My Best of 2022

Hi and welcome to my stop on the Best of 2022 blog linky party!  I had such fun going through my posts from the year to figure out which 5 posts I would be highlighting today.  It was a great way for me to review the year and revisit some finishes from earlier in the year that I had forgotten about.  I'm looking forward to 2023, how about you?

Click on any of the titles to be taken to the actual blog post for more details and pictures.

1.  Melodic Mystery Quilt

The Melodic Mystery Quilt kicked off in July and is going strong.  If you want to join in the fun, you can find all of the information about the Melodic Mystery Quilt here.

2.  Macaron Mystery Quilt

The Macaron Mystery Quilt kicked off in July 2021 and wrapped up this April.  The reveal parade had almost 200 Macaron Mystery quilts in it!!  Check out all of the quilts here.  

3. Just One Charm Pack Quilts - Quilt Along

Between the end of the Macaron Mystery quilt along and the start of the Melodic Mystery quilt along, I hosted a quilt along for the Just One Charm Pack Quilts book.  There were three "official" patterns from the book as part of the quilt along, but there were versions of each book pattern made.  You can see some of the finishes here.

4.  Checkers Pattern

One of my favorite patterns this year was Checkers, a fun, fat quarter friendly twist on the classic nine-patch design.  You can see more pictures and read about the quilt here (you can find the pattern in my shop in both digital and print versions).

5.  Favorite Tutorial - "ele" Quilting Design

My favorite tutorial for the year was my "ele" quilting tutorial where I showed how to add some simple loops using the grid of the quilt top piecing to create a fun and easy quilting design.

I even figured out how to make a video showing how to quilt it!  See the video and blog post here.

And remember, the Board & Batten Quilt Along is starting soon (January 5th) so grab your pattern and pick out your fabric to join in.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  I hope you will consider linking up your favorite posts from 2022 or stopping by to see other blogger's best of 2022 posts!  You can visit the Best of post right here.

 

 

 

Best of 2022 of Linky Party

Welcome to the Best of 2022 Linky Party! 

 This is the eighth annual "Best of" blog party to share your and read others top posts of 2022.

Please enjoy the best of posts below and leave a comment for the blogger, your kind words will bring a smile to their face.

To include your blog in the link party, simply write a new blog post highlighting your "best" 5 posts from 2022 and linkup.  There is no set way or rules to pick your best, you can pick and highlight your posts anyway you would like.  Some examples include:

• Posts with the most views
• Posts with the most comments
• Posts that provoked the best discussions
• Posts showing your favorite 2021 finishes
• Posts of your best tutorials
• Posts that are simply your favorites

I invite you to grab a cup of tea, coffee, apple cider, or your favorite blog reading beverage, relax, and have some fun reading the best blog posts of 2022 :)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Please note that this year end party will take the place of the Favorite Finishes Monthly Linkup, so there will be no monthly linkup for December.

 

 

 

Blocks and Fabric Pulls :)

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful December.  I wrapping up for the year and planning for next year.  I have three in progress or new projects coming up:

Melodic Mystery Quilt

I have December's blocks for the Melodic Mystery Quilt finished and am loving the Fabric from the Attic prints combined with the navy solids.  You can find all of the instructions for the free monthly quilt along here.

Board & Batten Quilt Along

The Board and Batten quilt along kicks off on January 5th and is the perfect quilty start to the new year :)  For the quilt along, I am making the throw sized version using Honey by Ruby Star Society and Kona Pepper.  You can find out all of the details for the quilt along here and purchase the pattern here: digital and print.

Diatom Quilt Along

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl is hosting a super awesome new sample quilt along called Diatom starting in the new year.  I am going to join in and make a wall sized version using either 4 or 9 of the blocks.  I wanted something super bright and fun for my wall so I am going to be using some neon lime green, magenta, and black prints along with a white solid.  I have never made a quilt with these colors and am excited to see how it looks.  You can see the fabric requirements here and purchase the pattern here.

2022 Goal Review and 2023 Goals

Where did 2022 go?  Is it just me or was it just the spring?  Wasn't September last week?  My kids are now in high school and middle school and all of their school work and after-school activities has made the time fly by.

My wonderful bloggy friend Yvonne, who blogs at Quilting Jetgirl, hosts an annual planning party to layout goals for the upcoming year. I thought that I would use this post to first go back to my 2022 goals to see if I had actually accomplished them and then post my 2023 goals.  See her post here.

