nanaCompany

Dreamy Lines

I made a quilt.

And I love it.  Used Heather Ross's latest collection: Sleeping Porch.  Improv'd the quilt piecing after admiring Monica Ripley's quilt design in the book, "Quilting with a Modern Slant" by Rachel May.  And thoroughly enjoyed quilting wavy lines on this one.  Dreamy lines, I think.  I listened to a lot of Elvis while quilting and it kind of sent me off into a trance (kind of weird: it was probably the first time ever I listened to a whole LOT of Elvis all together.  Even my husband was surprised and amused by it.  Like it was weird, but good weird.) 

I won't see this quilt for quite a while, it's off to travel a bit, but I can't wait to have it back.  It looks pretty good on my couch!

I also finished this log cabin mini in Playground fabrics.

And received this beauty back from Art Gallery Fabrics.  Can you see it?  (This was a quilt photo-fail!  But it shows just a glimpse of the beauty of this new place where we live.  In Governor's Land in Williamsburg.  And, yes, I'm still pinching myself.  Daily.  I love it here so much!)

Ok.  So, do you remember this one?  It was one of the beauties at my Playground booth for Spring Quilt Market this past spring in Utah.  It was pieced by Emily Dennis (who also wrote the brilliant pattern: City Tiles Quilt) and quilted by Norma of Petit Design Co. Does it make you hungry for donuts??? :)  

p.s. If you're ever in Williamsburg, make sure to visit Duck Donuts for the warmest, gooiest, most sinful donuts ever!  (slightly crunchy on the outside, light but cake-y on the inside.  Pure heaven.)

p.s.s.  The Playground Showcase starts tomorrow!

SEPT    14: Katie Skoog ~ thesimplelifecompany.com/blog

              15: Michelle Curtis ~ chellesquilts.com

              16: Peta Peace ~ shequiltsalot.com

              17: Minki Kim ~ minkikim.com

              19: Jemima Flendt ~ tiedwitharibbon.com

              20: Tara J Curtis ~ tjaye.com

              21: Alexis Wright ~ mysweetsunshinestudio.com

              22: Melissa LeRay ~ ohhowsweet.com

              23: Ali Brorsen ~ becauseofbrennaclothing.com

              24: Angie Wilson ~ gnomeangel.com

              26: Rachel McCormack ~ woodenspoonquilts.blogspot.com

              27: Stacy Olson ~ stacyolsondesign.com

              28: Shannon Fraser ~ shannonfraserdesigns.ca

              29: Cristi Cooper ~ whimsyquilts.blogspot.com

              30: Guiseppe Ribaudo ~ instagram.com/Giucy_Giuce

OCT     1: Kristyne Czepuryk ~ prettybyhand.com

             3: Amy Sinibaldi ~ nanaCompany.typepad.com

Yessssss!  Get ready to see Playground fabrics all dressed up in the hands of these talented designers! 

xo amy

cookin' up good stuff | winners

I've revisited an old tutorial of mine: the pretty little potholder.  And fallen in love again.  This one here is in Maureen Cracknell's gorgeous #FleetAndFlourishFabrics.

And this one here is in Sharon Holland's #TapestryFabrics.  I love these!!

By now I feel quite comfortable making my potholders (and using them!) and I have to say that the more layers of Insul-Brite and batting ~ the better.  Don't be stingy if you actually plan to use yours ~ your fingertips will thank you.  And if I haven't clarified elsewhere, I use one layer of Insul-Brite and one layer of cotton batting for the front layer,  and two layers of Insul-Brite for the back.  Also, I'm so excited to dive into this new book, "The Quilt Block Cookbook" by Amy Gibson.  It's pure eye candy and I'll be cooking up something good in the coming weeks ;)

Have you heard of Quilter's Candy Box?  Tracy and Elizabeth are two friends who've come up with the genius idea of a monthly subscription box filled with, well... quilter's "candy".  You know, fabric, patterns, goodies, and treats.  I had a lot of fun helping curate August's box, which included this adorable ruler box and some paper tags that I designed to be used as gift tags or button cards. (Buttons not included.  I cut out my tags and dressed them up here to show you how they could be used.)

All that you see above is included in the August Quilter's Candy Box, but there were also cookies ~ I gobbled my cookies right up (white chocolate key lime cookies!)  This box is sold out however a few more boxes may be made available at their website soon.  If you're interested, check them out because the boxes do sell out fast.  And if you subscribe, each month a fun new curated box will be delivered to your home.  For sure, the happiest of happy mail. :)  Quilter's Candy Box. 

It's been somewhat quiet around here lately, though Anne came to visit a few days last week (insert all the heart emojis!)  A new couch and all four kids in the house were enough reason for me to "need" another group pic.  Of course, they were ALL so happy about it ;)

It's literally torture.

Haha, but in time, they'll forgive me all this.  (And maybe I'll forgive them.) 

G I V E A W A Y   W I N N E R S !

I have two winners to announce...

Congratulations to Polly M. who said, "It's hard to chose just one but I would go with Tire Swing Marble. Thank you for the giveaway!" ~ You're the winner of the Playground bundle from Fat Quarter Shop.  Please email me your details asap.

