Market Day Fabric Tour

Happy Wednesday - welcome to my stop on the Market Day Fabric Tour - thank you so much for dropping by for a visit. I am thrilled to be sharing these darling fabrics from Poppie Cotton! I have a very special project lined up, created with the new Market Day fabric collection designed by Amy J. Delightful for Poppie Cotton. I enjoyed putting on my quilt designer hat and playing with these soft and charming prints. This brand new fabric collection (shipping to quilt shops this month) has a warm and vintage feel to me. The entire collection is filled with tiny details and the sweetest little motifs. These soft-palette prints feature matryoshka (nesting) dolls, buntings, mini strawberries, doilies, flowery trellises and fabulous floral motifs. The colors are lovely shades of pink, blue, mint, red and white. I enjoyed doing some fussy cutting of these charming prints.

For this fabric tour, I focused on designing a new quilt pattern, which I call "Bunting and Berries." This quilt measures 50" x 50" and is a great throw or lap quilt size. It's the perfect size to snuggle up with in a recliner or on a sofa...or to take on a picnic...or to curl up with on a cool, outdoor evening. I wanted to create a fat quarter stack friendly pattern...and I wanted focus on the delicate prints in the collection. I enjoyed fussy cutting the centers of each star with a wonderful focal fabric (Nesting Dolls) and I cut the Bunting Prints to point towards the center of the quilt. It truly was a joy to create and put together. It is traditional piecing with Rising Star Quilt Blocks and Sashed 8-Patch Quilt Blocks (a simple quilt block I created for this specific project). One of the things I love about this quilt is, it can be as planned as you want (like I did the model with fussy cutting) or as scrappy as you want. You can find this new pattern in my Etsy Shop in both paper and digital format. See my blog post from yesterday for more details.

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770515606
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770518918

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour and are feeling inspired - thank you for visiting with me today. For more creative projects using the Market Day fabric collection, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop and request it - Market Day is shipping this month.

I already have my projects underway for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour - my day is September 23rd. The next tour will be showcasing the "Painted Blossoms" fabric collection (click to see a preview). Plus, I am working on my next tutorial for Therm O Web (a collaboration project with Benzie Design!). I also have a few other projects up my sleeve to finish up before I travel out of the country in September...so stop back soon to see my latest creations...

Bunting and Berries - NEW Quilt Pattern

Yes, you read that title correctly - I have yet another new quilt pattern! This is my “Bunting and Berries" - a wonderfully sized lap or throw quilt. This quilt measures a manageable 50" W x 50" H. It's the perfect size to snuggle up with in a recliner or on a sofa...or to take on a picnic...or to curl up with on a cool, outdoor evening. The pattern contains comprehensive/detailed instructions with all sorts of color diagrams...and it includes coloring sheets for each block to easily adapt to your favorite fabrics, along with detailed instructions for Four-At-A-Time Flying Geese units. This 21-page pattern is designed to easily use your favorite fabric collection, is fat quarter friendly, and is good for all skill levels. You can find this new design in my Etsy Shop, in both paper and digital format...

Paper Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770515606
Digital Pattern: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1770518918

I designed this quilt at the beginning of the year for Poppie Cotton using a fabric collection that is shipping to shops this month called Market Day. I wanted to create a fat quarter stack friendly pattern...and I wanted focus on the delicate prints in the collection. I enjoyed fussy cutting the centers of each star with a wonderful focal fabric (Nesting Dolls) and I cut the Bunting Prints to point towards the center of the quilt. It was a joy to create and put together. It is traditional piecing with Rising Star Quilt Blocks and Sashed 8-Patch Quilt Blocks (a simple quilt block I created for this specific project). One of the things I love about this quilt is, it can be as planned as you want (like I did the model with fussy cutting) or as scrappy as you want (using up what you have on hand!).

My model was beautifully longarm quilted by:
Quilting by Leslie
19800 W 207th St, Spring Hill, KS 66083
816-509-5610
quiltingbyleslie@gmail.com
Leslie does an incredible job on my model quilts!

Thank you so much for visiting with me today and checking out my latest quilt pattern. I will be back tomorrow for my turn on the Market Day Fabric Tour, where I will show more images of this special quilt.

