Forever Green - Christmas in July!!!

This last January I was super excited to get to make a special Christmas quilt sample for the fabulous folks at Moda.  I just loving making Christmas quilts because you just can't help but get into a festive spirit, regardless of what time of year it is!!!  And now, I am super excited to get to share this quilt for Christmas in July!!!

This quilt design uses Holly Taylor's Forever Green Fabric line and the quilt pattern is also called Forever Green and it can be found in Antler Quilt Designs' (aka Doug Leko) new book Winterlude.  I just love the way Doug designed this specifically for the Forever Green panel, those little winter scenes just pop in this quilt!!! 

And this quilt goes together super fast and is so much fun to whip up!!!  It finishes up at 63"x 79" so it is great for snuggling up in front of a fire with.    It is a great quilt for a "Christmas in July" project because you can have the top done in no time and then you have a good 5 months to get it quilted ;)     I just love all of the vertical and horizontal lines, it really gives the quilt so much great movement.  

And goodness, did I have some fun quilting all of those fun strips.  I decided to play with three great "border" fillers that worked so great in the lines.  I did a simple Hills and Valleys line, some Ribbon Candy, and some Loopy Figure 8's.   And then for the borders I did some pebbling and some echoed paisleys.  And best of all, I used Gold Thread!!!!   It is So Fine Gold Chain and I just love the way it gives it that extra Christmas shine :)

And talk about some super texture goodness!!!  I just love how all of the fun different quilting designs came together to create so much happy Christmas goodness in the quilting :)  It just makes me smile!!!

And the super fun thing about this quilt, Fat Quarter Shop is currently offering a Forever Green Quilt Kit and guess who's quilt they used as a sample!!!!  Yup, that's my Forever Green in those pics :)  So fun!!!  Be sure to pop on over and check it out if you are in need of a quick Christmas in July pick me up :)

And that is it for my Forever Green Christmas in July finish!!!  I am so glad that I got to make this fun quilt up for Moda and can't wait to wrap up with it this Christmas.  And hey, I am in such a Christmas mood now, maybe I will just go listen to some favorite Christmas Tunes!!!   Yup, I am one of those crazies that like to listen to Christmas Music all year round!!!

Hope you have a very Happy Quilting Weekend and maybe a little Christmas in July in your neck of the woods ;)

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

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

But first, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!   The winner of the Americana Fat Quarter Collection,  as well as a Ginger Rotary Cutter from Four Peaches Fabric is . . .   Number # 346. . . Congrats ShirleyC!!!   I have emailed you :) 

       

  

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Green Fairy Quilts.  Green Fairy Quilts is your home for pre-cut goodness and they always have amazing sales going on every weekend on a selected pre-cut or notion!!!  And did you know that Green Fairy Quilts has a Deal of The Day!!!   Be sure to check those out for some major quilting savings!!!

And today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for a Berry Merry Fat Eighth Bundle by Basic Grey!! How perfect is that for some Christmas in July sewing!!!   And I just love the happy prints and colors in this line, so fun!!!

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 that tells me your favorite Berry.  (I love raspberries :)

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Green Fairy Quilts love.   You can Sign up for their Newsletter which I highly recommend as it will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales!!  You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook,  or you can visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Green Fairy Quilt Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, July 18th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Greenery in the Making

So this summer's focus is Works In Progress and I am just wondering, does it still count as a WIP if you hadn't started, but planned to start???  Remember back here on St. Patrick's Day where I planned to use my Greenery Bundle to make a Double Irish Chain Quilt and I said I hoped to cut it out in the next few days . . . We'll I cut it out this weekend!!!

And I was so excited, I started all of the strip piecing.   Within about an hour and a half I had everything strip pieced and ready to be pressed and sub-cut.   But then the weekend caught up with me so the piles are still waiting for pressing and sub-cutting.  But it's all good, because once that step is done, the quilt blocks will go together in no time!!!

I am using the Summer Breeze Irish Chain Quilt pattern that I made a sample for Moda last year at about this time ;)  It is such a great little pattern that whips up so fast thanks to all the strip piecing.   I am super excited to finally be working on this project that was inspired by the quilt that inspired it all!!!

I hope you are having a very Happy Quilting Monday!!!   Are you working on any Works in Progress as well??  Give me a shout out in the comments what you are working on :)  

Tip Toe Through the Tulips

I am so very excited to share my finish today!!!  It has been over a year in the making, but it was so worth the wait :)    I'm calling it Tip Toe through the Tulips and I am just loving it!!!

