BHG Quilts & More - Sew Easy Sampler

I'm thrilled to announce my Sew Easy Sampler Quilt is showcased on the BHG Quilts & More magazine for the entire 2015 year. Yay!

 

 

Quilts & More has 4 issues: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Each issue will have instructions for one of the four blocks.

 

 

The first block will appear in the Spring 2015 issue, on newsstands on February 3, 2015.

 

 

This quilt came to me while I was drinking coffee on my porch with my husband, while we watched our daughter play in the front yard. It was spring of last year, the day was beautiful and we had to enjoy the weather. As we relaxed in conversation and enjoyment of our daughter playing, I noticed my colored pencils laying randomly on the table. A number of pencils caught my attention. I was intrigued by the colors. I thought, o so beautiful and different. I quickly ran back inside, picked up my tools and whipped up some blocks and colored them on our porch. Back then, it was all manual: colored pencils and graph paper. Meanwhile, my daughter wanted in the fun and she picked up her coloring books and crayons to color with me.

 

When I think of this quilt, I remember the quiet times with my family. The day was so simple and the pure pleasure of one's company on a beautiful spring day.

 

Thank you to my sponsor:

     All fabric by Michael Miller's Cotton Couture Solids

     Dream Cotton Batting by Quilter's Dream Batting

     Aurifil Thread

 

A special thank you to Jody and Elizabeth who gave me a chance.

All images are used with permission from Quilts and More magazine. 2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Living the dream,
Sandra

 

 

First Surface Design

I received my Wacom tablet. Yes! I installed it last night and even started using it.

I've been putting surface designs together and will share some of my work on my blog. I'm a bit hesitant right now, because I'm still working on my signature style, and further, I'd like to design my own fabric. I've heard different opinions about whether or not to share my designs online. As I learn more, I'll be able to choose what is warranted for public display and what to keep privately for my portfolio.

 

Though, here is one I will share. It is my first repeat pattern from Adobe Illustrator. 

www.sandraclemons.blogspot.com

Aiming for the stars,

Sandra

Loyal Union - Introduction, Block A1 to A5

And it begins. Who is with me?

 

I announced the start of the Quilt Along last Wednesday at my guild meeting. The goal is 5 blocks a month for 2 years. The book does a good job of noting the fabric requirements, however, I want mine to be a bit more scrappy. Focusing on color, I bought a tall fat quarter bundle and am using my scraps. If I happen to run out, I won't panic if the fabric line is gone, I can add more interest by combining fabric lines that have similar colors. As a note, I do not plan on laying out my block in the exact order per the book. Don't you think it's unnecessary worry to plan for color and contrast to be distributed out evenly throughout the quilt when picking color for the next block? Well, when the quilt is finished, I don't think anyone would say, 'you didn't put the blocks in order.'

 

Here's the first five blocks, located in order per the book.

 

 

 

116 blocks to go.
Sandra

Quiltmaker

Good morning world,

Here is my next publication, Quiltmaker's March/April 2015 issue, called Haute Ziggity. On newsstand 2/2.

 

 

I'm really excited about this one. Herringbone designs had been popular in the quilt world, and well, I wanted to do one in my own unique way. I had thought of strips and whacking them. So that's exactly how I did it. I cut 1" to 1 1/2" strip, stripped pieced them, and then using my handy dandy ruler at the 45 degree line, I cut out my diamonds. Cut out the white fabric, and then pieced them in rows. This quilt is actually easier to put together than you would think.

 

I did have some grief on laying out the diamonds per my design. There's actually 10 shapes (8 diamonds and 2 triangles). I had to take it nice and slow when laying out the quilt, but other than that the construction is easy peasy.

 

I simply straight line channel quilted it with my quarter inch foot on my domestic machine. I let the distance between each line vary around a quarter inch.

 

 

I design quilts one of two ways, EQ7 or pencil to paper on old fashion graph paper. This one was done the old fashion way, with colored pencils. When I'm designing, I have a thought in my head, will the actual quilt turn out just as beautifully as I colored it in. This one did.

 

 

I want to thank my sponsors. Fabric by Alison Glass' Field Day, Chambray, and Textured Solids, all for Andover Fabrics. The batting is Warm & White by the Warm Company. All the thread is Aurifil.

