I'VE BEEN MEANING TO MENTION...

A few weeks ago The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild posted about the class that I'll be teaching. The workshop is called, "How to Design a Paper Pieced Block." Here's the write up and the details: 

When I learned to paper piece (from VMQG’s very own Sonja Callaghan) my brain exploded with possibilities. There were a ton of great blocks out there already but the challenge to design my own blocks was too irresistible to not give it a whirl. I didn’t jump in right away though, it was intimidating… all those pieces!

People seem to LOVE or really not love paper piecing but I’ve never met anyone who feels indifferent about it. If you love the process and the graphic nature of it then I bet you’re ready to design your own block. All you need is a basic understanding of paper piecing and you can join me on April 22 at the Croatian Cultural Centre, as we walk through the process of designing your own individual paper pieced blocks.

Registration is open! email workshops@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca to register or to be added to the waiting list.

When: Sunday, April 22nd

Where: Croatian Cultural Center

Cost: $50 members; $65 non-members (fees are non-refundable)

Also on May 26th, I will be teaching a workshop for The Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild. The location, times and price are all still to be announced BUT we will be making Cassette Tape Zippy pouches! Small, medium and large. Yay! And if we have any left over time, maybe we can squeak in a Match Book Needle Book too! Fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted closer to the date.

Speaking of the FVMQGSherri Chalke and I have been invited to be the featured quilters at their Creative Stitches booth on March 16 and 17th at the Abbotsford Tradex. It's coming up quick AND it was a HUGE honour to be asked.

So there you go, hopefully we'll bump into each other at at least one of those venues!

Okay now for HAVE YOU SEEN: Sarah Watts' Craftedmoon enamel pins? BACK THE TRUCK UP! They're the BEST! I may have bought a few at Quiltcon...or three...but who's counting: wink, wink! And for the record, I hope they get to open that mini golf course one day!

And Last but not least RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR PLAYLIST: When deep down a Youtube rabbit hole I discovered this band called the FRIGHTS. The song is called "You are going to hate this" BUT I don't! I HEART IT!

 

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!