February 15, 2025

Kitchen Party BOM - Blocks 1 and 2

The beginning of 2025 means the beginning of a new Block of the Month quilt in the Stash Artists membership. Here's the quilt we're making this year.
Stash Artists Kitchen Party BOM | DevotedQuilter.com
I drew a complete blank on naming it, so I asked members for suggestions. Michelle suggested Kitchen Party, saying, "If I was thinking about how to translate that wonderful experience of music and people and laughter and warmth into a visual representation, your quilt would be itπŸ₯³" I love that!

This BOM includes traditional piecing, paper piecing, and machine applique. We started off with that big applique block in the middle. Here's mine. I love how the colours all seem to glow against the rich purple background, which is Northcott's Majestic. All of the fabrics for my Kitchen Party quilt were generously provided by Northcott and are their COLORWORKS solids.
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
All the pieces are fused in place, but I haven't stitched around them yet. I can't decide if I want to stitch around them now or wait and do it with the quilting. Whichever I decide to do, I'm going to need to get thread to match the medium pink and the purple.
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
I do have the threads to match the lime green, the teal, the light pink, and the dark pink.
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
February's block is a paper pieced one, and it has only two seams. It doesn't get much simpler than that!
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
As always, I used freezer paper for my paper piecing and I made all eight blocks with just one template. I love that I can reuse templates with freezer paper! In fact, this is the same template I used to make the test block when I was figuring out what size the pieces needed to be cut for the pattern.
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
Did you know I have an on-demand workshop teaching how to use freezer paper for paper piecing? This technique is a game-changer for paper piecing!

I've been keeping my Kitchen Party blocks on my design wall, but they're going to have to come down after this weekend. I'm working on the next Stash Artists pattern and need the design wall to figure out block placement. I'm looking forward to putting these back up when I make the March blocks, though!
Kitchen Party BOM blocks | DevotedQuilter.com
Before you go, did you know registration is open for the 2025 QAL and Devotional Journey? This year it's called Roman Adventure and it starts on March 5th. You can get all the details in this post.

February 10, 2025

A Reminder

Devotion for the week...

How's your memory? I often joke that mine is like a sieve πŸ˜‚ If something isn't written down in my planner, there's a good chance I'm going to forget about it. I know I'm not alone in this. Paul has been known to go to school without his coffee, even though the travel mug is right there by the door where he puts his shoes on, and I have a friend who makes notes in her phone constantly so she'll remember things she needs to do.

It seems Peter had encountered people with the same problem in his day. He wrote, "Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught" (2 Peter 1:12). The things he was referring to were the foundational truths of the faith, which he had already shared in the earlier part of his letter; things like "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires" (vv. 3-4).

Peter was writing to believers, to people who already knew all of this, but he recognized the importance of repeating the truth, of reminding people again and again of what they believe. Sure, they (and we) already know it, but hearing it again can't hurt. In fact, there are two benefits to reminding ourselves and each other of the truths we believe.

First, the reminder brings the truth to the forefront of our minds again. We may know God has given us everything we need for living a hold life, but have we thought about that recently? Have we let ourselves dwell on it and rely on it? Or have we been struggling along trying to do everything in our own strength?
Reminders help the truth settle into our minds a little deeper | DevotedQuilter.com
Second, the reminder helps the truth settle into our minds a little deeper. If you've heard something once, you may remember it for a little while, but if you've heard it a hundred times you're more likely to remember it forever. Just think about how often we sing the alphabet song with kids to help them remember their letters, or how often you repeat 'righty-tighty, lefty-loosey' to yourself. Repetition works!

Going to church, reading our Bibles, and listening to Christian music are all ways to continually be reminded to the things we believe. I hope these devotions serve as reminders, too!

February 05, 2025

Roman Adventure Registration Open!

This is my fifth year hosting a QAL and devotional journey in the days leading up to Easter. It's one of my favourite parts of the year! I love planning it, I love preparing it, and I especially love sharing it with everyone who joins me, so I'm excited to open registration for Roman Adventure today. Stash Artists members, login to your account for a discount code!
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com

What is the QAL and Devotional Journey?


There are two parts to this annual event. We make a quilt together and we have 40 daily devotions that are delivered straight to your inbox. The fun starts on March 5th (Ash Wednesday) and runs until April 19th (the Saturday before Easter Sunday).

"A meditative journey in Bible readings and quilting that resonates with me all year long!" - Michelle E. about the 2024 Moments with Jesus QAL and Devotional Journey.

