Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilt

Hey y'all! Welcome new visitors from Blogger's Quilt Festival.

I'm so glad you're here.

I hope you'll stick around for a bit and check out my tutorials and the Scrappy Stash Quilt-Along, currently in progress! 

And, have you heard about Sew South? I'm hosting a fabulous modern sewing retreat in Charlotte, NC March 21-24, 2013. I'd love for you to come! There will be 4 make and take workshops, swaps and lots of sewing time! There are 11 tickets left so check out all the details here and grab your ticket before they're all gone! 

Now, down to business! 

This is the Hexie I Spy quilt I made for my kids this fall and entered it into the Festival of Hexagons contest. I was super excited when I won 1st place! Wow! 

A GIVEAWAY and a Nifty Little Tutorial

Who loves a giveaway? Everybody! 

My wonderful friends over at Free Spirit Fabric asked me to be part of their 12 Weeks of Christmas tutorial series and sent me the handsome Seven Wonders fabric by Parson Gray to use.

I decided these prints would make great wine bags, especially if giving a gift to a special guy in your life. Perfect for wine, spirits or olive oil, these bags would be great in any fabric.

Pop on over to Free Spirit for the full tutorial and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

PS: There are only 14 tickets left for Sew South, a modern sewing retreat in Charlotte, NC this March! Don't miss out! Read all the Sew South retreat details and get your tickets here.

 Click here to sign up for the Sew South newsletter!

Now, on to the giveaway! 

Free Spirit has graciously provided this lovely Pagoda Lullaby Design Roll by Tina Givens for me to give to one of you! Woo Hoo! 

To enter to win, leave a comment telling me what your favorite Halloween costume was as a child.  (Make sure I can contact you by email!) 

The winner will be announced on Friday. Good luck! 

xo, 

Jennifer

This giveaway is now closed. 

Design Options: Scrappy Stash Quilt-Along

You guys are rocking right along with your scrappy blocks! Some of you are finished already! Awesome!

To keep you on track, here is our schedule:
basting info November 1
quilting ideas and binding info Nov. 5

link up finished quilts Nov. 13-15
Winners announced Nov. 16

You have two whole weeks to finish your quilts before the link -up opens for you to be eligible for our awesome prizes. 

Don't forget that you can shop at Fabricworm and get 15% off all purchases of $50 or more for everyone through November 13. To apply, enter the codeELLISFAB in checkout. 

OK, on to layouts! 
There are a couple of ways to lay out your quilt. What works for me is to arrange the blocks in various options until I find what I like. It also helps to take pictures of each layout because the camera sees things you don't notice. Once you see the layout in a picture, you'll notice a block that needs to be moved or turned in a way you hadn't expected. 

All the quilts in the Scrappy Stash Flickr group are great so I grabbed a few to use as layout examples. 

One option would be to go with a rainbow effect: 

Quilt by Lesley Worth

Quilt by Made By Bec (with sashing)

You could also go with a color block design such as this: 

Quilt by Domestic Deficit Disorder

Quilt by Dot Dot Goose

Or you can go a scrambled block layout like this:

Quilt by Caryn211 
Don't you just love her giant blocks mixed in with the smaller ones? Genius!

A lot of your layout will depend on how many different color blocks you made. Play with your options and see what works for you.

Keep rocking those blocks and we'll touch base later in the week to chat about basting tips. 

Hope you've had a fabulous weekend! 

xo, 
Jennifer

Sew South Ticket Sales

I'm so excited! Since noon on Wednesday, over half of the tickets have sold for Sew South!

There is still time to get yours before we reach our max of 50 but don't wait too long. You don't want to miss out on your spot!

If you are wondering whether or not this retreat is for you, ask yourself these questions:

• Don't you want a weekend away, sewing with friends? 
• Want to talk sewing, quilting, fabric with people that understand? 
• Want to be around others that love modern sewing and quilting?
• Want to learn something new and actually take home some completed projects from the weekend? 
• Don't you want a weekend away from your family and your responsibilities, to do something just for YOU? 
• You know you do!  Pop on over to Sew South and get your ticket. This retreat was made for you! 

Whether you are a confident beginner or have years of experience, this retreat will be fun.

I'll be announcing the teachers in the coming weeks. We've got some great workshops lined up and lots of fun things planned. It's going to be FAB! I hope you'll be there.

In the meantime, I'd love it if you'd help me spread the word! The more people that know about this retreat, the better!

Speaking of that, here's the giveaway winner from Monday. There were 119 entries and random number generator chose... #49

Congrats Annette! I'll send your fabric out on Monday. 

blue chevron outer- yellow dandelion lining

Meanwhile this weekend, I'll be tackling the Weekender with my friends Courtney and Jen. I've got to finish up my quilted panels today so that I'll be ready for assembly tomorrow! Wish us luck! I'll be posting all about making this bag as part of the series The Long Weekend so stay tuned.

