Quilt Qwazy Queens Winners

Marian of Seams To Be Sew has a list of all the winners in the Quilt QwazyQueens blog hop at her website HERE.

I had to redraw for the Sweet Pea Block Embroidery Giveaway and the winner is Wendy.
Laura M. won the $25 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop. I have contacted both ladies.

I think this block embroidery looks so nice that I am considering ordering it very soon.
My embroidery machine is in the shop for a couple weeks for a tune up and cleaning, she wasn't behaving with the last embroideries I tried to sew.

Thank you to all who hopped along. Congratulations to all who were drawn for a giveaway.
And a big THANK YOU to all the sponsors who helped make this blog hop such a success for us.

Today I am working on charity quilt projects and will have a post in the tomorrow on what we accomplished.

Blog Hop Winners

Wow! What a blog hop.

Nearly 400 people visited my blog. (Thank you all very much.) 

I responded to all those who commented (by email or on the blog)

which kept me busy much of the day.

Now, the winners:

Laura M. won the $25 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop

Emily C. won the Beauty Blocks Embroidery from Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery

Congratulations to both of you.

I have emailed both ladies to let them know.

Happy Quilting to Everyone.

Today I will be inside sewing 

because outside I see this, with some more to come:

Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop

Welcome to my post for the

QUILT QWAZY QUEENS 

blog hop.

In honor of World Wide Quilting Day,

this blog hop is being hosted by Marian at Seams To Be Sew.

She came up with this idea (which I think is great) so quilters can 

share something about their quilting passion that they might 

think is Qwazy!

Marian has procured a nice little discount for all our visitors until March 25, 2016. 

Everyone wins with this!

When you place an order at 

Fat Quarter Shop,

enter the code: seamstobe316

for 10% off your order.

I have two giveaways listed at the end of my blog. 

The giveaway is for today only.

It ends at 11:59PM EST March 23, 2016.

The requirements to join this blog hop were very simple:

"Tell us your quilting adventures, your proudest moments, how you got started quilting, show us your past projects, or make something fun and new that might be a little qwazy."

Will do. I have 40+ years of quilting tales that I could write about to fill those requirements. But that would fill a very large book or a very long post. So I will tell you a bit about my quilting journey over the years. 

I learned to sew, mostly on my own, about the age of 8. I sewed clothes for myself through college and a bit beyond. Not knowing the ins and outs of quilt making, I made a twin size quilt for myself in my last year of college. It is hillarious when I think of it now. I cut 4 inch squares from a variety of polyester/cotton fabrics in red, yellow, black and blue. I sewed them together in, what I found out later is, the Trip Around the World design. I put the quilt top over the polyester batting and used my decorative stitches on my Kenmore 1974 model sewing machine to sew the layers together down the seam lines. I sewed the yellow sheet backing, pillowcase style, to the other sewn layers. I didn't quilt or tie the backing to the top! 

I was very proud of it and used it for many years, even in my daughter's bedroom. I am not sure what ever happened to it. I could only find one photo with the quilt in it. 

I didn't have a clue what was in store for me in the coming years. 

My first teaching job took me to a small town in Michigan. I found a quilt shop 15 miles away where I took a class. We learned to quilt by hand! We made templates from cardboard, learned the 9-patch block, half square triangle blocks, and applique which we designed ourselves. We hand quilted the layers and the binding was wrapped around. I am still proud of this wall hanging. I thank Milly Splitstone for the skills she taught us in that class. 

(I am going to say right now that I am SO HAPPY the rotary cutter came along!)

In 1979, I joined a local quilt guild (Tall Pine Quilters Guild) that was starting up. It was fun getting together with people who shared the quilting interest. We shared ideas, had a really fun newsletter with tips and patterns. I went to a quilt retreat one weekend which was really fun.

Home, family, and job kept me busy, so I dropped out of the guild....but after 20 years, rejoined. The guild has brought many opportunities. We have had nationally known speakers come to our guild for trunk shows and classes. We have had quilt shows. We have joined together for charity sewing as well as to have fun sewing our own projects. 

While teaching, I introduced my 1st grade and kindergarten students to quilting. I used it as math lessons. The quilts they made were given to local charities for toddlers. 

Over the past 16 years, I have tried to take quilting classes in just about every technique devised at many different venues. I have made many new friends and travel with them to new quilting destinations. I have joined online groups and swaps, which have challenged me beyond what I felt comfortable doing. I've made quilts for more people than I can remember. 

I have a fondness for many of the styles and methods of quilting. I have learned that making quilt tops is easy if one breaks the design into small steps. And I revert back to my early hand quilting lessons....fabric can be manipulated, there are ways to accomplish what is desired in quilting if we know what is out there. 

I enjoy blogging (started in 2011) and sharing what I am doing with others. I began designing patterns in house at a quilt shop in 2004. I have since designed for Cut Loose Press and other shops and individuals. 

