Tag: #showmethemoda

On Retreat at The Gathering!

Hey friends, nice to see you! I’ve managed to make it through another weekend without feeling like I ever slowed down. As you know, Friday was the kickoff for our “Friday Night Lights” overnight retreat at The Gathering, where the party started as soon as our guests began to arrive. We mingled and got to know each other with the help of a delicious WI style Bloody Mary bar to help break the ice. We enjoyed our liquid works of art while we unpacked, set up shop, and waited for dinner to be served.After a delicious dinner prepared by Erica and crew, we all changed into our “comfies” and had a good old fashioned pajama party… complete with BINGO and prizes! Saturday was spent stitching, shopping, and laughing with lots of fun and camaraderie overall. We had stitchers here all the way from CA and just down the road. Old friends met up, new friends were made… It was a GREAT time and I can’t wait to do it again!Of course, despite my best efforts to focus on fun and not work for once, all the horse play and shenanigans didn’t stop me from putting a dent in my “To Do” list… I still managed to get a lot accomplished on a couple of my current projects, including this fat-eighth friendly quilt that I’m making with my “Lakeside Gatherings“ Flannels line. This one’s called “Shimmering Lake!” 

Isn’t it pretty? I sure do love “Lakeside Gatherings“ and I’m super excited for it to finally hit the warehouse shelves sometime in August, 2023 (it will definitely be LONG anticipated by then…stay strong Lisa…). It features soft flannels in an assemblage of blues and creams that are sure to be just the fabric you need for winter projects. I know it seems early to be thinking of winter projects already – especially since we’re just wrapping THIS winter up – but working ahead is always a smart way to be sure your projects are complete in time for next season. If you don’t have any winter projects in mind for 2023/24 quite yet, I’m sure we can find something to trip your trigger in my new “Lakeside Gatherings“ project book, which is also coming soon.

Excited yet? If you know these yummy flannels are something you need in your stash I have great news for you. “Lakeside Gatherings” pre-cuts, project kits, and project book are all available to pre-order now until March 19th, 2023! Not only will you be one of the first to get your hands on this coveted new collection when it arrives, but if you pre-order by March 19th, 2023 you’ll get 20% OFF (sorry, this offer does NOT include yardage)!!!I just love the arrival of new fabric lines. A ton of brainstorming, time, teamwork, and preparation goes into every collection… It’s a wonderful feeling when it all finally comes together into something tangible that we can actually hold in our hands. It’s an even better feeling when I start seeing my fabric ending up in the beautiful works of art that others have created. Now THAT is a cool feeling. It’s like hey! I might actually be kind of good at this whole fabric/quilt design thing… Who knew! LOL

I didn’t get much time to collect my thoughts between the unrestrained mischief of Friday night and Saturday before our next round of guests began checking in for the big Sue Spargo retreat going on this week. If you don’t recall seeing this one advertised it’s because we never got the chance! Sue is so popular that as soon as people heard that she was coming to The Gathering for a retreat, it was full before we even had time to design a flier to advertise it – and I can’t say I’m surprised either. Sue is an extremely talented fiber artist known for quilting, layering, and embroidering. She uses market wools saturated in bright colors along with multi-medium layering and embroidery to create textural depth and dimension like you’ve never seen before. Sue also offers a variety of quality notions and tools, an eclectic range of fabrics, unique and speciality hand and mill dyed wools, a vast collection of embroidery threads, technique and pattern books, and kits at her online shop, suespargo.com. Check it out by clicking HERE! She really is amazing! 