The Quilt


This year's quilt is called The Fountain. I love how it turned out! Yes, it's just a quilt top...if you've been around here for a while, you'll know that's a trend for these QAL quilts. Oops! I have to admit, though, I love the stained glass look of the blocks in the picture.
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com
In September I was at our provincial women's retreat when we sang the song Made for More, by Josh Baldwin. I already knew and loved the song, but for some reason that night the line "Why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way?" really struck me. In my head I could see a quilt block of a fountain with hearts spraying out of it, to represent the love and grace of our God. Then, a few weeks later, I realized that a fountain quilt would fit nicely with a Romans-themed devotional journey and I was off and running for this design 😊 I hope you love it as much as I do.
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com
The Fountain is a mix of machine applique (or you could do hand applique, if that's what you prefer), traditional piecing, and paper piecing. If you've never done machine applique or paper piecing, don't worry! I have video tutorials showing you both techniques, so you could add a new skill or two to your quilting toolbox.

The Fountain makes a 72" square quilt, which is a generous throw size, perfect for sharing with someone special. There's lots of negative space, too, for some fun quilting.
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com
The QAL is a relaxed one, with plenty of time to make the blocks and to get the quilt top assembled before Easter. We all know life happens, so I try to make sure these QALs have a slow pace so everyone can keep up.

Once you register, you'll receive an email with the fabric requirements and cutting instructions. You'll have plenty of time to shop your stash or visit your favourite quilt shop to pick out your fabrics before our March 5th start. Then you can choose if you want to cut everything ahead of time, or wait and cut for each block as you go. The cutting instructions are labeled so you can easily tell which cuts are for which blocks.
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com

The Devotional Journey


Let's spend a few weeks immersed in Paul's letter to the Roman believers! There's so much packed into this 16 chapter letter. Over the 40 daily devotions, we'll consider things like where we seek praise, trouble in this life, and our love for others. It's my prayer that you'll be encouraged, challenged, and strengthened in your faith as we get ready to celebrate Easter.
Roman Adventure QAL and Devotional Journey | DevotedQuilter.com

"The devotional journeys each day by Leanne were brilliant and I would recommend them to anyone, thank you for sharing your talents with us Leanne." - Paula B on the 2024 Moments with Jesus Devotional Journey

No time for another QAL?


I get it. You might already have a few QALs on the go and there's only so much time. If you don't have time for another QAL in your life, but you're still interested in the devotional journey through Romans, then you can join us for the daily devotions only! You'll receive the same 40 devotions delivered straight to your inbox, with no need to feel guilty about a QAL you know you won't be able to manage.


I hope you'll join me for a Roman Adventure!

February 03, 2025

Shiphrah and Puah

Devotion for the week...

I'm knee-deep in preparation to open registration for this year's Easter QAL and Devotional Journey (it opens on Wednesday!), so this week I've pulled a devotion from the 2023 Women of Wisdom devotional journey. I hope you enjoy it!

_____________________________________

Do you know Shiphrah and Puah? I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t! I didn’t know their names, either, until I went back and reread their tiny little story. It may only be a few verses long, but it shows incredible courage!

Their story takes place in Egypt, in the time after Joseph. "Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, 'Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.' So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves" (Exodus 1:8-11). That wasn’t enough for this king, though, so eventually he “gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 'When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live'" (vv. 15-16). Human cruelty certainly isn’t new, is it?

Shiphrah and Puah were amazing women, though. "Because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too" (v. 17).

Of course, Pharaoh had to notice when there were still baby boys among the Hebrew slaves, so he called for the midwives and asked, "Why have you done this?...Why have you allowed the boys to live?" (v. 18)

I imagine the two women were shaking in their sandals as they stood before Pharaoh, but they refused to back down. "'The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,' the midwives replied. 'They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time'" (v. 19).

These two brave women remind me of everyone who worked in secret to save Jews during WWII. They knew their governments were giving orders that were contrary to God’s laws and so they disobeyed the earthly authorities in order to obey God.
I pray that, if needed, we’ll have the courage to disobey people in authority in order to obey God | DevotedQuilter.com
Though we will likely never be given orders to kill innocent babies, we may face situations where we’re being asked, or even ordered, to do things that go against God’s commands. In those moments, I pray that we, like Shiphrah and Puah, will recognize the higher authority and have the courage to disobey people in authority in order to obey God.

