I'm Back from Market!!

I just wanted to pop in to say I am back!!  Market was incredible!!!!  I had such a great time :)  I promise to give a full post soon but right now I've got to do some catch-up   :)  So for today, I will leave you with a picture of all the extra goodies I got to make room for in my suitcase!!  Yippee skippee for quilty goodness!!! 

 

TNT - The Final Chapter

Well, can you believe we have been linking up with TNT for a year???  That's right, this is the 52nd TNT link up.  And it will be the last.  (at least for now.)  I have so enjoyed seeing all of your amazing projects.  I love hearing that you are branching out and Trying New Things.  And for that matter, I love that it has forced me to branch out and Try New Things.  But, I have to admit, I am getting overwhelmed.  It is hard to Try Something New every week.  (And some of my lame weeks really show that :) And I am finding it harder and harder to find time to respond to all of your links. And so I think it is time to let go.  That doesn't mean I will stop Trying New Things, and I sure hope you continue to Try New Things as well!!!!  I will just post about them randomly going forward and I encourage you to do the same :)

I want to say a huge Thank You to all of you who linked up with me from week to week.  I can't being to describe how wonderful it was to see you stretching outside your comfort zone!!  I so appreciate you being a part of TNT Thursday!!!

 

So, how about one final chapter!!!

What am I Trying New???  Well, I am on my way to Market!!!!  I am so very excited to meet so many amazing blogging friends.  I am so very excited to meet my wonderful sponsors in person!!!  I am so very excited to be surrounded by quilty goodness for 2 whole days!!!  And I am so very excited, (and so nervous that I have had butterflies for the last 2 days) to participate in the Sweet Celebrations Book Signing and Schoolhouse.  See, I tend to ramble and be a little silly when I get nervous, so by the end of this week all of my friends might think I am a wee bit crazy, but hey, they probably won't be to far off :)

So how about??  One last time . . . What have you Tried New this week???  Link on up!!

Wonky Irish Chain - A New Pattern

Introducing Wonky Irish Chain, my newest pattern which is now available in my Pattern Shop :)    I just love Irish Chain's and so I thought it would be fun to give this traditional quilt a bit of a modern twist.

This quilt is so much fun to piece!!  It goes together fast, is suitable for beginners and up, and has endless layout options.

And it comes with size options!!!!  Wonky Irish Chain has options for a Baby, Lap, Queen, and King size quilt.

This cover quilt is the Lap size and the fabrics are Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda.   I love all of the quilting goodness in these prints!!  Which is why I choose it because this quilt is actually for me. I have already snuggled up with it in front of the fireplace :)

A little detail.  Whereas this quilt is all about quilting, I decided to do a basic stippling stitch in the background.  It felt appropriate.  Then I stitched in the ditch  around all of the "pieces" so that they really pop. (By the way, I used my free motion foot to stitch in the ditch, no way was I up to turning my quilt a million times :)

So what do you think???  I hope you love it as much as I do.   And, if you do happen to love it, and want to make one for yourself, (and maybe you will keep yours too) you are in luck!!!  Leah, at Burgundy Buttons, has made up a Wonky Irish Chain Quilt Kit featuring the same Mama Said Sew prints that I used!!!!  The kit is for the Lap size.  The kit also includes the pattern for free and the fabric itself is at a major discount.  What a deal!!!  So pop on over and grab a kit for yourself so you can get going on your Wonky Irish Chain quilt.

Don't you just love my little kido's fingers in that picture.  They were so sweet to help me :)

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I know I have said it before, but I can't say it enough!!  I have the greatest readers and every day I am humbled to have such wonderful people interested in what I create.  Thank you!!!  I'm Linking up with Kati at From the Blue Chair :) 

Another Winner!!

Wow, it's time to announce another winner!!  Thank you to all of you for your sweet comments on my Five Little Pumpkins block!!  You all are the greatest!!

And thank you to Leah of Burgundy Buttons for sponsoring this fabulous fall giveaway!!!  The winner of the Give Thanks Layer Cake by Deb Strain is . . .

Congrats Tiffany!!!  I will be sending you an email momentarily!!

In other news, I leave for Quilt Market in 2 days!!!!  I am so excited  (and yes, a little nervous too)!!!  I have to start thinking about packing!!  It would help if my kids didn't all have the pukes.  Good thing my Mom is coming down to help!! 

Braided Irish Chains!!

Done and Done!!!!   And can I just say, I love them!!!!  I bought the fabric back in May, and here they are, (finally) done in October.  I so enjoyed having these as a "go to" project that I could sew a little here and a little there, in between all of my other projects.  I think I am going to have to create a new "go to" project now that theses are done.   And since I already talked about the size and fabrics and tutorial in this post, I will just show some pictures :)

The King Size - Eeek, so exciting!!!  And I love me some scrappy binding!!

Hanging from the deck with the sun just peeking over the house.

I quilted varying size swirls all over.  They were so much fun, but as it is rather dense it took me 6 hours to quilt.  And that was on a rented long arm! I couldn't imagine trying to do this on my home machine.  

The Queen Size - Ahh, so pretty!!!  I love a crisp white background!!

 Isn't it great when you take a shot from a different angle and get a great new secondary pattern!!

I quilted this one in an echoed paisley.  There is a video tutorial here on this pattern if you are interested :)

Now I am just super excited (and a little nervous) to teach the class!!!  I guess I still have a few months to stew over that :)

So, I am curious . . .   Do you have a "go to" project that you squeeze in between all of your other projects??  Do you like it or does it stress you out??   I feel like I just figured this out and am really liking it!