2022 Goal Check-In

Due to the uncertainty of life this year, I kept my goals for 2022 pretty simple...and I was able to accomplish them :)

1. Working on my next book - this is going to be taking a good amount of my time this upcoming year. - Done, woohoo!  Just Two Charm Pack Quilts releases May 2023.
2. Teaching - I hope to teach more in-person next year and work on some new workshops.  Done, I have done tons of teaching, both in-person and virtual and have enjoyed seeing quilters again.
3. Mystery quilt - the next mystery quilt will kick off in July 2022 and the design is actually already set. Done, the Melodic Mystery quilt along is in progress.

2023 Goals

1. Just Two Charm Pack Quilts book launch.  This will be my main focus of next year, preparing all of the launch content.  I hope to have videos, a virtual trunk show, giveaways, and more.
2. Next mystery quilt - My next mystery quilt along will kick off in July 2023 (right after the book launch) so I want to make sure I have everything set a little early this year.  I have a rough idea of the design.  Any ideas on naming the mystery quilt?  I always use an "M" word.
3. Kids - I had a bit of panic when I realized that my oldest would be graduating high school in 2025.  I need to soak in all that I can while they are still little

How are your 2023 plans shaping up?  You can read all of the 2023 planning posts at Yvonne's #2023PlanningParty.

 

Best of 2022 Linky Party Coming Soon

It is no secret that I love blog link parties.  One of the main reasons I started my blog was so that I could take part in the sharing of knowledge and inspiration through the parties and so I am very excited to announce that I am hosting my eighth annual blog linky party, the Best of 2022 Linky Party!

Please note that this year end party will take the place of the Favorite Finishes Monthly Linkup, so there will be no monthly linkup for December.

To take part in the link party, simply write a new blog post highlighting your "best" 5 posts from 2022 and linkup.  There is no set way or rules to pick your best, you can pick and highlight your posts anyway you would like.  Some examples include:

• Posts with the most views
• Posts with the most comments
• Posts that provoked the best discussions
• Posts showing your favorite finishes
• Posts of your best tutorials
• Posts that are simply your favorites

This post is not only a great way to find new readers, it is also wonderful to be able to highlight some of your best posts for those readers who have joined your blog throughout the year.

The link party will open the day after Christmas, Monday December 26th and will be open for one week ending on Monday, January 2nd.

While you are waiting for this linky party to start up, you can take a look through the Best of 2015-2021.  Thanks!

 

 

Announcing the Just Two Charm Pack Quilts Book!!

I have some exciting news today....I get to officially announce my new book, Just Two Charm Pack Quilts!!  The book will be published by Stash Publications in late May.

This book is a follow on to my previous book, Just One Charm Pack Quilts, which came out in 2020.  The one charm pack book was really popular, but many quilters asked me about making larger quilts with their charm packs (most of the one charm pack quilts are baby to small lap size).  

Like the name suggests, this book is full of pattern goodness that uses two charm packs per quilt to make generous throw sized quilts.  

Don't have charm packs or two matching charm packs?  No problem, the book teaches how to create your own charm packs, combine different charm packs together, and to use your stash to expand one charm pack into two.

I can't wait to be able to share more about the book in the coming months!

C&T PUBLICATIONS SPRING CATALOG

I might have done a little happy dance when I got the C&T Publications spring catalog in the mail and saw my book was on the cover.  The book also has a two page spread in the catalog which shows some additional quilts in the book.

LAUNCH DATE

Publication Date Late May- Just Two Charm Pack Quilts will be published towards the end of May.  The exact date is still unknown depending on shipping times/delays.

Amazon Pre-Sale - Just Two Charm Pack Quilts is already listed for pre-order on Amazon.

My Pre-Sale Special Deal - I am going to be offering a super bundle for signed books that will include additional patterns and more!  More details in the spring :)

I hope that you are excited about the book too, thanks!!

 

Melodic Mystery ++ Flower Blocks

Let's Make Some Flower Blocks!  

Welcome to the December set of instructions for the Melodic Mystery Quilt!  December is a busy month for many people so I designed this month's piecing to be a little quicker.

The Melodic Mystery Quilt is a free quilt-along that runs from July 2022 through April 2023 with a set of directions revealed the first Thursday of every month. 

There is plenty of time to join in on the quilt along, instructions are published monthly so there is plenty of time to catch up! You can find all of the information about the Melodic Mystery, including schedule, past instructions, links to the Facebook group, sneak peek, and more in the Main Melodic Mystery Quilt Page.

Easy to Print PDF Instructions

Now that the Melodic Mystery quilt along has ended, you can find a easy to print, full version of the pattern for sale in my pattern shop.