January 31, 2025

My First Quilt with Carolina Moore

It's the last Friday of the month, which means it's time for a My First Quilt interview! It has been a couple of months, but this month we're back on schedule and Carolina Moore is sharing the story of her first quilt with us. 
My First Quilt with Carolina Moore | DevotedQuilter.com
Carolina is a quilt pattern designer, author, award winning quilter, and notion inventor living in San Diego, California. She is also an Art Gallery Fabrics Sewlebrity, Accuquilt die designer, and Baby Lock ambassador.

You can connect with Carolina at her blog, her shop, and her Youtube channel.

And now, here's Carolina's first quilt!
My First Quilt with Carolina Moore | DevotedQuilter.com

What year did you make your first quilt? What prompted you to make it?


1992. I was 12, and I went to a kids' quilting class at Quilt in a Day. I always liked sewing, and my mom did a lot of garment sewing (in addition to some quilting), so she signed me up for the class as a Birthday gift. On the very first day, I cut my finger with a rotary cutter. Eleanor Burns sat with me as we waited for my aunt to pick me up and take me to the doctor for stitches. I like to say that Quilting got into my blood that day!

What techniques were used in that first quilt? Did you quilt it yourself?


It was a Log Cabin Quilt, and it was tied, not quilted.

Are the colours you chose for your first quilt ones you would still choose today?


Not too far off. It was grey/black and white, with a red center. I still like the colors.

Did you fall in love with quilting right away? Or was there a gap between making the first quilt and the next one?


I was still young, so I dabbled a lot in other hobbies - jewelry making (beading), cake decorating, and of course I was in school. In my 20s, I made a lot of baby quilts for friends, and some quilts for charity auctions. It wasn't until after I had my first child and started working at a local quilt shop that I looked at quilting as a career.

Where is the quilt now?


In the hope chest that is in the garage. We live in a small house - San Diego is expensive! There isn't a lot of storage space, or space for furniture in the house.

Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell yourself as you made that first quilt?


Great question! I might whisper in that little girl's ear "You'll be back one day!" Because years later, I got to present my Accuquilt Die to the Accuquilt Club at Quilt in a Day, with Eleanor Burns herself!

Anything else you want to share about your first quilt?


I finished the quilt, brought it home, and held it up proudly for my family to see. My older brother looked at it and said, "Isn't that part wrong?" Sure enough, I'd rotated one block 90 degrees the wrong way! I was so upset. But in the end, I left it. The quilt is just as warm, just as snugly. Letting it stay finished was the best choice.


Thanks for sharing your first quilt with us, Carolina! I'm glad you stuck with quilting, even after getting injured your very first day!

January 27, 2025

Too Simple

Devotion for the week...

Back in August 2020, I started having issues with back pain. I went to a physiotherapist and she gave me exercises to do to strengthen my core. One of them was pelvic tilts - lie on your back with your knees bent, then press your low back into the floor and tilt your pelvis up. At home, I got down on the floor and did a bunch of pelvic tilts and felt absolutely nothing. Exercises are supposed to be challenging, especially new ones, so I figured I must be missing something because this one felt absolutely pointless. I didn't bother doing them very often, because it felt like I was just wasting my time.

At my next appointment with her, I explained what I felt (and didn't feel), and that I hadn't been doing that exercise. Turns out I was wrong! Not every exercise is supposed to feel challenging. This one, in particular, engages small, deep muscles that aren't often worked with other exercises. It seemed too simple to be any use, but was in fact doing exactly what I needed. Guess I shouldn't have been ignoring it!

In the Old Testament, there's a story of someone else who ignored advice because it seemed too simple to be of any use. "Naaman was a mighty warrior, [but] he suffered from leprosy" (2 Kings 5:1). His wife's maid was an Israelite, who suggested he visit "the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy" (v. 3). So Namaan headed for Samaria with "750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing" (v. 5) to give to the prophet.

Namaan arrived at Elisha's house and waited expectantly at the door, "But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: 'Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.'" (v. 10). Awesome! Let's go be healed, right? 

Nope. Namaan got mad instead. "But Naaman became angry and stalked away. 'I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!' he said. 'I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?' So Naaman turned and went away in a rage" (vv. 11-12).

Namaan had an expectation for how this healing would go. It involved Elisha putting on a show and doing things no one else could do, not sending Namaan off to take a bath in the river. Namaan could do that anywhere! What was the point in getting into a river? Water wasn't going to heal his leprosy or he'd already be healed. That sounds an awful lot like me not bothering to do prescribed exercises because they didn't meet my expectations.

