What I’ve been up to

I’ve been so busy in all departments of my life with not much to show for it. It seems crazy that I don’t have a new quilt pattern or tutorial or something clever to share. Be that as it may, I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to (and what’s ahead). It’s going to be a little bit of everything today!

In the sewing room

I actually do have something to show. I finished a wall hanging for Easter. It has applique, embroidery and piecing so it’s all my favorite things rolled into one. The applique and embroidery designs are part of a collection from The Art of Home Club by Jacquelynne Steves. She has the cutest designs and projects that range from small to large and there are some fantastic themes each month.

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I’m working ahead of the Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt Along hosted by Fat Quarter Shop. I LOVE the piecing that goes into a sampler quilt. Each month there will be a few different blocks to make and we’ll keep piecing until February of next year. I’m really looking forward to this and hope you’ll join us!

There’s no sign-ups for this QAL. You’ll just need the book, Celebrate with Quilts, by Lissa Alexander and Susan Ache, along with some fabric. You can download the schedule and fabric requirements here.

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I’m busting into my fabric scraps again and this time I’m using up the turquoise/teal colors. I’m testing out a quilt-as-you-go technique that I’ve seen, but hadn’t actually used myself. It is quite fun and addictive!

I’ve made four blocks, so far, and they’re fun to play with. I’m going to post the technique on Instagram soon and I’ll try to do a quick tutorial here, on the blog this weekend.

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My most recent finish is a table runner that I made as a quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) sample. I can see how this would be a great way to quilt a large project in small pieces or sections and then join everything together at the end.

Other quilting news

I’ve been teaching several classes at my local quilt shop, The Granary. My free motion quilting class has been going strong. I have another one scheduled for this Saturday.

Last Saturday, I gave a demonstration on a quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) technique using sashing strips to join together individually quilted blocks. I’m going to turn this into a separate class. I’ve been writing up instructions and making samples for this class (that’s the table runner above).

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I visited the Silicon Valley Modern Quilt Guild’s quilt show on Sunday. It felt so good to be there and get caught up with quilters that I haven’t seen in a long time. I was one of the founders of this chapter of the MQG and I served as V.P. and then President the first two years. I’m still a member, but in spirit only. I haven’t attended a meeting in a long time, but I’m so proud of how far they’ve come. They’re celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. I’ll do a separate post with photos that I took from the show. For now, I’ll share their 10th anniversary mini quilt challenge.

I also did a little shopping at the show. I found some fun and new things that I can’t wait to dive into. Pictured below is the new Glow Ruler by Carolina Moore, the book Big Stitch Quilting by Carolyn Forster, and fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics. I’m really excited to try out the AGF 2.5 Edition fabric line that was created with binding in mind! 2.5 inch strips ready to cut, with a variety of designs to frame your quilt. Pick your favorite side to show on the outside!

In the garden

Everything is blooming right now. I love to take pictures of the flowers during my neighborhood walks. Our yard is also full of flowers splashing their colors for anyone who stops to notice.

I planted our tomatoes a little too soon. We had some very cold weather pass through so I had to cover them with plastic to create a little green house around their cages. It seems to have worked.

Family

We’ve been so busy and we haven’t traveled beyond our city limits since early January. Mr. Crafty Quilter is a tax accountant so we hunker down until April 15. But that’s right around the corner and we’re excited to visit our grandkids in Texas the weekend after the 15th.

Speaking of Texas, my daughter drove the two younger kids to the “path of totality” (not far from them) so they could witness the solar eclipse. She said it was totally worth it. And Granddaughter #2 just turned six, so she got to bring donuts to her class. A real treat for this kid as you can see!

Coming up

I have so many ideas for tutorials, patterns and content for the blog. It’s just a matter of clearing the path (and my brain)! Here are a few of my ideas:

• Updating my Franklin Star Quilt pattern so that it’s fat quarter friendly and re-making it with Kindred Fabric by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics.
• QAYG tutorial.
• A tutorial for turned edge applique using freezer paper and starch, as well as stabilizer and glue.
• Coming up with a holiday project and tutorial.
• Having a monthly blog-reader question series where I answer one quilting question from submitted queries.
• Creating a free BOM pattern for 2025 that will have a few different setting options.
• Releasing a new pattern by the end of the year.
• Working on UFO’s and WIP’s – always (and forever)!

I think I might be over-committing if I attempt everything on that list, but we’ll see how the year plays out. If you have any ideas or something you’d like to see, please let me know in the comments.

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Thanks for reading and I hope you’re having a wonderful week!