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Time for a new project! 

There is something fun about making tote bags and I still just love my pattern, Carry All Tote.  It's such a fun and relatively easy pattern. 

The first thing to do is to sew a bunch of 2 1/2" strips together, I used one Rolie Polie (jelly roll) of my Curated Blooms fabric.  I really loved piecing the strips together in what looks like a natural ombre effect.  I also did a little bit of strip piecing and moving those strips in a kind of bargello effect for parts of the bag.  You can see in the photo above how the piecing looked.

I love how it turned out with the piecing and the quilting. I used a simple muslin for the backing, knowing it would be covered up, and one layer of batting.  I did a quick and simple edge to edge swirl on my computerized quilting machine.  

The outside of the bag has a fun little pocket and I got to add my favorite green fabric as a nice little accent. It goes well with the bargello look. 

It is so fun having all 21 patterns of Curated Blooms fabric line in one project like this.  The orientation of the bag and the flap complement each other nicely. 

I admit I was a little worried about the flap of the bag going well with the back of the bag, the side with the green shown above, but once I got the whole bag situated it looked a lot better. 

The main cream print of Curated Blooms is perfect for the inside of the bag.  I really love how it came together with the auburn and blush prints. 

This bag is perfect for me to carry my computer and my graph paper for writing patterns.  I take it with me when I travel. 

It really is a fun and simple pattern and it was so lovely being able to finish a project.  I don't get into the studio as much as I would like to, so this was a treat. 

It's been a long while since I have shared my thoughts.  The world of Facebook and Instagram are so impersonal. It's quick and easy to share posts, but I really do miss the world of writing down my thoughts. While I value privacy, I think since we live in a world that is full of discontent because of social media, a lot of comparison happens.  I hope that by writing down what life looks like, it will help others to realize we are all on this journey called life and there are ups and downs for all of us. 

17 years ago Clint and I made the decision to sell our home, move away and start our little business, Green Fairy Quilts. I had already done a bit of traveling and tinkering with the ideas of writing my own quilt patterns and selling them to stores. We had the website, something I had figured out with my mom. After one particularly successful quilt show, Clint and I talked about risking it all to be able to work for ourselves. I was pregnant with our 3rd child, so naturally I said, "yes!" to all those things. How hard would it be to uproot our little family of five and move 400 miles away from everything? 

Honestly, looking back I can see why so many people in our lives thought we were nuts. Who does that?  Quit work, sell the house, have a baby and 3 days later move away from family..... We were desperate to make it on our own and in our own way.  Not answering to anyone but God. It was a beautiful dream and something that I will always look back on with fondness. 

This life has become our reality and the only reality that our children know. My oldest was only 3 years old when we moved down to Saint George, Utah. Both mine and Clint's families are still up in the Salt Lake City area. We miss family, but we don't regret for one moment the life we have built together. 

It's weird to think that there are still people around us that think that Clint works for me and that I just have this little "sewing company." Nothing could be further from the truth.  Clint and I are equal partners and while he runs the business, doing the work of at least 10, I am lucky enough to be able to create (when I am not needed to help ship orders of course). We have a system that works, but can be overwhelming at times. We work as a family now.  Over the years we have had a few independent contractors who have helped ship out orders, but now it's just the six of us. That will all change when the kids take off and create their own lives, but for now, it's a beautiful thing to be able to work together. 

I usually start the day around 5:30-6:00 am - I wake up naturally, so thank heavens I don't have to listen to an alarm. I first go to our office where all our inventory is, thankfully it's close, lol (home). I work shipping orders anywhere from a few hours, up to 10 hours, depending on the time of year. The kids do school in the morning and then come in and help after lunch.  We are teaching them the ins and outs of running a business.  They learn, we get help, and of course they get paid.  They are all old enough to have a job. Clint does all the computer work: customer service, ordering inventory and office supplies, adding inventory to the website, social media marketing, creating and sending newsletters. In addition to all that he is in charge of finances and making sure everything works out. The stress he takes on is something I know I would never be able to do.  It works that he is a super organized person. Not every day looks the same, but we make it work so there is time for God, us, and the business.  We eat all our meals together as a family and talk about our day together. 

Right now I am trying to figure out who I am again.  Our kids are older and getting ready to fly out of the nest.  It's a weird concept to think about and one part of life that I was definitely not prepared for.  I keep thinking about everything I have done as a mom over the years and my role in their life is changing. In a good way, I know, but all the same, it's weird to have a quiet house because they are content to do their own thing. Am I prepared for a silent house?  It's probably a good thing I am loud and can entertain myself a lot of the time. I think it's hilarious that my husband is so quiet and reserved, yet he married a crazy loud mouth.  Oh, but the joy we have together is abundant.  It's a good thing we like each other still after all these years, soon to be 23. Yay!!

