Monthly Archives: January 2015

January Tips and Swatch Sheets

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20150131_141147Hi Quilting Friends,

We’ve completed our first “I Love Us in January” block. They turned out fabulous! If you’re interested in some of my tips and tricks I shared with class, I am happy to share my JanBiteSize.Tips with you. One of the other handouts I shared with the class was a Swatch Sheet. The purpose of a swatch sheet is to keep track of the fabrics used for each block. This way, when you’re shopping for additional fabrics for the up coming blocks, you can just bring your swatch sheets with you. You’ll know what you already have and it makes it easier to match instead of bringing all your blocks and fabrics. Click Bitesize.SwatchSheet to download.

 

20150131_141418I’ve organized a binder for my “I Love Us All Year Long” Bite Size quilt. Each month has it own numeric divider and a swatch sheet is included in each section. It is January after all, when we try to be more organized! 🙂  I also printed out the R07 Primo Batiks: Aurora & Twilight Fabric Sheet from Marcus Fabrics. This is the fabric line I used to create my “I Love Us all Year Long” quilt. If you are interested in printing out the same, you can find it here. Of course, you’re welcome to make the blocks in whatever fabrics you desire!

 

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Lora Zmak finished the machine quilting on the I Love Us quilt. And my response? WOW!!!

She really did an amazing job! Keep an eye out for her machine quilting classes that will be coming up in the next class schedule at In Between Stitches. You can also follow her through Pinterest, Lora Zmak. She has some beautiful pins of great quilting examples.

 

 

 

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I’ll will be posting the “I Love Us in February” block tomorrow. (oh the sewspence!)

Absewlutely,

Lisa

New Year Goals – Organizing my Quilting Tools

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Growing up, my mother always told me that if I didn’t have goals, I wouldn’t know when I achieved them. Or something like that. Basically, if you’re singing the Nowhere Man song, by the Beatles you’re not advancing. Advancing your mind, body, spirit, creativity, on and on. Goals challenge you and keep you focused.

I was chatting online with my friend Inger, and she said she had made her goals, “15 in 2015”.

One of my goals this year as part of my “15 in 15” is finish 15 UFOs! So I better not be tempted by more projects!  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.  Also part of the “15 in 15” is loose 15 pounds, 15 min of stretching a day, 15 min of handwork, 15 min of cleaning, etc.  Nothing too earth shattering but simple new starts to the year. Some are daily 15 and others are for the year. – Inger

I LOVED her goals. There is sew much power in 15 minutes. It is easy to get overwhelmed with change/chores/projects. I’ve done the Flylady for years and one of the most important things I learned from her organizational program is the power of 15 minutes. Just set the timer and do it.

Consider 15 in 2015. What will your 15 be about? Think about adding 15 healthy habits. What about learning 15 new things a month? Read 15 books? Finish 15 projects? Leave me a comment about your 15 in 2015 goals! I’d love to hear what your goals are and what your quilting goals will be!

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One of my 15 minute goals is daily organization. One of my big problems is my quilting tools. I teach a lot of classes and I never can find what I need because I have too many baskets with this and that everywhere. This is my project to help me with my quilt tool organization. I picked up the pattern and plastic zipper bags at In Between Stitches. You can check it out here at the online store. My sister Lora, is making the yellow one, Mother is making the sunflower bag and mine is the teal and brown. We’re still working on them, but hopefully we will finish them today!

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Happy New Year and so on and sew on…

Lisa

 

Happy New Year! 2015 January Bite size Block

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MarcusBlockofMonthDesign.BiteSizeColorHappy New Year!! I’ve been work,work, working on a full year of new Bite Size designs. I’m so excited to start 2015 with this year’s Bite Size quilt project called I Love Us All Year Long. I Love Us in January is the first block of this year-long series.

“What is a Bite Size quilt?” you ask. Let me explain. On the first of each month, I will post a FREE 12″ block. Each block is geared to increase our quilting skills. The 12″ block can be finished, quilted and bound with a tiny sleeve and hung in a wire stand. A mini quilt, if you will, of just a 12″ block. It is great for a monthly seasonal decoration. This year, however, I’ve created all 12 block to be either an individual Bite Size Quilt or added together to make the I Love Us All Year Long quilt. In my design, I’ve used the new batik fabric line from Marcus Fabrics called Primo Batiks Aurora & Twilight. The fabric was available to quilt shops December 1, 1014. (I’d recommend purchasing a fat quarter tower of this line if you plan on making all 12 blocks, as well as the 24″ center block.) View the fabrics at the Marcus web page here. Of course, the blocks can be made from your stash or any fabric that tickles your fancy.

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This first month’s block I Love Us in January, is geared to strengthen our piecing skills. Let’s not be pointless in our piecing in 2015! The second Sunday of each month, I teach the Bite Size block at In Between Stitches. I will go over cutting, piecing and assembling the block. I will also give you every tip, trick and secret that I know in keeping those points from being buried into a seam! If you’re local, join us for a fun Sunday afternoon. You can sign up online at In Between Stitches’ class schedule page. If you’re not local or can’t make the class, tune in to this blog in a few weeks and I’ll post all the tips that I share with the class as well as pictures of their January Bite Size blocks.

Download the I Love Us in January pattern by clicking here. ILoveUsYearRound.InsidePgs8-9 (Sorry, free download expired. Please purchase I Love Us pattern to get the instructions)

Have a wonderful New Year!

Lisa