Blogger Bundle Giveaway! Winner Drawn

Posted in Other by StaceyinStitches

A few months ago Megan from The Fat Quarter Shop approached me and asked if I would be interested in doing a bundle for the Blogger’s Choice Fat Quarter Bundle Club. Of course I said yes! I love the blogger bundles!

For those who aren’t familiar, The Fat Quarter Shop is an online retailer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Kimberly Jolly and joined shortly thereafter by her husband Kevin, The Fat Quarter Shop started out of her home on evening and weekends. Today they carry thousands of fabrics from the best manufacturers. Oodles and oodles! More than you could conceivably roll around in in a day! From solids to stripes, modern to traditional, you can find it at the Fat Quarter Shop. Not only that, they carry notions and exclusive Kits and Block of the Months, fabric clubs and patterns. The Blogger’s Choice bundles are a handpicked collection of coordinating fat quarters. You get 12 prints and three coordinating solid-that’s 15 fat quarters! Each month a new blogger is featured, and I was pleased to be given September. There were so many new fabrics to choose from, I had a hard time deciding!

Stacey Days Blogger’s Bundle-You can find it HERE!

Ultimately I went with the fun bright colors that I love, with a few neutrals thrown in for good measure. The colors are bright and summery, with the slightest hint- just a whisper, really-of winter to come. Forme, the month of September has always been bittersweet. Growing up, the first day back to school there would always be frost. It would go from summer to almost winter in a blink, and as kids we would try everything to keep the memory of summer alive as the leaves quickly turned. September was also the start of a new school year, and my favorite part of back to school was shopping for school supplies. Paper, pencil crayons, paints, markers, pretty colored binders that would just get doodled on. One year I even painted my binders with manga and anime characters. Art was the highlight of high school for me. These were the memories and feelings that were recreated for me when I picked my bundle, and I love it! I can’t wait to get started on a quilt that will help keep summer alive at my house through the rainy season, a colorful lap version of my Forest Paths Quilt!

Now for the best part! You have a chance to win my Blogger’s Choice Bundle for yourself!

Here’s how!

~~1. Leave a comment here in this post! (one entry)~~
~~2. Follow The Fat Quarter Shop on Facebook or on Instagram , and then leave a separate comment here to let me know that you do. (optional extra entry)~~
~~3. My followers get a third entry! Let me know that you do by making a separate comment here. (optional extra entry)~~
~~4. Help spread the word!! Share the giveaway by instagram, facebook, pin, blog, etc…and then let me know that you do by leaving a seperate comment here (optional extra entry)~~

~~There, that’s four possible entries! The giveaway will be open from now until 8PM PST on Friday, September 12. Winner will be picked using~~ ~~Random and I will announce the name HERE on Saturday, September 13.~~

This giveaway is open to everyone, so if you’re a “no reply” or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment!

And the Winner is…….drumroll

#39-Crystal! who said “Thank you for the giveaway =)”

Number 39-Crystal!

Thank you to everyone who played along! Stay tuned for some more great stuff coming next week! *hint, there’s more fabric involved!*

10Feb2014

Flying Finish

Posted in Finished Quilts by StaceyinStitches

This weekend two of my favorite quilts went winging their way down to the AQS Paducha show! Sapphire Star and Sherbert at the Beach, hands down two of my favorite quilts, were accepted. I was thrilled to find those emails in my inbox, let me tell you! I wish I could be flying away to the show to see them, and the quilts from my favorite quilters! I think there is another Myers-Badger quilt making the rounds and they are always STUNNING. Sherbert at the Beach was accepted into the new Modern Quilt category, while Sapphire Star is in the Traditional Wall hanging from a Pattern Category.

I managed to finish up my Riley Blake project for the MQG Riley Blake Basics Challenge. I even finished it in time to enter the contest! Woot woot!

This is only the second pillow I have ever made. The zipper is a vertical zipper. The pillow form was the same size as the finished dimensions of the case, but I don’t think it is puffy enough. I might scrounge around for a 22″ insert. The pillow is 20″ finished, and the scallops are finished edge applique. I used Free Spirit Designer Solid in Chamois for the negative spaces, which I thought would be more off white, but is definitely a yellow hue. The pillow is a sample as well as the challenge entry. Gotta love the whole dual aviary demise with a single hard round object.

I also finished my Trend Tex Challenge quilt for the Canadian Quilters Association Quilt Canada. The show is in Ontario this year, which is much too far for me to travel, and it sounds like a lot of fun. I would love to see all the different quilts, especially because this year they have also introduced Modern Quilt Category. I would love to see what makes it in! Not to mention the stellar merchant mall. There are a plethora of modern online quilt shops in Ontario.

I free pieced this puppy, and matchstick quilted it. I don’t think I will be repeating that anytime soon. The quilt is 18″x20″ approx, and it took me 5 bobbins and way more time that it ever should have. But it looks great!!

This quilt will be auctioned off with all the other Trend Tex Challenge quilts. I hope whoever get it loves it as much as I do!

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild should make a great showing in the Modern categories. I think a dozen members entered multiple projects. I entered three myself. I will keep you posted =) Until then…

Happy Stitching!

