Juicy Bits

222: Pixel Pop

Let's pretend that it hasn't been a month since QuiltCon, OK?

This quilt, called Pixel Pop, is the second quilt I had in the show.  It looks very random and it was put in the improv category, but in actuality, it was planned out.  Each rectangular block (yes, there are blocks but they may be hard to see) is unique.  

I made this pretty much in 1 week (which is super-fast for the easily distracted me).  It's a very fun way to highlight some of your favorite fabrics and uses up very little of them.

I quilted it with almost a simple straight line pattern, except I went around some random shapes about the size of the pops of color.  I felt it gives them a little bit of a falling into place feel.

The back is also pieced with some of the same fabrics in a minimaist asymmetrical design. 

And look even a a nice pieced label since it was going off to the show.

And you know what?  It didn't come back. I sold it! How fun. Though part of me wasn't expecting that so I didn't really say goodby to it.  No worries though, I have to make a very similar one because I will be doing a pattern for this also this spring. :)

I feel I should give a little low down on the QuiltCon experience.  How about just saying it was a blast all around?  I did enjoy the informative lectures and only took one 1/2 day class.  The show was inspiring to say the least.  The 80s party was epic.  Basically, if you can swing it and you're into modern quilting, go next time (2015) because it's so full of awesome people and fun energy.

JT

221: somewhere under

QuiltCon is this week.  If you don't know, it's the first quilters' conference put on by the Modern Quilt Guild.  A weekend of workshops, lectures, a juried quilt show, shopping, and partying like it's 1985.  Woo hoo!

I have two quilts in the show.  This one is titled Somewhere Under and I've been waiting to show it for a while now.  Not to be all braggy, but I'm in love with it.  :)  The combination of the slightly off-beat vivid colors and the simple, graphic design that's just a little askew for added quirkiness, really does it for me.

This is the second quilt I've done entirely of solids. (Actually I added a couple of prints to the back...shhh...)

The quilting is my graphic version of clouds.  Maybe I'll do a little tutorial on it if there's enough interest.

And it's kinda 2-sided with a large version of the block on the back.

When it came to binding I decided using anything but white would box it in too much, but I wanted some definition so I added a flange.  It's mostly green with a couple of little pieced spots.

I'm working on a pattern for this and you can expect to see something in the Spring.

JT

219: challenges

I have mixed feelings about challenges.  The type of challenge I'm refering to is the kind we issue our Modern Quilt Guild.  We try to do a challenge or a swap every month.  And really I mostly feel like "I don't have time for this crap". 

But, actually, I've found they can, as they are supposed to, get me to try something I wouldn't normally do.  And, I do finish stuff I would otherwise slack on because as a guild leader I feel I should set a good example, etc.

So, I may not do them all, but I've been participating in group stuff a lot more in the last year than ever before.

So for this month we had a challenge that was part of the larger Modern Quilt Guild as a whole.  The challenge was to use the fabric line Madrona Road by Violet Craft.  We were sent some free fabric (enough for about 5-6 fat eigths each) and we could only use fabrics from the line and solids.  There were really no other guildllines.

I, however, issued the additional direction of "details".  Whatever the members wanted to interpret that as was fine, but it must include a detail of some kind.

While pretty, I don't think I would have made a whole quilt out of the line.  I do really love the text print though.

I went for a very simple design.  My detail was the flanges that I added around each square.  

I really like the minimalist look.  But I don't quite know what to do with it.  I don't love it enought to hang it on a wall.  It's a bit small for a lap quilt.  It could almost work as a baby quilt but it's obviously boy except for the flower prints.  Hmm....

JT

214: modern quilt composition

This month at the regular Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild meeting we discussed composition in modern quilts.  Specifically ways to use the improv blocks we made for our challenge last month.

I gave a little talk with some examples and touched on some of the major elements of composition.  It was by no means a comprehensive class, but rather meant to spark some ideas for the members on how to use their blocks and perhaps try something a little different than they're used to.  So for this month the challenge was to use the improv blocks in any modern composition.

I decided I wasn't ready to use my blocks because what I have in mind requires more blocks.  So I took a 3 of the blocks made for charity and used those to make a top to be donated.

