A Simple SPOOL-EN-DIDS project tutorial #2

Hello Friends — have you been sewing along with a little friend, or by yourself since I last shared “Happy To Be ME” ornament?  It’s time for me to share with you the second of six mother-daughter (adult/child) collaborative ornament project (Smar-kly), released to highlight Aurifil’s Aurikids iniatiative — an effort to pass on the love and joy and needle and thread to the next generation.

To dovetail with the release of Spool-en-dids my daughter curated for Aurifil, we will be highlighting 6 monthly projects to give you ideas on hand-stitching with kids. The colors selected are by a kid for kids!  You may purchase Spool-en-dids from the following sources:

#1.  NEW!! ** YOU may now purchase the collection from FAT QUARTER SHOP by clicking HERE.

#2.  YOU may purchase the collection from Donna — email her:  followthatthread@yahoo.com

#3.  YOU may also purchase collection by clicking HERE.

#4.  OR, ask your local Aurifil dealer to order the collection for you.  Click HERE for a dealer near you!

Read more about Spool-en-dids HERE if you aren’t familiar with the Aurikids initiative. And to those of you who purchased the thread collection, please allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart or contributing to Miss Baby’s college fund!!

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PROJECT: “Smar-kly” Pillow Ornament

SUPPLIES: POLKA DOT fabric scrap, paper-back fusible and THIN batting scraps, Spool-en-did thread (s), Aurifil 50wt thread, a piece of ribbon, embroidery hoop, tapestry or embroidery needle, & basic sewing supplies. 
You will need pieces of fabrics – one for pillow top, and one for backing the pillow case.  I didn’t use a batting piece this time to stabilize the project because I wanted Miss Baby to be aware of the thread tension when stitching just on a fabric piece.
OPTIONAL – however, if your kid stitcher is tiny, it is always a good idea to back your ornament top fabric with a piece of batting and a piece of backing fabric.

NOTE: This tutorial, as well as all subsequent pillow ornament tutorials, is not for a specific finished size. You may make it as big or as small as you wish. Since we hang our pillow ornaments on our Christmas tree, our ornaments do not finish larger than 4″.

GOAL: In ornament #1, we did the random no rule confetti stitching.  For ornament #2, we will introduce structure into stitching within the confine of a circle.

ALSO:  This tutorial will not cover how to finish the pillow ornament, as the steps are already covered in the tutorial for ornament #1.

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Step 1:  This one is light on prep work for the adult.  Once you have the supplies, your kid stitcher is ready to go.  So, everyone has a polka dot fabric collection like I do, right? :)  I picked the polka dot print because the work is all done for us in this quick and easy project.

NOTE:  I notice with children (and adults alike), the excitement of the first project wears off over time.  I also believe keeping on with the projects teaches perseverance in children.  Keeping in mind both aspects, I picked this super easy project to make the experience stress free for both adult and child.

Step 2:  Once you have your fabric hooped, the stitching can begin.  Simply stitch the length of the diamater of the a circle four times (first do a cross, then, the two diagonals), and you are finished!  There is no ruler on how many circles to cover.  The stitching gives the polka dots a bit of dimensional sparkling twinkle!  I happened to find a fabric that provided the background for matching a few Spool-en-dids colors.  Feel free to do a contrasting effect!

Step 3.  To secure the stitches at the center of the circle, you could teach your kid stitcher French knots if she is older.  If not, you can just teach your kid stitcher to take a tiny stitch in the circle center, and your stitches are secure!

Step 4.  Finish up the ornament as we did before, and you will have added another Christmas ornament for your stitching buddy.  Do remember to store the ornaments in a nice clean box, so you don’t have to hunt for them when Christmas comes… ask me how I know!?!

We are actually using this as a sewing pillow companion as summer is just about here — we will be ramping up the stitching!

If you are stitching along — do send me pictures — the plan is to do a couple more of these, and we will have a nice giveaway for those who are participating!

*Smar-kly = Sparkly (Gwen’s version at 5), and we still say her 5 year old version at home.

I hope you have fun with this fun little project.  It should take no more than 20-30 minutes for handstitching.  I will show you additional ideas on stitching on polka dots in a couple of weeks.  And the next installment — cross stitching basics!  If you want to prepare ahead, you will need either 11- or 14- count aida that you can easily purchase at your local craft stores.  

