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YouTube Love
Over the course of having this sewing blog, I’ve posted a whopping 3 videos to YouTube. My kids are interested in YouTube, so in an efforts to help them, I logged in and checked out the 3 lonely clips from 2010-2011. Turns out people have been watching these videos! I wanted to hop on and tell you a big THANKS for checking them out. 24,329 total views. I suppose that may not be alot to real YouTube people, and it may not be “viral” but wow- it is WAY more than I thought it’d be. Hum… kinda gets the wheels turning. Maybe I should make a new video now that I’m settled in to the new Headquarters location in Texas.
Quilt Market in 7 DAYS
7 Days Until PORTLAND!!!
I fly out on the 15th. I’ll be promoting Hexagons Made Easy with Martingale Press.
If you are in Portland at the show, you can find me here:
Schoolhouse Series!
Modern Baby: Easy, Fresh, and Fun Quilt Designs
2:35-3:05pm on Thursday 5/16 in Room B110-111
Hexagons Made Easy
3:45pm-4:15pm in Room #B110/111 on Thursday 5/16
Book Signings and Hexagon Demo’s
Friday 5/17, 10:30am at Martingale booth #1536 Demo/Booksigning
Friday 5/17, 1:00pm at United Notions booth #917 Booksigning
SAMQG Challenge Block
The first Thursday of the month is the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild meeting. I always leave quite inspired. This month was no different. We saw a movie on Gees Bend and got to flip through some of the members’ books on Gees Bend. Of course, the block above is NOT Gees, but it is our challenge block.
Challenge block? Well, that isn’t modern at all. I know- that IS the challenge. 3 coverlets (quilted bed covers) were donated to our guild after being found. A friend of our guild gave these to us with the express purpose of “remake them into something vintage modern”. Oh wow. So yes, we were told to cut up his late mother’s coverlets. Honestly, that part was kinda weird because I do really like old quilts almost as much as I like new quilts. These shapes were all hand pieced and hand appliqued. The black stitching was, of course, by hand, and the sashing/borders was joined by machine.
The rules for the challenge were that you can make the finished block any size, but you had to use ONLY fabrics that came in the original block. You could add muslin or stabilizers, if they would not be seen and you had to cut away the blue border and not use it at all.
I decided to go straight to Hexagons Made Easy because I seriously have HEXAGONS on the brain. I used the block idea from this post as my block design and adapted the shapes to fit the techniques in the book.
The fabric was quite stiff even after a soak in water. I suppose holding the same shape for 60+ years will have that affect. I even tried to rub out the previous stitching lines and shadows from the background fabric, but no luck. Maybe who ever wins the collection of blocks will be able to clean that up? You can see the old shape in the background, pictured below:
I was lucky enough to grab two challenge blocks this month and I already have the wheels turning for the design on the second one. Stay tuned to see what that one will be re-worked into.
Ciao Bella Bundle Winner
Congratulations!
Lucky comment #5 is the big winner of the Ciao Bella Solids Bundle. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you enjoy the fabric! Please email me so I can get your contact information for the prize. reannalilydesigns@hotmail.com Thanks Anna for sponsoring this contest!
Table Linens eBook
FREE! FREE! FREE!
That is my favorite price! And it happens to be the price of the NEW eBook Quilted Table Linens by Quilting Daily. It is a compilation of 4 free patterns from assorted designers. Get your copy today. Lord knows, the price is right!
Get original patterns from Alissa Haight Carlton, Vivika Hansen DeNegre, Jane Dávila, and myself.
**Images used in the post are from QuiltingDaily.com
HEXAGONS MADE EASY – Launch Party!!!
This weekend was the LAUNCH party for Hexagons Made Easy! It was a hoot. Friends from the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild stopped by for the festivities. I had the party organized in to food, Sew Station, Door Prize Station, Charity Quilt Station and Trunk Show Station. Here’s some pics from the evening:
Food
I wanted to have foods that were shaped like hexagons. Turns out- that is kinda tricky. I thought I could have a build-your-own taco bar with the tortillas cut into hexagons. I later realized, I’d really like to eat the whole tortilla. :/ I did find some crackers and some oyster crackers, but my favorite was having the kids help add hexagon fondant to the cupcakes. Edible markers gave us a few stitching lines. Mmmm…. the roundest hexagons ever… mmmmmm….. buttercream….. What were we talking about? Oh yes, the party-
Sew Station
My plan was to let my guests take a turn at the Hexagons Made Easy facing technique, one easy-peasy hexagon at a time. I had the step-by-step directions mounted on a foam core board for self guided learning on this super easy method. Huge thanks to MODA who provided a couple Honeycomb precuts for the event. Those were a big hit and a serious time savor for all things hexagons.
