Ashley's Star alternate block tutorial - Building Blocks Tuesday

As promised, for this week's Building Blocks Tuesday, I am sharing the tutorial for the alternate block for Ashley's Star Quilt!

Ashley's Star Tutorial - alternate block

This block uses the same components as the Ashley Star block, minus the HST's.

For the alternate block for Ashley's Star, you will need:
   - in White/Cream/or Low volume
          - Four 4.5 inch square for the center
   - in Navy
          - Twelve 2.5 inch squares, marked on the diagonal
   - in Aqua/Mint
          - One 4.5 inch square
          - Eight 2.5 inch squares, marked on the diagonal for Flying Geese
   - in Gray
          - Eight 4.5 x 2.5 inch rectangles for Flying Geese

Step One: Make Flying Geese
 - Pair one gray 4.5 x 2.5 inch rectangle and one 2.5 inch aqua square (marked on diagonal), place square in the corner of the rectangle, aligning edges
 - Sew along marked line
 - Trim 1/4 inch from sewn line
 - open and press seams open
 - Align another 2.5 inch aqua square in the other corner as shown in the photo
 - sew along marked line
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn line
 - open and press seams open
 - repeat for total of 4 grey rectangles and aqua squares
 - repeat process with Gray rectangles and Eight navy 2.5 inch squares
 - You will have 4 gray and aqua flying geese and 4 gray and navy flying geese total.

These photos are from making the Ashley Star block, so the colors are a little different, but I'm adding it again in case you need a visual on how to make the Flying Geese.

Step Two: Making the center using One 4.5 inch aqua square and Four 2.5 inch navy squares
 - Align 2 navy squares with diagonals as shown in photo, in opposing corners of aqua square
 - sew along diagonal lines
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn lines
 - open, press seams open
 - align 2 more navy squares on the other two opposing corners of the white square as shown
 - sew along diagonal lines
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn lines
 - open and press seams open

Step Four: Assembling the block using plain white squares, flying geese, and center unit.

- lay out block as shown

- sew units together and press seams open

You are finished!  Your block should measure 12.5 inches

Here are how your Ashley Star blocks and the alternate blocks might look together.

Or in fabric.....

I hope that if you make any Ashley's Stars you might share them here.  I will be sure to share my finished quilt when it is ready.

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen

An InLinkz Link-up

Around the World Blog Hop

Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the "Around the World Blog Hop".  Have you heard of this fun blog hop?  It's been going around for a while now, but I am pleased to see that it is still turning the globe, and has recently had some rock star participants, like Elizabeth Dackson of Don't Call Me Betsy, Lee Monroe at May Chappel, and Jen Kingwell of Jen Kingwell Designs.  I was invited by the lovely and talented Ginny of Fishcreek Studio who I was pleased to read more about last week.

The purpose of this blog hop is two-fold.  First, you get to learn a little more about me while I answer some questions, and secondly, I'm a sending you all along to a couple more friends so you can learn more about them too.

All about me:

This part reminds me of how my kids usually have to fill out an "All About Me" poster at the beginning of each school year.....

Hi, my name is Jen.  I grew up in Florida, but now I live in beautiful Redondo Beach, California.  I think my time in college was the only time in my life I've lived farther than 1/2 mile from salt water.

I am the mom of three crazy little girls.

I say "crazy", but what I really mean is very active.  People are always telling me how lucky I am to have girls because boys are rough and tumble and very loud.  All three of my girls are in gymnastics and think our furniture is some sort of apparatus for their tumbling; they are constantly wrestling with one another; and at least two of them have a volume control issue.  So it seems like I have plenty of rough, tumble and loud, with an extra shot of drama in there just for fun.

Most of my day is spent herding these crazy little girls around, or cleaning up after them.  So, I try to take advantage of any spare time while they are at school during the week to sew.  I find quilting satisfies me in different ways.  I enjoy the math and order of it.  I appreciate the rhythm of the machine, and the quiet of sewing compared to my life with the girls.  I also love the creative process, and that I have something practical to show from it when finished.

One of the questions I find most difficult to answer is about what I like.  I seem to like it all!  I like both modern and traditional quilts, and even modern traditional ones too.  I've even tried my hand at a few art quilts.