Love and hugs to you all — till next time!

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Long time no chat!!!

Hello Friends, looong time no chat!  I hope you have been well…. and spring has sprung!

DAY IN LIFE

If I don’t see another clump of monkey grass for the rest of my life, it would be too soon!  I don’t mean any offense at all to those of you who love monkey grass.  We are in the process of redoing part of our front garden, and that involved having digging up and digging up and digging up existing monkey grass!  I thought it was just going to be an afternoon to get the front garden on the path of living out my vision.  But it turned out to be a much bigger deal, and I am still not finished.  Part of what’s in place of the monkey grass are some new rose bushes.  So far so good — I check for new growth every morning, and keeping my fingers crossed!

Spring is my favorite season.  What is yours?

SOME FUN QUILTS FOR YOU

I have quite a few new designs out.  You might have seen this one on the cover of Keepsake Quilting catalog.  Sweet Berry Farm is my design, and I was so excited it made cover on the catalog.  I actually wasn’t aware of it making cover until my sweet quilting teacher Barbara texted me about it!  This is an exclusive design with Keepsake Quilting.  You may purchase the kit or pattern here and here.  The fun thing about the blocks is that I used Ohio Star units to be the strawberry stems!

Then, I have my Sleeping Cat kit offered through Hancocks of Paducah.  You may purchase the kit here.

And the latest release is my quick and easy Basket Toss quilt!  I love this quilt for its simplicity.  I can’t decide for now whether to use this on my bed or the guest bed.  Complete instructions are in McCall’s Quick Quilts June/July 2018 issue, and kits are available here.

Miss Baby’s Stitching Shenanigans

You remember the confetti handstitching Miss Baby learned to do through the monogram pillow ornament I posted here?  Well, there is a method to my madness…. the confetti stitching was meant to prepare Miss Baby for more structure stitching.

So from this random stitching…

to this…

We are beyond the moon happy a magazine in Australia, Handmade, feature Gwedolyn’s stitching story to celebrate her first thread collection, Spool-en-dids.  She had to answer a questionnaire in order for the story to be written.

THINGS ARE HAPPENING

Though I have been silent on my blog, things have been happening at my end.  Between home and mother responsibilities, and the regular things I do all things quilting, here are some upcoming exciting happenings.

Next week — I start my 2018 travels.  I will be speaking at Flying Geese Guild in Maryland on May 21.  Public is welcome to attend with an admission.  I will be bringing goodies!

Then, I will be in Tennessee later this summer/early Fall.

It’s to Berne, Indiana I go…. because I will be filming a new machine quilting video class!  Click here if you haven’t known about my existing classes.  I have some step-out samples from previous classes I found the other day that I will be giving away soon!  Stay tuned.  I am also arranging an event with a local guild while I am in IN.  I will share more once I have more details.

I will be home just in time to head to Houston for Fall Market.  Some fun things are being cooked up that I can’t share yet….

AND — I just found out I will be teaching 5 different classes at Road to CA in Jan 2019.  So I hope to see some of you there!

And with that, I need to get going with my day to squeeze in work before I pick up my precious cargo from school.

If all goes well, I will be posting my no scraps left behind giveaway winners tomorrow.  So, I hope you will come back!  Tootles for now.

The foreshadowing and the fulfillment…

Behold, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29

I think it’s interesting that Passover and Good Friday falls on the same day this year — combining the foreshadowing and the fulfillment of the Lamb of God on one day.

Have a blessed Passover and Good Friday, Dear Friends!

Happy Veterans Day 2017

A very Happy Veterans Day!  Thank you to those who served valiantly for God and Country!

I have be back next week.  I “think” things are finally tending toward normal at my end….  TAKE CARE, and I look forward to visiting with you again!

De-stash Update / NEW BOOK / Free Pattern & More

Hello Everyone, this is your long-lost wayward quilting friend checking in!  I am briefly crawling out of my “pattern writing hole” to write a quick note to you.  It’s been crazy since I last updated my blog… but all is well, and thank you to those who wrote to ask me to take care of myself.  I am so glad you are looking out for me.  Yes, I am doing well despite the craziness.  I am sleeping well – I go running at least once a week – I am getting my house in order – and I am getting caught up with my “home-school” regimen even though Miss Baby does go to an outside school during the week.