Speaking of Sue, it’s time for me to get back over to The Gathering before they notice how long I’ve been gone…but before I do that I realized on Friday that I was in such a hurry to get back to the party after blogging, that I forgot to announce my weekly comment winners! Karen M. and Carol F. – please forgive me for forgetting to announce that YOU are my lucky winners from last week for your comments here on the blog. Congratulations! 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, gotta go so I don’t miss the dinner bell. I will see you all later this week here on the blog and LIVE on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on STITCH with Lisa Bongean. As usual we’ll be covering any upcoming events here at PG and The Gathering, I’ll be talking about “Lakeside Gatherings“ and all the projects that go with it, Vicki will share some of her favorite picks from the shop, plus I’ll be filling you in on how the Sue Spargo event is going. You don’t want to miss it! Click the link below to tune in and I will see you there! ~Lisa

 

lisabongean34 Comments

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 “Spellbound” is 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.

“Spellbound” is 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

lisabongean23 Comments

Sewcialites 2 – #16 “Christmas Star” – PLUS FREE Pattern with Purchase Alert!

Hey everyone, welcome back! I hope you’re having a great day. I’ve been working on getting things squared away as I prepare to head up north with Nick for a little bit of together time this weekend. It’s a gorgeous bluebird day here and I can’t wait to take advantage of the nice weather. We have some fun activities planned and I’m definitely anxious to get going but as usual, there are a few important things we need to talk about before I can go off the radar for a couple of days.

First thing’s first – let’s talk Sewcialites 2. It’s Friday so that means it’s time for the next block release! If you can believe it we’re already to Block #16, “Christmas Star“ by one of my favorite Moda sisters, Corey Yoder. If you have ever used any of Corey’s vibrant, eye-catching patterns or fabrics you’ve already had a taste of her fun, cheerful creations, and contemporary style. Not only is Corey an accomplished fellow fabric designer for Moda, she is also a regular contributor to quilt magazines and the author of her own book, “Playful Petals.” Another beautiful Jill of many trades who I am proud to call my Moda sister!

I’ll warn you now, Corey’s block “Christmas Star“ is one of the most difficult blocks in this series. It has four colors and a lot of pieces including half-square triangles, flying geese, flying geese with corner squares, and square in a square. That being said, I highly recommend using triangle paper 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! To get the full pattern instructions for “Christmas Star” click the button below!

This block has intricate and beautiful piecing with lots of opportunity to show off your favorite fabrics. As far as color and fabric placement goes, you could do four different colors, two different colors and two different shades, or maybe all one color in four different shades. If you choose to use stripes or directional prints be sure to pay attention to which way they are going so they are consistent with one another and make visual sense. Whichever route you choose be sure to go slow and take it a step at a time. It will be worth it!

How are your blocks coming along? 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 the four-color route using red, orange, yellow, and green. 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 love how it turned out!

One of the things I love about this quilt-along 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.

The next thing I want to mention before heading out is a little thank you perk we have in place for our customers this weekend. Now through Sunday, February 19th, 2023 you will receive a FREE pattern download for my “Winter Gnomes Pillow” when you make a purchase online or in the shop!

Aren’t they cute? Even though we’re ready for spring, winter’s not giving up quite yet so I thought it would be fun to celebrate it with these adorable gnomes. This wool on flannel project is the perfect way to cure the winter blues. Sporting a snowflake, skis, and a delicious Peppermint Patty, these frosty Gnomes know how to party! Finished, “Winter Gnomes Pillow“ measures 18″ x 24″.

Alright stitchers, it’s time for me to give away some prizes and then hit the road for Vay-cay land. As always, thank you so much to those of you who leave comments for me here on my blog. They mean a lot to me and my staff, and help us stay on top of things in the forever changing algorithm of social media. In other words – thank you! This week prizes are going out to Carol E. and Audrey M. – Congratulations! 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)!

