Two New Quilting Events

I hope you are well, both physically and mentally. These are strange days, there's no doubt about it. I have to go get our weekly groceries sometime today, which used to feel like a perfectly ordinary thing to do, and now it feels like I'm doing something just a little wrong by going into a building other than my own house. Anyone else feel that way??

Covid-19 may have the in-person quilting world shut down, but our online community is still going strong. We've just finished the Stay at Home and Shop Hop (click the link if you missed it!) and now today there are two more events starting 😊

First up, there's the Spring Clean Your Studio Blog Hop, hosted by Cheryl Sleboda, of Muppin Inc.

I don't even have a studio and I needed to be part of this blog hop! I am so looking forward to peeking into other quilters' studios, both to live a little vicariously through them and to plan for the day when I will have my own studio. I have been doing some cleaning and organizing, too, so I'll be sharing that on April 11th. In the meantime, here's the schedule so you can peek into their studios, too. I don't know about you, but I can use all the organizing ideas I can get.

April 1 - Sam Hunter - http://www.huntersdesignstudio.com
April 2 - Marian Pena - http://www.seamstobesew.com
April 3 - Jennifer Fulton - http://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions
April 4 - Martha Wolf - http://Www.pinwheelprodns.com
April 5 - Jennifer Strauser - http://www.dizzyquilter.com
April 6 - Steph Carton - http://www.theelimonster.com/blog
April 7 - Simone Fisher - http://www.simonequilts.com/blog
April 8 - Kate Colleran - http://www.seamslikeadream.com
April 9 - Carlina Moore - http://www.alwaysexpectmoore.com
April 10 - Jen Frost - http://www.faithandfabricdesign.com/blog
April 11 - Leanne Parsons - http://www.devotedquilter.com
April 12 - Becca Fenstermaker - http://www.prettypiney.com/blog
April 13 - Sarah Myers - http://www.quilted-diary.com
April 14 - Mitzi Redd - http://www.reddhomestead.com
April 15 - Jeanette Larson - http://www.Jenonthefarm.com
April 16 - Camille Ainsworth - http://www.stitchinthenw.com
April 17 - Becky Philips Jorgenson - http://www.patchworkposse.com
April 18 - Bobbie Gentili - http://www.geekybobbin.com/category/blog
April 19 - Janellea Macbeth - http://www.janelleamacbeth.com/blog/
April 20 - Lisa Ruble - http://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com
April 21 - Debra Davis - http://www.tuning-my-heart.com/blog
April 22 - Rona Herman - http://www.Ronatheribbiter.com
April 23 - Sue Griffiths - http://www.duckcreekmountainquilting.com
April 24 - Sarah Ruiz- http://www.saroy.net/
April 25 - Jessica Caldwell - http://www.desertbloomquilting.com/
April 26 - Tammy Silvers - http://tamarinis.typepad.com
April 27 - Ebony Love - http://www.lovebugstudios.com/blog
April 28 - Cheryl Sleboda - http://blog.muppin.com


The second event starting today is a virtual trunk show series. I've never had the pleasure of going to an actual trunk show, so getting to see a whole series of them is going to be a lot of fun!

These are all happening on Facebook, as 15 minute live videos, one every hour starting at noon EST. I'm having trouble even imagining how many beautiful quilts there will be! To get us started, here's the schedule for today. I'll be sharing each day's schedule on my FB page, so you can follow me there to be sure you don't miss any of the eye candy 😍

April 1 12pm EST Andi Stanfield    facebook.com/Anditruebluequilts
April 1 1pm EST Nancy Scott        facebook.com/MasterpieceQ
April 1 2pm EST Becky Jorgensen     https://www.facebook.com/patchworkposse/
April 1 3pm EST Carolina Moore facebook.com/alwaysexpectmoore
April 1 4pm EST Jackie Kunkel    https://www.facebook.com/cantonvillagequiltworks/
April 1 5pm EST Connie Jonson Sayler  https://www.facebook.com/PacificRimQuiltCompany/
April 1 6pm EST Laura Piland/Slice of Pi Quilts  https://www.facebook.com/sliceofpiquilts/
April 1 7pm EST Sandra Starley  https://www.facebook.com/TextileTimeTravels

April 1 8pm EST Swan Sheridan  www.facebook.com/swanamitystudios


Between our own quilting and all this virtual community connecting, we shouldn't have any reason to be bored!

Stay at Home and Shop Hop - Day 4

It's the final day of the Stay at Home and Shop Hop! I hope you've enjoyed hopping around the world to new shops, all from the comfort and safety of your own home 😊

If this is your first time visiting Devoted Quilter, a special welcome to you! I'm Leanne, a quilt pattern designer in Newfoundland, Canada. You can read my introduction here.

