Monday, June 13, 2016

2016 New Bloggers Blog Hop


It's that time of year again and I have to say I'm pretty excited about it.  What time of the year you ask?  For the New Bloggers Blog Hop of course.  A time of year for bloggers who have been blogging for less than three years to come together and work with one another to make their blogs as great as possible.  Oh and the best part...make new quilt blogging friends!

This is my second (and last insert very sad face) time participating in the hop.  Why would I want to participate in the hop if I already participated last year?  Good question.  When I participated last year I had only been blogging for just a few months.  Though I learned a tremendous amount, I figured there is always more to learn, I fall within the guidelines, so why not.  Plus the thought of meeting almost 50 new bloggers sounded pretty tempting too.  I consider some of my good friends to be bloggers that I met on the hop just last year.  Even though I have never met them in person, we talk sometimes daily; be it text, FaceTime or email.


So now for a little bit about me.  Hello.  My name is Tish. My blog name came about because of my love for the Lewis Carroll book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  In my world the books would be nothing but pictures...of quilts of course.  We are all mad here.  Simply mad about quilting.  So if quilting is your passion, I think you'll fit in just fine.  If quilting is not your passion, THEN OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!  Just kidding, grab a brush, paint some roses red and please stay awhile.


My crazy family (including the furry ones) sometimes make an appearance here.  Let me introduce you to my band of merry misfits.


First up is Oliver my trusty sidekick, who has been with me ever since I've taken up quilting.  I think he takes it just as seriously as I do.  Oliver now has a tiny sister, Princess Caroline of the Fuzzy Butts.  Though Miss Caroline is bigger now, this picture is the first time she invaded our quilting space and Oliver's reaction.  These two provide hours of entertainment and never disappoint.


Then we have brothers from the same litter, Newton and Becker.  They are pit bull mixes and I would not trade them for the world.  They have never been separated a day in their life and share a very special bond.  I cannot imagine one without the other and quite frankly, I never want too.  They weigh about 65lbs a piece, but in their heads they are only 2lb lap puppies.  Becker would let me carry him in my purse if I had one big enough.


Last of the furry crew, is Miss Maggie, mother to all.  She has been with me almost eleven years and I estimate she is probably around thirteen in age.  Don't let her size fool you, she is one spunky gal and still keeps everyone in line, including me.  


That brings us to my mini me, Jen.  She is my adorable teenage daughter, forever on a quest to do what ever is necessary to not look like her mother...good luck with that babe.  She's pretty sharp with a bow and arrow and even an air rifle.  She provides me with hours of laughs and an occasional headache.  I wish I could slow the years down, but I've enjoyed watching her turn into the young lady she is becoming.  

  
And last but definitely not least, my husband of seventeen years, David.  Or as he is slowly becoming known, Dave the Quilt Builder.  In my quest to take over the world with quilting (if everyone quilted the world would be a warmer place, just saying), I have recently converted him over to the quilting side.  There may even be a blog in his future, he's still on the fence.  


Guess it's time for me to get a shirt saying I'm taken by a smokin' hot quilt builder.  Wink. Wink.

Now let's talk quilting.  I'm going to go out on a limb and call myself a modern quilter...because I live in modern times.  However, I do not necessarily have a style per se.  I typically create whatever feels right at the time.  I would like to think I would try just about anything/method at least once.  One of the things I love about my quilt blogging friends, is that they challenge me to step outside of my comfort zone and create things I didn't know lived inside of me.  That's what this blog is about, sharing my processes, being inspired, hopefully inspiring someone and having a few laughs along they way.

My Quilty Best Friend Sandra (mmmquilts) on a stick.  You can read more about this shenanigan here.

  Last year I decided to quilt along with Pat Sloan and her mix of surprise designers in the 2015 Aurifil Designer Mystery BOM.  Below is a sampling of four of the minis I created.  You can check out the rest on my 2015 Aurifil Mini Quilt page.

Indigo Crossing, Penny Love, Timber and Winter Stars 

This past year would also be a year of design for me.  After getting my feet wet in the 2015 Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop I would go on to write three more tutorials.  They are completely free and can be found on my Tutorials tab at the top of this page.  I hope to collaborate with Dave the Quilt Builder and release our first for sale pattern by the end of the year.

