Fig Tree Farmer's Mistress Quilt

I knew from the start there was no way I'd keep up with the Farmer's Wife QAL so along with a few others I termed us the Farmer's Mistress, around when I want it, but no commitment. Which is exactly how it has turned out.
There is a flickr group devoted to those doing the quilt, and most are doing 3 a week I think.
I'd decided from the start I was going to use only Fig Tree Quilts fabric since Joanna's fabric has played a huge part in my quilting journey.
She was the first designer I was drawn to and learned about the whole idea of lines, designer fabric etc.
My first attempt at sewing without a pattern, and quilting and binding was with Urban Indigo.

My first Moda Bake Shop project used Whimsy.

   So as you can see a lot of firsts with Fig Tree.

 Since I knew this quilt was going to be a long term project, taken out and put away many times, using lots of different techniques, I figured an all Fig Tree quilt would be representative of my journey.
My plan was, and still is, to have at least one fabric from each of Joanna's line in the quilt. That is 22 lines at present. And some of the lines are impossible to find, especially her first two, which came out before I got hooked. Thankfully Joanna has a few scraps left and has agreed to send me some, and a few others I've recently found because of destash sales, or shop that weren't online now being online. So I'm pretty sure eventually ever line will be represented in at least two fabrics.

Since my first introduction into the world of fabric a lot has changed, and my tastes have grown and altered as well. I still love Fig Tree, the sweet nostalgic feel, soft colours, and romantic prints, but I've also fallen in love with more modern designers, and some which don't really fit any description except "I like!".
But this quilt will be only Fig Tree.

So why am I telling you all this now? or again I think.

Because the other day I was feeling kind of blah and wanted to sew but didn't think I had the right mind set to work on anything important, like new pattern projects etc, so I pulled out the box of Fig Tree and my Farmer's Wife book and made 5 new blocks.
 
 One of them isn't in the book, I just made it for the heck of it. And you can see I was definitely feeling blues. Oddly I didn't use my favorite blues, which are from Urban Indigo, Folklorique and California Girl.

I now have 10 of the 111 blocks. Yeah so not getting this done anytime soon. Especially since I'm doing the math to figure these all out without templates because that STILL blows my mind, how any editor in this day and age of quilting thought a quilt book using only templates was a good idea, especially when sooooo many of the blocks are simple and we all use rotary cutters now.

Book Review - Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters

   Since I started quilting my own quilts a few years ago I've been on the look out for interesting ideas and articles on how to choose quilting designs and inspiration for free motion quilting (FMQ). While looking around online one of the names I kept seeing attached to some of these amazing quilts was Angela Walters.
I've since been lucky enough to talk with Angela in person, emails and on twitter and she even sponsored a chat on Talkin' Tuesday. She is one of the nicest and most genuine people I've met in this industry, which is saying something as the quilting community is full of amazing people.

Stash Books recently released Angela's new book, Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters: Choose and Use Quilting Designs for Modern Quilts. That is a long title but it says exactly what the book is all about.

Angela goes through the entire process of how she decides how, where and what to quilt on modern/contemporary quilts, which tend to have a lot of negative space, irregular shapes and really bold bright fabrics.

The act of quilting is the same on both traditional, modern and hybrid quilts but the designs and placement tend to be different as quilting is about complementing and enhancing the design of the quilt top.

There are 22 designs in the book that Angela shows step by step how to create, and you can do these on your domestic sewing machine just as well as on a mid or long arm machine.

   She explains in both words and photos/diagrams how to not only form the design but how to connect it so you're not starting and stopping constantly.

   There are tips through out the book to make quilting easier and more fun. A lot of them are things learned over time by quilting so many quilts and they are so helpful in getting the results you want.

 The book has no judgement of style. Angela is able to share her love of modern quilting without in anyway taking away from more traditional styles. Many of the quilting designs, and all of the helpful tips and tricks, can be applied to traditional quilting as well.






If after going through all the designs and sections of the book you're still stuck there is another section for that! Angela goes through all the questions to ask to help you get unstuck and quilting.

This is a book I recommend anyone who is even thinking of quilting their own quilts pick up. You'll return to it again and again, even if you're a traditional quilter.

  Number one tip from Angela? "Relax and Practice drawing first" 

 From my experience this is the best way to get comfortable with the design. Do it until you can reproduce the design without stopping or thinking and it will be easy to quilt!

Talkin Tuesday

For those new to my blog and me I wanted to let you know more about Talkin Tuesday, the weekly quilting/sewing chat I host over on twitter!
 Every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern I host a 2 hour chat with quilters/sewists and fabric lovers from all over the world!
I ask questions, conversations pop up and a good time is had by all!
I even have prizes!

