathered on the Dallas 3-Day...

I know I have only been home a couple days, but I am off again...this time to Illinois for my mother's wedding (I am just tickled that she has found love!). I am still busy playing catch-up from my trip to Dallas, so if you are waiting on correspondence from me, please be patient - I will get back to you early next week. All existing website and Etsy shop orders have shipped...and anything ordered today or tomorrow will ship on Monday....thank you for your patience. So, I am out the door again...doing my best to take care of my very sad feet (which is not easy)...I will be back next week with some very fun posts...be sure to stop by on Thursday, November 20th, as I will be one of the stops on Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour (and there will be a giveaway or two - hint, hint!)....

For now, I will leave you with some photos of the items/gifts I gathered on my Komen 3-Day trip to Dallas...and a teaser for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour...

Team Twinkle Toes head gear...made by our fabulous team stylist, Lois...
The hat was casual wear for Friday and Saturday - the visor was formal wear
for Sunday (don't you just love the pink bird?!)...

Team Twinkle Toes evening footwear...although I must admit, I didn't wear
mine after my showers, as they were too cute to damage and it was muddy,
grassy, and wet...

The most adorable quilted camping pillow made by my tentmate Sandy...
isn't it absolutely GORGEOUS?! I love, love, LOVE it...

Beautiful heartfelt gifts from my teammates...I feel like a princess...

A wonderful handmade gift from my faraway friend Dora...and a touching
card wishing me luck on my 3-Day journey...

On newsstands November 18th! Can you guess which block is mine...
hint: it's on the cover....

Be sure to visit all the stops on the Quiltmakers 100 Blocks Blog Hop...there will
be giveaways each day...and visit me on November 20th when I unveil my block...

I am in a rush to get on the road...but I will be back again soon...enjoy your weekend!