 

There's also another shout out to Quiltmaker. I've really enjoyed working with them and I'm so blessed to be given the opportunity to design and make for them.

While I have your attention, let me tell you about an awesome opportunity to purchase my book, Scrap Patchwork. I have my independent quilt pattern collection. If you love what you see here, you're going to love my book and patterns.

 

 

Till next time,

Sandra

Loyal Union Sampler - Quilt with Me

Hello again.

 

This Wednesday is my first Denver Quilt Guild meeting of 2015. Part of 2015, I have decided to lead a group of guild members in completing the Loyal Union Sampler by Jennifer Chiaverini. It is 121 blocks and we have decided to do 5 blocks a month, resulting in a 2 year project.

 

 

I have become addicted to samplers. I began my quest two years ago with the Farmer's Wife Quilt and then the Tula Pink sampler.

 

 

I will be posting about my Loyal Union quest, show pictures of my blocks, and share any tricks. I'll have more information, such as yardage and the first 5 blocks in the next week.

I welcome anyone in the cyber world to join us. There is no requirement to complete all the blocks.

What are you waiting for? Come along with us.

Sandra







My First Cover McCall's Quilting - March/April 2015 Issue

Good afternoon world,

I have exciting news. I have a quilt in the March/April 2015 issue of McCall's Quilting. Do you know what's even more exciting? It's my first cover! I'm the second quilt from the bottom of the chair.

 

 

I am so thankful to McCall's as well as my sponsors. The print fabric is the Denyse Schmidt's Hadley's collection, solids from FreeSpirit, batting is Warm & White from the Warm Company, and all thread by Aurifil.

 

 

For those of you who have a subscription, then expect your issues soon after January 20th. Otherwise, February 3 is when the magazine will hit newsstands.

 

Click  here if you would rather have digital download format of the issue.

http://www.quiltandsewshop.com/category/mccalls-quilting/?m=categorysub_mccalls-quilting 

 

 

I really hope you all will enjoy it.

 

Sandra

 



Farm Quilt

Here's the Farm Quilt. It is finished and loved by my daughter. She has been sleeping with it. It gives me great joy to see my daughter enjoy the things I make.

 

 

Over the weekend, I finally carved out some time to work on my daughter's dollhouse. Yes, this is a quilting blog, but I just have to show you pictures of the 4 rooms I completed. The roof still needs work. I'm not too excited about the angles for the roof, but it'll get done.

I did use mod podge to put the wallpaper together. I headed over to the Paper Source store to pick out paper. Using a measuring tape, I cut out wallpaper to size for each wall and ceiling. I did not precut the windows. I used an x-acto knife to cut out the windows, and precut the doors. Then, I added all the trim, and then finished it off with using scrapbooking tapes to decorate. It did take me about 6 hours this past Saturday, but so worth it. As you see in the pictures, my daughter has moved in.

 As I close for this week, there was quote from a visiting pastor at our church this past Sunday. He said, the worst of time often is the best of time, you just don't know it at the time. Consider that. Perhaps, the next time, when things get tough at work, you're working on a project, you're helping a friend out, or something so simple like folding laundry with your 3 year old who is excited to be your helper, keep your head up by choosing to live in the moment, and have a positive attitude.

Sandra

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, world.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday. It was a nice Holiday for me and my family. I have another week off until I'm back at my job on Monday the 12th. I may be a bit ambitious, but I'm hoping to finish up two quilts this week and cut a few blocks that I'll share more details about later.

One of the quilts I'm working on this week, I can't really show or talk about as it is for a magazine publication. However, the other one I'm working on is fair game. It is a quilt I put together a couple of years ago, but hadn't quilted it. A typical story of a neglected quilt top stored away that was nearly forgotten, but I've shown it love today.

My husband has a family farm and this past summer, my 3 year old daughter was really impacted by country life. She loved it. She hasn't stopped talking about the farm, and it was last 4th of July when we were there. That's when I remembered this quilt top and thought I could get it finished for her. In fact, when I started working on it, she immediately noticed the farm animals, and called it a farm quilt. And that's that, it will be named Farm Quilt. I hope to get this thing done and show you pictures of the completed quilt soon.

 

Till next time, keep on creating,

Sandra