Archive | March, 2020

Still Staying at home and hopping – Dips, Tips and Sips

30 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

#stayathomeandhop

Congratulations!  We made it to the 4th and final post of the #stayathomeandhop virtual hop.  I hope you have enjoyed this event as much as I have as we isolate ourselves in our homes.  It’s been great chatting with you and getting your feedback on a variety of quilting topics – thanks to each of you who have taken the time to post a comment.  PS.  If you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late – simply leave a comment on Saturday’s blog, Tuesday’s blog and Friday’s blog (on each day I asked for feedback on a particular topic) and your name will go into the pot for some fab free stuff.  If you’ve just popped over from another blog, welcome!  Go ahead and check out those earlier posts – I’ll wait. 😊  While you’re at it, why not sign up for my blog (over on the right) and my newsletter (scroll to the bottom), and follow me on Facebook.  My regulars will confirm I post once in a blue moon, though the plan going forward is to post once a month.  There – I’ve put it in writing so now I’m committed.

Did you find some creative new pattern designers?  I have the names and websites of the last 9 designers to share with you, including the designer who organized this event –  hats off to Linda Sullivan of Colourwerx.  I quilted Linda’s Mod TV and Spikey patterns for Northcott’s Quiltcon booth 2 years ago.  If you have enjoyed this blog tour please hop over to Linda’s blog and leave a comment letting her know.  Also a shout-out to my friend Kate Colleran of Seams Like a Dream, who mentored me when I set up my website. Kate’s Braid template is the bomb!

DaySpring Quilt Company https://www.dayspringquiltcompany.com

Ms P Designs, USA https://www.mspdesignsusa.com

Stitchin’ at Home http://www.stitchinathome.com

Sew Joy Creations https://www.sewjoycreations.com

Ships & Violins https://www.shipsandviolins.com

Your Sewing Friend https://www.etsy.com/shop/yoursewingfriend

The Geeky Bobbin https://www.geekybobbin.com

Colourwerx Designs https://www.colourwerx.com

Kate Colleran Designs https://www.seamslikeadream.com

Alrighty, let’s get to the 4 things I’m sharing with you during the #stayathomeandhop tour – a newsy item, a quilting tip, an easy tasty recipe from my personal collection and a chance for free stuff.

Today’s newsy item is my newest pattern, Arctic Adventures, just added to my website today.

Working on piecing Arctic Adventures

Working on piecing Arctic Adventures

I spent the past few days testing the pattern and getting as far as I could with the bits of fabric that I “borrowed” from Northcott’s sample room.

Just missing the outer border

Just missing the outer border

The collection is Arctic Wonders designed by the inimitable Barbara Lavallee, an Alaskan artist with a fabulous sense of humor.  I met Barbara at a quilt shop in Juneau several years ago and have been a fan ever since.

PC192 Snow Much Fun & PC240 Quilting with Mama

PC192 Snow Much Fun & PC240 Quilting with Mama

I have designed patterns with 2 previous collections by Barbara (PC192 Snow Much Fun and PC240 Quilting with Mama) and I jumped at the opportunity to work with Arctic Wonders.  Since the fabric has polar bears on it, I included some Bear’s Paw blocks and selectively placed them around the fantastic center panel.  Alternate snowball blocks use the pre-printed 10” cameo motifs.

PC251 Arctic Adventures

PC251 Arctic Adventures

By alternating these 2 blocks I reduced the number of Bears Paw blocks required, making this quilt faster and easier.

Arctic Adventures twin size

Arctic Adventures twin size

On the largest size option in the pattern I placed Bears Paw blocks in the outer corners of the border.  In these 4 blocks I replaced half the background with the border fabric – what a difference it makes!

outer corner Bear Paw blocks

outer corner Bear Paw blocks

It adds so much interest to these blocks and to the quilt – the splash of light in the corners keeps the viewer’s eye travelling around the quilt instead of focusing on the center.

Today’s quilting tip relates to the inner border on this quilt, included on the throw and twin sizes.  Instead of using single strips of fabric for this border I made narrow blocks and added sew-and-flip dark triangles to pair up with the snowball corners of the pre-printed 10” blocks.  It completes these elements of the quilt.  The other reason I didn’t do single strips in this border is because the fabric used in this border is directional.  To have the bears in the design correctly aligned I would have to cut lengthwise strips approximately 65” long and use only a portion of the width-of-fabric.