For now, I am back to the studio...I am scrambling a bit right now to get things done before I leave for a trip to Paris and London in September. I have a lot to do in a very short amount of time...

Sunshine and Chamomile Fabric Tour

Happy Wednesday - welcome to the Poppie Cotton Sunshine and Chamomile Fabric Tour! I am thrilled to be today's stop on the tour - thank you so much for visiting. If you are a regular reader and you are wondering - yes, I am still in New Zealand....I wrote and scheduled this post before I left...so, while you are reading this, my New Zealand itinerary says I will be exploring the Nile River glowworm caves and hiking the Paparoa National Park today. 

I have a very special lap quilt to share (and a little needlebook and project bag too!), created with the new Sunshine and Chamomile Fabric Collection by Poppie Cotton. I was thrilled to put on my quilt designer hat again and work with these bright and happy prints. This brand new collection (shipping to shops this month) features fabulous hexagon prints and gorgeous florals...all done in a cheerful color pallet. It was a joy working on this project, as I recently started converting my original cross stitch designs to quilting patterns (a dream of mine for a while) and this quilt features five blocks from my cross stitch design Comfort and Joy. Creating this quilt definitely made my heart smile! I combined my cross stitch chart title and the name of this fabric collection for the name of my quilt...so, without further ado...

 Sunshine and Joy

I titled my lap quilt (or wall hanging...or what I am going to use it for, a picnic quilt) "Sunshine and Joy" - this quilt was built around my original cross stitch design "Comfort and Joy" and a basic pieced quilt block. It was made with traditional piecing. Nine blocks make of up my lap quilt along with sashing and cornerstones - giving it a finished size of 47" x 47" and borders could be added to make it larger. I used a fat quarter stack and a little bit of Country Confetti (Marshmallow White) yardage for the background...and Gingham Picnic in Grass for the stems and Barnyard Bandana in Buckle Brown for the bird beak and legs. If there is interest, I will write a pattern for this happy quilt upon my return.

Upon completion of my quilt, I was compelled to work with some of my leftover fabric pieces and made the sweetest little needlebook with pockets inside...along with a small zippered project bag using one of the focal fabrics. Check out the Poppie Cotton Chicken Flower Charm zipper pull on the little project bag - isn't it CUTE?! I even fussy cut a little heart and appliqued it on the first wool page of the needlebook. An adorable little set for a stitcher...I may need to make more of these for special holiday gifts...

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour and are feeling inspired - thank you for visiting with me today. If you love this fabric collection, be sure to check out your favorite quilt shop - Sunshine and Chamomile is shipping now. If you are interested in the pattern, drop me a note - if there is enough interest I'll put one together....

Goose Creek Gardens Fabric Tour"Good for the Goose" Lap Quilt

Happy Friday - welcome to the Poppie Cotton Goose Creek Gardens Fabric Tour! I am thrilled to be one of the stops on this inspiring "designer hop." Today, I am sharing a new lap quilt design that I created with this gorgeous fabric collection. When I first had a look at these prints (months ago), I instantly knew I would be creating a new quilt...and this is one I am actually keeping for myself. It was quite enjoyable to put on my quilt designing hat again and work with Goose Creek Gardens by Michal Marko. This new collection has a such a calming color pallet and (as always) exquisite, tiny details. I truly "found my joy" while working on this project! Let's take a look at what I am calling "Good for the Goose"... 

My quilt design was created using EQ8 Software...I spent an afternoon playing around in the software with the fabric swatches...and this was the result. I used a traditional quilt block and enlarged it to a hefty 20" square (the pattern uses only squares and half square triangles) and added borders to my quilt top. I titled my quilt "Good for the Goose"...which seemed to fit perfectly. I tried to fussy cut the Goose Creek print to show off those geese...and I worked hard to piece them all in the same direction. The result is a nice sized lap quilt measuring 66" x  66" square...perfect for snuggling under on a cool day or taking on a picnic in the summertime sunshine! I have always quilted my own quilts on my domestic machine...but this one, I actually took to my local quilt shop (The Quilted Sunflower) and Leslie did a fantastic job quilting it on the longarm for me - I am beyond pleased. We actually found an all-over quilt pattern that is geese and hearts swirled together...and it is super cute...I couldn't be happier. I created a scrappy binding featuring as many of the dark red prints as possible...I wanted it to bring out the center of my quilt. The entire project just makes me happy!

