Almost to the End…

Hello stitchers… Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I hope you’re in a “sewcial” mood this holiday because it’s time once again for another Sewcialites 2 block release! This week we’re featuring Block #20 – “Fascinate by my friend Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life. You’ve probably heard of Sherri and her blog sometime along the way in your quilting journey but if not, I definitely recommend that you check out her work. She is part of a mother-daughter quilting design team based in southern Nevada along with her daughter Chelsi Stratton. Fitting, considering Sherri has always found inspiration in her rich family heritage, passed down through generations of women who loved sewing and creating. Keeping the familial tradition alive, her life-long stitching career led her to start her highly successful quilting blog, A Quilting Life in 2008, and eventually to publishing her designs in magazines and books as well. On top of all of that, she’s also a talented Moda sister who has designed over 16 fabric lines under the Sherri & Chelsi name since 2015. Busy lady!

Sherri describes her favorite designs as typically involving scrappy squares or star blocks of some sort. Fascinate is an intricate mix of four-patches, half-square triangles, and squares that creates an advanced skill level look within a beginner level block.

To make things easier for you while working on Fascinate,” Sherri recommends used strip piecing for the four patch units instead of cutting small squares. This makes the block not only easier to piece, but also more accurate (especially when working with very small pieces). Color wise, if you follow the pattern as it’s written, be sure to pay attention to the direction of the darks and of your half-square triangles. Speaking of half-square triangles, as always I highly recommend using triangle paper where you can when doing this block to make sure your half-square triangles are accurately sized. If you need to stock up, you can get my custom Primitive Gatherings Triangle Paper by clicking HERE

If you’ve been following along you know that for my blocks I’m using my Garden Gatherings fabric line, leaving out the five tans. For this block I chose to go with dark navy for the outer half-square triangles, and green, yellow and pinks for the four patch units. For the background I used a selection from the Garden Gathering Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. It’s looking pretty sharp, if I do say so myself!I keep saying that one of the things I love most about this quilt-along is that you can do it on your time, however your schedule allows. In fact, please don’t let the fact that we’re closer to the end of this QAL than we are to the beginning scare you off. Many of the blocks are fairly simple to make and can be done in an afternoon, so catching up is a snap once you find the time. You can always grab patterns for previously posted blocks on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page by clicking the button below. You can also visit the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive on my blog which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

Newly released blocks are posted on Kim’s blog The Jolly Jabber, along with a video tutorial on her YouTube Livestream the same day. Each designer will also post their own block to either their blog or their website on that day as well. I will also be posting each block release here on MY blog every Friday for your convenience. Fabric requirements and all block patterns are on the  Sewcialites 2 Landing Page, which you can access by clicking the link below. If you’d like to get automatic updates on Sewcialites 2 you can subscribe to the blog by signing up in the Email subscription box by visiting the Landing Page, or by subscribing to the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

It seems like only yesterday that we were starting this QAL so it feels a bit on the unbelievable side that we’re getting ready to wrap it up in just four short weeks – truly just in time for spring. The timing really couldn’t be better if you ask me. I think it’s a pretty quilt, who’s cheerful palette fits the bill for spring and summer décor nicely – I have several thoughts on how I might display mine…

Well gang, that’s about all I have for you today. I’ll admit I’m ready to relax after starting out the week dealing with a nasty kidney stone that my doctor reports was about the size of a pea (no pun intended – ha ha). It didn’t help matters that there was a ton of activity going on here at PG that I really didn’t want to miss out on. Sometimes though, it can’t be about what our brains want because our bodies simply object – and this was just one of those cases. 🙁 If you’ve ever had a kidney stone before you know they are no joke. The pain is some of the worst I’ve ever felt! I tried to power through but even I need a break sometimes. Needless to say, I’m super grateful to finally be feeling better after all that, and looking forward to resting up as much as I can over the weekend with my sweetheart.

Before I head out I want to say Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all my friends and supporters out there. It’s been a great year so far and I have you to thank for much of it! Today in honor of the holiday and to say thanks for all your great comments here on the blog, I thought it would be a great day for double prizes… So let’s do it! Congratulations to Mary Lou D., Sylvia M.,Catherine D., and Alice V., it’s your lucky day! Please check your email for a message from Heidi (Note: I do not post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of the lucky winners this week please be sure to check your email. You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received a prize confirmation letter from her. If you think you are a winner but have not received a prize confirmation email, be sure to check your spam folder – it’s not often but our emails will sometimes end up there)!

