Design Challenge : Stephanie at Quarter Incher

Hey y'all!  I am really excited to introduce a blogger to you today as part of our Design Challenge Series. I "met" Stephanie through our Club Medallion BOM (she's been making a super awesome quilt with the PDF subscription!).  She's got a great sense of color and has an awesome project to share with you!  I asked Stephanie to tell us a little about herself and here's what she said ...

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie and I blog over at Quarter Incher. I'm a native to the north San Diego area and can't bring myself to move! I promise I'm not too spoiled! I'm married to a wonderful man and have a spunky little girl who keeps me on my toes. I'm currently pregnant and due with a baby boy next month! I've been sewing for a little over 10 years with a gap in there somewhere. I learned most of my sewing skills from my mother. She's been quilting for over 20 years and has become my quilting buddy. It's been an awesome journey since I've started blogging. I'm always learning new techniques and meeting new people! It's been really fun so far!

What is your favorite sewing tool or notion? 
Currently, I'm loving the Clover Hera Marker! It's amazing at marking up quilting lines or Half-Square Triangles.

What kind of machine do you use? 
I use a High Speed Straight Stitch Brother Nouvelle 1500s and love it. It doesn't have all the fancy things the new machines have but it's fast. Faster is always better in my world.

What is your favorite color combination? 
What isn't my favorite color combo? I use so much color in my projects because it's too hard to pick only a few!

Check out Stephanie's version of our Club Medallion BOM! Read more about her progress here.  

(Photo by Stephanie of Quarter Incher.)

What is your favorite sewing supply/room organizational tip? 
I like to organize my scraps by size first then color. I use my scraps in 90% of my projects so they rarely ever get sorted into the color category. It's a good idea to keep them organized though.

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Stephanie chose a great bundle for her project!  Run on over to see the tutorial for these super fun baby blocks!

Bundles available here while supplies last. 

Happy Sewing! :-)

Design Challenge : Tara at Mommy Head Adventures

I'm excited to introduce you to Tara of Mommy Head Adventures today as our newest Design Challenge blogger. I feel like I "know" Tara since she sews along with our Hop, Skip & Jump BOM and we chat alot on Instagram, so I am thrilled for you to get to know here a little too.  :)

Tara's Bio:
My name is Tara Cherry and I am from Carbondale, IL.  That is Southern Illinois, for those of you who just thought Chicago.  That is about 6 hours north of me.  I have been quilting for just over a year now.  I received my first inspiration from Hubby's great grandmother, who was one amazing woman.  The quilts we have around our home from her are exquisite, and I can only hope to be half as good as her some day.  I spend my time every day taking care of my 3 lovely children, Lilibeth (4), Ryan (3) and Benjamin (21 months) and making sure that my Hubby, Nathan, has all that he needs as well.  My blog, Mommy Head Adventures, is where I do my bidding when I have time.  You will find product reviews, my fitness journey on Wednesdays, and my quilting fun on Fridays.  When I get the time, I share about my adventures with my littles, but most of the time I am too busy doing the adventures with them to write about them.

What is on your "quilt bucket list?" 
Right now I am working on a Swoon quilt which I have always wanted to do.  After that, I am hoping to do all of the Farmer's Wife blocks in the Happy Go Lucky fabric I have been hoarding since it was released last spring.

What is your favorite sewing tool or notion?
My Bloc Loc ruler is my favorite!  I would not be able to do my half square triangles without it.  Thanks Chrissy for getting me hooked...

Where do you find inspiration for your sewing/quilting projects and what is your favorite color combination? 
I have to laugh a little at these questions.  My latest inspiration came from a pair of underwear I got my daughter for Christmas.  It is the most beautiful shade of light bluish teal with orange elastic.  It is what officially made me start my Swoon quilt since the colors were very similar to the Bluebird Park fabric I bought to make it.

Tara selected this fun bundle for her challenge.  They are available here while supplies last.

Stop by Tara's blog and to see her project tutorial.

Happy Sewing!  :-)

Design Challenge : All Squared Up by May Chappell

Hey y'all!  Today, we have a special bundle and project to share, but first let me introduce Lee of May Chappell.

