I finally received my copies of the latest American Quilter Magazine, and now I can share the Movie Star Quilt with you all!
This was the third design I had for Kim @iadorepattern Good Hair Day collection. It’s a nice big one perfect for a bed or couch quilt. I designed the star block and the inset block using the same block layout, just colored differently. Then I modified the cutting to make it simpler and put them all on point. The end result reminded me of flashbulbs going off between the stars. And you course, who always has the best hari no matter what? You guessed it! Movie Stars!
My good friend at Whispering Pines Studio, Miriam, quilted it for me. She used an Anne Bright pantograph called Rapunzel, which I thought was cleverly appropriate considering the whole theme of the quilt and fabric is hair =) Miriam always has time for my huge last minute projects, and she deserves a HUGE thank you for that! Her work is always perfect.
You can find the Movie Star pattern in the latest issue of American Quilter Magazine, or online as a download if you are an AQS member. I will be playing with this block design in the future as well, there is a lot of potential there. The magazine is definitely worth picking up for the show winners. Marilyn Badger (one of my personal quilt heros) won the Paducah Best of Show with her STUNNING quilt and the cover shows all the detail of that beauty!
I want to thank all of you for sticking with me the last few years. 2015 saw lots of big changes and growth with my quilting, skyrocketing from a hobby into almost a career. 2016 looks to be just as promising! There are a lot of things that I just cannot share yet (Story of my life) that are pending publication.
On the first day of the new year, it is custom to make a resolution for the upcoming year, but my group of online quilty friends have a different tradition that I have decided to adopt. Instead of making a resolution, you pick a word. This word will help to shape the upcoming year, and should inspire positive changes and reflect how you want to see yourself at the end of the year.
My 2016 Word of the Year is: BALANCE
The last half of 2015 was incredibly busy, and I most definitely overwhelmed myself. Between work, family, and quilting obligations I was being pulled in so any different directions that I started to burn out. As a result, I haven’t touched my sewing machine in almost 3 weeks, which is incredibly unusual for me. Quilting has always been my zen, my unwind and relax, just being Stacey thing. I want to be able to keep quilting enjoyable even when working with deadlines, and still be able to have the family and friend time I need. I also need to be able to record what I do. The last few projects were so down to the wire (again, not the norm for me) that I wasn’t able to take pictures of any finishes!
Finding balance between my life, my work, and my quilting is my goal for 2016. There are more big changes coming this year that are going to be challenging and exciting at the same time. There is going to be an amazing amount of growth, and I am looking forward to everything the new year has in store!
Here is a quick look back at 2015
Anemone Quilt Kit- Mendocino Collection
Sparkle- Good Hair Day collection
Hot House Quilt Kit-Craftsy
Prism Quilt Kit- Craftsy
Easy Market Tote- Tula PInk True Colors
Eek! Tula Pink in person! Thanks for signing my quilt!
This year I had the immense pleasure of attending Quilt Market! I was able to go under my own credentials, but my good friend Kim, @iadorepattern, was also debuting her second line with Windham Fabrics at this Market, so I was able to tag along and lend her a hand as well.
There is so much to talk about I am going to have to write a Market Mini Series! There was so much to see and do, so many people to talk and connect with, it’s just too much for one post.
Overall, Market for me was a success. I learned SO MUCH!! And I even participated in my first Hurricane, so that was something.
On Thursday I met Kim at the airport and we whisked away to downtown Houston to our hotel.
Then we hurried over to the show floor. Windham was great, and set me up with a pass so I could come and go to help Kim set up her booth. In between set up, I hit up all the schoolhouses I wanted, from Kim to Tula Pink, to Cotton+Steel and Elizabeth Hartman. It was hard choosing, because there were so many great people booked at the same time. I missed out on Sara Lawson and Mandy Leins unfortunately, so many hard decisions to make! The Andover Little House on the Prairie was a ton of fun. Two of the actresses were there, and they were just hilarious! And while vintage reproductions fabrics aren’t usually my thing, they had some gorgeous quilts and the range of colors and prints is as true to the times as you can get. They put a lot of effort into making sure it was as accurate as possible, and it shows. And then of course there were these super cute dolls!
Kim’s schoolhouse was a lot of fun. Heather Givans, @crimsontate, was there to lend a hand and some laughs. She is absolutely delightful, and hilarious! I don’t know where she gets her energy from.
Kim with her Twice Tied Quilt, soon to be a free pattern on the Windham Website
Suprise!
Immediately following Kim was the Schoolhouse for Tula Pink! Oh man, she is so awesome to listen to! The quilts were either made by her or Julie Herman @jaybirdquilts . Chipper is probably my favorite line of hers. I love all the colors and the little chipmunk. We have a thing about chipmunks in my family, so I need to make a ton of stuff with this print!