I like regular piecing, improvisational piecing, paper piecing, English Paper Piecing, and applique too.  I just like trying new things!  Anyone have any new techniques they can recommend?  I am really excited about learning something new in the classes that I am taking at QuiltCon in February.

I must admit that I tend to primarily machine quilt, and especially like Free-Motion quilting, but I have hand quilted a few things and really enjoyed it also.  I am just usually wanting the "finishing" of the quilt to happen a little faster than hand quilting allows.

I really can't even pinpoint a favorite type of fabric design or designer.  There are simply too many to choose from.  I tend to lean more toward modern fabrics and cool colors.  My current favorite color combo is aqua, gray and navy blue.  I'm working on a quilt using these Ashley Star blocks (tutorial here) with that combo.  I will be sharing the tutorial for the alternate block in the quilt tomorrow's Building Blocks Tuesday, a weekly linky party I host for you to show off the blocks you've been working on.

I am also a fabricaholic.  I know many of us say that, but I am a little worried that I could be taking it to an unacceptable level.  I actually woke up a few nights ago thinking about how if I need to move my stash quickly, I might not be able to fit all of it in my car.  Now, I drive the ultimate Mom-mobile - a Chevy Suburban.  One would think I could fit plenty of stuff in there, but I have my doubts that my stash would fit.  Certainly not my family AND my stash.  Scary!  It really is the kind of thought that might wake you up in the middle of the night.  It is also one of the reasons I have decided to join the Sew Your Stash 2015 group on Instagram in the New Year.  I hope between this group and my Lazy Bum group for finishing UFO's, I might have some fun finishes this year.

2015 also looks like I am going to be the year of swaps and bees.   I had such a good time in the Instagram Mini Swap, hosted by @Curly Boy1, that I quickly signed up for a couple more mini swaps.  I am currently working on my Schnitzel and Boo Mini Swap item due in a few weeks.

I've also signed up for the Rainbow Mini Swap on Instagram, hosted by @KateBasti.  I love rainbow colored quilts, though I don't think I am ready to redecorate my whole home in rainbow colors just yet.  The only rainbow mini I've made so far is this one, which I sent off to my brilliant friend, Benta at Slikstitches.

I'll be making a new rainbow mini coming up soon.  Picking a pattern is so hard when so many look great in rainbow colors.  I've created a Pinterest board with ideas for my partners and myself, many of them are rainbow.  It seems every day I find more beauties to pin to that board.

I am continuing to hold a spot in the We Bee With it Bee, hosted by Hayley of Mrs. Pickles Garden, and have agreed to participate in a Flying Geese Bee with some ladies from my Lazy Bum UFO group (because some of us like to reward ourselves with new projects when we finish (or think about finishing) one of the old ones).

Oh, and there are a few Quilt Alongs that I am giving a go: the Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt Along on Instagram, hosted by Ginny at Fishcreek Studios and @kakiofhoneyhill, and the Arcadia Quilt Along over at Sassafras Lane Patterns.  I just couldn't resist.  We will see how far along I get.

Ok, I think that is enough about me!  If you like what you see, I hope you will follow the blog, or my Instagram feed, or on Facebook (all the buttons are at the top of the page), and visit me often.  I hope to have more fun stuff to show, and tute (is that the verb of tutorial?) in 2015.

Now onto some of my lovely friends who are going to keep this blog hop spinning around the world.

First up is Hayley of Mrs. Pickles Garden!

I mentioned Hayley above, as the host of the We Bee With It Bee.  She hosts several different groups and does an amazing job!  I think she has filled all the spots for the next 6 months, but if you are interested in joining a bee sometime in 2015, keep an eye out for her sign ups.

I'm not sure when I started following Hayley, but it has been quite a while.  I love hearing about her quilting adventures, but also her gardening ones too.  I don't know how she does all she does with a little one in the house.  She also hosted her own blog hop a while ago with loads of tips and tricks, well worth the browse HERE.

Like many of us, Hayley was hooked after taking her first quilting class (2009), and she is enjoying her journey ever since.  I hope you will pop over there sometime this week and especially on Monday, January 5th, when she posts her own Around the World Blog Hop post.


Next up is Katie of Karma Willow Designs.

I met Katie when she sent me this lovely mini in a swap last January.

