Santa Baby and NTT

...or is it Santa's Belly?  Welcome to the final NTT for 2018 friends!  Pillows are such a fun way to get some instant quilty gratification, and at this time of year we all need a little of that.  I love that this pillow is clearly Santa without being a picture of him.  It is just a little different, and that makes it really neat.

I realized the other day that of all of the Christmas pillows I've ever made I've never kept one for myself, and I decided that it was time for that trend to end.  I had so much fun with this whimsical Santa Belly pillow, and it went together pretty quickly.

The color variation in the red scrappy improv adds lots of depth to Santa's suit and I love the metallic gold belt buckle, but my favorite part might be how the different quilting motifs work together to bring each part to life.  The swirls in the white give the illusion of fur, and the straight lines and pebbling in the belt add so much dimension.

On the back of the pillow, I opted for this multicolored polkadot, and I think it fits the fun and whimsical vibe nicely.  I didn't want to frame this pillow with a binding, so I just turned it right side out to keep it simple.

This finished pillow is 18 inches square, and I put together a little graphic for you in case you'd like to whip one up for yourself!  The measurements listed are finished sizes, so don't forget to add your seam allowances.  I sewed the red sections of my pillow using the improv methods from my book Stash Statement, and it's so much easier than you might think!  You can get your signed copy in my Etsy shop HERE, or on Amazon, Connecting Threads, or even at your local quilt shop.

Before we party, let's check out some of the highlights from last week.  I love this Jumping Jacks quilt by  Tanya Quilts in CO-

This scrappy string quilt by Elana at That Fabric Feeling is so cute!

Sue at Sevenoaks Street Quilts linked up this pretty Kiss Cross quilt-

and this Foxy quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine is absolutely adorable.

Y'all rock!  2018 is really going out with a bang!  Remember, NTT will be taking a vacation next week, but we will party again in the new year on January 2nd.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Classic Meets Modern Finale!

As hard as it is to believe, we've been quilting along on our Classic Meets Modern quilts for a full twelve months, and it's time to close this baby out.  If you've kept up, all of the blocks are finished and now they just have to be put together.  Easy peasy!

I just couldn't help myself.  I actually finished my quilt right after putting my filler blocks together back in November.  I'm so glad I did since I am still on doctor's orders to rest my neck.  I absolutely LOVE how this quilt turned out with the pretty Acreage fabric collection, so different from my original version in bold solids.

I quilted this one with an allover floral pattern with my favorite 50 wt. Aurifil White, and I think the motif works so well with these prints.  The sun was casting some major shadows during my photo session which really highlights the quilting texture.

The bundle of fabric I used was larger than I needed for the blocks and included lots of low volume fabrics.  A low volume backing is a bit of a different choice for me, but I simply couldn't bear to leave them out. These softer fabrics paired with a strip of bold scraps and solid gray work really well, and though it is a different kind of backing for me, I really like it a lot.

For the binding, I pulled this print from my stash. It's the perfect shade of teal.  It isn't from the Acreage collection, but it definitely looks right at home!

I think my favorite part of this quilt is how the prints give the pattern such a different look.  In fact, seeing the pattern interpreted in so many ways throughout the year has been my favorite part of hosting this QAL, and I can't wait to see everyone's quilt tops put together.  Remember, there are a few prizes up for grabs!

To be eligible for the prize drawings, you just have to have a completed quilt top before the linky closes, and because the holidays are SO busy, I'm going to keep it open until January 15th!  You can link from a blog, Flickr, or Instagram, or if you don't have any of those platforms, you can email a photo of your completed top to me, and I will add your photo to my post and enter for you.

Okay!  You've spent an entire year putting your quilt together, and it's finally time to show off your hard work!  Remember, this link up is only for sharing Classic Meets Modern quilts.  You can link up all of your other awesome finishes at the next Needle and Thread Thursday.

Linking from IG has been finicky lately, so check out a few quilts that have been emailed to me!  These entries are numbered in the order they were sent to me, and following the LinkyTools numbers.

If you want to have your quilt top included here but aren't finished in time for the prizes, that's okay.  I would still love to show it off.  Just use the Email Me button on the right to send me a photo!  :)

  6.  Jackie (j2watson on IG)-                                                7. Brenna (bgoode29 on IG)-

8.  Joanne- (joejodub on IG)-

       














                                                                

Farmhouse Charm

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  Yes, I am still under orders to keep my sewing to a minimum, but I don't think that putting a binding on by machine is too much, do you?

Ordinarily I quilt my own quilts, but Brooke at Lady Belle Fabrics has recently expanded her business to include longarm services, and offered to quilt this one for me so that I could let everyone know about her new venture.  The offer actually came before I hurt my neck, but the timing was perfect- especially since this quilt is so large.  I really wanted this quilt finished before Christmas, and there is no way I could have done it on my own.

I chose the argyle quilting pattern, and I love the way it plays against the blocks.  I asked for the pattern to be sized down so that the quilting was fairly dense, and it looks so good.  The sunshine yesterday showed it off really well, and I'm so pleased with it!  You can check out Lady Belle's quilting services HERE, or you can get to it with the tab on their main shop page.

On the back, I used a larger green floral along with a tomato red polkadot, both from the Farmhouse II collection.  And the solid red binding from the line frames everything nicely.  This finished quilt is queen sized- 90" x 96", and will look amazing in my mother and father in laws' bedroom.  I can't wait for them to see it in person!

Last week's party was lots of fun!  Linda at kokaquilts shared this beauty, her final finish for the year-

I love the subtlety of this Two-Color Challenge quilt by Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty-

Sophie at Luna Lovequilts linked up this fun, modern baby quilt.

