Creative Journey of 2017 and What's Ahead in 2018

Oh my what a creative journey 2017 has been!!
How about a little look at some of my favorites in no particular order...and some thoughts on the creative journey for 2018!!

Island Ways are Winding has to be my favorite post because of the photos. My hydrangea bushes were just beginning to bloom and they were the perfect accent to the scrappy colored little quilt.

Included in this post has to be my favorite make of the year. What fun was had at a retreat with Edyta Sitar for the teacher!!!

Being part of a blog hop for the release of Christa Watson's new book was one of many new exciting creative adventures for me this year!!!

Frosty Times Four has multiple reasons to be included in my list of favorites!! It has had the most views. Once again--I am loving the photographs in this post. And it is the first pattern I put for sale on my Craftsy page!!

Having an original quilt block--Adventure Seeker--published in Quiltmakers 100 Blocks was a super exciting adventure!! Add to that being part of the Road Rally blog Tour with other designers--well life is good!!!

My most favorite of the year is the camping/motorcycle adventure my husband and I took to Yellowstone this summer. Hands down the B.E.S.T. rides we have ever taken!! The country side that can be experienced from the bike is just beyond words to explain!! Check out the post for how this adventure inspired some creative block designing!!

The cycle ride through Shell Canyon in the Big Horn Mountains was so inspiring that I was so busy experiencing it in the moment that I forgot to take any photos--but the experience inspired this quilt block that I entered into the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt contest this past fall--and it was the runner-up!! This design now hangs in their corporate office for a year!! Super exciting!!!

So what doors will be knocked on and opened in 2018?!?

I will be having a few quilts/patterns available through the Island Batik Spring/Summer 2018 catalog. Super excited about this opportunity. Looking into ways to expand the pattern designing side of my business.

I want to stay more organized and on top of my customer quilts in the coming year. They have been so understanding this past year and I am very grateful to each and every one of them!!!

I need to start an exercise program that works for me. I am very active during the 6 months of the year where my husband and I  do a lot of sort and loading of hogs--but the other 6 months are a bit stagnant in the physical activity department.

I am linking up with Meadow Mist Designs and Quilting Jet Girl. Check them out for more reflections on 2017 and thoughts to 2018!!!

Click here to find Meadow Mist Designs.

Click photo above to go to Quilting Jet Girl

Wishing you beautiful moments, treasured memories, and all the blessings a heart can know!!
Happy New Year!!

Follow me on Instagram to see what crazy adventures I do in 2018!!!

Sky Diamonds on the Quiltmaker Road Rally

Welcome to my stop on the Quiltmaker Road Rally Tour. I am delighted to be a part of the 100 Blocks Winter 2017 Issue. You will want to go right out--after reading all the blog posts--and get your copy. You can read about my block in the last issue here.

Or read to the end of the post to find out how to win one!!

I wanted to get some pretty sparkling pictures of my little town to the east of us. A small rural town with 500 people--yet still has a grocery store, gas station, lumber yard, a few manufacturing business, and 2 grain elevators. The lights from town sparkle so beautifully at night. You will just have to imagine them shining between the two groves of trees. Trust me they are pretty!!

Here is my view to the west. Look at all the wide open space. The sunsets are amazing. And the stars at night--well sometimes I will just sit and look at them!! Which is what inspired this block.

All the sparkling stars--Like diamonds in the sky!!!

The instructions are written for foundation paper piecing, but if you have the right AccuQuilt dies-- 2" Triangle in a Square and 4" Triangle in a Square--or for 4" you could use the new Companion Angles 8" Qube-- it is very easy to construct with regular piecing also. Fan folding the fabric helps to reduce waste--and for the time savings that die cutting provides--the trade off is so worth it!!

Super easy--super fast!!

I suggest laying out your pieces before stitching them together--as they are directional!!

Stitch a 1/4" seam.

Press seams open.

And look at those nice sharp sparkly points!!!

I played around in Electric Quilt 7 to find some blocks to set with Sky Diamonds. Here I have it set
with a 50/40 type star. The reason this one works is because it has a similar vibe going on--both are 9-patches. Both corner blocks are split into smaller 4-patch units. Keeping the scale similar but not exactly the same to create some interest.

Here I replaced the corner 4-patch units with plain squares and replaced the plain center square with a pinwheel unit. With careful coloring the spikes look like the giant electrical wind turbines that are all across the state of Iowa. One day this fall it was so windy and the turbines produced so much electricity that the electric company did not even need to make it!! Too cool!!