She was also so nice to send a few goodies for my kids and a whole bunch of charm squares that I needed to complete my flag quilt in the header.

Katie really enjoys participating in things!  I met her in a swap and she is signed up for a handful more this coming year.  She is also a new member in my We Bee With It Bee, AND doing several of the sew along and quilt along groups on Instagram.  I hope she tells us a little more about them in her post on Monday.

Also, if you like adorable kitty photos, you might want to follow her on Instagram too @karmawillow.

That's it for now.  I hope you will pop back tomorrow here for another installment of Building Blocks Tuesday, my weekly linky party for you to show off which blocks you've been working on.  And I hope you will check out the posts from Hayley and Katie next Monday, if not earlier.

Thanks for reading,


Jen

Quilter in the Closet

Ashley's Star Tutorial - Building Blocks Tuesday

For this week's Building Blocks Tuesday, I thought I would share a little tutorial!

Ashley's Star Tutorial

 I came up with this block for the Flying Geese bee that I am participating in next year.  I also have my We Bee With It bee mates making them this month.  So lucky Me will have about half my quilt completed by other people.  Love it!

For the Ashley's Star, you will need:
   - in White/Cream/or Low volume
          - One 4.5 inch square for the center
          - Four 4.5 x 2.5 inch rectangles for Flying Geese
          - Four 3 inch squares for HST's
          - Four 2.5 inch squares
   - in Navy
          - Sixteen 2.5 inch squares, Twelve marked on the diagonal
   - in Aqua/Mint
          - Eight 2.5 inch squares marked on diagonal
          - Four 3 inch squares for HST's
   - in Gray
          - Four 4.5 x 2.5 inch rectangles for Flying Geese

Step One: Make the HST's using the Four 3 inch white squares and the Four 3 inch aqua squares
 - choose one white square and one aqua square
 - place Right sides together
 - draw a pencil line across the diagonal on the wrong side of one square (please note in my pics, I like to draw lines 1/4 inch from diagonal as my sew lines)
 - sew 1/4 inch from both sides of the line
 - cut on pencil line and open to reveal HST
 - press seams open**
 - Trim HST to 2.5 inches square
 - repeat for remaining white and aqua 3 inch squares.  You should have 8 total white and aqua HST's when complete.

Step Two: Make Flying Geese
 - Pair one white 4.5 x 2.5 inch rectangle and one 2.5 inch aqua square (marked on diagonal), place square in the corner of the rectangle, aligning edges
 - Sew along marked line
 - Trim 1/4 inch from sewn line
 - open and press seams open
 - Align another 2.5 inch aqua square in the other corner as shown in the photo
 - sew along marked line
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn line
 - open and press seams open
 - repeat for remaining white rectangles and aqua squares
 - repeat process with Gray rectangles and Eight navy 2.5 inch squares
 - You will have 4 white and aqua flying geese and 4 gray and navy flying geese total.

Step Three: Making the center using One 4.5 inch white square and Four 2.5 inch navy squares
 - Align 2 navy squares with diagonals as shown in photo, in opposing corners of white square
 - sew along diagonal lines
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn lines
 - open, press seams open
 - align 2 more navy squares on the other two opposing corners of the white square as shown
 - sew along diagonal lines
 - trim 1/4 inch from sewn lines
 - open and press seams open

Step Four: Assembling the block using HST's, flying geese, center unit and remaining Four 2.5 inch navy squares and Four 2.5 inch white squares
- lay out block as shown

- sew units together

- press seams open

You are finished!  Your block should measure 12.5 inches

Here is another block for example.

I hope you stop by next week when I share the alternate block I came up with to go with Ashley's Star.

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen

An InLinkz Link-up

Last minute gift ideas

Need some last minute gift ideas (and let's face it, at this point, it really IS LAST minute).

**First, please be aware that these are all Amazon affiliate links.  If you purchase something after clicking on a link, I may be compensated a minuscule percentage of your purchase.  I usually use these few cents to fund postage for giveaways, etc.  But, the FCC says I need to warn you, so that's what I'm doing.   Please do not feel like you have to click through my links.  If you do, thank you!**


1) For Quilters who have special "Helpers": Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat



Finally, a way to use all those little hairs left behind from your faithful helper. I thought this was a hoot! I hope I get it in my stocking.

