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  • A New Adventure!

    Foundation Paper Piecing – Do you love it or hate it? I always thought it was too much work, so I never tried it. If it were not for my Gridster Bee friends, I may never have ventured into this arena. What did I find? I really like it! I can’t say I love it yet! I am just starting this adventure and it seems like with this book by Elizabeth Dackson, that I may have a chance to move toward loving it! Let’s get stitching!

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  • And The On Your Mark Winner Is…..

    The On Your Mark – Create! Winner is @darlingdi!  Thank you all for following us and for the wonderful comments!  Each and every one of you made this super fun!  Don’t forget that you can purchase this fabulous fabric here!  And I hope you try some of the great projects that the designers showcased!

  • On Your Mark Create! Blog Hop & Giveaway

    I was so excited when I received Simone Bradford’s new fabric line , On Your Mark! By PaintBrush Studio Fabrics.   It was like Spring had finally arrived in New England!  The colors are magnificent!  I was so inspired, that I needed to use every piece of fabric.  I hope you enjoy these projects as much as I enjoyed making them.  They may even inspire you and if they do, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a bundle of On Your Mark fabric!
    So what can you do with 12 fat quarters?  You are about to find out!

    Project #1 – The Churn Dash Pinwheel Table Topper

    Choosing my initial project was the most difficult and after much deliberation, I decided to start with a table  topper.  I used a tutorial by Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company called The Churndash Pinwheel Quilt.  This tutorial is quick and fun and pinwheels always remind me of Summer and the beach.  I made my color choices and completed the top with only 4 blocks.  I used some leftover plain white 1.5″ fabric for the top and side borders.

     I had other projects for the On Your Mark fabric on my mind so I set aside the top until the very end and used all the leftovers and improv piecing to create the backing.

    I quilted it on my HQ Avante with a pantograph named “Ocean Breeze” by Lorien Quilting and purchased at UrbanElementz.  I finished it off with white binding.  This is going to look beautiful on our porch in our Maine getaway!  Doesn’t it remind you of the ocean?  It measures out at 24 1/2″ square so you could use it for a wall hanging or even a baby quilt for the stroller or car seat. 



    Project #2 – Foundation Paper Pieced Pillow

    I have wanted to try paper piecing and came across this awesome set of tutorials called the Year of Scrappy Triangles at Sewn By Leila Gardunia and for people like me who have never tried foundation paper piecing, she has a terrific tutorial called, Leila’s Ultimate Guide to Foundation Paper Piecing.  I started with Block 1 and made four blocks.  I randomly added the fabric strips so I could have a variety of colors.

    Once I had four blocks, I trimmed them and started playing with the arrangement.
    The rest of the pillow top and back was created by measuring, cutting, and stitching.  I did not use a pattern and was part way through before I started taking notes on measurements.  There are probably a lot of tutorials out there, but maybe I will make one too!
    I quilted it on my Janome 6600 with basic stitch in the ditch and some echoing.  The pillow back is a really simple envelope closure and you can find a Craftsy tutorial here.
    Here is the finished pillow – 16” square.  I love the black and orange and the way they play with the more subtle colors.

    Project #3 – Bridget’s Bagettes by Atkinson Designs

    I have had this pattern for more than a year.  I thought the pink and yellow would be great and I was right!  This is the perfect size for a rotary cutter, but there are lots of uses for this little bag!  The pattern is easy to follow and works up quickly.  I love that it has the vinyl see-through front – no wondering what is in there.


    Projects 4 & 5 – Lazy Girl Designs
    I may just have an obsession with Lazy Girl Designs patterns and they are so quick to make and require very little fabric.  I made two Sweatpea Pods and 2 coordinating Fobios.  These are great for the beach!  You can fill the Sweatpea with your car keys, money, etc. and with the Fobio attached you can adjust the wrist strap so it is snug around your wrist and safe for walking.  It’s a great way to keep your valuables safe while walking the beach.  

    Here is a picture of all the projects together.

     And these scraps are all that was left of those 12 fat quarters!

    Leave a comment about your favorite project, by me or one of the other designers on the Hop for your chance to win a bundle of On Your Mark fabric.  And if you don’t win or you just feel inspired to purchase the fabric bundle now – you can buy it here! 

    There are some amazing designers on the Hop so stop by and see what wonderful projects they made with the On Your Mark fabric!