Check out Watermelon Taffy and Nautical Compass in my Tutorials.

Wonderland also contains a Quilt Gallery featuring some of the finishes I'm most proud of.  These are only a few of the quilts that can be found in the gallery.

Zentangle Whole Cloth

Labyrinth

Hello Darling Modern Building Blocks
Mini Swoon

I hope I've convinced you to stick around and have a look.  You never quite know what this chick is up to.  I'm pretty sure I'm getting the nickname "crazy quilt lady" around town and I wear that badge with pride.

Blogging Tip:  Don't be afraid to get creative with your pictures.  I can admit a blog with great pictures or quilt porn (that's for you Jayne) will suck me in every time.  If you have a finished quilt, try to get it in the best lighting and document it well.  Don't be afraid to go into public, put it in a tree or lay it on the ground.  I think I enjoy photographing my quilts almost as much as I enjoy making them.


Quilting Tip:  One word.  Plexiglas.  Yup I said Plexiglas. Oh and don't forget dry erase markers.  One of my most used tools.  I love to lay it on top of my quilts to audition my quilting motifs.  Then I can set it in front of my sewing space to refer to when I am quilting.  Then simply erase and start over again.

From my post Table Runners Finished

How about we close with random facts about me (if you follow me on Instagram you may have read some of these before):
  • I'm super short at 4'11"  
  • I avoid making left hand turns whenever possible and haven't parallel parked since I took my driving test.
  • My biggest fear is needles...yet I quilt.
  • I am quite possibly the world's worst speller. (It's possible some of you know this already)
  • I have never read Harry Potter or seen Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I'm not sure why because they seem like things I would like.
  • I like to take popular songs and parody them Weird Al style to drive my daughter crazy.
So how about you?  Do you have some sort of random factoid about yourself that seems a bit off the beaten path or is not common knowledge?  I'd love to know.  Maybe it will help me feel a bit more normal.  

Now let's talk blog hop talk.  Our blog hop leaders, Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl, Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs and Stephanie at Late Night Quilter have worked very hard to organize all of the new bloggers and wrangle up some pretty awesome sponsors.  So on the dates of the hop make sure you pay each of the leaders a visit to learn more about their hive members posting that day and sign up for the give aways.  You do not want to miss out.  

I was lucky enough to be part of Yvonne's hive, The Sewcial Network.  Our hive is made up of eighteen very talented quilt bloggers, each with something unique to say. 


So today make sure you hop over and check out the following new blogger's posts:


I've also added the schedule dates and who will be posting.

Monday, June 20th
Carole @ Carole Lyles Shaw
Anne @ Said With Love
Beth @ Plaid and Paisley
Jennifer  @RV Quilting
Mary @ Made By Marney

Monday, July 11th
Sharon @ Yellow Cat Quilt Designs
Amanda @ This Mom Quilts
Laurel @ Quilts By Laurel
Maria @ Penny Lane Quilts

Monday, July 18th
Jennifer @ Dizzy Quilter
Seven @ The Concerned Craft
Cynthia @ Quilting in Bogor
Amanda @ Quiltologie

So, a big thanks for taking the time to stop by and check out my little bit of the quilt blogging community.  I hope you will come back and visit.  Quilting is always more fun with friends.


46 comments:

Marla said...

Enjoyed learning a bit more about you and your family, Tish. I love your Zentangle Wholecloth quilt and seeing the photo shoots of your other quilts, too.

Serena @ Sewgiving said...

Nice to "meet" you! Great intro post :) I've just started getting more adventurous with photographing my quilts "in the wild" ... I find if I call it a "family adventure" then I can usually get hubby on board to come out and hold the quilt for me :)

Nancy J said...

What a fab story, photos to tell us more, quilts galore, and how your blog got its name. I have been quilting for too long to join in,( not that I have finished a lots, but have dabbled for some years) but hope you get lots of new quilters to come for the fun ride.

Val's Quilting Studio said...

I so enjoyed learning more about you! Enjoy the hop and I hope it brings you many new followers!V

GRANNYcanQUILT said...