Melodic Mystery Quilt - Easy to Print Version

Flower Blocks

Combine the following pieces to make 9 flower blocks 9 ½" x 9 ½". 

1.  Arrange the following units and pieces according to the diagram. 

4 C/bg HST units 3 ½" x 3 ½"

4 fabric A squares 3 ½" x 3 ½"

1 bg square 3 ½" x 3 ½"

2. Sew together the units and pieces into rows, pressing seams open or away from the fabric A squares.  Each row should measure 3 ½" x 9 ½".

3. Sew the rows together, pressing the seams open or towards the HST units, to make a flower block  9 ½" x 9 ½".  

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make a total of 9 flower blocks.

Quarter Blocks

Combine the following pieces to make 4 quarter blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½".

1.  Arrange the following units and pieces according to the diagram. 

2 A/bg HST units 3 ½" x 3 ½"

2 bg squares 3 ½" x 3 ½" 

2. Sew together units and pieces into rows, pressing seams open or away from the HST units.  

3. Sew the rows together, pressing seams open, to make a quarter block 6 ½" x 6 ½".  

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make a total of 4 quarter blocks.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of the Melodic Mystery Quilt!

Backside Fabrics | Quilting by Anne-Marie | InkTorrents | Quilt Pattern Mart

Busy Hands Quilts | Quilting Jetgirl | Aurifil | Fat Quarter Shop

Brewstitched | Sew Colorado Quilting LLC | Meadow Mist Designs

Any questions? Leave them in a comment below or post them to our Facebook group page. I look forward to seeing everyone's fabric selections. The next set of instructions will be published on the first Thursday of next month.

 

 

Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup - November 2022

  Welcome to November's Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup!

My big finish this month was the Board & Batten quilt and pattern and the announcement of a new quilt along starting the beginning of next year.  

Make a Board & Batten with me starting Thursday, January 5th and running through March 2nd!  The pattern contains instructions for baby, throw, twin, and queen and it is a super fun, beginner friendly quilt to make.  The perfect way to kick off 2023!

You can get your copy of Board and Batten in my pattern shop (digital or print version) and visit the Board & Batten QAL page for all of the quilt along information.

Ready for the party?  

Here is a reminder of the party details:

• The linky party will open at 12:01am EST on the last day of the month and will be open for 5 days, through the 4th at 11:59 pm EST.

• For instructions on how to link up blog, Instagram, or pictures from your computer (new - there is now a way to just upload a picture without a web link) to the party, click here.  

• If linking a blog post, I ask that you please add a link back to the party.

• Please visit at least 3 other links (and preferably leave comments) to share the love and celebration :)

I hope you join in by checking out the posts or linking your favorite finish of the month!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Thanksgiving Pattern Sale Ends Today

Just a quick reminder that the 

Thanksgiving Pattern Sale

sale is ending tonight at midnight (EST).

Buy 2 Patterns, Get 1 Free 

Digital patterns, print patterns, or a mixture of both.

Meadow Mist Designs Pattern Shop

No coupon code needed, the discount will be automatically applied when you add 3 patterns to your cart.  The patterns may be digital, printed, or a mixture of both.  

This sale is cumulative meaning that for every 2 patterns bought, you will get a free pattern.  Buy 4 patterns, get 2 free, buy 6 patterns, get 3 free, etc.

Digital Quilt Patterns

Printed Quilted Patterns

Sale Timing: The sale runs through midnight (EST) on Monday, November 28th.

Etsy Pattern Shop

I am also offering the buy 2 get 1 free patterns in my Etsy Shop, but to get the discount you will need use the code THANKSGIVING during check out for the sale (discount not automatically applied).

Digital Quilt Patterns

Etsy - Use code THANKSGIVING for Buy 2, Get 1 Free

Sale Timing: The sale runs through midnight (EST) on Monday, November 28th.

 

 

Board and Batten - Quilt Kits

 Are you joining in on the Board and Batten quilt along?  

The pattern is available now and the quilt along kicks off on January 5th.  It is the perfect quilt to start the new year making!  The pattern is pre-cut and scrap friendly and contains baby, throw, twin, and queen sizes.

I had such fun rendering Board and Batten in all sorts of colors and prints and with dark backgrounds and light backgrounds to give you ideas on which fabric combinations you may wish to use.

Being that the pattern is so pre-cut and scrap friendly, you might already have the perfect fabric waiting in your sewing room. If not, then you can shop some Black Friday sales :) 

Reminder - You can grab a copy of the pattern during my Thanksgiving Sale now through Monday, Nov. 28th where all of the patterns in my shop are buy 2 get 1 free (digital and print).

