Crafting brands for the wildly ambitious who dream of greater things
Exploring the Turn Style Quilt
I am doing it again!! Stitching Heaven asked me to teach on another quilting cruise, and I had such a wonderful time last November that I didn’t even think about it. I said yes!! I decided to give myself a nice padding of time to get familiar with the quilt that I will be teaching. And since I had access to advanced yardage of Michael Miller’s new line Summer Dreams, well, it was a match made in heaven!! Y’all, this is Turn Style Quilt. Isn’t she lovely!!
The block is big!! The Turn Style Quilt has one block repeated over and over again. It is about 18″, and I love big blocks!! It is straightforward and easy to make and the perfect quilt to make on a quilting cruise. The blocks almost look like windmills, and this Dutch girl loves windmills. The pattern is designed by Amy Ellis, she is the creator of #IGQuiltFest, which is a fun way to show off what you have been working on. Every March she hosts it, and she gives away a ton of prizes. She even has a magazine called Cutured Quilts! I have participated in one of her Quilt Alongs, which I still need to finish.
The Fabrics
I am loving these fun threads!! The flowers are enchanting and whimsical. I love the textures found in the line. There is a watercolor texture in a lot of the fabric’s background. They pick up small details found within the flowers and create the supporting fabrics. An example of this is the circle, triangle, and square design. The colors are happy and brilliant pastels. Such a well-designed line. I actually did my first YouTube live and showed all the different fabrics.
The Quilting
I quilted this on my Q20. It is my second attempt at this design. I think for the next quilt I quilt, it will be the concept but change it up a little. Maybe making it a little more playful.
Summer Dreams will be in store soon, so keep your eye out for this fun fabric.
Pre-Order The Great Jelly Roll Bash pattern bundle today.
September 16th will be here in no time. Today is the perfect time to get your pattern bundle so you can join us in celebrating the versatile Jelly Roll precut. We have been busy planning, designing, and writing some amazing patterns for you. I am so excited to present to you the 2023 pattern bundle.
Welcome to Block Mania!! This month’s theme is all about friendship. There are some really cute blocks in this link package, so follow the links on the list below to build the perfect quilt. I have a special treat for you, so keep reading until the end. I went a little deep in thought for my block this month. As I pondered the meaning of friends, how important they are, and how people come in and out of our lives at different points, my block appeared. I just love it. As a modern maker, I took a different approach. I created a block that looks fine by itself but becomes an interactive pattern that weaves lines in, out, over, and under and begins to resemble the path of life, love, and friends. I call this block the Intersections Quilt Block.
Intersections Quilt Block
In high school, I was fixated on change. Taking note of how everything is in constant change and development, which means that lack of change was nonexistent. Something that my best friend Kira told me is that, yes, everything changes, but we can still be friends. So, this is my ode to all the cherished friendships I have had throughout my life. The short ones. The long ones. All forever written in my heart. Cheers to friendship!!
The Intersections Quilt Block is the perfect block to use up scraps. The largest piece is smaller than a 5″ square. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it is a foundation paper pieced block. I am working on a scrap quilt using this block. I got to pick the block for April in my Do Good Stitches sewing group, and you guessed it, I picked this block. That means I get small envelopes of Quilty love sprinkled in with my regular mail. And it makes me so happy. For this month only, the block will be free. Get your copy by clicking here.
Block Mania Link Package
I am planning on making a small wall hanging, using Michel Miller fabrics. The background will be pindrop, and the fabrics I use for the lines will come from Elephant Cavalcade, a new line that is arriving in stores this month. I showed off a Tuffet I made with Elephant Cavalcade last week, and I have a few more projects planned for the line.
This giveaway is closed. The treat of all treats, the crew over at Michael Miller sent me some extra fat quarters of Elephant Cavalcade to giveaway. Thank them for their generosity and tell me in the comments below what your favorite way to make a quilt block is. Some examples are EPP, FPP, traditional, appliqué, collage, and HST. The possibilities are endless. There are so many ways to do the same thing, and I love that. To me, that is what makes the world go round. I will announce the winner on the last Tuesday of this month, May 30th 2023. Good luck!! And the winner is Doreen S. Thank you so much!! If you had trouble commenting on the post I am not sure why it is happening but I will try to figure it out.
Elephant Cavalcade Tuffet
The Elephant Cavalcade Tuffet is next to my plant filled clawfoot tub.
What is a celebration of colors, flowers, wisdom, and prosperity?? It is what Michael Miller’s new line Elephant Cavalcade encapsulates. Twenty unique and eye-catching fabrics complete this whimsical line of fun. It has it all: strips, borders, animals, and great blenders. I can’t decide which fabric is my favorite… Well, no, my favorite is the Royal Elephant, but after that, it is hard to decide. The stripe. Any simple stripe is a fun way to shake things up, and I love them, except the mandala. That is my second favorite and it might be tied for first. The colors play perfectly together, dancing in unison. I love purple and this line embraces it, making it one of the darkest fabrics in the line. Discover the endless possibilities Elephant Cavalcade has to offer.