Thanks for sharing your story. So in your world, are you Alice, or the Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts? I would definitely be the White Rabbit...some days I feel like I'm running in circles trying to catch up with the clock! I am amazed by your whole cloth white quilt. It's absolutely stunning. Hope to get to know you better as I am following your story now. I am taking part in this blog hop as GRANNYcanQUILT but for some reason, I am sometimes identified by an old google account. Enjoy your Monday!

Cut&Alter said...

Morning Tish! I loved reading this post and finding out lots more about you - I knew there were cats (Oliver's face is classic when his space has been invaded!) but didn't know about the dogs. Lovely seeing all your quilts - such gorgeous work. Thanks for the plexiglass quilting tip - will definitely use that in my future!! Looking forward to staying in touch. x

Heide said...

Tish, Love reading about you! Your quilts are amazing and I love your style. You have quit the house full, so fun meeting all your family members and helpful fur babies. TFS.

Sharon said...

Good morning, Tish! It was so great to read your blog this morning over a cup of tea. That officially makes us quilty friends, right? Your quilts are fantastic, and I love to try whatever inspires me at the moment. Must try that plexiglass tip, great idea! Do you quilt on a long arm or your domestic? Oh....I LOVE all the photos!

Alice Samuel's Quilt Co said...

I enjoyed reading your post very much and wow I really need to step up my Quilt Photographing skills, your pictures are truly beautiful and you have a lovely family. I look forward to seeing more from you :)

Kathy said...

Tish,

I had fun learning about you, and how you got your name for your blog. It was also fun to learn about your family. Love your gallery of quilts.

Kathy said...

Tish,

I had fun learning about you, and how you got your name for your blog. It was also fun to learn about your family. Love your gallery of quilts.

Kate @ Smiles From Kate said...

This is a lovely fun post Tish, I so enjoyed reading it. You have made some lovey bright and beautiful quilts but I especially love Zentangle, so beautiful. Good tip about the pexi glass, now I just need to get my head around FMQ.
Smiles
Kate

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I'm so glad you joined the hop again this year, Tish. I am a huge advocate of learning, and as a host I'm ridiculously spoiled to get to learn each year, too. As far as something about me that is not commonly known, hmmm... I have green / hazel eyes, but when I cry they turn a brilliant emerald green. I am also currently trying to walk 2,000 miles this year and on track to make the milestone, but only barely...

Thank you so much for helping get the blog hop started this year. I'm really excited it is underway!

Jennifer said...

Thanks Tish for opening up your personal and quilty world to us. Your Zentangle whole cloth is amazing. I appreciate the idea you shared on using plexiglass to design your quilting and can't wait to try it. Something crazy about me is that I hitchhiked from California to Florida in the 60s. Does that help?

Anonymous said...

Hi Tish! This is my second go round with the New Quilt Bloggers as well! It's such a great experience and since I was eligible I said why not! I love your Aurifil mini with the quilted circles, so pretty! I've also enjoyed reading about your husband's quilting adventures, it sounds like you both have had a lot of fun with it.

Beth said...

This post! The furry friends are too adorable, as is your whole family. Thanks for posting so much quiltspiration.

Rochelle aka Bella Quilts said...

What a great post, Tish. Beautiful quilts. I've used a white board and markers. I've also used the clear acetate that are sometimes at the beginning of binder to lay on the quilt square and draw a pattern. But I have to be super careful not to go off it onto the quilt (yes I did that!!). When I want to use a specific design in a specific space and know I can't replicate it free motion, I trace it onto water soluble clear stabilizer, pin the stabilizer to the quilt, quilt through it and then tear it off. Where there are little pieces I can't get with my tweezers, I spritz with water and wait! Looking forward to more of your posts.

FlourishingPalms said...

Hi Tish! Nice to meet you! I've been blogging for nine years, and it's always good to find another quilter-blogger in the universe. So many bloggers have stopped blogging. Something that people don't expect of me is that I'm a line dancer. I'm not overly-fond of country western music, so don't picture me with tight jeans and heeled boots, but I love to dance. And line dancing can be done to all styles of music - waltz, rock, reggae, calypso, and pop. It's a great way for a quilter to get off one's bum and move around. :-)

Lara B. said...

