Good-bye 2024 and Hello 2026

That is Not a typo:)

It has been a rough year on so many levels for many people and I don't know about you, but my calm, the balm for my soul is stitching. The slow and steady pull of the thread through fabric calms me in ways I can't fully describe. There is a form of meditation in this glorious art form that I am thankful to have in my life and hope I can entice others to feel as well.

I have been absent a bit now, I know.  For those following along, we moved from Florida at the end of 2023 to Northern Illinois to be near our grand little.  Once here we were so excited to find out there would be a second one too!  They are a delight, and it is nice being near family again.

Something I have been relatively quiet about is that through the move and littles and all of 2024 I have been going through many medical tests for an unknown (as of now) neurological disorder. It has put a small crimp in some of my plans but not all:)

I have taken 2024 to enjoy my littles, get my new studio up and going, and come to terms with my slightly restricted abilities of which stitching is not one of them!!  Every day I am grateful for that. This time away has let me think about priorities and what I want from my business. 

In 2026 we will celebrate the Sesquicentennial, the 250th birthday of our always great country. I have been designing a BOM that will start in early 2025 and take us up to the celebrations in 2026. There will be 2 designs to choose from to cover the piecers and the applique' lovers and both done sampler style.

I want as many of us quilters as I can get to celebrate together leading up to all the events that will be planned. The pieced quilt will have a touch of applique' because this is still me...LOL. The applique' quilt will be an appliquepalooza of beautiful florals designed by me over the years.

So, gather your red, white (cream), and blues for a fabulous year of stitching.

This is how I want to spend my time, creating beauty and inspiration. I do hope you will join me!

Apple Baskets in AQ Magazine

 

Hello Apple Baskets!

Now appearing in the January 2022

issue of American Quilter Magazine,

this delightful reproduction of 

an antique quilt in my collection

brings that red and green 

cheer to any home.

When I started thinking about 

how to reproduce my very large

collection of red and green

applique' quilts from the 1800s, 

I truly considered making a one

off (in miniature) of every 

single quilt until I counted-LOL!!!

The idea eventually turned into

my Well-Loved Ladies Sampler.

I am so pleased I did the 

sampler but there were

one or two that had been 

started and needed to 

be seen through to completion.

Apple Baskets was one of

those ideas I just couldn't put away.

The border circles are so fun!

My original sample is done

with needle-turn applique' but

as always, I have written the 

instructions for fusible applique'

so you can get it done in this 

lifetime:) and have it up for 

next Christmas!

If you are not already an AQS member,

I highly recommend becoming one.

HERE is how to get your copy today!

~Keep Stitching~

FQSG Antique Quilt Block Challenge

The March 2021 issue of 

AQ magazine is out and inside

you will find an article by Moi :)

Last year the Florida Quilt

Study Group did an antique

block challenge with very

few rules, thankfully!

I was overly ambitious and 

worked on 2 blocks because 

each had different fabrics that spoke 

to me. Using techniques 

from my Fabric Collaborations

workshop, I created 2 unique pieces 

and then wrote an article about 

the process for AQ.

Our Fabulous exhibit is 

now on display

at THE Quilters Hall of Fame

in Marion, Indiana. 

THANK YOU, 

KATHY METELICA CRAY!!

IF you can't go in person,

they have their own youtube

channel where they have put

the whole exhibit for you to 

see from home!

ONLINE EXHIBIT

February 23 - May 8

Florida Quilt Study Group:

Antique Quilt Block Challenge

The challenge was to take an antique block and incorporate it into a small quilt measuring 24" x 24." Artists were allowed to use the block whole, cut up, or dismantled. The could add vintage or new fabrics; whatever it takes to create a quilt of their own design and creativity.

AND, I made the exhibit poster

which is super exciting!!

KEEP STITCHING;) 

Dogwood Stars

Welcome Dogwood Stars

featuring Connecting Threads' 

fabric line.......

