It’s already time to start thinking about 2020 and how to stay organized in all categories of your life. Do you have a favorite planner that you use? I’ve been using The Quilter’s Planner for the past three years and now I can’t live without it. They’ve just started taking pre-orders for 2020, and I’ve got mine ordered.
They’ve made some changes to the planner for next year. First, the size will be smaller; it’s now 7″ x 9″. You can customize your planner with different weekly calendar layouts such as horizontal, vertical, graph paper and dot paper. You can choose weekly start days of Monday vs. Sunday and pick your favorite cover design.
They also have some new accessories that will make your planner more efficient and easy to use. There are clip-in bookmarks for your shopping list, to-do list, and meal planner as well as stickers, stick-on pen and pen holder and more.
When you preorder The Quilter’s Planner (affiliate link) this month, you’ll get 10% off your order, and 1 free Pocket Notes Mini Planner. I’m always excited to start the year off with a fresh planner. I probably use mine more at the beginning of the year, but I always use the monthly calendar pages to keep my schedule organized. You can read more about how I use my planner here.
I’m excited to start planning some new projects on the blog for next year. I have a few ideas that I’ve been playing with, but I’d love some feedback from you! Is there a project or technique you’d like me to introduce next year? Maybe an ongoing challenge or theme such as Christmas, a block of the month, a monthly busy book tutorial, etc? Let me know in the comments and I’ll keep it in mind when planning next year’s blog activities.
Happy Wednesday! We have a giveaway winner for the Happy Little Things BOM sponsored by Olfa and hosted by Jacquelynne Steves. To enter the giveaway, you had to leave a comment telling me whether you like to make mini quilts or not. Out of 626 comments, #405 was randomly chosen. That belongs to Catherine C. who said “I have collected miniatures ever since I can remember ( I am 65). So, when I began to craft and quilt, I was drawn to miniatures. Now I almost exclusively make quilts that are no bigger than 36″ x 36”.
Congratulations to Catherine! Based on the number of comments, I think everyone was hoping for a chance to win such a generous prize package. Plus, we have a lot of Olfa fans in the quilting community! Thank you all for participating.
Happy Little Things BOM
In case you missed it, I am a participating blogger for Jacquelynne Steves’ Happy Little Things Block of the Month. It runs from August to December 2019. You can still sign up for this free BOM, here. This is my fifth year as a participating blogger and it is always so much fun to see the different interpretations of the blocks. I’m making my blocks mini – half the size of the original. So, mine will finish at 6″ square, plus I’ve added a little applique to my winter-themed quilt. My final quilt will measure 23″ x 31″.
Thoughts on mini quilts
It’s always a pleasure to read your comments, and very enlightening – especially when asking a specific question. This time I wanted to know if you liked making mini quilts, and there’s no right or wrong answer. I’d say the feedback was fairly divided, and I gained some good insight on both sides.
Here are some positive thoughts about making mini quilts that were shared in the comments:
I love making mini quilts for the simple fact it’s a great way to try out a new technique without committing to a larger project.
Instant gratification!
They are quicker to complete and are great for when I want to make a whole quilt with limited time.
Love mini quilts…you can use scraps and incorporate so many fun little things that would get lost in a big quilt.
I like making minis and large quilts. The minis are fun to make to fill in the gaps of time and I can try a pattern much more quickly with small ones. The large ones are fun to cuddle with my grandchildren.
I enjoy making mini quilts. I like to make them for the different seasons so I can change them out regularly.
A mini quilt allows me not to get too bored too quickly and I can always finish one quickly to give as a gift.
I love mini quilts. I live in a small space, so they are practical too!
I like making tiny quilts. I think it allows me to practice quilting skills on a smaller scale so that larger quilts turn out better.
I like all sizes of quilts, but a mini quilt is more likely to get finished.
Working with small projects is not everyone’s cup of tea. Here are a few thoughts on that:
I like to make big enough quilts to snuggle under.
I don’t have the ability or patience to make a mini quilt.
I like to make quilts that will get used and I don’t like clutter.
