New Beginnings Blog Hop

New Beginnings - a great title for the New Year.  This blog hop's theme is New Beginnings and we (the Island Batik Ambassadors) were all given a wonderful bundle of fabrics to create something with this theme in mind.

As I thought about the theme - I thought of butterflies, new plants popping up from the ground, spring flowers, birds and bees, etc.  And guess what - my fabrics were all Christmas fabrics!  So much for the spring/new growth ideas!  

I pondered long and hard about what kind of project to make for this theme.  I thought maybe I should go with something about new beginnings for the New Year -new goals, new things to try, etc.

Actually I love the new year - it's after Christmas with all the hustle and bustle and (hopefully) all the Christmas projects made and finished.  Kind of a clean slate.  I like to clear things off and get better organized, dream about new projects and jump right in!

So I looked at the fabrics again.  I received the fabrics for Jolly Holly by Island Batik.  You can check out each of the fabrics at their website, but here is a peek at my lovely bundle.  

I thought about what I could make with these fabrics, what pattern, what kind of project, what size, etc.  I decided I wanted to use a big variety of fabrics, but make something rather simple.  I was working on this in late Dec, so quick and easy was a good thing!.  I decided on a one piece triangle pattern with a single border.  I used all the fabrics in the two bottom rows in the photo above.  This quilt is 39" x 39".  It's a good size for a table, or a small lap quilt.  

This would be a great quilt for using up scraps.  You could make it in Christmas colors, or any combination of colors.  You could also use your Accuquilt Go Triangle Die to speed things up!

I did straight line quilting 1/4" from each seam line and on into the borders which made a lovely double X in the borders.  Warm Blend batting from The Warm Company was used, which quilts up very nicely.  I think this looks masculine and like winter in a forest.  I may put it away for a gift for next Christmas.  This could be a new tradition- making gifts EARLY instead of last minute!

This stop is at the tale end of this blog hop.  Only two more days.  I hope you've visited the other blog posts, but if you haven't they are listed below.

Monday, January 9 – Coastal Mist
Stone Cottage Quilts

Tuesday, January 10 – Dotalicious
DelLillians
Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
PamelaQuilts
Inchworm Fabrics

Wednesday, January 11 – Drizzle
Webster Quilt

Thursday, January 12 – Fifi and Fido + Happy Hounds
Mary Mack Made Mine
Quilting Affection

Friday, January 13 – Fresh Catch
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Monday, January 16 – Glowing Embers
Purrfect Spots Designs

Tuesday, January 17 – Lake Life
Freemotion by the River

Wednesday, January 18 – River’s Edge
Ark Angle Creations

Friday, January 20 – Blushing Blooms
Desert Bloom Quilting

Monday, January 23 – Gone Fishin’
Maria Michaels Designs

Wednesday, January 25 – Surf and Sand
Linda Pearl
Beaquilter

Thursday, January 26 – Twilight Blush
KISSed Quilts

Friday, January 27 – Happy Harvest
For Quilts Sake

Monday, January 30 – Jolly Holly
Kauffman Designs

Tuesday, January 31 – Frost
MooseStash Quilting

Wednesday, February 1 – Merry and Bright
Patchwork Breeze
Sally’s Quilting Corner

Be sure and enter the Island Batik Raffle copter for their great prize drawings of two fabric bundles.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm also having a drawing for  6 quarter yards of the fabrics shown below.

Leave me a comment on what you think of when you think of New Beginnings to enter.  You must make sure I have your email to contact you if you win.  USA residents only.

                          I wish all of you new and exciting things this year!

A New Little Gem

I thought I'd send this photo from Brenda of a quilt she made from my book Little Gems.  This is

the pattern called Forest Fire and her use of the reproduction prints gives it a totally new look.  I love her buttons and the addition of the machine fancy stitching.

And here's another Little Gem from Elaine W. This is the pattern Spinner, done if fall colors.  Isn't it cute!

Thanks for the photos - I love to see what people are making.

*the new winner of The Big Book of Table Toppers is GranChris.  Her ebook is on the way.

Book winner

The winner of the ebook The Big Book of Table Toppers was chosen by Random.org.  The winner is Anna Hutchins.  Please contact me with your email so the book can be sent to you.  If I don't receive your email by Sunday another winner will be chosen.

If you weren't a winner- check out the book at your local quilt shop.

January Blog Hop with Island Batik

Today starts a brand new Blog Hop with the Island Batik Ambassadors.  Highlights are the use of the new Island Batik fabrics that were released at Fall Quilt Market.  Join us each day as a new fabric line is presented along with many special surprises!  Island Batik is having a giveaway for two beautiful fabric bundles from the Rafflecopter entries at the end of the hop, so don't miss anything!

Monday, January 9 – Coastal Mist
Stone Cottage Quilts

Tuesday, January 10 – Dotalicious
DelLillians
Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting
PamelaQuilts
Inchworm Fabrics

Wednesday, January 11 – Drizzle
Webster Quilt

Thursday, January 12 – Fifi and Fido + Happy Hounds
Mary Mack Made Mine
Quilting Affection

Friday, January 13 – Fresh Catch
Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

Monday, January 16 – Glowing Embers
Purrfect Spots Designs

Tuesday, January 17 – Lake Life
Freemotion by the River

Wednesday, January 18 – River’s Edge
Ark Angle Creations

Friday, January 20 – Blushing Blooms
Desert Bloom Quilting

Monday, January 23 – Gone Fishin’
Maria Michaels Designs

Wednesday, January 25 – Surf and Sand
Linda Pearl
Beaquilter

Thursday, January 26 – Twilight Blush
KISSed Quilts

Friday, January 27 – Happy Harvest
For Quilts Sake

Monday, January 30 – Jolly Holly
Connie Kauffman

Tuesday, January 31 – Frost
MooseStash Quilting

Wednesday, February 1 – Merry and Bright
Patchwork Breeze
Sally’s Quilting Corner

New Year, New Book, New Drawing

photos courtesy of Martingale

Here's a brand new book hot off the press:  The Big Book of Table Toppers by Martingale.  This is truly a BIG book!  It has 56 patterns in it. That's a lot of patterns! I'd say the patterns are some of the best of the best.  I think many if not all the patterns come from different Martingale designer's books. I'm happy to say that I have a small table topper included in the book that came from my book Little Gems.  

Here is my little table topper called Basket Weave.  It is made using paper piecing.

This cute runner by Tammy Johnson is called Grandma's Sewing Basket.  I like how the ric rac flows thru the runner and forms the basket handles!

This quilt by Cindy Lammon is called Simply Simple.  It IS very simple, but I love how she used the large print in the center.  The colors are wonderful.  It's a great way to use one of those beautiful prints that you just can't bear to cut up!

One last sneak peak- this quilt is called A Pack of Posies is by Vicki Bellino.  It has a touch of applique and could also be a good project to use lots of scraps.

As you can just begin to see from these four runners, the projects in this book have a nice range in techniques.  The colors and patterns are really inspiring.  This book has it all.  I'm sure everyone could find many projects that they'd like to make!

Check it out at your local quilt shop or ShopMartingale.com for a hard copy or ebook.

Martingale has graciously offered a free ebook of The Big Book of Table Toppers for a drawing from my blog.  Please leave a comment telling how many table runners you've made to be entered in the drawing.  Drawing will be held Jan 13.