Victorian Boot

DECEMBER

                                       

There was a time when I wanted to live in a Victorian mansion and be surrounded by everything 'Victorian'.  Not that there aren't still those moments, but tastes do change.  When I started designing my BOM though, there just was NO other option than a beautiful Victorian boot for Christmas.  If only I could find one in my size:)  How do you think this would look with jeans?  What is your favorite time period?

As always, the pump is 12" square to fit on the originally designed (by me) Ackfeld metal hanger.

I am very excited about watching this BOM progress and seeing how all of you use different fabrics to achieve a new shoe each month.  Please share your progress on my FB page.  This is also where you will find additional tips about how I went about making these sweet shoes.

Happy Quilting:)

QUILTMAKER 100 Quilt Blocks Volume 12 Blog Hop

HEART BURSTS

 

Good Morning and Welcome to the blog hop for Quiltmaker's 12th Volume of 100 Quilt Blocks.

 

 

This block is so whimsical and SO me:)  I love the applique and the swirly vine too. Showing other layouts is usually what I do here but that will have to wait since it will be featured in the Spring:)

Stay tuned for that~

 

Instead, I would like to share with you an easy way to cut multiples of fusible applique.  Many times I hear quilters say that there is too much applique and that puts them off making and loving certain designs.  This particular block has 8 identical petals and is perfect for cutting multiples.  With this technique, you can cut your work time in third (pun intended:).

 

 

For the petals, cut a fabric strip @ 2-1/2" and a fusible strip @ 2-3/8".  Keeping the fusible strip just a tad narrower than your fabric strip keeps accidental guck (the technical term:) off the ironing board while applying.  Cut strip into 4" sections. 

Trace a petal onto freezer paper.  This will be ironed to the right side of one section.  Stack with the freezer paper template on top.

Binder Clips are our friends!  They give the stack stability while freeing up your non-cutting hand to hold without fear of the stack slipping and without cramping up (I know how intense this can get:).  I can cut up to 4 at a time relatively well with scissors that have a light serrated edge.  Cutting stacks of 3 is a more accurate way to do this when you are just starting out.

As you can see with the petals, I didn't put a clip on the side I would start cutting on.  Once that side is cut, I will place a clip there to keep that side together and reduce slipping.
On the leaf, I did place clips on the side I plan to cut first because the leaf shape is quite a bit larger with more chance of slippage.

Carefully cut your shapes and Wa La, I cut out 4 leaves at once without having to trace each and every piece onto the paper-backed fusible.

My other tip for you today is Roxanne's Glue Baste-It EZ Squeezie (in the accordion bottle).  Once I had all my bias strips done, I just placed a very thin line of glue onto my drawn vine guide and then pressed the vines into place.

 The leaf was fused in place before adding the vines so that once they were all in position I could zig zag stitch everything in place.

Here is a link to a previous post with more information on how to figure out dimensions for other applique projects: http://nestlingsbyrobin.blogspot.com/2015/02/tutorial-cutting-multiples-of-fusible.html

 

NOW TO THE GOOD PART:)))

Leave your comments here before Thursday and I will draw 2 lucky winners for a FREE copy of the new magazine.

 

Don't forget to follow the Quiltmaker Blog to read more fun blog posts this week.

 

If you are interested in receiving my newsletter, please leave your email address in your comment or head over to FB and private message me there:)

Thanks for following along! Robin

 





FALL is HERE!

NOVEMBER

I absolutely LOVE Autumn with its cooler days and bright colors.  October is my birthday month so that brings celebration too.  Does anyone else have a season where your creative juices just seem to flow like a raging river after a Spring thaw?  Autumn is that season for me.  Ideas just pop in and out of my mind and some days it feels as if I won't ever get them all filed let alone made in a lifetime!  I am very thankful for that feeling though- It is INVIGORATING:)  What is your season?
This little boot represents my love of Fall attire and they make me feel fantastic when I am rocking a great pair of jeans with a cool pair of boots:)

As always, the pump is 12" square to fit on the originally designed (by me) Ackfeld metal hanger.

 

I am very excited about watching this BOM progress and seeing how all of you use different fabrics to achieve a new shoe each month.  Please share your progress on my FB page.  This is also where you will find additional tips about how I went about making these sweet shoes.

Happy Quilting:)

Oh Witchiepoo...

OCTOBER

                                    
I hope someone else got the reference to H.R. Pufnstuf in that title:)  I loved that show on Saturday mornings, the ONLY time you had cartoons.  As I researched some of the spellings I was surprised to see there were only 17 episodes.  It seems like it took up more of my childhood than that:)
Now that my girls are grown and moved, I tend not to decorate for Halloween as much as Autumn in general.  They were my reason for going crazy and now I am so busy that I sometimes forget to decorate at all except for a well placed quilt design of mine here and there. 
This shoe is sooooo cute though and I do have a perfect spot for it!

As always, the pump is 12" square to fit on the originally designed (by me) Ackfeld metal hanger.

 

I am very excited about watching this BOM progress and seeing how all of you use different fabrics to achieve a new shoe each month.  Please share your progress on my FB page.  This is also where you will find additional tips about how I went about making these sweet shoes.

Happy Quilting:)

I LOVE October!

Hexie Pumpkins

Not just because it is my birth month, but we have somewhat cooler temps in FL (80s instead of 90s) and pumpkin 'everything' comes out of everywhere:) and my FB feed gets bombarded with beautiful Autumn pictures that I am so envious of!  My energy levels jump off the charts (usually) when surrounded by all that color and crispness.  Here in FL not as much but I can feel a difference than before all the aforementioned.  I just want to design design design!

