The Reclaimed West Blog Tour Winner Announced!

Posted in Blogathon, Finished Quilts, Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

A huge thank you to everyone who visited for The Reclaimed West Blog Tour.

I wanted to reply to everyone’s comments, thank you all so much for your kind and encouraging words! I drew the winner of my free pattern, and the lucky number is……#25! Beezus, who said “Congratulations Stacey”. Yay!

Welcome all to my day on the Reclaimed West Blog Tour. ( If you are here for the Blogathon Canada tour and giveaway, click here after reading all about this wonderful tour and entering this giveaway, and if not, check out both for some great fun!!) You can find all the tour dates and blogs here on the Timeless Treasures blog. They are a super group of very talented ladies, so check them out!

I cannot even begin to describe my feelings to you all, having a design chosen as part of The Reclaimed West Tour. So a little back story might be in order.

I own almost every Judy Niemeyer pattern there is. She is one of my biggest influences, and it shows constantly in my work. I have made her Amazon Star in three sizes, 18″, 40″, and the full 104″. My Sapphire Star quilt, made from her Glacier Star pattern, has been juried into multiple shows across North America and even took home a ribbon from the Canadian Quilters Association. I have a private running challenge with my Grandma over who is going to finish her Pepper Dish first, and I was even able to provide an extra copy of Birds of Paradise to someone after the call went out on Quiltworx Facebook page. I love Judy and Judels work, and will even get up extra super early on sale days just to get the latest patterns.

Being a part of the launch of her new fabric line, The Reclaimed West, is a huge deal for me. Understatement of the year maybe….

I could ramble on and on about how beautiful the fabric is, the richness of the colors, the striking prints (only Judy and Judel could romanticize cows to the point where I would willingly sew with them), and the soft silk feeling of rolling around in a pile of…I mean…sewing with the fabrics. Instead I will show you with the introduction of my new pattern:

Star of the West

When I saw that Timeless Treasures was looking for submissions for the line, I fell out of my chair and immediately got to work playing. I knew that I wanted to do something to show the influence Judy had early on when I first started quilting, but at the same time keep true to the aesthetic that has evolved into my own style. So I started playing with the layouts and negative space. And playing…and playing… and playing.

I realized I was over-thinking things, and settled on a simple feathered star block. Then I found a color layout that I loved, and added the geese border. I wanted to reclaim that old favorite of mine, the lone star and flying geese, by adding some negative space and drawing out a little modern in the overall design. I created something that I loved, and sent it off with hope in my heart.

After I picked myself off the floor a second time, when I got the email saying my design had been accepted, I got to work drafting and writing. In true Judy style the quilt is foundation pieced. I love foundation piecing, it makes pointy points! Then the big day arrived with a box of fabric on my front step. I crawled on up and opened it and immediately started sewing.

I finished in record time (for me) and then I was stumped. How to quilt it? The finished size is 64″x 64″, not unmanageable on my machine. But I was stuck. I simply could not decide. I definitely wanted to pay tribute to the beautiful quilting found on all of Judy’s quilts, but also wanted to keep within the modern traditional. Enter Ann Olson of Ann’s Quilt and Stuff. She took my top and turned it into a masterpiece. She delivered exactly what I was looking for, free motion triangle fillers, straight lines, and these amazing triangle feathers in a tribute to the gorgeous feather work found on an original Judy quilt. I cannot even begin to thank Ann enough.

From start to finish, this quilt has been an incredible journey for me. To be a part of the blog tour with all these amazing quilters (almost all of which are certified Quiltworx instructors or successful business owners, or both) has been a joy and a privilege.

Star of the West is available from my Craftsy shop. The pattern is a PDF download, full color diagrams and pictures. The foundations are included in the pattern, but require legal size paper (8 1/2″x 14″ paper) to print. I am also giving away one of my patterns to a lucky commenter today! Just leave a comment at the end of this post. I will draw the winner on Friday, November 21 at 8pm (the conclusion of the tour). Timeless Treasures is also giving away an awesome Reclaimed West prize package here! You get an entry a day. Just visit the blogs of the day and follow the link back to enter each day.

Thank you for stopping by and allowing me to share my quilt with you. Please visit again!

Happy Stitching,

7Nov2014

Introducing Bumblecomb!