Well friends, I’m off! As I mentioned earlier, Nick and I are heading up to the Northwoods of WI to spend some time with friends and family playing in the snow. I’ll do my best to get some pictures but no promises… What I will do is catch you all next week! Until then have fun and have a great weekend. See you soon! ~Lisa

lisabongean16 Comments

Sewcialites 2 – Block #13

Hey gang! How’s it going today? I don’t know what it’s like where you live but I’m looking at a blustery winter wonderland outside my studio window right now. I had originally planned to get some skiing in with Heidi tonight, but after checking the weather forecast for the weekend we made the executive decision to go last night instead. Our little impromptu change of plans caused a bit of scrambling at the end of the day, but it also gained us about ten degrees of air temperature and a lot less wind. In other words – I’m confident that it was the right decision to make. Not only was it my first time on the hill this season but it was also my maiden voyage on the new set of skis Nick got me for Christmas. We took it pretty easy and got eight runs in before calling it quits due to my cold thumbs. Not a crazy amount of runs, but still pretty good considering I haven’t been feeling the greatest. The snow was decent and the lift lines weren’t terrible, which are two key factors that can definitely make or break a ski day. Oh! And the verdict on my new skis is… I LOVE THEM!!! Thanks hubby – you’re a keeper (but we already knew that). 🙂 All in all, it was a good time and Heidi and I were both happy to be outside. Now comes some Arctic air to deal with for the next several days but we’ll be back out there as soon as it warms up a little.

After getting a few hours of fresh air and exercise last night I won’t feel so bad staying cooped up this weekend while Mother Nature gets the next round of sub-zero temps out of her system. I plan on laying low and staying in as much as I can for the next couple of days, and will most likely spend the majority of my time resting and getting caught up on a few things around the house. Honestly… as I type that idea, it sounds really nice and I can’t wait to make it my reality. LOL! Sometimes weekends are for work, sometimes weekends are for play, and sometimes they need to be for rest. This is one of those weekends. We all need to do that once in a while!

What are your plans for the weekend? If undesirable weather is also in your forecast and you’re wondering how to pass the time, I have the perfect solution! I’m happy to remind you that along with the weekend, Friday also brings a new Sewcialites 2 block release! This week Doug Leko is the star of the show with his block, “Innovate.” Thanks to his mother, Doug has been a quilter since he was just six years old. He began his quilting career by working in her quilt shop. Over the years he fine-tuned and perfected his skills with gained experience. After spending some time pattern testing for various designers, he began developing his own quilt patterns and eventually started Antler Quilt Design while he was still in high school.

Doug’s distinctive approach to quilt design often combines secondary design elements and color. His patterns are known for being very pretty but also intricate, and often times more on the difficult side. Sticking with his signature style, “Innovate“ is one of the harder blocks in the Sewcialites 2 series. It features a pinwheel center constructed of half-square triangles and flying geese. The outer elements are done with half-square triangles and corner squares, along with units that are like flying geese but with corner squares added. Now I know it seems like a complicated pattern but Doug’s advice for this block is simple – don’t be afraid! He says, “follow the pressing arrows on the pattern so that all your seams will nest and your points will come out great. You can also press your seams open so you don’t have to worry about bulk. Change the placement of all three prints and your block will look completely different.” Another little hack to make this block a bit easier for you is triangle paper. Depending on which size blocks you’re making, there are a couple of sizes you may need. If you don’t have any on hand, I highly recommend my custom designed Primitive Gatherings Triangle Paper, which you can find in most sizes on our website by clicking HERE! You can find the full pattern and instructions for “Innovate“ by clicking the link below! As you know, I’ve decided to use my Garden Gatherings fabric line for this quilt-along, leaving out the five tans. For the background I’m using a selection from the Garden Gathering Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. Want to do yours just like mine? Click the button below to shop Garden Gatherings fabric while it’s still in stock!For those of you still trying to decide whether or not to participate in Sewcialites 2, don’t worry about being behind. One of the best parts of this quilt-along is that you can do it on your time, however your schedule allows – you can join us at any time! Previously released blocks are posted on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page along with my blog in the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive, which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

Newly released blocks can always be found 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 will be posted 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.

Nothing like a weekend challenge to keep yourself busy. These little weekly assignments are just the ticket to making sure you get a little stitch time in – every day! And the best part is, the price is right – LOL! If you need even more to keep you busy and you missed STITCH with Lisa Bongean earlier this week, you can always catch the replay by hitting the link below. I showed some Valentine’s day ideas – both old and new projects – perfect to express your love this Valentine’s Day. You don’t want to miss it!

