So we decided the best way for her to fall in love with quilts was to give her one. We know she already loves fabric. She touches fabric everyday of the week since her job is to cut and assemble the capsets that our salesmen use to introduce new lines of fabric. Each new fabric season, we all talk about our favorite fabric and all the things we want to make. Aida’s favorite fabric was Manderely by Franny and Jane. Mariza picked out a couple of pieces that Aida would like.

We used the light aqua shown in the block above as our main piece.

Everyone picked out their own fabric choice based on the aqua piece.

We then decided that the Swoon pattern by Thimbleblossoms was the perfect design to make a scrappy quilt.

This is my very favorite picture of Aida.

She was so surprised as we handed her a pillowcase. She did not even know what was inside yet.

But then I decided this was my absolutely undeniably my favorite picture.

Just like a kid in a candy store or

possibly the joy of Christmas morning was quite evident on her face.

The joy of giving is what quilting is all about.

Here is one last picture of Aida “swooning” over her new Swoon quilt.

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lotus touts

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July 1, 2017

If you have an email address, you have probably received all kinds of email forwards that promise good luck and to pass along the email for continued blessings. This is one of those emails I have recieved and I am glad to say that after receiving in 2013, I am still alive and kicking. I have not won the lottery yet, but this list is almost as good as winning any jackpot so I thought I would share it here.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE… Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

Good words for all of us!!

-modalissa

what can you make with…?

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June 22, 2017

What can you make with a Moda Charm pack, a moda candy and a few yards of bella solids?

I am pulling this blog post out of my draft section because I share a free little pattern download at the bottom of the post but also wanted to share the incredible quilting.

A charm pack (42-5″ squares) and a mini charm pack (42-2 1/2″ squares) So easy. Start sewing with the precuts to make a quick project during balancing all the summer schedules. Plenty of room for autographs for a family reunion project.

WOWSER! Feathers Galore!

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer.

Here in Texas the heat and humidity has hit us.

If you want the pattern, click here for a free download.

Pattern includes a larger version that uses 2 charm packs and 2 mini charms.

I would love to see what you make. Share your pic on FB or IG and tag me, @modalissa.

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The Splendid Day

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April 13, 2017

my how time flies!! Seems like yesterday that I sat down with Jane Davidson and Pat Sloan as they were dreaming up this little project. we talked about the logistics of getting fabrics in all of the designers hands, how we would create the website, who was going to do what and when it was all going to happen. We talked about all the things that have to happen in the background to make this all work. AMAZING!!

This LITTLE project does not even begin to describe how the community of Splendid Sampler has grown. Designers from all over the world have created blocks and shared a little about themselves, then quilter’s from all over the world joined in. The splendid sampler bug spread like a virus that there is no cure for. Here are just a few of the blocks available.

YEAH! That is my block!!

To celebrate the SPLENDID SAMPLER book, there is a fantastic giveaway!!

Click here for more information about the book and the giveaway.

Enjoy!!

-modalissa

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March 14, 2017

I recently had the pleasure of attending the
Knit and Stitch show in London, England.

Yes, glamorous job, but someone has to do it.

One of the Moda designers, Janet Clare had a booth filled with patterns, kits, stitcheries and all kinds of goodies.
Janet was wearing her iconic Artisian Apron.

I love it… wear your creativity!
Read more about Janet here.

Right down the aisle from Janet was Harriett Riddell, a performance textile artist. Yes, a performance textile artist.

I was drawn in by her eclectic table covering made from vintage linens, hankies and art. I knew there had to be a good story here.

While I did not officially meet her, I did stand and watch her work for quite a while. Harriett uses thread and a sewing machine much
like an artist uses paper and pencil to create characters.

Here is a bit of info about Harriett from her bio page.

Harriet Riddell was born in 1990 and grew up in Oxfordshire, England. Harriet is a mixed media performance artist, specializing in observational drawings using a sewing machine. Her artwork responds to and interprets the transient world on to a permanent canvas. Harriet encourages interaction by working in unusual locations and experimenting with the subjects the she chooses to stitch.

(photos used with permission of Harriett Riddell.)

At one of the fairs she “performed” while her subject pedaled a bicycle to generate power for her sewing machine.

I know I would be in better shape if I had to ride a bike to create power for my machine, but I would make a lot fewer quilts.

Thank you to Janet and Harriett for sharing your creativity with us.

-modalissa

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Lucky Charm Quilts

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March 7, 2017

Are you ready for a giveaway?
Martingale is celebrating the release of the Lucky Charm Quilts book by Moda All Stars.

Mark your calendar for MARCH 22nd and hop over to Martingale’s blog. http://blog.shopmartingale.com/

I wanted to show off some of the adorable quilts from the book. There is a variety of quilts using 1 charm pack, 2 charm packs or even go big with 3 charm packs.