I met Lee while at Sew South last year and we've since become friends.  She is super funny, has mad sewing skills, and is willing to unpick seams for friends.  :-)  I interviewed her so you could get to know her too.  :)

Lee's Bio ... 
Lee has been creating since she first discovered crayons at age 2! A seventeenth generation quilter (still working to confirm this;), she learned everything she knows from her mother, affectionately known as the guru. She loves all things fabric—from zippy pouch to queen size quilt—and everything in between. With a love of color and bold graphic shapes, Lee enjoys designing patterns and teaching all types of classes, while sharing her adventures on her blog, www.maychappell.com. She is a graphic designer by day and a sewist by night!

What is your favorite quilt block of all time?
That's a tough one! But it has to be log cabin. It's classic and so easy to change up. There are so many variations!!

What is on your "quilt bucket list"?
It's probably a shorter list to say what isn't on there! But my ultimate bucket list quilt is a queen sized Cathedral Window with all my favorite fabrics. Maybe someone out there wants to make it for me:)

What is your favorite sewing tool or notion?
I'm not usually that much of a notion person, but I have become quite obsessed with Bloc Loc rulers lately. If it genuinely saves time, I'm impressed and Bloc Loc rulers definitely save time!

What is your favorite sewing supply/room organizational tip?
I write my own selvage for interfacing, batting and solids. I write with a permanent marker along the edge as though it is a selvage with all the info I need to identify it.  (How smart is that!?!?!)

I asked her if she'd like to curate a bundle for a project and she agreed.  Here's what she came up with ...

Like?  Well,  check out this great project she made with her bundle ... the "All Squared Up" quilt.

You can score this pattern for FREE when you purchase her limited edition bundle.  (We'll email the PDF pattern to you within 24 hours of purchase.)

Stop on over and learn more about her "All Squared Up" project.

Happy Sewing! :-)

Design Challenge : August's Feature Designer

We're really excited to bring you a new Design Challenge project this week.  Let's get started by meeting our designer - Nati from Nati's Little Things!

My name is Nati, I am Argentinian but have been living in Europe for 6 years now. I live with my husband who is English and our little French born Yorkie in Luxembourg (that tiny little country squeezed in between France, Belgium and Germany). I have started quilting over a year now but have been sewing and knitting since I was a little girl and spent all afternoons with my lovely grandmother who taught me how to make clothes for my dolls. I love to make quick and useful projects for me and my loved ones and quite a few for charity.

What is on your quilt bucket list?

I have a general craft bucket list where I have lots of projects I haven't yet made, some even because they wont even fir in my current flat and are waiting for us to some day move to a bigger house to materialise... But currently there is a quilt I had to pick all the quilting as it wasn't nice and I need to find the courage to try quilting it again. And I would love to make a huge quilt with half square triangles some time.

Where do you find your inspiration for your sewing/quilting projects?

Everywhere and in the most unexpected places. I made a counted cross  stitch for a friend inspired in the plates from a museum coffee shop... So really anything can be of inspiration.

What was your first quilting project?

My first quilting project is the quilt in the picture that was sent to the charity I help in Argentina. It is now with a girl that had major surgery to be able to walk. It was a very emotional quilt to make and knowing that she has it and loves it makes it all more special. 

Stop by tomorrow to see what Nati made with this fun bundle. 

Happy Sewing!  :-) 

Design Challenge : January's Featured Blogger

We're excited to bring you another project in our Design Challenge Series, in which we ask a blogger to come up with a tutorial using 6 FQs.  Check out the previous posts here.  

This month, we welcome Lindsay from CraftBuds and Lindsay Sews.  She was kind enough to answer some questions for us.

Hello, Sew Lux readers!  I'm Lindsay Conner, and I'm a writer, editor and crafter. I started sewing and blogging around the same time (in 2008), and I love to make modern quilts, clothing, accessories and handmade gifts. I love being a part of the online sewing and quilting community, whether that's through swaps, quilt alongs or blog hops, so please let me know where you blog, because I'd love to meet you! You can find me at Lindsay Sews (www.lindsaysews.com) and Craft Buds (www.craftbuds.com), and I'm also an editor at CraftFoxes (www.craftfoxes.com), a site where you can upload your sewing projects and connect with other crafters like you.

What is your favorite sewing tool or notion?
I love my mat, ruler and rotary cutter (of course!), but I am also pretty fond of freezer paper for tracing sewing patterns, paper piecing, stenciling and more.