Stacey

27Sep2012

VMQG Pincushion Swap

Posted in Tutorials and Patterns by StaceyinStitches

My guild, the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, is participating in a nationwide pincushion swap! I am excited! I love swaps, its is so much fun to send your work out and get something back in the mail. Its like Christmas! You can find more information on the swap at the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild Blog. You can also find information about the guild and how to join. We love to see new faces and quilts! Everyone is welcome, there is such a wide inspiring range of talents!

~~Holly, of~~ (Holly’s Red Bike), Felicity posted a couple pincushion tutorials on the VMQG blog ( thank you Holly for the correction) and I was immediately drawn to the Cathedral Window Pincushion over at My Go-Go Life. I have always wanted to try a Cathedral Window quilt, but have never gotten around to it. This pincushion was the perfect way to the try the technique, and now I am hooked. I am going to tweak it a bit and try a couple of things out. I really enjoy all the tutorials Kim has on her blog, and I hope you all head on over and check it out!

For my pincushion I used a Kona Solid in Linen for my square, and used Moda Bliss for my pops of color. The grey polka dot in the center was a random fat quarter I picked out of my stash. It might be a Riley Blake fabric….

I had so much fun making the front and realized I has some good scrappy pieces left over so I decided to have fun with the back too! I also made a covered button with the leftover scraps from that, and voila! A Cathedral Window Pincushion. I am going to make some more for and exciting event coming up with the guild, but more on that later!

Enjoy the tutorial and as always,

Happy Quilting!

14Sep2012

Modern Mystery Quilt Challenge

Posted in Challenges and Giveaways by StaceyinStitches

The American Quilters Society is hosting a modern Mystery Quilt. The quilt was designed by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, authors of Quilts Made Modern. The best part? Its free! It is a 6 part/week Mystery Quilt, and part 1 is up now. Part 2 will be up next week.

Because this is a free quilt-a-long, I would love for everyone to participate and send me pictures of your progress week to week! I will post pictures as we go, and then after the last installment we will have a final reveal of everyone’s finished quilt tops! You will get to vote for your favorite, and the top with the most votes will win a fat quarter pack! That’s right! I will put together a packet of 5 fresh modern fat quarters for one of my lucky readers to win! So please, share this with all your friends and lets have some fun! ~~The deadline for submissions will be November 14th, 2012. Voting will run from November 15th to November 25th, and the Winner(s) will be announced November 26th.~~ Voting Closed.

To Participate:

1. Comment below so I know how many people interested. ~~For every 10 entrants I will add a Fat Quarter Packet.~~ If there are more than 10 entries we will have a first, second and third place!

2. Encourage your friends to follow the blog and vote for your quilt! The more followers, the more votes!

3. Send a photo of your finished quilt top ( it does not have to be quilted) by November 14th, 2012

~~Here is the link~~! I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!

This challenge will be open to international participants as well! Quilting is its own language, one that is spoken with color and thread and heard with the eyes, and understood by all!

As Always,

Happy Quilting!

5Aug2012

A New World for Baby Quilts

Posted in Finished Quilts by StaceyinStitches

Does it ever seem like when one friend has a baby, suddenly everyone is having babies?? Not that I’m complaining, because it means getting to make lots of super cute baby quilts! I love the selection of spunky, modern fabrics available right now for babies and children. Especially all the owl prints. I love owls, and its so great that they are in right now! The only problem I’m having is that the owls all seem to be in little girl colors! I love how they look, but I don’t think my son would enjoy a hot-pink and green owl quilt as much as I would *sigh* so I slowly walk on past and find the blues, greens, yellows, oranges, reds and browns. Don’t get me wrong, I love what they have for baby boys, such a breath of fresh air over baby blue, white, and more baby blue. ~~But maybe they might consider all these adorable little owls~~ Ok, I found that they do make all those adorable little owls in that palette! Zoologie from Robert Kaufman!

Anyhow, I digress!

One of my best friends, M.H. just welcomed a new little girl into her family. Born yesterday morning at 9lbs 13 oz, and she came in just under 3 hours, all natural, though not by choice I’m told! M.H. is a champion, and they chose the most beautiful name for their little girl. So yesterday baby H and I went to the fabric store and picked up some cotton prints and a pastel mint minky, and we whipped up a crib sized quilt.

I always make my baby quilts 45″x60″ ( or somewhere around that mark) because its the perfect size to lay baby on the floor to play, and when baby is old enough to use fluffy quilts safely (not until after 9 months) it will fit their beds and their growing bodies. On average, a 60″ long quilt can be used as the main covering until the baby hits 3 years old. Sometimes longer, depending on the child’s growth. After that they are the perfect size to cuddle up with on the couch, floor, wherever your child wants, AND it works as a bed runner!

Since I plan baby quilts to last so long, I always choose colors and prints that are fresh, bright, and fun so that as they get older the child doesn’t feel that the blanket is too babyish. I always back with either minky or flannel so its always warm and cuddly, and I do an all-in-one backing/binding. I love this method, as it keeps the corners soft and flexible, and keeps the binding from becoming too bulky. It is also much easier than trying to use minky in traditional binding methods, minky is naturally stretchy and can be finicky.

Here is the finished baby quilt. I used the Turning Twenty block with only 6 fat quarters instead of twenty, and added 3 1/2″ borders. It makes a perfect crib size!

Enjoy!