Sew Pro Stars Blog Hop and Springs Awakening Debut!

As many of you may remember, in September I made my way up to Chicago for the Sew Pro Convention.  I cannot say enough about how beneficial this conference was.  I learned a lot and met a ton of great people.  Just to give you an idea our keynotes were with Pat Sloan...

and Tula Pink...

We learned about submitting designs to magazines from Jenny Fox Proverb...

about designing patterns by Sara Lawson from @sewsweetness...

I met, and had a long conversation with Brenda Ratliff, fabric designer for RJR Fabrics, leading to her offering of fabric from her new line, One Room Schoolhouse, to design with (see that pattern here)...

And had the chance to listen to Sharon Thornton from Free Spirit Fabrics talk about becoming a designer for them (which led to a wonderful working partnership already!)...

I have already benefited so much from this convention and cannot wait for the next one.  If you have any desire to break into the business, I would so totally recommend it!!!

And this week, we are having a blog hop to share what we've learned with the world.  One of my biggest lessons learned was to be myself and to do it now.  When I got home, I dove into my pattern designs and today, I want to share my newest one with you!!  This is Spring's Awakening!!

It's one of my favorite patterns!!  The pattern is available in my Etsy store.  But I wanted to give you a tutorial on one of the blocks here.

This block is so simple but has such a neat look to it.

And here's an idea of what it would like like as an entire quilt...

Here's the tutorial.  Enjoy!  It takes a background fabric and three coordinating fabrics.

Pin 2” Fabric 2 strip to long edge of 2-1/2” background strip as shown.  Sew and press open.  Repeat with 2” Fabric 3 strip and 2-1/2” background strip.

Subcut into 4 - 2” sections of each Fabric 2 and Fabric 3.

 Pin 1” x 4” background to right side of Fabric 3 section from Step 2.  Sew and press open.  Repeat to make 4 units.

Place Fabric 2 section from Step 2 to units from Step 3 as shown.  Sew and press open.  Repeat to make 4 units.

Place 2” x 4” Fabric 1 piece to top of unit from Step 4 as shown.  Sew and press open.  Repeat to make 4 units.

Place 2” x 5-1/2” Fabric 1 piece to left side of unit from Step 5 as shown.  Sew and press open.  Repeat to make 4 units.

Using the 2-1/2” x 5-1/2” and 2-1/2” x 12-1/2” background pieces, and the units from Step 6, arrange your blocks as shown.  Join first in columns, then join columns to complete your block.

 Square up block to 12-1/2”.

If you make up your own, I'd love to see it!  And if you would like the complete pattern for Spring's Awakening, in sizes crib, throw, twin, queen, and king, it's available in my Etsy store now!

If you'd like to see what everyone else is sharing about the Sew Pro Convention, be sure to hop along with us...

SewPro Stars Blog Hop Schedule

Monday Nov 14

Lisa Peterson - https://lisaandlorelai.com/

Sherri Noel - Rebeccamaedesigns.com

Andi Stanfield - http://truebluequilts.com/

Brooke Gilbert - http://stitchedprintingcompany.com/p/blog

Tuesday Nov 15

Vanessa Behymer - https://vintagebarngirl.wordpress.com/

Pam Cobb & Lynn Rinehart - http://www.thestitchtvshow.com

Sherry Shish - www.poweredbyquilting.com

Joanne Kerton - www.canuckquilter.com

Lisa Nielsen - http://thequiltjam.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Nov 16

