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Around the Block Sew Much Fun Tour – Bolts of Fabric block

Bolts of Fabric with ruler

 

Sew Much Fun Tour
Sew Much Fun Tour

We are participating in another blog hop. It is Quilting Around the Block Sew Much Fun Tour and we are week 38 – with a Bolts of Fabric complimentary block. If you missed the previous blocks, there is a link below to see all of them on the tour website.

 

This blog hop features 6-1/2″ quilt blocks by designers that feature everything quilting and sewing.

 

Please go back to our March 28th post to see my March Island Batik Ambassador project. We have two Spring quilt patterns for sale during the month of April. They are Golden Gate Park Table Runner and Spring Friends Table Runner.

Cover
Cover
cover
cover

This is an appliqué block showcasing three bolts of fabric in yellow, blue and rose. This block can definitely be made by an advanced beginner. If you think that you can’t do it, all I have to say is if an old retired attorney can do it, you can too!

Bolts of Fabric
Bolts of Fabric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the Bolts of Fabric block that has been sewn with fabrics from my stash.

sewn bolts of fabric
sewn bolts of fabric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did the blanket stitch machine appliqué around the raw edges of the fabric with my Janome 6600.

Bolts of Fabric with Janome
Bolts of Fabric with Janome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are new to our website and are interested in downloading a complimentary PDF pattern of our Bolts of Fabric block, all you have to do is look for the box on our blog, on the right hand side, that says “Like this content? Sign up for free updates” and sign up to receive our newsletter. When you have done that, you will receive a welcoming email from us that will contain a coupon code and a link back to the complimentary pattern. If you are on a cell phone, you may need to turn your phone horizontal to see the newsletter signup box. If you still can’t see it, here is a link: newsletter signup.  You will act as though you are purchasing the pattern and in the cart, you will apply the coupon code, which will make the pattern free. You will need to fill out contact information, but no payment method will be necessary. Don’t worry, we do not send out newsletters very often and we never sell email addresses or contact information. Here is what the pattern looks like. It is in a format very similar to most Blue Bear Quilt patterns, so if you see what you like in this free pattern, you will like our other patterns as well.

Cover Page
Cover Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: This pattern will only be complimentary until the end of July 2022. after that it will be available on our website under digital downloadable patterns.

Current newsletter subscribers, don’t despair! You will be able to download the complimentary pattern as well. You have already been sent a newsletter on April 17th which gave you the coupon code.

 

Click here get the complimentary block

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest & You Tube @bluebearquilts
P
lease share with family & friends who would like to participate.

 

Have you been following along the Around the Block Sew Much Fun Tour? If you missed any blocks, click here to visit the Tour website to catch up!

Most recent posts:

 

April 3 –Block Pattern w/ Pillowcase Tutorial

April 10 –Embroidery Hoop

Coming up next will be:

April 24 –Applique

May 1 – Block

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are so happy that you stopped by to visit us in the Around the Block- Sew Much Fun Tour hop and we hope that you like our block. Please stop by to see all of the other designer’s wonderful blocks.
Participating Designers

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Island Batik Ambassador- February Project- Row by Row Quilt

Timberland Tumble Quilt

I have completed my February project as an Island Batik Ambassador and I am so excited to share it with you. This month is a blog hop and if you check out the Island Batik blog, you can enter each week to win a fat quarter bundle of some of the fabrics that the Ambassadors are using in their projects. I will show the other fabric collections later in this blog post and there will be a link to the giveaway from Island Batik.

Row by Wow Blog Hop
Row by Wow Blog Hop

 

The February project was to make a row by row quilt using an upcoming fabric line from Island Batik. I was so excited when the fabric I was given to use was Evergreen and Pine by Kathy Engle. Just look at this gorgeous collection of green and tan batik fabrics. The Evergreen & Pine Batiks may be found at your local quilt shop that carries Island Batik, such as Fabric Smart in St. Petersburg FL. You may find them online at www.fabric-smart.com or call them at 727-914-8850.

Evergreen & Pine
Evergreen & Pine

The quilt I made is called Timberland Tumble. It is a large lap quilt size 56″ x 77.” This is a striking quilt with a different block in each row. I think it is sometimes difficult to come up with fabrics and quilt patterns that would be appropriate to make for a man, but I feel this quilt accomplishes that and would be an awesome quilt to make for the men in your life. This quilt is easy to make as it is composed mainly of half square triangles, a few squares and maybe a quarter square triangle or two.

Timberland Tumble Quilt
Timberland Tumble Quilt
TT location
TT location

I will have a pattern coming out in March 2022 for this quilt after the testers are done testing the pattern.  The batik bundle I was provided was the Evergreen and Pine collection by Kathy Engle. Look at this glorious selection of green and tan batiks. These fabrics were so beautiful that it was really hard to cut them up.

Evergreen and Pine
Evergreen and Pine
E&P
E&P

Row by Row quilts are made with rows of quilt blocks, with each row distinct from the others. I decided to showcase the wide world of blocks that can easily be made from half square triangles. Although all of these blocks can be made from half square triangles, and a few squares and quarter square triangles, I did construct a few of the blocks using larger quarter square triangles and trapezoids as I wanted to showcase the fabric and have less seams to sew after cutting the pieces with my Accuquilt Go! Big Cutter. Here is a picture of using the Accuquilt cutter to cut out some of the shapes.

