A Decending Zig Zag Quilt { Tutorial } : :

Today I'm sharing my newest quilt tutorial! I'm still seeing such wonderful feedback, lots of pins, and comments on my recent Herringbone Quilt Tutorial, I owe you all a HUGE thanks!! Tutorials are a lot of work, and receiving such an amazing response always makes the effort worth it! Seeing that first Herringbone QAYG finish, made by one of you, was the best! Thank you!

You might remember seeing this quilt shared here back in July, along with a special Nordika fabric Giveaway. Well, I'm excited to finally share that I've created a free pattern/tutorial to share with all of you and with Janome fans, as a Janome Artisan!


This project tutorial is for a simply pieced, descending zig zag quilt pattern made by separating darker value fabrics from lighter ones to reveal a fantastic design!



These quilt blocks sew up quick to an 8.5" unfinished square, a wonderful size for making both small and large quilts!







You can find this new tutorial on the Janome Project Center page right HERE!



I really hope you all enjoy this quilt tutorial! As always -- be sure to let me know if you give this one a go!!

Happy sewing!!
♥ Maureen

Nordika Zig Zag Quilt {and GIVEAWAY} : :

When the beautiful new Nordika collection by designer Jeni Baker for Art Gallery Fabrics arrived at my door just a couple weeks ago, I knew they had to become a quilt as soon as possible!



Right away Haila asked if these fabrics could be made into a new quilt for her, that made me so happy, and we decided this FQ bundle would make the perfect zig zag pattern quilt!



I planned out my design, then began by separating the darker value fabrics in this collection from the lighter ones, before I started piecing my blocks. You can see that well with a quick photo change to black & white, and I love the result!



The descending Zig Zag pattern made finding a beautiful staircase for our photo shoot a must! The intense colors in this collection against the old masonry was so beautiful to photograph! 



For the binding Haila chose from my stash both a Raspberry Rose and London Red Pure Element solid. My girl has great taste and such an eye already, I especially love where those two colors meet!



For the quilting she chose an aqua variegated Aurifil 50wt from the Tula Pink Collection. This was my first quilt made using a variegated thread and I'm completely sold and in love with these threads now!!



For the back I made use of the two panel pieces that came with my FQ bundle, adding in a bit more of Art Gallery Fabric's Pure Element solid in the Raspberry Rose & in my favorite Empire Yellow, along with a quick scrappy strip patchworking of my Nordika scraps.





As usual I took so many photos of this finished quilt, and I of course do have my personal favorites! The one above and this one of Haila running with her new quilt. She L♥VEs it!



This quilt came together so quickly and was so much fun to make! I do plan to share my pattern, but since we decided to start our family vacation a little early and will be headed to VA Beach on Thursday, followed by a week in Nags Head, it may be a little bit before I'm ready. I'm hoping that by the time I have it finished for sharing, Nordika will be fully stocked in all of our favorite shops!!

Nordika is scheduled to hit stores this month!! I'll be sure to add a list here of my shop sponsors that will be carrying this collection. For now, you can find the Art Gallery Fabric Pure Elements available at Fat Quarter Shop, Moona Fabrics, The Intrepid Thread, Pink Castle Fabrics, Stash Fabrics, and Contemporary Cloth!

Today, I get to host yet another surprise Fabric Giveaway for TWO FQ bundles of Nordika, courtesy of Art Gallery Fabrics!! Yes, that means two winners! One will receive the Alpine Valley colorway and the other will receive the Frost Valley!

photo by Jeni Baker

photo by Jeni Baker

Enter to Win!
 
Here's how,  

1. Simply leave a comment here in this post! We'd love to know which colorway you most love? You can view all prints in both the Alpine Valley and the Frost Valley colorways HERE! (one entry)
2. Follow Art Gallery Fabrics on Facebook. Just let me know that you did by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry) 
3. My followers get a third entry! Whether you follow me here, on Facebook, or on Instagram, just let me know that you do by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (optional extra entry) 
4. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Whether by tweet, instagram, facebook, pin, blog, etc... (optional extra entry) 

That’s 4 possible entries! Enter now through Friday, July 12th. The winner will be chosen by Random and I will announce their name at the bottom of this post, here on the blog! 


Thank you so much for stopping by, have a wonderful Monday!!   ♥,  Maureen  

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Thank you to all who entered the Giveaway!!

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From 1,741 entries, Mr. Random says the lucky winners are...

    Comment #243 --   * Robin (noteverstill/noteversewing) * 
Comment #1646  -- *  Hannah  * 

Congratulations!!! I will be in touch shortly!     

Rain, Rain, Go Away : :

After a busy and wonderful weekend, July has greeted us with a very rainy and rather dark start to this new week. The perfect kind of weather for sewing, yes, but instead I'm waiting with enthusiasm for this rain to go away so that we can go out and take the photos of my newly finished Zig Zag Quilt! Tutorial soon, thank you SO much for asking!!

How about you, are you getting any sewing in these days?

Major Progess : :

Sharing the beginnings of this quilt on Monday felt so great! Taking the time to make something besides all the Birthday Crowns and the Design Team and book projects I have been working on, felt so completely necessary. The excitement of cutting into these new fabrics gave me the energy I so badly needed and had been missing to make the sewing time I do find feel productive. That enthusiasm kept me up really late and woke me up a couple of mornings extra early just to work on this quilt!



Thirty blocks are now finished, partially quilted using my favorite quilt as you go method, sewn together, pressed, folded and waiting!



Switching that same photo to a black & white, a little helpful trick shared with me back when I was designing my Rock & Romance Skull quilt by my sweet friend Jacey, shows the separation of the light and dark values in Jeni's Nordika collection, plus the few Pure Elements I used, and I am loving it!



Just after taking these photos I explained to Haila, "okay, now we need to wait until we can get the few yards we'll need for finishing up your new quilt." My own plan was to back in MY, ahem, favorite Nordika Tulip Vines Licorice print and bind with the very pretty, aqua Stellar Skylight. As you can see, she's just as excited about receiving it as I have been about making it, and I think her plan will work out just fine!



Hoping to have this beauty ready to share early next week!  ♥ Maureen 

Updated to add -- If a tutorial for this quilt interests you, will you chime in and let me know? I hope to have my Alphabet quilt tutorial ready to share in early July and would love to share this next, if the interest is there?! Thanks!! 

Nordika Sewing : :

In these busy Summer days, when there is so much going on, there's just so little time for sewing. Which is perfectly fine most days since instead I'm at the pool, bike riding, and soaking up these sunny Summer days with my most favorite people. But, as you know I do love sewing, and I'm really starting to miss those long sewing sessions. When I do find some time, because of all my orders and other projects due, I feel as if there's less and less production and more just me running around in circles. There are alot of things piling up around here! So, you might think the last thing I need is another project, but nope! it was actually the answer -- some good, fun, selfish sewing is just what I'm in need of!!



On Friday a sweet bundle of Nordika arrived from my friends at Art Gallery Fabrics! It's the brand new collection by the wonderfully, talented Jeni Baker, available in stores next month. I'm so completely in love with this entire collection. As is my girl, who begged for these fabrics to become a new quilt for her!!



I knew right away that I wanted to do something separating the darker volumes from the light.



As well as something scrappy and zig-zaggy, beginning with my very favorite print first!







The energy and excitement that comes with starting something new, with beautiful fabrics, and all sorts of fun possibilities is just what I desperately needed to regain some focus. This project will be the treat that's waiting for me to work on here and there after I finish up all those "must do's!"



So, how about you? Are you struggling to find Summer sewing time, too? I'm wondering how many of you, like me, thrive on the excitement that comes from stashing a new gorgeous stack of fabric or from starting something new?  

Wishing you a little fun, Summer sewing this week, too!  ♥ Maureen