Quiltscapades: A European Adventure!

Here's an overview of some of my quilty adventures this past summer as I enjoyed a tour to Eastern Europe with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (more on that over at our family blog, 3rDegreeBakery). Quilting is a universal language, as I've discovered!

But first, a new "Hipster" travel bag, with a couple of German details:  

Among the BEST of the BEST! (& a giveaway!)

Quiltmaker magazine just released a brand new collection of Reader Favorites, a special collector's edition of 22 patterns selected from the past 33 years of publications.  Including this sweet little baby!  

Originally published in Quiltmaker May/June 2014 (& featured on the cover), my little Sheep Shape quilt pattern makes a new appearance as one of Quiltmaker's top 5 reader favorite kids' quilts, amazing!

A Sweet Little Flock of SHEEP!

Sheep Shape/Hexagami class at Heber Valley Quilters' annual Spring Retreat (featuring my little Hexie Meadow quilt from this month's Quiltmaker magazine).

Look at these adorable kits that the retreat committee put together using Riley Blake Designs' fabrics!  

I began with a Hexagami lesson, showing three types of dimensional hexagons.  Hexagami stars, dimensional hexagons folded from circles...

See the HEXAGAMI tutorial HERE

... and a 3-D Heat-n-Bond Hexie Butterfly.  (Tutorial coming soon)

We cut out pieces in just minutes with the new Half-Hexagon dies that AccuQuilt sent home with me from my trip to Paducah!

Sally and Melissa get rolling:

 Heatherly stacks 'em up:

Katie's pile:

Hexagami Demo Table: 

A piece of batting became my instant Design Wall, then sweet little sheep started to pop up everywhere!

↑↑  Kandy's, Laura's  ↓↓

Patty's:

Olivia's:

Laura gets her strips sewn:

I experimented with my blocks, while Cathy started to lay her's out.  Meanwhile, Michele scavenged through the trash cans and used everyone's scraps to cut out a cute mini!

Michele's:

Leah did the same!

 

We sewed, we laughed, we ate incredible feasts, snacked on treats to keep us sustained... we sewed some more and by the end of the day, we even had a few finished quilt tops!

Kandy's!

Patty's!

Laura's too!

Woohoo!  So proud of these girls!  What a fun day!

Quiltmaker magazine with the pattern is still available on newsstands, quilt shops, online HERE, or as a digital copy HERE.  See the original quilt story HERE, and over at the Blogger's Quilt Festival HERE.  Linking up with Quilt Story HERE.

Happy Quilting!

Blogger's Quilt Festival - Sheep Shape

The Blogger's Quilt Festival, is going on right now at Amy's Creative Side!   I always look forward to perusing this amazing virtual online quilt show each Spring and Fall, and this time, I can add one of my own original designs in the Small Quilts category.

Quiltmaker magazine calls it "Sheep Shape"!  

Yes, I was a little "Sheepish" (<< see that story) when I discovered that it was the Covergirl!!!   

And, yes, I may have lurked in the grocery store for a few extra minutes when I saw it on the rack!  By the way, it's still on newsstands, or available online at Quiltmaker.com. 

It was at last year's Quilt Market in Portland that the gals from Quiltmaker spied my little Hexie Meadow quilt.  I was using it to demonstrate my "Hexagami" make & take dimensional flowers at the Riley Blake Designs' booth, when they invited me to submit the quilt for a future edition.

I quilted swirls for the sheep's wool, meandering swirls and loops for the sky and a meandering zig-zag for the grass.  I used Cuddle faux fur for the backing, and the big, loose quilting will allow the loft to come through for a soft, cuddly baby quilt.  (Now, all I need are grandbabies!)

 Right now, the quilt is just wrapping up a trip to Quilt Market in Pittsburgh.  Can't wait to see her again!

Sheep Shape

Crib Throw, size 43-1/2" x 55"

Riley Blake Designs' Basics (dots, chevrons, shuffle, gingham, solids, shades)

Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly batting, Shannon Aqua Cuddle backing

Be sure to check out all the terrific quilts not only in this category: Small Quilts, but link to all the other entries here:  Blogger's Quilt Festival.

You can nominate your favorite quilt for Viewer's Choice this week HERE, and VOTE for your favorite quilts in each category beginning May 23rd.  Don't miss this fantastic display of quilts and their stories, submitted by quilters from around the globe, inspiring and stitching us all together!  Meanwhile... I'll be back at the farm... so to speak, herding more sheep (see a little flock HERE)!