Carmen Ross - seecarmensew.com

Anne Beier - http://www.hudsonvalleyquilts.com/

Jessica Caldwell - www.desertbloomquilting.com

Pamela Morgan - mysweetlittlestitches.com

Thursday Nov 17

Maryanna Powell - www.marvelousauntiem.com

Cathy Smith - www.aquiltingchick.com

Lissa LaGreca - lovinglylissa.com

Paula Mamuscia - https://creationsbypaulamamuscia.wordpress.com/

Friday Nov 18

Becca Fenstermaker - prettypiney.com

Holly Stockley - www.lighthouselanedesigns.com

Teri Seal - daymoonquilts.blogspot.com

Trinia Braughton - www.penguinfeats.com

Deanna Wall - https://www.stitchesquilting.com/

And did I mention?  There's a giveaway too!  Here's the one for the blog hop...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And....I'm having my own giveaway!  This is a charm pack of Lecien, Flower Sugar Paisley Wind!  I picked it up at quilt market a few weeks ago when I got the fabric for this quilt!  All you have to do to win it is leave a comment here telling me what you'd like to make with it!  For an extra entry, follow me here or on Instagram and let me know here!  I'll draw for the winner on Monday and contact the winner by email.

Good luck and thanks for sticking with me through this long post!!

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation for NTT. With Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it Up Friday, Fort Worth Fabric Studio for Fabric Frenzy Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, TGIFF at The Quilted Journal, and Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts. Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, Show & Tell Monday at Bambi's, Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts, and Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt.

Snapshots Quilt

I was sooo excited to finish this one up.  The Snapshots Quilt Along was hosted by The Fat Quarter Shop last year and was designed by Bonnie and Camille.  It is absolutely one of my favorites.

Each block was even more cute that the last.

That balloon!!  The cute puppy will get button eyes after it's quilted.

I love the cake block.  It may very well make an appearance in a future quilt.  I can see it being a wedding cake.  :)

That slug bug block was probably the most difficult for me.  But it's so freakin' cute!!

That sewing machine though!!  I used a fat eighth pack of Miss Kate by Bonnie & Camille for my blocks.  The fabrics play beautifully with this pattern.

But I must say that I think the bike is my favorite block of all.  So cute!!!

This one is definitely a keeper.  Many of my family members seem to want it, but I think this one is staying with me.  :)

In other exciting news, I'm participating in the Sew Pro Stars Blog Hop this week!

This wonderful group of people that I met in Chicago for Sew Pro, are coming together this week to bring you some AMAZING sewing projects and quilt blocks and to share with you our takes from Sew Pro!

SewPro Stars Blog Hop Schedule

Monday Nov 14

Lisa Peterson - https://lisaandlorelai.com/

Sherri Noel - Rebeccamaedesigns.com

Andi Stanfield - http://truebluequilts.com/

Brooke Gilbert - http://stitchedprintingcompany.com/p/blog

Tuesday Nov 15

Vanessa Behymer - https://vintagebarngirl.wordpress.com/

Pam Cobb & Lynn Rinehart - http://www.thestitchtvshow.com

Sherry Shish - www.poweredbyquilting.com

Joanne Kerton - www.canuckquilter.com

Lisa Nielsen - http://thequiltjam.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Nov 16

Carmen Ross - seecarmensew.com

Anne Beier - http://www.hudsonvalleyquilts.com/

Jessica Caldwell - www.desertbloomquilting.com

Pamela Morgan - mysweetlittlestitches.com

Thursday Nov 17

Maryanna Powell - www.marvelousauntiem.com

Cathy Smith - www.aquiltingchick.com

Lissa LaGreca - lovinglylissa.com

Paula Mamuscia - https://creationsbypaulamamuscia.wordpress.com/

Friday Nov 18

Becca Fenstermaker - prettypiney.com

Holly Stockley - www.lighthouselanedesigns.com

Teri Seal - daymoonquilts.blogspot.com

Trinia Braughton - www.penguinfeats.com

Deanna Wall - https://www.stitchesquilting.com/

Please make sure to stop by and join in the fun!  There's a terrific giveaway also, and I will be hosting my own giveaway on Thursday when it's my turn to share!!  Please join in the fun!

Linking up with Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday, Show and Tell Monday with Bambi, Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday, and Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Makers.  Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story, Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday, and Fiber Tuesday at Quilting Room with Mel.  Let's Bee Social on Sew Fresh Quilts, Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers, and WOW for Esther's Quilting Blog.

