Singing Under the Stars Quilt Pattern

Greetings friends! I can't believe the list of things I have to share with you - I have been adding to it daily...I will do my very best to get caught up and post several times this week. My studio has been buzzing with all sorts of excitement - I have been doing piles of holiday finishing for clients, I have been working on some new designs, I have been making gifts...and I have been sewing and quilting up a storm. I have also been doing some online learning and working on some new technical skills. Yes, I have been staying quite busy. So let's get to the first thing on my list...

I had a bunch of quilt pattern requests for the "Singing Under the Stars" quilt that I designed/created for the Poppie Cotton Woodland Songbirds Fabric Tour. Yep, you asked for it - so I have written the pattern. It is available in my Etsy Shop for digital download (and will be added to my website in the near future). It is a high quality PDF that will print on 16 pages of standard letter size (8.5" x 11") paper.

The sixteen page digital file includes:

• Page 1 - Cover page with color photo
• Page 2 - Supply page
• Page 3 - Quilt Diagram
• Page 4 - General Instructions and Notes
• Pages 5 to 12 - Cutting and piecing instructions
• Pages 13 to 16 - Applique Shapes for tracing

This whimsical quilt finishes 45" W x 60" H and incorporates both traditional piecing and applique...and you will want to have some basic quilting and applique knowledge. I am super excited to bring this original quilt design to you...and I'm working on several more, including something special for an upcoming Poppie Cotton  fabric collection.

So, if you were interested in this Woodland Songbirds pattern, make your way over to my Etsy Shop! Just a note: this quilt would look great in a variety of fabrics and I have done a breakdown in the pattern that would make it easy to convert to a favorite fabric line or fabric in your stash.

Also - you may have noticed - I have been working on my graphic design skills and have given my blue ribbon logo an overhaul! After sixteen years, it was time for a makeover...and this new quilt pattern is the first to use this new cover design art. 

Working on this delightful quilt pattern reminded me of how much I enjoy the design process and pattern writing. For me, it was the perfect project at the perfect time - just when I was getting completely burned out on holiday finishing and trying to figure out what I want to do "when I grow up", I found that little piece of joy that I have been missing. I have made a promise to myself to work on new designs - both cross stitch and quilting/sewing - each week.

So there you have it - my latest quilt pattern. I hope you will be inspired to work on something creative this weekend....and if you decide to make a "Singing Under the Stars" quilt of your very own, please be sure to share your progress with me!

My Happy Place

Greetings friends! My apologizes for not visiting much lately...we are yet to have Internet service at our new home (a downfall of new construction), making it more of a challenge to get online for tasks that require more than my iPhone. I'm trying to get on a schedule where I can share more often...and fingers crossed, we will have WiFi by the end of June...

If you follow me on social media, then you know I have TONS of news and lots of finishes to share. First and foremost, I am working on new cross stitch designs...YES, you heard correctly...in fact, I have been model stitching for the last couple months. I have an arsenal of unreleased designs that have been sitting on the back burner for quite some time (years)...and recently, I have had a strong calling to get back to my true passion of needlework design. To be 100% honest, I have been hesitant to share this information, as I wasn't sure how well new designs would be received...and I really don't have a plan yet, as far as printing and selling/distributing, plus the high cost of it all (we all know, it takes money to make money...and that has been the issue the last few years)...but something inside kept telling me to work on all the designs swimming around in my head and somehow, someway, it would all work itself out. So, that is where I am at...designing and model stitching and hoping there will still be some interest in my work when I am ready to release them. I will be sure to keep you updated and share some more peeks, along the way. This image (top right) is a model I just finished stitching and will be titled "My Happy Place" - it is a cheerful signature sampler featuring a bunch of my favorite motifs. I have found since the move, I still feel like "a fish out of water"...but designing and cross stitch can still put me in my "happy place" and that is what this sampler is all about!

I will save my recent quilting, sewing and needlework finishing for a few future posts - I have definitely been BUSY...however, I will share a few photos of the kids (our German Shepherds - Schatzi and Garin) today. I have had a lot of questions on how they are doing since the move....so, here is a brief update. Our backyard fence has been completed and they LOVE their new larger backyard (when it has been dry enough for them to enjoy it!). Garin pretty much ignores the cows, but Schatzi is quite talkative when they visit. They have both adjusted quite well to the new neighborhood!

