Guest blogging for Sew Sweetness

Hi everyone,
Today I've got a guest post up at Sara's blog! I'm reviewing Jaybird Quilts pattern Snack Time. So head on over and see what I have to say about this one and find out more about the quilt I made!

Here is the rest of the schedule for the sew along if you'd like to check them out!

Here is the schedule of guest posts that will appear:

April 21 - Lynn @ The Little Red Hen – Science Fair
April 22 – Scott @ Blue Nickel Studios - Seaside
April 23 – Emily @ Mommy’s Naptime – Mini Disco
April 24 – Hadley @ Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle - Jawbreaker
April 25 – Kelly @ Kelby Sews - Giggles
April 28 – Becky @ My Fabric Obsession - Snack Time
April 29 – Sara @ Sew Sweetness - Tasty
April 30 – Michelle @ City House Quilts - Candy Dish
May 1 – Debbie @ A Quilter’s Table - Northern Lights
May 2 – Marci @ Marci Girl Designs - Lotus
May 5 – Kerry @ Verrykerryberry - Rock Candy
May 6 – Andres @ Mad Tesla - Mini Northern Lights
May 7 – Lee @ May Chappell - Day Break   &    Kim @ My Go-Go Life – Candy Dish
May 8 – Leona @ Leona’s Quilting Adventure - Wonton
May 9 – Heather @ House of a la Mode - Disco
May 12 – Jane @ Quilt Jane - Night Sky
May 13 – Lucy @ Charm About You - Tiny Dancer

finished blocks and completed April goal!

I finished my blocks for my friend Julie aka Jaybird Quilts. If you haven't heard of her project, she's putting together a quilt for her huppa for her upcoming wedding! I'm not thrilled with how my points came together. I always forget how problems multiply when you work tiny. But, these blocks are only 6" tall so unless someone is examining it, it shouldn't be a problem! If you would like to make a block, the details are on her blog.

And I finished my April Goal for A Lovely Year of finishes.  My April Goal was to determine how I was going to put together my tutorial for my month as bee queen. I had some mistakes, but I've got my plan all together. Here are the two demo blocks I did.

I'm really excited to make more of these!

Weekend sewing

Yes, it's Wednesday and the weekend was a while ago! But I got a lot done and had some fun and wanted to show what I did. My lovely friend Denise let me come use her long arm again to get done a queen size quilt.

I used the same spiral square pantograph that I used on my first anchor quilt because I loved it so much. And Let me tell you, I've been spoiled by this longarm. I really hate quilting on my domestic machine now! It's just so easy on the longarm. And I get to avoid my least favorite part of quilting - the basting process.

I love how this pantograph kind of makes it look wavy and gives some motion to the quilt. I'll show the final quilt once I get it bound and photographed properly!

I also worked on my blocks for We Bee Modern. Liane let us play with Geese this month! She asked for 12.5" blocks with flying geese in them, a blue background and candy colored geese. These are the two blocks I created.

Quilters make the world a better place

I don't normally talk about personal business here on the blog. My thoughts on that are this... Just like IRL, you don't tell everyone when bad stuff is going on in your life. Some people don't understand, some don't want to hear it, some people might even use it against you. And often, someone can get hurt.

So for the same reasons that I'm cautious in real life, I don't drag my personal life onto the blog. But today, I just have to gush a bit about quilters. Because this weekend, this little mini charm pack showed up in my mailbox.

Not because of a giveaway, or a purchase, or even because the person who sent it knows me. Just because the person who sent it is a quilter and therefore a great person. Because let me tell you. When the other people in my life haven't been so great, the quilters I've met always have been. My experience is that they are supportive, always there with a kind word, a tool you need to borrow, and yes, even free fabric! Maybe it's because we speak the same language? It's easier to cheer someone up when you speak the same language. It's very lifting to know there are such wonderful women (and men) in the world.

All I know is that I was suffering with the flu last week (all better now!) and various other boring personal issues. And this little beauty brightened my day immeasurably!

(btw - itsn't this line fabulous!?)

I plan to take what I've learned from all you fabulous quilters and pay it forward. Just randomly, like this gift! Because you never know when someone needs a smile. :) 

A little luck and an April Goal

Apparently March was a pretty lucky month for me in the quilty world! It's amazing, I had a really rough personal month in March, and this was totally a needed pick me up.

Thanks to Quilt Taffy and Riley Blake Fabrics I won this adorable charm pack of Treasure Map. It's just begging to be made into something for my little boy.

I also was super lucky to win a $50 Gift Certificate to Forth Worth Fabrics from A Quilting Life. I picked out these goodies. And look how fun  they packaged them!

Here's a better view of the fabrics (and the hot chocolate they included - yum!)

Thank you Fort Worth Fabric Studio for such gorgeous fabric!


Then I really hit the jackpot and won the QAL prize for my Mod Olives quilt at Sew Kind of Wonderful. I haven't blogged about my quilt because I wanted to get it quilted up first. But you can see the unquilted top here. The prize was a quilted table runner from Jenny herself. I have decided to make it a wallhanging (where no kids will destroy it!).

Some close ups of the amazing quilting:

Thank you so much Jenny!!

And because it's a new month, I need to set a Lovely Year of Finishes Goal! Next month is my month in We Bee With it. So I need to do some work this month to choose what I'll have everyone work on. Right now I'm thinking Ocean Waves. My goal is to make a few mock ups and decide on my pattern and color for the bee mates to make!