Accuquilt cutter
Accuquilt cutter

You can see that it makes beautiful cuts which are so easy to piece together. Also, I love the fact that there are no dog ears to trim and if you do a really accurate job of sewing your 1/4″ seam, there is nothing that needs to be trimmed. This really saves a lot of time and effort.

I downloaded the images of the fabric collection into my Electric Quilt software, which is the software I use to design quilts. This is what the quilt looked like in the software. I have included a couple of close ups of the blocks with the gorgeous Evergreen and Pine fabric in them.

TT EQ8
TT EQ8
row 10
row 10
row 5
row 5
row 6
row 6

I also like to often piece the backs of my quilts, which I did for this one. I used some of the fat quarters that I did not use in the quilt to add some interest to the back of the quilt. Here is picture of the back. If you are on TikTok, be sure to check out the video I have posted with me and the quilt. (Look for Blue Bear Quilts)

back of the quilt
back of the quilt

To quilt the quilt on my Bernina 770 QE, I did stitch in the ditch with the edgestitch #10D foot, which was easy to do as there was a square grid of the half square triangle shapes. I used black 50 wt. Aurifil thread on the front and a tan on the back. Schmetz Needles sent the Ambassadors some of their needles and I used a 70/10 quilting needle. I used Hobbs Premium Polyester Poly-down batting. I had never used this batting before and it was very easy to quilt on my Bernina. Hobbs Poly-Down Batting is made with very fine, white, denier polyester which enables the batting to provide a soft feel and lovely drape. It is prized by machine quilters for its wonderful loft which accentuates quilting details. It is also very light weight.

Polydown_batting
Polydown_batting

 

 

 

 

 

 

The supplies I used to make this project were provided by:

Island Batik Evergreen and Pine for the top and Pearl for the backing.

Aurifil 50 wt Thread (black and Tan)

Hobbs Premium Polyester Poly-down batting

Schmetz 70/10 Quilting needle

Accuquilt Go! Big Cutter and 6″ Qube

 

Thank you Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Accuquilt.

Island Batik
Island Batik
Aurifil Thread
Aurifil Thread
Schmetz Needles
Schmetz Needles
Hobbs Batting
Hobbs Batting
accuquilt
accuquilt

Blue Bear is sending you some love for Valentine’s Day. Please let him know how much you love the quilt by writing to him in the comments!

TT Quilt with heart
TT Quilt with heart

Be sure to check out the Island Batik Blog at https://islandbatik.com/row-by-row-blog-hop-week-one/ where you can enter to win a fat quarter bundle. Check it out! a Rafflecopter giveaway  Citified and Contempo are the two fabric lines that are being given away this week. Good luck!

week two prize
week two prize

The other amazing Island Batik Ambassadors are also posting their February Blog Hop quilts. For this week in the blog hop, on Tuesday, Suzy Webster and Connie Kauffman posted on the Contempo fabric line and on Thursday, Brianna Roberts and Sandra Starley will be posting on the Graphic line from Island Batik. Check out their projects by clicking on the links next to their names to be directed to their blog posts.

Be sure to check out the other amazing Row by Row quilts (I have seen some amazing quilts so far) and all the fabulous new Island Batik Collections!

January 31:

Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese

February 1:

Pamela Boatright, Pamela Quilts
Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts

February 2:

Megan Best, Bestquilter

February 3:

Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs

February 7:

Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights

February 8:

Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs

February 9:

Reed Johnson, Blue Bear Quilts

February 10:

Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
Sandra Starley, Textile Time Travels

February 14:

Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting

February 15:

Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia

February 16:

Anorina Morris, Samelia’s Mum
Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts

February 17:

Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio
Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads

February 18:

Blog Hop Round-Up Week 3 and Giveaway

February 21:

Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter

February 22:

Mania Hatzioannidi, Mania for Quilts
Lisa Pickering, Lisa’s Quilting Passion

#islandbatikambassador #islandbatik #iloveislandbatik   #hobbsbatting #accuquilt #accuquiltgo #aurifil #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #doyoueq #bernina 

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Island Batik Ambassador- January Project- Step by Step Quilt

South Seas Shuffle Quilt

I am so excited to be an Island Batik Ambassador for 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each month, I will be sharing a different project using upcoming fabric lines from Island Batik.

Unboxing video
Unboxing video

 

If you would like to see my unboxing video, where I show all of the fabric and batting Island Batik and Hobbs sent to me, here is a link to my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Q-MN2HbI6dg. Be sure to subscribe and click the bell so the you will be notified when I post more videos.

For the month of January, the challenge was to create a step by step quilt using the Island Batik basic line of Gradations.

01 - Step by Step Challenge
01 – Step by Step Challenge

 

The quilt I made is called South Seas Shuffle. It is a large lap quilt size 56″ x 62.”

South Seas Shuffle Quilt.
South Seas Shuffle Quilt.
South Seas Shuffle Quilt
South Seas Shuffle Quilt

 

This is a modern quilt using the traditional flying geese block. It’s modern in that the geese are going in many directions, there are large white negative spaces and there are partial seam blocks in the construction of the quilt. I will have a pattern coming out in February 2022 for this quilt after the testers are done testing the pattern. I also will have a YouTube video for how to sew the partial seam block unit in this quilt. The batik bundle I was provided was Brilliant Blues. Look at this glorious selection of blue batiks. Island Batik developed ten different colorways of gradations with 20 steps in each. There are so many quilt projects that make use of gradations in color and value. Yardage for the Gradation Batiks may be found at your local quilt shop that carries Island Batik, such as Fabric Smart in St. Petersburg FL. You may find them online at www.fabric-smart.com or call them at 727-914-8850.

