Stash Artists Doors Now Open!

Would you call yourself an artist? Maybe you wouldn't, but I think you are - you're a stash artist, using your fabric and thread to make the world more beautiful, one quilt at a time. The Stash Artists membership is for Stash Artists (like you!) who want stash-friendly and scrap-friendly patterns, along with a community of quilty friends.

The membership doors are open now for new members, but only until the end of the day, Monday, November 20th. When the doors close then, they won't be open again until next spring.

Join Stash Artists now!

Here's what is included in the Stash Artists membership:

• 6 new patterns per year, released every other month
• 6 virtual Sew Together Sessions, in alternate months to the pattern releases
• a skill-building Block of the Month pattern, with two size options (baby/wall hanging and throw)
• access to the Stash Artists patterns released in the past 12 months
• an ever-growing library of video tutorials
• monthly devotions
• discounts on patterns, workshops, and QALs outside the membership

The patterns and the Sew Together Sessions are the backbone of Stash Artists. So far there are 4 patterns available to Stash Artists members. They are:

1. Reverberate

2. Scraps Take Flight

3. Grateful

4. Framed Pinwheels.

Since Stash Artists first opened its doors, we've had two Sew Together Sessions. It has been so fun to actually talk to people who were previously only IG or FB names! And now we have the joy of looking forward to getting to chat again in December 😊 As one member put it,

"I so enjoyed that [Sew Together Session]! That has been my favourite part, connecting with people. I really enjoyed that!” - Michelle E.

Aside from the 6 patterns released each year, there is also the Block of the Month pattern. The current BOM is already underway, and the block patterns already released are available inside the membership. The baby/wall hanging version of the BOM uses two of every block, while the throw size version uses two of some blocks and more of others. 

 Over the course of the BOM, we'll use a variety of techniques, including EPP, paper piecing, and curved piecing. As new techniques are used, I'm adding video tutorials so members can either learn the technique for the first time, or pick up some tips to help them as they make their blocks. Adding new techniques to our quilty toolbox opens up so many new possibilities for what we can do with fabric and thread!

Each month I also add a new devotion to the membership, just like the devotions I share here on the blog each week. Lately I've been focusing on the theme of 'abundance,' and I've been enjoying exploring all the Bible has to say about that theme.

If you want stash-friendly patterns, a community to sew with, monthly devotions, and more, I hope you'll join us inside the Stash Artists membership. 

Yes, I want to join Stash Artists!

Big Rocks

Devotion for the week...

Have you ever heard of the demonstration where someone uses one large, empty container and four smaller containers full of big rocks, small rocks, pebbles, and sand? The person will ask the audience if they think it's possible to fit the contents of all four containers into the one empty container, which looks impossible. Though the empty container is bigger, it's not four times the size of the smaller ones. The person demonstrating dumps in the sand, which fills the container partway. They then dump in the pebbles on top of the sand, which fills the container past the halfway point. In go the small rocks, and now the container is almost full, leaving room for one or two of the big rocks, but definitely not all of them. 

The person will then bring out a new empty container, identical to the first one, along with another four smaller containers identical to the first set. They'll explain that it is actually possible to fit the big rocks, small rocks, pebbles, and sand all into the larger container at the same time, but it has to be done in the right order. In go the big rocks, one at a time, and they almost fill the larger container all by themselves. But then the person starts to put in the smaller rocks, and they fit in around the big rocks. Then the person pours in the pebbles, which fill in the gaps between the big rocks and the small rocks. The sand follows, filtering down through even the smallest spaces between the rocks to fill in all the remaining space.

This demonstration is often used to show the importance of time management. If we fill our time with the little, insignificant tasks, we often don't have big chunks of time left over to accomplish the big tasks, but if we start with the big tasks, the little ones can fill in the smaller bits of time left over. When I read Matthew 6:33 recently, though, this demonstration was what came to mind, and I realized it can also be used to describe the attitude of our hearts, too.

Jesus told us to "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33). Do you see the big rock we should be fitting into our hearts first? Seeking His kingdom means giving Him priority in our hearts, which is in contrast to the previous few verses when Jesus had been cautioning the people not to store up treasures on earth (v. 19), not to be enslaved to money (v. 24), and not to worry about their daily needs (vv. 25-31). In other words, the things of this world are not meant to have first place in our hearts. If they're in first place, we've turned them into idols and they've taken the position that rightfully belongs to God. 

We can't fit God into the spaces left between all the other things of life. Instead, we are to put Him first, and then everything else can fit in around Him.

Framed Pinwheels

The November Stash Artists pattern is available to members now, and I'm so happy to be able to introduce you to Framed Pinwheels! 

Stash Artists members can login to their account to get the Framed Pinwheels pattern. Not a member yet? The Stash Artists doors will be open for new members starting on November 14th. Join the waitlist now so you'll be notified by email when the doors open, to be sure you don't miss it.

I love a good scrappy quilt and I love pinwheel blocks, so this quilt makes me very happy. I also love designs with fun negative space, so the spaces between the frames make me happy, too. 

When I designed the pattern, I intended to only make a baby quilt for the cover, but then I couldn't resist pulling enough fabric to make the throw size. I did manage to stop myself there, instead of pulling enough for a queen size, though! I snapped this picture to help me remember which fabrics were paired together. How did quilters remember things like that before they had digital cameras for these quick pictures??? Since I started quilting in 1997, I was one of those quilters, lol, but I don't remember how I kept track of things then.

There was plenty of trimming to be done to get all the units the perfect size before assembling the blocks. Trimming isn't my favourite task, but it makes such a big difference to how the quilt comes together that it's worth the effort. I wrote a blog post a while back about how I trim HSTs without a specialty ruler.

I had an off-cut of Warm and Natural batting that was just barely wide enough for Framed Pinwheels. I had about an extra inch on the sides, at most, but I made it work! Even though it was throw size, I still count is as using up a batting scrap, since it was previously cut off from a new package after basting a different quilt.

When it came time to start the quilting, it was a dull, grey day and I wanted to work with something fun and colourful, so rather than choosing white or grey thread, I chose Aurifil 2515, Light Orchid. I love it! I find it fascinating how the thread colour shows so clearly up close, but when you take a step back and view the quilt as a whole, it's still the fabrics and the overall design that are more visible.

I love how it looks on the teal backing fabric, too.

I find I'm doing more and more all-over quilting, especially on bigger quilts, rather than spending the time on custom quilting. I still love custom quilting, but my brain is always racing ahead to the next quilt I want to play with, and I don't want to spend as much time on the quilting step. I'm more tempted to do fancy or dense quilting on mini quilts. As an example of my brain racing ahead, since I finished Framed Pinwheels last week, I've started two new quilts and designed another one, with plans to turn that one into a series...all while I'm running (and participating in) WIPS-B-GONE! Sheesh!

Of course, a quilt this scrappy needed a scrappy binding, too. Some of these pieces I pulled from my box of binding scraps, but I had to cut some, too. I've made quite a few scrappy bindings lately, so the box of leftovers doesn't have many bright, fun colours left in it. I guess that means I need to make a bunch of quilts with bright bindings to replenish the scraps!

I think Framed Pinwheels would be so fun in scrappy Christmas colours, or Halloween colours. I also can't wait to see it made up from Stash Artists' stashes. There's something so interesting about seeing a scrappy quilt from someone else's stash. They always have so many fabrics I don't have, or ones I wouldn't have thought to put together, and I love looking at them all.

Remember, you can join the Stash Artists waiting list now so you'll get an email letting you know as soon as the Stash Artists doors open for new members. New members will get access to the patterns that have already been featured in the membership, including Framed Pinwheels.