Chatting with Pat Sloan today on American Patchwork and Quilting Radio

Hi Friends, so excited to share with you that I get to be a guest on Pat Sloan's American Patchwork and Quilting Radio Show today.  Click the link to listen any time!  Lots of fun quilting talk so be sure to check it out~

Some Very Exciting News!!

Used with

permission from Quilts and More magazine. 2015 Meredith Corporation. All

rights reserved

Used with

permission from Quilts and More magazine. 2015 Meredith Corporation. All

rights reserved

Used with

permission from Quilts and More magazine. 2015 Meredith Corporation. All

rights reserved

Used with

permission from Quilts and More magazine. 2015 Meredith Corporation. All

rights reserved

I am beyond proud and excited to share some super exciting news.  I made a quilt a while back and it was chosen to be in this February's issue of Better Homes and Gardens Quilts & More magazine.  It will be available on newsstands on February 3rd.  This quilt was made with 40 different solid colored fabrics, all of them are RJR solids and working with them was absolutely lovely.  I appliqued Keys to blocks with HeatnBond Lite- which was perfect for this project.  I had so much fun with the design of the quilt and even more fun quilting it.  I even used my scraps to make a matching pillow.  I really hope you will check it out- and consider making one if you are looking for a fun project to make and practice free motion quilting on.  Let me know if you do make it, I would love to see your version!

Free Motion Quilting Challenge with QuiltShopGal

As you may know I am the featured FMQ teacher for the month of January in QuiltShopGals yearly FMQ Challenge.  If you haven't heard about it please take a second to click over and read all about the challenge and please consider entering.  It is a great skill builder for anyone looking to get better at free motion quilting and promises to connect you to not only other quilt teachers and methods but also a strong community of other quilters who are sharing their work with you as you are sharing with them.  This is so key to the learning process, having encouragement, someone to show off your work to when you are beaming with pride, or to get a second opinion with when you are struggling with something.  I met Angela Walters early in my quilting process and she became a great friend and quilting buddy/mentor.  I learned and grew so much faster having her to share with.  I really feel being connected is a great way to get better faster when learning to learning FMQ.  Darlene of QuiltShopGal has gathered some excellent prizes for you to enter to win by participating too, including a free copy of my book this month- even more reason to check it out! :)

I have been looking through all the challenge participants and noticed one of them had used my book and instruction to create her project.  Connie, an experienced stippler, has found inspiration to branch out and try other designs with my book.  She also did a lovely review of my book, here.  I just love her pillow and the beautiful paisley she quilted all over it.  I am so proud of her for going for it, and thrilled she gave me permission to share it all with you.  Check out her blog post about her work, and please leave her a nice comment telling her I sent you.  I know you will enjoy reading about her process, I sure did! 

Connie's pillow (used with permission)

I would love to see your work if you are using the book to practice FMQ- please don't be shy!  Feel free to email me or post to my Facebook Page and you may find yourself featured here on this blog too, (if you are willing to share with all of us).  It is fun and encouraging to see what others are working on, so lets share!