Thanks everyone for participating in my little giveaway last weekend!  I really appreciate your kind words and the enthusiasm for Cross Stitch, Fresh Cut and Marbles!

So I've picked three winners and here they are...


Needled Mom said...
I think my favorite is Fresh Cut, but they are all wonderful.

Anne said...
I was admiring Cross Stitch, then.  Scrolled down to see Fresh cut and was just as taken and then you added Marbles!!!!  Each is so different, so beautiful! Each sure to please someone! Cross Stitch is the one I would try first!

Blocksandmore said...

MARBLES :)

Congratulations girls!  Please send me your snail mail address and I'll get these patterns sent right off to you!

Thanks again everyone!  You are awesome!

And, if you're looking for another way you can get your hands on these (or any other Gigi's Thimble quilt patterns) you can stop by my Etsy Shop HERE.

Happy quilting!

~ Amber

New Patterns + Giveaway

 I'm so excited to finally share with you my three new patterns!  Yay!  It seems like these have been in the works for a LONG time!  Whenever I start a new set of patterns I think, "Oh, I can whip these out."  And then a few months later I get discouraged that it's taking so long!  But I have to remind myself that alot of work went into all of them.  It's time consuming stuff but I love the whole process!  For this particular set of patterns, I made four different quilts, bound five quilts, figured out fabric requirements and wrote instructions for six different sizes and designed new cover sheets and a logo.  Whew!  Did I just say all that?  I'm tired!  Haha!  Needless to say I am happy they're done and I hope you love them as much as I do!

First up is Cross Stitch.

It's a Layer Cake friendly pattern and it has a scrappy binding.  The fabric for this version is Color Me Happy by Vanessa Christensen for Moda.

It finishes at 61" x 80".

My friend and co-worker, Vonda Proctor, pieced it for me after I made the original one (below).  It was quilted by Kaylene Parry (Lehi, UT.)  I use Kaylene a lot and she always does a fantastic job.  I love the modern design she picked out for this one.

Here is the one I made for my sister.  She lives in Montana and I thought these fabrics worked well with her home decor.  This one was quilted by Linda Childs (at Just Sew in Highland, UT) and she did a great job too!

The second pattern is Fresh Cut and I think it's my fave

(shhh!  Don't tell anyone! :)

I love the big, bold flowers.  And I looove the quilting Kaylene did.

It's fat quarter friendly and it finishes at 60 1/2" x 71 1/2".

The fabric collection I used for Fresh Cut was Lottie Da by Heather Bailey for FreeSpirit.  I'm totally in love with the vibrant colors and great patterns Heather designed in this line.

Last, but not least, is Marbles.  

It comes with fabric requirements and instructions for four different sizes (baby, twin, queen and king).  I made the king size version on the cover and used some of Emily Herrick's (Crazy Old Ladies) new fabric line from Michael Miller Fabrics called, Rustique.  I just used the more boyish colors but I'm working on another one that incorporates all the colors from this line!  They're so rich and vibrant!

It's fat quarter friendly but would work well with scraps or 5" charm squares too.  It also has the option for a scrappy binding.  I used Kaylene again to quilt this and I am loving the orange peel design she did.  There are so many fun edge-to-edge digital quilting designs out there right now.  I love all the modern, geometric ones!

I couldn't resist whipping up a baby version of this one using my stash!  It finishes at 38 1/2" x 38 1/2".

My neighbor, Cathy Barney quilted it for me and she did a fantastic job!  She did a tiny orange peel and got it back to me the same day I dropped it off!  Wahoo!

All of my patterns are listed in my Etsy Shop 

and are available in paper and digital form.

So that's it!  What do you think?  I think it's time for a giveaway!!!

Just leave me a comment below telling me which one is your favorite and I'll announce a few winners Monday morning.  Sound good?

Good luck!

~ Amber

Quick Corner Triangle Piecing Method (Photo and Video Tutorials)

Today I want to share one more of my favorite quick tips with you.  You can use this method whenever a pattern instructs you to mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of a square from corner to corner.  

I first learned this method a few years ago while working at the fabric store and it's changed my life!  Seriously.  No more marking squares for me.  And that's awesome.  Especially when you have 444 little squares to sew on (like I did on my upcoming "Marbles" quilt pattern - made in the king size version). I think it's become quite a popular technique but I thought I'd share a tutorial with you today, just in case you're new to the quilting scene or haven't been introduced to it yet.

All you need is a piece of colored tape (about 3" long) and your squares - cut to the size instructed in your pattern.  I love to use Washi Tape whenever I use this method - because - A) it's cute B) it comes off super easy and C) it doesn't leave any sticky residue.  I just happened to have this perfect Washi measuring tape on hand but really, any colored tape will do.

So first, you'll need to place the piece of tape onto the slide on table of your sewing machine.  Place it carefully, so that the right-hand edge of the tape lines up with your center needle position and comes straight out towards you.  Make sure it doesn't cover up your feed dogs.

    Place your small square on top of your large square with right sides together.  Line up the corners and place the two squares under your presser foot.

Lower your needle so that it comes down in the first (top) corner of the white square.  Make sure the second (bottom) corner is lined up on the right hand edge of the tape.

Sew towards the second corner - keeping it aligned along the right hand edge of the tape the entire time.

When you're done you should have a straight, diagonal line, from corner to corner.  Trim a quarter inch from the stitching line and press according to your patterns instructions.  

And P.S. - If you have 444 corners to piece (like I did) you can save even MORE time by chain piecing them.  Then trim them all.  Then press them all.  Super big time saver.  You can thank me later :)

So if you want to see this tutorial in video form or just see me laughing because of my "sticky residue" comment (which my son didn't think sounded like me because I guess he's never heard me say "sticky residue") then you can check out this video (below).  And please don't judge.  It was my first go at making a YouTube video and I had to bribe my 11 year old to shoot it once again after a gazillion takes.  He's a sweet boy.

[You Tube Link]

Happy quilting!

~ Amber