Thankfully for Namaan, he had some people with him who challenged him even in the midst of his anger. "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'" So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!" (vv. 13-14).

I've always loved the story of Namaan, partly for the ridiculousness of the cure. He was right, what could water do to heal him? And yet that bath in the river was exactly what he needed. Of course, it wasn't the water that healed him; it was God acting in response to Namaan's obedience. Yes, dipping in the river was too simple to cure his leprosy, but his willingness to do what God commanded was the key that unlocked the healing.

Another thing I love about the story is that God didn't require complete and utter faith on Namaan's part; he just had to get into the river and dip himself seven times. Considering how angry he was, and how stupid he thought the directions were, I imagine Namaan was grumbling and rolling his eyes as he waded out into the river. I can almost hear him going on about 'this stupid river' and 'I feel like an idiot' right up until he stood up after the seventh dunking and realized his skin was healthy. I bet he changed his tune pretty quickly then!
Maybe your obedience will be exactly what God is looking for | DevotedQuilter.com
Is there some situation in your life where you feel God wants you to take some action to fix it, but the action feels too simple to make a difference? I encourage you to give it a try, even if you're not convinced it will work. Maybe your obedience will be exactly what God is looking for as the key to unlocking the change.

January 21, 2025

Pattern Drop!

There are three new patterns in the shop today! These are all patterns that have been available to Stash Artists members for at least a year, so the quilts may look familiar to you, but they haven't been available in my shop until now.
Devoted Quilter quilt patterns | DevotedQuilter.com
There's a variety of techniques represented in these three patterns, so there's something for everyone, whether you like applique, colouring with crayons, or just plain traditional piecing. They're all scrap- or stash-friendly, too!

First up is Framed Pinwheels. I love a good pinwheel block, and when the blocks create a fun secondary design I love them even more.
Framed Pinwheels quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Framed Pinwheels includes instructions to make the throw size I made, plus baby and queen sizes. I think the baby size in Christmas fabrics would make an amazing wall hanging.
Framed Pinwheels quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
The second pattern is the Grateful table runner. The word Grateful is colored with crayons and yes, the instructions for how to do that are included in the pattern.
Grateful quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Although I designed Grateful for fall and Thanksgiving, we actually keep it out year-round, except when I switch it out with a Christmas quilt. It's a good reminder to be grateful for all the blessings we have!
Grateful quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
The final new pattern is Blooming Beautiful, which is a machine applique design. Aren't those bold, scrappy flowers fun?
Blooming Beautiful quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Blooming Beautiful also includes instructions for baby (shown here), throw, and queen size quilts, so you can make your garden as big or small as you want.
Blooming Beautiful quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
Do you have a favourite among the three? I love them all, and I love how different they are 😊 

You can find all three pattern in my shop now!

January 20, 2025

Drifting

Devotion for the week.

Our oldest son, Aiden, works on a supply vessel for the offshore oil industry. These are ships that carry supplies, and occasionally personnel, out to the oil rigs. The ships are also the emergency evacuation route for the people working out there in the middle of the ocean, so there's always a supply vessel on standby near each of the rigs. 

They don't anchor when they're on standby; instead they use their Dynamic Positioning System (DPS), which uses GPS and the ship's thrusters to keep them in the same position. With the DPS, the crew don't have to be constantly making adjustments to hold their place, but they also aren't drifting with the ocean currents.

1 Corinthians 10:12 made me think about a ship's DPS. It says, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall." It would be easy for a ship to drift on an ocean current, even when it looks and feels like it's staying still. Likewise, it would be easy for us to drift in our walk with God, even when it looks and feels like we're not changing.

It would be easy to drift into complacency.

It would be easy to drift into judgement of others.

It would be easy to drift into small sins that gradually drift into larger ones.

Thankfully, God has given us a version of a DPS to keep us on track. We have the Bible, which acts like our GPS, showing us where we are and where we should be. And we have the Holy Spirit, who nudges us when we start to drift.

If a ship isn't properly receiving and processing the information from GPS, then it may start to drift. Likewise, if we're not receiving and processing information from Bible, we may start to drift, too. That's why we need to be reading our Bibles regularly and thinking about what we read. It's one of the reasons we should be going to church regularly, so we can hear Biblical messages from someone else. It's (hopefully) why you find my weekly devotions helpful. Reading the Bible, and hearing about it from other people, reminds us about God's standard for us and shows us where we are in relation to it.
The Holy Spirit nudges us when we start to drift | DevotedQuilter.com
The Holy Spirit then uses that information to show us how we should change and how we can move closer to His standard. He shows us the small adjustments we need to make to stay standing strong, so we aren't in danger of falling.