In the midst of all of this chaos called life, I make time for my quilting and designing.  For years I built up this following of quilters watching and looking out for my quilting style.  I shared that style for years, traveling around the world and getting to know so many quilters.  It was a blessed time. It's different now in the sense that I haven't left home to travel to teach since 2020.  The last several years have been insane for us.  When the world shut down, everyone needed quilting supplies. So, we have been busy.  It's been a huge blessing and one that I will never take for granted, but it's been tough on me.  During the shutdowns Clint and I were working 13-15 hour days 6 days a week just to keep up.

I find myself being selfish sometimes because I really want to do my own thing.  It's hard to do when I am balancing other things, like shipping orders. To be fair, Clint and I have decided together that we are happier when it is just us and the kids running the business.  I have a couple sisters who help out when I am out of town, but we don't want to just let anyone into our home to work, even if it would lessens our load. Our home is our sanctuary.

I just want to design, make my own things, and share it softly on Instagram and Facebook and the people who follow me actually see it. I have found out that the algorithms on these platforms make it soooo difficult to be seen. It is so hard to keep up with the fast moving pace; making reels, adding music, making each post something that people "want" to view.  You have to boost posts just to have them seen, and I have pushed back against that on my own pages.  I think it's ridiculous that the people who follow my page won't see my posts unless I pay for it.  I guess that comes with a "free" platform, but it's anything but free if you want to keep your business going.

So, I make time for the things that I want to do.  Last year I made time to take a class that would help me become a fabric designer.  I wanted to be able to take my drawings and create the repeating designs myself.  I have a slight issue with control I guess, but that comes with the territory of being a designer. I didn't realize that some fabric designers have help making their prints, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I wanted to have control over my designs. I wanted them all to be my own design and layout.  So, I am thrilled that Curated Blooms were all my designs and Juju's Petals will be as well. I am currently writing the patterns for Juju's Petals, which ships out in September this year.  I am sooooo excited about this line. Make sure you tell your local shops to get their orders in by April 2025. 

Anyway, thanks for listening.  It's a crazy time for me, but I wouldn't change it for anything.  I have learned a lot about prioritizing what is important and I am trying to keep it as balanced as I can.

God bless! 

I am so excited to share with you my newest finish, Blooms!! This quilt features my first fabric line, Curated Blooms, so well!  Let's take a closer look..

When designing the quilt, I  had so much fun taking the blocks all the way to the edge. This layout is new for me, but wow, the impact is stunning. It is almost as if there is a secondary design going on with the sashing being used as "blocks" as well. 

 One thing I have had to learn to juggle is writing and planning my patterns to go along with my fabric designs well in advance of the fabric actually coming out.  Once the fabric comes out, then I make the quilts.  

 I found with this quilt in particular that I was a bit off on the fabric requirements.  That has been corrected on my pattern page, here.  But just so you know, the 67 x 67 inch quilt will definitely need at least 2 of my fat quarter bundles if you are going for a scrappy quilt and not doing the exact fabric placement as my own quilt. 

 What I love most about this quilt are the sashing blocks.  My word, the blocks just came together so great.  The piecing is not for the faint of heart, I can promise you that.  This is one of the most intense piecing quilts I have ever designed and pieced. However, the instructions are done well and you will be able to make this.  The pattern is recommended for intermediate to advanced quilters.

 I really wanted to showcase the fabric as well as the piecing in this quilt. For that reason I kept the quilting "simple." At least my kind of simple....  It was almost more challenging for me to keep it simple because I had to do the same thing over and over again. 

In the blocks I simply added straight lines with a little bit of free motion.  I really love how the blocks turned out.  It definitely shows the fabrics well, which is another bonus, especially with it being my own designs!  Woohoo! 

As you can see, I incorporated the sash blocks with the Blooms blocks. I drew out and quilted a line to mimic the shapes of both, shown in the picture as a 1/2" spaced line. 

 In the background space, I quilted a tight and loose bubble/shell/swirl filler. Every other block got the tight filler, as well as the loose one. 

Here's a close up of the tight filler. This takes a lot of time, but I love the effect it has.  I used cream 60wt thread for both the top and bobbin, including in the dark fabrics. I don't like changing my thread colors, lol! 