2)  Do you know anyone who has always wanted to make a Milliefiore quilt?  Well, there is a new Quilt Along starting in January, hosted by the author of The New Hexagon: 52 Blocks to English Paper Piece.  Here is the link to her website to get all the details, but one thing is for sure, you will need the book.

***Updated: I ordered the book, and it arrived today.  It is not exactly what I expected when I originally recommended this book. In browsing through the book online, it looked like there were a bunch of fun pieced hexagon patterns, and the QAL shows that she has arranged these pieced hexies into a Milliefiore layout; however, the layout is not in the book.  I thought it would be.  I am hopeful that all will become apparent the moment the QAL starts, and she will provide instructions on how to use the pieced hexies in the layout to create the Milliefiore look.  Fingers crossed.  



In browsing through the book, it looks like there are several fun patterns to try out.

3) For the modern quilter:Savor Each Stitch: Studio Quilting with Mindful Design by Carolyn Friedlander




I have this book and thoroughly enjoy it.  I love reading about how she approaches her designs, and the designs themselves are lovely.  I have several on my "want to make soon" list.  Perhaps one or two of my swap buddies will end up with her designs??

You could always add a charm pack of Carolyn's new line, Doe to go with it.


4) For the kids:Boogie Board 8.5-Inch LCD Writing Tablet, Pink (PT01085PNKA0002)



I bought these for my girls this year.  I know there are drawing and writing apps for the iPad that probably do the same thing, but these looked fun for writing notes to one another, drawing in the car, etc.  And probably best of all, they can't use them to get on Netflix or YouTube when I'm not looking, because, yes, that is a problem around here.

5) For the Man in your life: J&D's Bacon Salt, Original, 2 Ounce



You had him at "Bacon"!

Or if he is the type to misplace things: Tile for iOS and Android - For Finding Anything and Everything - 8 Pack


These are tiny little tiles that you can put in your messenger bag, attach to your keys, or children, you know, whatever you are misplacing in the house.  Then you can use your phone to find the tile.  I bought a 4 pack for our house, so I'll let you know how it goes.  If only I could attach one to my sanity, which I lose all the time, or my temper -- that would be useful.

6) And for anyone that does applique or paper piecing, I still highly recommend the Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad Blue



I know you can make light boxes out of plastic containers and several other things, but this is a lightweight, thin, pad that you can take or store anywhere.  I use mine more frequently than I would have thought and love it.


I am finally done with my shopping for the year, though not done with the items I am making for people.  Thanks to all that is going on around here, I haven't had as much time to sew as I thought I would, so I think I am going to be pulling an all-nighter Christmas Eve.


Well, I better get back to it.

Thanks for reading,


Jen

Progress is still progress, right? - Building Blocks Tuesday

I've made a little progress on my holiday placemats.  Not much, I admit, but progress is progress, right?  I now need to work on what I am going to do to make them rectangular, by adding a flatware section.  Fingers crossed I can get these done and mostly quilted by the end of the week.  I doubt I will have much time once the kiddos get out of school.

In other news, our re-pipe passed inspection yesterday.  We still have holes everywhere, but patching those will start tomorrow, as will our bathroom remodel.  I keep telling myself that it is really not a big deal having all this work go on through the holiday, but it is distracting.  Ah well, it will be nice when it is finished!  I'm off to Lowe's, again...

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Mail Day - IG Mini Quilt Swap

At the end of last week, I received the most delightful package from my partner, Shonna, in the the IG mini quilt swap hosted by Sandy at Curly Boy.

Isn't her quilt just stunning??  I must admit that once people started posting about having received their quilts, I started stalking the hashtag for the group wondering what unclaimed quilt might be mine.  There were so many truly wonderful quilts, but I secretly hoped Shonna's quilt was headed my way.   I can't describe the excitement I felt when I opened up her package and saw it.

Speaking of packaging.  Even Shonna's packing looked gorgeous.  I've definitely learned a bit about presentation from her for future swaps.  I am usually just hoping that my stuff will get to where it is going, and stay dry.

Oh, and the goodies!  Extras are usually optional in most swaps, and I always try to add some fabric and/or another handmade item to my packages, but when receiving a package, I never really expect much.  I am usually blown away by the generosity of my partners.  In my survey, I mentioned that I would love a few charm squares from my partner's stash in colors I need for my next hexy project.  Well, not only did Shonna give me 3 cuts of fabric in those colors so I can cut several charms from them, but she also included some Tula Pink's Foxfield and Moonshine charm packs.