This week Fat Quarter Shop is giving away two fat quarter bundles of Patty Young's newest line, Heaven & Helsinki. We're giving away 1 each of the Metro and Retro colour ways.

All you have to do is sign in on the Talkin' Tuesday blog and join in the chatting on twitter. You can find tutorials here and here. If you're new to chats on twitter I suggest using TweetChat. It will add the hashtag for you.
I use TweetDeck now because I can have multiple columns open. There is something out there you'll like, sometimes it just takes a few tries.

We're super friendly and LOVE having new people come out and chat. Just say "Hi I'm new #talknt" during the chat and you'll have several people willing to help you along and welcome you.

You have nothing to lose and so much to gain from trying out Talkin Tuesdays, friends, new blogs to visit and not to mention a chance at hose gorgeous fabric bundles!!

Winners! Blogger Choice Bundles and GenQ Mag

 We have winners! I'm so excited to be able to share these things that have made me so happy.

 The Debut copy of Generation Q Magazine is going home to...hueisei

The first Blogger's Choice bundle is going to..... Barb!

And the second bundle is going to.... Beth

Congrats! And thank you everyone who entered! I was so touched by your comments about my bundle, and I am so glad it make so many of you happy and smile just like it does me. And don't worry we all pet, fondle and play with out fabric before it speaks to us about what it wants to be made into.

Winner I need you to send me your address to caraquilts at gmailcom

Thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for agreeing to give away two of the bundles when we hit 200 entries, we had 219! And if you didn't win you can always buy the bundle here! ;)

Book Review - Hexa Go-Go

  I'm super lucky to have the opportunity to do some book reviews for C&T Publishing, including Stash Books.
One of the books is Hexa Go-Go by Tacha Bruecher, one of the geniuses behind Fat Quarterly.

Since I'm doing the MFHexie Quilt Along with Katy, also behind Fat Quarterly, this book is perfect timing!

Hexa Go-Go is all about English Paper Piecing (EPP) and has 16 different patterns that use hexagons, in all different settings.


Tacha does a really good job explaining how to make hexies, and gives different methods, for making, basting and stitching together the hexies, depending on the project and your personal preference.

One of the things I really have found in quilting in general is that there are a lot of "right" ways of doing things. Which one is right for you depends on a lot of different variables. Tacha understands that and gives instructions that everyone should be able to understand and work into their own style.



Not surprisingly the book has some serious eye candy! Both Fat Quarterly and Stash Books have a real flair for capturing the feel of quilts and projects and not just the physical dimensions.

  Tacha does a great job taking what is a very traditional shape and making it into very modern designs.
This isn't Grandmother's Flower Garden!
Between the fabrics, the arrangement of the hexagons, and the addition of other elements, hexagons leave the 1930s and come blasting into the 21st century!

  Hexies are a great stash buster and all of the projects in Hexa-Go-Go can be made mostly from scraps, or from precuts or yardage. Whatever the look you prefer you can make it with these projects. From placemats to full bed quilts there is something for everyone, whether you just want to dip your toe into the EPP pond or if you're a full blown hexie addict.

   With this book available there is no reason for anyone to say they can't make a hexie project, on the "go-go"!

GenQ Quilt Magazine review and launch tour!

The headline says it all! There's a new quilting magazine on the shelves and it's a fun one!

 With a look at more contemporary designs and a lifestyle feel Generation Q is a magazine that really stands out from the others out there, which oddly are almost all owned by the same parent company.

 So first my quick review of the mag and then you get a chance to win your own debut copy!
GenQ, and the geniuses behind it, Jake, Melissa, Megan, Scott and many more, are fresh, sassy, modern and most importantly completely as mad about quilting and fabric as we are. These are people I have met and I love! I could talk to Jake and Melissa for hours, and in fact have!

The size of GenQ is just one of the differences, it's a lot smaller in size, about 7"x9", which fits so much better into my purse, making it easier to carry and read when doing all the errands.

Thanks to Miss Print, Kaye Prince, for letting me swipe some pictures!

They have this great Block Builder feature in every issue where they start a block, giving 3-4 lines, and readers can go from there and design their own block. Sending the block back in, electronically, gets people in a draw to be featured in future issues! It's so interactive and hands on.

One of the things I love about GenQ is the same as I loved about the original Quilter's Home and that is the humour, from Fabric Porn to drink recipes and heart touching stories, GenQ connects to the whole me, not just the fabric junkie quilter.

There are reviews and comparisons to help figure out products that match your needs, new and odd things to check out and so much more!

It is a quilt magazine, so of course there are quilt patterns in the mag, this edition has ones from Scott,  Julie Herman, Melissa Peda, Heather Jones, Pat Bravo, and the info on getting an exclusive downloadable pattern from Rashida Coleman-Hale.