Charity Quilt Station
Once the hexagons were created, I wanted to have a “something” to do with the single finished shapes. I set up a charity quilt station. The guests take their hexagon and pin it onto a patterned background sheet. Think-= Pin The Tail On The Donkey for quilters. Anywhere the hexagon was placed is where it will be stitched down. It got quite hilarious since the more methodical guests were really planning where to place the shapes, when really, the next person may move the shape or put theirs on in some crazy fashion. It was very fun, I think. The Charity Quilt will be quilted by a San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild Member, Kim, and donated to Jeremiah’s Hope Rescue Shelter and Camp in Ukraine. SAMQG member, Kelly, works closely with that group and will have the finished baby quilt very soon.
As the jokes about hexagon placement went on through the night, I quietly thought, while stitching them down, I’m going to call this quilt Weird Science. It has some “molecule” quality to it, dontcha think?
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Door Prizes!
We had some GREAT door prizes from some amazing donors! Thank you so much for the donations, ladies!
Karen’s Quilting Service – Long Arm Quilting Service
Colleen Eskridge- Long Arm Quilting Service
Danielle Wilkes – Long Arm Quilting Service
HONEYCOMB Pre-Cut pack – MODA/United Notions
THANKS!
Thanks so much to all of you who came out an supported the book! Thanks to those of you who drove in from out of town and a big thanks to Martingale Press/That Patchwork Place for giving my idea a shot!
Modern Baby eBook Winner!
Congratulations to
Karrie Smith!
Karrie Smith says:
“Yes I mix them together. Thanks for the chance to win!”
You have won an e-copy of Modern Baby! Please email me at reannalilydesigns@hotmail.com so I can get you your prize!
Ciao Bella Shop Feature
Bold Baby Bars Quilt
Today is the big day! Ciao Bella Fabric Day! A couple weeks ago, Anna, from Urban Stitches and Ciao Bella Etsy shop approached some us in the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild about doing a Blogger Bella Bundle Blog Hop. Sounds like fun! And the best part is, there’s a few chances to win fabric bundles.
Be sure to visit fellow Hot Tamales from the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild: Danielle at Nacho Mama’s Quilts and Erin Schlosser at Schlosser Designs to see their fun bundles & projects!
For my Ciao Bella project, I decided to make this quilt- Bold Baby Bars. I had the design idea brewing in my head for a short bit, and solids seemed like a great fit. The quilt is 40″ x 60″, perfect for a baby or toddler. The top makes up super fast, as it only has 5 pieces to work with for cutting and stitching.
Let’s talk real quick about this fabric bundle:
Meet the colors in my hand-picked bundle- (+white)
The quilt photo seems to have a weird blue shadow over the whole image, but trust me, in real life- it looks like the digital mock-up. I made it one evening after dinner because the design really is quick and speedy. …Mostly because I machine appliqued my faced shapes to the background fabric.
If you haven’t used this “in the ditch” foot for machine applique yet, you should totally give it a try. All you do is set your needle position to slightly off-center, depending on how close to the shape’s edge you’d like to stitch. Then, stitch, using the “in the ditch” foot as your guide along the folded edge of your shape. Very effective, and very fast. You can see the stitching line behind the presser foot in the picture. Pretty straight, right?
So how can you win your own fabric bundle? Easy. Simply leave a comment stating which bundle color is your favorite. Winner will be chosen at random and drawn/announced on Friday May 3rd. Be sure to subscribe to this blog, so you don’t miss the announcement. Winner will NOT be emailed, so you need to check back for the announcement.
Modern Baby by Martingale Press
Welcome to the Modern Baby Blog Tour!