I have a book idea I am working on now and then as time permits. And am now an Island Batik Ambassador. 

Quilting has been quite a crazy journey, but one I am happy to be on. I am glad you took the time to stop and read about my quilting. I plan to continue my journey for many more years. 

I hope your journey leads you to new opportunities and you experience wonderful quilts. 

See what Quilt Qwazy thing the others are doing via this blog hop. 

March 23

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Ridge Top Quilts

Quilt Art

Patchwork Breeze (you are here)

After you leave your comments at the above blogs

Stop In To Enter Only at Seams to Be Sew

March 24

Kwilt Krazy
Marjorie's Busy Corner

Just Because Quilts

Moose Stash

Batts In The Attic

All Things Sewn

After you leave your comments at the above blogs

Stop In To Enter Only at Seams to Be Sew

March 25

Just Let Me Quilt

Sew Many Yarns

Quilting Queen Online

Jane's Quilting

After you leave your comments at the above blogs

Stop In To Enter Only at Seams to Be Sew

Giveaway information!

You could win 

one $25 gift certificate from 

Fat Quarter Shop

or

Beauty Blocks 

from Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery 

Leave a comment telling me what class was your favorite 

or what class you would like to take.
I have to have a way to contact you, so don't forget an email.

Then click enter on the Rafflecopter here on my  blog.

Seams To Be Sew has a giveaway, too, so make sure you visit there.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tutorial: Sandstones In The Sea Mini Quilt

Thanks for your visit. 

Today I have a tutorial for my mini quilt, 

Sandstones in the Sea, for the Island Batik Mini Madness. 

I used charms from the French Roast fabric collection charm pack.

I chose 4 tans, 4 browns and 8 blues from the French Roast charm squares pack.

I layered the tans and browns (nicely and evenly) and cut the squares, as shown in the photo below.

I rearranged the colors as the blocks would be sewn. 

I sewed the blocks and set them aside.

I layered the blue charm squares and cut diagonally, twice, as shown in the diagram below. 

I don't like to have the same colors next to each other so I arranged the blue triangles where I liked them with the blocks before sewing.  (I don't have a photo, but this layout photo shows what I came up with).

I sewed the long edges of 2 triangles to opposite sides of the 9-patch blocks. 

After pressing and trimming the little dog ears, I sewed the other 2 triangles to each blocks. 

After sewing the squares together 4 across and 2 down, I sewed only one 2" border strip of a blue (from a different manufacturer) to one side of the quilt. But I knew it needed a bit more to add pizzaz. 

I call this thin white strip a piping (without the cording in it). I cut the strips of white fabric 3/4" wide by the width of fabric and pressed in half, lengthwise. 

I cut a length a little longer than I needed for the long edges. Pinned it in place and sewed with a 1/8" seam allowance. 

The sides were done in the same way, and I made sure the end overlapped the previous pipping strip. 

I added all the piping strips.

I finished sewing the blue borders on the piece to finish the top.

I want to share with you a method I use to get ideas for quilting small items. I use tracing paper over some of the blocks and sketch out ideas. I decided to use the star on the 9-patch. 

 It was easy to use an erasable fabric marking pen to put some dots on the quilt top and sew with my home machine from dot to dot. I use a walking foot to feed all the layers through evenly--no back puckers.

I marked the waves with a chalk marking pen and stitched in lines that curved on the ends with Guttermann thread (I had it on hand and it was the only blue that worked with the colors.

I do hope you gleaned a tip or two from your visit. Perhaps you want to make a mini, go for it. The Island Batik fabrics are great to work with. I was able to finger press my shorter seams, which saved loads of time.

A different Blog Hop to tell you about and a discount code.

Briefly, I am participating in the 

Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop 

which begins TODAY. 

My post date is March 23.

During this blog hop, you can shop at 

Fat Quarter Shop through March 25 

and get 10% off with this code:

seamstobe316

Hop on over to SEAMS TO BE SEW to find out all about it and the great giveaways that are happening daily. Island Batiks has a giveaway!

March Is A Month of Quilting

This month is ramping up to be a busy month of quilting for me.

March 19 is designated as World Wide Quilting Day. 

I am not sure if I will be quilting with others or myself, but I will be quilting!

How many of you will be quilting that day?

I am working on a block swap for the Mid-Century Modern Bee. 

We are making 4 inch mini churn dash blocks. I will be sewing 9 blocks. 

Each one has to use red. I have 2 done. 

As an Island Batiks Ambassador I will be sharing a mini project this month. 

I finished the top and am waiting to learn when I will be posting. 

I will be sharing directions to reproduce it. 

March 23 is my day to post for the 

Quilt Qwazy Queens Blog Hop 

sponsored by Marian at Seams To Be Sew. 

HERE

I will be working on my entry for our Quilt Guild Challenge: 

a modern twist on the log cabin block.

It might not be due until May, but I want to get going on it. 

I wish you a wonderful month of quilty goodness.