Shown above- Bee Hive by Deb Strain

Flying Geese By Bonnie Olaveson

Add your favorite background and see how charm squares can grow into a beuatiful quilt like this one from Bonnie of Cotton Way.

Forever Friends by Lisa Bongean

How clever is this? Friendship quilts!!

Headed West by Pat Sloan

Love love love this black dot added to Pat’s quilt.

Hexagon Braid by Jenny Doan

Holiday Charm by Kansas Troubles

Little Village, Big Woods by Janet Clare

So many options……

Prairie Nights by Kathy Schmitz

Scrappy Christmas by Anne Sutton

Simply Charmed by Sherri McConnell

Spinning Tops by Jen Kingwell

Spring Mosaic by Sandy Gervais

Sweet Stripes by Karla Eisenach of Sweetwater and Co.

I know you have some charm packs that you are just waiting on the perfect project to come along!!

Teatime by Laurie Simpson

Three Times a Charm by Sandy Klop

Tire Tracks by Carrie Nelson and Tammy Vonderschmitt

Two Pack Buzz by Me and My Sister

Mark your calendar – MARCH 22nd!! Your chance to win some Moda charm packs and books!

-modalissa

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Ugly Sweater Blocks

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November 15, 2016

The Halloween candy is almost gone or if you are like me the candy is buried in the freezer. The turkey and all the fixin’s will be on the table very very soon. Then it will be time to pull out all those Ugly Christmas Sweaters, the tackier the better, right?I couldn’t resist when Kerry contacted me and see if I wanted to be a part of her ugly Christmas blocks, sweater blocks that is.

For information on details about the sweater pattern, visit Kid Giddy. There is an a whole group of us making sweater blocks and posting them on Instagram. To follow along search #uglysweaterblock or follow Kerry’s IG.

I will be sharing my block on my Instagram soon, @modalissa.

Did I say there were prizes and giveaways?

Of course…

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Holiday Party

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September 22, 2016

I am so super excited that one of my quilts is featured in the December 2016 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. I may have to have a Holiday Party and invite everyone over to help me celebrate. But since I can’t do that I will just have to share my Holiday Party Quilt on the newly redesigned cover of this wonderful issue.

If I were to have a party I would need to borrow all of their props to use by my quilt and I would need to clean my house, so I doubt that is going to happen anytime soon.

I thought I would share how this quilt came to be. Do you remember the old commercials from the 80’s for doublemint gum?

Two..
Two..

Two Quilts in one.
I wish it was that easy.

The quilts shown below that were APQ Quilt-Along features were the inspiration.

I drew out the Holiday Party using some of the math from my Burgoyne Surrounded shown below and added in leftover pieces from my four patch quilt to get some what of a morphed holiday version. Once I connected the dots and added a few more squares to fill in the holes, the Holiday Party quilt came to life.

Now I have the jingle from the 80’s commercial stuck in my head. Double Fresh, Double Smooth, Double Pleasure waiting for you……..

for more info on this quilt, April issue 2013

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/apqquiltalong/

for more info on this quilt, April issue 2014.

This design is just as yummy in classic blues and tans as shown in the color option featuring Windham fabrics.

December issue, on sale October 4th.

Party!!!.

-modalissa

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Splendid Sampler- Day 57

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August 27, 2016

I am 57 out of 100.
This is not my class rank or my finish in the last 5K I participated in.
It is my block number in the Splendid Sampler.
I call it the Super Splendid Sampler. (triple S)

It seems like yesterday that I met with Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson as they were cooking up this idea. What a idea it was, bringing together 100 different people from the quilting community from all over the world to make 1- 6″ block.

Sounds easy enough! I had fun playing with a 6″ block, but tying it to a story about me got a little tough. Where to begin?

I played wth fabrics and decided Starting Point was the perfect description for my journey as a quilter. I started quilting in 1980, pre-google, pre online shopping, pre-almost everything! I am a self taught quilter, trying to figure it out as I went along. This was my Starting Point.

The Block instructions are posted on the Splendid Sampler website. I snagged this picture from the site. I had completely forgotten that I wrote the silly note on the envelope when I mailed it to Pat.

In 1989 my SIL gave me a book, It’s Okay to Sit on My Quilt by Mary Ellen Hopkins and an Olfa rotary cutter. Game Changer!! I was hooked. Many books, classes and quilts later, I am still as passionate about the art of quilting as I was then. I continue to learn and be inspired and hope the Splendid Sampler has inspired you.

If you are making the sampler, keep going, you can do it. Hopefully, you have learned a few new things and met some quilty friends along the way.

ONE FINAL THING
Organizing and supporting such a project has been borderline miraculous for Jane and Pat, or maybe a better description would be as if they were herding cats. Thank you to Pat, Jane and all of the designers contributing to this project. Hop on over to Splendid Sampler to download my block instructions.

-MODALISSA

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