Here I kept the center element and the colors from the side diamonds the same in each block for repetition. It has a lot of happy movement to it.

Sundance fabric line from Andover seemed like a happy collection to use in this mock up. It has a wild and free, boho feel going on!!

I will end with the quote that was on my Cinnamon Berry Tea by Yogi this morning. This past year has been filled with new experiences for me--winning the AccuQuilt Barn Quilt Contest in 2016 has given me the confidence to go outside my comfort zone and try new--sometimes--scary things!!

What is something you would like to try--but just need the boost in confidence to go for it?

Tell me about it in the comments. On November 19 at 5 pm CST,  I will randomly pick 2 names.
One will receive a copy of the Winter 2017 issue directly from Quiltmaker.
The other will receive a copy from me--along with a small surprise or two.

Thanks for stopping by--be sure to check with all the other Road Rally blog posts and Quiltmaker's blog for other great block ideas and a giveaway or two!!!

Have sparkly diamonds in the sky kind of day!!!

Adventure Seeker...Road Rally Block Tour

Welcome to my little place along the Road Rally tour!! For Quiltmaker's 100 Block Volume 15!! Check their blog for more rally stops and more awesome prizes!!

I live on a family farm in Iowa, where the winding path of Lizard Creek flows through the farmland on which we grow corn and soybeans. I have been a farm girl my whole life--growing up on a similar farm 30 miles to the north.
I have been blessed to always have a job working from home. When my children were young, I stayed busy with country wood crafts. Selling at local vendor shows. The creative adventure turned into quilting  on a road trip with friends to Country Threads in Garner, Iowa.
I now operate my long arm quilting business from home and  have just started the adventure of turning my designs into purchasable patterns. When not quilting, I am a full-time farm wife helping my husband with all the activities associated with raising quality pork.

I couldn't resist this vintage photo of  4 year old me--helping my Dad raise quality pork!!

Now on to Adventure Seeker....

The inspiration for this block came while on the airplane going to Florida for a small winter get-away with my husband. As you can see--sometimes it takes a while to get to the finished design. Planning family or quilty1 and quilty 2 adventures has been a passion of mine, so it only seemed fitting that this design was drawn while on an adventure!!

Such great spaces in this block to use your favorite fabrics. I played with a striped fabric in the original block--which I did not get a picture of--you will have to find it in the magazine--on page 58!!

Did you know that some fabric companies provide jpegs of their fabric lines? These can then be used in Electric Quilt software. How cool is that?! Being able to see how the fabrics work together, makes the project go together so nicely.

I thought it would be fun to see how Adventure Seeker looks as a quilt. I used Moda's Creekside by Sherri and Chelsi for the following quilts--Creekside for a quilt made by Lizard Creek Quilting. Too much? LOL

...and then I realized that adventures are the best way to learn. 

So I looked for a fabric line with stripes. Moda's The Good Life by Bonnie and Camille was just right. There was a stripe in it. And I wanted to learn how to rotate the stripe in EQ7. Lucky you, watch how it works!!

If you have a quilt with straight stripes, look for the rotate button in EQ.

A screen will pop up. I used 60 as the starting angle in the box.

Click all the right side patches of the striped blocks and watch what happens.

Then double the angle to 120....

...and click on the left side patches of the striped blocks...

Ta Da!! I now have my stripes at 60 degree angles!! Oh the possibilities!!! 

Now what if you don't have EQ software and still want to have fun with stripes...

Make your own template from cardstock...

.....use the size given in the instructions for the rectangle and cut your template.

Figure out which way the template needs to be for the right and left side!! Then lay your template on the fabric in a pleasing angle. Draw distinguishing marks--so when you flip it over to cut the other one--you can line up the template perfectly!!

Make some swiss cheese out of your fabric!!

Layout the pieces to make sure it is right!!

Then I marked the 1/4" seam allowance on the light background fabric--it makes for an easy line up!!

Stitch on the marked line and press open--then look at those funky dog ears to cut off!!

How cute is that???

What kind of adventure can I plan next--some giveaways?? 

How about this--if you could live in a teepe and have a working sewing machine for a week--where would you want that place to be?? I would park it somewhere in the Madison Valley of Montana.

Answer the question in the comments--and I will randomly draw a winner--on May 7--for four adventure fat quarters and Quiltmaker 100 blocks Volume 15.

One other person also randomly drawn from the comments will receive a copy of Volume 15 directly from Quiltmaker.

Thank you ever so much for stopping by my place. I hope you learned something new and enjoyed your time here today!!!

Blessed are the curious for they shall find adventures!!!