BB Bundle
BB Bundle
Brilliant Blues
Brilliant Blues

 

The idea behind the step by step challenge was to incorporate the gradation of light, medium and dark colors into a quilt. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if a color should be placed into the light, medium, or dark category. In order to do that, it helps to place them next to each other. If it is still too difficult to determine, a little trick is to take a picture of them and then use the filters in your phone’s camera app to turn the picture into a B&W monochromatic picture. Then it is easier to see the differences in values. Squinting at the photos and fabrics helps as well. In the photos below, it looks like the 1st and 3rd batiks might be about the same value, but in the B&W photo, you can see the the 3rd batik is clearly lighter that the 1st. So in the color photo, the 1st batik is the dark, the 2nd and 3rd are the mediums and the 4th batik is the light value. The value of a fabric can change when you place different lights and darks next to it.

Color values
Color values
black and white image
black and white image

 

I downloaded the images of the fabric collection into my Electric Quilt software, which is the software I use to design quilts. This is what the quilt looked like in the software.

South Seas Shuffle Quilt in EQ8
South Seas Shuffle Quilt in EQ8

 

I used the measurements of the Accuquilt Flying Geese die to create the size of the blocks. Then the EQ8 software told me how much yardage I needed of each fabric and gave me the rotary cutting diagrams for the non-Accuquilt pieces.

Each one of the flying geese blocks has a blue batik with a light, medium and dark value. This creates the gradation in colors. I cut the blue batik quarter square triangles, which are in the flying geese blocks, using the Accuquilt cutter and die. Since the Accuquilt cutter and die cuts off the dog ears, it is easy to line up the pieces for sewing and there is no trimming that needs to be done after the pieces are sewn together.

 

When the quilt top was all sewn together, I took it outside to let the sun shine through the quilt as I knew these brilliant blue batiks would sing in the sunshine and wow did they.

SSS see through
SSS see through

 

Looking at this photo on my iPhone, I discovered something new called Lookup -Artwork. When I clicked on that, it showed me different artist’s works that were similar in feel to my quilt. I was amazed by what they came up with, so I though I would share those other artist’s works with you.

Other's Artwork
Other’s Artwork
Other's Artwork
Other’s Artwork
Other's Artwork
Other’s Artwork
Other's Artwork
Other’s Artwork
Other's Artwork
Other’s Artwork

 

 

 

To quilt the quilt on my Bernina 770 QE, I did stitch in the ditch with the edgestitch #10D foot.

Stitch in the ditch quilting
Stitch in the ditch quilting

 

I did some quilting in the negative white spaces to mimic the flying geese that were in the other blocks. I used the Creative Grids “Chevy” ruler, designed by Angela Walters, to do this quilting.

Negative space quilting
Negative space quilting

 

I also wanted to do some echo quilting, which means quilting next to the seam lines, within the blue flying geese. So, I switched to a blue Aurifil thread and then used the Line Tamer ruler by Fourpawsquilting.com to get straight lines with my echo quilting.

Four Paws ruler
Four Paws ruler
Echo quilting
Echo quilting

 

I used a new Schmetz 70/10 quilting needle. Using new needle on a new quilting project just makes your life so much easier.

 

I used Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Bleached batting as the quilt top had a lot of white in it and I did not want the batting to show through the fabrics. This batting was very easy to quilt on my Bernina. It is fairly thin and gives your quilt a beautiful drape and also lays fairly flat. It is also light weight and breathable so it makes a good batting for a summer quilt or if used in a warmer climate.  It’s loft is 1/8″; it’s shrinkage is 3-5% and the maximum stitch distance when quilting is 4.”

HobbsHeirloom8020Bleached
HobbsHeirloom8020Bleached

 

What I liked about using Island Batik fabrics:

  1. The colors are so vibrant.
  2. There is a wonderful texture in the fabrics.
  3. They have very little fraying after they have been cut.
  4. They produce very little lint in your sewing machine.
  5. They are tightly woven, yet very light. I had been working with the batiks for awhile and then switched to regular quilting cotton. I thought the quilting cotton was so heavy that I had a double layer, but I did not. The light weight of the batiks would make for an overall lighter quilt, depending on your batting and how much quilting you put onto the top.

The supplies I used to make this project were provided by:

Island Batik Foundations Fabrics: Brilliant Blues, White, and Black for the top and Pearl for the backing.

Aurifil 50 wt Thread (white. black and blue)

Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Bleached Batting

Schmetz 70/10 Quilting needle

Accuquilt Go! Big Cutter and die #55456 Flying Geese 

 

Thank you Island Batik, Aurifil Thread, Hobbs Batting, Schmetz Needles and Accuquilt.

Island Batik
Island Batik
Aurifil Thread
Aurifil Thread
Schmetz Needles
Schmetz Needles
Hobbs Batting
Hobbs Batting
accuquilt
accuquilt

 

 

Blue Bear likes this quilt because of its fabulous blue colors. He hopes you like it too!