Happy Friday y'all!

xo,
Jennifer

What Kind of Machine Do You Sew With?

 Have you heard about Sew South? It's a modern sewing retreat in Charlotte, NC in March and I'm hosting!

     

Tickets went on sale yesterday and we sold over half of them. I'm so pumped!

I'd love for you to join us and there are a few tickets left so pop on over and read all about this awesome retreat, the 4 workshops included and go ahead and buy your ticket. Come, on you know you want to come! 

Today I'm taking part in Know Thy Machine- a great blog hop series organized by Shruti at 13 Woodhouse Road.

Each day Shruti has great prizes you can win, along with a grand prize. Pop on over after reading my post for a chance to win!

This week I'm in good company kicking off the first week of the hop with these other talented ladies: 

Monday, October 22 - Emily from Mommy's Naptime
Tuesday, October 23 - Kimberly from Fat Quarter Shop 
Wednesday, October 24 - Doris from Made by a Brunnette 
Thursday, October 25 - Jennifer from Ellison Lane
Friday, October 26 - Sara from Sew Sweetness 
Saturday, October 27 - Vicki from Sew Inspired

So what kind of machine do YOU sew with? I got a new machine last Christmas so this series would have really helped me out last year. With so many great machines out there, finding the right one for you is like finding a great pair of shoes. You have to try out several before you find the perfect fit! 

Here are the questions Shruti emailed me and my answers:
1. What machine(s) do you have? Brand and Model. I sew with a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0, and I love it! 

2. When and where did you buy it? What were the reasons for selecting this(these) particular model(s). What was its approximate cost. I got this machine last year for Christmas. It was a gift but I picked it out from Charlotte Sewing Center. It was a super generous gift as it is a bit pricey and runs about $2000-$3000. I sew every day so it is well-used and well-loved. 

I shopped around and got lots of input and and test drove several models before deciding on this one. I had a Pfaff before this one and having loved it, I ultimately decided to go with another Pfaff. 

Here's what I love about this machine. It has an integrated walking foot that I use all the time. It is a dual feed system that feeds your fabric layers through evenly on the top and bottom. If I don't have it on, I can absolutely tell! This is the reason I bought another Pfaff. It's a fabulous feature on their machines. 

I also love the large throat space which is so helpful when quilting. Gotta wrangle a big quilt? It's so much easier with more space! Another great feature is the easy pivot feature. When you stop sewing, the presser foot automatically lifts slightly so you can turn your fabric as needed without manually lifting the presser foot. It's pretty cool and oh so helpful. I use it all the time. 

3. What do you like about your machine? Have you named it? Have you made a cover for it? Funny, I haven't named my machine but this has inspired me to call her Stella after my grandmother. My grandmother was a fabulous seamstress although I didn't appreciate this growing up- she was just Grandma. She passed away when I was 24 so she never got to share in my passion for sewing. It seems fitting that I name my machine after her as a tribute. 

I have in fact made a cover for it and have a tutorial for it!  

4. Does your machine give you any problems? Could you tell us a few? You know, the only real trouble I ever have with my machine depends on the type of thread I use. She's really picky and absolutely prefers Aurifil! My machine has automatic tension settings which I LOVE. I think this prevents a lot of potential issues. 

5. What do you sew on it mainly? Quilts, Clothes, Bags etc. How much time do you spend sewing on it? What are the features of the machine that help you improve your work? I began my sewing career making quilts but have recently branched out to all kids of accessories. I love making small things that are quick as much as I love quilts. Sewing is a constant learning experience. There is always something new to create. 

I usually sew every day so my machine gets a lot of use. Some days more than others. The dual feed/integrated walking foot makes my life easier as does the ability to program settings such as automatic anchoring stitches and thread cutting. I use those the most! 
6. What advice would you give others when deciding about which machine to buy? Shop around and test drive a lot of options to see what fits you best. Buy the best you can afford. I've found that some very low priced models have thread and tension issues that make it frustrating because you spend a lot of time fixing the problem rather than sewing. That being said, you don't need to spend a fortune. Read the comments in this post to get a lot of advice about machine shopping! 

7. Will you share with us a special memory associated with your machine? I think the most special memory is that it was a gift from my parents. My mom always sewed when I was growing up but I was never interested in sewing. Only after having children did I have any interest in sewing. My parents saw that I had a passion for it and treated me to a super nice machine that I love. I'm lucky. 