Most don’t know, but each blog post I write takes about 1.5-2 hours, and it’s been hard to carve out that time for me to update my blog.  Please don’t take that to mean I don’t like you.  In fact, many days, I would go through the day thinking about certain things my bloggy friends would find amusing!  I do like you very much, and often wish I have just a few more hours in the day.

So without further ado…

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DE-STASH

There’s been a bit of kerfuffle of late regarding my de-stashing project.  Many have written to asked why they haven’t heard from me.  I thought I would just share the reasoning here:  I am writing quilters on the waiting list in the order they signed up to be on the waiting list.  Back to the original first come first serve arrangement.  If you have not heard from me, that’s because you have signed up late, and I am not able to get to you.  The latest update is that I think I will have about 10 boxes left to the next 10 on my list, and that will be it.  There were actually close to 150 of you who signed up, and to date, I think I have shipped close to 50 boxes.  It’s been a demanding task that I have tried to fit into my daily schedule… and so, some days, I don’t get to pack any boxes or work on my stash.  And after that, I am tasked with hauling the boxes to mail them to the various destinations.

I will have a formal announcement to let you know the de-stash is officially complete once I am sure all the fabrics are gone from my guest room.  I have moved the rest of my stash off my family room floor to the guest room just so that my family could have a somewhat normal living space while I re-arrange things for our house.

I also have a BOM quilt kit and some additional fabrics to give away apart from my de-stash project.  I will have details soon.  Stay tuned.

I thank you for your understanding!

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One reason I have been busy is that I have been proofing the pages of my upcoming book!  This book has been MY baby, and it is finally happening.  It is going to print next week in time for Market!  I cannot be more excited!  More about the book next week…

Most of you know I am passionate about machine quilting.  And to think back on my quilting journey to the point of this book, my heart is full!  I hope to be able to share  sample page with you, but for now, let me just say that my publisher has done a phenomenal job on this book!  I was just telling my husband this morning that the layout of this book has completely knocked it out of the park!!!

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FREE PATTERN

And I do have a lovely free pattern to share with you today that I had designed for Windham to highlight their Simply Red fabric line!  I am in love with the birds in the quilt!  Click here to download the free pattern.

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And that’s all for now!  I am heading out to ship out fabric boxes to some of you, do groceries, and school pick-up! And I still need to work on my Spring on Bleecker Street Sew-Along etc… and get my weekend details worked out. Have a great weekend, Dear Friends!

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p.s.  This story from my local area warms my heart — I always love to see a young person who is a go-getter: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/11-year-old-frank-gets-his-wish-to-mow-white-house-lawn-gets-personal-thank-you-from-trump/article/2634543

“Even though I’m only ten, I would like to show the nation what young people like me are ready for.”  I love that boy’s sentiment!

I have been in the States more than half of my life, but there’s one Bible verse I can quote in my native Mandarin language till this day.  It’s Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

HELP ME DE-STASH!

UPDATE AS OF noon EST — I am amazed at the overwhelming response.  Thank you so much, Friends!  However, I have taken enough requests for the waiting list as well which I think I can fill.  Any requests made from henceforth, I cannot guarantee.  THANK YOU AGAIN — I look forward to being able to actually see the floor of my family room!

UPDATE AS OF 6:45am EST — Order for 20 boxes is fill!  You will receive an email from me confirming you made the first come first serve 20.  I am turning off comments.  If you would like to be on the waiting list for the next 20 boxes.  Email me at wendy2@wendysheppard.net

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Happy Monday and Happy Week, Dear Friends!  I hope you had a good weekend, and are really to roll with this new week!

A few months ago, Miss Baby and I had a conversation.  For some reason, the conversation made an impression on me, and you will see why!

B:  Mom, do you mean I will get to have ALL your quilts in your future?

M: Yes…. But you can always pick out your favorites, and perhaps donate the rest.

