Drumroll, please! It's finally time to share my newest Craftsy class, Start Paper Piecing!

If you've followed my blog for more than five minutes, then you probably know how much I adore paper piecing. It's hands down my favorite kind of piecing, and one of my favorite topics to teach. Learning a new technique can be a daunting experience, but with this class, I'm right there with you, on demand, to help you build your paper piecing confidence! Most of the blocks I sew these days are paper pieced, and I love to share my tips and tricks for making the technique as simple as possible.
Start Paper Piecing walks you through a total of seven different paper pieced blocks, ranging from some interesting angled blocks to a few star blocks and even some pictorial blocks. There's a wide variety, and there's me to hold your hand the entire way. I'll tell you about how I fell in love with paper piecing, and give you all the information you need to get started with paper piecing!


If you haven't checked out Craftsy before, let me tell you, you can learn just about anything there. Seriously, they have such a wild variety of classes! Want to prepare a new dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner next week? No worries, Craftsy has you covered with their Sweet & Simple: 10 Classic Desserts class with Nick Malgieri. Are you interested in trying out garment sewing? Let Deborah Moebes help you with her Design & Sew an A Line Skirt class. Itching to make some quilts for the holidays? 3 Blocks 30 Quilts with Kate Colleran has some great setting ideas that will get your creative juices positively flowing. I'm itching to check out the Design It, Stitch It Hand Embroidery class with Jessica Marquez, which looks super fun, but I think you get my point - they really have something for just everyone. The best part is that whenever you purchase a Craftsy class, it's yours to watch as many times as you want, to rewind and fast forward as you please, and to ask as many questions as you want - that's been one of the most fun parts about my first class, Start Free-Motion Quilting! I love getting to interact with other quilters.

So what are you waiting for? Jump in and fall in love with paper piecing! Get a $20 discount on your class registration when you click right here to register. Have a super day!

I didn't realize it was possible to have cold weather after June 1st, but on my trip to Minnesota last week, I was super thankful I had packed a light coat! While I was in town for the Minnesota Quilt Show, I trekked into downtown St. Cloud to find coffee. I was able to find a cute little coffee shop, Central Perk, but along the way, I found myself in windy 50 degree weather. Normally, that would be nice and refreshing, but when you've been in 90+ degree weather for many weeks, 50 feels a lot colder than it used to. After my first coffee trip, I came prepared, with my hoodie to help keep me warm, but it was awfully nice to feel the brisk Minnesota wind. I had a lovely trip to Minnesota, in spite of a couple of minor travel snafus, and I had a great time teaching there!
I wanted to share a new mini I made for my paper piecing class, Discover the Joy of Paper Piecing - this little mini uses three Lucky Stars blocks from the 2013 Block of the Month club plus a bonus block that has not been part of either the 2013 or 2014 club (pictured above). I love the look of a beautiful paper pieced block in solids, but I wanted to have fun with the background, so I snagged a fun black and white pin dot from my stash for the background. I think it gives the blocks a less serious, harsh look than they would have otherwise, while still leaving the blocks crisp and graphic. I had such a great time with this class. It was a great group of students, and I can't wait to teach it again soon. In the meantime, I can't wait to find a place to hang this little mini until the next time I teach this class!




Quilt Stats
name: Lucky Stars Jr
size: 24" square
pattern: three Lucky Stars 2013 blocks plus one bonus unreleased block
fabrics: assorted Kona solids and black on white pin dot
quilting: meandering stipple in 50 wt white (#2024) Aurifil
binding: black pin dot on white to match background of mini

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, and this week is looking like it will be nothing short of crazy, as I plan out and prep far too many projects for my yearly journey up to Atlanta for The Stash Bash. It's always better to have too many projects to pick from to work on than not enough, right? For the last week, I've been trying to recover from the fun I had at SewDown Nashville - it was such a great time, I can hardly even describe it in words. One thing I can do, though, is show you one of my recent finishes that I shared for the first time in Nashville, at my lecture, Shadow Sawtooth.

The lecture I gave in Nashville was about applying modern aesthetics to traditional, classic quilt blocks to yield modern traditional quilts. Everything from applying interesting, alternate grid work to a classic block to adding asymmetry to a block, to unexpected uses of color. This quilt is by far and away one of my favorite class/lecture samples I've made to date, and it could be the color combinations, it could be the quilting, or it could be the way that your eye can often "lose" the grayscale sawtooth stars as you take in the center star in all its glory, but all in all, I adore this quilt.