Her new hardware is absolutely gorgeous as well. And she was super enough to sign this quilt for me, even though she is a very busy lady and had like zero time! Thank you Tula!
Then it was more set up, and then finally it was time to eat supper. But instead, I lined up for sample spree. Because why not? I sat in line with a great group of gals from Texas, and we managed to chat the 2.5 hours away until the doors opened. You might think I am crazy, but there were already people in line 3 hours before the doors opened, and I have been told to line up early becuase it gets crazy. And they weren’t kidding!
about half the line 20 min before the door opened. There were probably a couple hundred more to the left of the photo as well.
Spree was crazy! But I managed to get everything on my list thanks to a couple of super special spree angels ( who will remain nameless, but they know who they are). I completely missed the Moda booth and was a little bummed, because the new Zen Chic is so awesome, and I would have loved a bundle. But by that time my card was on fire, so I needed to stop.
All in all the first day of market was a rousing success, and the floor wasn’t even open yet! Kim’s booth was amazing and we both slept a good 8-10 hours that night, despite the blisters (note to self, bring flip flops next time!) The first aid lady was real nice though =)
Up here in the Great White North it’s Thanksgiving day. Time for family, friends, and turkeys so huge that they were probably velociraptors in another life.
My favorite part of Thanksgiving is when you go around the table and name the things you are thankful for. It’s just myself and H for dinner this year, so there won’t be a much of a roundtable as usual. So I thought I would share Thanks with all of you!
“Mariposa” Hoffman Challenge 2015-3rd place pieced category
I am thankful for my family. Without their continuous love and support I wouldn’t be able to accomplish all that I do.
I am thankful for my friends. I have met so many new and awesome people in the last couple years, and each one has had an influence on me in some way, whether it’s in ‘real life’ or online, I am happy to have them!
I am thankful for the opportunity to do what I love every day. I still cannot believe that such a large part of my life gets to be quilting.
And finally, I am thankful for all of you for reading along with my adventures and giving me a reason to blog!
I am so happy to be writing tonight, because I finally get to tell you all about my new online only pattern series with American Quilter Magazine!
We set this up back in November, when I made the Whirlpool quilt, and I have been working away since then on a 5 quilt series. The patterns are downloadable on the American Quilter website, just click here for a direct link. The pattern series will use a variety of techniques, from applique to paper piecing, and will cover a broad range of skill levels.
First in this series is Photobomb.
Photobomb is one of my favorite designs. Originally for the book that never was, AQS liked it a lot and agreed to use it as the first quilt in the series. It combines traditional lone star construction with raw edge applique and an improv layout. I always thought this quilt would look great resized as a baby quilt in rainbow colors, so I might have to make one and see if I am right!
The quilt was inspired by one of my favorite placed to take photos. The walkways are cement square tiles with inlaid rock mosaics spaced out around the center fountain. The fountain has a beautiful carved sunburst, which always appeal to me and my love of stars.
My good friend Joan at Maple Leaf Quilters did an amazing custom job for me. The white areas are all quilted in a freehand paisley, the black borders have a ribbon candy pattern, and the stars segments are filled with orange peel echos. I just love it!
The layout possibilities are endless with Photobomb. The background can be plain solid, or pieced with smaller sashes, the stars can be put anywhere you want, borders can be replaced with facings, the list goes on!
I am going to be offering this quilt as a workshop, so if you or your guild is interested, please feel free to contact me. I have a lot of tips and tricks to share and techniques to teach.
As usual, I want to see what you are making! Tag me on Instagram @staceyinstitches, #photobombquilt, send me an email, or upload your quilt to the Stacey Day Quilts group on Flickr.
Back in October I was asked by Freespirit to come up with a quilt design for one of the new collections they were unveiling at market, Lulu Roses by Tanya Whelan. The quilt was made, it was displayed, and then the lovely people at McCall’s Quilting picked it up for a future issue.
Rose Medallion for Lulu Roses Collection By Tanya Whelan for FreeSpirit
Finally, I can tell you all that the Rose Medallion Quilt pattern is available! You can find it in the July/Aug issue of McCall’s Quilting magazine, and on the front cover no less! I probably don’t have to tell you how thrilled I was, but I will! And surprised! Rose Medallion was a lot of fun to make,and I am very happy with how it turned out, and the quilting. I did everything on my domestic machine. Pre-marked and with a walking foot. That crosshatching was painstakingly calculated and carefully drawn, then quilted so that it didn’t stretch the background. All those lines are stitched on the bias.If I had thought too hard about it, I might have done something different, but I am glad I went with it. It reminds me of a garden trellis, and the medallion is a giant flower on display. The mitred borders are the best feature of the entire quilt. The tiny inside border is actually 3D!