Butterfly Trellis

I'm so excited to say that I finally got some good pictures of my Butterfly Trellis quilt!!  This one has been a complete pain in the photography department.  Here is a full picture...

I absolutely adore this pattern!!!  It's an absolutely gorgeous quilt in person so finally getting some decent pics to share with you thrills me.  Here's a closeup...

I wrote this pattern in all sizes and have a twin size made up that just won't cooperate with pictures but let me just say, it's perfect for a little girls bedroom.

The pattern is available in my Etsy store and if you make it, I'd absolutely love to see, so please share!!!

I'm linking up with Patchwork Times for Design Wall Monday, with Show & Tell Monday at Bambisyr with its Quiltglädje!, with Cooking Up Quilts for Main Crush Monday, and with Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making.  With Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday and with Quilting Room with Mel for Fiber Tuesday.  With Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social, Quilt Fabrication for Midweek Makers, My Quilt Infatuation for NTT, and WOW on Esther's Quilt Blog. And finally with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday, and with Ft. Worth Fabric Studio for Fabric Frenzy Friday.

Supernova Quilt

I finished up another WIP!!!  This one has been sitting in a drawer for at least a year.  But done!!  Here's the Supernova Quilt, designed by Freshly Pieced.

This quilt has had quite the journey.  At first, my aunt and I were participating in a friendship swap, where we would each make two blocks a month and send one to each other, thus getting two different versions of the block each month. 

My aunt went on a sewing craze and made 6 blocks, then decided she didn't want to do this version anymore and just started a new version for her husband's Christmas gift so she gave them to me.

They lingered in a drawer for a long time until I pulled them out last week, arranged them, and put them together, and added a few borders.  Done!!!

Glad to have another one done!!!  I feel like I've been on a roll lately. Can't wait to share more!

Today I'm linking up with Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times, Show & Tell Monday at Bambisyr-evaj, Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts, Love Laugh Quilt for Monday Making, Quilt Story for Fabric Tuesday, and Fiber Tuesday at Quilting Room With Mel. With Sew Fresh Quilts for Let's Bee Social, WOW at Esther's Quilt Blog, and Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication.
With My Quilt Infatuation for NTT. And finally, at Fort Worth Fabric Studio for Fabric Frenzy, at Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it Up Friday, and at Busy Hands Quilts for TGIFF.

Chicago Trip - Cultural Arts Center

Today I'm going to share pictures from our Chicago trip. After we toured Wrigley on our first day, we went downtown and found ourselves at the Cultural Arts Center. This place is AMAZING!!! It used to be the public library and has quite a history. But the architecture and glasswork was simply inspiring. Take a look...

And see that center circle in the dome? Here's a closeup look...

That's when I had the sense that I was in for something amazing in this building. We started going upstairs and wandering the rooms. We found a quilt exhibit. I thought I'd gotten pics of all of the quilts but only had this one...

This quilt was rough but had so many interesting details. If you're near Chicago, you really should go have a look. But What captured my imagination and inspired me so much was the building itself. Take a look at the Tiffany dome...

Yes, it was made by the artisans at Tiffany. It just sparkles! And the shear details. Take a look at the center of the dome...

I cannot even begin to communicate how awe-inspiring this place is. When I walked into the Tiffany dome room, I literally gasped.

I couldn't take in the details fast enough.

Even the archways leading from one section to the next were full of small details...

Around the dome was this saying. It struck me deeply. "Books are the legacies...

that a great genius leaves...

to mankind which are...

delivered down from...

generation to generation...

as presents to the...

posterity of...

those who are yet...

unborn. Addison

I sat underneath this dome and stared and studied and shed a tear or two (it was that moving). As quilters, we know how much time and effort goes into projects and the I cannot even imagine the time and effort that went into creating this gorgeous, lasting work of art.

If you ever get to Chicago, this building is an absolute must! It's directly across the street from the "bean." Hope I'm not boring yall yet as there is a lot more to come! Thanks for stopping by.