If we're paying attention to the Bible and heeding the nudges the Holy Spirit gives, then we can hold our position without drifting away from the standard God would have us follow.

January 13, 2025

No Appointment Needed

Devotion for the week...

I have an appointment this week to see a nurse practitioner about a few minor things. That may not sound noteworthy, but considering how difficult it is to get medical appointments in Newfoundland these days, it's worth celebrating. I made the appointment near the beginning of December, after trying for weeks, and was only able to get it because another teacher told Paul that she had just booked one, so he massaged me, saying, "Call now."

Contrast that with how easy it is to talk to God about the things on my mind. When Jesus died on the cross, "the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51), signifying that the way was open. There's nothing separating us from God anymore. No curtain, no ritual we have to follow, no gatekeeper to block the way. We have free access to meet with Him whenever we want.

Hebrews 10:19 says, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus." When I go to my appointment this week, I'll sit in the waiting room until they call my name and usher me back to the exam room. But when we go to the house of a close friend or family member, we just walk right in and call out, "Hello?!" That's entering boldly! That's what we can do when we want to talk to God. We don't stand outside, shuffling our feet and wondering if anyone is home. We just walk right in because we know not only is He 'home,' but He also wants to see us.

And 1 Thessalonians 5:15 says, "Never stop praying." Never stop. We don't have to wait our turn, or make an appointment for a 15 minute window 6 weeks from now. We can talk to God every minute of every day. In fact, that's exactly what He wants us to do!
We can talk to God every minute of every day | DevotedQuilter.com
We don't need an appointment and we can just walk right in to talk with Him, so what's on your mind that you can talk to Him about today?

January 08, 2025

Inner Beauty Quilt

I love scrappy and stash-friendly quilts, so I love designing quilts for my Stash Artists membership! Inner Beauty is our January pattern and I love, love, love this quilt. I briefly considered gifting it to someone, but nope! This one's mine πŸ˜„
Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
I love how bright the teals, pinks, and purples are against the navy background. Plus I've always loved star quilts, so a double star quilt just makes me smile.

The Inner Beauty pattern was born when I specifically challenged myself to design something that would work for fat quarter bundles. Though I don't tend to buy them, I know there are a lot of quilters who have several bundles stored on a shelf waiting to be used. They're so pretty they count as decor, though, so it makes sense to keep them and admire them. On the other hand, it's even better to turn them into a quilt!

I don't have any fat quarter bundles myself, so I pulled fabrics from my stash. I knew as soon as I looked at the fabric pull that I was going to love the end result. As usual for me, there's a mix of batiks and prints. I stayed away from solids for this quilt because I find solids can sometimes feel flat when there's only one or two in the fabric pull. That doesn't apply to backgrounds, since the backgrounds aren't supposed to be the star of the show anyway. I did end up switching the clamshell fabric second from the top left when I decided I didn't want to have to deal with a directional fabric when making HSTs and flying geese.
fabric pull for Inner Beauty quilt | DevotedQuilter.com
Right around when I was assembling this quilt top, I gifted my Ombre Twirl quilt to a friend. While folding it and tying ribbon around it, I noticed the quilting and decided to repeat the meandering hearts and flowers on Inner Beauty. I used Aurifil 2785, which blends into the background perfectly and stands out on all the star fabrics. It's noticeable when you're up close, but not so noticeable from a distance.
Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
The navy is so hard to photograph well for closeups.

Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
The only fabric I had that was big enough for the back was the navy solid. Even though I don't usually like to match the back to the background of the front, I also don't like piecing backs, so the navy solid won. 

I always use the same thread in the top and bobbin, but I wanted something to make the back more interesting than it would be with the quilting blending in so much, so I decided to use Aurifil 2540 in the bobbin.
free motion quilting hearts and flowers meander | DevotedQuilter.com
I love it! The purple seems to be glowing against the navy and it's exactly what I wanted to dress up the back.
Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
When I'm designing a quilt with points right to the edge, I like to add a small, plain border. Binding is a little wider than ¼", so it tends to cover over the points if there's no buffer. A simple 1" border keeps those points looking pointy.
Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com
If you love scrappy, stash-friendly quilt patterns, too, join the Stash Artists waiting list so you'll be notified when the membership doors open again.