8. If you had unlimited resources in the world, which machine would you choose to buy and why? Part of me says an embroidery machine would be fun but mostly, I think my machine rocks and don't know that there is another that I would like better. 



I hope y'all enjoyed that little Q&A. Be sure to head over to 13 Woodhouse Road and enter to win today's prize! 

xo, 
Jennifer

Sew South Retreat Tickets On Sale!

Yay! Today is the day to get your Sew South ticket! Right NOW!

To say I'm excited, doesn't even cover it! 

Tickets will be sold through PayPal but you do not have to have a PayPal account to purchase a ticket. You may use a credit card. 

I will be contacting each person that buys a ticket, through the email address associated with your PayPal account so please make sure that your email address is current. 

Once you pay, you should receive a receipt from PayPal at your email. Once 50 tickets are sold I will take down the PayPal button option and will open up a waiting list if necessary. 

I hope you'll join me in Charlotte, March 21-24 for Sew South! It's going to be SO MUCH FUN! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A TICKET!

xo, 

Jennifer

How Do You Design Quilts?

How do you design quilts? Do you get out paper and pencil sketch out your ideas? Is graph paper your best friend? Do you have fancy quilt software like EQ or QuiltPro?

If you are still rocking all that quilt math old school style, let me tell you how great it is to have quilt software. It's so helpful!! 

My friends over at Threadbias know this to be true too and they are working on their very own Quilt Design Tool as we speak. The have grand plans for this including a subscription service for the design tool that will enable you to design and create quilts while also keeping Threadbias a free and open site. 

But they need your help. This grand plan won't happen unless they meet their Kickstarter donation goal by October 31. That leaves only 9 more days for them to reach their goal and they need help. You can make your pledge here and read more about Threadbias' Quilt Design Tool here. 

Thanks for checking it out. 

In case you didn't hear the BIG NEWS yesterday, I'm hosting a fabulous sewing retreat, right here in Charlotte! Pop over and check out all the Sew South Retreat details and enter to win the fabric giveaway! Tickets go on sale tomorrow!

xo,
Jennifer

Here it is! The BIG Reveal: Sew South and a Giveaway!

It's here, it's here! The big reveal! I'm so excited. I've been bubbling over with enthusiasm, just waiting to share this with you. 

I'm hosting a retreat!

Sewing is such a big part of my life -such a happy expression of creativity.
I knew there needed to be a retreat on the East coast to get together with others that love it like I do.

So I built it to be my ideal - a retreat that's personal, inspiring and fun with plenty of sewing, socializing, and swapping.

It's going to be awesome and you are definitely invited!

After going to the Sewing Summit last year, I was on a high from being around so many like-minded people - creative people that love to sew, love modern fabric, and love to talk about sewing and fabric. It was a great event. It was just far away.

We need a modern retreat on the East Coast. Something that is a little different, smaller in scale and more boutique.  So with that in mind, I put together Sew South in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's a modern sewing retreat where you will sew, create and connect with other modern sewists.

It's a place to be inspired, relax and learn something new. On the agenda: 4 workshops where you will make and take home completed projects, all in a spring weekend in the South. A shopping trip, meals, cocktails, and swag are included too!

Sewing with friends, taking time for yourself, finding your inspiration- that's the Sew South Retreat. 

I want this to be an intimate group which is why I am limiting it to 50 people. It will be a gathering of friends old and new and a weekend of FUN. Yes, fun! I've got lots of ideas that will make this retreat special.

Whether you are a seasoned quilter or a confident beginner, you would have fun at Sew South. Come join me!

What makes a great retreat? Time to sew, good company, great workshops, great teachers, lovely accommodations and special surprises.

Tickets go on sale on this Wednesday, October 24 at noon EST. You can find out all the details (schedule, accommodations, pricing, workshops, meals, special events) at Sew South Retreat.

I hope you're as excited about this retreat as I am, and I hope you'll help me spread the word.

<a href="http://sewsouthretreat.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Sew South Retreat" src="http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l623/ellisonlanequilts/sewsouth125x125-button-final-3.png"/></a>

Grab a button for your blog, tweet about it, post on facebook, tell your friends. You don't want to miss out on this special event!

As a thanks for spreading the Sew South love, I'm giving away this bundle of fabrics from my stash.

To enter to win, spread the word about Sew South Retreat and leave a comment here. I'd love to know if you are planning to attend! This giveaway is now closed.

Don't forget, tickets go on sale this Wednesday, Ocotber 24 at noon, EST! Make plans to get yours!

Now, get fired up and head on over to Sew South and read all about it!

xo,
Jennifer

Scrappy Stash Quilt-Along Check In

How are those scrappy blocks coming along? The Flickr group is going strong, and I've seen lots of progress over there!
Some of the lovely blocks from the Flickr group:

blocks by The Sewing Chick

blocks by 9 Patch Nurse

blocks by Mull3g

Check out this Halloween version!