Right now I'm planning something new that involves live video, so I'm equal parts nervous and excited, lol 😅 

All of my patterns, printed or PDF, are on sale now through April 2nd, so it's a great time to pick up a new pattern or two.

Shop the sale!

Some of my patterns are especially good for sewing from your stash, which is great in these days of staying home as much as possible. I recommend Friendship Galaxy...

Scraps Squared...

or Love Birds.

I want to say a big thank you to Linda, at Colourwerx Designs, for organizing this hop and making sure it all ran smoothly. It is a big group to keep on track, but she did a great job 😊

Here's the final list of shops for you to visit:

Studio R Quilts
https://www.studiorquilts.com
Toadally Quilts
https://www.toadallyquilts.com
From Blank Pages
https://www.fromblankpages.com
Cotton Street Commons
http://www.cottonstreetcommons.com
Puppy Girl Designs
http://www.puppygirldesigns.com
Phoebe Moon Quilt Designs
https://www.facebook.com/phoebemoondesgins
Christa Quilts
https://www.christaquilts.com
Stitched by Susan
http://www.stitchedbysusan.com
Tamarinis
https://www.tamarinis.com


And just in case you missed any of the previous three lists, here are those shops again. Happy hopping!

Bequilter
https://www.beaquilter.com/shop
Presto Avenue Designs
https://www.prestoavenuedesigns.com
Cheryl Lynch Quilts
http://www.cheryllynchquilts.com/home.html
Love to Color My World
http://lovetocolormyworld.blogspot.com/
 Hissyfitz Designs
https://www.hissyfitzdesigns.com
Canton Village Quilt Works
https://cvquiltworks.com/blogs/blog
Anjeanette Klinder Designs
http://www.anjeanettek.com
Pat Sloan – The Voice of Quilting
https://www.blog.patsloan.com
Said With Love
https://www.saidwithlove.com.au
Orange Blossom Quilt Design
https://www.orangeblossomquilt.com
DaySpring Quilt Company
https://www.dayspringquiltcompany.com
Ms P Designs, USA  
https://www.mspdesignsusa.com
Stitchin’ at Home
http://www.stitchinathome.com
Sew Joy Creations
https://www.sewjoycreations.com
Ships & Violins
https://www.shipsandviolins.com
Patti’s Patchwork
https://www.pattispatchwork.com
Your Sewing Friend
https://www.etsy.com/shop/yoursewingfriend
The Geeky Bobbin
https://www.geekybobbin.com
Colourwerx Designs
https://www.colourwerx.com
Kate Colleran Designs
https://www.seamslikeadream.com
Lone Star Pattern Works
https://www.lonestarpatternworks.com
Powered by Quilting
https://www.poweredbyquilting.com
Cottage Rose Quilt Patterns
https://www.cottagerosequiltshop.com
The Cloth Parcel
https://www.theclothparcel.com
Faith and Fabric
https://www.faithandfabricdesign.com
Linen Closet Designs
http://www.linenclosetdesigns.com
Designs by Sarah J
https://www.designsbysarahj.com
Rona the Ribbiter Quilts
https://www.ronatheribbiter.com
Quilt Fox Designs
https://www.quiltfox-design.com
Seam to Be Sew
https://www.seamstobesew.com

Quilting Wisdom

Devotion for the Week...

I have been very grateful lately to have quilting to occupy both my time and my mind. It's easy to get caught up in spending too much time reading news or just scrolling social media mindlessly. Neither is helpful right now as everything is dominated by Covid-19 and too much of that is unsettling, to say the least. Quilting, on the other hand, helps to settle the mind. It also helps to occupy the time spent hanging out at home.

I've always considered quilting, sewing, embroidery, cross-stitch, etc, to be great skills, but I never thought about them being part of what I consider 'wisdom' until one morning last week. I've been reading Exodus lately and in the midst of the instructions for building and furnishing the tabernacle there is a section about the garments that were to be made for the priests. It says, "Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service" (Exodus 28:2, 3).

I love that God specifically says He has filled the craftsmen with the spirit of wisdom to enable them to create beautiful things. Lots of times we think of crafty pursuits as being not very important, or we downplay the skill required. But here is God saying that these skills are a gift from Him.  Just let that thought settle in your mind.

The ability to put a quilt together is a gift from God. Knitting skills? A gift from God. Sure, we may have learned from Mom or Grandma or Youtube, but no matter how we learned, the skills were given to us by God. That makes it hard to brush them off as nothing special, doesn't it?

Background quilt is Flower Path

God wanted our world to contain things are that are functional AND beautiful, so He gave us the wisdom needed to create them. What a wonderful gift!