I think this quilt will be going in my regular rotation in the living room. Sitting under a quilt with a book is one of my favourite things and this Inner Beauty is begging to be seen and used.
Inner Beauty quilt pattern | DevotedQuilter.com

January 06, 2025

Known Well

Devotion for the week...

When Aiden was an infant, we lived in Igloolik, Nunavut (a small community on a small island in the Canadian Arctic) and our TV satellite dish allowed us to access a whole bunch of radio stations. Paul discovered that we could listen to a Christian radio station he knew from visiting his grandparents in St. John's, Newfoundland as a kid, so he started listening to it now and then after work. I wasn't a believer at the time, and I thought the music was so weird. Why were they singing about God so much?

At 5:00 in the evening, the radio station played a half hour program called Adventures in Odyssey. It's a radio drama for kids, so we joked that we were listening to it for Aiden to hear, but he was less than a year old πŸ˜… We quickly came to love the fictional residents of Odyssey. Before long, we were making sure to tune in every evening so we wouldn't miss an episode. Sometimes we didn't turn it off right away when the show was over, and so we found ourselves regularly listening to Focus on the Family, which came on at 6:00. Before long, we were also regularly listening to Chuck Swindoll's Insight for Living program, which came on at 7:00. 

While I give most of the credit to Chuck's teaching, my journey to faith in Jesus started with those Adventures in Odyssey episodes. God used stories to reach me, and He specifically used radio stories because He knows me. He knows I wouldn't have sat down to watch a TV show, especially right at suppertime, but I would get drawn in by a story played over the radio while I cooked. Those stories cracked open the door to my heart, opening me up to the possibility of faith.

The Bible tells us a story of another time God used His knowledge of individual people to draw a group to Jesus. After Jesus was born, "some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him'" (Matthew 2:1-2). The wise men were men of learning, men who studied the heavens. God knew they'd notice the appearance of a new star in the sky, and that they'd search for the meaning of its arrival. Some scholars believe that the wise men would have been familiar with Jewish prophesies, which explains how they figured out that the star told of the birth of a new Jewish king.

The star in the sky didn't draw everyone to Jesus. There wasn't a rush of people from all over coming to meet Him. We don't know why the wise men were chosen, but God put the star in the sky as a sign designed to make them set off to find Jesus, and they followed it to Him. God also sent an angel to the shepherds because he knew they wouldn't notice or understand a new star. They needed a simple, clear invitation. In both cases, God wanted certain people to meet Jesus, and He tailored the invitation specifically for them.
The star in the sky didn't draw everyone to Jesus | DevotedQuilter.com
I find it comforting to know that God knows us so well, and that He uses that understanding of us to reach us individually. While I may not be able to see how He could reach someone, He knows them and knows how to approach them.

How did God bring you to Jesus? Did He use His knowledge of your personality, interests, or quirks to reach you? 

January 04, 2025

Goal Planning for 2025

The start of a new year means it's time to look back at how I did with last year's goals and to set some new goals for 2025. I'll be linking this review/goal setting post with Yvonne's Quilting Planning Party at Quilting Jetgirl.

To start things off, how did I do on my 2024 goals?

1. Keep making small quilts

As of my mid-year review, I had made 3 small quilts. Since then, I made another 6, if we count the Stay Cozy cushions and Brianna's purple butterfly cushion as quilts...which they are, just with extra pieces for the back of the cushion instead of binding.  The other three were my Merry Mini quilts made during the Christmas in July QAL (and finished during WIPS-B-GONE).
Merry Mini Quilts | DevotedQuilter.com
2. Sew some clothes

I did, but not much. I made myself two new shirts sometime around the spring/early summer. I used the Cachet pattern from Sinclair Patterns and a waffle knit fabric. I've made the Cachet several times before and really like it, but it didn't work as I expected with the waffle knit. I'm still very much a beginner when it comes to making clothes, and I didn't know that waffle knit tends to fit larger than the jersey knit I'm more used to working with, so the shirts are larger than I was expecting. They're wearable, but not fabulous.

I enjoy wearing the clothes I've made, but find the fitting process frustrating, especially when a change of fabric can make such a difference to a pattern I thought I had fitting well. I think that's part of why I haven't made any other clothes this year.

3. Moments with Jesus Easter QAL

I so enjoyed hosting my fourth QAL and Devotional Journey leading up to Easter! Now if only I could get around to quilting at least one of the 8 (!!) quilt tops I have hanging around waiting from all the QALs πŸ˜‚ I want to release the patterns in my shop, but need finished quilts for the covers before I can do that... Hmmm, maybe that should be a goal for 2025!

