Fifty-Fifty in Daisy Fields and the Pattern Release

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Today is doubly exciting: I get to share my new Fifty-Fifty quilt and it's release day for the pattern! You can get the Fifty-Fifty pattern now in my shop as a PDF or you can PREORDER the printed pattern, which will ship to you as soon as they're in my hands from the printer. Newsletter subscribers, be sure to check your inbox for a discount code 😉

Two block quilt designs are classic, but what happens if you split those blocks in half and then recombine them? You get a Fifty-Fifty quilt, that's what! It's a modern spin on traditional log cabin and starburst blocks and it's so much fun to make.

I used the new Daisy Fields fabric line, designed by Beverly McCullough for Riley Blake, to make this 48" square baby size Fifty-Fifty. There is so much to love in these fabrics - the daisies, the hexagon elements, the colours...I just couldn't resist them!

The Starburst blocks are paper pieced and, of course, I used freezer paper to make them. It's so nice knowing I'll never again have to rip out bits of paper from paper pieced blocks! If you'd like to learn how to skip the ripping out part of paper piecing, sign up for The Bulletin so you'll be notified next time I host a workshop.

With a fabric line called Daisy Fields and daisies all over the quilt, the quilting design was a no-brainer. I love when it's easy to decide how to quilt something, don't you? I use this loopy flower meander quite often. It's quick, simple and it doesn't have to be perfect to look good. Some flowers have five petals, some have six and some have seven and it's all good.  And while there are usually two loops between flowers, sometimes there are more, especially if I had backed myself into a space too small for a flower. No problem, I just threw in a few more loops and worked my way back to a more open space.

I used Aurifil 1135 in 50 wt for the quilting. It's a subtle bit of colour on the blues, teals and white of the quilt top, but it's not overpowering, and it blends into the yellows. I love the bit of colour it adds to the solid white back, too! And the texture is fabulous!

Fifty-Fifty was first published in Make Modern magazine last year as a throw size, and I've now expanded the pattern to include this baby size and a queen size. It's amazing what a difference fabric choice makes! Even though both quilts use teals/blues and yellows/oranges, they look so different!

Sometimes I have fun playing around when I want to post something on social media. I think the Fifty-Fifty baby quilt made a great backdrop for the lilies currently blooming in our front yard 😊

Head to my shop now to get your Fifty-Fifty quilt pattern. I can't wait to see your Fifty-Fifty quilts!

Buy the PDF Fifty-Fifty pattern

PREORDER the printed Fifty-Fifty pattern

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TGIFF - Essential Tank Dress

Welcome to this week's TGIFF party! A finish always feels good, doesn't it? If you have a finish to share, link it up so we can all celebrate with you 😊

My finish was actually finished a few weeks ago, but I didn't get pictures until this week. It's easier to get pictures of a quilt than of a dress because I don't have to be in the quilt pictures! I have been mostly wearing dresses this summer and this Essential Tank (pattern from Patterns for Pirates) has been on heavy rotation.

There are a couple of things I love about this dress, but the biggest one is that I don't have to worry about flashing everyone if there's a breeze! Always a bonus, right?

With this, I have now made almost every view included in the Essential Tank pattern - the top with straight straps and with racerback straps, the maxi dress with front slit and with the back slit and now the above the knee length. The only things I haven't done are the tunic length and the banded bottom on the tops. Not bad for a $10 pattern.

I widened the straps a little because the first couple of things I made with this pattern were just a bit too narrow and my bra showed. I know lots of women don't worry about that, but I prefer to have mine hidden. Being able to accommodate my own preference is one of the great things about making my own clothes!

I used an athletic knit from Black Rabbit Fabrics (shout out to them - their shipping times are always crazy fast!) and I love the feel of it. It's a nice weight and it feels nice and cool, which has been wonderful this summer, especially since I do not like the heat at all. Paul and I went to the beach for these pictures and so I could spend some time in the water because it was really hot that day (okay, really hot for Newfoundland, so those of you in more southern climes would laugh at me like I laugh at you when you say it's cold in the winter, lol). This beach isn't good for swimming because there are lots of big rocks just below the surface, but it is good for walking in the water. Isn't it a beautiful spot?

After a while I got tired of walking around, so I just decided to sit on one of those submerged rocks, lol. FYI, the dress dried pretty quickly 😊

I used to feel kind of guilty for sewing dresses more than anything else, but after wearing them so often this summer I won't feel guilty anymore. In fact, I feel perfectly justified in sewing up a couple more!

The one complaint I do have about most of the dresses is that they don't have pockets. I've been using a Necessary Clutch Wallet I made back in 2018, but my phone doesn't fit in it, so when I go out without pockets I have to carry my purse and my phone, which gets annoying. Maybe it's time to make a new purse...I really don't like having a large purse, though, so if you have a recommendation for something just slightly larger than the Necessary Clutch Wallet, I'd love to hear it!

And now it's your turn! What have you finished this week? Or finished a while back and finally got around to sharing? Link it up so we can celebrate with you. And be sure to visit a few of the other links to celebrate their finish with them. It's always fun to have lots of people cheering us on!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

2022 Mid-Year Review

The actual mid-point of the year snuck past while I was on a whirlwind trip to Nova Scotia with Nathan, but it's still the middle of the year, so I'm just going to go ahead 😊 Yvonne, of Quilting Jetgirl, is hosting her annual Mid-Year Check In, so you can write up a review of your own goals and share it there, if you're interested.

So, how am I doing with my goals this year? Let's have a look.

The first Noodles mini quilt I made this year

1. Make more small quilts

I've been doing pretty well on this one! So far I've made a mini and a table runner with the Ticker Tape Heart block, a Noodles mini (shown above), a Shining Through quilt top, a Formal Garden baby quilt, another Noodles mini, and a super fun Tilted Flowers baby quilt top (it's a new free pattern!). There have been a couple of throw size quilts, too, but they don't fit with the goal, lol.

I'm also currently working on another baby quilt and have another one lined up to be done right after it, so it's safe to say I'm having fun making small quilts. I can even see a bit of space in the batting scraps box, so the plan is working!

My Formal Garden baby quilt

2. Learn to sew pants

I haven't tackled this one yet. I have looked at a lot of patterns that would make good shorts, but I haven't convinced myself to make that first attempt. I do need shorts, though...

3. WIPS-B-GONE 2022

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this and I'm excited for it to happen in the fall. I am thinking that I might change the format a bit (60 days instead of 100, to avoid the craziness that is December), so if you have thoughts on that, I'd love to know what you think.

Shining Through quilt top - one of many WIPS I will be working on during WIPS-B-GONE

4. The Add Grace QAL

For the second year in a row, I loved sharing 40 days of quilting and devotions leading up to Easter. Also for the second year, I made two quilts...but they're both only tops, not finished quilts. See, I need WIPS-B-GONE as much as anyone!

5. More workshops

I love teaching workshops! I have had some guild workshops this year, plus I've hosted two open enrolment ones myself. I've had a blast teaching and sewing along with new friends in all of them. It's amazing to me that I can sew in my living room here in Newfoundland while quilters all over the world are in their own homes, sewing and learning right along with me.

I'd love to meet with your guild or group, so please reach out if you are interested. You can learn more about my workshops here.

It feels good to take a look back and see what I've accomplished so far and to remind myself what I still want to accomplish before the year is out (I'm looking at those pants patterns!). Thanks, Yvonne, for the reminder to check in!