The magazine should be available very soon on your local newsstands, but for those of you who cannot wait, you can get the digital issue from the McCall’s website, just click here! The issue has some great projects for any style and skill level. There are a couple in there I want to make for H’s new bed, and for a lap quilt (though of course for me a lap quilt is pretty much a queen!)
You can see all the gorgeous projects, including my own Rose Medallion, in the Issue Preview video on the McCall’s Facebook page. And if you love the quilt just that much, McCall’s is even offering it as a kit! Woot!! You can pick yours up on their website, or clicking here.
I hope you all enjoy the magazine! As always, I love to see what you are making. Tag me on instagram @staceyinstitches, add your picture to the Stacey Day Quilts Flickr group, or send me an email with your Rose Medallion!
I have been waiting all month ( and some of April too) to share this quilt finish with everyone!
Way back last year I submitted some designs to the Modern Quilt Guild for the Quiltcon Raffle Quilt. The design they chose was superb and perfect to represent modern quilting. Then I got an email asking if i would be interested in repurposing my submission for the Pattern of the Month program. Of course I said yes!
Meet my newest baby, Sunshowers!
Sunshowers is my representation of the rainy days in Vancouver, where the sunbeams break through the clouds and you know that it won’t be raining forever. It starte as a QDAD design, but quickly morphed into something more personal as I worked on it.
Look at all those triangles!
I tweaked the size of the design to make it suitable for a child’s quilt. Then I had all kinds of fun putting it together. I freely admit that pressing is my least favorite part of quilting. Thankfully I was at my parents for a weekend and my mom LOVES pressing, so she did it all for me.
Then when it was all said and done, I loaded it onto the longarm and had at it. I used a lot of the quilting techniques and styles I learned at Quiltcon. I love the varying straight lines, and I threw in some ghost shapes just for fun. I had intended to do just straight line quilting, but I very quickly got bored of it (after about 5 lines). Now I completely understand what Angela Walters mean when she says that she doesn’t fully plan quilting. I changed motifs on a whim, going with what felt right, changing it up when I got bored. Totally works for me. I may never be a Judi Madsen or Marilyn Badger, but “finished is better than perfect!” ( Thanks AW!)
I am so happy with how the quilt turned out!! Sunshowers is a free download for Modern Quilt Guild Members though the community forum. Members will have the link emailed to them. For those of you who aren’t, I will be able to have the pattern made available for download in a few months!
I used a selection of Cloud 9 Fabrics beautiful organic solids for Sunshowers. They are so super soft and pretty! And that’s without washing them!
Photo day was super sunny, but super windy! I tried a couple “in the wind” shots, but they almost turned into “gone with the wind” shots. There was also a 100% chance of Toddler, but I didn’t mind =)
When you have children, you start to rediscover the world through their eyes.
The last two weekends I have taken H to quilt shows- Sunshine Coast Quilt Show and the Boundary Bay quilt show. At the Boundary Bay show, I let H run wild with my camera. He had so much fun and the show-goers got a giggle or two as well!
I always wondered what things look like through his eyes 😉
I had to eliminate a lot of legs. Just…legs…
Sewing at the open sewing booth
up, down, up, down….
tah daaa!!
candid mommy momebt. I am a GIANT!
High Five from @hushrules in front of his favorite quilt
So many of you not might know, but I used to be a seamstress. I have a diploma in Fashion Production from Olds College, where I had the best two years ever! I started out with lofty goals, but as I settled more and more into myself, I realized that I was very happy sewing what I wanted to sew. I worked for a mascot company at the time, which was a fun job. I even modeled for them. Though you wouldn’t know it was me 😉 Unfortunately life (and a future husband) happened, and I had to leave the company, but I kept up my sewing skills by quilting more and more. Our small northern town didn’t have a garment fabric place, but there were some amazing quilt shops, one about a block from my house and another that was totally worth the scary drive down the back roads to the barn of awesome quilty goodness. I don’t know if it is still there, it was basically a plywood sign with an arrow that said Quilt Shop on the side of the highway.
Yup, that says Alaska Highway! The star is an approximation…
Garment sewing is a whole ‘nother thing compared to quilting. If you cut your quilting fabric off grain, you can usually steam it in place and stitch the heck over it to make sure it stays there once its quilted. If you cut a dress off grain, after about 24 hours of hanger time will leave you with an uneven hem. Gah! Hems!! And then there is zippers, buttons, holes, understitching, stay stitching, armholes, sleeve caps, pleats, easing, gathers the proper way….you get the drift. I fell away from garments for a while, picked it up here and there again, but for the most part I gravitated towards quilting.
A couple months ago my best friend started her blog about all the things she sews for herself and her daughter, and it really fed those embers of garment sewing that were laying dormant in my brain. I was super inspired, so just before Quiltcon I reached out to Windham Fabrics. I was making a quilt for their upcoming Flora Collection by Kelly Ventura, and they have a cotton lawn in the main print that I really felt the need to sew with. I was also lucky enough to receive yardage in the new Low Country Indigo linen. I figure might as well jump right back in with both feet. As I was sewing, I decided to jot down some notes, for when I finally got around to blogging about them.