Blue Bear with quilt
Blue Bear with quilt

The other amazing Island Batik Ambassadors are also posting their first quilts of the year. They are all making wonderful gradation quilts in a rainbow of colors. Check out their projects by clicking on the links next to their names to be directed to their blog posts.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs

Megan Best ~ Bestquilter

Pamela Boatright ~ Pamelaquilts

Elizabeth DeCroos ~ Epida Studio

Jennifer Fulton ~ Inquiring Quilter

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts

Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts

Jane Hauprich ~ Stitch By Stitch Custom Quilting

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs

Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood

Denise Looney ~ For The Love Of Geese

Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights

Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Anorina Morris – sameliasmum.com

Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion

Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia

Gail Renna ~ Quilt Haven Threads

Brianna Roberts ~ Sew Cute And Quirky

Michelle Roberts ~ Creative Blonde

Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail

Andi Stanfield ~ True Blue Quilts

Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels

Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations

Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

#islandbatikambassador #islandbatik #iloveislandbatik 

 #hobbsbatting #accuquilt #accuquiltgo #aurifil #aurifilthread #schmetzneedles #doyoueq #bernina 

 

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Around the Block USA Tour – Arkansas

Ark Cover

 

USA Block Tour
USA Block Tour

We are participating in another blog hop. It is Quilting Around the Block USA Tour and we are week 47 – with Arkansas’ complimentary block. If you missed the previous blocks, there is a link below to see all of them on the tour website.

 

Here are some fun facts about Arkansas.

Ark state
Ark state

It’s state gem is the diamond.  The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro is the only place in the world where you can dig for diamonds and keep them. Over 75,000 diamond have been found there.

The state mineral is quartz and the rock is bauxite, which is used in making aluminum.

The fiddle is the state instrument.

It’s strictly prohibited by law to mispronounce the state name. It’s “Ar-kan-saw.”

 

Meyer’s Bakery brought the world the gift of brown-and-serve rolls in the 1930’s in Arkansas.

Walmart opened its first store in Rogers in 1962 by Sam Walton.

The Little Rock Nine changed the face of the civil rights movement when they walked into Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after Brown vs. The Board Of Education ruling deemed segregation unconstitutional. Also, Paul McCartney has suggested that the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School was his inspiration for the song “Blackbird.”

Highly-acclaimed author John Grisham was born in Jonesboro and lived throughout Northeast Arkansas before his career took off.

Arkansas-native Hattie Caraway was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in November 1932.

What started off as a small store in Howard County in 1938 turned into Dillard’s, one of the top department stores in the country.

47 hot springs flow from Hot Springs Mountain, at an average temperature of 143 degrees.

 

Please go back to our June 1st post to see two quilt patterns that we have for sale during the month of June and also a note in that blog posting where we are looking for additional pattern testers and pattern checkers.

This is an appliqué block representing the Natural State with a silhouette of the state; a sparkling diamond and a shining star. The fabrics used in the pattern cover photo are from the QT Fabrics Rapture basic collection. This block can definitely be made by an advanced beginner. If you think that you can’t do it, all I have to say is if an old retired attorney can do it, you can too!

Arkansas Block
Arkansas Block

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a photo of the Arkansas block that has been sewn with fabrics from my stash.

Sewn Ark Block
Sewn Ark Block

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The design for this block came from the Arkansa state Flag and the fact that it is the only diamond producing state in the USA. The Arkansas state flag is comprised of the colors of red, white and blue. It has 25 stars on it as Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the union and the stars form a diamond around the word “Arkansas.”

ark flag
ark flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are new to our website and are interested in downloading a complimentary PDF pattern of our Arkansas block, all you have to do is look for the box on our blog, on the right hand side, that says “Like this content? Sign up for free updates” and sign up to receive our newsletter. When you have done that, you will receive a welcoming email from us that will contain a coupon code and a link back to the complimentary pattern. If you are on a cell phone, you may need to turn your phone horizontal to see the newsletter signup box. If you still can’t see it, here is a link: newsletter signup. The Welcoming letter currently has two coupon codes. One is for the Block Mania block and the other is for the Quilting Around the Block USA Tour. If you think you may be interested in the Block Mania block as well, please visit our June 1st blog post. If you do want both complimentary blocks, please request them in separate transactions as they have different coupon codes. Please be sure to note the correct coupon code. You will act as though you are purchasing the pattern and in the cart, you will apply the coupon code, which will make the pattern free. You will need to fill out contact information, but no payment method will be necessary. Don’t worry, we do not send out newsletters very often and we never sell email addresses or contact information. Here is what the pattern looks like. It is in a format very similar to most Blue Bear Quilt patterns, so if you see what you like in this free pattern, you will like our other patterns as well.

Ark Cover
Ark Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note: This pattern will only be complimentary until the end of July 2021. after that it will be available on our website under digital downloadable patterns.

Current newsletter subscribers, don’t despair! You will be able to download the complimentary pattern as well. You have already been sent a newsletter on June 20th which gave you the coupon code.

 

Click here get the complimentary block

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest & You Tube @bluebearquilts
P
lease share with family & friends who would like to participate.

 

Have you been following along the Around the Block US Tour? If you missed any blocks, click here to visit the Tour website to catch up!

