Happy New Year, everyone! I don’t know where the time goes! Gosh, what a year. I thought I would do a recap post with some of my 2017 finishes; the patterns that I have published this year (there are five! whoa!) and some fun side projects that made this year pretty great.
I’m already gearing up for 2018, and I'm very excited about what I’ve got in the works…. I need your help though. I need a lot of new blog ideas, anything you can think of that you would like to see as a tutorial, any “how to’s” that I can answer in a robust way. What do you say? Will you send me your ideas? Either respond to this post via email, or write them in the comment section below, or send by carrier pigeon ;) I don’t care how they come in, I will read them all! I tell you what; send me your ideas (be sure to include your name), and I will put them in a hat and pick one at random. You will receive one of my patterns (your choice) for free! I have a feeling 2018 will be a very, very good year :)
I started the year with the “Aztec Diamond” pattern that uses five shades of one color to create a second design in what really is a simple diamond block. This quilt is fall off a log easy, created out of triangle shapes turned to mirror each other to make diamonds.
Then came the “Honeycomb Hexagon” pattern with its glitzy gold accent strips (I used fusible backed satin for this part. That tutorial can be found here). This quilt is all strip pieced and can be made bigger or smaller to fit whatever size you need.
My “City Girl Chevron” pattern was inspired by a conversation with a friend who was hoping for something modern but colorful, to use a variety of fabrics she liked in one quilt. If you want to know how to bind that zig-zag edge, I did a tutorial on “Binding Inside Angles” here.
“Argyle Lad” was next, and what a fun quilt that was to make! I have two brothers and have never really found a quilt pattern that says “guy” from start to finish. I did a clever binding accent on this quilt, and you can see that tutorial here. If you’ve ever been nervous about piecing diamonds, you can see my all my tips and tricks here.
Finally, there is “Champagne and Pearls”. This quilt scratched a lot of itches for me :) I love white, and I am drawn to subtle colors. I didn’t anticipate this quilt would come out so lacey and girly, but I love it that way!
Wanna see what I’ve got coming up? Here’s a sneak peek at my next pattern! “Double Struck Star” is working its way through production now, and I just love, love, love how cheerful this quilt is! I designed it as a kid’s quilt originally, but who knows, it may find a home on my bed.
And then there were the side projects! I just spent a few days in San Francisco visiting very dear friends and their adorable daughter who knows me as “Aunty”. Her nursery has been a source of creative fun for me since before she was born! Here are a few of the quilts I have made for her.
This trip, I reupholstered a mid-century footstool that was a roadside find and needed a new home and some serious TLC… my niece clearly loves its furry softness and it will now have a second life in her nursery!
What a fun way to end the year :)
Happy New Year friends! Don’t forget to send me your ideas for future blog posts and tutorials…. I really, really want to know what you’d like to see.
Follow all my quilty adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Visit my website for free tutorials and tips. If you like my patterns, you can buy them on Craftsy, Etsy, and here on the website.