 

This year I haven't had as much time to do so since I was still playing a bit of catch up over my crazy summer and preparing for my trip to Virginia to teach workshops at the Fairfax Quilters Unlimited guild.  If you are in the area, contact them and come play!

Beaded Holly class



Seahorse Workshop

Make sure you tune in for the November, Quiltmaker 100 Quilt Blocks Blog Hop of which I will be participating in for the release of Volume 12.  I have a fun new block in there.
In other good news, I have 2 quilts to finish when I get home for upcoming magazines so stay tuned for that as well. 
If you read this particular post because of the pumpkins, maybe you don't know about my shoe BOM.  Scroll through a few other posts and if you are intrigued, you will want to watch for the fun October boot next week:))

In the meantime, keep quilting!

When LIFE happens....

It has been one crazy summer!  I started out after market looking for a bit of a mix up to refresh my mind and spirit so I took a part time, summer job at a local quilt shop.  Boy did that mix things up!!  First day on the job, I meet a Checker Distributor rep. who encourages me to resubmit.  For those of you who don't know, that is the biggest distributor in our industry.  So I do..... 
In the meantime I took on a hand quilting commission.  As a reminder, this is another job of mine that you can find on my SERVICES page. Tell your quilting friends:)
At this point, I am working 3 part time jobs. No big deal, right?
 
Well Checker picks up my whole line of designs mid July and there are a couple of steps to accomplish that I slowly work through  (between other jobs) until I have a surgery in August.  Then I spend recovery SLOWLY putting together 46 sets of 36 covers for their sales reps. Now the first order has come and will ship out today.  WOOT!! :))))))

The hand quilting commission is almost done with only 3 borders to quilt.
I have a workshop coming up in October that has a few more steps to accomplish.
The part-time summer job will be over in a few more weeks and then I will be back to F/T designer:)) Which means getting new designs out to all of you! 
It was an exhausting but amazing and exciting summer!!  Autumn is just around the corner and is my favorite season so I can't wait to see what it brings:))

Now onto shoes....



AUGUST

I live in Florida where it stays hot longer but August is HOT everywhere usually and so we all like to where a strappy sandal occasionally:)  August shows off a half flower that could also be interpreted as that hot sun some just love! 

SEPTEMBER
 

September is Back to School month and who doesn't love a comfy sneaker?  I went with a denim look and added a bit of graffiti for those of us that used to draw on our jeans and then get yelled at for not appreciating the cost of said jeans:)

As always, the pump is 12" square to fit on the originally designed (by me) Ackfeld metal hanger.

Hopefully you have already signed up for the Starter Kit.  If not, this BOM is open enrollment so still plenty of time. 

The templates for every month are available for purchase on my website BOM 2015 page.

 

**NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR:)

Originally this project was set up so that you would pay for the templates and they would be an immediate download.  Due to a VAT (Value Added Tax) put into place overseas on digital products, I had very limited options as to how I could keep the digital aspect but not be subjected to a very disorganized new law.

 

When you pay for the templates on my website, a payment notification will be sent to me.  Once I have received this notification, I will then email you the PDFs of the templates.  Please be sure that your email address associated with Paypal is correct so that you can receive these files.  I will email within 24 hours of payment.  Thank you so much for your understanding.

**End of message**

 

I am very excited about watching this BOM progress and seeing how all of you use different fabrics to achieve a new shoe each month.  Please share your progress on my FB page.  This is also where you will find additional tips about how I went about making these sweet shoes.

Happy Quilting:) 

Minneapolis Spring Market Part 1

WELCOME TO MINNEAPOLIS

 I found this photo online and it is a beautiful and

artistic shot of a wonderful city!

So after MONTHS of working hard designing, quilting, writing, editing, photographing, packaging, and packing, the day finally arrives:)

Here is my booth, with sign, showing me the way to my home away from home for the next few days!  You can see the many booths beyond me....

 To the right, Bird Brain Designs and one of the fabric companies.

To the left, Quilting (magazines, etc.) and of course you can see the Giant NORTHCOTT box in front of us:)

Our entry to quilting magic!

Above and Below, NESTLINGS by Robin displaying all new baby quilt designs including spring frogs and baby bottle rockets.  In addition to babies, we have a new BOM of shoes...one for every month.

GET PUMPED buttons to spread the word about the most comfortable shoes you will ever own:)
This group of booth mates should look familiar to you by now.  Have friends will travel and they actually like to be near me too:)
Go figure...We try to be near one another at Market since we usually travel alone and may have to go to the bathroom at some point!  (NO, I don't mean we need other women to come to the bathroom with us:) 

Meet Susan Marth of Suzn Quilts.  Her booth bloomed in Dresden Plates this year. I know we shouldn't covet but, oh man do I want that quilt directly behind her!  I may have to make one in Red for myself:)

Here is Celine Perkins of Perkins Dry Goods.  She has a fun way of using traditional designs and making them her own.  Look at how cute that Christmas pattern on the table is...reminds me of Christmas Crackers.

Susan Knapp of The Quilt Branch with her booth mate Karen. Some really neat designs going on over here including a bag so big you can pack for days in it!  Who doesn't need one of those??

Have you met Cheryl?  THE Cheryl Sleboda!  She stopped by and she is too cute which matches her web name: Muppin:))))

When in Minneapolis......We had the opportunity to eat at a local landmark that will unfortunately be closing: Nye's Polonaise   Wow, the whole atmosphere takes you back including these cool glass lamps.  Delicious food too.  I had a polish soup that was so comforting that I could have eaten a whole pot!

I hope you enjoyed Part 1...stay tuned for part 2:)