Quilt by Sonia from HobbleCreekQuilts

If you are making 2 blocks a day, you should be up to 26 by now. Remember that you need to make at least 30 to qualify for the QAL prizes.

Aim to have your blocks finished by Friday (26th) of this week. That will give you a few days to play with layouts. Next Sunday we'll go over layout options. You can certainly choose your own but I'll post some suggestions.

Here's the upcoming schedule:
layout options October 28
basting info November 1
quilting ideas and binding info Nov. 5

link up finished quilts Nov. 13-15
Winners announced Nov. 16

You can do it!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM EST for BIG NEWS! Super exciting big news! I can't wait!

xo,
Jennifer

BIG NEWS! I'm So Excited!

Can't spill the beans just yet but BIG NEWS is coming! 

Seriously- you don't want to miss this announcement. 

Mark your calendars and set your clocks for 

11:00 AM on Monday, October 22. 

Just 4 days away! 

I'm SO excited! 

xo, 

Jennifer

A Weekender of Sew Fine Fabric!

I'm making a Weekender- OMG!

Part 1 of THE WEEKENDER BAG

Ok, so this is really part 2. As the first part was posted here all about fabric selection.

And when it came right down to it, I decided to do something totally different than what I showed you before. I went with my love of aqua (going on years now as my fave color) and its perfect companion- yellow. How happy is that?


And you know what made the difference and helped me make my selection? Great photography.

When searching online for fabric, great photography in natural light is really important. So often you have to go by a digital image for the fabric but it's hard to really be sure what the fabric will look like. Well then, I came across this awesome fabric shop on Etsy called Sew Fine Fabric and my decision was suddenly easy.

See, Jodi at Sew Fine Fabric takes awesome pictures of her fabric in natural light. You can actually really see what you are ordering and see it on the bolt.

Aruba Feliz

Chevron

Coral Dandelion

Jodi also carries both home dec and quilting weight fabric which is such a plus. I knew as soon as I saw the aqua chevron I knew that my choice had been made.

I had a harder time choosing the lining because of all the great choices but in the end went with the yellow dandelion. Every time I open my bag I'll think of summer sunshine.

So, once I had found this jewel of a shop, I contacted Jodi about doing a swap - fabric for an ad spot on my blog and what do you know, she said yes. :) So happily, my weekender bag will be made from some lovely fabric and now you guys know about her awesome shop. She has modern fabric, a great selection of home dec and organic fabrics and some adorable washi tape and packaging supplies.

How cute is this?

Definitely pop over and check her shop. I think you'll agree with me that it is a great find!

So countdown to the Weekender begins. I'll be tackling this bad boy in two weeks on a Saturday the 27th with my friends Courtney and Jen. And you better believe I'll be blogging about it too.

Stay tuned!

Old Friends - Getting Better With Age

So this past weekend was my 20th high school reunion- so much fun. Ann, my BFF from high school, came to town to stay with my family and me. She left her sweet kids and husband at home to come have some girl time, and we had a ball. Lots of talking and giggling and staying up way too late.
It was so much fun.
Saturday night we picked up our other bff and went to the reunion together. Fun times all around.
It's Monday morning and I'm still tired.

That was then. 

This is now. 

Good thing is that I think we are getting better with age.
My husband also gets major points for being the sweetest ever this weekend.

Hope you had a great weekend too. I can't wait to read all the recap posts from the Sewing Summit!

And my big news is coming soon. Stay tuned!  (PS: It's sewing news- it does not involve babies!)

xo,
Jennifer

Super Excited About This!

BIG things are coming- super exciting BIG things, and I can't wait to share them with you!!! Just a few more days...

In the meantime, my BFF from high school is coming to stay with me for the weekend for our 20 year high school reunion.

I'm in the middle and my two high school bffs are on each side.
Ann is on the right and she's coming to stay with me today!

There were three of us that were really close in hs, and we're all going together sans husbands. It will be fun girl time which means it will be a bit quiet over here on the blog for a few days. Y'all keep going on your Scrappy Stash QAL blocks, and I'll check in on you on Monday.

Also, I am so far behind replying to post comments that I can't possibly catch up. I have read each one and appreciated each one but with all that is going on behind the scenes here and with the quilt-along, I've fallen behind. Please know that I appreciate everything you say and all of your comments, and I'll try to do better about replying!

Now, the winners of the 5 scraps packs from Fabricworm are...

Ladies, please email me with your names and addresses and I'll send it along to Fabricworm!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to come back next week for the BIG news!

xo,
Jennifer