It's sewn up in Kona solids, in Kona Ash, Medium Gray, Charcoal, Curry, Cerise, and Pool. The quilting is another part of this quilt that really grabs me. I used several different shades of Aurifil, from a variegated gray (#4670) to a fuchsia (#2588), yellow (#2135), and aqua (#2835) to match the center star.


It's a super simple quilt that totally goes to show you how the use of color can absolutely change a quilt - and I can't wait to find the perfect place to hang it up at home! Happy Monday everyone :)

Quilt Stats
name: Shadow Sawtooth
size: 36" square
pattern: none - just used a classic Sawtooth Star block throughout
fabrics: Kona Ash, Medium Gray, Charcoal, Curry, Cerise, and Pool
quilting: L's in 40 wt Aurifil variegated gray (#4670), L's in 50 wt Aurifil yellow (#2135), fat L's in 50 wt Aurifil fuchsia (#2588), and zig zag in 50 wt Aurifil aqua (#2835)

The day is finally here - my Craftsy class is officially up and running! Start Free-Motion Quilting is my first class with the wonderful folks at Craftsy, and this class is perfect for you if you're just getting started with free-motion quilting, or if you've done it before and run into trouble, or if you've done it before and just haven't fallen in love with it. Trust me, my love for free-motion quilting is contagious!


In my class, you'll not only learn about the necessary tools of free motion quilting, but you'll also learn how to handle many of the common problems that can happen when you free motion quilt, from skipped stitched to crazy stitch lengths. I also walk you through ten different free motion quilting stitches that I come back to again and again, that can be used in many different ways, and all of which are super beginner friendly.

Are you from the Minnesota area? Then I bet you're dying to think about summertime right about now, the nice warm sun and not a drop of snow to be seen for miles...am I right? The Minnesota Quilters are gearing up for their 36th annual show and conference this summer, and I'm super honored to be a faculty member for the event! Registration is open now and you can read the full show program right here to plan out your workshops and such.

I'm teaching three classes at the show, all of which are super reasonably priced for an all-day workshop, and they're going to be a ton of fun! Here's the details on what I'm teaching...


If you're in the area or looking for something quilty and fun to go to this summer, I sure hope you'll think about registering! I'd love to see you in one of my workshops, they're going to be a lot of fun!! If you're already registered, tell me about it, I'd love to place a virtual name with a face when I meet you in person :)

I'm really loving all the teaching I've been doing this year. It's so fun to get to meet other quilters and work with them to build their skills and quilty confidence! I've got a few events scheduled over the next week or so that I wanted to share about, as they're at the newest Juki dealer in my area, Happy Apple Quilts in Palm Harbor, FL. I was so excited when I walked into the shop, only to be greeted by my dream long arm, a Juki Quilt Virtuoso Pro, as well as the younger sibling to my TL98, the TL2010. Felt like home :) I'm happy to share that I've got three events over the next week and a half out there - starting next Saturday, February 15th. I've got a trunk show at 10:30 am on Saturday the 15th. Trunk shows are so fun to do - and I always make sure to bring loads of different quilts from my lifetime as a quilter, including my very first quilt!

Also on Saturday, I'm teaching a HST Boot Camp, where I'll show three different ways of making half-square triangles, as well as several ways to put them together into fun blocks.

                      

Then, on Tuesday the 18th, I'm teaching my Showstopper foundation paper pieced block in a workshop format, which is going to be super fun, but it is currently sold out. I'm really looking forward to this one - I love teaching foundation paper piecing and making it make sense to someone who's felt frustrated by it! There's nothing like having a person in front of you showing you how to do something. That's why I love to teach at local quilt shops!


There's a few spots left for the trunk show and the HST Boot Camp workshop, so call the shop today to reserve your spot if you're in the area! You can reach them at 727-786-0080, and I hope to see some familiar faces there! Have a wonderful weekend everyone :)

First off, I owe you a winner - the winner of a copy of Quilt Improv is... Susan M, lucky number #131. Congratulations, Susan! I'll be emailing you shortly!

I've been doing a lot of teaching the last few weeks, and I have to say there's one word that I keep hearing over and over again from students...intimidation...it seems, and the more I teach, the more I seem to hear this word from quilters.

I'm intimidated by {insert scary but gorgeous technique}.

I'm too intimidated to try [insert beautiful quilt pattern].

