I know my stitching friends are familiar with needlework samplers...but are you familiar with a sampler quilt? Sampler quilts are made up of an assortment design blocks - they are often used as a teaching tool for beginner quilters to help with skill building or for more advanced quilters to show off their skills or a variety of quilt blocks. The sewist makes a range of quilt blocks and then those finished blocks are pieced together to make a full quilt.
Several months ago, AccuQuilt asked me to create a sample for their GO! Value Die Sampler Quilt which features twelve 8" quilt blocks that can can be created with one cutting die (the GO! Value Die). This sampler quilt is perfect for a beginner quilter and/or a beginner AccuQuilt GO! user, as it is straightforward piecing of squares, triangles, and strips - and you get to try out a variety of quilt blocks. Although this quilt looks a bit complicated, it only uses three cutting dies: the GO! Value Die, the GO! Strip Cutter-4 1/2" (4" Finished), and the GO! Strip Cutter-2 1/2" (2" Finished) - and it really is simple, if you break it down block by block. It only uses six fabrics...and if you are unhappy with any of the individual quilt blocks, AccuQuilt has 72 GO! Mix & Match 8" Quilt Blocks available, so you can easily make adjustments. I made this quilt in a couple days, but you could do one block a day (or one block a week or month) and have it done in no time.
If you are in the market for a GO! Fabric Cutter, the new GO! Fabric Cutter Starter Set includes the GO! Fabric Cutter, the GO! Value Die (55018), a 6" x 12" cutting mat, a die pick, and a 20-page pattern booklet which includes the 12 block patterns and the GO! Value Die Sampler Quilt pattern I am featuring today...so you can start creating this beautiful sampler quilt right away. If you already have a fabric cutter and/or you would like to have the sampler quilt pattern, you are in luck - for a limited time, you can download the pattern, along with instructions for any/all of the 72 - 8" quilt block patterns for FREE...yep, I said free!..and that is A LOT of sewing inspiration...
Believe it or not, AccuQuilt has asked me to make four more of these sampler quilts, and I enjoyed the first one so much, I took on this huge job...so I will be creating four more. This quilt is a great size at 48" x 48"...maybe in my "spare time", I can make a fifth one for myself - it would make a great lap quilt! If you want to brush up on your piecing skills...or try some new quilt block designs...or perfect your triangle piecing, then I hope you will try making this sampler quilt - I think you will be impressed with yourself and how quickly it comes together!
Today I have a new design to share with you that I created especially for AccuQuilt. This geometric quilt was a treat to design...and I truly enjoyed making the sample. It is called the GO! Add It Up Bed Quilt and is a great size at 60" x 60". Head on over to the AccuQuilt Blog to read my guest blog post and see my tips and tricks for making this bright and cheerful modern quilt...and for a limited time, you can download the pattern for FREE (yes, I said free) - just visit this link: http://www.accuquilt.com/go-add-it-up-bed-quilt-pattern.html. This quilt is comprised of 12" blocks that come together rather quickly using strips and squares - this design uses uses the following GO! Cutting Dies:
My AccuQuilt guest blog post gives you tips for making perfect strip sets and flawless straight seams which will make your project shine - I hope you will stop by for a visit and read all about this "positive" quilt!
Why not try doing a little "addition" and make a GO! Add It Up project yourself?!...there are many possibilities with this versatile 12" block...for a smaller project, how about a table runner or a set of pillows?...feel free to be creative!
I have more exciting projects to share with you in the next several days...please stop back and visit with me again soon...
Hello friends - we are back from a fabulous Florida vacation and it was wonderful to spend some time away to recharge and refresh...and I am feeling inspired and ready to get back to work. What a blessing to be away from the bitter cold and snow for a week, even though I contracted a MISERABLE head cold midway through our time away. I was able to manage it with medication and make the best of it until returning home, but then it really set-in and I have basically slept the last three days away...which is really frustrating, as I have a plethora of projects and business tasks that need my immediate attention. I am hoping the worst has passed, as I can almost focus this morning...fingers crossed.
This was our first winter vacation EVER...yep, fifteen years of marriage and we have never escaped an Iowa winter...and my husband had never been to Florida or Disney World...and I haven't been to Florida since I was a teenager (my only trip to Disney was on my 5th birthday)...so when my mother and her new husband invited us down for a winter getaway, we made some sacrifices to get away and spend a week visiting with them! We wanted to do and see as much as possible...in fact, we were busy from early morning to late night every single day. Here are just a few photos/videos I captured along the way...
