WE GOT THE BEAT!

Wow, another summer is almost gone! It’s hard to believe this time last year I had a bazillion tiny squares on my work table partially sewn …and here we are this summer and it’s in the pages of Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue 75. I’m pretty delighted about it, dream come true! I’ve always loved their magazine. I was especially thrilled about the photos they took. They’re always so dreamy!

This issue came out a few months ago in the UK but it’s now on the shelves in North America. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I had a heart to heart with my mom to not buy up all the issues. Chapters and Indigo carry them here in Canada… that is if my mom hasn’t been there yet! Wink, wink!.

Hey Heart-breaker: Pop culture and music has always been a huge part of my work. The quilt in LP&Q was named after the Go-Go’s, We got the beat. It influenced the vibe and the colour way big time. Which means I’m always on the hunt for new music and when I find a girl band, EVEN BETTER! Right now I can’t get enough of Dream Wife! They are a UK feminist group that started as an art school performance project in 2015.

Being brave: I completed my first #the100dayproject! And it was HARD. But it was such an incredible experience. I rolled into a second one the day I finished the first. A little a day goes a long way. It took me 75 days in to figure that out-HA! I posted all of the first 100 days in my IG stories and stored them in my Highlights. I also created a “Sketchbook” on my website to show case my favourite ones. These ones I haven’t add yet. I wanted to show you first!

Hot summer WALLS?!: Have you heard of the Vancouver Mural Festival? It happens every August. I was super happy to help out my Thrive sister Carmen Chan on her first mural. Her wall was HUGE and it was so hot out! Holy moly! Her glorious mural can be found by 33 Acres Brewery.

The superstar muralist they brought in was Shepard Fairey. You know, the OBEY guy. LOVE! I was super pumped to see 30 years worth of his work at the Burrard Art Foundation. AND! I was able to pick up one of the 300 posters printed just for the Vancouver show. I’m extra pumped about that! The show runs until September 28th but if you can’t make it I highly suggest watching Beautiful Losers and Exit Through the Gift-shop. Two of my all time favourite movies that he happens to be in.

Have a great rest of the summer and a happy getting back into it this fall to you!

SNAP TO GRID

I'm beyond thrilled to see SNAP TO GRID finally hitting the shelves! Honestly, I've never had so much fun sewing with a collection before! When Kim Kight asked me to sew for her 80's inspired Spring 2017 collection I happily through myself into the design challenge. I had planned to make a SEWING MACHINE BOOMBOX at some point BUT when I saw this collection it just HAD TO HAPPEN! And with many cheers of, "I want to make one too!!"... I'm pleased to release the official BOOMBOX SEWING MACHINE COVER TUTORIAL today! You to can get it HERE.

As soon as I saw the Big Pill Dot in Black I knew the CASSINGLE also had to happen. This 60" lap quilt (brilliantly named by Kim), tickled every Memphis Group bone in my body. It's the largest, simplest and fastest to make of all my patterns. (It's only 14 weeks to Christmas... WHAT! Did I really just say that?!)

Cotton + Steel have the BEST selvages, am I right?! Which lends themselves so well to the The CASSETTE TAPE mini quilt cassette labels AND it allowed me to showcase ALL of the collection! FUN FACT: Jonna came up from Washington to sew this quilt with me! There were many giggles, squeals and most importantly much dill pickle dip! 

Second FUN FACT: The CASSETTE TAPE pattern is needed to make the zippy cassette pouch. Make it to fit inside the Boom Box Sewing Machine Cover or just to have all by it's self. (More about that next week-wink, wink!) 

Speaking of endless possibilities with this collection, you saw Kerry Goulder's Hot Skates Quilt right? SO GOOD!

When I went to Spring Market this past May, I wanted to take some bags with me sewn in the Snap to Grid collection BUT I had run out time. Instead of scrapping the idea I commissioned Reece Montgomery (www.happyokapie.ca) and Sherri Chalke to make some.

Reece modified Sara Lawson's Polaris Bag along with my CASSETTE TAPE pattern piece "D". The result was this stunning bag! I HEART IT SO MUCH! It makes me SO happy just to look at it!

Sherri and I went to Quiltcon 2016 together. For the trip she had made a bag using Sonja Callaghan's, Bag PDF Pattern AND CASSETTE TAPE pattern pieces (I posted about it HERE). I've always loved Sherri's bag, so you know what I asked her to do right. The bag was PERFECT for the trip. I was always getting stopped in the isles with people asking about it.

Phew! So much to chat about this week. And I haven't even mentioned the SNAP TO GRID thread pack. Gah!!! How do Cotton + Steel always get it so right?!

RECOMMEMDED FOR YOUR PLAYLIST: Just like the Snap to Grid collection, the possibilities are endless... so I've settled on, THE CURE: Friday I'm in Love. Happy week everyone!