What was your first quilting project?
In 2008, I sewed my first quilt (a crazy 9-patch) just to try out a tutorial I found online. I bought a charm pack on eBay and figured out the rest of the quilt (binding and such) through trial and error. I ended up gifting it to a friend for her first baby, and the quilt has been well loved! 

What is your favorite color combination?
For the last year or so, I've been inspired by aqua, yellow and grey. I think it's great together! Although I realized when looking at my year in sewing, I've used a lot of purples and jewel tones as well.

Some of Lindsay's Great Projects!

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Conner.

What is your favorite sewing supply/room organizational tip?
Although I am not very good at this, I like to keep my craft room decluttered and picked-up, or else I'll never wanted to spend time in it! If I am not inspired by a fabric, and it's been sitting in my stash for over a year untouched, I think it’s worth finding that fabric a new home. To trade fabric, I’d recommend joining a fabric swap group on Flickr or listing it on eBay or Etsy as a destash.

Thanks so much for joining us this month, Lindsay!

For her project, Lindsay selected this awesome bundle of prints - and just wait until you see the quilt she made with these!

Bundles are available here and will be on sale through 1/10/13.

Stop by Friday to see Lindsay's project tutorial.

Happy Sewing!  :-) 

Design Challenge : December's Featured Blogger

We're excited to bring you another project in our Design Challenge Series, in which we ask a blogger to come up with a tutorial using 6 FQs.  Check out the previous posts here.  

This month, we welcome Jess from SewCraftyJess.  She was kind enough to answer some questions for us.

Hi everyone!  My name is Jessica and I blog over at SewCraftyJess.  By day I work as an audiologist, treating hearing and balance disorders, and by night I huddle down in my sewing room and stitch away!  I live outside of Pittsburgh with my husband who is very supportive and tolerant of my sewing and quilting obsession, and more importantly turns a blind eye to my compulsion to buy pretty fabric.  We have two fur-babies, a 5 year old black Lab named Zoey, and a 3 1/2 year old yellow Lab named Bella. 


I've been sewing for just about three years, after receiving a sewing machine for Christmas.  After taking an intro to sewing, and then a quilting class at Joann's I was hooked!  I really enjoy the moments I can steal each day to be creative, whether it be sewing, sketching quilt ideas, or writing patterns.

Where do you find inspiration for your sewing/quilting projects?

I really think you can find inspiration in just about anything in every day life!  Sometimes its tile work on the floor that sparks an idea or color palate for a quilt, or like my most recent quilt pattern that's in the works, this fun interlocking patchwork design was inspired by a lamp shade design I had seen somewhere!  I am constantly cleaning out my purse and finding random scraps of paper with quilty scribbles on them.

Photo courtesy of Jess Kelly

What is your favorite color combination?

I am constantly drawn to turquoise and aqua.  It is by far the color that I have the most of in my stash, and always find myself purchasing at least one new print on each fabric shopping trip.  I'm currently digging aqua, yellow and light/medium grey, I just love how soft and pretty these colors are together.

Photo courtesy of Jess Kelly

What is your favorite sewing supply/room organizational tip?

I won't even begin to pretend that my sewing room is in pristine order with nothing out of place, but I do my best to corral the mess as best as possible.  I find that the trickiest part for me, is making the best use of the limited space I have available.  It killed me seeing all that wasted space under my ironing board that is a permanent fixture down in my sewing room, so I created my own ironing board, with storage shelves underneath.  This is a huge space saver, and also helped to organize my overwhelming amount of scraps that seem to multiply on a daily basis.  I find I use my scraps more, as they are nicely organized and sorted by color.  You can read more about how I did this here.  

Photo courtesy of Jess Kelly

What is on your "quilt bucket list?"

I'd love to make a king size quilt for our bed!  The largest size quilt I've made to date is a queen size (my Swoon), which is on a bed in one of our spare rooms, but I really want to make a quilt that we can snuggle with on a regular basis.  Perhaps this will be my goal for 2013.

Thanks so much for joining us this month, Jess!

For her project, Jess selected this awesome bundle of Christmas prints - and just wait until you see her project with these tomorrow!

Bundles are available here and will be on sale through Saturday, 12/15/12.

Stop by tomorrow to see Jess's project tutorial.