Alright everyone, that’s a wrap! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you’re able to spend some time doing whatever it is that makes you happy. Maybe that’s getting outside for some fresh air and sunshine. Or maybe you enjoy going for a drive to see the sights, shopping til you drop, or staying INside to stitch while you watch the replays of all my past STITCH with Lisa Bongean episodes all weekend… Whatever it is, enjoy yourself, be safe, and I will see you next week! ~Lisa

Bring On the Weekend!

Boy, what a week! Frankly, I’m happy that it’s over and the weekend is here. If it wasn’t crazy weather and dangerous roads throwing a wrench in our gears, it was medical emergencies, transportation issues, and a whole slew of other inconveniences that we could have done without. Special thanks to those of you prayer warriors who took the time to say a prayer for little Emery, my goddaughter’s son who was rushed to the hospital earlier in the week with fluid on his brain. If you haven’t heard the latest, I’m happy to report that the doctors were able to remove his drains and he continues to improve. So thank you, thank you, thank you! See! Prayers WORK!

Thankfully the craziness we faced this week wasn’t all bad. There were a few other positive things that happened in the midst of all the chaos to be grateful for, including attending my grandson Jace’s school spring concert. He even had a solo speaking part. Talk about a proud Mimi moment!

It’s such a huge blessing to be a regular part of these boy’s lives, they bring me so much joy it’s ridiculous. Definitely one of my favorite things about life so far, hands down! But as much as I love watching them grow up… I wish it didn’t go by so darn fast. Slow down boys – just a little!

Another reason I was so ready for Friday this week is because this afternoon we kicked off our “Friday Night Lights” over night retreat with a bang as guests started arriving late afternoon. We’ve been mingling and getting to know each other as everyone gets settled in before dinner. I have to admit, I’m pretty excited about this particular dinner because it includes a WI style Bloody Mary bar, and after a week like this one – a Bloody sounds pretty darn good right about now. I’m not a huge drinker and usually have mine sans vodka, but tonight I may need to make a little exception… If you don’t know what I mean by WI style Bloody Mary, let’s just say we tend to get a little crazy with our Bloody’s by bringing a whole new meaning to the word “garnish.” As in…we like to garnish ours with enough to make a meal out of it. Here’s are some examples of what I mean… Basically we believe you can have whatever you want in your Bloody. Yeah – like I said… Wow right!? These aren’t our photos, just examples of how we’ll be doing ours in just a few minutes here (photo credits go to Anduzzi’s in Green Bay (left), WI and the Nitty Gritty in Madison, WI). The pictures are featured in a really great article on onlyinyourstate.com about where you can find some of the best Bloody Marys in WI. You can check it out to see more examples by clicking HERE! 

After dinner we’ll be having a pajama party including pajama bingo complete with prizes. Then tomorrow we stitch, shop, and stitch some more! It’s going to be great and I can’t wait to get at it… That being said I better get back over there, but before I sign off for the night we need to talk about the latest Sewcialites 2 block release. This week we’ve reached Block #18 – “Spellbound by Robin Pickens, another of my super talented fellow Moda sisters. In years past, Robin worked as a graphic designer in a corporate setting, but quickly discovered that despite the prestige and rewards of the job, the stress and long days were not fulfilling. This inspired her to pursue art that was more personal and artistic. She eventually found joy through illustration, textile, and surface design. Her current works are known for beautiful color, happiness, and positive inspiration, and range from greeting cards and calendars to tabletop collections, rugs, and home décor. She is also a talented fellow fabric designer for Moda!

Robin’s block Spellboundis a charming and unique block that is fun to do. It’s made up of an hour glass unit in the center, and 16 squares – 12 squares around the center piece and the remaining four the outer corners. In other words – a quarter triangle block that is surrounded by little patchwork squares and then framed by another outer row with squares on the ends.