I'm LOVING how it came out.  Some color decisions were based just on what I had available but it worked out perfectly with only a very small scrap of the background fabric left over.

I approached the design with the same planned improv method as I mentioned before - kinda like one giant block.  I didn't really measure anything but sketched a general idea and with some layout on the design wall, adapted it until I got what I wanted.  

As I mentioned I didn't make the 3 large blocks, but I made the mini blocks on the left to balance it out a bit.

I almost never repeat myself, but since I'm going to give this away, I may make another just like it for me.  It only took me 2 evenings to complete the top, so it's totally doable. :)

This week I'm off to Quilt Market!  Excited to get lots of inspiration and socialize with some really fun folks.  I will take pictures, but I promise no comprehensive blog coverage.

JT

212: Skip the Borders blog tour + giveaway

A treat for you today!  Julie Herman's book is out: Skip the Borders: Easy Patterns for Modern Quilts.

If you don't know, Julie blogs at Jaybird Quilts and she's pattern designer as well.  I'm lucky enough to call Julie a friend and I'm a big fan of her work.  So I guess you could say it was highly probable I was going to like this book.  But the thing is, I like her work for good reasons...

Right off the bat, I'll tell you the title gives it all away.  The patterns are modern, simple, and without borders.  Definitely what Julie excels at is designing cool quilts that are not ridiculously hard to achieve.  And if you've ever sewn one of her patterns, you know how precise and easy-to-follow her directions are.

And there is a ton more information in the book than just the patterns.  She gives a lot of pointers on designs and helps you understand what quilts do or don't work without borders.  And a whole chapter on binding!

(notice the Kingdom fabrics?!)

Julie came up with her own interview questions to us bloggers to answer.  She answers all of these at length in the book, but here are my short replies:

Q: All of the quilts in Skip the Borders are... borderless!  Do you skip the borders on most of your quilts?

My first thought was that, yes, I skip the borders on most of my quilts.  But it's not totally true.  Looking back I see a bunch with borders and even some more recent ones have them.  I think it's most recently that I've been using them less and less, though a few in my book had them.  I like that Julie discusses some of the purposes of borders and how some quilts really need them.  And she even gives you permission to use them on her patterns if you'd like.  I'd say I'm tending towards modern designs without them for the moment...

Q: In the intro to my book I give you permission to Break the Rules.  Do you break some quilting rules?  What is the number one rule you break and why?

What rules?  I always encourage others to "sew fearlessly" and part of that is doing whatever the heck you want.  I do think technique is important to learn.  Shoddy craftsmanship is a shame because who wants a quilt that turns out sloppy or falls apart?  But once I've learned and practiced techniques, then I do whatever I desire.  Quilting is fun-time and who wants to get caught up in a debate if raw edge applique is good enough or whatever?  I love to learn and challenge myself to try new things, but I'm certainly not going to answer to anyone's rule book.

Q: It's no secret that I love binding!  In Skip the Borders I included an entire chapter on binding.  So the million dollar question, is do you use bias or straight of grain most of the time?

Mostly bias cut for sure.  Once I learned to sew the continuous kind out of a square, it became second nature and it really doesn't take much longer.  It does take a little more yardage though.  I do have a beloved quilt that had straight grain binding and t has been used and washed so many times that there are gaping holes along the edges of the binding.  Would that have happened with bias?  Maybe.  But I'd rather be safe.  Plus, I feel I can get bias binding to lay perfectly flat a little better.  And my other secret (a rule Julie would never break!): I sew all my binding on completely by machine.  Quick, sturdy, and very clean looking.  Guess I should have put that down for a rule I break! 

As part of the blog tour, I get to give away a ebook of Skip the Borders for one lucky winner to enjoy.  You all probably have ipads or kindles, unlike me (not, bitter.....no...), so you know you want one. :) 

Just leave me a comment and tell me about quilting "rules" (I use the term loosely) you can't stand, break a lot, or maybe even would never dare break. :)  I will chose a winner randomly on Oct. 6th.

The schedule for the rest of the blog tour is below.  Check it out.  If you don't already read thses blogs you're going to want to.