Close up of the wonderful quilting...

I have finished up the quilt pattern and it is available in my Etsy Shop, should you want to make a lap quilt of your very own. The pattern features the Goose Creek Gardens Collection, but is written in a way that you could use your favorite fat quarter stack. Goose Creek Gardens is available now, so be sure to check your favorite local shop or online shop to find these fabulous prints. I used a Goose Creek Gardens fat quarter stack along with yardage from the Poppie Cotton Country Confetti Collection for my background, borders and backing.

Pattern available here:
 https://www.etsy.com/listing/965365800/good-for-the-goose-lap-quilt-pattern

I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the fabric tour - thank you for visiting. Could you hear the joy in my post?! I am already working on projects for the next Poppie Cotton Fabric Tour in April...they are for the upcoming Kaisley Rose Collection...and I can't wait to share them with you...

For more features on the Poppie Cotton Goose Creek Gardens Fabric Tour, visit the Poppie Cotton Blog: https://poppiecotton.com/poppie-cotton-blog/, where each tour project is showcased (and there are some amazing pieces!).

If you make a project from the Goose Creek Gardens Collection featured in this post, I would love to hear from you...happy sewing and quilting!

Stop back soon...I will be posting a look inside my local quilt shop in the next few days...you won't want to miss all the eye candy and inspiration...and see the marvelous shop behind the quilting on "Good for the Goose"...

Piece of My Heart

With the cold winter weather, I thought I would share a new project with you that warms my heart - it is my latest pattern design for AccuQuilt called the "GO! Piece of My Heart Wall Hanging." I had so much fun designing and creating this project that uses the GO! Strip Cutter-5 1/2" (5" Finished)...and the GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) for the binding - that's it - only two cutting dies! Once I had the pattern written, it went together super easy and I was thrilled with how it turned out...so much so, that I had a really hard time boxing up the sample and sending it to AccuQuilt - I wanted to keep it for my very own! I worked up the sample in beautiful Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids...but this pattern would work well with prints or batiks...and it could even be done with one basic color in a variety of prints. For the quilting, I used simple wavy lines on my domestic machine (yep, I'm still dreaming of the day I will own a longarm!).

You can find this new pattern on the AccuQuilt website...and it is currently free of charge (yes, I said FREE) to download:
http://www.accuquilt.com/shop/go-piece-of-my-heart-strip-quilt-pattern.html

My tip to you (if you want to make one of your very own) - keep your pieces organized - I pinned my pieces for each vertical strip set together until sewing....and then I placed each strip set in order on my design wall. The finished wall hanging measures 55" x 55" and would also work quite well for a lap quilt.

This colorful project is sure to brighten up a winter day....and with Valentine's Day in less than two months, it is the perfect time to get started! So, go check out the AccuQuilt website, download the free pattern, and gather your supplies - you'll be finished in no time...
Happy quilting!

Warm Winter Wishes

Countdown to Christmas (BRD-077)
Ready to turn the piece for today...

Greetings friends! It is a chilly day here in Iowa - perfect for spending a little time at the sewing machine or curled up with a cross stitch project. It has been a whirlwind of creativity in my studio the last month - finishing up freelance jobs, custom finishing, and special holiday orders...and trying to fit my own handmade gifts in the mix. I am happy to say I finished up all my big deadlines last week and finished up my holiday gifts over the weekend...and I am now down to just a few projects that were not included in the holiday rush (those who are waiting, thank you for your patience)...whew! The last few packages are shipping today...and I am ready to get the house cleaned up and ready for Christmas...and get the last few items checked off my Christmas list. I managed to hang all my framed Christmas cross stitch pieces and place a few decorative bowls with holiday ornaments and smalls throughout the house...yes, I know, I have been saying it for too many years to count - I *need* to get a tree to display my cross stitch ornament collection which has surpassed well-over 100 stitched ornaments (one day, I a tree will be in the budget, but until then, I will find creative ways to display the ornaments throughout the house).