 The back!  Oh, isn't it so beautiful?  I love how it turned out. I used two layers of batting, which helps with thread tension as well as showcasing the detailed quilting. 

The pattern is available in paper and PDF format. I cannot wait to see your version of this beautiful quilt. 

 I had to take a picture of my helper, Micah, my oldest son.  He is such a joy to me, so grown up at 17, yet such a tease. He is so great to help me whenever I need to hang up my quilts and anything else I ask of him. He's my little buddy who is 6'3" - where did the time go?  He's leaving on a mission for our church in June - so I am definitely soaking in all the time I can with him.  

Happy Quilting y'all! 

 Pattern is available now in paper and PDF versions. 

I would like to introduce to you, Realm.  This quilt is epic!! It has been a project in the works for a very long time. The project itself has been finished for a while, but writing a book and self-publishing takes time. 

 This quilt took a while to piece, mostly because of all the on-point squares in the Realm blocks. It was fun though and I had a great time building these individual blocks. The ombre fabric by V and Co. was perfect for this quilt.  I love the look of the cool and warm colored blocks. 

 The quilt was stitched entirely with a 60wt cream thread and magna glide bobbins. I enjoy stitching with one color because I love to showcase the quilting.  This also creates an incredible canvas for the plain square blocks.  Most of these square block quilted designs are included in the book. 

This quilt is free-motion and ruler work quilted on my A1 longarm quilting machine.  No computers were involved in the making of this quilt, lol. 

 I believe the best part of quilting is enjoying the texture of the quilt.  When I quilt densely like this I use two layers of batting.  It doesn't matter what high quality cotton (cotton/poly) batting you use, as long as there are two layers, you will have these same results. 

Is the quilt heavier, yes, but it isn't that much heavier and I think the quilt is more stable when it has the two layers and the thread tension seems to work better for me with the two layers of batting.  

 I think the greatest part in quilting Realm is the star theme.  I love being able to add secondary designs to my quilting, especially when it pairs nicely with the piecing design of the quilt. The background fabric is my play area and I really love how the stars turned out in these blocks. All of these star designs are included in the book as well. 

 I  have a very special lady who helps me with the digital drawings of my books, and I  am so grateful for her.  Thank you Lynda! 

This time around I wanted to learn how to do the layout myself. My books: Creative Chaos and Serenity were laid out and designed by me in Adobe Illustrator, but then sent to Lynda to do the final layout in inDesign. This time around I bought the inDesign program and was determined to do the final layout.

I was so excited to learn inDesign, that I sent off the file to the printer and it came back with the print blocks in each fold of the book. Whoops! I only had them print off 4 books, the minimum, to make sure I didn't mess up - I clearly needed something else to learn.  

So, back to the drawing board.  This is why it has taken me a bit longer to get the book finished. I really have a very small team, mostly me, that write patterns and books. I have two gals who read over my patterns, but the writing and layout are me.  Thankfully the gal at the printer gave me a call and walked me through inDesign and the settings that I had wrong and we fixed the issues with the layout of the book. I  understand one more thing and my skillset for another Adobe program is getting better.  The book is at the printer and will arrive to me by the end of this week. I  thank you for your patience with me, especially all of you who have pre-ordered the book. 

 I took the quilt out yesterday to get some shots in the sun with the book. I  really love this quilt so much.  The book is so beautiful as well.  The digital drawings as well as the photos will really help you make your own version of Realm. 

 This border! It was so fun to quilt up. I  love how the sun captures the dimension of the quilting. I used my QuickMarkRuler, QuickMarkCurve, and my A1 ruler to draw out and stitch the designs. I use a purple air soluble marker for the markings, it easily comes out with water, or in high humidity, it disappears quickly.  I live in the desert, so the air soluble marker is perfect for me.

The time and effort it takes to make a quilt like this is very rewarding. I'm hoping that you will enjoy the process as much as I did. The book is available now in paper as well as PDF versions for those of you who are out of the US and don't want to pay shipping.  

Happy Quilting! 

Honestly, it feels surreal thinking about our journey as a family. 16 years ago we had a little bundle of big baby boy, he is our 3rd child, wrapped up and ready to move far away from any family or friends. He was only 3 days old when we moved, now he is a strong and handsome teenager.

We sold our home and Clint quit his job, we had the sell of our home and the equity we earned to get us going on Green Fairy Quilts. We were going to make it work, no matter what.  We worked hard, but always had God with us. To Him we give credit for the impeccable timing of it all. 

