Taking out 2014! Hello, 2015!

I’ve been up since 4am Texas time.

DANG!  Who knows if it was the hot flash, the hotel heater going on and off, the intermittent buzz and clang of the hotel room refrigerator or the elevator around the corner.  Whatever it was, even all of the above, I’m UP!

And my mind has been wandering and putting things in order as we draw this year to a close.  Do you do that?

So good to see my brother and sister-in-law last night.  Family is at the top of my list on priorities.  And even short little visits are wonderful when you live so far away.

During Quilt-Cam on Sunday I coined my phrase for 2015, and it goes along with the Power Purging I’ve been doing every time I have a chance.

DO MORE WITH LESS!

As 2014 draws to a close I am looking forward to greeting 2015 with the desire to do more with less. I am going through my life de-cluttering not only my home and my studio, but those things that clog my brain and stifle my creativity and hobble my relationships. It's scary, it's uncomfortable to let things go. But it's time. It's also very exciting! What phrase will you choose as your mantra for 2015?

Yes, these are the things that go through my brain when waking up at 4am!

And just to make this a quilty post, I thought I would share some of the photos that came to my email during Quilt-Cam on Sunday as well!  Such inspirational beauties!

Leader & Ender Spools by Judy Stokes!

Judy writes:

Hi Bonnie,

I'm here today sewing on Grand Illusion while listening in on Quiltcam.

I want to share with you my finished leaders/enders spool project.  I sewed my spool blocks together in groups of 16.  Then sashed with "our" favorite...Cheddar.  I love how it turned out. 

This represents scraps from my first seven years of quilting.  A great memory quilt.  Thanks for all you share with us..

Judy
Columbus, MS

Doesn’t this quilt just sparkle?  The block pattern is found under the free patterns tab at the top of the blog.  You can make as many or as few as you like, building them as Leaders & Enders in between your lines of other chain sewing.

If you haven’t started using Leaders & Enders in your quilt making yet, maybe 2015 is the year to develop that habit!  You’ll definitely be doing MORE with Less!

My Spoolin Around quilt, a different layout with pieced border, is found in my book MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders.

4 Patch X under way by Sharon in Vermont!

Sharon shared her progress on her 4 Patch X quilt!  A block from a previous Addicted to Scraps column that is featured as a full quilt pattern in MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders as well.

She writes:

Hi Bonnie from Sharon in VT,

I’m working on my version of your 4-Patch X in a 5-block by 6-block setting; I’ve included a picture.  I’ve been making 4-patch blocks as leaders and enders for quite a while, but I didn’t have a pattern in mind.  Then I saw a picture of the 4-Patch X quilt on your website; I also saw that the quilt pattern was available in More Adventures with Leaders and Enders

.My 4-patch blocks finished at 4 inches so I set out to make a pattern and to determine the correct size for the various components.  My blocks finish at 11⅜ inches.  I used 2-inch (finished) green sashing with buttery yellow cornerstones. 

I plan to add a narrow 1-inch border of the yellow, then finish with a string border.  I’ll bind the quilt in the navy blue, and it will measure 85⅝ inches by 99 inches when finished and bound.

BTW, I now have both of your Leaders & Enders books, both Scraps and Shirttails, and String Fling…my Christmas presents to myself.

Sharon in VT   

Look how those 4 patches sparkle!  I tell you what..when you don’t know what to make, make 4 patches.  They will ALWAYS find a way to pull together in a fabulous quilt. I love the depth that this quilt has!  Great job!

Joan’s Celtic Solstice!

I have loved each and every one of these I have seen.  I am excited that Kansas City Star wants to release it as an individual pattern by Quilt Market time in the Spring instead of waiting a year to put it in the next book!  I’ll let you know more as I know more.

Joan writes about her quilt:

I finished this a long time ago, and just now found the photo and wanted to share it with you.

I love your designs and so do all of those loved ones who are gifted these quilts.

The fabrics are left overs from several Civil War type quilts that I'd made, therefore these colors.

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday.
Joan Polakoff

p.s. Due to your enthusiasm for paper pieceing hexis, I now have 3 projects in the works with paper pieces, and .....just got the paper pieces for 2 more!! Oh no.
JP

I am giggling at the OH NO!!  More like…OH YES!!  Just need more time…lots more time!  Thank you for sharing your lovely quilt with us, Joan!
 
Sometimes we can biggie-size a block to get the job done!
 
This one is from Mary W:
 

 

Scrappy Mountain  Majesties, Biggie Sized!

 

Mary writes:

 

Hi Bonnie, Great to see you today. Working on pillowcases for the niece and nephews. I am attaching a picture is a quilt I gave to my son for Christmas from the fee patterns tab. 

It is scrappy mountains with 10-1/2 " blocks instead of 8-1/2" in your pattern. You can see him peaking out from behind the quilt.

Thank you and Happy Holidays from Mary in Boston

FABULOUS!  You can find the free pattern for Scrappy Mountain Majesties under the Free Patterns tab at the top of the blog.  Mary cut her squares 10.5” to start instead, and made her sub-cuts at 2.5” instead of 2” so you can get the job done quicker!  She did more with less…seams! 

I love this Mary, thanks for sharing!

And there are more to share, but I’ll save those for TOMORROW!  Because, you see – today I am starting off my workshop week at Fabric Fanatics in Plano with a MYSTERY that can’t be shared with you yet!  I’m teaching it twice this week, so for those class days there will not be a slide show of what happened in class, or of what we are working on.  When I am done with my time here, this quilt gets sent off ASAP to Quiltmaker Magazine, and they are presenting it in their May issue!

Until then…it’s hush hush, but be excited for the release in just a few months!

I am excited for this class day to start.  3 more hours to wait!  I think there may be some hexie time this morning.

I am raring and ready to go to make this the best 2015 ever. I will give everything I have to give to every student, meeting them on their level with as much encouragement as I can muster.

The more I do this, the more I realize it is not about the quilts, the fabric, the machines and other goodies. It's about the people. It's all about the people. It is about each and every individual student.

Oh, and I got an email from my dad with this photo attached from Thanksgiving:

What a wonderful holiday season it has been!

Now it’s time to take the apron off, and GET to WORK!

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

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