And, congratulations to Lace Faerie, who said, "Such sweet inspiration! Can't wait to get my ands on this new book! Thanks for the introduction!" ~ You're the winner of a copy of the new book, "Sew Illustrated" by Minki Kim and Kristin Esser from C&T Publishing.  Please email me your details asap. 

xo amy

Sew Illustrated | Giveaway

Just before I left California, Minki Kim invited me to her home for brunch along with her bestie and partner in crime Kristin Esser.  I didn't have a lot of time to spend with them and I'd definitely wished I had more because first of all, when you arrive at Minki's home there is so much to see (all the beautiful makes), then she served a perfectly delicious and photo-worthy brunch (with desserts), and then we all got to talking shop (favorite tools and funny behind-the-scene stories ;)  You guys.  Everything about Minki ~ her work, her home, her style and personality ~ are 100% charming.  With a dash of mischief (yes, I saw it, Minki!!!)  And her partner in crime, Kristin Esser is truly a delight ~ warm and absolutely lovely.  They make a great team ~ and together they've written the latest must-have book from C&T Publishing : Sew Illustrated.

This beautiful book is such a great collaboration for these two and I'm very happy to be a part of the blog tour.  It just kicked off yesterday!

August 15: C&T Publishing

August 16: Amy at nanaCompany (hi!)

August 17: Wynn at zakkaArt

August 18: Sedef at Down Grapevine Lane

August 19: Lisa at A Spoonful of Sugar

August 20: Amy at chick chick sewing

August 21: Stacy at Stacy Olson

August 22: Debbie happy little cottage

August 23: Generation Q Magazine

August 24: Faith at Sarana Ave

August 25: Ayda at  cafenohut

August 26: Melissa at Oh, how sweet

August 27: Jemima at Tied with a Ribbon

August 28: Veronica at Vivid Felicity

August 29: Sharon at Lilabelle Lane Creations

August 30: Nadra at ellis & higgs

August 31: Kristyne at pretty by hand

September 1: Elnora on Instagram

September 2: Jennie at Clover and Violet

September 3: Auribuzz

September 4: Minki at Minki’s Work Table and Kristin at They Grow Up Too Fast

I think once you see all the adorable makes one can stitch up using this book, you'll be hooked.  And if you're intimidated to try Minki's charming "sewing illustration" style, be assured these girls have spent a good portion at the beginning of the book going over exactly how to achieve Minki's signature style ~ preparing the fabric, methods for transferring designs, thread choices, design tips and more.  I read it through carefully before diving in this time.  And do you know what?  I love what I was able to make with this book!

These are Minki's signature pin cushions and the adorable "notions basket".  Didn't they come out so cute??  And these items are the first I've sewn in my new home here in Virginia.  I was feeling a little more than rusty, but after these makes... seriously, I remember now why I love sewing.   These are my kind of projects!  

Side note: If you're ever lucky enough to receive one of Minki's tiny pin cushions there is one thing you'll realize:  when she says, "fill until quite firm," she really means it!  (Also, you might notice that she does an amazing ladder stitch.)  So, I tried very carefully to make mine like Minki's and they're not quite there, but these came out pretty good. ;)

Thank you Minki and Kristin for this wonderful book, my friends!  And thank you for visiting my stop on the blog tour :)

G I V E A W A Y

Wouldn't you love to win a copy of Minki's book??  C&T Publishing has generously offered to give away a copy to one of you.  To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below.  Comments will close Monday, August 22, 2016 at midnight.  The winner will be chosen randomly and announced soon thereafter.  Best of luck!

xo amy 

the look of Playground | Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway

One of the wonderful things about Art Gallery Fabrics is that you really can "feel the difference".  Our designs are printed on soft pima cotton that has a lovely drape perfect for quilts and garments.  Not only that, but certain prints in each collection are also offered in canvas, voile, and knit: see here.  Today, I have a round-up for you of some of the beautiful garments sewn in Playground fabrics by some super talented sewists:

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Laura Scaramella of @laura.scaramella and the Simple Life Company }

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Alexis Wright of @myysweetsunshine and Violette Field Threads } 

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Ali Brorsen of @becauseofbrenna and Because of Brenna }

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Katie Skoog of @slpco and the Simple Life Company }

G I V E A W A Y

Weren't those pictures just gorgeous?  I hope you love Playground as much as I do.  And a big thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring this giveaway of one fat quarter bundle of Playground in the Sunny Adventures palette...

These are my favorite colors in the collection and I know you will sew something beautiful with this bundle.  Simply leave a comment below telling me which of the Playground prints is your absolute fave and you'll be entered to win these 10 fat quarters.  Comments will close Friday, August 12 at midnight and I will announce the winner soon thereafter.  This giveaway is open to all.  Best of luck to you!

xo amy

p.s. See here all the prints in the collection at Fat Quarter Shop.

home is the nicest word there is...

And when "home" is a cookie?  Well, you take a bite and everything is sweeter...

We've been in our new house for about a month now and despite the exhausting work of it, I'm pinching myself ~ it seems a dream.  The house, our yard, our environs, the city of Williamsburg, the charm and all this green (so much nature!) and history.  So, when in the general busy-ness of unpacking, cleaning, shopping and arranging, there sounds a delightful ding dong! ~ happy mail packages are an especial treat.  It's like whoa!  How nice to be found here :)

And when the package is from Alissa of My Sweet Violette, you know it's gonna be good.  Alissa bakes and decorates the most beautiful cookies for custom orders.  I think these gorgeous house-warming cookies she sent me are extraordinarily lovely.  And do they look too good to eat?  No way!  I know how good they taste.

And Mia knows, too.  I left the room for one minute and the cookie thief was at it again.

{ If you ever have need for a custom order of truly unique and delicious cookies for your party, event or special day, contact Alissa at her Facebook page: Sweet Violette }

You'll thank me for it ;)

xo amy

Playground Friends

{ Close up of butterflies by Nicole Young of Lillyella.  Pic by Nicole Young. }

Hello!  So much time has passed since my last blogpost because I've been rather busy with my family making our move from Los Angeles, California to our new home in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Whew!  All I can say is amazing.  An amazing road trip... an amazing new house in a community that knocks my socks off... and an amazing transformation is currently underway turning our "new" house into a home.  Home.  What a wonderful thing!   

As always, fun new projects are in the works, but I really wanted to show you the beautiful makes my friends took the time to sew for my Quilt Market "Playground" booth back in May.  All of these items were made using strike-off fabric, and often times I gave the designers just the teeniest bits of scraps to work with, which makes their creations all the more impressive.  I hope you like what you see, because (I'm happy to say) Playground is hitting shops right now!

{ Kite Mini by Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts.  So in love with this.  Pic by Michelle Curtis. }

{ Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt created this adorable hexagon mini.  Second pic by Heidi Staples. }

{ Stunning hopscotch mini by Jenn Rossotti of Ginger Peach Studio. }

{ Minki Kim of Minki's Work Table created so many tiny works of art, using her 'sewing illustration' style and her "Beautiful You" stamp set, available through Alte New. }

{ Minki Kim also created this adorable bunny mini, which can be seen in more detail at her instagram @Zeriano. }

{ Ingenius donut mini by Sari Thomas of Sariditty.  Pic by Sari Thomas. } 

{ Gah.  Beautiful 3-D Butterflies by Nicole Young of Lillyella.  Pic by Nicole Young. }

{ Hopscotch Quilt by the talented Stacy Olson.  Pic by Stacy Olson. }

{ I heart this mini by Peta Peace of She Quilts A lot.  Pic by Peta Peace. }

{ I love this modern hexie mini by Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft. }

{ Gorgeous "Grace" dress sewn by Alexis Wright.  See more of Alexis' beautiful creations in the upcoming Playground LookBook or at her instagram @myysweetsunshine. }

{ Sweet baby dresses sewn by Melissa LeRay of Oh How Sweet. }

{ City Tiles Quilt, designed and pieced by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love.  Quilted by Norma Evans of Petit Design Co.  This quilt is so beautiful when seen as a whole, I'll try to get a better shot of this soon.}

{ Amazingly fun quilt designed and made by Jennifer Chon of Sunny In Cal. }

Sooo.  All together, we were awesome.  And I'd like to send a giant shout out to all these generous and talented designers and makers.  I could never have done it without you!  Thank you for making such a beautiful Playground booth with me.  xoxo

xo Amy

Spring Market 2016 Recap

Whew!  International Quilt Market 2016 in Salt Lake City is a wrap.  And like anyone will tell you: it pulls you in like a tornado, spins you around for a bit and leaves you with a blurry recollection of awe-inspiring quilts and people.   At least that's what it was like for me.  When you get the chance to spend long enough with friends old and new ~ that's the best part.  But mostly there is never enough time, and you look forward to the next Quilt Market to do it all over again!

Above are the lovely lovely Art Gallery Fabrics designers who showed at Spring Market and first I'm going to show you our AGF corner.  This here was my Playground fabrics booth, or more correctly ~ wall.

I feel so lucky to have had so much help from friends this time around, who took the time to help me sew and create this beautiful display with their mini quilts (I'm going to blog about their projects in it's very own post.)  These are just overview pics I took and I didn't take many I apologize, but the lighting in the convention center was less than flattering and I prefer to do a dedicated post using pics that were taken by myself and the artists beforehand.  

These precious garments (minus the furry vest, of course) were sewn by Alexis Wright and Melissa LeRay.  Make sure to stay tuned for the Playground fabrics LookBook which will be coming soon after the release of this collection, due out in July, and which will highlight many of these items.

This is Bonnie Christine's new AGF Organics collection "Hello Ollie" and sadly I didn't get a pic of Bonnie in her booth, but it was breathtaking and she is seriously so lovely in person ~ and way more swan-like than me.  

Walter Bravo, head of Art Gallery Fabrics, and Pat Bravo, designer of the fresh and pretty new collection, "Heartland".

I fell so in love with these Heartland softies in Pat's booth.

Dana Willard of the super fun new Limited Edition collection, "Boardwalk Delight."

Isn't this romper adorable!!??  It's designed by the Simple Life Company.

Katarina Roccella, designer of the charming new collection "Pandalicious".

This print is my favorite!!

Sharon Holland, designer of the sophisticated new collection, "Tapestry".

And that there, next to the candle is my favorite print in Sharon's new collection.

Bari J always makes beautiful collections and "Joie de Vivre" is gorgeous gorgeous.

I love the colorful tassels on this monogram cushion.

Maureen Cracknell.  Lemme just say, I love all these girls and I've seriously been holding back here in order not to gush on and on about all of them, but this pic of Maureen just kills me.  So cute, and her "Nightfall" booth was stunning ~ as always.  

My favorite was this adorable owl dress.

So!  What do you think of the Art Gallery Fabrics collections?  All beautiful, right?

So now we're going to visit some friends.  

Amber Johnson of Gigi's Thimble showing off her latest quilt patterns.  Jack, to the right, is my fave.  And not just because there's a touch of Paperie fabric in it.  I think it's just simply stunning. 

Frances Newcombe of 'Franny & Jane' debuting their fresh new collection "Manderley".

Sherri McConnell and Chelsi Stratton (heart heart emojis!)

Showing their latest collection, "Desert Bloom" and see the pillow back there made using my "Merry and Bright" pattern?!

Yay!  Here's a pic of my Quilt Market partner in crime, Jenn Chon, with Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique ~ showing her latest collection "Olive's Flower Market".

Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree and Company, of course.  It was my first time meeting her and oh... she's fun!

Think I'm in love with this elephant pattern by Ricrac.

Definitely in love with the Lepidoptera quilt by Elizabeth Hartman, though I'm thinking the Frances Firefly quilt pattern may be more up my alley.

Oh I love the colors in Violet Craft's new collection "House of Hoppington"!

I finally got to meet the inspiring Heather Jones and had a chat with her about baby deer and her art process, among other things.  She's absolutely lovely.

And I was so happy to be able to see these gems made in Lizzy House's new Whisper Palette, made by my friends Nicole Young and Sari of Sariella Studios.  (They also made the two gorgeous minis in my booth: scroll back up.  See the the donuts and butterflies!?! :)

Eeeek!!! Getting to meet and hug the amazing Lori Holt was such a treat!  I've thought the world of this lady for so long, so to meet her in person... well, you know... it was definitely a highlight.

And really guys.  It was such an unexpected delight to meet Sandy Klop ~  not only was I star-struck, but I was equally surprised at what a hoot she is!  Warm, funny, and able to speak more Korean than I can... let me just say I was charmed.

So sadly, this is where I run out of photos.  That's because I didn't have time to walk the whole floor and see everything... imagine, there was more inspiration and beauty!  So, I'll leave you with these fun phone pics ~ because quilty people really are the best!

Recognize some favorites in here?  So much fun!

p.s. there's a short little video of me talking about Playground fabrics live from Market, here.

xo amy

Off to Spring Quilt Market | Joyful Carousel Giveaway Winner!

Today I'm off to Salt Lake City for Spring Quilt Market 2016 and I'm so excited to share with everyone just some of the beautiful ways you can use Playground fabrics.  Of course it's been crazy-town over here the past few weeks and I can't wait for the moment I can sit down and catch my breath.  Until then, here are sneak peeks at some of my recent makes... and I promise I'll be showing ALL of it (including all the beautiful things my friends made)... soon. 

{ Kaleidescope mini quilt pattern by Jemima Flendt }

{ bunny head using a pattern from the book Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor }

{ I used the rattle pattern from my book Sweetly Stitched Handmades to finish off the bunny head }

{ Tokyo CarryAll Tote, pattern by Amy Morinaka }

{ Lined Baby Vest, made by tracing Mia's old vest from Old Navy, size 12-18m }

{ Fabric Gift Baskets using the pattern from Lisa Cox' new book: A Spoonful of Sugar }

{ See-Saw Quilt, designed by me }

Hope you liked the sneaky peek!

W I N N E R

We have a winner for the Joyful Carousel Fat Quarter Giveaway!  Congratulations to Ayda - Cafe No Hut who has won the 15 fat quarter bundle specially curated by Pat Bravo.  Please send me your details Ayda, so we can send the bundle to you!  And a big thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring this giveaway.

I'll be back soon with my Spring Quilt Market pics.  And for those of you attending Market, please be sure to come by the Art Gallery Fabrics booths, look for the Playground booth, find me, and say hi!

xo amy

Tell Me A Story Quilt | Joyful Carousel Fat Quarter Giveaway!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Amy Friend's new book: Intentional Piecing.  

I could just tell by the cover that I would like the book, and I was right.  I'm totally smitten with these charming fussy cut Tell Me A Story quilt blocks ~ perfect for showing off special fabrics.  Plus the book includes several other very original projects and Amy shares so many good tips throughout.   

Using fabrics from my upcoming Playground fabrics collection + Paperie, I made a mini quilt using four Tell Me A Story Quilt blocks and I absolutely love everything about it.  

If you'd like to get crackin' on your own Tell Me A Story Quilt, I'm happy to offer you dear readers a 30% discount from the Lucky Spool web site (click here) using the discount code “FRIEND30”.  And there's a fun event taking place on Instagram until June 1st: post a photo of your Tell Me A Story Quilt block(s) with the #IntentionalPiecingBook #TellMeAStoryQuilt hashtags and you'll be entered to win a super cute bundle of fabrics.  See @duringquiettime on IG for details.

G I V E A W A Y !

Fat Quarter Shop and I are teaming up to give away one really fun bundle of fabrics called "Joyful Carousel".  This 15 fat quarter bundle was specially curated by Pat Bravo ~  I fell in love with the colors and thought you might like it, too.

To enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment below telling me about your most recent fave project finish ~ I'd love to know what you've been sewing lately!  This giveaway is open to all.  Comments will close next Wednesday, May 18th at midnight, and a winner will be announced shortly after.  Best of luck!

xo amy

Sweetly Stitched | My Aurifil thread box giveaway

Lots of cool stuff has happened in the past few years and I can honestly say that getting my face and name on a box of Aurifil thread is right at the top of the list.  I mean really?  How fun is that!?  I love this thread!  Today, over at the Aurifil blog { Auribuzz.wordpress.com } my "Sweetly Stitched" box of threads is officially being introduced along with a fun new interview and a GIVEAWAY!   

The "Sweetly Stitched" collection is offered in a small box and large box.  FYI, Aurifil is giving away a large box.  Go enter and fall in love with these Aurifil threads! 

good luck!

xo amy

small Adventures | the Well Traveled Sewing Book pattern release

{ Catalina Island }

{ Manhattan Beach. Wife Made Butterfly Wings, get the pattern here. }

{ Harry Potter World, Universal Studios, Hollywood. }

So, before I get into Quilt Market sewing with my new Playground fabrics, I thought it was time to finally release the pattern for my Well Traveled Sewing Book.  Haha, it's been a year and I've had gazillions of requests for the pattern so it really is about time.  Do you remember the original?  I blogged about it here.  

Then I sewed another one, in order to test my own pattern.  And right now I'm sewing another one ~ in my own fabrics ~ and this new one will be made very personal, very pretty, and I'll be sure to share lots of pics when I'm finished.  

My goal at the beginning was to create a very sturdy "book" with lots of little places to store needles, little scissors, thread, floss, and pattern cards for when I travel.  So this handy, fully customizable, organizer was born.  Inside the book there are two "pages" that are sewn into the spine just as you would sew a felt page into my easy and fun needle book tutorial.  The pages in this book are a little more fun though...

For now, I am offering the Well Traveled Sewing Book PDF pattern at a discounted rate in my etsy shop: nanaCompany.  I hope you like it and enjoy adding your own personal touches to the blank pages ~ make them pretty, make them yours!  Happy stitching!

xo amy

Spring North

Good decisions beget good decisions.  I consciously decided last week I no longer want to "burn my candle at both ends" (it will not last the night ~ Millay?)  I just can't any longer.  My family, my health and sanity, and even my work have suffered.  It's time to slow down.  Do less ~ but do it better.  More focus, more intention, less hamster-on-a-wheel action.  Right after that decision, I packed up my entire family in our mondo-van and drove us up north to see Anne (my oldest, she goes to Sonoma State University.)  Road trip!!  We hung out in San Francisco, drove out to Sebastopol and Bodega Bay.  On our way home we hit up Pinnacles National Park, which was my fave family hiking trip ever.  (More than Montana d'Oro, more than Julia Pfeiffer Burns, I loved Pinnacles.  And if you're interested at all, we entered through the East entrance and hiked the Bear Gulch trails.  Don't forget your flashlight for the caves and go soon before it's too hot!) 

p.s.  So good.  But soon I'll have the whole East coast to explore as we're moving to Williamsburg, Virginia this summer.  Know of any great adventures anywhere around Virginia?  I'd love to know.

Now, for the reason you all actually come visit me here... there is so much good stuff coming soon I promise!  A whole gang of amazing makers and I have been sewing with Playground fabrics to get my booth ready for Quilt Market.  I'll be sharing all that next.  Happy Spring, friends! xo

xo amy

hello Playground

I am so very happy to announce my first full collection with Art Gallery Fabrics: Playground!

{ click here to see bigger swatches with names and colors }

Inspired by childhood memories of Ring around the Rosie, tire swings, the sandbox, jumping rope, hopscotch and four square, he loves me (he loves me not), and Fruit Stripe gum (that I wasn't actually allowed to chew because that was "sugar" gum).  I went old-school in my thinking for this collection, hailing memories of when the playground was mostly made up of tires ~ giant tires that four of us could crawl into and hide in, or the little tires that we jumped across.  That and the black top are what we had in elementary school just before the awe inspiring "playscape" came on the scene ~ these wondrous structures our children play on now.