Well everyone, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and manage to keep yourselves out of trouble. On my way out I’d like to give a huge thanks and congratulations to Yvonne S. and Judy Z. for their comments here on the blog last week. Thank you ladies – check your email! You made my day with your lovely comments and I’d love to send you a little something to show my appreciation (please remember that 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. She will use your email address to confirm that you are in fact the winner. If you think you are a winner but have not received a prize confirmation email, please be sure to check your spam folder – it’s not often but our emails will sometimes end up there)!

If you’d like to be considered for a prize, I’d love it if you won! All you have to do to be eligible is leave me a comment here on the blog and voila! You’re in like Flynn. I would like to remind everyone that if you’re using a “handle” or screen name that is different than your real name, please leave your first name and last initial in your comment so we can include you. That’s all for now folks, I will see you next week. Until then, stay warm and take care stitchers!

lisabongean14 Comments

Will You Be My Valentine?

Hey stitchers, happy Hump Day! I’m thrilled to report that I seem to be on the mend after being stuck under the weather for a bit there. I admit that I’m still pretty low energy, but I’ve been forcing myself to take it easy after what seems like a heck of a lot of strict nagging coming from not only Nick, but my right-hand staff as well. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but it seems like they really know how to take care of me around here… As I always say, thank God for my family and top-notch employees. I don’t know what I’d do without them – especially in times like these!

Today has been pleasant enough – not too cold with light snow falling most of the day – it’s very pretty outside. The forecast is saying that frigid Arctic air will be back in WI by early next week, so I’ll take a little bit of cloud cover to keep things on the warmer side while I can get it. After the unseasonably warm temps we’ve been seeing lately, it’s far too easy to forget that we still have a long way to go before the end of winter is even close to being a reality. In fact, we still have one more winter holiday to celebrate before moving on to leprechauns and spring flowers… Valentine’s Day! If you recall, a couple weeks ago I made a post highlighting some Valentine’s Day projects that I thought would be a great way to get your creative juices flowing in the holiday décor department. If you missed it, you can check it out by clicking HERE. Don’t worry if you didn’t find quite the right pattern for your decorating needs in that last post. As promised, I have a second batch of options for you ready to rock. Let’s check em’ out!

First in line on the project taxiway is my “Love You, Love You More“ table runner. I absolutely love this project! At 16 1/2″ x 39″ this runner is not too big and not too small, and works well for the beginner quilter and the seasoned old pro. I love how the hearts seem to pop off the white background with individual pizazz and style.

This runner could quite possible solve the age old argument of who loves who more… I would think making this for someone special proves that a whole lotta love is going on. After spending the time and energy on such a thoughtful and expressive gift, only to lovingly give it away, I’d say – you win!

Next in line we have a two-in-one project. I designed the “You and Me“ pillow to go hand-in-hand with my “Antique Lady of the Lake” quilt. In other words, you’ll not only have some super cute pillows in the end, but you’ll also have a beautiful matching quilt to show for your hard work as well. Finished, the “You and Me“ pillows measure 16″ x 24″ and 15″ x 15″, and the quilt will be 73″ x 90″. As you can see they go together like peanut butter and jelly – perfectly! Not to mention, this traditional red and white quilt looks great on display during Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and any time of year!