Cutting the directional polar bear fabric

Cutting the directional polar bear fabric

By using blocks instead, I could cut several shorter lengthwise pieces from the width of fabric.  As a result, I need only 1⅛yds of fabric instead of 2yds.  So, long story short, if you have a fabric that is directional and you want to use it in a border, make that border a pieced border instead of a plain border.

Have you had a chance to try any of the recipes I’ve shared so far?  I asked Hubby to choose today’s recipe and he suggested I select one from my A Taste of Napa Valley quilt book I wrote several years ago.

Napa cover and index

Napa cover and index

This book includes patterns for 14 quilt projects based on wines from the Napa region and a recipe to go with each wine.  The index of the book lists the quilts and the recipes.  My copy of my book lives with my cookbooks and is well-used.

Feta Cheese Dip (it’s almost addictive)

Feta Cheese Dip

Feta Cheese Dip

8 oz. (250g) cream cheese, softened

4tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream

6 oz (200g) feta cheese, crumbled

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients.  Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.  Great with thin crackers (Crispers, Wheat Thins, etc.) or raw veggies.

Now for the free stuff. Let’s all participate in this 😊.  I want to know your favorite sewing/quilting tip.  Leave a comment below sharing your tip.  Your name will be entered to win a copy of A Taste of Napa Valley and a bundle of my Vino fabric collection, designed for Banyan Batiks.  In your comment please tell me which of the 3 colorways you would like should your name be selected.  I will randomly draw 1 winner.  Please pop back in a day or so to see the comments left by everyone.  I will draw for the prizes for all 4 blog posts on April 4th so please post all comments by April 3rd.

It has been a pleasure hopping with you – thanks for following along with me as you practice social distancing.  Stay safe and healthy!

See you soon,

Patti

Hopping with P’s – Pet comments, Panel Pizzazz and pecan pie

27 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

#stayathomeandhop

How is everyone doing?  Are you adjusting to our new normal?  Well, maybe it’s not so normal to be working from home.  On Facebook the other day I saw a hilarious post about what your dog might say to you during coronavirus vs. what your cat might say.  Dog:  OHMYGOSH YOU’RE HERE ALL DAY AND THIS IS THE BEST AS I CAN LOVE YOU AND SEE YOU AND BE WITH YOU AND FOLLOW YOU AND I AM SO HAPPY AND EXCITED BECAUSE YOU ARE THE GREATEST AND I LOVE YOU BEING HERE SO MUCH…  Cat:  (annoyed) What the heck are you still doing here?  Hubby and I don’t have pets however many of our friends do so I can relate to this post.

Welcome back to my 3rd of 4 posts in the #stayhomeandhop quilt designer virtual blog tour.  If you’ve been with me since the first post last Saturday, you know I’ve got lots of stuff to share with you.  If you’ve left a comment on either of my first 2 posts, thank you!  It makes my day to read your comments, AND you’re entered into the draws.  If you haven’t, there’s still time – pop over to Saturday’s post and leave a comment for a chance to win some gorgeous Botanica fabric, and do the same on Tuesday’s post for a chance to win a copy of McCall’s Quilting May/June issue and some luscious Dream Weaver fabric.  If you’re visiting from one of the other bloggers in the tour, welcome!  I hope you enjoy your visit and choose to subscribe to my blog (on the right toolbar), my newsletter (scroll to the bottom) and/or follow me on Facebook.

Today I get to introduce you to 10 more designers.  You may already know some of them, and you may find a new favorite (you may need to click on their Blog tab to see their posts):
Bequilter https://www.beaquilter.com/shop
Presto Avenue Designs https://www.prestoavenuedesigns.com
Cheryl Lynch Quilts https://www.cheryllynchquilts.com 
Love to Color My World https://www.lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com
Hissyfitz Designs https://www.hissyfitzdesigns.com 
Canton Village Quilt Works https://www.cvquiltworks.com/blogs/blog 
Anjeanette Klinder Designs http://www.anjeanettek.com 
Pat Sloan – The Voice of Quilting https://www.blog.patsloan.com 
Said With Love https://www.saidwithlove.com.au 
Orange Blossom Quilt Design https://www.orangeblossomquilt.com

During this blog tour I’m sharing 4 things with you – a newsy item, a quilting tip, a tasty recipe from my collection, and a chance for free stuff.

My newsy item today is – drum roll – another cover quilt!  This time it’s on the cover of Keepsake Quilting’s latest catalog.