    Tuesday, April 17: Simone @simone.g.b; Simone Bradford
    Wednesday, April 18: Elizabeth @occasionalpiecequilt; opquilts.com
    Thursday, April 19: Stephanie @spontaneousthreads; Spontaneous Threads
    Friday, April 20: Linda @quiltlady63
    Saturday, April 21: Joan@alaskanquilter
    Sunday, April 22: Carol @carolanngillen
    Monday, April 23: Sarah @nohatsquilts
    Tuesday, April 24: Afton @quiltingmod; Quilting Mod
    Wednesday, April 25: Allison @quiltstudio62; Quilt Studio 62
    Thursday, April 26: @pbstudiofabrics; Inspired by Fabric

  • On Your Mark – Create! Hop Begins

    Exciting news!  The On Your Mark – Create! Hop just started!  This blog hop will feature  Simone Bradford’s new line of fabric – On Your Mark by Paintbrush Studio Fabrics.  There will be new projects revealed over the next 10 days by 10 very talented designers.  You won’t want to miss it!

    So to get us started, rush over to Simone’s blog, Simone Bradford to see a beautiful chair she reupholstered in On Your Mark fabric.  It is a wonderful transformation!  And, be sure to leave a comment and you may just win a bundle of this fabulous fabric!

    Don’t forget to check out all the designers – a new project every day.  Check out the schedule and follow either on Instagram or their sites!

    Wednesday, April 18: Elizabeth @occasionalpiecequilt; OPQuilt
    Thursday, April 19: Stephanie @spontaneousthreads; Spontaneous Threads
    Friday, April 20: Linda @quiltlady63
    Saturday, April 21: Joan@alaskanquilter
    Sunday, April 22: Carol @carolanngillen
    Monday, April 23: Sarah @nohatsquilts
    Tuesday, April 24: Afton @quiltingmod; Quilting Mod
    Wednesday, April 25: Allison @quiltstudio62; Quilt Studio 62
    Thursday, April 26: @pbstudiofabrics; Inspired by Fabric

  • MQX East – Mini Country Quilt Class

    I am so excited to attend this class later this week! The class is taught by Jenny and Helen of Sew Kind of Wonderful and the pattern is their Mini Country pattern. I chose Amy Ellis Wanderlust fabric. This is a small quilt and it will be perfect for the “mini quilt” wall I want to create. I love learning new techniques and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

  • More Anita's Arrowhead Blocks

    I really do love these blocks!  I have been really busy with the “day job” and graduate school, which makes me thankful I have some simple projects underway that I can continue to work on.  These blocks are great when I have just a few minutes.  I love the way these look!  Block pattern is by Anita Grossman Solomon.  Sheer genius!

    I am hopeful that I can finish these blocks up this week, but let’s see how it goes!

  • Gridster Bee Blocks – January – March

    This year I had an opportunity to participate in my very first online quilting bee – the Gridster Bee.  The bee is hosted by Elizabeth at Occasional Piece Quilt.  I could not feel more honored and I am having so much fun!  It is helping me to step outside my comfort zone and learn some new blocks and techniques.  What a wonderful group of fun and talented ladies!  Here are my first three blocks for this year.

    This block was for Carol in January:

    This block was for Elizabeth in February:
    This block was for Marsha in March:
    You can follow all the fun on instagram – just look for #gridsterbee.

  • Anita’s Arrowhead

    I have become obsessed with the Anita’s Arrowhead Block by Anita Grossman-Solomon. The technique is very different – sew two pieces of fabric together, make 3 cuts, and you have all your pieces! So very cool! Check out her Craftsy class! You won’t regret it!

  • Fun Sunday With Pineapple Blocks!

    I spent the afternoon watching Anita Grossman Solomon’s Craftsy class and made these two pineapple blocks. I love that you just take two pieces of fabric, fold them, cut them, and stitch them!

    I used fat quarters that I had laying around, but these are just test blocks. I will definitely be making more and will play with color and design.

  • Hello 2018!

    Hello 2018 and welcome to a world of change.  For the last 35+ years I have worked in technology and in various capacities from development to leadership and everything in between.  Obviously I have a passion for technology or I would not have thrived in this field for so many years.  Why is that important in 2018?

    When the New Year starts, it always seems like the perfect opportunity for a new beginning .  An opportunity to facilitate change – a reason to focus on winding down some goals and setting new goals.  I am determined to set a path for a new journey;  a future retirement career in quilting and while I am not sure exactly where I may land, I want to enjoy the journey.
    I want to explore the possibilities and not set expectations or an outcome, but enjoy the learning process and discover my passions.  Maybe that passion lies somewhere between technology and quilting – wouldn’t that be amazing?
    For these reasons, I am dubbing 2018, “The Year of Opportunity”.  I have to be honest, I have a demanding job and that isn’t going to change, at least not until I find a new focus.  I want that focus to be a passion; something I feel so passionately about that I lose track of time instead of counting the minutes.  I want to jump out of bed excited to start my day!  And go to bed exhausted, but fulfilled and looking forward to the next day.  
    Like everyone else, I struggle to find work/life balance.  This year, I am starting out with a list of goals and sharing them here to help seal that commitment!  Here we go:
    My year of opportunity is here and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me!  I hope you will join me and share your thoughts and advice along the way.  Welcome 2018!   May it be all that you hope it to be!