4. All things Stash Artists

This year there were 6 Stash Artists patterns, plus the Joy BOM pattern, and I increased the virtual Sew Together Sessions so we're now sewing together monthly. I love coming up with scrappy and stash-friendly patterns to share in the membership, and getting to sew with the members who join in the virtual meetups is always fun. If you love scrappy and stash-friendly quilts, too, join the waitlist to be notified when the membership doors open again in the spring!
Joy quilt top | DevotedQuilter.com
Is that another unquilted quilt top, you ask? Yes, yes it is πŸ˜…

5. WIPS-B-GONE 2024

I loved hosting this annual WIPs finishing challenge again this year! Instagram has made changes to how hashtags work, making it harder to see everyone's posts, but it's still great to focus on finishing up old projects together.

6. Finish my Hexie Rainbow top

Happy, happy dance! The Hexie Rainbow quilt top is finished! Not only that, it's also basted and I've started the big stitch hand quilting. More on that below.
Hexie Rainbow quilt top | DevotedQuilter.com
7. Regular workouts and 300,000 steps a month

Well, this one is a yes and a no. When I set the goal, I was aiming for 2-3 strength or yoga workouts a week (from Youtube), plus the 300,000 steps a month. I was also still in childcare, and walking most days with the littles.

In June I transitioned out of childcare and started work as a virtual assistant for another quilt pattern designer, which I did not see coming at the beginning of the year. It's so quiet! I haven't changed a diaper in 6 months! It's so good! The one thing I do miss from the childcare days, though, is my daily walk. We didn't go very fast, but we got out as often as we could. Now, since I'm sitting at my computer the whole time I'm working, I'm finding it harder to get my steps in. All of that to say, I didn't hit 300,000 steps very many times this year. I crushed it in August, though, when Paul and I spent a week hiking in the Rockies for our anniversary 😊

Just before school started in September, I realized that if I got up the same time I used to when I had to be ready for the littles to be dropped off at 8, I'd have time to do one of the Nourish Move Love strength workouts before getting ready for work. I started doing that and I love it! I've consistently done those workouts Monday-Friday since September, except for the few I missed when I was sick and over Christmas week. I do their Strong 20 and Stronger 25 programs, and I'm looking forward to starting their brand new Perform 20 program on Monday.

If you want to get into strength training, but you're a little intimidated like I was, I highly recommend NML. The workouts use only dumbbells or your own body weight, and the exercises aren't complicated. Plus they show you ways to modify to make the exercises easier (which is what I have to do most of the time). 

The strength workouts haven't made a difference to my weight or how my clothes fit yet, but they've made a huge difference to how I feel in my regular daily movement. They've also made a big difference to the back pain I've been struggling with for years.

And now, on to goals for 2025...


1. Keep making small quilts

This is just an ongoing goal at this point, but I never seem to run out of those scrap batting pieces. I've even pieced together frankenbatting to fit a couple of throw size quilts this year, and the scrap batting box is still full! Of course, it used to be 2 boxes, so I have made progress.

2. A Roman Adventure

This year's Easter QAL and Devotional Journey will be traveling through the book of Romans. The quilt design is finalized and I'm itching to get started once I have the fabric in hand. I'm working on the devotions, too. Easter is later this year, so registration will open in early February. If you want to be sure you don't miss when it opens, sign up for the Bulletin and you'll be among the first to know! Here's a little sneak peek at the quilt design.
sneak peek quilt design | DevotedQuilter.com
3. WIPS-B-GONE 2025

You read about my growing collection of unquilted quilt tops, right? I need this annual challenge as much as anyone else (if not more!), so it will definitely be returning this fall.

4. Quilt the cover quilt for These Three and release the pattern

I might as well put it on the list of goals! Getting this one done would leave me with only three previous year's QAL tops to get to...unless this year's ends up being unquilted, too. I need more hours in my day for quilting!
These Three quilt top | DevotedQuilter.com
5. Make my Night Court wall hanging

It has been a long time since I bought a quilt pattern, because I have so many of my own I want to make (anyone have a lead on finding those extra hours for my days? πŸ˜‚). When I saw the new Night Court pattern from Cotton and Joy, though, I bought it right away. First of all, it's a beautiful pattern. Second, I love that it's connected to, and officially licensed by, Sarah J. Maas and her ACOTAR books. I love reading, and I'm looking forward to having a quilt that is reading-adjacent without depicting a bookshelf or book. I plan to hang it in my sewing room...eventually, lol.