My PC250 Panel Pizzazz quilt on the cover of Keepsake Quilting catalog

My PC250 Panel Pizzazz quilt on the cover of Keepsake Quilting catalog

My heart skipped a beat when I saw it.  This quilt is from my Panel Pizzazz pattern using Northcott’s ethereal Swept Away collection by Melanie Samra and Deborah Edwards, shipping to quilt shops as we speak.  This dreamy collection features not one but 2 ombre fabrics and I have used both in this quilt.  The center is a selvage-to-selvage print that is almost an ombre, and it’s running yardage instead of a panel to make it suitable for so many quilts and projects.  Fellow designer Brenda of Among Brenda’s Quilts used it in her nesting round bags pattern shown on page 3 of the catalog.

Keepsake Quilting page 2-3 with Panel Pizzazz Option #3 and Brenda's bags

Keepsake Quilting page 2-3 with Panel Pizzazz Option #3 and Brenda’s bags

My pattern contains 3 design options, and Option #3 is shown on page 2 (it’s Quilts of Valor size).  This is such a versatile pattern and looks great with just about any 24” x 42” panel or panel-type print.  Here are some examples in other fabric collections.

Panel Pizzazz options made with different collections

Panel Pizzazz options made with different collections

My quilting tip for today relates to my Panel Pizzazz Option #3 design.  Notice that the flying geese are only used in part of the inner light blue border and part of the outer taupe border.  The rest part of each border is large chunks of background fabric.  I used this technique when I don’t want to figure out the math of how many blocks I need and how big the quilt center needs to be to prevent me from ending up with ½-blocks.  It’s also much faster to piece fewer blocks.  Notice also that the geese in the inner border are in the upper left and lower right corners and the geese in the outer border are in the upper right and lower left corners.  This adds interest to the quilt and keeps the viewer’s eye travelling around the quilt.

Today’s recipe is a special one – today is Hubby’s birthday.  His birthday “cake” is always homemade pecan pie, chockfull of pecans (not just on the top) and runny filling – it’s gotta be runny.

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie
4 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup golden corn syrup
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2½ – 3 cups pecans halves
One 9” deep pie crust or 10” flan-style pie crust, unbaked

Reserve ½ cup pecan halves for decorating pie.  Coarsely chop remaining pecans and pour into pastry-lined shell.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour into shell.  Arrange remaining pecans around edge of filling.
Bake for 10 minutes at 400° then 20-30 minutes at 325°.  Let cool to room temperature before serving.  Serves 10.

Because Hubby’s pie isn’t made yet I borrowed the pie photo from lexiscleankitchen – bonus! The recipe over on Lexi’s site is gluten-free.

Today’s free stuff:  Let’s get to know each other a little better. What type of quilter are you?  Traditional, contemporary, modern, art?  What skill level are you at?  Beginner, confident beginner, intermediate, or advanced?  Do you quilt by hand, machine or check?  Please leave a comment below for a chance to win a packet of dreamy Swept Away fabrics.  Good luck!  In the meantime, please hop on over to the other blogger’s sites, stay safe and healthy at home and I’ll see you back here on Monday March 30 with another tip, recipe and free stuff.

Cheers,

Patti

24 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

#stayathomeandhop

#stayathomeandhop

How are you doing?  If you’re one of my regular peeps you’re thinking “What?!?!?  Two blog posts in 3 days? Did that girl fall and bump her head?!?  She normally blogs once every 4-6 months”.  Pretty much true, I have to admit.  (If you’re not a subscriber yet you can sign up on the sidebar 😊)  Well, the reason for this post is the Stay at Home and Hop

that I’m participating in – it started March 21 and runs until March 31, with posts every 3 days from 40 fabulous quilt designers.  Here is the list of the next 10 designers (you may need to click on their blog button to see their post):

Studio R Quilts https://www.studiorquilts.com
Toadally Quilts https://www.toadallyquilts.com
From Blank Pages https://www.fromblankpages.com
Cotton Street Commons http://www.cottonstreetcommons.com
Puppy Girl Designs http://www.puppygirldesigns.com
Phoebe Moon Quilt Designs https://www.facebook.com/phoebemoondesgins
The Devoted Quilter https://www.devotedquilter.com
Christa Quilts https://www.christaquilts.com
Stitched by Susan http://www.stitchedbysusan.com
Tamarinis https://www.tamarinis.com

If you’ve just hopped over from another blog, WELCOME!  You might want to take a look at my blog post from March 21 – hint: there’s free stuff there.  You can also sign up for my newsletter here (scroll to the bottom of the page) or follow me on Facebook here.