Posted in Other by StaceyinStitches

Bumblecomb Baby Quilt-Photo Courtesy of Freespirit Fabrics

A few months ago I had the opportunity to design a project using Tula Pink’s new line of baby prints, Bumble. Bumble is a dreamy, sweet collection featuring bumble bees, pollen, birchwood forests and a dreamy cloudy skyland, all in the classic Tula style. What makes the collection unique is the fabric itself- a super soft, high thread count peached poplin with a gentle texture that makes it perfect for everything from quilts to clothing. It was a dream to sew with, and pictures can’t quite capture the depth of the color-subtle and vibrant at the same time.

Free motion clouds

I decided to go with a baby quilt-super easy, appliqued hexagons (because, you know, bees!) and a two tone background. The hexagons are big enough to allow fussy cutting of the feature fabrics, and the edges are left raw, because babies love texture.

The pattern is available as a free download from from the Freespirit website, as are a number of other great projects.

I love how the project turned out, and I hope you do too. I would love to see your finished version of Bumblecomb! Tag me on instagram @staceyinstitches, or add it to the Stacey Day Quilts Flickr Group.

Happy Stitching!

6Sep2014

Forest Paths- A Digital Pattern Updated

Posted in Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

I was recently informed that the link to my pattern was bad! This has been fixed, thank you so much for your patience.

You read it right, my very first pattern is now available under my own label: Stacey Day Quilts. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am. I have been writing for a while for a couple different companies, and the experience has been amazing. Forest Paths is the first in a long line of amazing quilty things to come (eeeeek!!)

Forest Paths Baby/Toddler Quilt

Forest Paths is 47″ x 58″ and is suitable for a confident beginner. It is available as an instant download from my ~~Etsy Shop~~ Since this post went up I have discovered that Craftsy charges no fees for patterns, so I have moved my shop! Please go HERE for the pattern at its new home! You may also find the link under the Patterns tab at teh top of the page. ~~You can find the link here or under the shiny new Patterns tab~~. I wanted to feature the adorable prints and create some fun secondary designs in the spaces surrounding them. The arrow “paths” were a fun secondary design that appeared when I was playing with the block. The best part is, there are NO Y-seams in this one! That’s right! Just some simple piecing and a straight forward layout. Woo hoo!!

I really hope you enjoy the Forest Paths quilt pattern! Let all your friends know where to find it! Take a picture and email it to me, upload it to the Stacey Day Quilts Flickr group, or tag me on Instagram @staceyinstitches #forestpathsquilt yes I am finally on Instagram! Lets make this launch a success!

I designed Forest Paths for the Forest Frolic Collection by Timeless Treasures. The second I saw the fabric I fell in love. The woodland creatures traipsing about the forest are completely enchanting. I mean, come on- how cute are those little foxes? The main print, Nordic Woodland, is perfect for fussy cutting in a number of ways, and the support prints are just as versatile. The collection is whimsically nordic, and I cannot wait to get my paws on it.

Clockwise from top-Forest Houses, Foxes, Birds and Branches, Nordic Woodland

From left to right-Triangle Geo, Floral Tonal, Sketch in Breeze, Sketch in Ivory

Happy Stitching!

1Sep2014

241 Goodness

Posted in Finished Quilts, Other by StaceyinStitches

Welcome to the first day of September!!!

Last night I finally got the chance to sit down and make something for myself. I have been so busy lately I haven’t had time to even think of a personal project, let alone start. Somehow I found myself with about an hour of spare time around 10pm, and my wonderful husband told me if I wanted to sew all night he would get up with kiddo (who is a 6am waker!) So there I was with as many hours as I cared to have, and despite having 2 tops to baste and start quilting, I pulled out my 241 bag pattern from Noodlehead.

Now the 241 bag isn’t anything new. If anything it is becoming timeless. Many of the VMQGers have themselves a 241 bag or two (or ten if your Krista@Poppyprint) In fact it was Krista’s last 241 creation that inspired me to purchase the pattern. I LOVE that red feather print! But then the pattern just sat.

And sat……

And sat……..

Now I don’t feel so bad about the sitting, because I was able to do a little research into the small adjustments others have made, and why they made them. For example, I am quite tall, so I added an extra 3″ to the strap and it made just that little bit of difference of how it sits. If I had the hardware I would made an adjustable strap like Krista, but baby steps first!