Most recent posts:

June 6 –Mississippi

June 13 –Louisiana

Coming up next will be:

June 27 – Kentucky

July 4 – Illinois

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are so happy that you stopped by to visit us in the Around the Block USA Tour hop and we hope that you like our block. Please stop by to see all of the other designer’s wonderful blocks.
Participating Designers

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Around the Block- US Tour just got started!

Around the Block- US Tour
Around the Block- US Tour

Don’t miss out on this!

There are over 40 top quilt pattern designers participating in this blog hop. There will be 51 different free state blocks, including Puerto Rico. Our block for Arkansas will be coming out in June 2021. On Sundays, starting August 2, 2020 there will be a new block every week. Head over to www.blockofthemo.com/us-tour to sign up and for more information. Hope you will join us!

Participating Designers

Be sure to get in on this! You will be able to create a fabulous quilt when this hop is over.
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Blue Bear Quilts is doing another Facebook Live and Instagram Live on May 5th, 2020 at 7:30 and 8:00 PM EST respectively

NEW EVENT! MAY 5-9, 2020

Designer's Tips & Techniques
Designer’s Tips & Techniques

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You don’t want to miss this event! There is going to be a companion event to the Quilter’s Eye Candy Trunk Show, called Designer Tips and Techniques, on Facebook from May 5th through May 9th. Since you can’t come to the designers, they are going to come to you. Many different quilt pattern designers will be holding a Facebook Live on their Facebook page to show you some of their tips and techniques for how they create their beautiful quilts. These Facebook Live presentations will be 15 minutes long and will occur throughout the day, on the hour and half hour, from 12-8 pm. EST. Many of them will be followed by repeat performances on Instagram Live in the half hour that occurs right after their Facebook Live presentation. Blue Bear Quilts will be doing their Facebook Live show on May 5th at 7:30 p.m.EST, followed by an Instagram Live repeat performance at 8:00 p.m. EST. We hope you will join us and also check out many of the other fabulous designers that will also being doing Facebook Live and Instagram Live shows. If you would like to become familiar with the different designers before their shows, click on the links to go to their Facebook page. You can also use these links to go to their Facebook pages during the event. This should be a lot of fun! The schedule is listed below.  #designertipsshow 

Facebook Schedule:

May 5
May 5 12pm ET Cherry Guidry – launch https://www.facebook.com/CherryBlossomsQuiltingStudio

May 5 12:30pm ET Janellea Macbeth    www.facebook.com/scrapstashticquilts/

May 5 1pm ET Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/faithandfabric
May 5 2pm ET Teresa Weaver https://www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
May 5 2:30pm ET Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad https://www.facebook.com/thecraftynomad/
May 5 3pm ET Becca Fenstermaker (Pretty Piney Quilts) https://facebook.com/prettypiney
May 5 4pm ET Michelle Renee Hiatt https://www.facebook.com/sewonthego.net/
May 5 4:30pm ET Margaret Willingham-Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design https://www.facebook.com/EyeoftheBeholderQuilt/
May 5 5pm ET Marlene Oddie https://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts
May 5 5:30pm ET Annie Unrein https://www.facebook.com/patternsbyannie/
May 5 6pm ET Leanne Parsons https://www.facebook.com/devotedquilterdesigns
May 5 7pm ET Jennifer Fulton https://www.facebook.com/inquiringquilter/

* May 5 7:30pm ET Reed Johnson https://www.facebook.com/bluebearquilts/
May 5 8pm ET Tammy Silvers – launch https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/

May 6
May 6 12pm ET Sue Pelland https://www.facebook.com/suepellanddesigns
May 6 1pm ET Annette Ornelas https://www.facebook.com/southwind.designs/
May 6 2pm ET Kate Colleran https://www.facebook.com/SeamsLikeaDreamQuilts/
May 6 3pm ET Melissa Marginet https://www.facebook.com/melissa.marginet.quilter/
May 6 4pm ET Jackie Kunkel https://www.facebook.com/cantonvillagequiltworks/ 

May 6 4:30pm ET Sue Griffiths  https://www.facebook.com/duckcreekmountainquilting

May 6  5:30pm ET Melissa Merriman Harr https://www.facebook.com/toadallyquilts/

May 6 6pm ET Laura Piland https://www.facebook.com/sliceofpiquilts/
May 6 7pm ET Terri Vanden Bosch https://www.facebook.com/lizardcreekquilting/
May 6 7:30pm ET Swan Sheridan https://www.facebook.com/swanamitystudios
May 6 8pm ET Annie Smith https://www.facebook.com/anniesmithqs

May 7
May 7 12pm ET Lynn Kane, Puppy Girl https://www.facebook.com/puppygirllynn
May 7 1pm ET Cristy Fincher https://www.facebook.com/PurpleDaisiesQuilting/
May 7 2pm ET Debbie Wendt https://www.facebook.com/Wendt-Quilting-280123925340667/
May 7 3pm ET Shelley Cavanna, Coras Quilts https://www.facebook.com/CorasQuilts/
May 7 4pm ET Monique Kleinhans, Ladybug’s Cabin https://www.facebook.com/ladybugscabin/
May 7 5pm ET Heidi Pridemore https://www.facebook.com/heidipridemorewhimsicalworkshop
May 7 6pm ET Jerry Stube, Jerry Stube Designs https://www.facebook.com/TheQuiltersQuarters/
May 7 7pm ET Simone Fisher, Simone Quilts https://www.facebook.com/SimoneQuilts
May 7 8pm ET Nicole Moore, Sew Much Moore https://facebook.com/SewMuchMooreInStore/