Great post Tish and it is really fun getting to know a little more about you! I love how you are a little crazy. :) And super talented too - I really love your new tutorials. This was a fun peek into your life. What an amazing first year you had as a blogger. I did not realize that you have three dogs. We do too - all rescues. Let's see - you asked for something crazy about each of us. I can howl exactly like a coon hound, so much so that I've thrown hunting dogs off track. I can also call kittens to me by meowing like a mama cat. They are so smart that this only works a few times before they just start rolling their eyes. :) Does that help you feel better?

Vicki in MN said...

What are you talkin' about-aren't we all normal;-) Fun to get to know you a little bit more Tish! I wouldn't have known you were 4'11" Blogging has been tons of fun-getting to know more quilters-couldn't get any better! Well I am the world's worst when it comes to punctuation.

Websterquilt said...

I love your quilts Tish and have been following your circles wholecloth on Instagram. I'm planning on trying it on some leather or vinyl. I'm in the mood for something new and different. Off to the fabric store I go later this week!

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Hi Tish! Such a wonderful post filled with lovely quilt porn. I love your blog and your sense of humor. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better through the hop. Maybe I'll send you my face on a stick .

Your pets are adorable. Love that look on Oliver's face when Princess Caroline showed up! Simply precious. Keep up the great work. Your blog is awesome!

Sew Much For Free Time said...

Hi Tish! Your blog is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Your upbeat take on life is a huge draw, and the stories you tell keep me coming back. Well, the quilts, too. I LOVE David's shirt. If I become smoking hot this summer, I am ordering one for hubby. LOL. Sone thing strange about me. Hmmmm... does it count as strange that moments ago I participated in making jello cups. Cups, made of jello, which, in the mind of my 10 year old will hold fruit and whipped cream for dessert tonight. For your reference, ANYTHING which involves 7 packets of Knox gelatin should not be attempted outside a scientific research laboratory. Ahhh, the things I do for that kid.

Jodie said...

Hi Tish, Happy to meet you today. Your quilting is beautiful, and I will be back to try some tutorials! Thanks for stopping by my blog as well.

Laurel said...

I love all of your quilts, but the Zentangle Whole Cloth quilt is amazing!! So gorgeous! :)

KaHolly said...

NOW I know who you are! Tish on a Stick! I've seen you before, but never made the connection! You may be a relatively new blogger, but you certainly aren't new to quilting! Your work is astounding, and this post was simply delightful! XO

Stitchin At Home said...

Hi Tish how nice to get to know you. One thing you don't know about me is I'm taller than you by a whole inch..yahhhh I'm taller than someone else I know.

Janice Holton said...

Tish, yet another thing we have in common! Being short! (I'm 5' 1") Your intro post for the blog hop is wonderful and full of quilt pictures which you can NEVER have too many. :)

Lisa J. said...

Hi Tish: I know you are an amazing quilter but seeing everything in one spot really emphasizes the point. I love that you drive your daughter crazy with spoofs on popular songs. One thing you don't know about me is that I often spontaneously burst in to singing or dancing at work in the health food store which usually throws the new young workers for a spin until they get used to me.........Especially if the music is Motown.
Once many years ago ( I've been working in the same store for 23 years) my buddy Dale and I were working the late shift and listening to a Reggae song that went " I just want to testify what Jah has done for me.) I was standing in front of the big window at the front of the store with my arms over my head waving them back and forth (the store was empty at the time) and a car drove into the parking space outside the store illuminating me in the headlights...then I had to act normal when the person came into the store to shop.

Anne Boundy said...

Great blog post :) So glad to hear your hubby is also involved in your quilting world. My hubby is very supportive thank goodness and has his own IG account @thefabrichusband giving advice for other partners of us fabric and quilting obsessed people!!

marebear said...

Thank you, Tish for a lovely blog. I especially loved your tip about using plexiglass to design your free motion quilting. Great idea!
My blog date has been changed to the week of July 18 (Made By Marney) :)

Amanda Johnston said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amanda Johnston said...

Wonderful Tish, I really enjoyed reading a bit more about you and your family! How wonderful you husband has taken to 'quilt building'. Now he can certainly empathize with you about fabric hoarding, I mean stashing and making all the quilty things.

Your whole cloth quilt is simply amazing, quilt porn indeed.