We arrived in Orlando on Thursday afternoon and wasted no time, heading straight to the beach. We stopped at a local's recommendation for a late lunch at Hidden Treasure Rum Bar & Grill on Ponce Inlet...then we were off to New Smyrna Beach for a drive along the ocean...
A video posted by Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs (@brdgirl) on
Friday we spent the entire day with my mom and her new husband (Dan) at Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom Park. Dan has been going to Disney World every single year for over 20 years and was an excellent tour guide - he had us on a schedule and we were able to see and do EVERYTHING from the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show at the park opening to the Main Street Electrical Parade (AMAZING) and Wishes Nighttime Spectacular before park closing....and yes, we rode all the rides (Splash Mountain was my personal favorite!).
A video posted by Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs (@brdgirl) on
Saturday we went to Walt Disney World - Epcot. We had a fun-filled day riding some of the major rides and we started visiting all the countries in the World Showcase...having lunch and a jalapeno margarita in Mexico and then continuing through the United Kingdom. Once it was dark, we had scoped out the perfect place outside of Italy to view Illuninations: Reflections of Earth (a spectacular fireworks show over the water).
A video posted by Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs (@brdgirl) on
On Sunday, we spent some time at Gatorland, where I got to feed the alligators and get up close and personal with one after the Gator Wresting Show (yes, I got to pet an alligator). We were shocked at the amount of alligators, birds, and wildlife at this park...even though it was a bit touristy, we still had a great time. Next we were off to Titusville, FL, where we had an early dinner at Dixie Crossroards Seafood Restaurant (another local suggestion) and then to Kennedy Point Park to watch the rocket launch from Cape Canaveral (it was canceled at the last minute, but we had a lovely time by the water and met some new friends).
A video posted by Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs (@brdgirl) on
Monday we had the entire day planned at Walt Disney World - Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park with my mom and Dan...but the weather had other ideas. We were able to see quite a bit before it started raining...I mean really raining...it was a downpour! We were lunching when it started and after discussing our plans, we decided to get ponchos and make the best of it. We were able to do most of the things on our list...and I got to meet Chip and Dale (yay!). We did as much as possible in the rain, then headed to the Rainforest Cafe for our dinner reservations. Even with the rain, we had a fabulous day (although it didn't help my head cold)!
Travis and I set out on our own again to finish touring Walt Disney World - Epcot on Tuesday. We still had one country left on the World Beer Tour and a few places left to explore....plus we had a fast pass for Soarin' (a spectacular ride where you virtually fly above California). We toured Canada (which had beautiful gardens), enjoyed the Canadian Lumberjacks show, and took in the American Adventure. Once we finished up Epcot, we headed to Daytona Beach to see the Daytona Speedway, have dinner, and take in the ocean....and maybe see the rocket launch from Cape Canaveral (but it was canceled at the last minute AGAIN - maybe next time).
A video posted by Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs (@brdgirl) on
Wednesday was our last full day in Orlando and we spent it with my mom and Dan at Walt Disney World - Disney's Hollywood Studios. Travis and I loved this park - and once again with Dan as our tour guide we were able to take in all it has to offer...including the Tower of Terror (LOVED!) and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (WAY FUN!). I thoroughly enjoyed Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, which is a gallery of rare artifacts and an inspiring 15-minute film on the life of Walt Disney. Then to top off a perfect day, we stayed for Fantasmic - a 30-minute fireworks and water extravaganza, which was spectacular - what a great way to end our winter break!
It's still all about the squirrel - this little french fry thief joined us for lunch
at Disney's Hollywood Studios...
We were up and out the door at 4:30 AM on Thursday, heading to the airport and back home to Iowa...and my miserable head cold was in full swing...but the week we had definitely made up for my discomfort. My birthday and Valentine's Day were a complete blur, as I slept and nursed this nasty bug...but that's okay, we made enough memories last week.
So today, I am in catch-up mode - still nursing the horrible head cold. This afternoon, I am hoping to be at my sewing machine...and I have a couple magazine submissions to complete...and I have loads of model stitching to do...time to get back into creative mode!
It's been a busy week, finishing up last minute deadlines and orders before I take a vacation - yes, you heard me, I am taking a REAL vacation (gasp!). Yep, I am getting away from heaping mounds of snow and headed to the beach and Disney World...a true winter vacation (my first EVER). I managed to get quite a bit on my list accomplished...I still have a few irons in the fire, but they will wait until my return...or at least I hope they will. I continue to stitch daily on my special design for the October 2015 issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine...and I am getting ready to start a couple Halloween models for The World of Cross Stitching magazine that will also be published this fall. Plus you will see Blue Ribbon Designs in a couple of quilting magazines in the very near future...