I also enlarged the pieces 30%, because I like a large bag, and somehow it became a requirement for having a toddler. I went with the inside pocket as the only extra step, I will start adding exterior pockets when I find zippers and such. By crazy random happenstance the print lined up perfectly! Woot woot!!

Somehow I also ran out of interfacing, so there are 3 different types in here. The body is shape flex, the strap is a midweight non woven with some structure to it, and the side pockets are a sheerweight. Overall it worked well. The strap needs to be durable (again, toddler) and I wanted the side pockets to be flexible without bulk to make attaching them to the bag easier. It worked. They had just a little give, enough to ease them into the side panels perfectly. I like how the direction of the pocket print balances with the direction of the feathers =)

I used a Navy Sketch Basic from Timeless Treasures for the sides and strap, which perfectly complimented the Of a Feather print I have been hoarding from the Tsuru collection by Rashida Coleman-Hale. I have yards of it, and was going to use it for bindings, but the print cried out in happiness as I pulled it from my stash for this bag. That pretty coral scallop is a hard to find print from the Vintage Verona Collection by Emily Taylor Designs for Riley Blake. I used it for the lining as well, and the navy I used for the pocket lining. All about balance! Here are the runner up pulls for this bag. Some may still be made, i just need find more interfacing!

Nordika, Dots, and Sweet Serenade

Kona Bay meets PB&J

Lark and Linen

The bag has officially been christened: I found something that might have been yogurt on the top of the strap after I hung it on the back of the chair while I grabbed my camera. (10 seconds people, must be a new record!). In a few days I am sure it will start sprouting gummy snacks and little plastic airplanes, but for now I will enjoy having a bag all to myself!

Happy Stitching!!

8Jun2014

Quilt Design A Day- Day 90 and a Free Pattern!!

Posted in Quilt Design A Day, Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

Today is the day I achieved the 90 day chip in #QDAD. It is definitely an achievement for me. I can hardly believe I have been able to pull 180 designs out of my head. They aren’t all winners, that for sure, but I do have some that I absolutely love.

Being part of the QDAD group sure has opened up a new world of creative possibilities for me. I am always seeing new and exciting things from the other group members, and we all give each other feedback and advice, or stutter around trying not to say “I love it” a million times even though that’s all you really can say sometimes! I have learned a lot about minimalist designs and using negative space effectively. I am happy to report that none of the floral inspired images from last month looked too Yoni. (Look it up, its hilarious)

Here are a selection of some of my favorites from last month.

May 11 Feathers

May 2-Palm Tree

May 5-Windows

May 7- Seascape

May 27- Succulent Garden

May 20- Storm at Sea

May 24 feathers

This last one is one of my personal favorites. The last week in May and the start of June seemed filled with feathers. We were turning into birds! This particular design was fairly literal, but it looked fantastic. It wsa a group favorite, so I decided to make the feather block a free pattern. The block had to be modified for easier piecing, but here it its! There is a string block included, but it might be fun to do some pearle cotton stitches instead, don’t you think?

Feather Block

Feather String

I Hope you enjoy the pattern, and of course if you have any question feel free to contact me. I would love to see your finished blocks!

Happy Stitching!

Stacey

21May2014

The Secret is out!

Posted in Finished Quilts, Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

That’s right! That is MY quilt hanging in the Moda booth at quilt market!! Wheee!!!!

I recently got on doing work for a local fabric designer, Stephanie Carter. She owns Lily Ashbury Design Studio, and among other things, she designs fabrics for Moda. She designs the quilts and then I get to make a working pattern from her specs. Its a whole lot of fun for me, since this is what I went to school for too many years ago.

Little Cabin by Lily Ashbury Designs
Sewn by Stacey Day, Quilted by Joan Nicholson

Fancy is the second collection I have had the privileged of working with. It is slated for release this fall, and I know that Fat Quarter Shop will be carrying it. The main prints are absolutely stunning!! You can see the entire collection here on Moda’s website.

The first collection is being released this month. Called Folklore, it is a stunner of a collection in all beautiful shades of lime, teal, aqua, yellow and orange.

I wrote two patterns for this collection, the first being Dewdrop.

Dewdrop by Lily Ashbury Designs Written and Sewn by Stacey Day

The second quilt is called Sunshine Garden.

Sunshine Garden by Lily Ashbury Designs

The Folklore fabric and patterns will be soon be available at your local quilt shop and online. It is currently available for pre-order at:

FabricWorm

Butterfly Kisses Fabric

Winter Creek Cloth

Hamel’s Fabric

I am so happy I can finally share what I have been working on the last few months.