I want to thank everyone who voted for my video in the Husqvarna Viking #sewworthit contest to win a Designer Epic (my dream sewing and embroidery machine). I placed third in votes (VERY close to second place when the contest abruptly ended)...and while they encouraged everyone to make creative videos, the contest was based on the most votes - so, I will be receiving the runner-up prize - a $500 prize package of sewing notions and supplies, which we all know I can definitely use...so a HUGE thank you for voting and supporting my entry - I truly appreciate it! While my dream didn't come true, my heart is full from all the love and support I received...thank you SO MUCH - I may not be blessed with the sewing machine of my dreams, but I am truly blessed to have great people in my life that support my creative passions! I'll be sure to post a photo of my prize package when it arrives.

Here are a few photos of things I can share (including some recent shots of some of my Christmas cross stitch models)...more details on a couple of these will be posted in the near future...

Peppermint Twist (BRD-076)

Just Add Tinsel (BRD-089)

A machine applique Americana design in progress...

Poinsettias and Pines (BRD-059) 

A custom order Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeve with my BRD Stitch Starter Ruler...

A new pattern I created for AccuQuilt - the GO! Piece of My Heart Strip Quilt
I will post more details very soon....

My "All Bundled Up" Fabric Baskets
Details coming soon along with a full tutorial on the
AccuQuilt Blog later this month...stay tuned....

I'm off to work on some custom orders and a few new items for my Etsy shop...then some household chores...and tonight I will be in my cozy stitching nest working on a new design model. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and (if you are in the COLD zone) keeping warm!

All-Star Team Quilt

Hello and welcome - thanks for stopping by!

Today, I have a very special project to share with you...my All-Star Team Quilt. Recently, I was contacted to make a quilt out of Ohio State fabrics - now before you ask, YES, I am still a HUGE Michigan fan (GO BLUE!), but this was to be a gift for the customer's husband and I am always thrilled to have custom work...so of course, I took on the challenge. She allowed me to design the quilt and sent me five different Ohio State fabrics to use at my discretion - I just love it when my customers trust my artistic abilities and let me design and make the project my own. Of course, I thought the Ohio Star block would be perfect for this project, so I decided to alternate Ohio Star blocks and Nine Patch blocks to create a good size throw/lap quilt. I chose to use four of the Ohio State printed fabrics, a coordinating gray fabric, and a coordinating black fabric for the quilt top…and the fifth Ohio State printed fabric was used for the backing. I finished this quilt up last week and sent it on it's way...and I was happy to hear that the recipient is already enjoying it!

Would you like a FREE tutorial for this project?? Visit the AccuQuilt Blog, where I am a guest blogger and you can check out my pattern tutorial...I give you all the details to make an All-Star Team Quilt of your very own!
https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-tutorials/easy-quilt-blocks-for-football-fans/
Simply pick your favorite team fabrics and you are well on your way...you can have it completed in time for this coming football season...

The quilt I designed measures 68" x 68", but you can change the size simply by adjusting the number of blocks. I was able to quilt this project (with a little bit of patience) on my domestic machine (oh how I wish I could afford a longarm machine - in fact, I actually dream about it!). I used my AccuQuilt GO! Big Fabric Cutter and three cutting dies to cut this entire quilt (including binding):

• GO! Ohio Star-12″ (Finished) (55174)
• GO! Strip Cutter-4½” (4″ Finished) (55054)
• GO! Strip Cutter-2″ (1½” Finished) (55025 or 55164) or your favorite width for binding
  

As an extra treat, I made a coordinating standard pillowcase and placed the quilt inside for shipping. I also printed out washing instructions and placed the card inside the pillowcase - that way the customer knows how to care for the quilt.

Now, I will have to be on the lookout for yardage of five Michigan fabrics (not so easy to find in Iowa), so I can make one of my very own...and I hope my blog post will entice and inspire you to make one too...and if you do make an “All-Star Team Quilt”, I would LOVE to see your version!