Speaking of the cows...I love having them as neighbors! I know it is going to be a good day when they come for a visit. My husband laughs, because I have become quite attached to seeing them every few days and miss them when they are not around. Here are a few favorite photos...

Hopefully, I will be back to visit soon - I have taken quite a few photos since we arrived in Kansas. I have a few photos of my new sewing room and some creative storage solutions I came up with out of necessity. I also have a few quilting projects, a ton of project bag photos, and some needlework finishing to share with you...AND I made my first visit to the local quilt shop a few days ago, so I have that to share too! I look forward to chatting with you soon....

Slice of Summer

To vote for my block, visit: http://wshe.es/0cshMgXL

Happy Wednesday friends!

In the midst of all the irons I have in the fire, (of course) I made time to design a quilt block for AccuQuilt's 2018 Quilt Block Contest...and it is time to vote!! Here is a link to my entry titled Slice of Summer:
http://wshe.es/0cshMgXL

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know how much I enjoy designing quilt blocks and projects - I just love working with shapes, design, and color...and I have fun putting together an entry for this contest every year. The voting for the contest is now live...and I am hoping you will check out my entry for this year...and if you like my block, throw a vote my way. The criteria for the contest is to design an original block that can be created with available AccuQuilt dies (plus it really should look good enlarged to fit the 17' x 17' sign displayed at AccuQuilt Headquarters in Omaha, NE). My entry follows these guidelines and was inspired by the sunshine and joy quilting brings to my heart...

This year, you can vote for your favorite(s) once every 24-hours - now through August 15th. You can view my block entry by visiting:
http://wshe.es/0cshMgXL

...there are some GREAT prizes up for grabs, so I would really appreciate it!

A Peek Inside My Design Process

Sometimes the most bizarre things inspire unique design ideas...and that was definitely the case when working on a recent AccuQuilt project. Today, I thought I would share a bit of my design process for the Studio Quilter's Basket Table Runner Pattern that was created for the new Studio Super Giant Strip Cutter. This new strip cutter die has four sizes of small strips all on one die:  ¾", 1", 1½", 2" (¼", ½", ¾", 1½" Finished)...and the challenge was to use all four of these strip sizes in a single project. I didn't want the project to be long, boring strips...I wanted something that stood out a bit more...something that hadn't been seen a million times....something that had some oomph! I immediately started playing with some design ideas in EQ8 (Electric Quilt 8 Quilt Design Software)....but I just couldn't compose a design that stood out to me. I decided to let the project rest for a moment - pause and hit the reset button. I resolved to take our German Shepherd puppy for a walk and clear my head...and along the way, I found my inspiration...

While walking several blocks away from our home, I spied a couple vintage-looking webbed lawn chairs (which I hadn't seen since my childhood)...retro folding lawn chairs with woven bright colored webbing strips for the back and seat. At that moment, it became clear - I would use those lawn chairs as a base design for my current project. I grabbed my iPhone, snapped a few photos, and headed back to my studio to get my idea drawn up in EQ8. To my surprise, it translated really well! I got a single block designed....then reversed two colors for a second block...at that moment, I knew I had it figured out...the Quilter's Basket Table Runner was born. Once I had the pattern written, I really wanted to name the design after those retro-looking webbed lawn chairs, but I thought it might get lost in translation...with the pattern having a "basketweave" look, Quilter's Basket seemed like a logical title...but you, my friends, now know the true story behind the design!

It was quite fun to create the sample...and I only used two cutting dies - the new Studio Super Giant Strip Cutter- ¾", 1", 1½", 2" (¼", ½", ¾", 1½" Finished) and the Studio Super Giant Strip Cutter-2½" (2" Finished) for binding. The blocks are easy to piece by creating strip sets and sub-cutting...

You can currently download the pattern for free by visiting:
https://www.accuquilt.com/studio-quilter-s-basket-table-runner-pattern.html

There you have it - design inspiration found in an unlikely object. I hope this post will encourage you to look for creative ideas in unusual places! Take a little time this weekend to see the beauty that surrounds you...

