The Mint Needle

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful February and a great start to March! Spring is right around the corner and I'm counting down to daylight savings on March 10th! Hooray for longer sunshine! Lately, I've been longing to go back to stitching up clothes. And... I ended up finding the cutest pattern to get me back in the groove at Hawthorne Threads . The Ogden Cami by True Bias Patterns is perfect and quite simple! I started off by making a test run with some red, light-weight fabric, figuring if this comes out good, I'll have 2 tops! And guess what? It came out awesome! Making a practice piece was a great idea. It's always recommended and there are so many reasons why. In the instructional booklet, I wrote myself little notes.  ~ cut the fabric 1/4" larger at the sides so I can use a serger. This will allow me to have finished ends and still a good seam allowance.  ~ cut the straps 1/2" larger, so the ...

Oh for the love of the needle and thread...... And just in time for Christmas! Look at these colors! I'm so ecstatic to share with all of you my latest quilt! Originally, I wanted a block that would repeat multiple times. But after playing around with colors, layout and more fabrics, I realized the potential for something more mesmerizing was happening. Slowly an awesome quilt pattern was taking place before my eyes. What's even greater? You can make one too! So, I'm going to try real hard to break down the way this quilt was created, so that it flows for all of you the same way it did for me. When you look at this quilt, there are a couple things that pop at first: the different shapes, colors, and contrasts that are taking place. The focal point ~ those awesome three diamond blocks surrounded by simple rectangles. Should you decide to give this quilt a try, my most important recommendation is to pick your ooooomph ~ "contrasty...

Oh my, has it really been so long since my last post? I guess so.... Well. Summer is moving rather quickly and we're already getting prepared for the back to school season. Do I dare admit I chuckled a little when I wrote that?  On Instagram, quite awhile back, I posted the start of a really pretty quilt pattern. A shattered chevron layout with the 'arrows' off center. Even though it was extremely easy to make and piece together, I didn't complete the quilt top till this past week. And I'm going to tell you why. When I buy fabric, I usually get it because it's on sale or it's one of those 'gotta have it' moments. Is it horrible that I'm admitting not all my fabric purchases have a purpose or project planned? Talk about a fabri-holic.....  Anyway, I originally purchased navy kona cotton just 'to have' with the possibility of starting something new. Little did I know I was going to learn a tough lesson... I did start something but a...

Somewhere in between projects, I came across this gorgeous pattern from Hawthorne Threads Newsletter (May 28th) and immediately had to give it a try! This is why you need to subscribe to their newsletter... ideas, ideas, ideas!   The Bohemian Quilt, designed by Sarah Laws for Cotton & Steel is amazing! I love the pattern and how it all flows together. I used Leah Duncan's gorgeous prints from Art Gallery Fabrics. Oh ~ if I could just keep them on bolts I would!!  I can't wait to hang this beautiful wall piece. If you're looking for a fun, quick quilt project that promises a very sweet outcome, you need to give this a try. You don't need a ton of fabric; mostly quarter yard and half yards. Here's the link on where you can get this pattern! Thanks to Sarah Laws for creating it and sharing it for free!  On another note.... I still haven't forgotten about the strip quilts I'd like to post along with random quilt blocks I've b...

The fabric, the quality, the colors..... I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Etno Fabric Collection  by Pat Bravo!! The colors & shapes are always so inspiring. And as I was working on this project, new ideas were getting sparked. (So..... you're going to be checking out two more pieces I've been working on.) One thing is for sure. These gorgeous prints needed to be center of attention and what better way than with City Stitches Follow the Leader Quilt! All you can focus on is the way the colors play and blend together. The flying geese were made using the "no waste method". The large square (main fabric) measured 9-1/4" by 9-1/4" while the four small (white) squares were 4-7/8" by 4-7/8". This left me with four flying geese per one fabric pattern that measured 4" by 8".   I love the way this piece came out so much!  The fourth row of flying geese from the no waste method we...