May 8
May 8 12pm ET Becky Campbell https://www.facebook.com/sewforeverquiltingbybeckycampbell/
May 8 1pm ET Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Designs https://www.facebook.com/quiltingaffectiondesigns 9
May 8 2pm ET Beth Helfter – EvaPaige Quilt Designs https://www.facebook.com/EvaPaigeQuiltDesigns
May 8 3pm ET Sherri Noel – Rebecca Mae Designs https://www.facebook.com/rebeccamaedesigns/
May 8 4pm ET Kathleen McCormick – Kathleen McMusing https://www.facebook.com/kathleenmcmusing
May 8 5pm ET On Williams Street – Kimie and Missy https://www.facebook.com/onwilliamsstreet
May 8 6pm ET Andi Stanfield – True Blue Quilts https://facebook.com/Anditruebluequilts
May 8 7pm ET Nancy Scott – Masterpiece Quilting http://www.facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
May 8 8pm ET Lisa Ruble https://www.facebook.com/LoveToColorMyWorld/

May 9
May 9 12pm ET Sherry Shish https://www.facebook.com/poweredbyquilting
May 9 1pm ET Cristina De Miranda / Ships & Violins https://facebook.com/shipsandviolins
May 9 2pm ET Toni Smith/Quiltoni https://www.facebook.com/Quiltoni/
May 9 3pm ET Hexadoodle Quilts/ Alison Stothard https://facebook.com/hexadoodlequilts
May 9 4pm ET Bobbie Gentili ~ The Geeky Bobbin https://facebook.com/geekybobbin
May 9 5pm ET Ebony Love – LoveBug Studios https://facebook.com/lovebugstudios
May 9 6pm ET Carolina Moore facebook.com/AlwaysExpectMoore
May 9 7pm ET Kathryn LeBlanc of Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio
May 9 8pm ET Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis – wrap up presentation https://www.facebook.com/tamarinis/

Instagram Schedule:

May 5

May 5 12:30pm ET IG Cherry Guidry – launch   https://www.instagram.com/cherryblossomsstudio/

May 5 1:00pm ET   Janellea Macbeth  https://www.instagram.com/scrapstashticquilts/

May 5 1:30pm ET IG   Jen Frost                    https://www.instagram.com/faithandfabric

May 5 3:00pm ET        Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad  https://www.instagram.com/thecraftynomadfleet

May 5   3:30pm ET IG Becca Fenstermaker (Pretty Piney Quilts)     https://instagram.com/prettypiney

May 5   4:30pm ET IG Michelle Renee Hiatt  https://www.instagram.com/mshellhiatt  @mshellhiatt

May 5   5:30pm ET IG Marlene Oddie https://instagram.com/marlene.kissedquilts

May 5 6:00pmET         Annie Unrein   https://www.instagram.com/patternsbyannie/

May 5   6:30pm ET IG Leanne Parsons           https://www.instagram.com/devotedquilter

May 5   7:30pm ET IG Jennifer Fulton  https://www.instagram.com/inquiringquilter/

May 5   8:00pm ET IG  Reed Johnson https://www.instagram.com/bluebearquilts/

May 5    8:30pm ET IG Tammy Silvers – launch https://www.instagram.com/tamarinis/

May 6

May 6 12:30pm ET IG Sue Pelland                 @suepellanddesigns

May 6  1:30pm ET IG  Annette Ornelas @southwind_quilts

May 6   2:30pm ET IG Kate Colleran  @seamslikeadreamquilts

May 6   3:30pm ET IG Melissa Marginet @melissamarginet

May 6   4:30pm ET IG Jackie Kunkel https://www.instagram.com/quilter623/

May 6    6:00pm ET IG Melissa Merriman Harr https://www.instagram.com/toadallyquilts/

May 6   6:30pm ET IG Laura Piland    https://www.instagram.com/sliceofpiquilts/

May 6   7:30pm ET IG Terri Vanden Bosch https://www.instagram.com/lizardcreekquilting/

May 6 8:00pm ET        Swan Sheridan https://www.instagram.com/swanamity

May 6    8:30pm ET IG Annie Smith    https://www.instagram.com/anniesmithqs

May 7

May 7 12:30pm ET IG Lynn Kane, Puppy Girl https://instagram.com/puppy_girl_lynn3

May 7  1:30pm ET IG  Cristy Fincher  https://www.instagram.com/cristycreates/

May 7   2:30pm ET IG Debbie Wendt https://instagram.com/debbiewendtquilting

May 7   3:30pm ET IG Shelley Cavanna, Coras Quilts             Www.instagram.com/corasquilts

May 7   4:30pm ET IG Monique Kleinhans, Ladybug’s Cabin https://www.instagram.com/ladybugscabin/

May 7   5:30pm ET IG Heidi Pridemore         https://www.instagram.com/whimsicalworkshop/

May 7   6:30pm ET IG   Jerry Stube Jerry Stube (@stubej) on Instagram • 1 photos and videos

May 7   7:30pm ET IG Simone Fisher, Simone Quilts https://www.instagram.com/simonequilts

May 7   8:30pm ET IG Nicole Moore, Sew Much Moore       https://www.instagram.com/sewmuchmoore/