“Love is All We Need“ is another sweet little quilt sure to warm the heart of whoever is lucky enough to receive it. At 54″ x 63″ it’s by no means a huge quilt nor is it overly complicated, so if you’re trying to find just the right weekend project to crank out for that special someone, this is an excellent choice. Have you seen the “Sincerely Yours“ fabric line by Sherri and Chelsi yet? For those of you looking for something that fits the Valentine bill, but also something that is a bit different than the traditional reds and pinks that we’re used to seeing around the holiday, look no further. “Sincerely Yours“ brings back the simple days of cutting out construction paper hearts in different sizes for your Valentine box in grade school. With its delightful mix of pinks, coral, reds and purples, these prints are sure to inspire your quilting and sewing projects all throughout the year. You’ll fall in love with creating color-inspired quilts and accessories for your home with this mix of modern and traditional prints, and simple geometric designs with dainty florals. If you love this fabric like I do, check out “Cross My Heart,” a quilt designed by Sherri and Chelsi with this pretty fabric line especially in mind. This fat-eighth friendly project is light and cheerful, all the while screaming LOVE!!! at the top of its lungs. Plus, because it avoids the traditional red, white, and pink hearts that we usually see this time of year, “Cross My Heart” is a great quilt to display all year long. Finished, “Cross My Heart” is 61 1/2″ x 69 1/2″.Is time a factor this Valentine’s Day? On the smaller and less time consuming side of things I have a couple of ideas that make great gifts for your sweetie without taking too much away from your precious free time. At 14″ x 14″, “My Twisted Heart“ is a mini quilt with a big message – LOVE!Even smaller yet, my project simply titled “Hearts“ is three fun projects all in one pattern. Heart number one is 5″ x 6 3/4″ while heart number two is 5 1/2″ x 8″, and heart number three is 5″ x 6″.  Make all three for the same person OR – if you have more than one sweetheart, split them up and give them out individually!

Display these little cuties on a clipboard or use them as an embellishment or gift tag on a larger Valentine. Ever hear of a holiday tree? These would make perfect ornaments too! The possibilities go on and on.

If you have a Valentine’s Day project picked out already but your fabric or wool stash is low, I have a few suggestions to remedy that as well. We have some super cute love-themed fabrics designed by my Moda sister, Stacy Iest Hsu from the Moda Holiday Essentials collection called – you guessed it. “LOVE!“

Moda Essentials are just that – small collections of prints that are especially suited four seasonal holidays. The LOVE collection includes small, sweet tossed prints that are SUPER cute and versatile, allowing you to create endless possibilities. Quantities are limited on this one so get em’ while you can by clicking the link above!

Of course, you can never have too much red and pink wool hoarded away – you just never know when you’re going to get that “ah-ha” project moment that calls for all pink! LOL We have shades of reds and pinks from super light to saturated and dark. Get it in a bundle, charm pack, pre-cut pennies, or individual pieces!

Last but certainly by no means least – CANDY! Everyone knows you can’t have Valentine’s Day without sweet treats – it just wouldn’t be right! That’s why Jess has put together these festive one pound bags of our famous Vande Walle’s caramels for you to give to your sweetie pie – proudly hand-made, right here in WI! You can’t go wrong with this gift idea. Even if the recipient is a crazy person who decides they don’t like caramels, trust me – they won’t go to waste. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s downright dangerous having an endless supply around me at all times… but we won’t talk about all that.

Anyway, I really hope that you found something you like in my menagerie of Valentine’s Day gift ideas. If not, you still have another shot at figuring this out! Tomorrow during my LIVE show I’ll be going over even more ideas for the big day – including a couple that haven’t been seen before by the public so DON’T MISS IT! We’ll be on at 1:00 p.m. CST so set your reminders now. As usual, you can easily tune in by hitting the STITCH button below. Until then have a great night! I thought for just a fleeting second that I might try and get a walk in tonight – just for some fresh air so I’m off to go continue to convince myself this is a good idea. I will see you all tomorrow on YouTube for the show! Sweet dreams everyone! ~Lisa

lisabongean22 Comments

Sewcialites 2 – Block 11 “Nurture”

Hey everyone, and welcome to the weekend! Friday is upon us yet again and you know what that means – it’s time for another Sewcialites 2 block release! This week’s block designer is one of my fellow Moda sisters and friends, Lissa Alexander of ModaLissa.com. Lissa is best known for being a talented quilt maker, savvy businesswoman, and Jill of many trades. One of her main roles is that of Marketing Manager for Moda Fabrics where she has not only worked behind the scenes with other talented Moda designers on their book projects, but has also written and co-written several excellent quilting and creative books herself. Her latest, Oh, Scrap! is available now in stores and online for purchase – I highly recommend it. Oh, Scrap! features a dozen unique scrap quilts bursting with colors, prints, and textures – all sure to dazzle your eye. I love a good scrap buster which is why I love this book! If you’d like to order a copy of Oh, Scrap! for your sewing room library I’d be happy to help – just hit the button below!