No coupon code needed, the discount will be automatically applied when you add 3 patterns to your cart.  The patterns may be digital, printed, or a mixture of both.  

This sale is cumulative meaning that for every 2 patterns bought, you will get a free pattern.  Buy 4 patterns, get 2 free, buy 6 patterns, get 3 free, etc.

Digital Quilt Patterns

Printed Quilted Patterns

Quilt Colorway Renderings

Here are a bunch of different Board & Batten renderings, each illustrated in the throw size.  Below each picture is a link to the print fabric collection and the background fabric shown in the picture.  

If you like a rendering and decide to make the quilt with that fabric, you can click the link and add the amount of fabric needed for your size to your cart shown in the fabric requirements chart below. All link are affiliate links to Fat Quarter Shop unless otherwise stated.

My scrappy version using blue, turquoise, lime colored solids on a white background.

This is what I am making for the quilt along.

Honey by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society

Bella Solids in Navy

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Same collection with a pink background (I almost went with this version)

Honey by Alexia Abegg for Ruby Star Society

Bella Solids in Pale Pink

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Wild Meadow by Sweetfire Road for Moda Fabrics

Moda Bella solids in Porcelain

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Lazy Afternoon by Zen Chic for Moda Fabrics

Moda Bella solids in Zen Grey

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Joyful Joyful by Stacy lest Hsu for Moda Fabrics

North Star Yardage

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Joyful Joyful by Stacy lest Hsu for Moda Fabrics

Moda Bella solids in Charcoal

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Season of Tribute Chapter One - La Vie en Rose by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Pure Solids in Linen White

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Rain or Shine by Jessica Swift for Art Gallery Fabrics

Pure Solids in Zambia Stone

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Season of Tribute Chapter Four - Eclectic Intuition by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics

Pure Solids in Snow

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Petite Circus by Alexandra Bordallo for Art Gallery Fabrics

Kona Cotton in Everglade

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Gayle Loraine by Elizabeth Chappell for Art Gallery Fabrics

Kona Cotton in Ash

Fat Quarter Shop - Black Friday Sale - 20% off

Black and White Kit from Connecting Threads

** Right now, Connecting Threads has its Black Friday sale going on so the Board & Batten quilt kit (along with the whole site) is 25% off with the coupon code SITWIDE25.  So the quilt is on sale for only $39.74 (from $52.99 org.) and you can find it here.** 

Which is your favorite?  What fabrics are you going to use?

Board & Batten - "ele" Quilting Design

Does your quilt have a regular, repeating pieced grid?  Then I have a great quilting design for you!

When I am deciding what quilting design to use on a quilt and I decide that an all over design works best, I look at the piecing of the quilt.  If the quilt has a piecing grid (meaning that there is the same size block or unit repeating across the quilt), then I try to use this grid in my quilting.

This grid keeps the quilting spaced and consistent.  Plus there is no marking :)

Board & Batten has a grid design (each square is either a solid fabric or a half square triangle) so I used this grid to create a fun and quick quilting design.

"ele" Quilting Design

The "ele" quilting design I used for Board & Batten runs vertically in the quilt top, but was actually quilted in my machine left to right like a typewriter.  

I started the design off the left hand side of the quilt (so no thread burying, yippee) and quilted the following pattern:

1. Quilted a cursive "ele" in the first block.

2. Crossed downward through the grid seam intersection.

3. Quilted an upside down "ele" in the second block (the second block is one block to the right and one block down from the first block)

4. Crossed upwards through the grid seam intersection. 

I continued this pattern all the way to the other side of the quilt and ended off the quilt (again no thread burying).  Then, like a typewriter, I moved the quilt to start the next row of quilting.

Here is a short video showing the quilting across a section of the quilt.

My quilting is far from perfect, but always aiming for the seam intersections kept the spacing of the design consistent and look more even then it really is.

Here is how the quilting looked in the finished quilt:

I love this design due to the impact this quilting gives with no marking and no thread burying.  The next time you are trying to figure out how to quilt your quilt, if your design has a grid, try something like this :)

If you want to make your own Board & Batten, you can get a copy:

Board & Batten - Digital Version

My Pattern Shop

Etsy

Board & Batten - Printed Version

My Pattern Shop

And remember, the Super Thanksgiving Sale is going on right now, Buy 2 Patterns, Get 1 Free!  

Digital patterns, print patterns, or a mixture of both.

In my pattern shop, no coupon code is needed, the discount will be automatically applied when you add 3 patterns to your cart. The patterns may be digital, printed, or a mixture of both.  In my Etsy shop you will need to use the coupon code THANKSGIVING.