B (with a visible sigh of relief):  Oh, that makes me feel better.  I love all your quilts, but I don’t think I want a whole house full of quilts.  If you only made a few, of course, I will keep all your quilts…. but not when you have more than 200 quilts.

I mentally counted as I was organizing my quilt stash – big and small, I think I have over 250 of them, and the pile is still growing.  I keep almost all my quilts because I never know when I need them for educational purposes.  So, I have them neatly folded (and aired and refolded every three months or so) into piles, scattered all through out.  I have:  #1. a bed quilt stash where the quilts are used on beds,  #2. a basket full of smaller projects like runners, placemats and pillowcases, #3.  a utility quilt stash in the coat closet where the quilts are to be used, #4. a linen stash where the quilts are used on the table, and #5. a (large) stash of throw sized quilts that have filled up a couple of bookcases in my sewing room.

Here is a snapshot of my #5 stash:

The side effect of me having made many quilts is that I have a huge fabric stash!  HUGE!  With the conversation I had with Miss Baby in mind, I am determined everything sewing related is going to be confined in my sewing room. I am turning over a new leaf — I am not going to have anymore fabrics stored in boxes and tubs, and have the boxes and tubs stored at various spots around the house.  I am giving away 70% of my fabric stash.  SOOOOOOO — if you could help me de-stash, I would be ever so grateful. Here is how it works…

A.  THE FABRICS ARE FREE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO COVER THE SHIPPING COST(s) of $15 per fabric box!

B.  FABRICS WILL BE PACKED AND SHIPPED IN A USPS PRIORITY FLAT-RATE MEDIUM BOX.

C.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BOXES WILL BE MYSTERY FABRIC BOXES — I am sorry I can’t take special order.  But you will get quality cotton and batik fabrics from Moda, RJR Fabrics, Riley Blake, Hoffman Fabrics, Island Batik, Windham Fabrics and Quilting Treasures.  They are fabric pieces of considerable sizes, FQ’s and yardages – unless they are precuts.  

If you are interested — 

#1.  Email me your intention — with your name/address — and how many boxes you would like.  Please write “Destash/fabrics” in subject line.

#2.  I will email you back with information where to mail the check.

#3.  I will stuff the flat rate medium box FULL to the brim with fabrics, and mail the box to you!

#4.  This is on a first come first serve basis.  Right now, I have about 20 boxes!  Once the order for 20 boxes are filled, I will put you on a waiting list.  The way things look right now, I can probably make another 20.  But let’s start with the first 20.

#5.  I have first offered the ladies in my Bleecker Street Sew Along Group, and have already shipped out quite a few boxes.

#6.  Offer is good only for US Addresses.

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Meanwhile, I also have a few copies of two of my existing book titles (signed) if you are interested… I need to make room for copies of an upcoming book.

Click here if you want to read more about this book.

Click here if you want to read more about this book.

$15 for one book (includes USPS Priority shipping), or $25 for both (includes USPS Priority shipping).  

#1.  Email me if you are interested for which book(s).  Please write “Destash/books” in email subject line.

#2.  Offer is good only for US Addresses.

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Thank you, Friends — for doing a good deed in de-stashing my stash… and my family thanks you too!

Happy Independence Day 2017!

Hello Friends, I hope you have been well!  I want to stop in really quickly to wish you a very blessed 241st Independence Day – continual prayers and blessings to a great country!

I would like to know what America means to you on this special day!

My country, ’tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims’ pride,

From ev’ry mountainside

Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,

Land of the noble free,

Thy name I love;

I love thy rocks and rills,

Thy woods and templed hills;

My heart with rapture thrills,

Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees

Sweet freedom’s song;

Let mortal tongues awake;

Let all that breathe partake;

Let rocks their silence break,

The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God to Thee,

Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing.

Long may our land be bright,

With freedom’s holy light,

Protect us by Thy might,

Great God our King.

by Samuel Francis Smith (1831)

Additional verse to celebrate Washington’s Centennial:

Our joyful hearts today,

Their grateful tribute pay,

Happy and free,

After our toils and fears,

After our blood and tears,

Strong with our hundred years,

O God, to Thee.

I hope you have a lovely rest of your day, Dear Friends – Stars and Stripes over Columbia, forever!