Sept 10th - Generation Q magazine

Sept 12th - PS I quilt

Sept 14th - Beyond the Reef

Sept 17th - Pink Chalk Studio

Sept 19th - Fat Quarter Shop

Sept 21st - Bijou Lovely

Sept 24th - Red Pepper Quilts

Sept 26th - Swatch and Stitch

Sept. 28th - Juicy Bits (me!)

Oct 1st - V and Co

Oct 2nd - Martingale Publishling

Oct 5th - Carolina Patchworks

Oct 8th - I'm a Ginger Monkey

Oct 10th - Blue is Blue

Oct 12th - Quilting is My Therapy

Oct 15th - Quilt Dad

Oct 17th - Jaybird Quilts (Julie herself!)

Good luck!

JT 

211: stuff you don't see

I've been a bad blogger.  I'm not talking about the post-so-infrequently-that-all-my readers-have-probably-gotten-bored-and-abandoned-me kind (which, let's face it, is most likely the case).  I'm talking about the not-doing-a good-job-of-documenting-my-crafts/life kind.  And that's what's frustrating me right now.

Life has been so hectic lately (totally my own fault for doing too much and never catching up on the regular stuff) and I haven't shown you what I've been up to.  And that means I haven't been documenting it so I can look back on it.

So.... One of the events I haven't mentioned yet is that I did Denyse Schmidt's Improvisational Patchwork workshop.  The Philly Modern Quilt Guild and my guild, The Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild, brought her to the area for a lecture (which was awesome) and workshops.

 

It's was a such a fun day and so against my over-planning nature.  Just letting loose and sewing without planning.  I had hard time playing by the rules and using whatever fabric I pulled out of the bag.  Honestly, I don't know what, if anything, I will do with my blocks.  Here are some of them:

I'm not a hug fan of the randomness and wasn't crazy about using fabrics I don't like, but as a whole, they really do have a amazing quality that couldn't be created any other way.

Then, as a spin-off, the CJMQG did an improv challenge.  We swapped scraps (in part so there would be some overlap in our stashes) and each got a fat quarter of Kona Cotton in Sage.  The challenge was to make improv blocks of any kind using scraps and the Sage fabric.  We kept some, swapped some, and donated some to be made into charity quilts.

These were some of my blocks:

I also did one not so random with a method I call "planned improv".  Love it!

In general I think I like these more than the ones from the workshop, probably because I used a lot of my own fabrics and I wasn't afraid to break the rules and make some more design decisions. :)

These were most of the guild ones:

As for other goings ons...here's a gratuitous first-day-of-school shot for the grandparents and such:

Sad that summer is over...

JT 

207: we *heart* teachers

If you have school-age children, you know that teacher appreciation week just went by.  I'm class mom for Aurora's second grade class this year and we just love her teacher.  Really we've been so lucky to have great teachers for both kids so far.  And we do truly appreciate them.  

This year Aurora's teacher is pregnant and due this summer.  When her class decided to throw a baby shower for her, I knew I wanted to make her a baby quilt.

I always think to myself how easy it will be.  I'll keep it simple.  Yeah, right.  Inevitably, I get carried away.  This is the pretty quilt I came up with:

 

Actually, it's not super-complicated or anything.  I've been doing a ton of half square triangles lately.  And all I had to go on were that she likes bright colors, her favorite color is turquoise, and she's having a girl.  But I did add some time-consuming details, that, I hope, made it really special for her.  

I had each of the kids in her class write their name.  Then I traced them and stitched them (by machine) into rectangles around the border.  I wanted their personalities to be there in some small way (without becoming too childish or overwhemling), so it's neat to have the names in their own handwriting.

I also couldn't stick to simple straight-line quilting (yes, there's a pattern developing here) so I came up with a flower motif for in each star.

As you can see, she really loved it and I know she can treasure it and know that she's made a difference to every child in her class.

JT

206: cantilevers

I've got exciting news.  For the first time, I'm going to have a quilt in a show.  And it's a big one!  At Quilt Festival in Houston this fall, there will be an exhibit of The Modern Quilt Guild Showcase 2012 and one of my quilts was selected!

As you can imagine, I'm pretty psyched about this.  Only 33 quilts were selected.