Happy Sewing!  :-) 

Design Challenge : November's Featured Blogger

We're excited to bring you another project in our Design Challenge Series, in which we ask a blogger to come up with a tutorial using 6 FQs.  Check out the previous posts here.  

I am thrilled to introduce Jennifer from Ellison Lane Quilts to you as our featured blogger this month. You may be familiar with her blog already and some of you may be going to Sew South in March - the brand spankin' new sewing retreat that she is hosting.  Let's get to know her a little ... 

Hi everyone! I'm Jennifer and I blog at Ellison Lane Quilts. I'm also putting on Sew South, a modern sewing retreat in Charlotte, NC this March, and I can hardly wait! It's going to be so fun!

I discovered sewing a little over two years ago and boy did it stick like glue! I jumped in with both feet and LOVE it. I'm lucky to have found my passion and love that I get to be creative and crafty on a daily basis. 

What was your first quilting project?

My first quilting project was a simple patchwork baby quilt for my son and it still makes me smile. The seams don't match up very well and the quilting leaves much to be desired but it was my first quilt and it was well-loved so that makes it special. 

What kind of sewing machine do you use?

Last year I was so lucky to get a new sewing machine for Christmas, one that I LOVE. It's a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 and it rocks. It really is a luxurious machine and sews and quilts like a dream. 

What is your favorite sewing notion?

I'd have to say that my favorite sewing notion is Aurifil. Gosh I love that thread. It's strong but fine and doesn't leave a lot of lint. I seriously love it.

Thanks so much for joining us this month, Jennifer!  

I have been lucky enough to get a sneak peek at Jennifer's project with this awesome Super Fly Zebra bundle!  

  

The zebra bundles are in short supply, so we've made up a Simply Color Ikat Diamonds bundle as an alternative option as well.  Bundles are now available and will be on sale through 11/27/12.

Stop by tomorrow to see Jennifer's awesome tutorial - you'll want to make a bunch for Christmas gifts!

Happy Sewing!  :-)

Design Challenge : October's Featured Blogger

We're excited to bring you another project in our Design Challenge Series, in which we ask a blogger to come up with a tutorial using 6 FQs.  Check out the previous posts here.  

This month, we're welcoming Debbie of A Quilter's Table.  I've "known" Debbie for quite sometime through a charity bee called do.Good Stitches. Here's a little more about her ...

Hello! My name is Debbie and I blog at A Quilter’s Table. I live in a Seattle suburb, but love to visit the city! I’ve been quilting for over 20 years, encouraged by a friend to take a beginning quilting class so we could sew while we visited and watched our kids play. For years, I made pretty traditional, hand-quilted quilts (that was all I knew!).  A couple of years ago, I was introduced to ‘modern quilting’ and have enjoyed exploring new techniques and patterns, as well as began to do machine-quilting. Friends and family have often commented that my ‘style’ has totally changed!

What was your first quilting project?

My very first quilting project was a sampler quilt, sewn and quilted entirely by hand. In making it, I learned the basics of quilting that I depend on and continue to use in my work today.

What is your most favorite quilt block of all time?

I think it has to be Swoon. I love trying new blocks, but with Swoon, I was compelled to make it again and again, creating different sized blocks and a variety of sizes of quilts.

Read more about Debbie's Swoon Quilt here.

Photo courtesy of Debbie at A Quilter's Table.

What is your favorite color combination?

I tend to lean towards the cool colors, though I love working with orange, and more than not, adding gray to my projects.

Read more about Debbie's Scrappy Swoon block here.

Photo courtesy of Debbie at A Quilter's Table.

Where do you find inspiration for your sewing/quilting projects?

Inspiration is found in so many places! I find it in projects that I see others make, fabrics themselves, palettes in nature, the furnishings at Starbucks. It’s all around, and sometimes it just seems to appear. I really enjoy taking a block or pattern or technique, and doing something unexpected with it, making it my own.

Read more about Debbie's X and + Quilt here.

Photo courtesy of Debbie at A Quilter's Table.

Thanks so much for joining us this month, Debbie!  We're so thrilled to have you and to share your project with our readers.  :-)   We can't wait to see what you have planned for this beautiful bundle. 

Debbie's tutorial is coming soon to our blog and her bundle is now available (and on sale through 11/2/12) here!

Happy Sewing!  :-)