So, this fun virtual Hop was created to give quilters everywhere a quilty fix without having to leave the safety of our homes.  Like everyone I know, Hubby and I are holed up in our home, only venturing outside for a brisk walk, waving to the neighbors from the other side of the street.  Quilting has been my happy diversion these past few weeks, and I have enough in my sewing room to continue uninterrupted until June – 2021 that is!  I know I’m not alone here – hands up if you also have a few (dozen) projects – UFO’s, not-even-started’s, etc. – to keep you going for the next year.  Hands up if you also go looking for a particular item in your sewing room, find 3 long-forgotten UFO’s, pull them out to pet them, swoon over them, dream about making them, then realize an hour later that you still haven’t found the item you started looking for.  Yup, me too.  We’re in this together.  That’s why my friend Jody Houghton calls us the Sisterhood of Quilters.

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m including 4 things in each of my #stayathomeandhop posts:  something newsy, a quilting tip, a mouth-watering easy comfort-food recipe from my personal cookbook, and free stuff.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Today’s newsy item is jump-up-and-down exciting.  Drum roll please!!!  My Covered Buttons quilt is on the cover of the current (May/June) issue of McCall’s Quilting 😊😊.

MQ2006-COVER-FINAL

Covered Buttons on the cover of McCall’s May/June issue

 

It is made with Northcott’s Dream Weaver collection of textures and ombres.  Oh, how I love ombres!  The gradual shading from dark to light mesmerizes me.

This design started in February 2019 when I received the digital files from Northcott.  I loaded the files into EQ8 (Electric Quilt) and start playing.  Normally I design 1 quilt from a collection, or sometimes 2 if it really inspires me.  With this collection I kept thinking “Oh, but I could also do THIS with it, and THAT with it”.  It was so easy to manipulate the ombre fabric in EQ8 to create a myriad of effects.  After 6 quilts I had to force myself to step away from my laptop.  Two of the designs

PC244 Illusion & PC245 Shadow Squares

PC244 Illusion & PC245 Shadow Squares

PC244 Illusion bargello and PC245 Shadow Squares – were selected by Northcott.  When the submission call for quilts came out from McCalls in September I jumped at the opportunity to send one of the remaining designs.  I was thrilled when it was accepted.  I was away when the fabric came in so my colleague Susanne perfectly pieced it and long-armer Ruth Quinn of Stitching Impressions worked her magic on it.  Isn’t it fabulous?

Covered Buttons by Patti Carey

Covered Buttons by Patti Carey

It uses only 3 fabrics – light turquoise for the light circles, dark turquoise for the dark circles and binding, and turquoise ombre for the entire background.  Can you believe it’s all from 1 fabric?!?  How cool is that!?!  Now, I know you’re wondering where you can get your hands on a copy of the May/June issue of McCall’s.  It shipped to subscribers March 12 and will be on newsstands March 26.  You’re also asking yourself where you can find the Dream Weaver fabric.  Let me help you with that.  As with all Northcott, Banyan and FIGO collections you can use the Product Finder on the Northcott or FIGO website – simple enter the name of a collection, click on the link and find the Product Finder icon on the right-hand toolbar.  The very best feature of the Product Finder is that you can search for a shop that has the exact pieces that you want.  So handy and helpful!

Today’s quilting tip is one that I include in most of my patterns and will come in handy when you make Covered Buttons – you will use this when you sew the light and dark triangles into columns.  Tip for aligning patches for sewing:

aligning triangle patches

aligning triangle patches

When you have 2 patches to be sewn together and they are sloped at opposite 45° angles, they are correctly aligned when they meet at the ¼” seam line as shown at right.

When you have 2 patches to be sewn together and only one is sloped at a 45° angle, they are correctly aligned at the top when they meet ⅜” from the edge as shown at far right.  However, sew them together with a ¼” seam.  I’ll throw in another tip:  Just because something is done a certain way in a pattern doesn’t mean you have to do it that way.  Case in point:  Looking at the Covered Buttons quilt I noticed that Susanne appliqued the circles using turned applique instead of fusing them.  That is, she added ¼” seam allowance and turned the edges under to invisibly machine-applique them in place.

