Hey guys!  I wanted to share a fun online class that my friend Karlee Porter 

is teaching this Fall and sign-ups open tomorrow - July 1st, 2020!

Karlee is the designer of many of the digital edge-to-edge designs 

that I often use on my quilts.  She is also the mastermind behind the 

blow-your-mind style of quilting called, Graffiti Quilting.

[photo courtesy of www.karleeporter.com]

I've been studying Karlee's book, Graffiti Quilting volume 2 and decided to dive in 

and try my hand at Graffiti Quilting today.  It was so fun and so addicting!!!

I get so stuck in my box sometimes (don't get me wrong, I love my box) 

but it is so good for the soul to take a break from the norm and try new things!  

I think it refreshes our minds and makes space for inspiration!

This was literally my first time ever doing Graffiti Quilting 

(and I did this on my domestic machine).  Now, I have tried other free-motion quilting 

before but what I loved about Graffiti Quilting is that there is lots of room 

for imperfection, haha.  It doesn't have to be perfect to look fantastic!  

Plus, the Graffiti Quilting method allows you to retrace some of your lines 

to help smooth out some of the bumps. 

I have a long ways to go to get good at Graffiti Quilting 

but it's enjoyable and allows lots of room for creativity!

Anyways, you can visit Karlee's website HERE for all the details

but I just wanted to let you know about it because if you sign up soon 

you can get an early bird pricing discount.

*EARLY BIRD TIERED PRICING! SAVE UP TO $75!!!*
July: $325
August: $350
September: $375

It's an 8-week online course and I am one of the sponsors!

If you sign up using my code "GTGQ50" 

you will receive $50 off the cost of the class!

And bonus, there will be a coupon book given to all of the participants 

that will include lots of discount codes, including a 25% one-time 

discount on all patterns in my shop.

Let me know if you decide to do it!  It's going to be fun!

Plain and Simple (a new pattern)

Look at me, blogging twice in one week!  Who am I?!?  

It's just that I have another new pattern to share with you!

I'd like to introduce you to Plain and Simple.

I had the opportunity to design a pattern with fabric from the 

Daisy Mae fabric line by Poppie Cotton.  It was interesting designing

a pattern with just THREE fabrics!  That's so not like me!

But it was a fun challenge trying to come up with a pattern for them; I love the way it

it turned out and now I want to make Plain and Simple in ALL the colors! 

It's a pretty easy pattern; one that I think would be great for beginners.

Plain and Simple comes with instructions for 5 different size options -

Baby - 34" x 34"

Throw - 51" x 51" 

(cover quilt and sample)

Twin - 68" x 85"

Queen - 85" x 102"

King - 102" x 102"

Cathy Barney quilted this for me using the Elegant Orange Peel design 

by Karlee Porter.  It's such a pretty design - it works well with the angles in the

quilt pattern but has a softness about it that I love!

I had so much fun making this pattern that I've already made a second one (the twin size)

using a V. and Co. ombre jelly roll I had on hand.  The pattern only includes instructions

for the three color version but I wanted to see what a scrappy version would look like.

Pretty fun, right?  Here's a peek at the quilt top.  I just dropped it off at my 

quilter's house today so I'll show you more pictures of it when it's finished.

Isn't it amazing how different it looks in solids with dark stars!?!

Check out this blue and white version (I was having fun mocking up different

versions of Plain and Simple in EQ7).

I think this pattern will be great in any color scheme for any occasion.  

What color scheme would YOU do if you made it?

Plain and Simple is now available as a PDF in my Etsy shop (click HERE)

The paper patterns will be available very soon!

Daisy Mae fabrics are in shops now.

Happy quilting!

Stash Hash (a new pattern)

Good morning friends!

 Today I'd like to introduce to you my new pattern called Stash Hash!

I made the first star back in February 2019!  I had no plan for it.  I just knew I wanted to

make pretty stars to use up scraps.  One star turned into two, then three, then the quarantine 

happened and bam!  I had lots of sewing time on my hands and decided to finish what I started!

I had a blast making each star.  It was fun pulling from my scraps and stash 

to see each different colored star come together.  Scrappy, stars and low volumes are 

some of my favorite things so it was just a delight to make this quilt.

I paired the stars with the alternate blocks that I'm calling "Hashtag" blocks.

I liked the subtle secondary design they create when next to the stars.

(Which you might be able to see better if the background was a solid white.  Scroll down 

to the digital picture of the quilt and squint your eyes.  Do you see a kind-of circular, 

orange peel-type design around the Hashtag Blocks?)

Anyways, this fun quilting design is called Crosshatched Clamshells by Intelligent Quilting.

Cathy Barney in Alpine, UT did the quilting and I just love the way it turned out!

Have I told you how much I absolutely adore crosshatching?

I thought this was a fun, funky spin on crosshatching and it had a little bit of 

a "rainbow" vibe which excited me because of the rainbow colors I used in the quilt. 

One of the best things about this quilt is that I didn't have to buy a single fabric

for it!  I had everything in my stash including this striped binding.

For the back, I just pieced a bunch of aqua and teal remnants together so that felt

great to use up those leftover pieces in my stash!

This pattern comes with instructions for 3 different quilt sizes -

Lap (48 1/2" x 48 1/2")

Throw (64 1/2" x 80 1/2")

Full (80 1/2" x 80 1/2")

It's stash/scrap or precut friendly!

I wrote it to use 1 background fabric but made a note that you

could use lots of low volumes (like I did) for extra scrappiness!

I love the extra scrappy look but it definitely takes more time

 so I wanted to provide the easier option in the pattern.

Stash Hash is now available in my Etsy shop as a PDF (click HERE).

The paper pattern will be available very soon!

And guess what! I am planning a quilt-along for Stash Hash starting in July 

(details coming next week).  I'd love for you to join me as I'm dying to make 

another version asap.  I think I'll be doing a Christmas version.

What colors or fabric line would YOU like to see or make this in?

Finished Willow Quilt

I finally finished binding my Willow quilt and wanted to share it with you today.

The Willow pattern is a free pattern that Jessica Dayon and I published together 

for the Willow Quilt-Along back in March 2020.  Click HERE to go to the homepage 

of the Willow Quilt-Along.

Linda Childs of Alpine, Utah quilted it for me.  She did a custom quilting design 

that I predominantly left up to her to decide.  The only request I had was that she do 

the arches in the sashing to create "circles" around some of the blocks.  If you squint 

your eyes do you see "circles" from the white space around some of the blocks?  

I love how it turned out.  Linda did a fantastic job.

Linda did a different design in each of the 3 different types of blocks.

I used my stash for the blues (blocks, cornerstones and binding).  I was hoping

I would've put a bigger dent in my stash but I probably added to it because 

I had to buy the background and the back (and of course I had some leftover of both).

The main blocks finish at 6".  This was a good skill check in working with tiny pieces!

The overall finished size of the quilt is 61" x 61".

I bought these labels from Border City Quilts on Etsy.  I love them; so simple 

but a nice fishing touch.  They are the 2" x 2" cotton fold over label but you can 

customize most of their labels to your own desires. 

Thanks to those of you that joined us for the Willow Quilt-Along!  It was really fun 

seeing all of the different versions pop up on Instagram.  This design looks beautiful 

in any colorway!  I can't wait to see more photos of your finished quilts.  

Please continue to tag Jessica @jessicadayon and me @gigis_thimble as you finish them

and use the hashtag #willowqal so we don't miss a thing!

Finally, I want to thank Jessica for asking me to collaborate with her on this!  

It was fun getting to know her more.  Jessica is an amazing pattern designer 

and she inspires me every day!

Happy quilting!