Springtime Snapshots

Hello friends! The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, but filled with good things - I continue to keep busy with my creative endeavors, training for the Komen 3-Day, and all the usual household things (including yardwork and planting). I even managed to get out for an afternoon on the boat with my husband - we took Miss Schatzi along for the first time (and more than likely the last - she was a handful)! Model stitching has been happening each evening...sewing, quilting, and pattern writing has been happening each day...long training walks are in full swing...and my design sketch books are full of new ideas. Here are a few photos to catch you up...

A little design work with EQ7 and BlockBase...

Lunch and a trip to the local quilt shop with my very dear friend...
I brought home these goodies...

Schazti snuggles selfie...

Simba holding down the stairs...in his favorite sweater, in his favorite spot...

Schatzi at the park after retrieving the ball (what seemed like) a million times...

A custom order of Stitch Starter Ruler and Pocket Sleeve Sets...

A new project ready for binding...

My latest AccuQuilt blog project...details/tutorial will be posted later this week...

So there you have it...my last couple weeks in a nutshell...projects are going on behind the scenes that I can't share just yet, but I will as soon as I can (some really fun stuff!). Have a great week and I'll be back soon with my latest project tutorial....

Nothing But Blue Skies

It's a sunny afternoon here in Iowa and the winds have started to calm...maybe, just maybe, spring is around the corner! If I have my way, soon I will be mowing the lawn and planting new flowers...and I can finally do my long training walks outside.

I have been hanging out in my studio all week, still working on a huge freelance job...but it is almost complete and I am excited to move on to new projects! I have a nice pile of custom project orders ready to assemble, so I am looking forward to a few solid days at the sewing machine. Plus, I am really enjoying my latest model stitching and can't wait to share a new cross stitch design with you soon.

In the midst of all the irons I have in the fire, I decided to design a handful of quilt blocks for AccuQuilt's 2016 Quilt Block Contest. If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know how much I enjoy designing quilt blocks and projects...I just love working with shapes, design, and color...and I have fun putting together my entries for this contest every year. The voting for the contest is now live...and I am hoping you will check out all the entries for this year...and if you like my blocks, throw a vote my way. The criteria for the contest is to design an original block that can be created with AccuQuilt dies...plus it really should look good enlarged to fit a 17' x 17' sign displayed at AccuQuilt Headquarters in Omaha, NE. My cheerful and colorful blocks all follow these specific guidelines and were designed especially for this contest.

This year, you can vote once a day for one block - now through April 21st (so make sure you pick your favorite). You can view all the entries by visiting:
http://www.accuquilt.com/shop/contest
...or if you have a favorite block below, simply click on the link below it to cast a vote - I would greatly appreciate it. You can also visit the contest link and type "Belinda" in the search bar to see all eight of my entries.

It is fun to look through all 149 entries and see the diverse group of talent this contest attracts....even the entries that don't follow the guidelines (and I was surprised to see quite a few) are interesting. So, go check out all the design inspiration and cast one vote for your favorite each day...and if that happens to be one of my entries, I would be thrilled!

Ribbon Star
http://wshe.es/x4aRfIa3

A Splash of Summer
http://wshe.es/HQS7jg0X

Sunny Park
http://wshe.es/SeYsaOil

Shady Park
http://wshe.es/GrcxFKlp

Ninja Star
http://wshe.es/038UK8Eb

Nothing But Blue Skies
http://wshe.es/WR9LS8TJ

Wrapped Up
http://wshe.es/9eiC9BVt

Rays Over Rows
http://wshe.es/mX6IDiBS

These blocks all bring me joy and I hope you see something special in one (or more) of them. With your votes, I have the opportunity to win some AMAZING quilty prizes (including a feature in Quiltmaker Magazine), so thank you for taking the time to look!

I'm off to do some design work for the next few hours - then my husband and I have dinner reservations at a favorite restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary (we celebrated 16 years this week!). Enjoy the rest of your weekend....

Creativity in the Works

It's been business as usual here at the Blue Ribbon Designs studio...designing, stitching, quilting, sewing, walking...and all the normal duties, challenges, and positives that life entails. It's been a little tough to find a balance lately, but I am starting to get things under control once again...and if I could just finish stitching the model for my 2015 Komen 3-Day exclusive fundraising design, then I might be able to catch my breath (just maybe). As always, I have a plethora of pretty projects in progress (my tables are covered) and some really fun finishes to share with you in the near future...but for now, here's a photo walk of what has been inspiring me and keeping me busy...and some of my creativity in the works...