Elephant Cavalcade
I found the perfect way to use my advance yardage of this line. I have had a Tuffet assembly kit for years now. Waiting on the perfect fabrics. I have been waiting for purples that lean into a pink. That pink-purple in Elephant Cavalcade will be perfect for my bedroom. An artist and friend of mine refinished a claw foot bathtub. When she moved, my husband and I bought it from her. It is where I keep plants in front of a large window that is in our bedroom. It is so beautiful!! I love waking up to the large elephant ear colocasia and monstera. The bathtub has a pink-purple on the outside of it. So, this tuffet will be just right.
Making the Tuffet
I love working with strips, so this project was an absolute joy to create. It was a quick finish. I would be sneaking some sewing in before work and during lunchtime, and before I knew it, I was ready to start assembling the tuffet. The kit has foundation pieced templates that you iron onto muslin fabric. When I started, I didn’t read the directions, so I started piecing directly on the fusible template. I got one seam sewn, attempted to iron it, and then pulled out the pattern and directions. LOL. I love how the fabrics look and how they blend and abruptly change.
Putting the tuffet together was a little awkward. When I first attempted to put the layers together and pull the tuffet top over the stool it wasn’t easy, so when it was time to put it together, I went rough. I cut 2 circles out of the thick batting from the kit. I placed that on top of the stool, and then I folded the edges so I would have less fabric to pull. This worked great, making it easy. I now think I could have used all the batting instead of using pieces of it. Oh well. Next time I make one, it will be so easy to create.
Learning something new with each project is something I love. I had never heard of an upholstery needle. I was a little late when I realized I needed it, so I got it on Amazon. It was easy to use and pushing the button into the stool really took the look to another level.
If you like this project and want to create one yourself, click here to get a kit.
More Elephant Cavalcade to come
If you want to buy fabrics from this line, Etsy has some great options. Always make it fun with Michelle Miller, check out their hashtag on Instagram and share your projects using their fabrics with that hashtag as well. Next Tuesday, I will be joining in on another Block Mania block hop. My block will be using these fabrics, and I may just have a fat quarter set to giveaway. I wish you a wonderful Quilty Friday!!
Quilted Plant Hanger – DIY
Happy St. Patty’s Day!!
I have a plant obsession! I show little snippets of it in my newsletter, but I haven’t talked a lot about it here. Over the pandemic, my plant collection has grown from a small area close to one window to having multiple plants in each and every room. I even have one room that has more than 45 plants in it. I love watching them grow. There is one particular window that has 5 hoyas hanging in pots. It has the best light, and if you don’t believe that, I will have to show you the flowers. I had never had a hoya flower in my care, it is not a coincidence. It is definitely not me. It’s the window. I have one small space at the edge of that window that would fit another pot. I have a few pots empty, but they don’t hang. As I was shopping around on the internet, I decided I could make my own. I present to you, the quilted plant hanger. This is how I made it!
I sewed fabric strips together to make four squares. To make this process easier, since I wanted small strips of fabric, I used paper as my foundation. Download your paper pieced template by clicking here. If you need to learn more about paper piecing, here are two links that are helpful: What is Paper Piecing and How to Paper Piece.
Next week (fingers crossed), I will add a small video on the making of the square used in the Quilted Plant Hanger and show off my 5 favorite plants. So be sure to come back soon.
First, decide if you want your block to look like an X or an O. Pin and sew two of the blocks together. Repeat. Iron the seams to opposite sides so your seams will nest. Sew the two working squares together to make a block. Iron the middle seam open to reduce bulk.
Next, locate the quilted block, the piece of batting, and the backing. I used leather as my backing. Layer the batting on the top. The second layer is the quilted block facing up. The last layer is the backing facing down. So, the good side of the backing and the good side of the quilted block face each other. Sew around the stack of pieces leaving 2 ½” open. Trim the points close to the seam corner. Pull the inside through the gap. Use a tool to help you work the seams to points and full edges. When you get to the gap, fold the seam down and into it, use pins or clips to close the gap.
Finishing the Hanger
Topstitch the quilted block. I sewed twice around mine. Make
sure when you stitch over the gap, you catch the edges that have been folded
into the gap. That way, they stay folded and don’t slip out to expose raw
edges.
Cut a small hole on each corner of the quilted block. I used a leather hole punch. It punched the leather perfectly but didn’t go through the batting or fabric, so I used my scissors to make the hole go through all the layers. I also made the hole wider with my scissors by sticking the scissor blade deeper and creating a slit. (The first hole was too far away from the corner, so the quilted block didn’t hug the pot. The way I fixed that was by cutting another set of holes closer to the corner of the quilted block and running the cord though both holes. You could make one hole close to the corner or two holes like I have done here.)
Adding the Cord
Run cording through the hole, or holes. Knot the end of the
cord that is in front of the quilted block. Then run the cord through the other
diagonal corner holes. Knot the cord end after the quilted block. Repeat on the
other two corners.
Find the point where the two cords make a U, and make a knot
about 2 or 3 inches after that U to create a loop where you can hang your pot.
Install your plant hook, hang your quilted plant hanger with the plant… and we are done!