Modern Baby Shower
GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED
Modern Baby is HERE! I was invited to join this collaborative book project, published by Martingale Press. It is a really unique group of 14 baby quilts by various designers. Here, let me get you the description:
From Martingale Press: “In this amazingly diverse collection, a bevy of talented quilting bloggers present appealing baby-quilt designs for sewists and quilters of all skill levels. Designers include Amy Smart, Audrie Bidwell, Carolyn Friedlander, Carrie Bloomston, Dana Bolyard, Jake Finch, Jen Eskridge, Lindsey Rhodes, Melissa Corry, Pippa Eccles Armbrester, Sarah Flynn, Shea Henderson, and Victoria Findlay Wolfe.
- Showcase bright, bold solids and modern fabrics–perfect for stimulating Baby’s senses
- Choose from 14 small quilts that can be easily completed in time for the baby shower
- Rely on clear instructions and illustrations for each inviting design
The invitation was wide open and I got to thinking… I’d like my project to have hexagons on it, and I’d like my project to be quick and easy. The Fractured Hexagons Baby quilt came to mind:
You’ve seen this quilt before on the blog, a short while back, January 2011. It was a gift for my niece. Shortly after I posted it, it became one of the first quilts ever put up on Modern Day Quilts tumblr. {Thanks Heather!} I decided this quilt needed a pattern and thankfully, Martingale thought so too.
The red quilt features Nicey Jane fabrics by Heather Bailey and Free Spirit Fabrics.
I set out asking my Sister-in-Law and niece if I could get the quilt back. (((… best gift-giver evah …))) But I just need to borrow the quilt, not keep it and actually take it back. Thankfully she didn’t mind. I made a second one in blue. The blue quilt features Tokyo Rococo by Carol Van Zandt and Andover Fabrics. I gave both the blue and red quilts back to my nieces, so hopefully that will make up for the “steal back”.
Many modern quilters like to use solids in their quilt designs. I’m a huge fan, but I do also like mixing the prints with the solids. I think it helps ground the prints a bit. What do you think?
If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Modern Baby (eBook version), please comment- do you mix solids with your prints? Winner will be chosen at random on April 30th.
GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED
Read more about the quilts in the book, their stories and baby stories along the tour:
April 18, Thursday Jenny, StitchThis! http://blog.shopmartingale.com/
April 19, Friday Shea Henderson, http://emptybobbinsewing.com
April 22, Monday Jake Finch, http://generationqmagazine.com/
April 23, Tuesday Audrie Bidwell, http://blueisbleu.blogspot.com/
April 24, Wed Carolyn Friedlander, http://carolynfriedlander.com/blog/
April 25, Thursday Melissa Corry, http://happyquiltingmelissa.blogspot.com/
April 26, Friday Jen Eskridge, http://reannalilydesigns.com/blog/
April 29, Monday Sarah Flynn, http://fairyfacedesigns.blogspot.com/
April 30, Tuesday Dana Bolyard, http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/
May 1, Wednesday Amy Smart, http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/
May 2, Thursday Carrie Bloomston, http://suchitysuch.blogspot.com/
May 3, Fri Victoria Findlay Wolfe, http://www.bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com/
May 6, Monday Lindsey Rhodes, http://lrstitched.com/
May 7, Tuesday Pippa Eccles Armbrester, http://www.pippapatchwork.com/blog/
Where do you read Hexagons Made Easy?
Where do you read
Hexagons Made Easy?
Some blog fan/followers may have seen these pictures a couple weeks ago on the ReannaLily Designs Facebook page or maybe the *new* instagram account.
I had just received my first and only advance copy of Hexagons Made Easy when I found out that we had to travel out of state for a funeral. It was 9 hour drive each way and decided photographing my new little “baby” would be a great distraction. That worked. After we returned, I still wanted a few more pictures around town/s with my new favorite book. …. …. I may be carried away with this idea. I want to snap shots everywhere these days. Enjoy this craziness.
{{Order your signed copy of Hexagons Made Easy, HERE!.}}
Hexagons Made Easy
deploy that fabric
Seamingly Accurate™ Seam Guide
Use this removable, repositionalbe adhesive seam guide to make sewing straight seams a breeze! Look for the product relaunch at the Houston Quilt Market 2011. Distributed exclusively by ReannaLily Designs.
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