Quilt Retreats and A Giveaway

Today I am a guest blogger at at A Quilting Queen Online. 

Doris, a fellow blogger and quilt designer, is opening a retreat facility in Texas. 

She is taking a bit of a break right now and asked for guest bloggers. 

I answered the call and thought I would write a post about retreats. 

Visit her site and read my post about quilt retreats. 

HERE is a previous post about a retreat I attended this past fall. 

How about a giveaway? 

Leave a comment here on my blog page. 

Tell us if you attended a retreat or would like to attend one.

Make sure I have a way of contacting you. 
On April 23, about noon EST, 
I will randomly select one comment to receive 
this nice canvas tote and 3 of my published patterns 
that you can take to your next retreat. 
(I will ship the bag with patterns within the United States. 
I can't send the bag and patterns overseas; 
but I will email the patterns in PDF format.)

These patterns are available from Patternspot.com. 

Last Week's Accomplishments

I was sewing quite a bit last week, but not at home!

My embroidery machine was fixed and ready to pick up. The dealer is 55 minutes away, so it only makes sense to make the most of a long drive. One the 2nd Tuesday of each month, they have a free Open Embroidery Day. I chose to pick up the machine on that day and stay for embroidery time. I thought if the machine gave me any problem, the technician would be there to help. The machine worked well. I am still a beginner with the machine, but the other ladies were helpful when Patty, the store's embroidery teacher was busy with someone else. I felt very accomplished when I left with these items completed. 

Pillowcases for two little girls I know. 

And the beginning of four biscornu pincushions. ( A few times I forgot to change thread color. Ooops.)

On Wednesday I drove again to the city to Inspirations of Art Studio, where I can pay for studio time and use the Sweet 16 Sitdown Longarm machine. I worked on a T-shirt quilt for a 2016 graduate. I returned on Friday to finish it, and work on some other quilts. 

The quilt turned out quite nicely and a I found a great backing in my supply room, just right for a young man. I got the binding attached at home on Saturday. 

I finished this charity baby quilt there, as well. It was made with squares cut to 6".

Thursday was our guild meeting. 

We had a speaker coming, so some of the members met her for dinner before the meeting. Janice Jenkins from Elm Creek Home and Garden Center in Farwell, MI, gave a wonderful, entertaining presentation on Picking Fabrics for Fun and Color. 

I have been to their store more than a few times. They have so many choices in fabrics. 

Plus, they are a nursery and garden store on one side of the building. So it is fun to visit it all. 

This post shows me I really was busy last week!

I will see what this week brings.

What did you do last week? What do you have planned for this week?

Happy Mail

I am sure Dr. Seuss didn't think of the internet and blogging 

when he wrote the book, Oh, the Places You'll Go! 

But, oh, the places blog links can take us. 

My trip through the blog posts started at Val's Quilting Studio 

with the orphan patterns she was giving up for adoption. 

She linked to Cyndy's Spring 2016 Quilty Orphan Adoption Event. 

HERE. 

And I looked!

It was curiosity that led me clicking through the links.

 I had so many items on shelves in my craft storage room waiting to be sewn 

(or linked to this adoption page if I found time). 

But there it was! A pattern for aprons! 

The women's group at church is planning an apron-themed event

and I have thought of making a few aprons as door prizes or auction items. 

This pattern has mix and match top and skirt variations. 

One pattern resulting in a number of unique aprons! 

I left a comment and was later contacted for my mailing address. 

Julie of Florabunda Quilts sent the pattern that arrived last week. 

I was happy mail. 

I am looking forward to working on the aprons. 

They will be a change from the quilt projects I have been making.

Thank you, Julie, for a lovely pattern. 

Now, ideas on colors or how I should mix and match the pattern pieces?

My New Pattern Releases

I am happy to announce that I have two more Cut Loose Press patterns for purchase from your local quilt shops. 

I had a blast using the Creative Grids Log Cabin Trim Tool to make the 8 inch by 8 inch finished half log cabin blocks and a creative way to curve the petals and leaves in the project. 

My scrap supply of pink, purple and green fabrics worked perfectly for the table topper pattern with some yardage for background fabric. (I can visualize any color flower.) The table topper is 20 inches by 20 inches.

So, what do you think of Cabin Flower Table Topper?

I made the second pattern, Cabin Leaves Table Runner, using Island Batik fabrics. While any type of fabric strips would make this a lovely runner, I really liked the organic, natural look the Island Batiks gave. The light background is Seashore (#111622109) and the peach fabric, I believe is from the Sweet Georgia Peach collection. 

Now that these two patterns are finalized and ready for sale, I am getting back to my other quilting/sewing tasks. 

May 1 is fast approaching for the Four-in-Art Challenge reveal. My concept is now going to the construction phase. Our theme this year is Color and the sub-theme this quarter is Music! 

I will be posting about some other sewing items between now and then. Visit tomorrow to see what came in the mail last week. And I have swap blocks I have to get sewing!

May your bobbin always be full (and if not, have a spare one ready)!

Island Batik April Showers Challenge

April Showers is the Island Batik Ambassador challenge for this month:

"Make a spring-themed quilted project of any size."

Easter has passed and my mind jumped to flowers. 

With snow a few days ago, I see this little wallhanging as a bright, spring treat. 

On March 30, an email arrived with, 

Bouquet of Tulips Bonus Block, a cute applique project by Amy 

of Sew Incredibly Crazy. 

I decided to make it with some cheery, 

happy "Coral Reef "fabric colors from Island Batik.

Aren't these colors just luscious and wrapped so pretty?

I had a pre-cut pack of 10" squares (42 squares). 

For this 12" Tulip Block I didn't use much.

(I appliqued it to a 12" x 17" piece of white backing for a wallhanging.)

This is a bonus block that goes along with the IN THE GARDEN HOP. 

I contacted Amy asking if I could post about this block and the hop. 

The free block will be available HERE for the year .

She has a tutorial on her blog, HERE; so I won't detail how I made this.

I will mention that I connected the handle and the spout to the watering can

so it was one traced piece of fusible. 

I also cut out the center area of the watering can, 

so it wasn't so stiff. That is a personal decision. 

I had to use Deco Foil for the heart and leaves on the watering can. 

Amy got me hooked on Deco Foil and I really like its characteristics. 

She has a tutorial HERE.

The binding was another piece of Island Batik green that I bought in Paducah. 

I cut 2 strips, 2-1/4" x Width of Fabric and used one strip and just a bit of the second strip. 

I just think it is such a cute little quilt to hang in my breezeway.

But, alas, it has been promised to our younger daughter

to hang on her apartment entry door.

But, I have MORE Coral Reef fabrics to make another for myself! 

Thanks for visiting. 

Happy Spring, may beauty bloom each day for you.