A Fun Surprise!!!

Before I get to the surprise, I have to say sorry that it has been a little quiet around here this last week.  I had one of those "put a secret quilt together quick" kind of projects (for a friend for market, so I can share soon ;) which wouldn't normally keep me from blogging, but I was also fighting a monster cold  all last week.  So by the time I was done with the sewing that needed to be done, I just didn't have any energy left for blogging.  I barely even remembered to put a few things on Instagram, like the project below.  Apparently stuffy heads and social media don't mix well together ;)  But, I can tell you I did a lot of sewing last week,  and I have a lot to share coming soon ;)

And with that said . . . let's get to the Fun Surprise!!!  I got an email this weekend letting me know that my Unraveled Quilt, the Cottage Garden Edition, was selected as a finalist in the Modern Quilt Guild Riley Blake Fabric Challenge!!!!  Yippee!!!!  I can't tell you how much this brightened up my weekend, and I think it helped to chase away my cold too ;)

Unraveled is one of the quilt designs in the Modern Patchwork section of my book Irish Chain Quilts.  It is such a fun quilt to put together and I loved making it the second time every bit as much as I did the first time ;)

I really tried to push myself on the quilting of this one and I think it might be some of my all time favorite quilting I have done!!  So that just makes it all the more special for me ;)

I wrote lots more about this quilt when I originally posted the finish here, if you want to check it out ;)  This was just such a fun surprise for me and I am just tickled pink to have been chosen as a finalist!!!  Thanks so much to the Modern Quilt Guild and Riley Blake for hosting such a fun challenge!!  I look forward to these every year and love seeing all of the amazing projects everyone makes!! This is such an amazing community to be a part of :)

You can see all of the Finalist and Winner of the Challenge at the MQG Blog right here ;)

I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Snapshots QAL - Gone Surfin'

Well, it's the 15th of the month and that means its another Snapshots QAL day!!!!  I can't wait to see this all come together, only two  more months left!!  .  This month's new block is called Gone Surfin' and it is just so cute!!    I mean, who wouldn't love an adorable car like this!!!

I have always been a water baby.  I love swimming and I growing up, I always enjoyed  family vacations spent at the beach in beautiful British Colombia.  And so it is no surprise to me that my kids really, really, really, love the beach as well!!!  It is their all time favorite thing to do as a family!!  Last spring I watched the kids attempt to surf on some kneeboards when we went to CA and it was quite entertaining.  Good times!!

So, you know how this is working by now, right??  You can download the pattern right here and then don't forget to donate the $5.00 for the pattern to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ;)  This is such an amazing cause and it is so fabulous that Fat Quarter Shop and Moda will be matching our donations. They have raised over $30,000 and still going!!!  That's amazing!!!!

This block was so much fun to put together!!   And Kimberly also made putting this block together even easier with this fabulous You Tube video.   I just love these fun, tip filled videos ;)  

Be sure to  share all of your Snapshots progress on social media with #fqssnapshots and check out these fabulous bloggers for some Gone Surfin' inspiration :)  

Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms
Bonnie Olaveson of Cotton Way
Pat Sloan of The Voice of Quilting
Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet

Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life

Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting

Thelma Childers of Cupcakes N' Daisies

Pam Viera-McGinnis of Pam Kitty Morning

Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs
Stephanie Kendron of The Modern Sewciety

Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
Greg Jones of Grey Dogwood Studios
Jessie Fincham of Messy Jesse

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day . . . let's have some fun :)

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!   The winner of the 3 awesome $50.00 Gift Certificate to Green Fairy Quilts is . . . . . .   Number #452. . . Congrats Kathryn!!   I have emailed you :)     

 

    

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by The Intrepid Thread.  Julie carries an amazing variety of fabrics in her shop!!!  She always has amazing bundles that will blow you away as well as a very nice  Sale Section that will have you smiling.  And she is also starting her new Terrific Tuesday's as well!!!  Be sure to pop on over to check out what they are all about!!!!, 

   

Today's  Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for this oh so adorable  Dena Designs Fat Quarter Bundle!!!  There is a mix of Kumari Garden, Little Azalea, and Pretty Little Things.  So fun!!!  And it also comes in Half Yard Bundles.   Cross your fingers, you so want to be the lucky winner of this beautiful custom bundle!!!

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.  Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment telling me what you love most about the month of October??

 ENTRY 2 - Show your The Intrepid Thread love. You can follow them on Facebook, Bloglovin,  or Instagram.  You can Sign up for The Intrepid Thread Newsletter (right side bar) ,  Follow Their Blog, or you can Visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your The Intrepid Thread love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, October 20th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Two Times the Charm

Yippee, I got my two quilt tops finished!!!  Remember yesterday how I said I had to put these on the back burner for a while to finish a secret project . . .well they came off the burner and the quilt tops are done!!!  And I am so very excited with just how fun they are!!

 I mentioned this backstory a bit ago, but in case you missed it, I decided to make my Charm Bracelet Pattern (from my book, Irish Chain Quilts) for a good friend who just had a sweet baby boy.  I went to my fabric stash and instantly grabbed my Reel Time Layer Cake by Zen Chic for Moda.   I  quickly realized that I had the perfect amount of fabric for two quilts and that the fabrics seemed to divide pretty perfectly into "low volume" and "high volume" prints.  So ya, like bunnies, my baby boy quilt turned into two baby boy quilts ;)

Don't you love how the "High Volume" quilt (for lack of a better term) just pops!!  All of those fun colors just dance across the quilt top ;)  And it is pretty perfect for the Season, don't you think ;)

And the Low Volume quilt is equally fun but in the exact opposite way.  I love how subtle it is, just makes you want to curl a little one up in it for a nap.   So fun!!!

Now I just have to quilt them up and then the hard part . . . deciding which one to give away.  I love them both and so it is going to be super hard to choose.   Which one do you like best??

I hope you have a Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Linking up these finished quilt tops to Amanda's and Sarah's ;)

A sneak peek of some Free Motion Quilting ;)

Tuesday and Wednesday's "sewing time" was spent at the Long Arm working on one of those "secret projects" which means,  I can't really show much.  But I was able to crop out this section of background that won't give away anything I can't show yet ;)  Luckily, this is a quilt for Fall Quilt Market, so I don't have to keep it secret much longer!!   Which is so good, because I can't wait to share it!!!

I always love quilting swirls and paisleys, they are just so relaxing and oh so much fun.  My pebble border can use some more practice, it is much easier to quilt them randomly rather than trying to make them an even and consistent border.  Practice, Practice Practice :)

 I also finished my book on CD while finishing this project.  Now I need another good book . . .any suggestions???  I tend to like Young Adult Fiction Series.

And that's about it for today ;)  I need to get some serious chain stitching done as a certain little baby boy's quilt from here got put on the back burner to finish up this secret project and it is time to get it done ;)  I have the blocks all trimmed and ready, I just need to sew them into the 2 quilt tops now ;)  Then the hard part will be picking which of the two to use and which to tuck away.  I love them both!!!

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!