Week 4-2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

Can you believe it's week four of the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop?  I have to say I feel quite sad to see this party start coming to and end.  So let's make this week the best week yet of the hop.  We've got new bloggers, and more fun prizes from our generous sponsors.

This week from the HST's hive I would like to introduce to you...

Liz from Savor Every Stitch 

Terri from Meanderings Along Lizard Creek

Please make sure you stop by and visit these lovely ladies and learn a little bit more about them and the amazing quilts they make.  It's been such a wonderful time working with everyone in my hive.  I hope everyone takes away many found memories and friendships from this years hop.

After you have visited with Liz and Terri, make sure you visit Beth at Cooking Up Quilts, Jen at Dizzy Quilter and Sandra at mmm!quilts to meet the other six bloggers participating in the hop today.  You can click on the rafflecopter below to get entered into this last week of giveaways.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I want to thank all the new quilt bloggers and my fellow co-hosts for working so hard during this hop.  Without them, our extremely generous sponsors and all of you wonderful readers out there we wouldn't have a hop.  I look forward to watching each of the bloggers continue to grow and look forward to seeing all those friendships continue to blossom.  I hope you will continue to spread word about the hop and can't wait to see what 2019 will bring!

UFO Busting #19

I guess I distract to easily.  Why can I not just start a project and finish it?  Instead it has to linger in various states of work in progress land before I can finish it.  I guess that's just what makes Tish, Tish.

This week, I managed to distract myself with one little word "scrappy".  I had a few inquires if scrappy would work for the Fireburst Mystery Quilt.  My answer, yes I do think it will.  "Scrappy" just kept eating at the back of my brain until I did the only thing I could do.  I went dumpster stash diving.

I decided to make a 64" lap size version of the quilt, with Fabric 1 being scrappy blues, Fabric 2 being scrappy reds and Fabric 3 being scrappy whites.

My background will be this lovely gray and white polka dot fabric.

 

 

After participating in Melva's Quilters Through the Generation a few weeks ago, I decided it's time for my mother to start sewing again.  Wasn't that nice of me?  So on an outing this week, I surprised her by swinging by the fabric store and proudly announcing that she was going to pick out fabrics and make my mystery quilt.  It took some coxing, but she was a good sport and played along.  I had to laugh though.  The fabrics she picked out are almost identical to the ones I used for my Magnolia Mystery Quilt.

I did manage to actually work on a project this week.  I am happy to report the Star Crystal bock is now basted and has been stitched in the ditch. 

Hopefully, between prom festivities, I will be able to put some thread to fabric in the form of free motion on this guild challenge project.

A few more things happing this weekend and coming up.  David is being featured over at Melva Love Scraps in her Quilters Through the Generations series. 

If  you'd like to read more about what makes this rough and tumble quilter tick, make sure you check out her post.

 

Monday will kick off the last week of the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop. 

I can't believe it is almost over already.  If you haven't visited this weeks bloggers make sure you take a peak here and definitely come back Monday to meet the next eight quilt bloggers we have for you. 

If you haven't heard, next Friday I'll be hosting for the first time ever the TGIFF (Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday) linky party!

So bring your finish and come join the party.  Heck come back Saturday as well and let's do it again!  I'm excited to have a finish and bust a UFO all at the same time.   I think I'll celebrate with three fun filled parades and strawberry short cake, but honestly, I'd do that with out the finish.

This week I'd like to feature and celebrate Karen at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats UFO finish.

She calls it "She Has Her Mommy's Nose" and it has the cutest story behind it!  Congratulations on your finish, Karen, and getting to try some awesome ruler work!

Now it's time for you to share.  What have you been up to this week? Have you made any progress on those lingering projects just begging to have their day or was there 20 million distractions running around in your head.  Link up and tell us all about it!

An InLinkz Link-up





S.S. Playtime Plus--Cutting

Now is the time to start chopping up fabrics for the Playtime Plus QAL at mmm!quilts.  I had decided on my fabric colors and placements, but needed to slim down my fabric pull.  I may have got a bit crazy with the black and grays.

Technically, the quilt would only need 14 of each color, so I needed to down size them.  I decided on seven of each color.

From there I decided to cut enough pieces for two pluses in each color.  I'm thinking I might have a few pieces left over at the end, but that's okay.  Now as we put the blocks together I can decide which plus will go where.

I can't wait to start piecing all these beautiful strips together!  Sandra, do I have to wait????

Also don't forget that the third week of the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop is going on right now...as I type! 

Be sure to check out this week's post make new friends and maybe win some prizes. 

Some other upcoming events; on Saturday, David (or as we call him around here Dave the Quilt Engineer) will be highlighted at Melva Loves Scraps in her Quilters Through the Generation series.

You can read a bit more about how he started quilting and why he does it.  Also on Friday the 18th, while I'm parting at our annual Strawberry Festival, you can party with me and your Friday finishes.  Wonderland will be hosting for the first time the TGIFF linky party.

So round up your finishes and meet me there!  Come back and see what UFO I've finally busted.

Week 3--2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop

I hope everyone is well rested after our week off and ready to jump right back into it with more introductions, more fun and of course more prizes!  Let's kick off week three of the blog hop with seven more new quilt bloggers.  This week from the HST's...

We would like to introduce you to....