That machine intimidates me.



As a teacher, a big part of my job is to help quilters move past that intimidation to try new things, and to find a confidence they didn't know they had, and I love that part of my job. I really do. I love when students walk out of my classes feeling like they've really learned something, it's such a wonderful feeling. But, in teaching and interacting with more and more quilters over the last year of teaching, I feel like I'm hearing this word more and more from quilters, so I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about intimidation here.

Now, I'm human, so I'll admit it - I have definitely felt my fair share of intimidation over the years...in quilting, in personal situations, and so forth, but with my quilting, I try my best to set aside that feeling because 99% of the time, it's thoroughly unfounded. Feeling intimidated isn't a bad thing - but the important thing is to move past that feeling and not to let that feeling paralyze you. You can't let intimidation keep you from trying something you're interested in.


Does foundation paper piecing intimidate you? You're not alone. It used to intimidate me, too, immensely. I had so much negative talk in my head about how it was a technique that surely was beyond my skill set that by the time I sat down to paper piece for the first time a few years ago, there was no way I could have had a good experience. I quite literally threw my block in progress across the room several times. And cursed like a sailor. Then, I'd start the block all over again, only to have the same exact hissy fit twenty minutes later when it didn't go quite right. I had to set it aside, and come back to it because I was driving myself crazy with the level of frustration I was feeling. I felt like I was clearly right when I thought that paper piecing was something I just couldn't do, that it was too advanced for me. I came back to the block a few days later, after calming down and trying to chill out. When I was able to stop flying off the handle and stop rushing, I was able to get through the block just fine, and that was the start of my obsession with foundation paper piecing.


All of this rambling really leads me to say one important thing: don't talk yourself out of trying something new because you feel intimidated. Try to set that feeling aside and try new things, whether it's in your quilting or in the kitchen or in whatever part of your life you've got that feeling. Because you might just find that the thing that once intimidated you might turn into something you absolutely love.



Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

The Modern Quilt Guild is having another fantastic Sew Down shindig, this time right here in the south - in beautiful Nashville, TN! I love Nashville - haven't been since a high school marching band (yes, I was a band geek!) field trip during high school, but it's still a fond memory of mine. With workshops from Carolyn Friedlander, Anna Maria Horner, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, and Angela Walters, you definitely don't want to miss this one. The craziest part is that I'm going to be giving a lecture there, along with Alexia Abegg. I'm honored to be included in such a talented group of quilters!


Did I mention the most amazing part? A studio tour with Anna Maria Horner herself!!! Ever dreamed of seeing where she creates? Now you totally can! Registration opens Monday, November 11th, and you can find more details on the MQG's blog and website right here.


Definitely some fun news! I'm super excited about it. I've also updated my teaching calendar with this event and a few others that have been added to my calendar recently. I've been having such a great time teaching and lecturing and sharing what I know with others. Have a fantastic Monday!

If you're in the Florida area, you might want to stop by Inspire Quilting & Sewing in beautiful downtown Plant City tomorrow, because I'll be having my first book signing there!



I'll be at the shop from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday, and I'm bringing lots of the quilts from the book as well! I'd love to see you there! I'll also be bringing my finished Less is More Sun Prints Style quilt, which will hang there as a class sample until it heads to Market in Houston. I'll be teaching a class to make that quilt on November 8th at Inspire. Have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to enter the Sun Prints giveaway - a winner will be announced on Monday.

It's been a rainy start to the week in my neck of the woods. A soaker, really. Thankfully, it's nothing tropical, but steady, all-day rain is very un-Florida. Nothing but gray skies and the drip-drip-drip of raindrops, so it's been a sluggish start to the week for me. I need a good cup of coffee to get my juices flowing and get my week chugging along!


I had such a great time over the weekend at my trunk show in Sarasota. Thank you so much for having me, Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild! It was a lot of fun to talk through a bunch of my quilts and share them with other sewists.


In my sewing room, I'm making good progress on my little minion quilt - I've got the bulk of the patchwork for the center sewn together now, just need to start adding the outer white borders, then the pixelated border. If only I could decide on what color(s) to use for the pixelated border. :) I did manage to cut up all the white squares, just need to start sewing them together. I think that's in the forecast for today, after I venture out to the grocery store in today's rain. Here's hoping I don't manage to get stuck in a downpour! And I absolutely must remember to put a new cone of Aurifil on the machine today, too! I think I've got mere inches left to spare. Have a great Tuesday!

