Dreaming of Bags / Beauties Pageant 164

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I have a lot of fun quilt projects on my sewing table these days. I’m using up my Bonnie and Camille stash on two easy quilt tops, I have two other quilts in the works, and my Gypsy Wife project is ready for binding. What I’m really dreaming of right now, though, is making bags.

Before I was a quilter, I was a bag maker. I’ve made easy bag patterns. I’ve made hard bag patterns. I’ve made bag patterns that claimed to be easy but ended up being rather hard. Big bags, small bags ... I’ve made them all.

This drawstring bag I made a year ago was fast and easy.

Sewing this bag was simpler than it looks.

And now I’m getting the itch again. It started when I received the gorgeous cross-stitched bag at the top of the post. My quilty friend Kathy (Kayak Quilting) made it for me, and I am over the moon about it. There’s something special about receiving an unexpected handmade gift. Could I have made a comparable bag for myself? Sure, but I love this all the more because someone made it for me.

The bag pattern I have my sights on next is Anna Graham’s Sandhill Sling design. I need a small casual bag for taking to the soccer field this spring, and the Sandhill Sling fits the bill. I purchased a kit from Stitch Supply Co. for the sling. Now it’s just a matter of fitting this project in amid those quilt WIPs. I find it hard to switch gears between quilting and other sewing. I’m not sure why that is. (Can you relate?) Once I have a few more tops completed, I think I can act on the bag pattern. Wish me luck!

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Watching QuiltCon from Home / Beauties Pageant 163

Hello? Is anyone out there reading blogs this week? Social media has me convinced that the entire modern quilting world is in Arizona without me. : /

QuiltCon is happening in Phoenix, like, right now. The show is open, and in-person workshops are taking place. Prize winners, if you haven’t heard, were announced on Wednesday. (You can see the full list of winners on the QuiltCon website.)

I don’t have any quilts in the show this year, but a few of my quilts have hung at past QuiltCons, in Savannah (2017), Nashville (2019), and Austin (2020).

Here’s the roundup ...

Mix and Mingle appeared at QuiltCon Savannah. There was a nine-patch challenge that year, so I made a huge one and then cut it up and sewed it back together. Because this was my first show submission and it was accepted and I traveled to Savannah, Mix and Mingle has a special place in my heart.

Circa 1870 showed at QuiltCon Nashville, the most recent QuiltCon I attended. I love this beauty and the backing fabric that inspired the palette. I have had many requests to write a pattern for this design, but making it requires many Y-seams. (Enough said.)

47XY+21 hung at the same time as Circa 1870. I have the privilege of raising a son with Down syndrome, and 47XY+21 is about that parenting journey. World Down Syndrome Day is next month, so I think I’ll post more about that project—and what I, as the maker, got out of creating it—in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can read about my amazing son here.

Love Boldly, the design behind last week’s mini quilts, showed at QuiltCon Austin. I wasn’t able to attend the conference that year, so I took special delight in this picture, which Quilt Pattern Mart Founder Heather Kinion took of the show floor. Those hearts are so big and bright, you can pick them out from the sea of quilts! 

 

You can read the original post about Love Boldy here. Info about the pattern is available here.

What is your take on quilt shows? Do you attend them? Do you submit your projects to them? Tell us about it in the comments.

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The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

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Multiple Minis / Beauties Pageant 162

I have no business writing a blog post today—there is too much to do and not enough time to do it all—but I couldn’t resist sharing these minis.

Truth be told, I am not much of a mini maker, mainly because I’m never sure how to display them. (I’m working on it, though! More on that in a future post.) I am having a blast, however, transforming these orphan Love Boldly blocks into sweet wall hangings. (Learn more about the Love Boldly pattern here.)

This first bit of beauty is composed of all prints and solids from Art Gallery Fabrics. The colors are very Michelle, as is the simple straight-line quilting. The whole piece is so Michelle that Michelle is going to keep it for herself, in fact. : )

The second features more Art Gallery selections paired with a little Moda binding. This beauty, along with any others I finish in the next few days, is being given away over on Instagram (US and Canada mailing addresses only). If you have your heart set on this mini (punny!) and aren’t on Instagram, drop me a note at frombolttobeauty [at] gmail [dot] com, and I’ll enter your name for you.

A few words on these minis ... I really adore Art Gallery’s products. The designs and colors can’t be beat. And if you’ve worked with AG before, you know that these fabrics have a singular hand: The high thread count and fine weave make for a soft product with beautiful drape that’s suitable for projects beyond quilts. What I have noticed, however, is that there is less give in the fabric, and I have problems easing the fabric. Sometimes this causes me problems when piecing; other times, when quilting. If you have had comparable experiences, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

The other point I want to bring to your attention is the free-motion quilting I did on the second piece. Many of you know of my love-hate relationship with FMQ and have cheered me on over the years. For this mini quilt, I used a water-soluble pen to transfer a heart stipple stencil to my quilt sandwich and went to town with my darning foot. I am so pleased with the results! This design was surprisingly easy. The point of each heart was a logical place to stop with my needle down and pivot before continuing with the design. I’m not sure whether I’m brave enough to try the design on a lap-size quilt, but you will be the first to know if I make the leap. : )

I have to ask: Are you a mini-quilt maker? If you have thoughts to share on displaying your minis, I open to any and all advice.

Linking up to Free Motion Mavericks ...

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• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

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Sewing Hearts / Beauties Pageant 161

I am not sure what it is about hearts, but I really love them—like, as a shape. Perhaps they put me in touch with my inner 10-year-old, who remembers doodling hearts and using heart stickers and adoring Valentine’s Day. What can I say? Hearts are big when you’re a 10-year-old girl!

I am still a fan of hearts, however, as past projects have illustrated ...

Back in 2016, I sewed my Cross My Hearts quilt. This project was based on a super-sneaky interfacing technique for sewing basic patchwork. In retrospect, I wouldn’t use it again for a quilt, but if you’re looking for a quick Valentine project, it would be perfect for a pillow. Check out my tutorial, called Less-Work Patchwork Hearts, here. 

 
Then in 2018, I made a cat face quilt, based on Elizabeth Hartman’s free block series. Although I didn’t sew any heart shapes for the quilt, an awesome eighties-looking heart print was the inspiration for the palette and appeared on the binding. (This was the only time I have started with the binding fabric and built a project up from there!)

And most recently—just last year, in fact—I released my Love Boldly quilt pattern. I adore this block and am most proud of this pattern. I am itching to make another Love Boldly, but I already have three living in my house right now. I do have a few orphan blocks that I’d like to sew into some minis, with the thought that I’d give them away, only because I like the idea of sending some fabric-y love out into the world. If you’re interested, stay tuned to my Instagram account to see whether this idea comes to fruition in the 10 days before Valentine’s Day!

I almost forgot ... There is also my Random Hearts quilt, which is not so much of a past project as it is a current WIP. I hope to have more progress on that beauty to share in the next few months ...

Are you a sucker for sewing hearts? I’d love to see your heart projects, past and present, in this week’s linky!

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The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter