ZEN CHIC WHITE CHRISTMAS DILEMA

Do you ever have that one FQ bundle that you just can't cut.

NOT because you don't want to use it...but because

you keep changing your mind about the pattern you want to use.

I love all fabrics by Zen Chic and her beautiful pattern designs.

I have had this bundle of White Christmas for...

well many years.

Its so amazing and I want to make sure whatever pattern

I use...it will be the best pattern to showcase it!

Brigitte Heitland, Zen Chic Designer

offered this FREE Christmas Star Pattern...

I really love it.  You can find it on the Zen Chic website.

My friend Kathy Guenther used her F8th bundle

and 'Those Trees' pattern.

I like it, I like modern, but it's too much

negative space to satisfy the Modern Traditionalist

that lives in my heart.

Then here is another idea.

X & + also by Zen Chic.

I could figure it out and with the White Christmas fabrics

in the bundle OR I could add a spruce green to the mix?

Well I have 11 months til Christmas

but this one will be done with one pattern or another,

or with a mix of patterns

or one yet to be determined!

My dreaming of a White Christmas

might just happen this Christmas in July!

YARNBYRDS

Have you heard of the traveling Yarnbyrds shop

owned by Robin Ritchey?

I have actually been in this RV a couple times

as it traveled around Central Ohio. 

Great selections of yarns to browse!

What I didn’t know is that Yarnbyrds has a hidden gem tucked away 

on private property near Easton Mall!

A wonderful yarn shop and retreat center called The NEST!

And its located just a few miles from me!

Let’s take a peek inside the yarn shop! 

Cute accessories like these scarf magnets! 

Two magnets hold the scarf in place when one is behind the scarf

And the pretty piece is visible on the front of the scarf 

Conveniently located above the yarn shop  is the retreat facility!

It’s well appointed with a comfy sitting area for stitching.  

A kitchen for making meals…but many great restaurants are

a short drive away at Easton Mall 

The retreat rooms, sleeps 6-8 people, trundle beds seem reasonable in a small space. 

There was another bedroom with a larger bed, but you have more peeps to sleep…

a hotel chain is within walking distance. 

And Robin is such a gracious owner!

Please consider a stop at the shop or book a getaway retreat! 

Here's a link to the website where you can find out

all the details of everything...click here!

 

 

WINE TREE & TRUNK SHOW...hmmm?

It was only November but I had Christmas on my mind.

Sew my "wine themed tree" went up early.

But I also had other things on my mind.

Like a quilt trunk show for 

The Columbus Metropolitan Quilt Guild in Columbus, OH

We had been trying to schedule this show since April 2019.

One thing and then COVID kept delaying the fun time.

I had pulled about 20 quilts from my collection that covered

the 30 years I have been quilting.

And then, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 it was REALLY happening!

I told many stories that go along with my quilts.

Some brought tears, many brought laughter

and all brought a sense of FINALLY being together

and talking about quilts with other quilters.

My Perry County Flamingo was admired by many...

yes, you can touch my quilts!

This is the Laura Heiney collage quilt pattern, Pinkerton.

The quilts made with fabrics by modern designers, also brought great interest.

Like this "Paving the Way" using Lotta Jansdotter fabrics.

Peeking out is my Dancing Dragonfly quilt which I call a

'transitional quilt" .  That means my tastes were changing from

Traditional concepts to Modern aesthetics.

To get my quilts refolded in a timely manner

I showed the attendees how to fold a quilt on the diagonal for storage

and keep the creases out of the quilts.

Everyone got a chance to try it

and I had help packing my quilts for the return home.

Sew all that being said...

I am available for Quilt Trunk Shows the latter half of 2022.

If you guild is interested, we can discuss fees. etc.

Reach out to me asap!

Thanks to all who have invited me to you guild meetings.

I love to share my love of quilting.

2022 IS HERE!

Happy New Year to all my followers.

After 10 years of blogging...I am still here

and sew are you.  Thank you for hanging in with me.

I often think about throwing in the blog towel,

but I still enjoy it...even if it has fallen from favor

in the social media world. 

I guess I still have more to say!

How can it be 2022 already.

2021 has been almost as bad as 2020 with COVID still

busting our chops.  BUT  fully vaccinated makes me feel

much safer and sew much wiser!

I do have lots of new projects on the 2022 horizon!

But I am not sure what order or when they will happen.

AND that's OK!

Lets start with this fun PLUS quilt.

I am totally drawn to PLUS designed quilts. 

I had worked on it at a quilt retreat in Nov, 2021

But it needed some quiet time on the design wall at home

for me to make the decisions about what goes where.

Let me mention something about these colors.

I saw and fell in love with this color combo

 in a new release called "Timber" by Sweetwater.

I thought maybe I had some of these colors in my stash.

I found a Layer Cake by Zen Chick call Quotation

in my stash...it had almost the same colors.

I simply pulled the orange color tones... added a few darker

green and mustard FQs and VOILA

I had the colors without buying ANY fabrics.

Prints didn't matter as they are cut into smaller pieces.

ALWAYS check your stash before you buy!

The Strip Plus pattern by GE Designs is

 ready to sew into rows, when I am ready. 

And a second Patchwork Tree Quilt Block quilt is on my radar.

Amy Smart has a great free tutorial on this one. 

The first one I made, I have to my friend Shirley, who was going thru

breast cancer treatments.

The new version will use MODA Swell Christmas line

with a few others mixed in.

The next quilt top has had my attention for awhile.

I am always one who likes to "CUT LOOSE"

Sew maybe that's what drew me to this pattern.

I have lots of scraps of Alison Glass and Giucy Giuce (Giuceppe Ribaudo)

 fabrics, which will be amazing in this design, set on a white background.

I will have to cut this as I go...cause scraps.

The Tomte Tree and Gnome quilt is cut and ready to sew.

Perhaps a Christmas in July quilt?

Its gonna be scarlet, gray, white and black

and will be great for the Ohio State Buckeye Fan who

loves football, Christmas and Gnomes

It will be more Buckeye Love than Christmas Love!

I cut this out in June as after loosing

my best friend, Moose. 

 The healing power of a sharp rotary blade is amazing. 

Some very old charm packs in this one. 

I did purchase this Basic Grey Hustle and Bustle FQ bundle in 2021.

I just love it in sew many ways!

Not sure what pattern I will use this fabulous fabric with...

but Meadowland pattern is in the running.

I also bought some beautiful vibrant GRUNGE

 fabrics (on the right) that will become leaves for a fall quilt.

I think this Fall Breeze, just might be the pattern for the leaves.

but I'm not much for the lighter pink leaves.

But I do love a good Burgandy! (pun intended)

Oh yes, there are probably more.

I also need to make a new purse for my Beach vacation 

coming to me end of January and early February.

I will also be pattern testing for Frannie B Quilt Company

sew there's more tops to make!

Sew if you made it to here...please leave me a comment

and tell me why you read my blog.

Appreciate IT!