Today’s recipe is an old standby in our house and usually provides leftovers for lunch the next day, depending on how many sons come for dinner.

Creamy Chicken & Rice

Spray a 9”x13” casserole dish with Pam/non-stick spray.
Combine (1) 10 oz can cream of mushroom or chicken soup, 1 cup milk and ½ – 1 tsp herb of your choice (paprika, Italian seasoning, sage, garlic, etc) and pour into dish.
Sprinkle ¾ cup uncooked long grain rice over soup.
Place 4 boneless chicken breasts or equivalent (I like to use 1½ – 2lbs boneless thighs) over rice.
Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40 – 45 minutes.

Today’s free stuff:  I have an extra copy of the McCall’s May/June issue and will throw in some fat ¼’s of Dream Weaver.  For a chance to win this, please leave a comment on my blog telling me the size of quilt you usually make (runner, wall, crib, lap, bed) and the size you usually make for a bed (twin, double, queen, king).  I will randomly select one respondent to receive the magazine and Dream Weaver fabric pack.  If you haven’t commented on last Saturday’s post yet, head over there now for a chance to win there too.

Thanks for stopping by, have fun staying home and hopping, and please stay safe and healthy.

Cheers,

Patti

Welcome to #stayathomeandhop

21 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

Woo-hoo!  Today is Day 1 of the Stay at Home and Hop virtual tour of 40 uber-talented pattern designer’s blogs/websites.  Over the course of the next 10 days I’ll be posting 4 times and providing you with a list of 9-10 other designers to check out.  You’ll get a new list in each post, and 3 days to go through the list at your leisure for a dose of inspiration – these are savvy designers and you may know some of them already!

Today’s post includes:

Lone Star Pattern Works https://www.lonestarpatternworks.com

Powered by Quilting https://www.poweredbyquilting.com

Cottage Rose Quilt Patterns https://www.cottagerosequiltshop.com

The Cloth Parcel https://www.theclothparcel.com

Faith and Fabric https://www.faithandfabricdesign.com

Linen Closet Designs http://www.linenclosetdesigns.com

Designs by Sarah J https://www.designsbysarahj.com

Rona the Ribbiter Quilts https://www.ronatheribbiter.com

Quilt Fox Designs https://www.quiltfox-design.com

Seam to Be Sew https://www.seamstobesew.com

You may want to go back and visit their blogs/websites again during the Hop to see what else they’ve posted.  You might even subscribe to their blog/newsletter or follow them on Facebook.  While you’re at it, if you’re not already following my Patti’s Patchwork Facebook page, you can hop over to do that, and subscribe to my blog here or newsletter here (scroll down to the bottom).

Here’s what you can expect from my 4 blog posts:           – a bit of newsy stuff on what I’ve been up to lately, mostly quilt-related

– a quilting tip or trick.  I’ve been quilting for almost 30 years now (I started when I was 3 – hahaha) and teaching quilting for about 20 years so I’ve gleaned a few nuggets during that time.

-a tasty comfort-food recipe to tide you through these stay-at-home times.  I like cooking almost as much as I like quilting, and I must admit I’m pretty good at it.  These are recipes I make regularly that have become family favorites.  I’m sharing them with you ‘cause you’re my quilting family 😊.

– free stuff!  As if free recipes and free quilting tips aren’t enough, I’ve got free fabric up for grabs. Not just any fabric, no, it’s Northcott fabric!  The good stuff!! You’re going to have to work for it though.  I’m looking for feedback on something and you’re going to post your feedback comment on my blog.  I’ll randomly select 1 (or 2 if I get a lot of responses) to receive free fabric.  Shall we get started?  Yes, let’s do it!

I am super-thrilled to have my E-Z Miter and lone star tool E-Z Miter lo-rezfeatured in the May/June issue of McCall’s Quilting, on newsstands March 27.  Let me give you a bit of background on this mini tool with mighty benefits. On the way home from a Borders & Binding workshop I taught to the Sarnia guild last April I was pondering how I could make mitered borders easier to mark – the students really got the concept of pre-cutting the mitered angles prior to sewing them on the quilt.  They struggled, however, with marking the spots to start and stop sewing them.  I came up with the idea of a small angled template with precisely drilled holes, and that is how the E-Z Miter tool came to be.  It includes detailed instructions on fool-proof mitered borders as well as instructions on using the tool for lone star/Lemoyne star blocks/quilts as well.  Simply place the tool in the inner angled corner of your mitered border to mark the exact spot to start and stop sewing.  Use the square corner to mark the quilt or block, then connect the two dots for perfect foolproof mitered corners.  Easy peasy!  I even have a how-to YouTube video here. I demonstrated the tool to McCall’s editor Lori Baker last Fall at Quilt Market and gave her one to try at her leisure.  Word on the street is that she now uses it regularly – yay Lori – and asked that it be featured in the Fresh Picks section of nifty new quilty stuff.E-Z Miter tool featured in McCall's May-June '20 Fresh Picks lo-rez

