31 Day Blog Writing Challenge (Make That 29!)

Last week I saw an interesting post from Cheryl Sloboda of www.muppin.com. She’s hosting a 31 day blogging challenge, as blogging really was the original format to connect crafters (and many other entrepreneurial people) to an audience. You can learn more about the challenge here. I was intrigued by this concept as I love writing and enjoy sharing my love of quilting via my blog, but I find what little extra time I have is committed to quilting itself :) I decided it could be fun though and that I should join. So here I am joining the 31 day blogging challenge…on day 3 (insert lots of laughter here!).

This past weekend I was at the Central Iowa Modern Quilt Guild retreat and it was probably the best few days of this year! There was so much fun discussion and sewing and food. I really wanted to enjoy every minute so the challenge took a back seat. But here I am, Monday morning, tons of stuff on the schedule to do, a toddler hanging onto my legs and I showed up! So, welcome!

I was productive at the retreat and am super excited about that! I worked on a holiday wreath table runner, another #minicharmpatchworkbag (pattern coming soon!), epp stitching and cutting fabrics for a new quilt. I have really great guild mates and friends and they turned hours into what felt like mere minutes. Certainly, the time went by too fast. Have you been to a quilt retreat? Any tips on what to bring or leave home, games to play or delicious foods to share? Feel free to comment below!

Join me throughout December as I share more quilty stories, projects and tidbits about my process!

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Quilted Bookmark Tutorial

I’ve got a new tutorial to share – Quilted Bookmarks ! I recently shared a story on Instagram about a last minute decision to make quilted bookmarks for my daughter’s class as I was the scheduled Mystery Reader for the next day. You can see the set I made for the class in the image above. I’ve been making quilted bookmarks for my daughter for years. She loves them because they’re flexible and don’t permanently crease or break like paper bookmarks and don’t fall out as easy as heavier metal bookmarks. And since they are two layers and batting, they’re squishy and fun to hold! Quilted bookmarks make great gifts for kids or for adults who still read physical copies of books. If you’re looking for a creative stocking stuffer or gift to give any time of the year, a quilted bookmark is a fun and fast project! It's also a great scrap-busting project, as well as a good opportunity to practice quilting! Everything about a quilted bookmark can be customized to your needs. This i...

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With a new year on the horizon (like less than 10 hours as I sit here at my computer), I wanted to share a few sewing goals - this will serve as a reminder and accountability for me when I ponder what to work on next. I suppose I already know that posting more often on my blog should be a goal since this is my first post of 2023. Life has been busy - in a really good way. That hasn’t been totally the case the last few years so I’ll take it and use it as momentum to build a healthy 2024. My last project of 2023 - I made a couple new quilted bookmarks for my bookworm dragon-loving daughter. Start Fabric Usage Tracking I definitely feel like it’s time to have a more accurate picture of how much fabric I’m using vs. buying. I have more fabric than I can possibly sew, so starting a more mindful practice is important. I will purchase fabric when either: a) it’s truly something I know I’ll use sooner rather than never (I’m looking at you, Postmark by Alison Glass!) and b) I’m actively wo...

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