Free Jelly Roll

Looks like the freebies have started early! Head over to my friend's blog, Crazy Old Ladies, before SATURDAY.







She is one of our fabulous block designers and is giving away a free jelly roll, Simply Abundance by Bonnie and Camille. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Let her know you've signed up for the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along and you could win! Good luck!

Moda Bake Shop

Looks like a lot of you are up before I am. Today one of my patterns got to be on Moda Bake Shop! I am thrilled! I named it Easy as Cake.

I did have another name picked out, but you will just have to dash over to Moda Bake Shop to read that story.

I love this quilt! I loved making this quilt! I love everything about this quilt! It is queen size, but very fast to make. The Verna fabric line is the epitome of spring. It makes me smile when I see it. Hope it makes you smile too!

If you are here at my blog for the first time, then welcome. You may be interested in the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along that we are starting March 1st.

For those who have signed up, some of you are a little nervous. Don't be! This won't be too hard. I've got a great group of designers lined up for you. AND if you have questions, you can always ask! To answer a couple questions:

Yes, I will be introducing these designers to you -- soon.

Contrast, that is really a personal thing. Do you like quilts with contrast? I really like both. For example, in Easy with Cake the background has good contrast with the rest of the fabrics. That was my intent and I love it. On the other hand, I am just binding a quilt where I kept the contrast low. In that quilt, the blocks blend into each other and sometimes you can't tell at a glance that one block is a nine patch etc. I also love that. I would think in term of contrast that way. Do you want your blocks to run together or do you want to see the separations. Choose your background/sashing fabric accordingly.

You can see that I am going for high contrast because I chose a white background to go along with my Attitude Girls jelly roll. I haven't seen the blocks yet, so we will all find out together how they turn out.

That is the part I absolutely love the most -- seeing the fabric combinations everyone comes up with!

Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along 2010

**For anyone just joining us, welcome!  Come and play!  Grab a jelly roll and play catch up.  Let me clarify a little upfront:
1) There isn't an email list to remind you when the blocks are available.  You can sign up to be notified when my blog is updated.  I have posted instructions HERE. 
2)  All you need to do now is make your block and post it onto our Flickr group HERE.  If you need help, try THIS post.
3)  You can always check this post for the new blocks, but they are first listed as a post on my blog, then I add that link at the bottom of this post.   

I am excited to introduce something that I have had in the works for a little while now:
A Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along!



From March 1 to August 2, every other Monday, instructions for a new 12" block will be posted. All of the blocks will be made from jelly roll strips and yardage.

Each block will be designed by a different person. Every two weeks there will be a guest blogger on my blog introducing herself and her block. At the end, you will have made a fun quilt 58" x 72."

Of course, all along the way there will be prizes for those who complete the blocks. Here is a picture of the quilt:

I will fill it in as we go with the blocks that we make.

Here's the nitty gritty:

Fabric Requirements --
1 jelly roll
2 yards background and sashing fabric
1 1/2 yards outer border fabric
2/3 yard binding fabric
3 3/4 yards backing fabric

Grab a jelly roll and some background fabric and let's get started!

The first drawing will be on March 1 when I post the first block. To enter this drawing, comment on this post that you want to join us and what fabric line you are thinking about making it in.

P.S. Scrappy is absolutely fine too. This quilt would make a great stash buster project.

P.P.S. I am making mine out of Attitude Girls by Mary Engelbreit for Moda.

The second drawing will be on March 15 when the first guest blogger posts the second block. Anyone who has made a block and posted it on a flickr site: (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1343277@N20/) will be entered in the drawing.

There will be another drawing each time block instructions are posted. Anyone who posts a picture of a new block since the last drawing will be entered in the next drawing. The block that you post a picture of doesn't have to be just the previous block. It can be for any of the previous blocks that you haven't posted yet.
Click here for the link to Block 1
Click here for the link to Block 2
Click here for the link to Block 3
Click here for the link to Block 4
Click here for the link to Block 5
Click here for the link to Block 6
Click here for the link to Block 7
Click here for the link to Block 8
Click here for the link to Block 9
Click here for the link to Block 10
Click here for tips for Block 10
Click here for the link to Block 11
Click here for the link to Block 12
Click here for the link to the Finishing Instructions


The final, grand prize, drawing will be on AUGUST 30th for anyone with a finished quilt top.

Grab jelly roll, grab a button, and join the fun!

I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Moda Mail

One of my favorite things to see on my doorstep is a brown cardboard box with a return address that says United Notions & Fabrics. Today I got 3 sets of charm packs.

Attitude Girls by Mary Engelbreit


Eden by Lila Tueller


and Spring Fever by Me and My Sister.

I am getting spring fever just looking at these fabrics. I need to get all my Christmas quilts done so I can start playing. I have to tell myself the same thing I tell my kids, "You need to get your work done so you can play." Ick! I like hearing it from myself probably about as much as my kids like hearing it from me.

Fortunately, most days my work feels like play. I feel very blessed to be able to have a job doing something that I LOVE -- especially when it means I get a brown box from Moda!

Gobble Gobble Challenge Done! (Mostly)

Got my wall hanging done for Pat Sloan's Pumpkin Challenge with the Moda Bakeshop using Moda's Gobble Gobble fabric by Sandy Gervais.

I used two charm packs and some yardage for the borders. I really liked the way it turned out except that it isn't quilted. I have the perfect quilt design for this quilt, but my quilt machine is still having trouble. Ughh. Today the tech I was talking to said I should ask Murphy to go away. How do I get a hold of Murphy so we can have this little chat?

There's still time for you to enter the challenge if you want. Your original wall hanging doesn't have to be done and picture posted until Nov 10th. It does have to have to 1) use the Gobble Gobble fabric line, 2) use Pat's pumpkin applique shape, and 3) use the hourglass block in it. The details are all over at Moda Bakeshop. There will be Moda prizes for five winners. I hope they are just choosing winners randomly. It didn't say.

Thank goodness for quilt projects. They may not be cheaper than a therapist, but they are so much more satisfying!

Pat Sloan's Moda Challenge

Okay, so I love Pat Sloan. I have actually met her at Quilt Market. She is a fabric designer for P&B Textiles and a great pattern designer. She is one of those people that you would swear is always smiling and cheerful and friendly. I love how she combines bright fun fabric with folk art type, whimsical designs.

She is always doing one fun challenge or another. I am usually not inclined to sign up because I worry that I will get half way through and not finish.

Then I read about her "Pumpkin Challenge" at the Moda Bakeshop with "Gobble Gobble" fabric. I was intrigued initially because Pat Sloan of P&B Textiles is working with Moda fabric! Isn't the quilting community great! Then she was working with pre-cuts so now I'm thinking about it.

That "thinking about it" stage didn't last very long. I love the folk art pumpkin, and it just has to be wall hanging size. I signed up Saturday night, dreamt about my wallhanging Saturday night, and drew it out and figured out yardage Sunday morning. Now it is Monday morning, and I am off right now to buy the fabric.

Don't I have anything better to do? Of course! I recently decided that I do some of my best work when I have something better to do!

New Distributor

I am pleased to announce the addition of a new distributor for my quilt books -- Moda / United Notions!


Yeah!! I am sending them my first shipment today.

Books are also still available with my current distributors -- Checker and Brewer.

I love my distributors. They are great!