Are you in the Sarasota area? I'm going to be heading down there this weekend to do a trunk show at the Sarasota MQG's monthly meeting, and I'd love to see you there! I'll also be bringing some books with me for a little mini-signing, so if you haven't picked up a copy, Saturday's a great time to do that! The meeting is at 1pm on Saturday, at the Fruitville branch of the Sarasota County Library System, at 100 Coburn Rd, Sarasota, FL 34240.

I am really enjoying teaching these days! It's so much fun to share my love of quilting with other people, and to share things that I've learned along my quilting journey. And quilty people really are the best people, so it's great to get to spend a morning with other fabric lovers. If you happen to be in the area, my monthly Beginning Free Motion Quilting class is coming up this Friday morning at Inspire Quilting & Sewing in Plant City, FL.

In this class, we get down and dirty with your machine to find and fix any free-motion troubles you may be experiencing, whether it's tension issues, needle issues, you name it. We also practice four to five different free motion stitches, two of which are all-over designs and three of which are linear designs. This gives you the opportunity to stretch both sides of your brain and find what feels more comfortable for you.


Practice is the name of the game when you're getting starting with free-motioning. The first quilt I ever free-motioned seriously looks like it's quilted with creepy, long fingers all over it. You have to push through, and keep trying, rather than getting frustrated and defeated by your first attempts. They may not be pretty, but they're going to be, with practice and effort.

We talk a lot in class about different tips and tricks for making your early attempts at free-motion as smooth as possible, from choosing the right needle and thread for your machine to different techniques for holding and moving your quilt as you free-motion.

There's just a few seats left in my class this week, but if you're interested in joining in the fun, you can sign up for the class by calling the good folks at Inspire Quilting & Sewing at 813-704-4867. In the meantime, I'm going to be having fun stitching up a crazy piecing project I started at The Stash Bash, using one of my favorite fabric lines ever, Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley. Have a great day!

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week! I feel like there's tons to do, and not enough time to do everything in, as usual, but I'm plugging away as best as I can. Here's what's going on in my neck of the woods...

finished:
Pillow Talk Swap pillow

4x5 blocks

Lucky Penny quilt - Unfortunately, I have to keep this one under wraps for now, but here's a tiny sneak peek...

still going:
EPP starflower pillow - I've officially run out of my background fabric, but I ordered more last week so hopefully it will be here any day now. If you had told me last year at this time that I would be doing lots of hand sewing, I would have laughed in your face. I long joked that I was allergic to hand sewing. I thoroughly detested it. But in the last year, I think my sewing horizons have expanded, and I have come to actually like hand sewing. A little bit. The lack of speed is something that I still get frustrated with from time to time, but in general, I'm really enjoying my little hand projects, especially the English Paper Piecing (EPP) variety.

bee block for Lee - Does ironing count as progress? If so, this one's moving right along ;) I'm hoping to work on it today or tomorrow.

new this week:
EPP honeycomb pouch - I've got at least six pouches to make for the h-olidays, and I'm starting with this one, adorned with some brightly colored EPP honeycomb pieces. These things are tiny! 3/4"! It was quick to baste them, but sewing them down onto my background fabric was tedious to say the least. I like the looks of this one so far.

Teaching - I'm teaching a free motion quilting class this Friday at Inspire, which I'm very much looking forward to. Free motion quilting is often my favorite part of the entire quilting process. I cannot for the life of me find the quilting samples that I've used in the past, so I made a few new ones to bring to class. Teaching at Inspire has been a lot of fun so far; I really enjoyed teaching my Mariner's Star pillow last week and I'm having fun planning a few new classes for January.


Sea of Stars quilt-along - The Sea of Stars quilt along will kick off this coming Monday with a post about choosing fabrics for this quilt. If you haven't gotten your pattern yet, you can pick it up in my Pattern Shop or at my Craftsy shop. No need to buy your fabric just yet, unless you know exactly what you want, otherwise Monday's post will help you make your choices. Planning to join in the quilt along fun? Grab a button and add it to your blog!



I'm gearing up to work on my handmade holidays list of to do's, as I plan to gift a lot of handmade items this year, so I suspect next week's WiP list will look quite different, with a focus on the Sea of Stars quilt along and finishing holiday gifts, rather than fun EPP projects for me :) I'm linking up with Lee's Work in Progress Wednesday linky, pop on over there to see lots of other bloggers working their way through their To Do list.