 

May 8  

May 8 12:30pm ET IG Becky Campbell          https://www.instagram.com/sewforeverbybeckycampbell/

May 8  1:30pm ET IG  Tina Dillard – Quilting Affection Designs https://www.instagram.com/quiltingaffectiondesigns/

May 8   2:30pm ET IG Beth Helfter – EvaPaige Quilt Designs www.instagram.com/evapaigequilts

May 8   3:30pm ET IG Sherri Noel – Rebecca Mae Designs   https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamaedesigns/?hl=en

May 8   4:30pm ET IG Kathleen McCormick – Kathleen McMusing https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmcmusing/

May 8   5:30pm ET IG On Williams Street – Kimie and Missy www.instagram.com/onwilliamsstreet

May 8  6:30pm ET IG  Andi Stanfield – True Blue Quilts https://www.instagram.com/truebluequilts

May 8   7:30pm ET IG Nancy Scott – Masterpiece Quilting   www.instagram.com/MasterpieceQuilting

May 8    8:30pm ET IG Lisa Ruble https://www.instagram.com/lisaerin1121/

May 9

May 9 12:30pm ET IG Sherry Shish    https://www.instagram.com/poweredbyquilting

May 9  1:30pm ET IG  Cristina De Miranda / Ships & Violins https://www.instagram.com/shipsandviolins

May 9   2:30pm ET IG Toni Smith/Quiltoni    https://www.instagram.com/quiltoniquilts/

May 9   3:30pm ET IG Hexadoodle Quilts/ Alison Stothard   https://www.instagram.com/hexadoodlequilts

May 9   4:30pm ET IG Bobbie Gentili ~ The Geeky Bobbin https://instagram.com/geekybobbin

May 9   5:30pm ET IG Ebony Love – LoveBug Studios https://instagram.com/lovebugstudios

May 9  6:30pm ET IG  Carolina Moore instagram.com/craftmoore

May 9   7:30pm ET IG Kathryn LeBlanc of Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio https://www.instagram.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

May 9   8:30pm ET IG Tammy Silvers/Tamarinis – wrap up presentation https://www.instagram.com/tamarinis/

 

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7 Things to do While in Social Isolation.

Girl reading book

These are difficult times. We are all concerned about staying healthy, employed and not going crazy. Social isolation is necessary in order for governments around the world to get control of the Coronavirus. There are things you can do to make this time go by a little smoother and more quickly.

Girl reading book
Girl reading book

I thought I would offer 7 tips of what I am doing to get through this. In offering these suggestions, I do not want to diminished the suffering of those who are sick, have lost loved ones, have lost their jobs or businesses. I am also mindful and thankful for the hardships of those on the front lines, like doctors, nurses, firefighters, police, transportation workers, utility workers, food service workers, warehouse and delivery workers and those working in government or other essential services.  This post is just to offer some ideas of what to do with your free time while in isolation.

 

 

 

 

1. Communicate with your friends and loved ones. We are social beings and still need that human connection with one another. There are many apps on your phone, or computer, that will allow you to video chat with friends and loved ones, such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime and Google Hangouts. The video chat is better than a phone call as it allows you to see facial expressions, show what you are doing or give virtual hugs. Many of these services will allow you to connect with several people at the same time and they all have a free component.

2. Volunteer your services. By volunteering, it will occupy your time and mind and has the effect of making you feel better as you are doing some good in the world. There have been many examples of people that are healthy and able offering to go out and get groceries and other needed supplied for those who are less able or more vulnerable. You could call the elderly that are sheltering in the senior homes with no visitors. One volunteer project for sewists would be to make face masks for healthcare workers as those items are in short supply and are desparately needed. You would need to check with your local health facilities to see if these masks are something they would be able to use and if they have any specifications. Here is a You Tube video tutorial on how to make masks:

3. Listen to music. Music has the ability to sooth the soul. Try listening to different music to see how it affects you. Watch this video of an Italian opera singer singing to his neighbors from his back balcony. It will be a few moments of pure bliss.

4. Exercise to bring your brain positive endorphins. Talk a walk outdoors and maintain your social distance of 6 feet and avoid large crowds of people. There are also exercise videos on You Tube which you can do at home. This is a video for doing exercises in your chair:

https://youtu.be/P-g7TAjjAE8

and this video might be a little more challenging, if you are so inclined and able:

5. Read a good book. There is nothing like a good book to take your mind new places and to forget your cares. There is a company called BookBub, https://www.bookbub.com/welcome, that you can sign up to receive daily emails of digital books that are free, or anywhere from $.99 to $2.99. Also, if you have a current library card, you can download an app called Overdrive or Libby, that allows you to borrow digital books from your library for up to 2 weeks at a time for free.

6. Nourish your spiritual side to find internal peace. For me that comes from attending a church service virtually online, or watching archived sermons, or reading a devotional or the Bible. For you, your nourishment may come from a different source. “Here is an example of a devotional that I recently read from the book 365 Devotions to Embrace what Matters Most by John Michalak.  Peace Through Surrender. Here’s a simple definition of war: War is a conflict where the strength and weaknesses of each side are exposed so that one side eventually conquers, and the other side surrenders, resulting in peace. The wars you face will expose your weaknesses. They will give you the opportunity to accept the things you cannot change, and if you choose to see it, they will expose God’s strength and the need to surrender to His strength. Surrendering is scary. But know that God is more than just some distant higher power. He is someone who loves you deeply. He is someone who will stand faithful when you’re ready to give up. He will hold your troubles in safekeeping and offer you a peace that passes understanding. Will you surrender your troubles to Him?” “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 4:6-7.