Now out of print!

During testing I made my

own version using these

fabrics because the 

color way spoke to me 

but wasn't available yet.

I am a sucker for pretty

much any fabric with 

script on it!!

This design has simple

piecing along with 

fusible applique'.

The diamonds in the border 

sections are all applique'

vs. piecing so cut and stick:)

These little tweezers make

placement of small pieces

so much easier.  

I also use a teflon applique' pressing

sheet so that these bits

are all applied making 

completed flowers BEFORE

fusing to borders/blocks.

When you have a small space

to work in, the pressing sheet

is a real time saver!

When you are ready to

make one of your own,

find my sweet, 

DOGWOOD STARS,

pattern HERE.

THANK YOU,

Connecting Threads! 

Well-Loved Ladies QAL: Fabric Selection

FABRICS!

Isn't this why we 

really do this quilting thing??

So, let's talk fabrics!
This pic shows the fabrics I chose to work with.

The pattern supply list will give overall yardage.
Example: Red- # yards

I chose to use a 10" layer

 cake of red prints.

The red value is consistent throughout

with different prints. There were 42

squares in this pack from

 Wilmington Prints

and I used most of them.

For my greens, I pulled 6 that were

anywhere from a FQ to a yard.

When you are doing the QAL with us, 

there is no reason you can't choose

as you go and shop your stash.

Choose a color palette and then

proceed to make each block 

as its own entity repeating

a fabric amongst 2-3

blocks for cohesiveness.

Then pull fabrics from the blocks

for the border applique'

for continuity.

So, I obviously went the traditional 

red, white, green, and cheddar route

to pay homage to my collection of 

lovelies but there is NO rule 

that says you have to follow me.

I will end this post with a series of

other color options for you to ponder

using the first block we will discuss, 

Currants.

Above and below are the traditional colors.

I really like my

 black/orange sample.

That sashing fabric made it!

You could always work in pastels

or brights or batiks.

PURPLE?!

How about darker barn reds, grays, & black?

Have fun choosing your palette

and use your background / border

and your sashing fabrics

as your constant.

If you are just coming to the 

conversation, HERE is a post

that starts the story.

You can start sharing your fabric choices

on our FB group:

Robin's Rocking Needles.

NOW AVAILABLE HERE

Tea & Crumpets

IT'S HERE!

August brings 

September AQ magazines

to mailboxes all over:)

Soon to be found on 

shop shelves near you.

Within the pages you

will find my cheerful

Tea & Crumpets.

This piece was originally

done in a completely 

different colorway

and in the end we

went with brights!

Before I can order fabrics,

I have to do a test block...

Luckily I had some 

brights laying around 

to play with.

I know paper piecing intimidates

some of you but I would encourage

everyone to have another go at it.

Organization is KEY!

See all the tidy piles and I only 

work on one section at a time 

almost like chain piecing.

Put your favorite movie on

that you know all the words to 

and …...

Add all the blue....

Add all the green...

Add all the red.....

This keeps you focused 

and less likely to goof a piece.

Plus you can play with the parts before 

assembly because you never know

what new shape you will come up with:)

Of course, eventually you will get 

to a step you loath...Mine is trimming!

I dread this step in regular

piecing as well but it is 

necessary to accuracy.

But then....My reward is 

APPLIQUE'!!

Did I hear a, "Nerd!", 

out there somewhere? LOL

YES! I Love it!!

This little flower has been so 

patient, waiting its turn to 

shine in a project:)

Time to stitch it all down 

and get ready for quilting!

I am the first to admit that 

quilting creativity evades me!

It is the dreaded blank page

to me but in recent years

I have started using the applique'

templates to fill in the 

negative space around.

So I start by outlining the 

original applique', then add additional 

leaves and swirls in the quilting.

Also added some contrasting

accents in the red.

So Cute!

(if I do say so myself:)

Meet Tea & Crumpets!!