With over 40 years of quilting experience under her belt, Lissa describes herself as a lover of both scrappy and two-color quilts. She is a firm believer in the idea of including as many fabrics and designers into a project as she can. Her attitude is, “the more, the better” because that way she has a “good” reason to use more fabric, and then in-turn BUY more fabric to replenish her stash. LOL! Sounds reasonable to me… 

Lissa’s block, “Nurture“ is fairly simple but may pose some challenges for newer quilters. The layout is basic, consisting of four 2-patch blocks and five square in a square blocks, all the same size. While the 2-patch blocks are beginner level, the square in a square blocks are mostly likely the reason “Nurture“ was given the “Intermediate” rating on the skills level scale.

As you know, there are a lot of things that can go wrong when making square in a square units, which often times means wonky looking blocks with inadequate seam allowance at your points as a result. During her tutorial on this block, Kim Jolly of Fat Quarter Shop recommends using square in a square papers to help keep things neat and tidy during this process. Feeling apprehensive? Don’t. For step-by-step help and guidance through it all you can watch Kim’s full tutorial on Block #11 by clicking HERE! For the full pattern and instructions for “Nurture“ click the link below.

If you’ve been following along with my progress so far, you know that I’ve decided to use my Garden Gatherings fabric line for this quilt-along, leaving out the five tans. For the background I’m using a selection from the Garden Gathering Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. Want to do yours just like mine? Click the button below to shop Garden Gatherings fabric while it’s still in stock!

In case you are still trying to decide whether or not to participate in Sewcialites 2, don’t worry about being behind. One of the best parts of this quilt-along is that you can do it on your time, however your schedule allows – you can join us at any time! Previously released blocks are posted on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page along with my blog in the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive, which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

Newly released blocks can always be found 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 will be posted 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.Are you having fun yet? I am! You know how I love my sew and quilt-alongs. In fact, I’m a little jealous of Jess right now… If you got a change to watch our LIVE show this week, she mentioned the 2023 Moda Charm Pack Challenge that she was getting ready to start. If you’re not familiar with it, Moda is hosting a virtual #CharmPackChallenge sew along over this weekend – January 14th and 15th – where participants will make the Moda Love Star block using charm packs. Fun right!? I would usually be joining Jess in this fun little game but since I’m still traveling out west, it’s going to have to be all her this year. Then again, coincidentally enough, the famous Lissa Alexander just so happens to also be doing this challenge and come to find out, she’s a full quilt version in my Red & White Gatherings line! I’m sure it looks stunning. She promised me a photo so I will post it later with the rest of the challenge details. If this fun challenge sounds like something you’d like to participate in hang tight. I am going to put together a post later on today explaining all the details, so keep an eye out for that.

Well everyone, I’m being paged by the girls to step away from the work and get back to all the play… I’m sure you’re surprised to hear that Val, Darcie, and I are having a blast doing all the things we do when we’re on the loose on a quilting rampage and away from our husbands. Yesterday after a pampering at the spa we kept the fun going when we visited a new “Sew Yeah” quilt shop location in Las Vegas. It was huge, and awesome and…. it only took me a matter of minutes to find  something that felt awfully familiar out on display, so that was pretty cool (that’s Starlight Gatherings!).

We’re hoping to get some hiking and other adventures in before heading to UT to visit another friend so it should be great. Time to get back to it! I will see you all back here later this evening when I post the details on the Moda Charm Pack Challenge and announce this week’s comment prize winners. Don’t miss it – it could be you! See you then. ~Lisa

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