It’s easier to work with nice big squares.
I prefer making larger quilt blocks simply because I am not always precise in either my cutting or sewing. Gives me some fudge room.
I have so much fabric that I need to make big quilts to use it all up!
Most of you enjoy making anything, big or small. Even if you don’t like making mini quilts, you enjoy looking at them. Quilting for the sake of creating is something we all have in common.
Mini quilt ideas
Personally, I love making mini quilts. I enjoy the challenge of working with smaller pieces and I can usually use my scraps and some stash to finish a project. Mini quilts are quick to finish and easy to quilt on my home sewing machine. An example of this would be my Nordic Mini Quilt Tutorial from 2014. This wall hanging measures 14 1/2″ square!
I also like the challenge of reworking the math of a pattern to make it mini-sized. I did this last year for the Quilter’s Planner Sew Along. These blocks finish at 3″ square, so they are really tiny. I turned my blocks into a wall hanging for my sewing room. The finished Sew Happy Mini Quilt measures 18 1/2″ x 17″, and you can find my free tutorial here.
There are so many other ways that mini quilts can be used: doll quilts, pot holders, placemats, ornaments, table runners, candle mats, bags and pillows. If you haven’t made a mini quilt project yet, I hope you’ll give it a try!
There were a total of 42 finished projects in July’s challenge. Well done guys! I’m glad you’re still motivated at the mid-year point.
August prize
The prize for the August challenge is a Cherry Pickin’ Table Runner kit by Me and My Sister Designs for Moda, compliments of me and my stash! It includes fabric, pattern and template to make this adorable table runner.
To enter the challenge, all you need to do is finish any UFO (unfinished object) or WIP (work in process) this month and add a photo of your project to the link up which will be posted on August 31. It’s open for one week, and then I randomly choose a number from the link up to be that month’s winner.
My project for August is to finish and gift the Busy Book for my granddaughter, Amelia. It’s been a labor of love, and I’ll be glad to have it done so I can get on with my other “normal” quilting projects.
If you’ve been picking UFO projects based on the All People Quilt UFO Challenge, this month’s number on the list is 9. I like the way they run their challenge by making a list of 12 UFO’s and then picking a number randomly each month to determine what to work on. I started off the year following that process, but it’s hard to keep up with my schedule and deadlines.
Thanks to everyone who has participated in my challenge so far this year. You can join in at any time, and get those projects done and cross them off your “to do” list!
Welcome to the first block of the Happy Little Things Block of the Month hosted by Jacquelynne Steves! I’m honored to be one of the participating bloggers this year, and I’m so glad you’re visiting today.
You can sign up for this free BOM here, and then you’ll receive all of the patterns and instructions directly into your inbox. You’ll also find fabric kits, pre-printed blocks in two sizes (for the block centers), quilt labels, buttons, charms and pins that all coordinate with the fabric kits on the sign-up page.
Every month there will be giveaways on each participating blogger’s blog, so there are multiple chances to win. This month’s sponsor is Olfa, and they’re giving away a fantastic prize package! Details can be found at the end of this blog post.
Happy Little Things, Block 1
For my version of Happy Little Things, I’m making a mini version. My blocks will finish at 6″ square! I will include my cutting instructions each month, but you will need to sign up for the BOM to get all of Jacquelynne’s assembly instructions. Here is my completed block for this month:
I’m using an older fabric collection titled Jingle Birds by Keiki for Moda Fabrics along with some of my own blenders. The Jingle Bird print is just right for fussy cutting 2 1/2″ squares for the center of my blocks.
I like making mini versions of quilt blocks. They require a bit more attention to detail, but that’s part of the fun! The photo below gives you a little size comparison with the pen and glasses.
I made a mock-up in EQ8 of my version of the finished quilt. I’ve included the words, “Winter Friends” to applique in place of the pieced border. If you want to follow along with me, I’ll give templates for my letters as well as the cutting dimensions. It’s optional, of course, either way. This will be a nice wall hanging size and will measure approximately 23″ x 31″ when finished.