THANK YOU AQ!

Didn't they do a great job on 

the header?!

Here are a couple of other

color ways to get your 

creative juices flowing.

If picking fabric isn't your thing,

shop for the kit over

at AQS!

Thank you for 

following along

and Enjoy!

Until next time~

Quarantine SQUIRREL...

Hello again.

I hope I am not the only

one suffering from 

'Squirrel' syndrome during

this quarantine....?

Pretty sure I am not

and thought I would share

a few of the things I have done

since this began.

We went to Chicago mid March 

for a baby shower and that was

 the first time I had really taken 

my head out of my work long

enough to notice what was going on.

When we got home, I started making

some masks for my youngest

who works in a unit that

was being transformed into

a Covid unit and that freaked

me out just a bit...!!

This Worldmeter is dated March 22nd.

What a difference 2-1/2 months makes!

While my brain was trying to make 

sense of it all, I started hand piecing

these tiny little half-square triangle blocks.

Then for some reason unknown to me,

I decided I should start using some of 

the scraps from magazine projects to 

make a series of blocks...?

I don't make scrap quilts!!!

These were Very Helpful and necessary to 

my sanity as I watched job after job cancel.

So I have 5 sets of blocks

that match and I can't decide

whether to put all the same 

blocks, different fabrics together

OR, put all the same fabrics,

different blocks together.

Big Decisions!

Until part 2, keep stitching~

WHERE LOVE GROWS

Thank you SIMPLY MODERNE for publishing this fun 

combination of paper piecing and applique'.

 Meet WHERE LOVE GROWS!

I did pretty well matching my colors

to make it cheerful.
Paper piecing trick: 
I collect notions and such and one of 
the items are the old heavy metal irons.
They are great weights for pressing
a pile of paper pieced blocks FLAT!!

There is an addition of some bias strips 

to the simple paper pieced blocks 

 to create the larger branches. 

I also stitched in some 

little skinny ones for texture.

Then my favorite part...the APPLIQUE'!!!

This is raw edge applique' where wavy lines

were added to the vines for texture .

Lastly, my label.

Here is my lazy label trick...

Fold a square in half to create a triangle, place the 

raw edges of the triangle within the binding 

seam allowance and stitch in place with 

a 1/8" seam just to hold until the binding is added.

THEN, use a sharpie or micron pen to write on it.

Of course the more I look at this photo, pretty sure

I skipped the triangle and wrote directly on that back.

Take that for lazy:)

 Here is the cover of Issue #20 of 

Simply Moderne (On Stands Now)

where you will find

WHERE LOVE GROWS.

Isn't that cover quilt gorgeous too?!!

June 2017

I hope you have enjoyed the peeks 

back as much as I have!

These looks back have been

eye opening and I am appreciative

of all that has been accomplished.

This ca 1890 string star quilt was found in 

Plant City, FL on one of my appraisal 

training outings with my friend, Brenda.

It really doesn't fit in with my normal

style but I Love it!  I can't tell

you why other than the red and gold

together is very captivating.

String stars are normally haphazard

and this creator found a way to speak

to my OCD nature.

The gold contains the scrappiness 

that usually stresses my brain.

New workshop in development

and I am looking for 2 Florida guilds

to help me test it in 2020.

Email me for scheduling inquiries.

robin@nestlingsbyrobin.com

AUTUMUMS allowed for design

opportunities I never imagined!

You can read more about that HERE

This year I also received the 

gift of a wonderful hand quilting 

client who would also become a 

sweet friend!

Thank You, Kay, for trusting

me with your treasures!

Read about some of Kay's treasures 

in the links below...

APPLIQUE'

GREEN STRIP

JEWEL FANS

ICE DYES

These moments in time were not static

for me because they have extended into

my future and created more moments

and bonds that keep me growing every year!

What were you doing in June of 2017?

~R

Cheryl Sleboda of Muppin.com 

for more blogs to follow.