So, how do get your hands on one of these awesome gadgets?  So glad you asked!  You can find them at select shops or through my website here. They retail for $10.50 Canadian (roughly $8 US, though with the plummeting Canadian dollar they’re getting cheaper by the minute ☹).  Now, Canada Post (I’m Canadian eh) does not let me ship these to the US for less than a parcel rate of $9 (ack!).  However, for the next 2 months I have arranged a special shipping rate for my American quilty friends – enter the code EZMcCalls at checkout for $5 off.  A shout-out to my friend Sara of Ladeebug Design for helping me with this.  To entice you further, I’ve written a free pattern just for you that uses the E-Z Miter tool for the mitered border and the star.  Botanica Lone Star lo-rezThe Botanica Lone Star quilt is 41” square and features Northcott’s new Botanica collection including a gorgeous lengthwise floral stripe, used in the border of the quilt.  Enjoy!

Now we get to the quilt tip part of my post.  When I am piecing a quilt such as the Botanica Lone Star, I press my background seams toward the star – what?!?!?!  Yes, because I am already thinking how I want to quilt this beauty.  I have meticulously pieced that star and I want it to pop, so I am going to stitch in the ditch around the star, in the background if I have pressed the seams toward the star.  My favorite pressing tool is the Clover Hera Marker and I have a quick video on Northcott’s site of how I use this uber-handy gadget.  That’s two tips!

Now for the recipe – it’s a dessert because my motto is “Eat dessert first” or at least scope out what dessert is so I can save room for it.

Chocolate Orange Mousse

Melt…..                                            4oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Remove from heat and add…     3 egg yolks

Beat until thickened then add… 6tbsp softened butter

1tbsp orange liqueur (Gran Marnier or Cointreau)

½tsp vanilla

Separately, beat until stiff…        3 egg whites
Fold ¼ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold the chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites.  Spoon into 4 dishes and chill for 30 minutes.

Now for the giveaway.  I’ve got a bundle of Botanica waiting to be made into a Botanica Lone Star quilt.  For your chance to win it, visit the Workshops tab on my website and post a comment below telling me which workshop you’d like to take.

Thanks for stopping by, have fun and please stay safe and healthy.

Cheers,

Patti

“Stay at Home and Hop” coming your way

20 Mar

Fellow Quilters,

Well, it has been many moons since we chatted, and I have so much to share with you.  I hope to be doing just that over the next 10 days as I participate in a quilt designer blog hop – the Stay at Home and Hop event.

#stayathomeandhop

#stayathomeandhop

Our lives have been turned upside down the past few weeks as Covid-19 has spread worldwide with lightening speed.  Quilting events everywhere have been cancelled – both of my local guilds have cancelled their upcoming meetings and workshops until further notice.  What to do?  Quilters are a resourceful group and have taken to the world wide web for their quilty fix.

Enter the Stay at Home and Hop virtual quilt tour of 40 talented designers sharing their tips, new stuff and maybe a few free goodies along the way.  The Hop runs from March 21 – 31 with links to new designers’ sites every 3 days and promises to be a great diversion while we hunker down in the safety of our sewing space.  In my blog posts I will be sharing stuff I’ve done lately (newsy things), a favorite recipe that is easy to make and tastes great (since restaurant dining is not an option – I will even include one or two gluten-free recipes for Pat K and Pat T.  Full disclosure: I like cooking almost as much as quilting and am quite good at it), a quilting tip, and a chance for some free stuff.  Free stuff is the best!

I invite you to come along with me to find a few new-to-us designers, some great ideas, some new gourmet recipes and lots of inspiration.  I’ll be looking for comments and feedback for the free stuff so don’t be shy.  The comments make me feel like you’re right there in the seat beside me on this adventure.  You are my virtual quilting peeps!  Let’s do this together!!

See you tomorrow,

Cheers,

Patti