 The kids were too young to know if this adventure would turn out badly and now, this is the only life they've known. I recently read a journal entry from before we made this big move and it said that I dream of a day that I can work and be with my family all of the time.  That dream has definitely come true. We work, learn, and play together each day. The fact that these kids are getting closer to leaving the nest is breaking my momma heart, but I am so grateful for the people they are.  

So many things have happened in 16 years, too many things to count, but more blessings than I can even imagine. Clint and I have figured out a system that works for us. Clint is an incredible entrepreneur and natural at owning a business.  I feel so blessed that we have been able to work together all of these years.  

I am also so grateful for the times I get to be creative. I crave it. Recently I picked up my Tillie pattern again, it is time for another quilt.  This time I will be changing the size of the blocks to make a fun, 4 block quilt. It is off to a great start.  

You can see that this block is quite large, but it's going to be so fun to quilt! I  cannot wait to share my progress. 

I  have also added a new goal this year of running a half marathon.  I know I could never commit to a full marathon, but a half will be great.  Jonah, the young man pictured above is also training with me.  St. George, Utah is an incredibly beautiful place and it's been home for us for these past 16 years.  What an incredible journey we have had.  Here's to many more years. I am looking forward to the future. 

It has been a long time since I have made an effort to keep up my blog.  There are so many reasons why it's easier to just leave it alone, but I do miss writing about my projects.  I will have my blog posts on my website from here on out. The posts used to be on a blogger account, but trying to get these posts to connect between the two sites seems impossible for me right now.  In the end, this will be easier for me.  

The instant gratification of Instagram and Facebook have made my posts seem so impersonal to me, so for those of you who are looking for more info on my quilts, then this is the place to be.  I  will go back over the quilts I have missed writing about and share the info on the projects on this blog.  I hope you will enjoy the posts as much as I will enjoy writing them. 

First off is Serenity. This quilt is epic and has a lovely story to go along with it. 

In October 2018 I was teaching to a quilting group in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This group of ladies were so fun and engaging. This trip was my 4th and final time teaching in Canada when I was traveling to teach quilting.  While I was there I mentioned how much I love quilting needle turn appliqué quilts. I don't love doing appliqué myself, but I love quilting them. 

Sometime during the workshop a lady by the name of Tammy gifted me her needle turn appliqué quilt. I couldn't believe it, but quilters really are the sweetest people. She genuinely wanted me to have this quilt and wanted me to be able to "play" with the quilting. I certainly did just that! 

I  have since learned the quilt top is a from the pattern, Calendar Basket by Brandywine Design. Tammy did not do the extra bit of appliqué in the border, but left those empty which made for a perfect empty space for a secondary quilting design.

As you can see, I took advantage of the empty space and filled the border with an incredible geometric quilting design.  I cannot tell you how much fun and time consuming it was to come up with this quilting design, all of which is explained in my book, Serenity. 

The large negative space quilt blocks that were in between each of the basket blocks made an area for a beautiful quilting design as well.  I  based my design on my "Clover block" from a quilt named "Serenity" I  made back in 2010 or so.  That specific design has been turned into a digitized design, but I did not do any computerized work on this quilt. 

I used two layers of quilt batting to make the quilting designs stand out. I also used a 60wt glide thread to quilt the entire top.  I really like the 60wt thread because it is the perfect weight to do dense and detailed quilting without looking too heavy. 

The quilt top took me over 100 hours of quilting to complete and once I was finished with it, I realized I needed to make a book with the quilting instructions. So, I  took the clover design block, and turned that into an appliqué block.  The quilt then became Serenity and the options to make several sizes are available in my book. 

Serenity (wall hanging) is just the right sized quilt for those of you looking to amp up your quilting skills without taking on a huge quilting job.  I know several of you have already made this quilt, since I released this book in 2023. In addition to the large border quilting designs, I included the fun curved border design and curved quilting designs in the blocks for the smaller quilt. 

I used my QuickMarkRuler, my QuickMarkCurvedRuler, and my A1 longarm straight ruler to get all the lines just right in this quilt. I used a purple water/air soluble marker to mark all the lines, but any marker that works for you will do the trick.

This project was a labor of love for me.  I enjoyed the designing, quilting, and finally writing of the book.  It is a very detailed and colorful pattern that will help you bring your free motion quilting to the next level.  I  hope you enjoy making the quilt as much as I did. 

Isn't it amazing what a gift can do?  Thank you Tammy for helping me push my own quilting to the next level by gifting me an incredible quilt.