The little guy even had fun, since there was no shortage of stairs at the office!

Happy Stitching,

Stacey

If you are a fabric designer and are in need of a technical writer/sample maker please contact me at staceydayquilts (AT) yahoo (DOT) com

29Jan2014

My first pattern….In Print!

Posted in Finished Quilts, Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

This is my very first published pattern, and I am so excited to be able to FINALLY share it with you!

I always have quilt designs floating around, and when Fat Quarterly put out a call for submissions for their scraps issue, I knew exactly which quilt to make.

Presenting Putting on the Ritz!

Putting on the Ritz

We took the pictures over the holidays at my parents home. It’s always a gorgeous winter wonderland up on the mountain. Nothing like fresh air and snow to get your heart going! It also makes the perfect backdrop for a fun, colorful quilt shoot.

You can’t see it from here, but there is a drop off behind the bend that goes down a few feet. My darling hubby scaled the embankment just so I wouldn’t have footprints in my pictures. I’m a lucky gal!

You can find Issue 16, and pretty much any other Issue, here. The Scraps issue is chock full of fantastic scrappy patterns that will bust through those scraps in no time!

I would love to see your version of Putting on the Ritz! Send me a photo of the completed top or quilt and I will be sure to share it on the blog.

Happy Stitching!

Stacey

18Nov2013

Blogathon Canada Day!

Posted in Finished Quilts, Quilt-A-Longs by StaceyinStitches

Welcome Everyone from the Blogathon Canada Blog Hop!!

My name is Stacey, and I live in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I have been blogging here for just over a year now. I love to quilt, and Paper piecing stars and compasses are my favorite. I am a founding member of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, and I love it! I am a self-described Hybrid Quilter, not fully traditional, not fully modern, but fully a quilter! I love to write patterns, and I work as an X-Ray Technologist to support my quilting addiction.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

I am so excited to share my newest quilt with everyone- Sherbert At The Beach!

Sherbert at the Beach

Sherbert at the Beach is my Michael Miller Cotton Couture Challenge quilt. I gets its name from a memory of the summer, when I took my little guy to the beach on a hot day. We had ice cream and it dripped all over the sand, too fast for us to catch it. It was a great day that I will always remember. When the challenge was announced at the August guild meeting the bright, citrus palette immediately brought the idea of bright fruity sherbert to mind and the memory of that day. Having only worked with Kona solids at that point, the Michael Miller Cotton Couture was a pleasant change for me. I like the texture and the weight of the fabric. It is almost a voile weight. Very light, easy to sew. I chose a Free Spirit Designer Solid in Sandstone as by background color to keep the colors popping without looking like a neon sign. I also used it for the backing and binding, and threw my extra blocks onto the back. WHAT?! A Pieced back you say! That’s right, I finally did it!

The quilt consists of 16 Disappearing Nine Patch blocks. Those were a lot of fun to make once I got over the fact that I was technically making each block twice. I chose random color placements and some I even cut off-center for some variety. Overall it worked out great and this quilt is probably the most truly modern thing I have ever made.

Quilting Detail

I chose an overall meandering square design for the quilting. I saw the design used by Melissa Corry of Happy Quilting some weeks ago, and I immediately thought if it when I was preparing to quilt. I free motion quilted mine however, and getting those points perfect takes some practice! Not all the lines are perfectly straight, which I think gives it a great organic feel. I used a YLI Coated Cotton Quilting thread in Rose for the top and Mettler Metrosene for the bobbin. The balance between the two threads was amazing and you cannot see the colored thread on the back.

YLI Coated Cotton Thread in Rose

I was very impressed with the thread. I was afraid that the weight combined with the coating would not go over well, but it is specially made for machine quilting, which definitely shows when you are quilting. I highly recommend trying some out!

Quilting Detail

Thank you everyone for for coming over for a visit! There will be lots of exciting things happening here at Stacey in Stitches over the next few months, so feel free to follow along!

As promised, here is the free pattern I promised you all! Some of you may recall the Quilted Clock I made for my FLiRTS swap partner. There was enough interest to turn that clock into a pattern. Enjoy!

Quilted CLock Pattern

Quilt CLock Templates

Happy Stitching,

Stacey