There were also some sweet treats included.  The Rolo's disappeared into the belly of at least one child before I could taste them, but those Milk Duds were mine all mine.

The quilt now has a place of honor on my wall of minis.

This is just a temporary layout as I have discovered some more mini's that I can hang.  That one on the right that says "Jennifer" was from my first swap a few years ago - the Name Game Swap. Ah, the memories! As you can see, there is also room for more.....

I've signed up for 2 more mini swaps in the next few months. I'm still picking out my patterns for the  mini's I plan to make, and I'm already contemplating what extra's I can include to live up to Shonna's excellent example.

Thanks again Shonna!

And thanks for reading everyone,

Jen

Winner of Rainbow of Charms - Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

Congratulations to Anita from Quilt in a not-Shell; she was the lucky winner of my 50 charms squares in a rainbow of colors.  She has a lovely blog, if you would like to click on the link above to check it out.  I particularly like her little Quilty Stitches that she is working on.

Anita, I will be mailing them out sometime this week, though I expect with the holiday rush the package will take a while to get to Norway.

Thank you to everyone who entered.  I enjoyed reading about your favorite tutorials and have bookmarked several for the future.


Thanks for reading,


Jen

Charming Rainbows - Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day

Hi there!  It's been a crazy time, and I'm a little late to the party.  I hope it will give readers new and old a better chance to win.

If you are new, welcome to Quilter in the Closet and my giveaway for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day.  Sew Mama Sew's website has great content, and this semi-annual giveaway day is always a great time for me to find new blogs to follow, even if I don't always have time to keep up with reading them.  I've already added about 15 this morning, just don't tell anyone.

For this giveaway, I'm giving away 50 charm squares in a rainbow of colors (possibly not the exact fabrics below)!!  Yes, it is a similar prize as the last giveaway day.  I've been cutting a lot of charm squares lately and it doesn't seem right to keep them all to myself.  Plus, who could resist this rainbow of color?

****This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you for participating.

If you are new here, feel free to look around.  I love making stuff, especially quilts, in my spare time. Here are a few of my projects from this year.

1. IG Mini Quilt Swap item, 2. Hexy flag quilt, 3. Doll Quilt Swap 14 finish, 4. 15 Shades of Gray mini, 5. Michael Miller Challenge quilt close up, 6. Monet Inspired wall quilt, 7. Doll quilt turned wall hanging or sewing mat, 8. Discontinuity 2, 9. finished shams, 10. Montana state mini, 11. Washington DC mini, 12. Ashley's 1st Communion Banner, 13. Massachusetts Mini, 14. Tinker Tote #4, front, 15. Mondrian inspired modern mini quilt, 16. New York state mini, 17. Alber's inspired modern mini, 18. Louisiana State mini, 19. Rothko inspired modern mini, 20. guitar block with skinny border

Geez, some of these projects seem like ages ago!

I also host a weekly linky party for other quilters to show off any blocks they have made recently.  It is called Building Blocks Tuesday and it is posted every Tuesday whether or not I have any blocks to share.  You don't even have to follow my blog to participate.

Now, I'm not going to make you jump through a dozen hoops to win.  Just leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Free pattern or tutorial is.  That's all.  I'm on the lookout for some new things to make for some upcoming swaps.

This giveaway will run until Friday, December 12th at 5 pm PST, when I will randomly choose a winner.  I will notify the winner via email by December 14th.  Please leave your email address as part of your comment in the form of Name(at)domain(dot)com).  It seems like every giveaway I host, half of the entries are No-Reply bloggers, and if I can't get a hold of you, you can't win.

This giveaway is open to International entries!

****This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you for participating.

I look forward to reading your comments.

Thanks for reading,

Jen

Holiday sewing - Building Blocks Tuesday

Whoa, slow down there!  It's already the 2nd week of December.  How did that happen?  I feel like I just stepped off a plane from Thanksgiving, and like Christmas is tomorrow.  I haven't really started shopping and my tree is only half way up, BUT I did start some holiday sewing, so THAT is something.  I've been making some more of these Vintage Holiday blocks.  My plan is to make them into placemats this time instead of a full quilt.