7. Learn a new hobby or a new technique in your current hobby. If you are a quilter, you could learn how to make a mini quilt with Sue Bouchard from Quilt in a Day. Here is a video on how to make a mini red, white and blue star quilt:

 

You could take up knitting by watching this video:

Or, you might even take up the Ukulele by watching this video:

I hope I have given you some ideas that you can use while you are hunkering down. Please take this virus seriously and stay safe and healthy for yourself and your loved ones. We will get through this by being smart, caring and compassionate. Hang in there and keep on quilting.

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Alaska Quilt Cruise June 6-13, 2020

Quilt Cruise to Alaska

On June 6, 2020, we will be in Seattle getting ready to board our quilting cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage. We hope you’re coming with us on this trip of a lifetime to quilt at Sea and see the wonders that Alaska has to offer. It’s going to be a blast. You can register for the cruise @ https://quiltretreatatsea.com/quiltinginthewild/.

Quilt Cruise to Alaska
Quilt Cruise to Alaska
Holland America Ship
Holland America Ship

The trip starts out from the beautiful and vibrant Northwest city of Seattle. You will want to extend your trip in order to explore this wonderful city.

Seattle by day
Seattle by day
Seattle by night
Seattle by night

There will be three days at sea. That is when we will be quilting. Sewing machines and quilt kits will be provided. Here is a picture of the project called Northern Star Garden. It will involve three different techniques. First, using shapes that have been pre-cut by an Accuquilt cutter. Second, paper piecing a mariner’s compass. And third, appliquéing snowflakes onto the border.

Northern Star Garden
Northern Star Garden
an Accuquilt block
an Accuquilt block
another Accuquilt block
another Accuquilt block

The first port of the trip will be Juneau where you will be able to see the Mendenhall glacier and perhaps a whale or two.

Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
humpback whale
humpback whale
orca whale
orca whale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next port will be Ketchikan. Here you can watch a lumberjack show or perhaps check out one of the quilt shops that are in every port. Look at the different kinds of fabric you could add to your stash from Alaska.

Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska Photo by Curtis Gregory Perry. no changes made. https://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/44435291191/in/photolist-2aGAtYc-2ayRmSs-N8f9Cv-oZAz2U-2c3t7hW-29JLxWw-2c7fzZb-pqtjmy-rDr465-a58tt1-bW1zh6-6acMHk-3ZvFH-fNt8Bb-fNboCn-bhqSc4-9H4fAe-4SusWm-4Sqfmx-syi5GX-9H4fAB
Lumberjack show
Lumberjack show
Alaska fabric
Alaska fabric
Alaska fabric
Alaska fabric
Alaska fabric
Alaska fabric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last port in Alaska will be Sitka. Here you can see historic Russian churches or native totem poles. You might catch a glimpse of a mountain goat, puffin, bear or moose.

Sitka, Alaska
Sitka, Alaska
totem pole
totem pole
mountain goat
mountain goat
puffin
puffin
bear
bear
Moose
Moose

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last port, before returning to Seattle, aboard Holland America’s Eurodam, will be Victoria, BC, Canada. Among the amazing things to see here will be the Butchart Gardens and the Parliament building lit up at night.

Victoria, BC, Canada
Victoria, BC, Canada
Butchart Gardens
Butchart Gardens
Parliament Building at night
Parliament Building at night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If going on a quilting cruise, or to Alaska, has been on your bucket list, then this is the trip for you. Bring your friends, spouses, kids and grandkids. There is something for everyone on this trip. Spouses will not be bored when you are quilting, as there are so many different activities on board the ship everyday or numerous places to sit and relax, if that is your thing. We hope you will join us on this trip of a lifetime. We are going to have a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

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Certified Quilt in a Day Instructor

Good afternoon. The Barrister Quilter apologizes for not posting any block of the weeks recently. He underwent surgery and has been recuperating. The Block of the Week posts will resume shortly. Today, I would like to tell you about Blue Bear Quilt’s designer becoming a certified Quilt in a Day Instructor. Recently, Reed Johnson traveled to Paducah Kentucky to the Quilt in a Day Shop for a week long training session to become a certified Quilt in a Day Instructor. The training was wonderful and Sue Bouchard was an excellent teacher. Her assistant, Ann Drothler, was excellent as well. He saw many stupendous quilts and learned many techniques and proper use of rulers, templates and Accuquilt dies. Below are photos of Reed receiving his certificate and name badge, along with photos of some of the beautiful quilts that the instructors learned how to make. Reed also likes to document his trips to other states by taking a photo in front of a local landmark; so see if you recognize these landmarks in Kentucky, Illinois and Tennesee. Amazingly, Sue does not like Sunbonnet Sue and she shared her quilts and a funny story. Reed is very excited to share with you all that he learned at Quilt in a Day. If you would like to have Reed come to your shop, guild, or other organization to teach a course, please check out our classes tab at the top and send us an email.

Sunbonnet Sue Story
Sunbonnet Sue Story