I hope you like this collection as much as I do.  

Playground won't be hitting stores until July, but I've received strike-offs and am busy sewing samples for my booth at Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, this May. 

My first project was a zippered tote bag, and no I haven't written a pattern for it.  Yet ;)

And my second project was a cushion cover that I absolutely love.

This cushion was inspired by Debbie of Happy Little Cottage, who made a beautiful runner last year after she saw a pic of an old vintage quilt.  I looked and looked online for the name of this block and maybe you can help me(?), but I've guessed that it must be a variation on the Old Maid's Puzzle block, but set on-point.  So many people have already asked me on Instagram for a pattern, I said that I would make a simple one-sheet and here it is.  Download the PDF here.  It looks like this:

I hope this little one-sheet helps.  And I really hope you fall in love with Playground like I have.  This is just an introduction, there will be so much more to share as time goes by! :)

xo amy

Tiny Toffee Designs | Dream Big

Two things get me every time: charming + little!  

Susi, of Tiny Toffee Designs, does both of these so well.  I love her foundation paper piecing patterns (see them all at her etsy shop) and I'm here to help celebrate the latest set "Dream Big" in its very own blog hop.

If you've never sewn using the foundation paper piecing method, I should probably mention that when I stitched the Gliding Swan, above, it was only my second time.  The wonderful Elnora Chambers gave me a lesson in paper piecing over a year ago ~ and that was the first time.  So, if you're familiar with this pattern, you'll see I made a mistake ~ but I saved it and I love this swan (mistake and all)!  I framed it in linen and turned it into a mini folio.  Inside there is a full length pocket and I haven't made the divisions yet because I'm not precisely sure what else I'll be keeping in it besides my notebook.

But I seriously loved making this charming little project!  ;)

I loved it so much I made three more hexies from the "Dream Big" set.  

A little appliqué, embroidery, a metal zip, and Art Gallery Fabric's new linen/cotton blend helped me to create my new favorite zip pouch.  Seriously, these little projects are the best.  Thank you, Susi, for creating such adorable patterns!  Check out the schedule for the rest of the blog hop here, and be sure to visit Mary and Kate who are also sharing projects today!

xo amy 

The Splendid Sampler | Snug As A Bug

By now I'm sure you know... Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson are running the biggest star-studded quilt-along ever and it's called The Splendid Sampler.

{ Block No. 1 by Pat Sloan and Block No. 2 by Jane Davidson }

They invited 82 friends to help design -- There are 100 blocks -- Two block patterns are released each week -- They're all free until next year (Feb 2017) when they'll be put together in a book -- And the coolest part?  Pat and Jane asked me to join the design team and today's my day to show you my block!

It's hard to see in this pic, but little Mia is snuggled beneath four quilts here.  It was just that kind of morning and I'm so happy to have so many quilts in every room throughout the house.  All are completely different, but all made with love of course.  Because quilts are.  "Handmade" takes so much more effort than a quick trip to Target but it provides a timeless ritual of love, mathematical equation, and color masterminding ~ it's a soothing busy-ness and all-around chicken soup for the soul.  But you know that ;)  I took this pic weeks after I designed my block and turned it in, but I thought it was so cool how Mia resembled the child I'd drawn in Snug As A Bug.

Such a sweet and simple embroidery block, right?  Use the back-stitch, stem-stitch, or whatever you like.  I made the design very simple on purpose.  Besides my love for unfussy embroidery, I think it's a block that anyone can stitch, even those who have never embroidered before.  Using six-strand embroidery floss, I used one strand of floss for the finer details and four strands for the rest ~ although I went back in, adding stitches, to vary the width of my lines.

{ Use your hand to cover one bunny at a time to see the difference best. } 

In the above sample, I've used my new favorite 12 wt. Aurifil.  I embroidered a single stitch line on the left, and on the right side I went back in and thickened the curved lines with extra side-by-side stitches.  Both bunnies are cute, but there is a subtle difference and sometimes I prefer the more dynamic look.  Another embroidery tip: never work with more than an 18" length of floss (to avoid knots and mayhem) and try out these Tulip Embroidery Sharps: thin assortment and thick assortment.  I really like these needles!

I have tried a lot of different brands, but I find myself reaching for these gold-tipped needles first.  Whatever you choose, I encourage you to have fun with this pattern and enjoy making it "your own".  (I love seeing what people are doing with the "quilt".)  Happy stitching!

See you along The Splendid Sampler!

xo amy

beautiful and new | winners!

My husband and I can be terribly practical, like deciding to ignore Valentine's Day ~

So it was really fun to receive some actual valentines in the mail this year from my friends, Renee, Stacy, and Lauren.  (I guess you guys just love me more?!)  Hee hee, thank you sweet friends!

 

 

Does that look amazing to you?  It's Art Gallery Fabrics latest introduction: The Denim Studio.  Read all about it here and find it at shops now.  As soon as I received mine, I used textured denim, solid smooth denim, and Coastline fabrics to make this cute clutch.

The little leather patch?  I made that using a leather stamping kit from Michael's craft store ;)

 

 

Made a few more nine patches on Mia's clothes quilt, and of course I had to share.  There's just something about the process of turning her old clothes into something beautiful and new that feels so good!  Here are a few tips that might be helpful if you're at all interested in this kind of project:

• prewash the item, otherwise stains may emerge when you press.
• the first cut is always the hardest.  I know.  But it gets really easy once you start.
• cut as close to the seams as possible to get the most usable fabric
• even a 12 month baby girl's dress yields so much more fabric than you'd imagine (start snipping!)
• fussy cut around major stains but consider using the pieces with minor discolorations.  I think of it as added character.
• occasionally add in a piece that has a pocket, button placket or tag, just for fun.
• don't discount ruffles or even wide hems ~ these can be pressed open and used occasionally if there isn't a fade line down the crease.
• make the first cut.  Storing those clothes in a bag in your closet really isn't a better idea!

 

 

Congratulations to the two winners of the Paperie Blog Tour giveaway:  LeAnne K and Kim Fernald.  You'll each be receiving a fat quarter bundle of Paperie from me and a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop (courtesy of them.)  Thank you to all who entered and who have been so kind and supportive of my first Limited Edition collection.  I am thankful for every kind word.  

xo amy

Paperie Blog Tour | the happy ending

Whew!  You guys!!!  What an amazing gift this blog tour has been for me... to see everyday all the beautiful creations made using my Limited Edition collection with Art Gallery Fabrics: Paperie.

 

{ Notes for all pics above can be found here. }

 

 

I wouldn't want you to miss a thing, so here is a recap of all the amazing projects from the Paperie Blog Tour (with direct links).  Please visit the maker's blogs ~ this is such a talented crew of sewists and I know their work will inspire you!

• Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt made a Stationery Kit.  Tutorial follows on her blog.
• Kerry Goulder of Kid Giddy made Bubbles the Paperie doll and her tiny Co-Pilot bag.  A Tutorial follows.
• Cheri Lehnow of 'Tinker With This' made the True Love Pincushion and embellished Paperie Tags.  Both include tutorials.
• Sharon Holland of Sharon Holland Designs made two adorable "baprons" and shows how to appliqué with knit.  Pattern linked.
• Jemima Flendt of Tied With a Ribbon made a Cotton Reel pincushion and an Undercover Maker Mat.  Patterns linked.
• Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts made a gorgeous quilt and a Paperie planner.  Planner tutorial follows.

• Christina Egner of One Little Pooh created a Paper Hearts Piano Runner, a cross-stitch bunny pillow and a needle book.  Patterns included.
• Ali Brorsen of Because of Brenna sewed little girls dresses, pants, a little boy's tie, a pennant, and heart wand (tutorial included).  All patterns are linked.
• Kristine Lempriere of Townmouse stitched up a little girls top and skirt.  Patterns can be found at her online shop.
• Nicole Young of Lillyella made her Undercover Maker Mat and a Love Story mini quilt, all patterns are available and linked.
• Lori Landenberger of Sew Psyched created an English paper-pieced Pillow of Lerve.  Three tutorials follow.
• Jennifer Chon of Sunny In Cal made a beautiful quilt, pattern is linked.

• Melissa LeRay of Oh How Sweet made a Moda Love quilt.  Pattern is linked.
• Megan Jimenez of Quilt Story Story made an original embroidered mini.
• Faith Essenburg of Sarana Ave. created two pillows, a mug rug, and heartstrings garland.
• Renee Lange of Sewn With Grace created an original quilt, mice and bed, and a mouse house purse and a baby blanket.  Some patterns linked.  
• Sedef Imer of Down Grapevine Lane created ornaments and a doll quilt.  Doll quilt pattern will be published in her book, coming soon.
• Kristyne Czepuryk of Pretty By Hand made a trio of "Amy's Pretty Pockets", pattern available on her website.

• Heather Andrus of Quilt Story Story stitched up the sweetest unicorn friends.
• Stacy Olson of Stacy Olson Design made a gorgeous HST quilt and a skirt.
• Erin Cox of Why Not Sew? created a portfolio and clamshell pencil case.
• I stitched up a Paperie + Pure Elements quilt top called "True Story".

 

 

For my blog tour project I chose to work with HST's (half-square triangles).  I mean, originally I tried doing Half-Rectangle Triangles but it didn't go so well.  Me and the HST were just meant to be, I think. ;)

I made this quilt top using all the Paperie prints + 6 Pure Elements in these colors:

I'm calling it my "True Story" quilt.  And if you look very closely there are a few extra fabrics in there.  Those were cut from my kids old clothes but they blend in really well.  So many thoughts were racing through my mind while making this quilt top ~ I'm not kidding when I say I really enjoyed it.  And actually it was a sloooowwww process of sewing a few HST blocks together, putting them up on the design wall (a cheap fuzzy backed tablecloth), standing back ~ squinting, thinking about what colors I wanted to use next, arranging, rearranging, and then sewing them together.