 I was so excited to bring home a quick curve mini ruler and the Mini Rings pattern from Spring Market 2016.  They are from the amazing sister trio at Sew Kind of Wonderful.  I had made an original quick curve ruler Metro Hoops quilt back here when I was fortunate enough to take a class from Jenny, Helen, and Sherilyn and I just loved it!!!   So I knew making a Mini quilt would be just so fun!!!

Then the ruler sat for a bit as I worked on other projects.  That is until I got the great news that my twin sister was expecting.  And suddenly this quilt had a bit of a deadline and starting bumping up the list to be made.   And oh my goodness, what fun this quilt was to make!!!

I have been asked a lot how it is sewing these curves, so let me tell you . . . It's easy and so super fun!!!  The Sew Kind of Wonderful girls write amazing patterns that are easy to follow.  And, they add the happy step of trimming.  This means your curves do not have to be sewn perfectly as everything gets trimmed to perfection.   So you don't even have to use pins.  It really is a lot of fun without any of the worry :)

I was so happy that my sister was having a girl because I knew right away what fabric I wanted to use!!!   I had a layer cake of Olive's Flower Market by Lella Botique and I have to say, I just love how it made the design pop all the more.  I couldn't be more happy with the 5 striped prints in the corners, and I am so glad I thought to pull them out and use them separately.   The prints are just so pretty in those little rings and I just love their vibrant colors.   And the binding is made up of all the white background prints, so I used up every square from the entire layer cake.  So fun!!!

When it came time to quilt it, I wanted to keep the delicate mini idea going, so I opted for some all over swirls, but I kept them super small.   I used my favorite 402 pearl So Fine thread that blends so nicely with the prints and white background.   And I just love all of the yummy texture that super small quilting creates.

And I just have to say, I was so super excited to add my new custom labels when I was adding on the binding!!!  Eeekkk, so cute!!!!  And this also shows the cute little strip I added in the background.  I had a little leftover yardage from a secret project backing using Lella Botique's yet to be released line Farmer's Daughter but I was just a few inches short (which is often the case in baby quilts, just over 44") so I found this black scroll print in my scrap bin and it was the perfect addition to finish off the backing :) 

And now it's all done, and I found this cute little pink ribbon to tie it up in, ready to be delivered to my sister with a few weeks to spare!!!  Yippee :)

And that is my Tip Toe through the Tulips quilt.   It just makes me smile to think of my sweet little niece curling up in this quilt, and one day, maybe learning to crawl and then tip toe over it :)  I am so excited for her little arrival and can't wait to snuggle her up with lots of auntie love!!!

Thanks so much for popping in today!!!  It is such a blessing to be able to share these special little finishes with all of you :)   I hope you have a very Happy Quilting Weekend!!!

Linking this finish to Amanda's, Sarah's, and Myra's :)

Need Direction to Take a Trip Around the World

I just love summer time!!!  Things are just a bit more relaxed and even though most of our weekends are planned with camping trips and family reunions, it just seems that the weekday seems to move at a slightly slower pace.  And I have really been enjoying it :)  And funny thing, I didn't really make a plan for it to happen, but along with the slower pace of the week, my sewing room deadline pace sort of slowed down over the summer as well.  So without any deadline projects I have found myself turning to some older WIP's that had been set aside.   I knocked two out last Friday and have a new one to share this Friday :)   And I have to say, I am just loving the feeling of getting these done.  In fact, I am loving it so much that WIP have officially become the focus of my summer.  How fun is that!!!

The last few days I have turned to my Red, White, and Black Trip around the world blocks (using this awesome tutorial from Bonnie Hunter ).  I was so excited on Monday evening to finish all my blocks but now I am stuck.   I can't decide which direction I should take my trip??  What do you think, do you have a favorite layout??

Option 1 - Take a Traditional Trip

Option 2 - Take Several Small Trips

Option 3 - Take a Trip Over the Mountains

Option 4 - Skip the Trip Altogether

So what do you say . . . What Direction should I take my Trip Around the World??

EDIT - And the winner is . . . .

 Thank you everyone for sharing your favorite Trips!!!  I have tallied them up (because I am weird and like counting things ;)  from Facebook, Instagram, emails, and the Blog and here's how the trips were favored!!!    Option 4 - Skipping the Trip had 32 votes,  Option 3 - A Trip Over the Mountains had 59 votes, Option 1 - A Traditional Trip had 75 votes, and with the landslide win Option 2 - Several Small Trips had 180 votes!!!!   Looks like it's time for me to start sewing up Several Small Trips :)   Thanks again for all your Help!!!!