This is my first attempt at this project, and I have ideas on making it better and giving it a more finished look. I used the things I had around my home. Something I will do the next time I make this is finishing the holes with grommets.
I hope you love it. Thank you so much for stopping by!!
Quilty Design Wall Upgrade
Today I have a video for you!! Videos are very time consuming to make, and it always means that my nails must look somewhat nice. So historically, I haven’t made as many as I would like, but my goal this year is to make more of them. Soooo I bring you the first video of the year! This video is all about upgrading my design wall. The design wall that I have had for the past year was a simple cut of felt off of the bolt I bought from Joann’s. This has worked for me, but sometimes it falls off the wall and can look a little messy at best.
I came across felt wall panels and instantly knew that I wanted to make a design wall out of them. I found a couple of different companies that make these felt panels that go on walls and decided to buy the one I found on Amazon. There are also a few different shapes, but since I love hexagons, and they have become a staple in my pattern design, I went with them.
The wall that I used is a brick wall, so I don’t have to worry about what will happen when I take them off the wall. But I don’t plan on taking them down. If you are interested in making your own design wall and would like to see the ones I used, click here.
Quilt Design Wall Upgrade
The video takes you through the process I took when creating the wall.
Scrubbing the panels so they had more grip.
Painting some of the panels.
Taping them to the wall so I could figure out what design I wanted.
Removing the paper from the back of the felt panel so I can fix them onto the wall.
Taking a set of quilt blocks and placing them on the design wall.
I have a bunch of small pins that I have placed on the edges of the design wall. So, I don’t have to worry if the blocks will stay or not. If I take a little time rubbing them onto the wall, they are more likely to stay, but I kind of like to put up orphan blocks, mini quilts, and all the things that might weigh more.
I hope you love the video and the new design wall. Hopefully,
the background eye candy will look good in videos and give me an incentive to
make more videos in my sewing room.
I would love to hear your feedback about the video, so leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! Thanks so much for watching!
Welcome. Welcome. Ahhhhh! I am so excited. Today is the day!! That’s right today is the release day for my Mountain Breeze Quilt Pattern. It is finally ready. This quilt has been on a long and windy journey with me. It has been simmering in the back of my head since the first Quilt Con I attended back in 2017. It was something I saw in the city that caught my eye and it has stuck with me ever since. Like all my pattern release parties, this comes with a giveaway and a lot of fun so keep reading. Let’s dive in… The Hexagon I love using this element to create a quit. There are three ways you can create a quilt with a hexagon, use a full hexagon with includes y-seams, create two half hexagons which can be sewn into rows to avoid the dreaded y-seam, or make triangles that create a hexagon and depending on the triangle you can or cannot use a y-seam. This is my fifth pattern that I have designed that is made with hexagons. The others are Yoya, Falling Stars, Stars in Pieces, Terracotta Fiori and Busy Bee Quilt. This quilt, the Mountain Breeze
Aliquam malesuada bibendum arcu vitae elementum. Duis ut diam quam nulla porttitor massa id neque aliquam. Turpise egestas integer eget aliquet nibh praesent tristique.
Let’s learn about each other and get your new project started.
02
Branding Deep-Dive
We’ll dive deep into your brand, your target customer, and your mission.
03
Get Creative
Driven by strategy, I will craft a brand that captures the authentic you.
showing the love
the testimonials
Sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet. Pulvinar sapien et ligula ullamcorper malesuada proin libero. Aliquam ut porttitor leo a. Dui ut orea lectus sit amet est placerat in. Fringilla urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent elementum. Sed velit dignissim sodale ute. set Velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse. Massa sapien faucibus et molestie. Eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla. Amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis. Ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum. In dictum non consectetur a. Egestas quis ipsum suspendisse.
Sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet. Pulvinar sapien et ligula ullamcorper malesuada proin libero. Aliquam ut porttitor leo a. Dui ut orea lectus sit amet est placerat in. Fringilla urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent elementum. Sed velit dignissim sodale ute. set Velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse. Massa sapien faucibus et molestie. Eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla. Amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis. Ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum. In dictum non consectetur a. Egestas quis ipsum suspendisse.
Sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet. Pulvinar sapien et ligula ullamcorper malesuada proin libero. Aliquam ut porttitor leo a. Dui ut orea lectus sit amet est placerat in. Fringilla urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent elementum. Sed velit dignissim sodale ute. set Velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse. Massa sapien faucibus et molestie. Eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla. Amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis. Ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum. In dictum non consectetur a. Egestas quis ipsum suspendisse.
Sed viverra ipsum nunc aliquet. Pulvinar sapien et ligula ullamcorper malesuada proin libero. Aliquam ut porttitor leo a. Dui ut orea lectus sit amet est placerat in. Fringilla urna porttitor rhoncus dolor purus non enim praesent elementum. Sed velit dignissim sodale ute. set Velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse. Massa sapien faucibus et molestie. Eu tincidunt tortor aliquam nulla. Amet consectetur adipiscing elit duis. Ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum. In dictum non consectetur a. Egestas quis ipsum suspendisse.