I made this quilt, titled Cantilevers, specifically to enter in the show.  I think it's only quilt I've sewn that's entirely solids (well, there's a little bit of print on the back...shhhh... I didn't take any pictures of that yet).  It was inspired by a building I saw driving home from a Philly MQG meeting.  The building itself didn't have cantilevers but it had three offset windows that just got my mind rolling.

I think I'm most proud of the quilting.  I did it all myself on my regular home machine.  Thanx to Angela, I've really had the machine quilting bug lately.  I'd love to buy a longarm, but I'm restraining myself for now.  I practiced with a lot of doodling before starting on the actual quilt.

Anyway, there has been plenty of discussion online about what exactly is "modern quilting".  I don't feel much need to add to it except to say that I definitely consider myself a modern quilter.  I'll direct you to the Modern Quilt Guild's site to see what they have to say about the matter.  But, no one gets to define you, so if you are or you want to be a modern quilter, then you are.

I've founded a local branch of the guild this year, the Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild.  If you're local, we want you to join us!  We've been having a ton of fun so far...

So far, 2012 has allowed for more quilting for me than last year which is making me happy.  I began and completed my first quilt in the first week of January.  Hopefully I'll share that one soon.  I'm trying to decide if I want to write up a pattern for it.  And, since then, I've completed 2 others (including this one) and started 2 more.  Yay for quilting!

JT

201: color theory for quilters

Hi all.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to teach Color Theory for the Modern Quilter to the Philly Modern Quilt Guild at a mini sewing retreat.  So much fun.

It turns out I could talk all day about color.  No big surprise there.  I think the members all left with at least a bit of a new way to look at color when quilting.  We covered all the basics from the color wheels to color combinations, and even did some exercises to help everyone look at color more objectively.

Then I got to stay the rest of the day and enjoy some sewing time as well as a workshop from the lovely Sujata Shah on gentle curved piecing.  I decided to step outside my comfort zone and not think or plan at all before sewing.  I gave myself all of 5 minutes to pick the fabrics.  And then I just started.  It was an easy enough method (cutting several layers at once and then shuffling them) and I enjoyed her simple no-pin method to sewing the curves. 

The results I'm still not sure about.  Part of the problem was I didn't really have much of the grey fabrics with me and those were the ones I wanted to use the most of.  I'll be sticking it up on my design wall and probably doing a bit more playing with it to see if it's becomes something interesting.  I've never had this experience with a quilt before: as I was working on it I just sort of thought "eh. it's OK" but every time I walked away and came back I found myself immediately liking it more.  Maybe its just the colors.  We shall see.

Now if I could only get my voice back.... :)

JT

196: winner

It may have taken me a while to draw a name, but the winner of the Modern Mix Blog Tour giveaway is:

Carolyn who said "I love the camera case! That's the scale of project I can handle, LOL. But I love your fabric collection, and I'm thinking that I would use the prize to make some quilted holiday ornaments. That is the gift I'm giving out this holiday, and I've been using holiday prints. But the purples and blues of your fabrics would be really pretty as well."

She has already been notified via email.

Thanx to everyone who played along.  All winners were notified via email by the author of the blog on which they won.  If you didn't win, fear not!  Just put it on your Amazon wish list for the holiday season. :)

JT

 

194: last stop

If you read the crafty/sewing blogs and you hadn't heard of my book before, you probably have by now.  A wonderful group of bloggers have helped me host a blog tour for Modern Mix and it has been all over the web.  It's been a whole lot of fun.  There are plenty of thoughtful and amusing interview questions about me out there, so if you're interested, have a look at the schedule. (Also a few of the giveaways are still open so check it out...)

Today is the last stop and obviously it's here.  I won't toot my own horn, but let you go back and read all the reviews and interviews to learn more about the book.

But I do get to give away a final copy of the book and the winner at this stop will also receive a bundle of fat quarters from my latest collection of fabric called Kingdom. (Shown here in some shops...yay!)

To win all you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me either your favorite project in the book that you've seen so far, or the one you would make first.  (And really folks, I'm dying to see what you make so PLEASE share pictures when you do sew something...)  I will keep the contest open until Oct 26th.

JT

193: design wall debacle

I suppose the design wall episode wasn't so much a debacle as pretty fruitless.