Karen at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Rashida at No 3 Quilt Studio

Make sure you stop by and show each of them some quilt blogging love.  Also make sure you stop by Cooking Up Quilts, Dizzy Quilter and mmm!quilts to meet the other six bloggers being introduced by Beth, Jen and Sandra...and sign up for a chance to win some pretty awesome prizes from our sponsors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We've only got one more week of the blog hop left, so let's make these days count!

S.S. Playtime Plus

The S. S. Playtime Plus Quilt or rather Super Sexy Playtime Plus Quilt is about to set sail.  Her first stop on this quilting cruise was the fabric store to scratch that I need new pretties itch.  I've been in great debate since Sandra (mmm!quilts) announced this QAL on what fabrics to use.  I decided on classic red, black, white and a little gray for fun.  I finally landed on a layout.

Although, I may end up swapping the gray and black plus placements. 

I threw my nets in the sea of the stash to see what I  could find.  I definitely didn't come up empty handed.

 Here is the pile of grays and blacks that joined my store purchases.  Now it's back to the map to see where this journey will lead to next.

If you haven't checked out the Playtime Plus QAL, make sure you travel to mmm!quilts for more details.  There will be lots of fun sewing and even prizes at the end!

And don't forget the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop will be kicking back off tomorrow with the introductions of eight new quilt bloggers...and more prizes!  It's like a party everywhere you turn!  If you haven't met the sixteen bloggers introduced, you can find information about there here.



UFO Busting #18

Pin wheel quilt finished?  No.  I don't want to talk about.  I've totally bailed on it for a bit.  However, I am trying to bust out another UFO, so I think that makes up for it.  I would have had a cool finish to show you, but I'm experiencing technical difficulties.

This week, I decided to forego working on the Pinwheel quilt (guess I'm going to talk about it anyway) to kick off the Fireburst Mystery Quilt.  I also figured enough was enough.  I need to get the long arm at my cousin's house up and running.  I've spent a year being afraid of it.  How ridiculous is that?

The first thing to do was get the tension working properly.  We spent quite a bit of time turning this and tweaking that.

A little before and after shot of the test quilt sandwich.

We worked until we had the tension darn near close to correct and decided to load a real quilt.  Sometimes you just have to jump in or you never will.  Who would be my first victim?  I chose this baby quilt version of the Star Blossom Quilt.

If something went horribly wrong, I felt I wouldn't cry myself to sleep.  I'm quilting it with an all over meander loop and man did it quilt up quickly.  Well, all but the last 5-6 inches. 

If you've been quilting for anytime you know you can usually tell when something isn't right just by the sound of your machine.  It almost sounded like it was slowing down and I found myself trying to compensate for that in moving the head of the machine.  Then it dawned on me, it has a stitch regulator, I shouldn't have to do that.  So we decided to stop for the evening.  I plan on going back over soon and giving it a go again.  Just curious, if anyone has had that happen before or has any suggestions?  So a finish next week...fingers crossed.

David returned home from being gone for almost two weeks.  He brought me flowers!

Won't this layer cake of Flower Mill and beautiful white on white make a lovely UFO?

Don't forget that the 2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop kicks back off on Monday.  We've got a fresh group of quilters to introduce and get to know.  I hope you will join me in giving them a warm welcome.

If you are participating in the Fireburst Mystery Quilt, cutting instructions were posted yesterday.  There is also a linky party open until the end of June to share your fabric selections with everyone.  Don't worry you have plenty of time. The next set of instructions will not be released until June 1st.

This week I would like to highlight Louise at Quilt Odyssey.  Not only is she kicking back and enjoying a cold one in one of the most scenic backdrops, but she is busting UFO's and chugging along on new projects.  Speaking of her new projects, she recently pieced this hot! hot! hot! version of Sandra's (mmm!quilts) Playtime Plus she is calling Five Alarm Chili.

And she has found time to finish up at least three lingering baby blankets to donate to Little Lambs.

If you missed this post last week, make sure you drift on over to Quilt Odyssey and enjoy the view.

Now it's your turn.  Is it smooth sailing in your waters with stacks of finished quilts bobbing all around you?  Or are you swimming in a sea of UFO's praying you don't get pulled out to sea by an undertow?  Link up below and show us what you've been up to.

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Fireburst Mystery Quilt--Cutting Instructions

How's everyone doing?  Have you had a chance to round up fabrics?  If you have any questions remember you can always email me or post over at the TishNWonderland Facebook Group to see what your friends think.  On Tuesday, I revealed the fabric requirements.  Today we shall have a look at the cutting instructions.

Tips for cutting; when I am cutting pieces for one of the fabrics, I tend to start with the bigger sizes fist.  For example when cutting Fabric 1 for the baby size quilt, I would start with a 5"x WOF strip for the 5" squares and then cut my 3" squares and as many 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles as possible out of what is left of the strip.

Another tip would be to have labeling stickers or make labels to attach to your cut pieces and bags for storage.  Since this QAL will be going on over the next several months, it can be a huge time saver to label so you can remember which fabrics are what.

I have also made the fabric and cutting instructions available on my Craftsy page as a PDF file and it will remain there free until the end of the QAL.  If you would like to down load a copy hop on over to my patterns page.

Here are my fabrics all chopped up and waiting.  I can't wait till we start piecing them together!  Are you getting excited?

The linky party for sharing your fabric selections will be open until the end of June.  Feel free to link up your blog posts, Instagram or Flickr pictures below.

An InLinkz Link-up