The last several days were spent finishing up a special custom order...it included a couple quilted window coverings, a project bag, and needlework finishing (a Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeve). The customer supplied the fabrics...which were all gorgeous and fun to work with...and provided a pattern booklet she liked for the window coverings (Graphic Mixx by Atkinson Designs - Corn Rows Quilt). I did my best to make the window coverings AccuQuilt friendly...and was happy to only have to trim down one size of the triangles (luckily I had my favorite trimming ruler - the 6 1/2" Triangle Square Up Ruler by Quilt in a Day - to make trimming the 5" half square triangle blocks easy and accurate). These custom window coverings came together beautifully and I managed to get the binding finished today (whew!).
So, I will be away from my studio/office from February 5th through February 12th...all correspondence and orders will be answered/filled in the order received upon my return on February 13th...I truly appreciate your patience! I am sure I will have some fun photos and things to share when I get back...look out Florida, I am on my way....
It's been another creative week in the Blue Ribbon Designs studio and I have been working on a pile of designs/projects...sewing/quilting during the day and model stitching in the evenings. I can't show you any of these special projects just yet, but I did work on a couple other things this week, as well...
I have several personal cross stitch projects that are well underway (and have been for years) from fellow needlework designers. All of my stitching time tends to be dedicated to my own models...but I decided in the new year that if I can get in even a few stitches a week on some of these projects, maybe (just maybe) one day I will have a finish or two... here is Sarah Moon's Quaker Sampler by Needleprint...started many moons ago (no pun intended)...I managed to stitch a new medallion this week...
I also managed a wee bit of time for gift making (for my very patient friends) this week and was able to finish up this special watermelon pincushion, which is on the way to it's new home...and I still have more items to complete - I think I missed every single special occasion and holiday in 2014 (I have been a terrible friend). I posted this picture on Instagram and Facebook and now I have a growing list of people who want one...yeah, I'll get to those in my spare time (wink, wink)....this is from a favorite pattern called "Fruit Salad Pincushions" by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.:
I have also been crushing on some fun items this week...a couple favorite pincushions (I switch up pincushions at my machine almost daily - most of them are treasures created by friends - they make me happy!)...and a plethora of sweet Valentine fabrics and owl potholder - gifts from a very dear friend today...
Many of you know I am getting ready to take a vacation in the very near future - something almost completely unheard of...we are traveling to Florida for a week to visit my mother and her new husband at their vacation rental...I know, I can't believe we are getting out of Iowa in winter and going someplace warm with beaches and sunshine! I don't think I have ever been on a winter vacation as an adult (those of you who know me, know I rarely never take time off)...but it is definitely needed - I really need to refresh and clear my head...and spend some quality time with family - now I just have to finish up about a gazillion projects and deadlines before we go. I posted this photo earlier in the week, showing one of our destinations (I haven't been there since my 5th birthday)...we have been gifted five day park hopper passes, so we should be able to enjoy everything...and I am SO looking forward to it...because, we all know I am just a kid at heart!
Finally - the kiddos are doing well. Simba is still trying to find the warmest place in the house...here he is in my stitching nest last night (actually really early this morning)...I was at the dining room table binding a quilt and he was curled up in my comfy chair on my quilt. Schatzi is still a ball of energy...and just weighed in at (wait for it) 85 pounds...can you believe she will be two years old in a couple months?! Here she is at the park a few days ago...tennis balls are her new favorite thing - luckily, I have an AWESOME neighbor who gives me bags full of them. She is super smart and has learned all sorts of commands and tricks...and I can hardly wait for warmer weather so we can do our daily walks around the lake again...
So that's what has been happening this week in my world...busy as usual, but happy, focused, and inspired. I am off to do a little house cleaning - then to my stitching nest...
Happy Friday friends and followers - I am finally back to share my Bitty Blocks finish with you! I have been busy sewing/quilting several large (VERY time-consuming) projects that have a rapidly approaching deadline, but I made time this afternoon to bind my mini "The Lovebirds" quilt. Amazing how frustration can turn to happiness, just by switching projects...my mood has gone from "tearing my hair out" to "ready to take on the world" in one hour of time...
Next, I added my 3" Bow Tie Blocks as a border...I played with the layout and my different fabric combinations to find the grouping I liked best...
Next I added a small sleeve on the back and binding, so it would be ready for hanging...
So, here it is...my finished "The Lovebirds" miniature quilt...it was just what I needed to bring a smile to my face! As you can see from the photo above, it fits perfectly in my little stand...and it definitely brightens up my living room...
Now, I am waiting to see what the February Bitty Block will be...I am thinking I will *have to* make a mini St. Patrick's Day quilt next! I'm sure I have plenty of green fabric scraps...