What I decided to do on my birthday was to make myself a design wall.  Truth be told, I've never really seen the need for them.  I've always just used my floor and it works fine.  But lately I had been envying some sewists with their works in progress sticking up there for a long time while they mull over the design.  Sounded like a cool idea.

So, following the directions here I set out to make a movable design wall.  I wanted it big, but to be 3 separate panels that would fit perfectly into the corner of my studio I had picked out for it.  So I bought the foam insulation but only had one choice of type at my local Home Depot.  It was pink but I didn't see the problem in that.

It was a problem.  I had to add an extra layer of white fabric underneath so the whole thing looked close to white.   Between that and cutting the panels down to size, it ended up taking more than my birthday to complete and wasn't particularly inexpensive.  

Then I brought them upstairs and realized I was totally kidding myself.  I was never going to put these away in their intended corner. Right now they're still set up in the hall area outside my studio and this is 3 months later.  They're not going anywhere...at least not very often.

They are pretty cool and the blocks I have on there now are from my first ever online Bee - The Busy Bees.  It's fun to play around with them and nice to really be able to step back.  But let's be honest, the same effect could have been achieved  by tacking a big piece of batting to the wall whenever I need it.  And it would have saved me a lot of headache.  Live and learn.

Two other notices:

The Modern Mix blog tour is still going strong.  See the list on the last post and don't miss your chance to win a copy and learn some funny stuff about me...

We're finally going to have a New Jersey chapter of The Modern Quilt Guild.  Hoo-ray!  See the fancy new button on my sidebar?? If you're in the area stop by our new blog and find out about how to join in the fun.

192: it starts tomorrow

The blog tour for Modern Mix starts tomorrow!  Hoo-ray!

Now, I know at this point you've probably been to a ton of blog tours, but I promise it will be fun.  You'll find out some interesting stuff about lil' ol' me and have 16 chances to win a copy of the book.  There will also be a free pattern from the book available and at the last stop I'll give some of my Kingdom fabric away. Plus if you don't already read all these blogs, you'll be in for a treat.

So here's the schedule:

10/6/11 - Sew Mama Sew

10/7/11 - Jaybird Quilts

10/8/11 - Blue Nickel Studios

10/9/11 - Handmade by Alissa

10/10/11- Stop Staring and... Start Sewing

10/11/11 - Quilting is My Therapy

10/12/11 - Stitch Magazine Blog

10/13/11 - Oh Fransson

10/14/11 - Gen Q Magazine

10/15/11 - Quilt Dad

10/16/11 - Confessions of a Craft Addict

10/17/11 - Amy's Creative Side

10/18/11 - Pink Chalk Studio

10/19/11 - Connecting Threads Blog

10/20/11 - Keepsake Quilting Blog

10/21/11 - Juicy Bits

And we're off....

JT

 

 

190: in my hot little hands

Yes, I've got my advance copy of my book.  It's super, fantastic, gorgeous, amazing, incredible, marvelous, brilliant, and just oh-so-pretty.  No, I'm not at all biased.

But really I'm mostly talking about the look and "feel" of it.  I know that the rush of happiness is largely because of the reality of holding a real, live book that I wrote myself.  But, I am feeling so thrilled with how stylish it came out.  It really fits my own aesthetic, right down the matte finish on the cover.

These pix are just a quick preview.  There's much more juicy-goodness inside...

It's available in September, so hurry to your local quilt shop to get a copy!

JT

P.S. See I'm an REAL author. :)

189: Kingdom in da house

Yes, the time has come to blog again.  Over a month is a bit too long, don't you think?  Even with summer as my excuse.

Well, while I've been gone we've checked off quite a few item on that summer to-do list.  Including fireworks, the beach on Cape Cod, and 5 nights of glamping in the beautiful Thousand Islands area of New York.  Great trip.  Beautiful weather (finally, not rained out!), interesting sights, yummy food, and lots of smiles on the kids faces.  This year we tried "hobo eclairs".  Yum!

These pix were taken at the Heritage Museum in Sandwich, MA.  If you are a bit of a hippie mom like me, you MUST visit. They have this new area called Hidden Hollow (below) that it one of the most amazing places for kids I've ever been to.  Everything is wooden and natural (most right from the grounds) and it has art, storytelling, blocks, sand, play house, theater, musical instruments, a tree house, and so much more wholesome goodness for the kids.  It was just MAGICAL and I totally want it in my back yard.