6. All the Stash Artists things

There will be another 6 patterns this year (the next one releases to members on Monday), plus a new BOM that starts Monday, too. And our monthly virtual Sew Together Sessions will give us a chance to connect despite the physical distance between us. Remember to join the waitlist to be notified when the membership doors open!

7. Go to Quilt Market

This one feels like a huge stretch, but I'm writing it down anyway. I've wanted to go to Quilt Market for years, but working in childcare got in the way, plus it's a big expense. Well, I'm not in childcare anymore, so that's one obstacle removed. I'll be working to grow my pattern business enough to cover the expense, and I think going to Quilt Market will also be a big factor in helping to grow the business.

8. Keep working on the Hexie Rainbow

The quilt top may be finished, but I'm still a long way from finished finished. Since I'm doing big stitch hand quilting, I expect I'll be working on this quilt for a good while yet. I already know I won't work on it during the summer when it'll be too hot to sit under a quilt. I want to be sure I don't set it aside and then not pick it back up again when the weather cools off, though, so it's going on the goals list. As of right now, I've quilted the center black hexie flower and the red ring. That's 37 of the 1,999 hexies quilted πŸ˜‚ Here's how it looks from the back so far. How far will I be by the end of the year, I wonder.
Big stitch hand quilting progress | DevotedQuilter.com
9. Keep doing the strength workouts and get that step count a bit higher

Like I said last year when I set the fitness goal, I feel so much better when I move regularly. I've been pleasantly surprised by how good the strength workouts make me feel, so I'm going to keep going with those. Right now my daily average for steps over the last 12 months is 8,300, which isn't actually bad. I'd still like to see it higher, though, so I'm going to set the goal at averaging 9,000/day. 


I've started saying I could probably fill every day 2 or 3 times over, and looking at that list of goals fits right in with that. At least I won't be bored this year!

January 02, 2025

TGIFF - Butterfly Cushion

Happy New Year! Welcome to the first TGIFF party of 2025 😊 I have another cushion finish to share today. I very rarely make cushions, but I've now made three in less than a month! You can see the first two here

Zach's girlfriend Brianna's favourite colour is purple, so I decided to make her a purple butterfly cushion for Christmas. (they're exchanging gifts when they get back to university next week).
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
I used the butterfly from my Scraps Take Flight pattern and all the squares were already cut, so it came together really quickly. I love digging into my scraps, even if it's only for a handful of squares! If you want to get your scraps organized in a way that makes sense for the kind of quilts you make, download my Escape Scrap Overwhelm guide.

The cushion insert I have (stolen from my Stay Cozy cushion, lol) is 14", so I planned to make the cushion cover 14" as well. I made the butterfly, then started cutting the background fabric to make the borders to bring it up to size, which is when I discovered I only had enough to make the cushion cover 13 ½". I pretty much just shrugged and kept going. I figured if the insert was too big to fit, I could always remove some of the stuffing to make it work.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
It's amazing how a little bit of applique turns a few squares into a butterfly!
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
Once the front was pieced, I basted it together with a scrap of Warm and Natural batting (yay for using some from my batting scrap box!), and a fabric for the back that will always be hidden inside the cushion. Basting is my least favourite part of the process, so I like that it goes much faster when the quilt is so small.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
I used Aurifil 2600 to quilt around the body of the butterfly to secure it. I went around it three times, intentionally trying to wobble a teeny bit to make the lines more distinct.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
I used Aurifil 2540 to quilt around the butterfly wings, then quilted long teardrop shapes in the wings.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
Then I used Aurifil 2024 for the background. First I stitched right at the edge of the butterfly, then echoed that about ¼" away. 
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
Finally, I quilted small double loops all over the background. I'm usually reminding myself to quilt bigger when I quilt this motif, so it was fun to quilt it small for a change.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
This pretty purple from Island Batik was the perfect choice for the back of the cushion. I cut the back pieces 10" high, but should have made them shorter as they overlap a little too much.
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
We don't have many throw cushions in our house, but they sure are fun (and fast!) to make. Hopefully Brianna will like this one as much as I do!
Scrappy butterfly cushion | DevotedQuilter.com
That's my finish for this week. Now it's your turn! What have you finished recently? Any Christmas present makes you can share now that they've been gifted? Link up your finishes below, and be sure to visit some of the other links to celebrate their finishes, too.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter