I'm on a roll!

Apparently, I just need to take a break for a month or so from quilting every year or so. Because when I come back, I come back full force and ready to go! A lot has happened in the last two weeks. There were quilt starts and finishes, patterns being published, new patterns being written, the beginning of pattern testing for those and more.

So back to the beginning. I decided that I didn't like the quilting that I was doing on Good Fortune so I ripped out the stitching in the three rows that I had quilted. I don't know what I'm going to do instead, so it's been folded up and tucked into the closet. Aside from anything else, my wrist was bothering me a little bit. I think it might've been quilting on my old machine since the machine bed is smaller and so is the throat space. There was more tugging and trying to hold the quilt in place than on my new machine so I think I might leave the quilting for the new machine. Either way, I didn't want to aggravate it more and then not be able to even sew. So what was I sewing? I was pattern testing my newest quilt pattern, Ocean Waves. 

I needed to finish writing the pattern for it, so that came first, but then I was able to dive into my stash and start cutting and sewing. I wish I had more darker tans because my lighter tans ended up blending with the cream backgrounds a little more than I liked. But the blues and tans remind me of the ocean waves washing up onto the beach, and I have a recipient in mind for this one, but I need to finish a few others first. I have plans and secrets and on the off chance the recipient finds this page, I don't want to spoil the surprise. 

My original doodle for this quilt was to make it in Christmas colors, because who doesn't need another Christmas quilt. But sadly, my Christmas fabrics are lacking and I didn't think I would have enough fabric (?) but also because I wanted to make a quilt for this special person and they are a beach lover. Instantly, this pattern came to mind and I reworked the colors. But I still want to make Ocean Waves in Christmas colors. Maybe some day. 

In between the chain piecing of Ocean Waves, I also worked on two disappearing nine patch quilts for the two pregnant women at work. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to make them quilts, but then the one asked me if I could help her out with a milestone blanket that had the wrong name on it because it was ordered and then decided to change the name. So I might be working on that this week, that's going to be a bit of a challenge and take a trip to hobby lobby because I have a feeling it's screen printed, not appliqued. But I had some really cute baby prints and loved the excuse to take more onto my plate and fit more quilts in. I'm crazy, and I know it. But didn't they come out so cute?? I like the construction truck one more. Maybe I'm just a little tired of dinosaurs right now.

So not only did I finish three quilts in one day (it was a day of binding and PTO is an amazing thing), I was also working on my fiance's quilt as well. He just wanted blue and green squares and I'm not gonna lie, it kinda bores me. But because I love him, I'm powering through. I also started writing the pattern for my next quilt, Tennessee Tumble. I'm working with the same palette as Good Fortune with many of the same fabrics and I can't wait to start stitching that one as well. 

I also published the pattern for Play Date. This is one that I made a while ago and finally got the pattern written. I've made this one twice, once in Christmas fabrics from a lot of different lines in the king size. And twice in the baby size using one line of fabric. And both turned out beautiful. I kinda want to make a throw size one now too. I have a box of miscellaneous charm squares that don't match much at all, but would look great in this pattern. 

And Joy was gifted her quilt when I saw her this week. She was speechless and overwhelmed. And she cried. Which I didn't mean to happen, but she said she was so grateful for it and all the verses on the panel meant so much to her and she told me it was like God was speaking right to her. Which is exactly what I felt coming home from a massage a few months ago. I knew the remnant of a panel that I picked up at Hobby Lobby that I had sitting in my stash was bought for her and I didn't know that when I bought it. 

And that's what I love the most about gifting quilts I think. It's a tangible way to speak to someone in a way they aren't expecting. It's a hug when you need one and no one is around. A reminder that someone cares about you so much. And now I'm getting all teary just thinking about it. 

I hope your quilting can bring some blessing into your life as well as those around you. Happy quilting!

It's Alive!

I did a thing! I did a scary thing! I have patterns available to sell on Etsy. And it's a little scary putting yourself out there like that. But people asked, and I listened. So that's the quilting stuff I've been working on in the background for the last few weeks. Which really means I haven't done much quilting at all lately and have been spending more time in front of a computer than I would like. But I will say that it's been fun revisiting some quilts that I finished a while ago. So which patterns have I written?

First we have Patchwork Diamond, this was the simplest pattern to write as it's only squares. It also means that it is the most beginner friendly quilt I have available right now. I made this quilt from concept to washed and on the couch in less than a week. I think it was the Sunday before Christmas that year, which was on a Saturday, that I realized I didn't have any Christmas quilts. I looked through my Christmas fabric, which was mostly odd sized scraps from making tree skirts and stockings, and came up with this. The white in my quilt is all white on white fabrics. Some of the colorful squares have a white background, I just made sure to keep those away from the diamond in the middle so it wouldn't interfere with the design.

Then there is Mosaic Star. This was my first self drafted pattern that wasn't squares. And I guess I don't start with something easy. There are multiple units that I needed to figure out how to write directions for and I hope I did so well. Included in the pattern are directions for my favorite way of making half square triangles with strips, but also how to assemble the units using traditional methods. I would hate to have someone buy the pattern only to not make it because they don't want to buy yet another ruler. But since I was writing these mainly for myself if I want to make them again, I included them. But maybe someone will read the directions and think that it makes much more sense to make the quilt that way. 

And lastly, there is Ice Crystals. This is the quilt that I heard the most people ask for a pattern. In terms of length, this is the longest pattern I wrote. It's 22 pages. But before that scares you off, I have pressing instructions so everything will nest, there are two different ways to assemble most of the units, so you can pick which works best for you, and there are lots of diagrams showing pressing and assembly. In fact, I would say that someone that has made a few quilts would be able to make this beauty with the in depth instructions I made. 

Aside from editing the patterns to make sure they were good to publish, I think most of my time last week was spent on taking pictures and thumbnails, but coloring the patterns in different options to show some alternate colorways. Ice Crystals in black and pinks? I might need to make that now. Or what about switching the turquoise for red and making it patriotic? 

Or Mosaic Stars in camo? It could be a good masculine quilt. But it might be hard for me to make one like that since I tend to gravitate to the florals. I didn't mock up Patchwork Diamond because the options are endless there. Halloween, patriotic, florals, everything goes or your favorite color. Really, patriotic works for all of these and would make amazing quilts of valor. 

But now that I have published three patterns, I can get back to quilting! I have at least one more finished quilt I want to write a pattern for, but I need to play with fabric before I do more computer work. And I have one more top that needs to be quilted so I can finish writing the pattern for that one. 

But there are like seven more that I have doodled out that I want to make. And those require at least a little bit of pattern writing before I start cutting fabric. So there are more quilts in the works to share for all of you to make in the future. But first, I think I really need to finish up some of the quilts I've already started. 

Quatrefoil is coming along nicely, it's been a nice break to work on in the evening when I'm tired of looking at a computer screen. I think I have half of the sashing quilting done, but I've already accepted that it won't be enough quilting so I'm going to need to go back and add more. I'm leaning towards a larger white cross hatch in the blank space, kinda like a trellis behind all the flowers. And somehow, I realized that I'm almost done with the full blocks for my Secret Garden EPP project. And I'm torn on sewing the middle together first or wait until I have the border units done so I can space out the colors better. I'll probably decide when I get there what I want to do. 

But really, I need to quilt up Good Fortune and that I Spy baby quilt. Neither should take super long to quilt and I already have the tag made up for one so there won't be anything holding me up on binding it either. Except making the binding... Anyway, I hope you all are able to get some quilting in today (and maybe go check out my etsy shop?)

Happy quilting!