And now Kingdom is hitting the shops.  Woot!

I don't really have a comprehensive list of shops that are carrying it, so if you are one, let me know and I'll add you.  But here are a few places to pick it up:

Hawthorne Threads

Venezie Designs

Sew Mama Sew

You can get the free pattern for the Prairie Glass Squared quilt here.

Before I know it I'll have an advance copy of my book in my hands...eek!

I'd better get back to party prep.  This year, for Theo, it's a puppy party and I've got quite a bit left to do.

JT 

 

187: it *might* be OK to judge

You can go ahead and judge my book by it's cover, but maybe only if you like it, OK?  If not, keep in mind there are 16 different projects in it, so I'm sure there's something you'd love.  

 

Anyway, I'm swooning over how it came out.  Gorgeous, huh?  And it went to press last week. EX.CIT.ING.

So, before I know it I'll be holding a copy in my hand.  Yikes!

JT

 

186: sew happy

I am feeling sew happy lately. Just doing a little playing around.  I've been shirking my actual work and making myself more familiar with my serger and coverstitch machine.  It's nice to step back and not be so focused on results and just play around. Seems appropriate for the start of summer.

This block is for my Busy Bee for Kathy Mack at Pink Chalk Fabrics. She sent the great fabrics and asked us to sew what "sew happy" means to us.  Mine is a big stack of fabrics, my machine, and a technique I've never tried before (mini zigzag quilt).

Anyway, I finally drew winners for the two giveaways...

The winner for prize #1 on post #184 (Inspired to Sew etc.) is comment #23 - Mary Beth

The winner for prize #2 on post #184 (Cut the Scraps etc.) is comment #24 - Lori Porten

The winner for prize #1 on post #185 (Fresh Fabric Treats etc.) is comment #44 - Patti

The winner for prize #2 on post #185 (Kona color card etc) is comment #46 - Ona

I'll be emailing the winners to get their addresses.

I have to say the travel suggestions were so fun. I totally could have started a conversation with each of you if only time permitted.  Some of you shared my favorite destinations and some opened my eyes to places I never would have thought of (like Croatia and South Africa).

This block was for Lucinda.  She requested windows and was very open about the fabrics.  I decided I really wanted to do something with perspective and I love the brights on the clothesline with the neutral background.

 

I'm so not a scrappy gal, but I'm getting more of a taste for it lately.  This block was for Penny. Her only direction was go crazy with the scrappy look.  It was lots of fun, but obviously I felt the need to bring some order to it.  I love how this came out and might even tweak the idea to do a quilt for myself.

I hope you're all gearing up for a great summer.  I know I am.  Last year was a total blur of work for the book, so I plan on savoring the juicy details this year.

JT

 

185: spring 2011 quilt market recap part 3

OK so since I might be the very last person to finish posting about Quilt Market, I give you permission to skip ahead to the giveaway...

But if you're looking for more eye candy, enjoy!

Jillily Studio served actual cones of sorbet! How cute is that booth?

I couldn't get over this puppy embroidery by Penguin and Fish.

Tula Pink's new Prince Charming.

I'm loving Summersault by Erin McMorris...

Wrenly by Valorie Wells.

Michelle and Gina at Cloud 9.

Lots of Kokka fun.

Joel Dewberry chatting on the phone in his booth.  Heirloom and the new patterns by his wife might be my favorite things from market.

Moda land was like a country fair.

Sweetwater.

Fig Tree and Co.

I think this is my fav picture from market. This vignette is from the Basic Grey booth, so is the picture below.

Zen Chic had a very distinctive modern aesthetic and won a booth award.

I love this new dress pattern by Sew Serendipity.

Notice the bathrobe in the Indygo Junction booth is made in my Gingko fabric? Sweet!

Quilt Story.

Now for the giveaways:

 

1. A copy of the adorable Moda Bake Shop book, Fresh Fabric Treats, signed by several of the authors, a copy of Fabric Trends, and a mini tote from the Sweet Hot Yams party.

2. A Kona color card, signed copy of Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter, a 1001 peeps notebook and bookmark, and a pack of charm squares.

