New Quilt Pattern: Fat Quarter Festival!

Now that I am working full time again in a "real" job, finding time for pattern writing has been difficult. But today, I am releasing a new new pattern as part of the Aspiring Designer's Challenge!

Yup, I'm right there in the middle of some pretty amazing designers. Make sure you check them out as well.

Call Ajaire

Bishy Barnababes

StitchmePLENTY

Knot Sew Normal

Koda Baby

Golden Rippy

Snuggle My Baby Patterns

Mae & K

Duck Butt Designs

Aha Customs

Laela Jeyne Patterns
The Wolf and the Tree


Ok, back to my pattern! I went back to my quilting roots after my hat release this summer. Quilting really is my comfort, and keeps me sane in my world where there's no time! And with that, I will tell you about my new fat quarter pattern, Fat Quarter Festival!

This is a really fun pattern if you like your quilts good and scrappy looking. It starts with fat quarters, and one cutting diagram. With those pieces, you can make 4 different blocks. I'm sure there's probably a few other ways you could stitch them up too, but my pattern includes 4 layouts. It's a very fast sew, so it's great for a quick gift. Just choose which block (or blocks) you want to make, cut your fat quarters (you could even stack a few of them to make it go even faster) and stitch them up!

Here's a couple more pictures of other quilts made from this pattern!

Many thanks to Heather T. and Jenn B. for testing my pattern and allowing me to use their photos!

Want to make one for yourself? Go grab the pattern here!

Or if you'd rather win a copy, you can enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Look what made it's way home!

I can't believe it has made its way home! Anyone that has known me or followed me for a few years might know this story, but the ending only came on Friday.

Way back in 2012, I entered a contest at the American Sewing Expo (there is a post about it here.) Somehow, I won an honorable mention ribbon. I went to the expo on Saturday that year, so I wasn't there to pick up my entry after the close of the show.

Instead of sending my entry back to me, they upgraded my honorable mention to 6th place, and the contest sponsor took it on tour with them to trade shows for a year. I was so excited to have placed, and couldn't wait for the year to be up so I could have the ribbon. I had planned to put the letter, the ribbon, and my project into a shadowbox frame together.

But the following October, when the year tour period was over, I didn't get it back.

I watched the mail the whole month of October. When i didnt get it, I started emailing the expo in November, asking if they had gotten it back, or if they knew when I could expect it back. They poked around, and unfortunately, In December, I was informed that the sponsor couldn't find it. Nobody knew what had happened to it. The expo people apologized to me and gave me some seminar time for the following year, along with the ribbon I had won.

Fast forward two years later to now!

Friday, I was driving home after dropping my son off for a scouting event, and stopped at the mailbox. Nothing but little packages that day. But one was from the American Sewing Expo! I haven't entered a contest there since my entry was lost (an entry fee was added to the contest, and I didn't want to pay it hahaha), so the only thing it could be was the one thing I never expected to see again!

I pulled in and parked right at the end of the driveway, and opened it right there. And sure enough, it was found! No explanation in the letter as to what happened, but it doesn't matter!

I haven't gotten it into a shadowbox frame yet, but I was excited to finally get it back and I wanted to post a "post expo" photo. Here it is!

A little bit about it: This is a clutch purse I made from the Apropos Pack pattern from Studiokat Designs. I quilted the exterior fabric using three threads sent to me for the contest, in a diamond plaid pattern.

The stripe of blue (and the stripe of orange on the inside edge of the flap) were added when I realized the piece had shrunk due to the quilting, and it was too short to put the snap in! Oops!

Craftsy's October ALL-ACCESS Class Pass -- just $9.99!

You heard right! Craftsy is offering an All Access Class Pass, access to ALL THEIR CLASSES for the month of October -- for only $9.99! You can try them all, binge watch everything that you've been curious about.

What's the catch? Well, November 1, you won't have access to those classes anymore, only the ones you've paid for. But if there's a few classes you've been wanting to watch, and you have some free time this month, it's a great opportunity to watch them and see if you'd like to purchase them. If you have taken any class notes during October, they will still be there if you decide to purchase the class after the pass expires.

It's a hard deal to pass up! Less than $10 for access to EVERY Craftsy class? I know I'm signing up! But hurry, you can only get this deal through Midnight on October 6.

The Cote d'Azur Sun Hat pattern is now available!

Hi everyone! I've been away from pattern making for several months, but I'm back with a brand new pattern. I've been spreading my wings, so to speak, and I've stepped outside my normal quilted box to release my very first wearable design!

It's almost summer here on our side of the globe, and I'm a pale, pasty chick. I avoid the sun like a vampire. It doesn't take long for me to turn lobster red, and I've had more than my fair share of sunburns in my life, especially on my face, shoulders, and the back of my neck. To avoid raising my risk of skin cancer even more, I decided I needed a big hat. And why not? They're very fashionable these days, and much easier to put on than sunblock (which I'll still wear!) Most of the wide-brimmed hats I see are some kind of woven style, but I wanted a fabric one, so it's washable and keeps out ALL the sun's rays. And this is it! Introducing the Cote d'Azur Sun Hat from ShannonMac Designs!

I have designed this sun hat pattern to fit head circumferences of 16"-24", with brim options of 4", 5", and 6". With those options, it will fit most people 12 months and up!

And since you're making it yourself, you can make it truly fit you and your style! I used quilter's cotton, but you can feel free to use any fabric you like, as long as it's not stretchy and won't lose it's shape (knits and silkies are probably good to avoid).

I used Pellon 809 Decor Bond in the brim, but some of my testers tried other things, like thermofleece, buckram, and peltex. Other interfacings can result in different levels of stiffness in the brim, but if you like a floppier hat, just try a lighter interfacing.

Check out some of the photos that my testers submitted!

Thank you so much to all my amazing testers!!

And now it's time for you to get the pattern, and make one for yourself! You can purchase the pattern in my Craftsy Shop, OR you can enter my rafflecopter drawing and win a copy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway