nanaCompany

Ornament Box

It seems like many moons ago I made a quilt pattern called "Ornament Box" and it's still one of my favorites.  The pattern is available here at my etsy shop.  

Amanda Clark (@amandamclark on Instagram) made this version using Little Town fabrics and it's exactly the quilt I'd want to wrap myself in on a cold winter's eve!

{ quilt pics above courtesy of Amanda Clark }

So soft and delicately perfect!  Thanks for sharing your pics with me, Amanda!

And although I wrote the pattern for Little Town fabrics I'm now dreaming of a version in Dollhouse with a touch of solid blue added into it.  It would look like this:

What do you think???  Happy Holidays y'all!

xo amy

happy busy winter 2017

Hello.  It's the most wonderful time of the year.  Again.  

We've been so busy.  Not a manic, out of control, no time for happiness busy.  Nope.  More like there's been so much to celebrate and I've gone back to school for nursing and we adopted a little orange and white kitten and some of us have had an anniversary, a 12th birthday, a gymnastics competition... all good stuff.   And going back to school at my age is tough!  (But for the record, I love it and I'm meeting that challenge head on.)  So, in the midst of all this, we've made just enough time to get a tree from our favorite tree farm... but it's sat in the living room like this for a week now.  Hopefully tomorrow we'll have time to decorate it, though I really am happy just to have a beautiful tree with twinkly lights in the living room.  There are so many other smaller trees throughout the house and red poinsettias and garlands, but this tree must sparkle cause you know... Santa's gonna do his magic here.

In the mean time, my next collection... Dollhouse fabrics...  are finally now arriving at stores and I wanted to share a very special something with you.  I am such a fan of a wonderful artist in Russia... her name is Lena Bekh (on instagram @lenabekh) and look what she made using Dollhouse!!

{ images above courtesy of Lena Bekh }

Lena's attention to detail is extraordinary and I marvel at the fine choices she makes, whether it be colors, textures, or craftsmanship.  So much in love with everything she creates... what a privilege to see her use my fabrics.  Keep your eyes out, ladies and gents!  I'll be sharing more Dollhouse inspiration soon.  :)

xo amy

A Piece of Cake Book Tour

Quilty books are the best.  A quilty book by my friend Peta that has cake in the name?  Awesome!  And as anyone who has met Peta can tell you, she is just plain lovely.  Truly generous, warm, and funny as all get out ~ and so so talented.  I'm so happy we're friends (and that she likes to travel to the States!  Peta lives in Australia).  But let's talk about her first book, "A Piece of Cake".  Because it's purely Peta in style, which I appreciate.  Clean, simple, fresh and fun.  Her book is a fantastic addition to my library, as it's based on the idea of making quilts with layer cakes (a stack of 10" squares of fabric prints from a collection) and making a quilt from such small cuts of fabric is right up my alley!  Look at these beautiful samples...  

{ all images above courtesy of Martingale }

 

 

I literally decided four different times on which project I'd want to make first because so many of Peta's designs are eye catching, but ultimately I chose the "Delight" pattern.

And I definitely wanted to cut into my Dollhouse strike-offs.  So, I went about planning a smaller version of her quilt, and then I played and played with the placement of fabrics until it became quite regular (totally the opposite of the scrappy version I love in her book) but it turned out really fantastic I think.

My "Delight" baby quilt is comprised of only four blocks, but it's just enough to show off Peta's dynamic pattern and I'm perfectly in love!  "A Piece of Cake" is available at bookstores now.  

 

 

For more peeks into Peta's book, and for plenty of inspiration, have fun checking out all the stops on the blog tour!

14 Aug Sedef - Down Grapevine Lane

15 Aug Jemima - Tied with a Ribbon

16 Aug Samantha - Aqua Paisley Studio

17 Aug Andy - A Bright Corner

18 Aug Kirsty - Bonjour Quilts

19 Aug Lisa - A Spoonful of Sugar Designs

20 Aug Alison - Cotton Factory

21 Aug Carrie - Moda Fabrics

22 Aug Nadra - Ellis and Higgs

23 Aug Angie - Gnome Angel

24 Aug Tara - Tara Sews

25 Aug Jules - The Creative Retreat

26 Aug Kristyne - Pretty by Hand

27 Aug Kimberly - Fat Quarter Shop

28 Aug Lissa - Moda Lissa

29 Aug Amy - Diary of a Quilter

30 Aug Kerry - Kid Giddy & Cat - Hello from Cat on Instagram

31 Aug Jane - Modern Makers Retreat

1 Sept Kate - Never Enough Hours

2 Sept Jodie - Vintage Ric Rac

3 Sept Sharon - Patches Indooroopilly (in store & online!)

4 Sept Amanda - Material Girl Quilts

5 Sept Amber - A Little Bit Biased

6 Sept Xanthe - Wife Made

7 Sept Rachel - Family Ever After

8 Sept Jenny - Martingale

9 Sept Amy - NanaCompany

10 Sept Peta - She Quilts A Lot

xo amy

Ornament Box Quilt Pattern now available!

Summer's coming to an end and you know what that means?  The holidays are coming!!!  I'm kidding sorta, but kinda dead serious.  Because time goes by that fast for me.  

So.  Yum, right??  Originally, I was cutting just a stack of my Little Town collection, but a few fabrics from my other collections hopped in there and looked so nice  ~ so what you see up there is a bundle of 21 fat quarters AND one of my very own boxes of Aurifil threads that I'm giving away over at *Instagram*.  There's just a few hours left (I'll be picking a winner Friday August 25, 2017) but thought I'd give a quick shout out over here, too.  If you're new to Insta, my name is @amysinibaldi ~ go look for this giveaway picture to read how to enter.  But the clock is ticking!  Go enter!

 

 

Ornament Box is my latest quilt pattern that I wrote up specifically with Little Town fabrics in mind, but of course it would look great in any fabrics.  In fact, when you purchase the pattern, you'll receive a file for the coloring sheet (below) so you can play and imagine the design in any of your favorite palettes.    

{ Purchase the Ornament Box Quilt Pattern. }

I love the simplicity of this pattern but think it still packs a punch.  And you'll want a pretty new quilt for the cold winter nights that are coming soon, my friends.  Hahaha.  Coming soon, not too soon, but soon!!!

xo amy

Riverside Tote ~ Free PDF pattern

hello All!  I made a tote using my Ananas Cream print in canvas (from the Charleston collection) and took it down to the James river for a spin.  Hence the name.  Riverside Tote.  ;)  I think the pineapples are just perfect for a beach bag and of course I love the striped binding, too (this print is from my Les Petits collection).  I used Art Gallery Fabrics yarn dyed cotton for the base.  If you're looking for a simple bag to make ~ this is it!  This tote is very basic but oh so useful for throwing in several towels, sunglasses, flip flops and sunscreen.  It measures approximately 18" x 15" x 6 1/2" and is just the right size!

If you'd like the basic info on how to make this bag yourself, I've written up a simple PDF pattern and you can find it here: Riverside Tote PDF Pattern.  All the best and enjoy your summer!

xo amy

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Weekend Quilting

"... simple designs to sew in no time."  I LOVE those kinds of projects!!  So, I've got a new book to talk about this week and it's called "Weekend Quilting" by Jemima Flendt.

Jemima ~ I'm happy to say ~ is a friend of mine.  And she's just as lovely and sweet as she looks, but with a bonus:  She's fun!!  (She's Australian so what do ya expect?) :)  We've been able to hang out a few times at quilty events, and what has impressed me about Jemima is that she has a truly generous spirit ~ she loves to teach others about sewing and quilting.  So writing a book was a natural next step for her.  

In her debut book, she teaches quilt making in ten chapters that introduce all the fundamental elements:  the 9-patch, half-square triangle, flying geese, the pinwheel, equilateral triangles, english paper piecing, appliqué, and foundation paper piecing.  It's a fantastic beginner book and especially handy for those quilters looking to widen their repertoire and try new techniques (that pretty much covers everyone, right?)  See that "Duck, Duck, Goose" mini quilt above?  I absolutely love this design and want to make one with my Charleston fabrics.  (insert the heart-eyes emoji here.)

The "Sparkles" mini quilt (a foundation paper pieced pattern) is actually one that I made in Playground fabrics for my Quilt Market booth last year...

With a shortage of time as I prepared for Market that season, I'd made my mini a bit smaller and turned it into a cushion.  And I love how it turned out.  But for my turn on this Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, I wanted to sew something new.   

So, I cut into my yardage of Little Town fabrics :)  I'm in love with the modern simplicity of Jemima's "Kite Tails" mini quilt.  

But I kinda botched my project.  (I know, this is strike two.)  I thought it would be "cool" to blend in snippets and one big stripe of my starry critters.  I finished my quilt at 2 am and headed to bed.  BUT, when I woke up the next morning and looked at it in broad daylight, I could see that those critters don't blend in to the white background like my (apparently) awful studio lighting lead me to believe.  No!  They stand out like a sore thumb!!!  Omigosh.  

The brilliance of Jemima's simple design is ruined by that one stripe, but I invite you to place a finger over that stripe and enjoy the beauty of my quilt that way.  Haha.  Seriously!  Choose a pic and cover up those critters with a finger and it'll look awesome, promise!

I'm just sitting here shaking my head.  It's a do-over.  Luckily I own Jemima's book and I can try it again any time I want.  But with absolutely no added stripes! :)

To sew your own version of this fresh design, find Weekend Quilting at shops and online now.  All the best to you and your beautiful book, dear Jemima!

 

 

To see all the inspiring stops along the Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, click the links below:

Mon May 29 ~ Lisa Cox -  A Spoonful of Sugar Designs

Tues May 30 ~ Robyn Shapiro - The Strawberry Thief

Wed May 31 ~ Melissa LeRay - Oh How Sweet

Thur June 1 ~ Emily Dennis - Quilty Love

Fri June 2 ~ Samantha Dorn - Aqua Paisley Studio

Mon June 5 ~ Nadra Ridgeway - Ellis and Higgs

Tues June 6 ~ Peta Peace - She Quilts Alot

Wed June 7 ~ Stacy Olson - Stacy Olson Design

Thur June 8 ~ Sedef Imer - Down Grapevine Lane

Fri June 9 ~ Elizabeth Chappell - Quilters Candy Box

Mon June 12 ~ Suzy Williams - Suzy Quilts

Tues June 13 ~ Rachel Howard - Family Ever After

Wed June 14 ~ Amy Sinibaldi - nanaCompany

Thur June 15 ~ Jodie Carleton - Ric Rac

Fri June 16 ~ Ange Hamilton - A Little Patchwork

Mon June 19 ~ Heather Andrus - Quilt Story

Tues June 20 ~ Elea Lutz - Elea Lutz Design

Wed June 21 ~ Lauren Wright - Molly and Mama

Thur June 22 ~ Claire Turpin - Claire Turpin Design

Fri June 23 ~ Jennie Pickett - Clover and Violet

Mon June 26 ~ Fat Quarter Shop

Tues June 27 ~ Alisha Orlando - Ministry of Fabric

Wed June 28 ~ Minki Kim - Minki Kim Sewing Illustration

Thur June 29 ~ Jemima Flendt - Tied with a Ribbon

xo amy

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Little Town

Summer may be just beginning, but please let me introduce to you a hidden place far away, nestled deep in a forest of pines... a Little Town where winter lasts the whole year through!

Yes, Little Town, my next fabric collection with Art Gallery Fabrics, is arriving at shops right now!

Little Town is a sweet collection of 16 prints perfect for winter... and all year through.  :)

In May, I shared the collection at International Quilt Market in St. Louis.  I'm so bummed I didn't have time to take pics of all my samples but here are a few shots I did get before leaving...  

The following are quick phone pics taken in St. Louis at Quilt Market.  The lighting was terrible at my spot at the convention center and the colors looked all wrong, but here was my display:

My favorite part was the line-up of baby clothes in Little Town knit, cotton and rayon...

 1. The pink Peplum top in knit sewn by Heather O'Brien

2. Twinkle Stars dress sewn by me

3. Winterberry vest sewn by me (are you interested in a single 12-18 size pattern for it?)

4. Winterberry Pine rayon baby dress sewn by me, baby collar made using a pattern from "Made for Baby" by Ayda Algin

5. Blue Starbright Scrunch Top and leggings sewn by Heather O'Brien

And I had a great time there ~ seeing friends and talking with shop owners.  Market is always a blast.  I hope you all love Little Town.  

Want to see how pretty it really is??  I have received my yardage and I'm dreaming up all kinds of projects...

Pillowcases.  PJs for all of us.  Quilts, tree skirts, stockings... Now to start sewing!

xo amy

Made For Baby

I'm here to share a book with you that's new.  It's full of beautiful photographs and simple sewing projects that are fun to sew.   It's a book I'm so happy to add to my library, as it's written by someone who's been inspiring me for many years.  I'm sure you're a fan already, but if not, I'm happy to introduce Ayda of Cafenohut.  

At her flickr, her instagram, and her blog, you'll see in abundance why I love Ayda's clean and happy and oh-so-charming style.  I was so excited for her when she mentioned she was writing a book with Tuva Publishing.  Her book, "Made for Baby", is one we all need to have close by ~ because let's face it, even if you're not or never having a baby soon, someone out there that you know is.  And sewing for baby is so much fun!  So welcome, to my stop on the Made for Baby blog tour...

Really, all the projects are cute.  I made one of these baby collars for my display of Little Town fabrics at Quilt Market last month... I didn't get a good pic of it yet, but when the fabric LookBook comes out I'll be able to share.  So, I flipped through the pages of Made for Baby and randomly chose this project...

Ok.  So, it wasn't random at all.  I chose it, because I thought it was adorable.  Ayda's choice of color palette, her use of clam shells, and the dimensions of her design are spot on.  So I made this:

I used a mixture of Paperie, Playground, Charleston, and Les Petits fabrics (all my own!), which I love. But because I was pressed for time, I couldn't do the clamshells.  And then the dimensions had to be changed ever so slightly.  And when I was finished I realized, that I love the fabric house just precisely as she designed it.  Maybe this fall, when I have more time (ha!), I'll be able to make one with the hand sewn clamshells in my Little Town fabrics and I will think it's as charming as hers.  :)

Don't get me wrong.  I like mine.

I'm madly in love with the color palette.  But as a fellow designer, I appreciate the finer details involved in making a pattern just so.  Hats off to you, Ayda!

Thank you for sharing your book with all of us!  And thank you all for stopping by my turn on the blog hop... 

 

 

To see a bazillion beautiful makes and meet their makers click on the links below to follow the entire Made for Baby blog tour.  Also, make sure to visit Ayda's blog for a chance to win a copy of her book.  I promise you'll love it!

May 3	Ayda ALGIN	www.cafenohut.blogspot.com
May 4	Jemima Flendt	www.blog.tiedwitharibbon.com
May 5	Sarah Edgar	www.alittlehappyplace. blogspot.co.uk
May 8	Lisa Cox	www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns. com
May 9	Ange Hamilton	www.alittlepatchwork. wordpress.com
May 10	Lauren Wright	www.mollyandmama.com.au
May 11	Melissa LeRay	www.ohhowsweet.com
May 12	Minki Kim	www.minkikim.com
May 15	Faith Essenburg	www.SaranaAve.wordpress.com
May 16	Kristin Esser	www.kristinesser.com/
May 17	Lauren Guthrie	www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog
May 18	Bridgette McNay	www.thefamilyhearth.com
May 19	Torie Jayne	www.toriejayne.com
May 22	Constanca Cabral	www.constancacabral.com/blog
May 23	Stacy Olson	www.stacyolsondesign.com
May 24	Caroline Husle	www.SewCaroline.com
May 29	Nadra Ridgeway	www.ellisandhiggs.com
May 30	Wynn Tan	www.zakkaArt.blogspot.com
May 31	Sedef Imer	www.downgrapevinelane.com
June 1	Lauren Nash	www.transientart.com
June 2	Jennie Pickett	www.cloverandviolet.com
June 5	Amy Sinibaldi	www.nanaCompany.typepad.com
June 7	Kim Kruzich	www.retro-mama.blotspot.com
June 8	Elea Lutz	www.elealutzdesign.com
June 9	Samantha Dorn	www.aquapaisleystudio.com/blog
June 12	Ayda ALGIN	www.cafenohut.blogspot.com

xo amy

april

busy busy.  April has been quite a month.  All good but it kept us quite busy.  Spring break.  My sister came to visit.  Easter was glorious.  We celebrated Olivia's birthday.  I finished another collection.  And I sewed something!

A pouch!  Yea!  I really just wanted to sew with some of my new fabrics.  I used Les Petits stripes and dots, Charleston flowers, AGF denim, and leather.  But let me say right now: Leather and I are no longer friends.  At least we won't be friends on pouches, I think.  That was really hard and I may have started sweating and it was... well... rough.  We got through it this time but no more leather bottomed pouches for me thanks.  I will, however, thoroughly enjoy this one!!  Isn't it beautiful?  (The little zipper charm is from @frogginghappy on Instagram)

And of course Miss Mia wanted to get in on the photo action.  :)

 

Did you have a nice Easter?  I took this photo at Jamestown settlement several weeks ago.  We visited the museum and I was so struck by the place and all the history that took place here.  (Jamestown was the first English colony in North America, settled in 1607 ~ thirteen years before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts.)  There are ruins and graves, artifacts and skeletons.  All so interesting.  Anyway, when I got home I thought this pic was particularly beautiful.  Lucky us, in those busy days before Easter Sunday we received a lovely package from the UK that contained these two fine handcrafted bunnies...    

Aren't they so gorgeous?  They are the handiwork of Katy Livings, the designer of Stitch & Sprig.  Katy was kind enough to collaborate with me, dressing her signature bunnies in these Charleston + Les Petits fabrics to be featured in an upcoming LookBook.  They are so beautiful I can't believe these bunnies are now ours!!!  Thank you, Katy xo

 

 

Next up??  I'll be busy the next several weeks prepping for Quilt Market in St. Louis where I'll be showing my next collection: Little Town.  Hope to see you there!

 { Little Town Rayon }

{ Little Town strike-offs }

{ Little Town medallion using "Ice Cream Soda" EPP templates from Tales of Cloth }

 

 

Last but not least, we have a winner chosen for the Modern Triangle Quilts Book Giveaway from my last post.

G I V E A W A Y    W I N N E R  !!!

Congratulations Dale, who said, "I am starring at a fat quarter bundle of liberty florals, trying to imagine what quilt pattern would best work with them."  You're the winner!  Please contact me asap with your details. :)

xo amy

Modern Triangle Quilts: Book Tour and Giveaway

I love quilting books for all kinds of reasons, but mostly for that spark of inspiration I get from seeing the creativity of a mind that thinks differently from mine.  Well, here is a truly fresh and innovative book that's hit bookstores this year...

In Modern Triangle Quilts, Rebecca Bryan of Bryan House Quilts has had the foresight to think "outside the box" and into the triangle.  What an awesome idea!  Inside the book you'll find 70 pieced blocks to make (divided into sections by triangle type: equilateral, right, and isosceles triangles) as well as 11 quilt patterns.  Take a peek:

I love the possibilities in making a triangle the "framework" for creative piecing and I, of course, look forward to using my Charleston and Les Petits fabrics in lots of modern triangle blocks like the ones above.  

 

 

In celebration of her new book, Rebecca asked several quilty friends (including me!) to make a block from Modern Triangle Quilts using a cool color palette of blue and green.  (I made the above block, but ended sending in a different one using my Les Petits dots as background instead).  Once Becca had all the blocks, she went to work arranging and sewing the triangles together to form this beautiful quilt:

Rebecca has named it  The Well Wishes Quilt and you can read her blogpost about it here.  Would you like a chance to win this quilt??

For a chance to win, enter by purchasing the Well Wishes Quilt pattern (found here for $5 ~  with each purchase you'll get the pattern and one entry to the quilt raffle.  Purchase as many pattern/entries as you like.)  If that's not cool enough, ALL the proceeds from this pattern will be donated to a charity that Becca holds dear to her heart, Living Water International.  Click on the link to learn more about them.  So.  For $5, get the quilt pattern, enter for a chance to win the Well Wishes quilt, and also know that your $5 is going to an amazing organization that does good works.  It's an all-around win! 

 

 

B  O  O  K      G  I  V  E  A  W  A  Y   ! !

Stash Books has generously offered to give away one copy of Modern Triangle Quilts to one of you (US residents will receive a hard copy of the book and International readers will win an eBook.)  Please leave a comment below telling me ~~ what have you been sewing lately?  This giveaway will close April 18th and the winner will be chosen April 21, 2017.  Best of luck friends!

To check out the other talented makers who contributed to the Well Wishes Quilt (and for a chance to win a copy of the book from each of them!) visit:

Sunday, April 2nd: Rebecca Bryan - Bryan House Quilts 

Monday April 3rd: Jessee Maloney - www.artschooldropout.net

Monday April 3rd: Stash Books - www.ctpub.com/blog/ 

Tuesday April 4th: Heidi Staples - www.fabricmutt.blogspot.com/ 

Wednesday April 5th: Felice Regina - www.sewscatterbrained.com/ 

Thursday April 6th: Giuseppe Ribaudo - @giucy_giuce 

Friday April 7th: Christa Watson - www.christaquilts.com/ 

Saturday April 8th: Christopher Thompson - thetattooedquilter.com 

Monday April 10th: Karin Jordan - www.leighlaurelstudios.com/ 

Tuesday April 11th: Kitty Wilkin - nightquilter.com/ 

Wednesday April 12th: Nicole Daksiewicz - modernhandcraft.com/ 

Thursday April 13th: Sarah Thomas - www.sariditty.com/ 

Friday April 14th: Amy Sinibaldi - www.nanaCompany.typepad.com/ 

Saturday April 15th: Rebecca Bryan - www.bryanhousequilts.com

 

xo amy

a finished quilt at last

Back in February I mocked up a quilt, slowwwwly pieced it together, and then sent it off to Norma, my quilter (her website is Petit Design Co.)  The quilt has been back and finished for a while but finally I got my husband to come take pics with me.  I thought I needed him to hold the quilt up, but when I saw this tree I knew we could give his arms a break.  

And then he says to me,"I know a better place.  C'mon."  It was just across the road, really, but it's a little hidden nook and a part of our neighborhood I hadn't seen.  I was in love!  

It was the most perfect spot for photographs and I can't wait to go back with a bottle of wine!  But first, a little Charleston + Les Petits sewing ;)

Annnnddddd... a tiny sneak peek at my next collection.  It's coming to shops in June!!

xo amy

exploring Charleston

This is the month!  March 2017 is finally here.  That means Charleston + Les Petits are right now shipping to shops and you'll be able to see in person these two collections I have been so excited to share with you.  I hope you love them as much as I do!!

I don't know if I have told you the story about how this line came to be, but it's a short one.  In July 2016, on our cross-country road trip from California to Williamsburg, VA we happened to stop in Charleston for dinner.  In total we spent three hours there.  We drove around for a bit.  Then we got out on foot.  We had dinner at 82 Queen and I happened to take this one photo afterward in the rain before leaving the city...

And then we drove on to our next stop.

But I was in love.  Charleston.  No really!  Love.  And I decided right away to design a collection inspired by it.  So I did. 

I went back to Charleston in October 2016 with my sister in law, Lisa, and we walked and ate and drank our way around the city.  She was such a good sport letting me snap away ~ hundreds of photos of all the charming details.  The problem is... everywhere you turn in Charleston, there is something beautiful and charming!  

If you ever get a chance, I hope you'll go and see what a fabulous city it is.  Ps. It was recently voted "Best City in the World" by Travel + Leisure magazine.  That's a pretty good endorsement I think ;)  If you've already been there, what's your favorite part???

 

 

{ Charleston knits }

{ Charleston quilting cottons }

{ Charleston ~ Waterfront Park color way }

{ Charleston ~ Sunset Harbor color way }

{ Les Petits ~ full collection }

{ Charleston and Les Petits, all together }

Start looking for these fabrics in your favorite shops this week!!  And make sure to hashtag your photos on instagram #charlestonfabrics #les petitsfabrics :)

xo amy

hello February?

Wait a second.  Whaaaaa??  How did I miss popping by to say hi in January?  Geez!  Well hey 2017, you're looking good!

{ sewing exercise, because sometimes you just gotta flex your muscles, right? }

 { gratuitous shot of my dear dear friend, who sadly has no other name than "Janome" }

I feel like I'm always saying this, but I do have lots of fun stuff coming up, stuff I can't share yet.  I know, blah blah blah, really Amy?  I wish I could spill the beans now, but that ruins the fun.  So secret sewing and designing aside... what I can show you is this.  I've been working sloooowly on a quilt.  I've called it "Riding Waves" and here's the mock-up...  

I'm going to finish it this week and send it off to Norma, my quilter, but at the rate I've been going... (insert snail emoji here.) ;)  So fingers crossed!

 

 

Well look at that.  That very small, very lovely stack of dots and stripes are strike-offs for my next collection, Les Petits.  (Strike-offs are samples we get from the fabric mill to check for correction before bolts and bolts of the fabric are printed.)  This is only about half of the Les Petits collection but I wanted to share because they're just so pretty, aren't they?  I also got in strike-offs for my other next collection, Charleston, and wow, they looked good too!

I immediately had to make something...

It's a mug rug for my desk.  So fun, right?  Les Petits and Charleston will be available at shops in March!  Ask your local quilt shop owner if they've ordered them ~ and if no, why not!? ;)

xo amy

ps.  Here's once last glance at 2016 in a nutshell...  It was a good year.  But 2017 is going to be even better!

Merry Happy Christmas!

{ beautiful cards, as always, from Minted.com }

Oh how I'm loving this Christmas season.  Virginia does it well.  And yep, I snuck in a tiny bit of sewing (using some favorite prints from various Art Gallery Fabrics collections) ~ had to make these cute stockings for my sister's pups because dogs need stockings too!  And I thought they should have matching stockings, right?  Next year, for sure for sure I'll be making an entire set of stockings for my own family ~ finally!!  And with some very special fabric ;)  I'll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve my friends.

Wherever you are, whatever you believe ~ I wish you peace, love, and joy.  Yes, oodles of joy!

xo amy

Happy Holidays

Living in Virginia has changed our lives in little and big ways.  Visiting a tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree this year was so much more fun than going to the local tree lot and felt so very festive!

Having Santa haul the tree in after being cut down was the icing on top.

I don't know about you, but this holiday season is already flying by.  I'm feeling extra grateful this year for all that we have, and I'm determined to enjoy what's truly important ~ so many of the things I've done in the past are not even on my list anymore.  Decorating, shopping, and trying to make everything look right have gone way low on the priority list.  Making sure I reserve bits of quality time for my kids and husband is my highest priority.  So, although I'm working hard on secret projects around the clock right now, I'm loving this holiday season for its real meaning and all the joy it brings my family.  I hope life is calm enough so you can enjoy it, too.

 

Last week I sewed this "Ugly Christmas Sweater" using a pattern by Kerry Goulder of Kid Giddy.  So cute, right?!!

Well, because of the nature of what I'm working on currently, I can't share any new work.  But with the holidays here I wanted to re-share some favorites from years past.

 

Like my Tall Tall Trees pattern... available at my etsy shop: nanaCompany.

 

The Merry and Bright cushion is fun and simple to make.  You'll find my free pattern for it here: Merry and Bright Cushion Pattern.

 

Fancy a super fast mitten?  (The fun part is decorating it with all your favorite bits.)  Get the free DIY Felt Mitten Pattern here.

 

This adorable stocking is also a free tutorial.  Find it here: DIY 5 Minute Stocking.

 

And here's the one I'd LOVE to stitch up if I could find the time... My "Not Even a Mouse" embroidery and ornament pattern.  Get the pattern at nanaCompany on Etsy.

There's more of course.  Look in the sidebar here at my blog for more tutorials and patterns that would make great presents for those you love.  And above all else, have the happiest of holidays my friends.

xo amy

Quilt Petite Blog Hop

My friend Sedef Imer of Down Grapevine Lane wrote a truly wonderful book called Quilt Petite and you're going to love it.  It's the latest craft title from Tuva Publishing, who is also my book publisher, so I can't help but feel a special affinity for this book ~ but besides that, it's really really good! 

Sedef's style and content are gorgeously on target.  The range of projects in this "small quilty things" book is fabulous.  The photography is lovely and inspiring, the diagrams and techniques used and taught are all spot-on and I can't recommend this book enough.  Not long ago, I scheduled in a morning for personal sewing to make a project from "Quilt Petite" and today is my day to share it!

I made a "Quilted Noticeboard" and enjoyed every moment of it.  Not only was it a quick make, but I love how it turned out.  I also really enjoyed going scrappy on it ~ using prints from many different collections by Art Gallery Fabrics and throwing in some AGF linen, of course.  If you're familiar with Sedef's noticeboard pattern, you may notice that mine looks a little different than hers, but that's because I made a miscalculation near the beginning and then ended up improvising.  To tell you the truth, I don't even follow my own patterns -exactly- most of the time.  But the bones of this project are just as Sedef prescribed and the genius part is her direction to use fusible foam instead of batting.  Foam adds the perfect amount of stability for this noticeboard and I'm so happy I keep it on hand.  (Note: I use Pellon Flex Foam FF78F1)

As part of the blog tour, I took lots of pics of my noticeboard in action... ;)

So pretty, right?

I added the leather loops and rivets to the top of my noticeboard on a whim.  I plan to find a cute twig to hang it on, but until I find just the right twig, simply pinning it to the wall works too!

And, oh, how I love anything with pockets... filled up or not...

This was the perfect, fast, fun sewing project, dear Sedef!  Next up?  I'm madly in love with the placemats on the cover of your book and want to make a whole set!  

Thanks for stopping by my turn on the Quilt Petite Blog Hop.  Here is the schedule of other talented makers who are sharing beautiful projects from the book.  I hope you'll follow along and enter Sedef's giveaway that includes, of course, a copy of Quilt Petite!

November 6: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (intro + giveaway)

November 7: Wynn at Zakka Art

November 8: Sarah at A Little Happy Place

November 9: Bridgette at The Family Hearth

November 10: Heidi at Fabric Mutt

November 11: Minki at Minki's Work Table

November 12: Ange at A Little Patchwork

November 13: Lauren at Molly and Mama

November 14: Michelle at Cole & Taffy

November 15: Nadra at Ellis & Higgs

November 16: Amy at Nana Company

November 17: Faith at Sarana Ave

November 18: Debbie at Happy Little Cottage

November 19: Erin at Why Not Sew

November 20: Amanda at Jedi Craft Girl

November 21: Melissa at Oh How Sweet

November 22: Stacy at Stacy Olson Design

November 23: Ayda at Cafe Nohut

November 24: Peta at She Quilts A Lot

November 25: Amanda at A Crafty Fox

November 26: Keera at Live Love Sew

November 27: Sharon at Lilabelle Lane

November 28: Kate at The Homemakery

November 29: Jemima at Tied With A Ribbon

November 30: Jodie at Ric Rac

December 1: Anorina at Samelia's Mum

December 2: Alisha at Ministry of Fabric

December 3: Xanthe at Wife-made

December 4: Cheri at Tinker With This

December 5: Kristyne at Pretty By Hand

December 6: Kimberly at Fat Quarter Shop

December 7: Veronica at Vivid Felicity

December 8: Shari at Doohikey Designs

December 9: Jina at Jina Barney Designz

December 10: Emma at Emma Jean Jansen

December 11: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane (wrap up + giveaway winner)

xo amy

New Collection Previews | Winners!

So fun to see Paperie + Playground fabrics together...

But did you hear my latest collection(s) have been announced?  Yes, I'm over the moon excited!!  The first is called Charleston and I can't wait to spill ALL the beans, but for now here's a tease...

And another new collection I've got coming out (both release in March 2017) is called Les Petits.  Here's the tease...

With Les Petits I've gone 'back to the basics' and designed my favorite simple graphic patterns in colors perfectly matched to Charleston!  Think dots, stripes on the bias, etc.  Agh!  I'm dying over here.  So happy to share these at last and so anxious to get my hands on them!!  March 2017.  It couldn't get here any faster!!!  Do you like these previews?  Promise I'll have more to share soon ;)

W I N N E R S

I've got two winners to announce.  First is the winner of the Quilt Block Cookbook Giveaway.  Congratulations to Rinda Sjarif!  Please email me your details asap.

Also, we have a winner of the Playground Showcase Giveaway.  Congratulations to Linda gerig!  Please email me your details and I will send out your fat quarter bundle of fabrics :)

xo amy

Playground Showcase | Giveaway

It's seriously still a pinch-me moment when I think about my new role as fabric designer for Art Gallery Fabrics ~ and seeing my fabrics sewn into pretty little things is a dream come true!  Sooo many beautiful projects have been shared by my very talented friends during the Playground Showcase... did you see them all?

(Click on links to see ALL the beautiful pics and info on projects ~ such as patterns used, etc.)

{ Katie Skoog of Simple Life Pattern Co. }

{ Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts }

{ Peta Peace of SheQuiltsALot }

{ Minki Kim + Kristin Esser at minkikim.com }

{ Jemima Flendt of Tied With A Ribbon }

{ Tara Curtis of tjaye.com }

{ Alexis Wright of MySweetSunshineStudio.com }

{ Melissa LeRay of OhHowSweet.com }

{ Ali Brorsen of BecauseofBrennaClothing.com }

{ Angie Wilson of GnomeAngel.com }

{ Rachel McCormack of WoodenspoonQuilts.blogspot.com }

{ Stacy Olson of StacyOlsonDesign.com }

{ Shannon Fraser of ShannonFraserDesign.ca }

{ Cristi Cooper of Whimsy Quilts }

{ Giuseppe Ribaudo of @Giucy_Giuce }

{ Kristyne Czepuryk of Pretty By Hand }

All these designers are just so awesome and are making waves in the sewing industry with their own work.  Be sure to explore their blogs to see what else they're up to.  (Thank you, friends, for taking the time and care to create such beautiful makes with Playground fabrics for the showcase.)  You guys rocked it, thank you so much!!

So... today is the last day of the Playground Showcase and it's my turn!  I made a quilt... for... (surprise surprise)... Mia.  A quilt to keep her warm during nap time at her new pre-school.  And I really felt, during the entire process of making it, that I was making something really special.  As cheesy as it sounds, I knew I was making something that would truly wrap her in my love while she's at school.  And what's really cool is that she understood.  When I showed her the quilt and I tried to explain it in my simplest kid-speak, she said, "it's like you're hugging me while I sleep?"  Yes.  Yes.  

That's exactly it.  She's a smart cookie, that one.  :)

So of course I used a lot of blue (her favorite color.  Blue raspberry anything rules Mia's world.)  And I'd literally been going nuts trying to decide on a pattern for the quilt.  As the clock was ticking ever louder in my ear, I happened to glance over at an issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting I'd just bought and the cover quilt by Emily Dennis spoke to me ~ like angels singing, haha!

I love Emily's quilt!  And I love triangles ~ so with this in mind, I set to work.

I cherry-picked prints from my own collection to create a palette for Mia.  (oops, there's one missing up there -- Posy Chain in Freshlily.)

It went together quite easily.  I built this baby from top to bottom with Aurifil threads and of course I went really boring with the quilting thread color: white!  Its my fave.  :)  I used a different construction method than Emily's Triangle Pop quilt, but the idea is the same and I have to say this may be my most favorite quilt of all time ever.  And now I want to make a big version for myself (of course)!

Oh my gosh, WARNING!  Dorkiest picture ever below.  I almost didn't include it, but there had to be one clear full view pic of this cute quilt.  (It measures about 42" x 42").

Sorry about that.  Seriously why didn't I cover my face?!!  Anyway, it's the perfect size blanket for Mia at nap time.  And she loves it, too.

To see the entire Playground fabrics collection click here.  For more inspiration, check out the Playground LookBook.  Also, check out the fun Playground fabrics video.  And with that... this Playground Showcase is a wrap.  Thanks for visiting friends!

G I V E A W A Y S

Playground fabrics are sold at quilt shops worldwide but I'd love to give a fat quarter bundle of the entire collection to one of you, my readers.  Leave a comment below, telling me what you'd like to make and a winner will be chosen at random.  Comments will close at midnight, Sunday, October 9th.  This giveaway is open to all.  Best of luck to you!

AND for another chance to win a fat quarter bundle, Lady Belle Fabric is sponsoring another giveaway at Instagram.  See my insta or @becker1210 for details.  Yay for second chances!!

xo amy

Wistful Winds

Shari Butler of Doohikey Designs has created a beautiful collection "Wistful Winds" and I had an unexpected chance to play with them for her blog tour (today's the first day!  Wahoo and welcome!)  I'm so happy I could do this because Shari is such a special lady and I know she created this collection with her heart.  She'll be talking about her inspiration and the story behind this line on her turn of the blog tour, so make sure to follow along to the end!

Isn't it so sweet?  Her fabrics worked perfectly to create this pillow and baby quilt.  When I saw the playful colors and multi-dots, I immediately began thinking of pairing them with linen for a round pillow ~ something I've never done before, so I was a little nervous.  I used a 30 degree triangle template to make the sections of the pillow and it turned out to be quite easy.  I appliquéd by hand the little wistful girl to the center, because she just had to be the focal point and I love how it turned out.

But I wanted to use more of these pretty prints so I made a baby quilt...

Sweet and modern.  I improv'd it, of course, and made simple stars set against a pale pink background.  It's the perfect set for a toddler ~ to snuggle with on a chilly morning with a good (picture) book.

This is my favorite star.  I love that Wistful dot in multi the best.  I love it so much I put some in the quilt binding, too...

Congratulations, Shari, on a beautiful line!  Wistful Winds will be available at Fat Quarter Shop and other fabric stores soon.  

Want to see more?  Follow along the Wistful Winds blog tour to see how these other talented makers use Shari's fabric in fun ways.  Here is the schedule:

October 3rd:
Amy Sinibaldi – www.nanaCompany.typepad.com
Kristyne Czepuryk – www.prettybyhand.com

October 4th:
Amanda Niederhauser – www.jedicraftgirl.com
Amy Smart – www.diaryofaquilter.com

October 5th:
Meagan Taylor/Kristi Jones – www.meagsandme.com
Christine Cook – www.stitchingrevival.com

October 6th:
Elea Lutz – www.elealutzdesign.com
Jodie Carleton – www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com

October 7th:
Sedef Imer – www.downgrapevinelane.com
Jina Barney – jinabarneydesignz.com

October 10th:
Elizabeth Evans – www.simplesimonandco.com
Kimberly Bourne – www.mainstreetmarketdesigns.com

October 11th:
Jemima Flendt – www.tiedwitharibbon.com
Nadra Ridgeway – www.ellisandhiggs.com
Amy Chappel – www.amerooniedesigns.blogspot.com

October 12th:
Katie Skoog – www.thesimplelifecompany.com
Amber Johnson – www.alittlebitbiased.blogspot.com
Tina - http://www.onelittlepooh.net/blog-2/

October 13th:
Angie Wilson – www.gnomeangel.com
Clare Horsman – www.claresplaceblog.blogspot.com
Deanna Wall – www.stitchesquilting.com

October 14th:
Melissa Mortenson – polkadotchair.com
Jessica Stewart – www.izzyandivydesigns.com
Gwen Sager - www.tillalili.blogspot.com
Shari Butler – www.doohikeydesigns.com/blog/

xo amy

The Quilt Block Cookbook | Giveaway

Doesn't this quilt just slay you?!  It's featured in the newest must-have book.  Yes.  Must have for all the reasons you can think of: fresh designs, stunning pics (making this book worthy of coffee table status), ALL the quilty math so you won't get a headache, and a ton of inspiration.  The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson has all that.  Take a look...  

{ All photos above courtesy of The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson, published by Lucky Spool. }

I've really been very excited about this book.  Sooo, I had big plans in store for my stop on the blog hop, but... haha!  Lots of life stuff happened ~ as it happens.  Four peeps here being sick for the past week has been the biggest whammy, but to spare you the all too-familiar drama, I'm just going to say that the quilt I had planned (like really planned, using swatches on Illustrator and everything) was scrapped and my impromptu back-up plan came into play.  Twenty blocks turned into one.

But isn't it lovely?  It's called Wooded.  Recipe No. 34.  (Just pretend those linen side panels aren't there yet.)

Ingredients?

So, what's the next best thing to a quilt?  A cushion, of course.  I added a half-cup of AGF linen to the sides of my Wooded block, quilted it the only way I know how lately (dreamy wavy lines), and now I have this:

(dreary pics because it's been raining monsoon rain ALL week on top of everything.)  But I love it.  Don't you?  Thank you for the recipe and inspiration, Amy! ;)

p.s. Want to see the quilt I had planned?  It would have looked a little something like this:

or this:

The second block in these quilts is Recipe No. 31 Pumpkin Pie, and mixed together they make one of Amy's "perfect pairings" pictured at the back of her book.  You see what I mean?  You gotta get this book. 

To see all the stops along the Quilt Block Cookbook blog tour, visit:

SEPTEMBER    5 ~ Angela Pingel angelapingel.com

                             6 ~ Aneela Hoey comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/

                             7 ~ Joanne Avery www.mybearpaw.com/

                             8 ~ AnneMarie Chany genxquilters.com

                             9 ~ Amy Smart diaryofaquilter.com

                             12 ~ April Rosenthal aprilrosenthal.com

                             13 ~ Amy Friend duringquiettime.com/

                             14 ~ Lee Monroe maychappell.com

                             15 ~ Faith Jones freshlemonsquilts.com

                             16 ~ Lee Heinrich freshlypieced.com

                             19 ~ Karen Lewis karenlewistextiles.com

                             20 ~ Nicole Daksiewicz modernhandcraft.com

                             21 ~ Kari Vojtechovsky craft-happy.blogspot.com

                             22 ~ Amy Sinibaldi nanaCompany.typepad.com

                             23 ~ Allison Harris cluckclucksew.com

                             26 ~ Stephanie Palmer latenightquilter.com

                             27 ~ Erica Arndt confessionsofahomeschooler.com

G I V E A W A Y

For a chance to win your own copy of The Quilt Block Cookbook, please leave a comment below.  Comments will close Wednesday, September 28 and I will announce the winner soon thereafter.  Best of luck to you!

xo amy