For the Flora fabric I chose a classic skirt pattern that I have had for ages, McCalls M5430 Misses Wrap Skirt. The weight of the lawn was perfect for this pattern. I wore it 4 times on my 5 day trip to quilt con. Thats how much I love it! The pattern is relatively easy, my paper pattern cover says its a 1 Hour Easy project, but it certainly takes longer than that. Especially when cutting it out properly.
I made version A with the pockets from C. One day I might make myself a normal C, but I love the front ruffle from A. It definitely takes patience if you aren’t a garment sewing person, the gathering was a little wonky on the pieces (as in, didn’t fit and I think it was a marking issue from this pattern. Again, its an oldie but a goodie!) Windham liked it so much that they took my little skirt and photographed it all professional like and put it in the Look Book for Flora! They have a much more flattering picture of it. I can’t wait to get it back and wear it again!
The pattern I chose for the Low Country Indigo was from Butterick Retro, B5603. This pattern is one of my favorites, the only problem was how BIG that skirt is. The pattern is made for a crinoline to go beneath it and hold out the skirt. I was NOT making a crinoline (or buying one for that matter) and the linen was a heavier fabric than the recommended fabrics for the pattern. So I had to pull out my more than slightly rusty skills and alter it myself. I don’t recommend altering patterns unless you have either done it before or are with someone who has, it is really easy to jumble things up. You really need to keep an eye on the grain lines, make sure the lengths of the seams still match (not the outside edge, but the 5/8″ in from the edge where you actually do the sewing), and know where its okay to take the extra out. What I did probably constitutes as grading rather than altering, and i was running a lot off the little instinctive voice in the back of my head, but I was successfully able to remove just over 40″ of circumference from the skirt while maintaining the drape and shape of the waist, skirt panels and hemline. Woot!
I made version C, I love a crossover neckline. On me though, that particular neckline sits higher than I normally wear, so when I make this again I am going to tweak that as well. I also changed the wrap over back ( which looks just like the front) into a single piece to save fabric.
I Just love the top print!
I have a serger that I used to finish all my seams, and hid the rest by hand sewing the bodice lining over the seam of the skirt join. I love a clean look inside, even if no one will see it but me. I know it there, and along with clean underwear, clean seams are something you want in a garment in case you ever have to go to the hospital. No Sloppy Seamstress Syndrome! My serger was polite enough to ease the hem as I finished it ( a combination of tension tweaks meeting off grain hem) so that took a whole lot of work off the finishing.
Those hash tags!!! YES PLEASE!!!
I make a better mascot model, but here you go!
I love my dress and skirt SO MUCH! The Low Country Indigo also comes in quilting cotton on a white background, its pretty gorgeous. And Flora is going to be shipping out soon. I love it a lot! I have two patterns coming out with Flora, and the quilt I made will be hanging at the Windham booth at Spring Quilt Market! I will write about that quilt later, but in the meantime, here are the little notes I wrote while sewing:
-MOCKING!! Mock up are important to check the fit and structure of a garment. usually broadcloth works to mimic the lightweight to sheer fabric, and muslin for the heavier fabrics. Baste the seams of the mock up, and once it fits how you want, transfer the alterations to the pattern.
– Make the pattern for your bust size and then adjust the rest. The bust line dictated everything from where the waistline sits, to the armholes, neck size, and shoulders. So if your bust is a 12 and your waist is a 14, make the 12. Waist and hip are straight forward, you just add an equal amount to each seam to achieve the size you need (remember to split the amount between both sides fo the pattern piece. So a half inch to each seam means a quarter inch to either side of the pattern piece)
-Tissue patterns have stretch. Cure them before pinning by pressing them with an iron on the nlon setting. this adds a little static, so they cling to the fabric, reduces the wrinkles and you don’t get nearly as much stretching.
-If you use a rotary cutter to cut garments, use the smallest one possible and a straight ruler ( I use a 1″x 12″ grid ruler) The ruler will protect your fingers, and the smaller rotary wheel has less surface area, so the fabric won’t be pushed as far off grain as it does with a larger wheel, which has a larger surface area per turn.
These are some very basic notes, if you are a first time garment sewer, I would recommend finding tutorials or books to help. I still have all my books from college, but a really great resource is The Sewtionary. Tasia is a local Vancouver designer, and she has a great pattern line that is perfect for first time garment makers, Sewaholic. Each pattern has a how to on the site, as well as a sew along that you can follow to answer any questions. I have a number of her patterns, and I am going to be getting some more Flora to make the dress from for summer.