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If you are curious about the quilt I posted earlier – it’s Summer Sparkler, featured in American Patchwork & Quilting’s 2017 Calendar for the month of July.  It is a completed scrappy quilt with about 50 fabrics from different manufacturers – RJR Fabrics, Art Gallery Fabrics, Moda, Windham and Benartex.

Spring on Bleecker Street Sew-Along: Part 3

NOTE:  If you are just now hearing about the Spring on Bleecker Street Sew-Along, and would like to find out more, click HERE.

Before we get started with Part 3, let’s just sit back and relax and enjoy the different versions of Part 2 (posted here) sent in by you all!  I know I have certainly enjoyed seeing your work.

Here is mine – using Quilting Treasures’ Bleecker Street fabric group!  Click here to view fabrics.  If you are new and wondering about the quilt kits, click here for information.

Here is Alice’s.  She blogs at http://aliceinquilterland.blogspot.com if you would like to visit her and make a new quilting friend.

Here is Cheryl’s.

Here is Jennifer’s.

Here is Gail’s.

Here is Debby’s.

These are Billie’s.

Here’s Sharon’s mini.  Instead of incorporating each part of the quilt to make a quilt, Sharon uses each part to make a mini.  VERY creative.  You may follow Sharon’s work on her blog here.

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Seeing how your quilts unfold as we progress in this Sew Along is one of my greatest joys.  I am VERY happy that you are sewing along.  You can send me pictures of your quilt at any stage at any time, and I will just include your pictures in the next posting of Spring on Bleecker Street.

Remember, this is a sew-along for those of us who have more projects we can count, all going on at the same time. :-) So, absolutely no pressure to get things done on time. More importantly, I just want you to enjoy the project.

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And here is Part 3.  Part 3 took me about 2 hours as well – so if you 2 hours to spare between now and May 15th, you should be able to make these “skinny mini” shoo-fly blocks. :)

The theme of this part remains to be “Keep Calm and Sew On” because we will be sewing with small pieces (just like in Part 2).  The trick in dealing with small pieces is to handle them as if you are handling normal pieces.  Keep calm – check your cutting, your machine, and you should come out just fine!

#1.  I do starch press my fabrics so that I keep the small pieces as non-distorted as possible.

#2.  I also finger press all my seams before heat-setting them.

(image from Secret Stitch Club)

Part 3 deals with half-square-triangles units.  They are special and precious because they will be finishing at 1″ — therefore, you will be making HST units that measure 1 1/2″ raw edge to raw edge.  I cut my starting squares at 2 1/4″ x 2 1/4″ instead of the conventionally prescribed 1 7/8″ x 1 7/8″.  That way, I can trim them to the unfinished size.

I make my HST units as normal…. but I press my seams open.  Then, I align the diagonal seam of my HST units against the 45 degree angle of my quilting ruler.  I trim the excess so that the HST units measure 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ raw edge to raw edge.

You can see the result of my trimming – but making the HST units that way allow me to make accurately squared up HST units.  And pressing the seams open reduces the bulk when I piece them later to make my shoo-fly blocks.  So at this stage, they are treated as if they are individual squares. [I actually save these trimmings, not usable for piecing quilts, to a lady who makes dog beds.]

Alright…. when I constructed the individual rows, I butted the seams between units.  But when I sewed the rows together, I finger pressed, then iron pressed the seams between rows OPEN!  Again, that reduced bulk, plus, it helped me to piece accurately the shoo fly blocks.

When I pinned the shoo fly blocks together, I made sure the points match at the top of the triangles of the units – very much like matching the seams when we made the house roof in part 1 here.

I pressed open the seams in between rows to even out the bulk.

I then added the shoo-fly assembly to sections made for Part 1 and Part 2 of the sew-along.

Oh — and watch my quilt grow, and yours too!

And that’s it for Part 3!  I hope you will have a blast making progress on this quilt as much as I have!   know the units are small, but I am hopeful that by making these small shoo fly units will help confidence in tackling small pieces in other quilt projects of yours.  Can’t wait to see what your Part 3 looks like!!!!

Happy Sewing, my sewing friends!!  Hugs to you all.