Spellboundis classified as “intermediate” skill level by Fat Quarter Shop and is fairly easy to do. The block pattern is based on four fabrics that you will be placing however you think it looks best – scrappy or planned. Starching will help control small pieces and help them to keep their shape as you sew and press. If hour glass blocks intimidate you, don’t fret. Kimberly Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop has an excellent tutorial posted where she explains her go-to hot tips and tricks for making perfect hour glass units, which you can find by visiting the  Sewcialites 2 Landing Page. For the full pattern and instructions for Spellbound simply click the button above!

If you’ve been following along you know that for my blocks I’ve been using my Garden Gatherings fabric line, leaving out the five tans. For the background I used a selection from the Garden Gathering Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. I really love how this block turned out. Let me know in the comments what you think of it so far!

Every week I emphasize on one of the things I love most about this quilt-along, which is that you can do it on your time, however your schedule allows. Plus, many of the blocks are fairly simple to make and can be done in an afternoon so catching up is easy. You can always find previously posted blocks on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page. You can also visit the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive on my blog which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

Newly released blocks are posted on Kim’s blog The Jolly Jabber, along with a video tutorial on her YouTube Livestream the same day. Each designer will also post their own block to either their blog or their website on that day as well. I will also be posting each block release here on MY blog every Friday for your convenience. Fabric requirements and all block patterns are on the  Sewcialites 2 Landing Page, which you can access by clicking the link below. If you’d like to get automatic updates on Sewcialites 2 you can subscribe to the blog by signing up in the Email subscription box by visiting the Landing Page, or by subscribing to the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

Alright gang, that’s all I’ve got for you today! Time for me to skidattle over to the retreat house and let the Bloody Mary bar commence! I hope you have a great weekend and an even better week next week. I for one plan to come back refreshed and ready to go! I’m looking forward to putting this week in the past and moving forward with a fresh start. See you then! Until then, take care and remember – Stitch every day! Talk soon… ~Lisa

12 Days of Christmas – Day 11

Today we are celebrating another beautiful Moda fabric line in addition to a new Quilt Along coming in 2022! This fabric line is going to be fun! It’s two collections in one – Garden Gatherings & Garden Gatherings Shirtings! This glorious line includes lots of unique colors and colorful shirtings (backgrounds) to play with, and is scheduled to release in April/May, 2022.

Click HERE for Garden Gatherings Book & Quilt Kits

Now is the perfect time to pre-order your fabrics, pre-cuts and quilt kits because we are offering 20% off until January 2nd, 2022! Also, take 25% off your backings as well if you order by January 2nd, 2022. Simply click the photo below for easy ordering (please remember each pre-order needs to be ordered separately as an individual order – it should be the only item in your cart)!

Now for the Best Part of Garden Gatherings… A Quilt Along!

Meet Me in the Garden QAL –  Finished size 104″x 104″ is starting in June/July 2022. The event features an amazing quilt designed by my longtime friend Val Krueger. It’s going to be simply awesome! You will need the FQ Bundles of each Garden Gatherings and Garden Gatherings Shirtings, along with a Layer Cake of the shirtings as well. We will post pattern & ruler details later in 2022. 

Val will be doing video instructions for each block, so you will have all month to get them ready for the next set. Sets release each month. The last month (of 6 months total) will be focusing on finishing. If you’re new to quilting, don’t worry! This quilt is perfect for the beginner or advanced quilter. 

As I mentioned, don’t forget to secure these fabrics by January 2nd, 2022 to get 20% off! For an added bonus, you can also take 25% off your backing if ordered by January 2nd, 2022 (please remember each pre-order needs to be ordered separately as an individual order – it should be the only item in your cart).

Click HERE to Pre-Order Fabrics for the Garden Gatherings  Quilt Along with Lisa & Val!

This is such a cool quilt that I thought I would show you again! Make sure you watch our YouTube video to see the quilt in progress live as Val is giving us a sneak peek!

Stitch with Lisa Bongean YouTube Channel

Please leave us a comment here to win! Garden Gatherings Pre-Cuts, a Jelly Roll and a Layer Cake will be given away here on the blog, and a Honey Bun and Charm Pack from the YouTube comments! Let us know If you love Quilt Alongs, and how many you’ve done! Will you will be joining us on this one? Don’t worry, if none of those questions apply to you, just tell us what your favorite flower is and why!