To enter simply leave a comment here by Tues June 14th. I can't think of anything to ask you except I'd love travel destination suggestions.  I've just been toying with where we might want to go in the next few years. I'm open to anywhere in the world, family vacation or just me and the hubby. I like to dream about these things for a long time in advance...

JT

183: spring 2011 quilt market recap part 1

First up, we do have a winner from the Kingdom giveaway: Janine Mahan. She works with a program called Dress a Girl Around the World that, as the name implies, sews dresses for girls around the world.  Check it out.

I also decided to pick two more names.  I'm sending each one fat quarter from their favorite and a bag of scraps.  Those winners are: Jo of Sparkly Green Knickers (from my Busy Bees online quilting bee!) and HannahJ of Angel Babies, Paint and Cookies.

Congrats ladies!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

So the start of my quilt market recap will just focus on my little section of the Windham booth.  I want to share it and some of the projects that were made for it.  

Isn't it pretty?

This Sweet Pleat bag is by my good friend Becky Cobb.  It's a smallish tote with a wide adjustable strap, magneic closure, and interior pocket.  You might be seeing a pattern for this popping up soon, but for now, check out her etsy shop, Thread and Wire.  She does lovely custom bags, pillows, bibs, aprons and more.

This quilt,titled Kingdom Courtyards, is by John Adams, aka Quilt Dad.  He's also one of the founders of Fat Quarterly.  I believe you will be seeing this in a magazine later this year?

This is the quilt I designed as the the free pattern to go with the line (available this summer). It's titled Prairie Glass Squared.  

Can I tell you how thrilled I am with how this came out? I just totally dig the Mission-style stained glass feel.  And the colors really pop. The gorgeous quilting, by the talented Angela Walters, echoes the fabric and just blows me away.  

You can see it best here on the back. Speaking of which I think I like the back nearly as much as the front. But if you look at the picture closely you'll notice it's a lesson in making sure you use solids from the same bolt. Ugh. But it was last minute and I had no choice...

This is me and Angela in front of the quilt at market. She's as fun as she is talented and I'm thrilled to have met her in person. She did all the quilts for my book, Modern Mix, and just wait til you see them. And keep your eye out because she'll have her own book out on modern machine quilting with Stash next spring!

These guys are fun little pin cushions made from candle holders.

There are a couple of other projects there, like the banners for a babies' rooms, but I hope they'll be appearing in magazines, so I'll leave them be for now.

I'll be back soon with more giveaways and picture from all the other booths at market.

JT

 

181: big news

I must say, I kinda feel like this post should be titled "old news", but it is new to you.

So, here it is: I wrote a book!

Yes, past tense.  As in, I'm pretty much done.  I did the bulk of the work last spring/summer (hence, the "old news").  I do feel like I've been a bit of a tease about my news, and that might have been annoying. But, I'll admit it, I kinda liked being in that club where you have secret projects you can't talk about.  And, really, I wasn't allowed to say anything.  Because, if I was, you know I would have been blogging tons of complaints and moaning about how much work it was etc.

And, it was a TON of work.  But I think it's one of those things (like childbirth) where the memory of how hard it was fades and the excitement takes over.  And, I can hardly tell you how proud I am.  I dying to see it acutally done.

The title is:

Modern Mix

16 Sewing Projects that Combine Designer Prints & Solid Fabrics

7 Quilts + Pillows, Bags, & More

It will be published this fall by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing.  I'm so honored to be in the company of their other awesome authors. And, can I just tell you?  They are a dream to work with. Everyone is so professional and knowledgeable and just really helped me to make it the best I could.

So, yes, it is a project-based sewing book.  Each projects uses both some solid fabrics and some prints.  They're all modern and fun and there is something for every skill level.  My first love has always been quilting, so there are 7 quilts, but since I never can focus on just one thing, there are also bags, pillows, an apron, a tablecloth, and more.  I wish I could show you more than just these sneak peek photos, but for now they're all I've got.  I think the cover is almost final and I promise to show you as soon as I can.  

If you're interested, I'd be happy to share more about the process of writing a book and how this whole thing happened.  Soon... like after I get back from quilt market.

JT

 P.S. Holy cow! You can already pre-order it on amazon.  That's my name there, folks.  For real.