Sad News… Sue Garman

Hello Friends,  I am bumping my scheduled post for today to share with you the sad news Sue Garman’s passing this past Sunday.  Sue Garman lived an amazing life, not only at NASA, but also as a quilter of 40 years.  Sue has always been, and will always be my hero!

Let’s take a moment to remember Sue’s contribution to the quilting community, as well as our great land.  And along with that, do pray for Sue’s family as her husband actually passed away just a few months prior.

http://thequiltshow.com/daily-blog/142-newsletter/25388-in-memorium-sue-garman

To view Sue’s amazing quilts, go to www.comequilt.com.

I will be back tomorrow.

Rose Trellis Runner – an Autumn Project & others!!!

Hello Friends, I hope you are well.  Are you feeling the chill in the mornings these days?  Autumn is upon us.   Have you spotted my Rose Trellis table runner project in the latest Keepsake Quilting catalog?  I received mine yesterday, and was thrilled to see quite a few kits are being offered for my designs!!  Without further ado, here is Rose Trellis, designed with Robyn Pandolph’s Garden Gate fabrics for RJR Fabrics.

A bit of piecing, and a bit of applique for a relatively easy autumn project:

Purchase the kit here, or purchase the pattern here.

Be sure to check out my other offerings in Keepsake Quilting here.

While we are talking about kits and such, I found that a few kits made with my designs are on sale over at McCall’s Quilting!  ‘Tis might be the time to stock up.  We are all different, and we all have different views on kits.  I actually like kits because sometimes I just like someone else to do the thinking for me. :)  Here goes…

Kits for Sherbet Stars HERE.

Kits for Rows of Roses HERE.

Kits for Big Time HERE.

Kits for Twilight Trellis HERE.

Kits for Constellation of Colors HERE.

Kits for Sherry’s Stars HERE.

That’s it for now, Friends!  I hope you have fun shopping.  Look around at some of the other kits on sale while you are at it.  I am buying a couple myself. :)

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Some of you asked how the “Miss” is doing!  She is doing well, ever the chipper kid that she is.  She is also thriving in second grade.  Yesterday during our car ride to school, she schooled me about the almost impossibility of having to put a heart valve in an ant’s tiny heart in case the ant had a cardiac arrest.  Well, to be quite honest, I didn’t even know if ants have hearts… “Of course, they do, Mama!” were her parting words when I dropped her off.  I came home and consulted Dr. Google — and learned that indeed ants do have hearts.  They don’t have lungs, however!  So there — the trivia of the day for those of you who care to learn about ants, hahaha!!!

Thanks for stopping by – hugs to you all!

Quick Friday Catch-up & Rosewater Winner

Hello Friends, Happy Friday to you!  I hope you are doing well.  I do apologize for not posting more this week. Please know that it was totally unplanned… the reason being I have been rushing against time working on this sweet quilt. This is an upcoming editorial feature using Windham Fabrics’ Elm Cottage fabrics.

This is a super super sweet fabric line.   Click here to view the sweet fabrics!  Stay tuned for this free-to-use pattern to become official using these sweet fabrics!

Anyway, before the weekend is upon us, I want to make sure I share the news of the winner for my Rosewater FQ Bundle Giveaway winner!  I have so enjoyed reading about your summer projects…. thanks so much for sharing!

AND THE WINNER IS… #57 Mary!  An email is sent to Mary!  Congrats!!!

Thank you ALL for playing along!  We will have another giveaway VERY soon — I promise!!!!  Have a lovely weekend!  Hugs to you all!

Thread Journey Part 5 — We are still quilting!

Hello Friends, we are still quilting!  I will again let the pictures tell the story today.  So far, I have logged 30 hours quilting this quilt… sounds crazy, doesn’t it? :)

These colors from my Subtle Strings collection were used to quilt the Ohio Star border.  Click here to read more about Subtle Strings.

Click here to find out how to quilt the motifs I have quilted on the Ohio Star border, as well as other options you could try to quilt your own Thread Journey Quilt!

That’s all for now – another busy day over here.  I’ve got to run for now!  Take care, and have a lovely rest of your day. Hugs to you all!

p.s.  By the way, did you know today is National Mail Order Catalog Day?!  Perfect time to order something from your favorite quilting catalog!!! :o)