Also stolen from Miss Print ;)

They have an awesome interview with quilting power couple Amy and David Butler.


     The magazine is not just online or just in print. There is a lot of cross platform things going on, and it's just makes it that much cooler. You can get a lot from their site free still, and lots of interesting questions, articles, and interviews pop up that most would have kept for just the magazine. It's just another way that GenQ is different from everything out there.

Lot's of people wanted this magazine made. So many that over 350 donated through Kickstart to get the production costs covered!
 I cut some of the names off because there was just too many of them!! But I really love the community feel this gives it. This magazine is really by us for us. And how can that not be good??


You can like GenQ on Facebook here. The more likes the easier it is to get sponsors and the more awesomeness they can provide! They're giving away a copy there too!

You have two ways to enter to get your free debut copy of GenQ.

1. Tell me what you'd like to see in the magazine, who would you want interviewed? what kind of articles or patterns?

2. Leave another comment if you are a follower of my blog, liked CaraQuilts or Talkin Tuesday on FB, or if you follow me on twitter. Any of them work but it's only one entry even if you love me so much you've done them all!

That's it! Easy to enter, just make sure that you leave a comment for each entry (if you combine both into one I can only count it as one). I will close the comments on July 4th and announce the winner here on the blog. International entries are welcome! Any duplicate comments will be deleted.

The tour continues! I was so honoured to be included with all these super talented people! You can enter to win a copy of the debut issue from all these fabulous people too!

June 25 Kaye Prince

June 26 Carrie Bloomston 

June 27 Cara Wilson <<<that's me!

June 28 Heather Jones 

June 29 Melissa Peda 

June 30 Rose Hughes 

July 1  Bari J 

July 2  Fat QuarterShop

July 3 Emily Cier 

July 4 Blue Nickel Studios 

July 5 Jackie Kunkel 

July 6 Cheryl Arkinson

July 7 Amy at Amy's Creative Side 

July 8 Julie Herman

July 9 Megan Dougherty

July 10  FabTalk blog 

Oh and check out this post for a fat quarter bundle giveaway of my Blogger's Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop!

A quilt along, some fabric, and a FQ bundle giveaway!

So it's been awhile! Like they say the best laid plans of mice and men.....
Life has been hectic around here. I've had my in-laws up for a nice long visit along with my 3 year old nephew.
I've been sewing like mad, but not much I can show for it.

One thing I am doing when I have down time, waiting for Little Bit, or sitting with Shane, is working on hexies!
I've decided to start the quilt along, MFHexie, that Katy from Im A Ginger Monkey and FatQuarterly are hosting. FatQuarterly has info on how to make hexies, basting etc and links to places you can buy papers and some discount codes going one. This is the image of what the finished quilt will look like.

I'm using mostly Bari J's Lilly Belle, with some Paris Apartment thrown in. I just love the colours in this one, the grey and teal are just the perfect shades and Bari has such a talent with making the fabrics seem like they have all sorts of texture and dimension.

I've been using my AccuQuilt and Sizzix Big Shot to cut my own hexie papers and fabric. It has actually been working out really well. Sizzix and AccuQuilt measure their hexagons across rather then the sides so what they call 2" hexies are what most would call 1". AccuQuilt's  3 in 1 die (which is on sale) has a 1" as the smallest hexagon so I've been using it for the papers and the Sizzix for the fabrics. I actually just checked the sites and Sizzix is now measuring theirs across the side like is proper.
So I cut papers from AccuQuilt and fabric from Sizzix, and since the Sizzix dies go through the AccuQuilt baby I don't even have to switch machines. This is one of the times where I see the difference between having lots of sizes, like with the AccuQuilt, and multiple of the same, like the Sizzix, are both useful. I'm not sure which I like better because there are pros and cons to both. Price wise though the Sizzix is cheaper by a fair amount.

You know what else would make this an awesome quilt? My Blogger Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop. Just sayin'....

Or maybe I'm hinting....or maybe I'm giving one away! Yes that is it! Fat Quarter Shop and I are giving away a blogger bundle! I knew there was something!!! Just leave a comment below letting me know what you would do with it! That's it! Nothing crazy. You can read about the bundle on Fat Quarter Shop's blog, where they're giving away one too! But it closes June 27th so you have to hurry for it. Mine closes July 1st

Oh! And don't forget about Talkin Tuesday tonight over on twitter! It is going to be as always!

Check back tomorrow when I have another surprise to giveaway! I'm back with a bang! lol

ADDED Fat Quarter Shop will giveaway TWO of the bundles if we reach 200 entries! So share with your friends!!