Mini version cutting instructions
The mini version of block #1 will finish at 6″ square. I followed the assembly instructions that Jacquelynne gave and found it easy to put everything together on my smaller scale.
Block #1, Mini version in EQ8
You can download the cutting instructions for the mini version of block #1 here:
If you haven’t tried Jacquelynne’s method for making flying geese, I recommend giving it a try. It’s based on a traditional method, but she over-sizes the squares to give you something to trim down.
Giveaway (closed)
This month’s giveaway is generously sponsored by Olfa. I can’t live without my Olfa rotary cutter and rotating cutting mat in my sewing room.
To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me whether you like making mini quilts or not (no judgement here) by Sunday, August 11, 11:59 pm PST. Now CLOSED.
NOTE: To leave a comment, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this blog post (not from my home page), and look for the rectangle that says “Enter your comment here”. On August 12, I’ll randomly pick one winner!
Here are the giveaway rules:
To enter, leave a comment telling me if you like making mini quilts (or not).
You must comment by 11:59 pm PST on Sunday, August 11, 2019. (Now Closed).
You must leave a contact email so that I can reach the winner.
There is ONE prize per person per month (in other words, the same person cannot win two prizes within the same month.)
Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. International winners will receive an alternate prize.
Winner will be chosen at random.
Due to the high volume of comments, I won’t be able to reply to you (unless there is a direct question), but I will read each and every one. Thank you in advance for your participation and for leaving a comment.
Participating bloggers
Make sure to visit all of the participating bloggers to see their version of Happy Little Things! You can also enter the giveaway on each respective blog so you have more chances to win.
{I love the idea of “paying it forward”. I think the world would be a better place if we could spread some joy and acknowledgement of good deeds done by others. I try to do that once a month for my Sew Thankful Sunday posts. I highlight some great content that I’ve found on other people’s blogs that I hope will inspire you and reward the originator by bringing traffic to their site. If your blog has been mentioned without your consent, please let me know and I will take you off the current list of featured bloggers.}
It’s August and still Summer for those of us in North America. But we’re beginning to think about school starting again and new projects on the horizon. There’s a little of everything today in this list of inspiration that I’m sew thankful for!
Note: If you use Pinterest, please pin from the original source and not this blog post. Remember, you can click on any of the images in this post and it will open up a new tab to the associated link.
If you’re a beginning quilter, you’ll want to join the Jolly Jabber as they begin The Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along. Beginning August 1, a free pattern and video will be released weekly through November 7. Every detail will be covered, so even an advanced quilter might learn a few new tricks!
2. It’s still early, but this Christmas Tree Table Runner Tutorial from Polka Dot Chair will get you thinking about the holidays in no time. This is a quick and easy project that would make a great gift or for your own use.
3. The ladies at The Cloth Parcel have come up with a lovely Summer Cabin Quilted Pillow Tutorial as part of the Olfa + Aurifil Stitch & Slice challenge. I love everything about this one – and that quilting!
Summer Cabin Pillow @ The Cloth Parcel
4. Do you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden? If so, you’ll love this Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe from Love & Lemons. I’ve made it twice already and it’s a winner!
Chocolate Zucchini Bread @ Love & Lemons
5. I found this blog post on How to Get Seams Really Flat by Christen at I See Stars to be really helpful. You’ll be surprised at her little trick that works every single time.
6. Back to school ideas are starting to pop up and I love this Locker Organizer Tutorial by Stacy Schlyer for We All Sew. This would be perfect for your favorite teenager!
Locker Organizer @ We All Sew
7. I love this Pocket Pillow Tutorial by Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. It would make a great gift for a book lover, young and old alike.
Pocket Pillow @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
8. If you want to see some eye-candy in thread form, check out the artistry of Sheena Norquay at the Aurifil blog. Her latest Peacock collection of thread in 50 wt. is gorgeous, and I was so inspired and awestruck by her work!
“Polly” from the Peacock Collection by Sheena Norquay
I just want to stop everything and get to my sewing room! This is a wonderful group of creative ideas and inspiration today. Thank you for sharing it with me and especially thank you to everyone featured.
