Volume 7: Spring Sewing!
Pattern of the Week! (It’s new :)
There’s a new pattern in my shop! So, naturally, it’s the pattern of the week and you can get it for 15% off :)
The Lamb & Chick pattern comes with both animals and their little bloomers and collar. They will make perfect Easter basket fillers for the little ones in your life! Or just for yourself, you don’t need an excuse to sew a cute doll. You can purchase the pattern here on my site or on Etsy if you prefer.
Easter Sewing
I posted a video this morning with Easter sewing ideas, plus ideas for Easter baskets that are not junky, expensive, or wasteful. You can watch it on YouTube.
For my own Easter sewing, I managed to make an Easter dress for myself this year! I had this beautiful rayon challis and made a pattern I’ve been making for many, many years. It’s out of print now, but it’s one of the old Project Runway Simplicity patterns. Do you remember those? My dress turned out perfectly and I’ll be sure and take a picture of me wearing it later.
Quilter’s Day Out
I had the honor of being this year’s featured quilter at a local event over the weekend! I displayed my quilts and gave a talk about improv quilting. I got to meet and chat with so many people, including lots who follow my YouTube channel (and also lots who had no idea who I was, haha). I was nervous about the talking part, but once I got going, it wasn’t that different from filming a video.
It was very satisfying seeing so many of my quilts hung up together!
This event is called “Quilter’s Day Out” and is hosted by all the local quilt guilds in the Louisville, Kentucky area. They have a quilt challenge contest each year and this year’s was panel quilts. My mom entered this one! I think it’s gorgeous. What she added for a border, and the quilting she did on it is perfect.
Cherrywood Fabrics
I managed to go into the vendor hall for a few minutes and bought these two hand dyed fabrics from Cherrywood Fabrics. I had never heard of this company before, but if you’ve been to the Paducah, KY quilt festival, you may have (I have never been).
The guy at the booth was telling us about a challenge they run every year. The creator/dyer of these fabrics chooses a palette each year and sells them in a bundle along with a challenge to make a 24” quilt on a certain theme. The first year she did this, she did a Broadway Wicked theme. He showed us the booklet of all the finished quilts and they were amazing! He then told us that the quilts ended up being displayed a the Broadway venue as a gallery.
The next year was Lion King, which was equally cool, and the challenge has continued each year since. The deadline for this year’s storybook theme is closed, but I’d like to keep my eye on the next one. It might be fun to participate! You can learn more about it here.
I chose these two colors to bring home.
On my sewing desk
I’ve been working on the Butterfly quilt this week and managed to almost finish the center row of flowers. I’m filming a tutorial for some of them, so that will be next Monday’s video.
I took Instagram off my phone last week and though it took me so long to take that leap, I don’t ever see myself going back. The amount of head space I got back is seriously astounding. I didn’t delete my accounts, though, I just now use Instagram on my laptop. And even then, I just post my photo and move on, I have zero desire to hit that home button and keep scrolling. I think I thought that since I have an online business, I had to have Instagram and be active on it, but I’m realizing that just isn’t true (Instagram has never been a great driver of sales for me). I do think it’s fun … but not like it used to be, ya know?
Is getting off social media something you’ve been tempted to do or that you have done? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
That said, I want to subscribe to some print magazines like the olden days. Any suggestions? I’m thinking Smithsonian and Quiltfolk for starters, but what are your favorites?
Happy Sewing!
Nikki