Hmmmm...a tid-bit about myself. I trained as a combined lab and x-ray technologist but currently only work in the x-ray department. I often will comment though on peoples' veins in their arms if they look nice and juicy. Sometimes I can't stop working.

I look forward to continuing to read your blog and look at your quilt porn.

Sue said...

This has been a great post. Loved all your quilts, pets, family and factoids. I've become a big fan of your blog - keep up the great work!

Tu-Na Quilts said...

Great post and good quilting tip to know. I'd never thought of that. It's nice meeting you. I love your hamster quilt. Oh, I need to get a T-shirt like that for my husband too except he would want his to read "This Smokin' Hot Guy is taken by a Quilter". A little known fact about me....I used to design coloring and activity pages for a food program serving day care and I can only draw stick figures--good thing they had an artist and all I had to do was tell him what I wanted drawn. Karen https://tunaquilts.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

Hi Tish! This is such a great intro post. I feel like I know a lot about you! I love your quilt style and I love that you take a leap and try new things! I find that as a quilter I tend to get myself stuck on things I like and don't try to jump out of the box like I should. Great photos as well!

Sarah@123quilt said...

It was so great getting to learn more about you, Tish! A random factoid about me is that I have never seen or read Alice in Wonderland! Yet, surprisingly, I understood your references. Maybe I'll have to watch it someday. :)

Leanne Parsons said...

Great post, Tish! Your Zentangle quilt is amazing! I have to admit that I really struggle with taking pictures of my quilts. I haven't figured out how to style them nicely 'in the wild' and I need to learn more about actually taking good pictures. One of these days. One little fact about me is that I can't stand old-school, twangy county music, and my husband will sometimes play it (or sing it!) just to bug me :)

Gypsy Moon Quilt Co. said...

Fantastic post, Tish! Loved seeing all your quilts and family photos. The part about driving your daughter crazy with songs is just great and I am definitely adding that one to my list of ways to embarrass my daughter! 😂 I can 100% relate to your 'modern quilter' comment as I call myself one as well, but I'm not so sure that fits. Maybe contemporary is more accurate, who knows? A random fact about me... I love gardening, but somehow manage to kill everything I grow. It's the most fulfilling yet depressing hobby ever.

Lorna McMahon said...

Quilting is more fun with friends.... And I am so glad you are a quilting friend of mine!

Mary said...

Tish, what a great friendly and informative blog post. I love how your blog has evolved. As far as something odd about me, one thing that comes to mind is that I hate pickles but love just about every other kind of pickled veggie! Take care, Mary.

Emily said...

Tish, I think we might be parts of the same person or something! Almost everything you said about yourself, I'm thinking "yep, yep, yep." I loved, loved, loved your post. I will be following!

Important question: where on Earth did you find that fantastic shirt that your husband is wearing?!!? My husband was sitting next to me when I saw it and I asked if he would wear the same shirt if I could find one and he said yes, so I need one!! :)

I think it's awesome that Dave is starting to be a quilt engineer. My husband has helped with many of my projects, and I'm convinced that if you give me 20 years, I can turn him into a quilter. Looks like it didn't quite take you that long at 17 years!

Ann Petersen said...

Great post! I enjoyed learning more about you. Great plexiglass tip - I'll have to borrow that one!

Puppilalla said...

Tish, this a fabulous post. You converted me to following you via blogger. Such a fun read. The 'carrying Becker around in a hand bag' bit cracked me up. I also like that you have sort of a signature in a box that you put beneath your finished posts. Tell your husband I am looking forward to read of his quilting endavours in the future too. Warm greetings. =)

Anonymous said...

What a fun post! You seem like a riot! I love your quilts, they are really gorgeous. The tip about the plexiglass is exceptionally helpful. I would be inclined, because I focus on an eco-craft to use a piece of glass (I know, scary, but biodegradable) as opposed to plexiglass. I have tried to use paper before but it was a nightmare to keep in place.

Random factoid to make you feel more normal: I am terrified of swimming in the middle of a lake, and it's all Jason Voorhees' fault! lmao

Jen Shaffer said...

Tish, I NEED that tshirt for my husband, lol. Love your Zentangle whole cloth, very cool. So nice to get to know you better. :)

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