Once upon a time, I had thought I would do full columns of the same colored blocks.  Quickly, though, I realized I preferred a much more random, more free-flowing arrangement of the HST's.  It may appear to be a very modern quilt, but I was deeply inspired by quilts of old.  And the point at which I decided to add in a few of my kids clothes was when I was really digging deep into my thoughts about antique quilts and quilt making a hundred years ago ~ about how quilts were always made with "recycled" fabrics back then.  There was no such thing as "quilting" fabric,  no quilt stores, no carefully pre-matched collections of fabric ~ a quilter used what she had on hand and when a particular color or print ran out, she simply continued with something else (similar or not).  So, it's in that nostalgic mindset that I made this top.  Although there is a very studied arrangement to my blocks, you'll find no pattern there.  Look as long as you like, I promise no pattern can be found.  And some may find that kind of "arrangement" disconcerting ~ I am so so pleased with my quilt top and I'm sending it off to Norma immediately to be quilted.  I can't wait to get it back ~ to bind it and wash it.  OH a freshly washed quilt.  I've really never been so excited!  True story. 

Thank you so much for following along the Paperie Blog Tour.  If you've made it this far, of course there is a happy ending.  I have a giveaway for you!  Please leave a comment below telling me which project you'd love to get started on right away.  I'll award two (2!) random winners each a fat quarter bundle of Paperie (including a half yard cut of Gathering Blooms) plus a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop (where you can find Pure Elements on sale this month)!

Thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for co-sponsoring.  This giveaway is open to all.  Two random winners will be chosen.  Comments will close Wednesday, February 24th.  Good luck my friends!

The end. ;)

xo amy 

Look inside my workroom | #AurifilforAGF giveaway

Recently I shared a pic of my writing desk ~ it's very civilized and upstairs in my room.  Want to see where all the hard work gets done?  That would be in my studio... ahem, I mean, sweatshop, cough, I mean garage, I mean workroom... and it's being featured today over at Cut Out + Keep: Craft Room Tours.  I hope you enjoy the little peek.  Honestly I could only share a small portion of my space because the rest is so ridiculously untidy! But the good news is that soon I'll be packing it all up because we're moving across the country and I'm finally getting a proper studio in the main house.  I'm SO excited!  Until then, I'll be working away in here and though it may be a mess, it's my mess! ;)

If you entered the giveaway for the book Simply Stitched by Yumiko Higuchi, thank you very much.  I feel like a traitor for having to say this to you my bloggy friends, but as it turns out an Instagram entrant won the giveaway and it is now closed.  (As the winner was chosen completely randomly I don't truly feel all that bad because there were over 800 entries between here and at my IG account and only one person could win!)  The good news is: you can get a copy of this gorgeous book yourself, as they are available for sale at Zakka Workshop now!

Yea!  That's me on a box of Aurifil thread filled with colors I chose specially.  Actually there are two boxes!  Love AGF fabric?  Love Aurifil thread?  Or maybe you're curious but still haven't tried it?  Well, they've teamed up together for an amazing giveaway and today I am the featured designer!  Check out the Art Gallery Fabrics Blog for details or look for my post on Instagram.  (sorry guys, this one is IG only, so now is a great time to join and really it's so much fun!  I post pics nearly every day and it's just so easy to interact with everyone.)  Good luck friends!

{ image above: courtesy of AGF Studio }

p.s. I'll definitely let you know the scoop on when and where you can order my custom thread boxes soon!

xo amy

Simply Stitched by Yumiko Higuchi | Giveaway

I felt a bit rusty, but it was fun to do an embroidery project this week.  I used a very pale mint green linen that I'd purchased years ago from JoAnn's as the base and chose a few skeins of cotton floss as well as some Appleton crewel wool.  (Appleton wool is made in the UK, however if you're in the States I've found a wide selection of colors here.) 

The pattern used was the one right here on the cover of Yumiko Higuchi's new English language book, "Simply Stitched" ~ brought to us by the awesome folks at Zakka Workshop.  The book will officially release in March, however you can purchase it now from Zakka Workshop on Etsy and yes, I do recommend it.  For years, I've been pinning Yumiko Higuchi's beautiful embroidery pics on Pinterest ~ it's so cool to have her book now and to get the chance to recreate the elegant designs.   

I love how this Dahlia Sachet came out ~ even if I wasn't paying full attention and had to make it slightly different.  It's so stinkin' lovely.  Of course, I've decided to give it away along with a copy of the book, courtesy of Zakka Workshop!

Yes!  The giveaway starts officially on my Instagram February 6th, but I wanted to give you ~ my blog readers ~ the heads up about it.  I know that some of you don't have an Instagram account (and feel strongly about it) and I don't want you to feel left out.  So, if this applies to you, you may leave a comment here to enter to win!  I'll pick a random winner from the combined entries soon. :)

xo amy

nanaCompany Valentine Gift Tags | free printable

It's pretty hard to miss that my Paperie fabric collection lends itself really well to Valentine's Day.  So of course I had to take some of those sweet motifs to make some tags and seals for us.  Get the free Valentine Gift Tag printable here.  It looks like this:

Print on cardstock or sticker paper ~ cut ~ and enjoy!

xo amy