This pic is from the quilt I made a couple of years ago.  All my new blocks are currently under a large blanket of plastic.  We started re-piping our house yesterday, yikes!  I didn't realize that the plumbers were going to be cutting holes in the house, literally everywhere, looking for stray pipes.  My sewing area is in a corner of the garage, but just close enough to get thoroughly covered in the dust from the construction.  The guys were nice enough to put plastic over my machine, table, and of course all my glorious fabric.  But it might be a day or two before I can uncover it again and get back to work.  What's that saying, "Oy vey".

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen

An InLinkz Link-up

Bee Questions - Building Blocks Tuesday

Interested in joining a bee for the New Year?   The bee that I've been participating in for the last few months is looking for some new faces.  Head over to the Mrs. Pickles Garden blog to check it out.  I am currently in the We Be With It group, but I've also had a great time in the We Bee Learning group in the past.  There is also a group just for Canadians, who make the most lovely blocks that I wish I lived  north of the border.

Joining a bee is a great way to meet people, get some diverse fabrics into your quilt, and a way to not have to do all the work yourself!

Since I was travelling all last week for Thanksgiving, I didn't get a chance to start on any new blocks to share this week.  Instead, I put together a little mosaic of some of the bee blocks I've made in recent years to tempt you into answering a few questions for me:

1) Are you interested in joining a bee for the New Year?
2) Which kind of bee do you prefer - one where you choose the block and general colors (so you end up with all the same kind of blocks in your quilt), or one where you choose the color palette and your bee mates choose which block to make for you (so you end up with a sampler at the end).
3) Is there a particular design aesthetic that you prefer your bee to adhere to; for example, a modern bee, paper piecing only bee, improv block bee, classic blocks bee, etc.?
4) What platform do you prefer to post/share/generally communicate to your bee mates through - Flickr? Instagram? Linky parties?

Thanks for taking the time to answer a few little questions.  Every so often I get the idea in my head to start a bee or swap.  I know what I like, but I am curious as to what you like.

I also wanted to remind you that the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day is coming up next week, starting on December 8th!

What blocks have you working on this week?  I would love to see.  Link up your fabulous blocks.  You put a lot of hard work into them - show them off!  This free linky will stay open until the first Monday of next month, but I will repost it every Tuesday until a new month starts.

Rules:

1) Please link up only to the page in your blog showing your wonderful blocks, not just the blog homepage.  Flickr pictures are also OK.
2) Make sure to put your blog name as the description so people know where they are going or the name of your block!
3) Please grab my button and post it in your blog post or sidebar.
4) Visit other linky participants!

Thanks for reading!

Jen

An InLinkz Link-up

Craftsy Thanksgiving and Black Friday Sale

 

(Sponsored Post)

Hi everyone!  If you are in the States, I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving today.  It might be the only day that I get to spend a little time catching up on my blog reading.  The turkey is already in the oven and most of the side dishes are made already too.  So, I plan on kicking back and enjoying part of the holiday like most Americans - on the couch.  Except, I plan on catching up on my blog reading and quilt designing instead of watching football.

It has been quite a while since I told you about any Craftsy  sales.  They do have them frequently, but I don't like posting about them all the time.  I hope you read this blog to find out about what I am making and quilting; I don't want to fill your feed with advertisements all the time.  HOWEVER, this sale is a good one!  All classes are under $19.99 until December 1st, and they have great deals on supplies today (Thursday) too.

I must admit that I have been pretty good about not adding new classes to my list until I finish up some of the ones I haven't finished yet.  BUT.....this sale is so tempting!  And Craftsy has added some amazing new classes recently that are very tempting.  There is a new FMQ class called "The Secrets of Free-Motion Quilting" by Christina Cameli that looks interesting, and a foundation paper piecing class by Elizabeth Dackson called "Start Foundation Paper Piecing".  I've always wondered if she has a great tip on getting the centers of her stars so perfect.  Elizabeth also has a "Start Free-Motion Quilting" class too, and Angela Walters has a new class, and then there is a class by Patsy Thompson, an applique class by Amanda Murphy.......I can tell I am going to be in some trouble later today.


Enjoy your day, and thanks for reading!

Jen





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