Jayne at Twiggy and Opal shared this little paper pieced hummingbird, called Sugar Baby.  Love it!

And Sew Preeti Quilts showed off her stunning Colorwash quilt.  Her post has lots of close-ups, so check it out!

WOW!  Y'all are just awesome!  I can't wait to see your projects this week.  Let's party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Hiatus and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday!  Well friends, I've been taking my doctor's advice to heart and resting my neck as much as possible, and other than making a binding for a quilt that is currently being longarmed, I didn't sew a single stitch this week.  I do have something to share though.  Take a look at this finished quilt, made by a student in one of my classes back in August (she is quilterinsearcy on Instagram).

She used the Scattered pattern from Stash Statement, but customized it with her own color palette.  Isn't it awesome?  This quilt even won a blue ribbon in their local fair!  I just love seeing finishes from my classes, and I especially love knowing that my students have fun with the technique.

If your guild is looking for programming in 2019, I have just a couple of open months left.  Contact me soon (email button on my right sidebar), and have fun learning how to turn your scraps into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

Since I don't have any finishes of my own to share this week, I am delighted to share a few more highlights from last week's party than usual.  And WOW!  Y'all are really bringing it this holiday season.  Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting linked up this fun Party Quilt.

Kris at Sew Sunshine shared this beautiful improv mini, called River Walk.

This quilt, called Turning Tiles is by Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts, and it is currently featured in McCall's Quilting!

I love the scrappy goodness of this quilt by Nann at With Strings Attached.

Vicki's Crafts and Quilting shared this fun Island Batik Christmas wreath quilt.

Check out this fantastic scrappy quilt by Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.  These colors are so happy!

And finally, I cannot get over the awesomeness of this Flight Path quilt by Liz at Savor Every Stitch.  OMG- that quilting!!!

Oh my goodness!  I could easily have picked several more to showcase.  Y'all are finishing the year strong, and I am loving all of the eye candy while I'm on my little hiatus.  It's time to show off this week's projects.  Let's link up!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

A Pain In the Neck

Literally.  For about a month I've been dealing with pain in my neck, which (for the most part) has kept me from tackling any big projects.  A visit to the orthopedist this morning confirmed that I will need some physical therapy sessions, and a little less time at my sewing machine for the next few weeks.

This little 12-inch pillow is a gift for a friend, and is officially the last bit of Christmas deadline sewing I needed to get done.  I pulled out some of my favorite small pieces for this project, and decided to keep the design nice and simple with some improv.  Dense swirl quilting adds a fun little touch of whimsy, and Kona Basil makes a perfect Christmas green binding.

I love this large ornament print, and I had just enough of it for the back of this pillow.  This sweet little pillow is already wrapped up and under my tree, just waiting for Christmas!

Last week, there weren't very many links, as I suspect that most were into Thanksgiving prep mode (me too!), but the projects that were shared were wonderful!  Look at this quilt by Marie at Octopus Patchwork-

Anja Quilts linked up her lovely finished Potter's Wheel quilt-

and Micki at 2 Dogs Studio shared this stunner-

I sure hope you're rocking and rolling in your studio this week!  I can't wait to see what you're working on.  Let's party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Be Merry!

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I'm posting the party early to give you plenty of time to link up during this holiday week, and because today will be all about Thanksgiving prep over here.  This year, our family is staying home and enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving with just the three of us.  In my family, Thanksgiving dinner is a midday meal.  After we eat, we spend the afternoon watching football and decorating the Christmas tree.  Since I would rather not spend tomorrow morning scrambling around the kitchen in a frenzy, I will be preparing everything today, and tomorrow I'll just have to pull it out of the refrigerator and put it into the oven.

I finished up this fun raw-edge appliqué Christmas pillow just yesterday and I am so happy to share it.  This pillow was so much fun to make, and I'm excited to gift it to my friend for Christmas.

For the background of the pillow, I pulled lots of low volume text and cream scraps, along with a few bits of gold and sewed them together using the method from my book, Stash Statement.  The improv scraps create a great textured backdrop and allow the solid holly sprig and text to really pop.

If you're interested in making your own appliqué pillow, check out my tutorial HERE.  This tutorial is for my Home State Pillow, but once you understand the basic construction steps, you can easily change the shapes, text, and font to suit whatever occasion you desire.  The steps are the same, no matter what theme you choose!    ps-the font in my pillow is American Typewriter Bold.

I used Kona Rich Red and Kona Basil for my appliqué pieces, along with Aurifil 50 wt. colors #5016 (Olive Green) and #2265 (Lobster Red).  The slightly lighter shade of green thread adds some dimension to the holly leaves and keeps them from looking too flat.  I quilted the background with a dense stipple, leaving the appliqué unquilted.

  

I've had this holly print in my Christmas stash forever, and I think it makes a perfect backing;  and the Kona Rich Red binding creates such a great frame for it.  This pillow will be wrapped and under my Christmas tree just as soon as we finish decorating it after dinner tomorrow!

Let's take a look at some of the amazing projects linked up last week!  Liz at Savor Every Stitch shared her gorgeous waterfall quilt.

Look at this mesmerizing Colorwash quilt by Sew Preeti Quilts!

And Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts linked up this fresh and modern baby quilt.

I hope all of you in the States have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, food, and fun!  Be sure to check back here on Friday.  I'll be highlighting some amazing Black Friday sales, including a discount code for my Etsy shop, but for now, mum's the word.  Now, let's party!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)