Around the Blocks - Volume 3

Thanks for stopping by my happy corner of internet land to catch up with what has been going on in the world of Modern Barn Blocks.  Here you'll hear the latest on what has been going on behind the scenes at Put a Quilt on It as well as links and photos for some other things I have been feeling and loving these past few weeks.

How I'm feeling:

Better at last!  2019 started off with a whimper.  I immediately fell victim to a terrible cold leaving me without energy or the ability to breathe through my nose for a week.  Leading up to New Year’s Eve I had been doing great on my fitness goals, so I’m looking forward to getting moving again this week.

What I'm up to:

Just in the nick of time, I started to feel well enough to attend a very special weekend at my local sewing machine shop and classroom.  On Saturday evening I was part of a lucky group of quilters who participated in a lecture and trunk show by Anna Maria Horner, designer, quilter, author, shop owner, artist.  I learned a lot about her journey from art student to the business woman she is today.  I was also inspired by her development as a quilter.  From the very first quilt market booth, Anna Maria has been a pioneer with a distinct voice all her own.  She made it okay to break the quilting rules. I’d love to grow myself as a quilt artist in 2019 to play around with color, to discover exactly what I want to say with my art at this stage of my life.

On Sunday, my aunt and I returned for a day long workshop with Anna Maria called “Quilts in Bloom.”  Several years ago Anna Maria released a series of shapes in acrylic and Mylar templates.  Throughout the day, we learned several different appliqué techniques and I cut and cut and cut.  I cut petals and circles and leaves.  I ran short of time when it came to working on the stems, but hopefully that will come later.  What a treat to see Anna Maria work in her own way to play with color, layers and shapes.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn from this woman who I have so much respect and admiration for.

Barn Block latest:

We’ve moved!  Well our block warehouse has moved at least.  If you know about our origins, then you probably know that our blocks are created and shipped in the warehouse belonging to my aunt and uncle’s Outdoor Nativity Store.  Well, they finally got smart and moved to Northern California to be closer to family and just this month, the business warehouse started the move as well.  Luckily for me, the shop ended up just 10 minutes from my house, so now I’ll be even more hands on with the physical side of the blocks.

This winter we also added a new collection of barn blocks to the shop.  These are (in my humble opinion) our best looking blocks ever!  The colors are bolder, sharper, cleaner and the designs are even more diverse. 

We also added the winner of the Put MY Quilt on It Contest.

 

Since my last update, we’ve also added a new t-shirt style to the shop.  We received a lot of feedback from our customers who fell in love with our original Wonky shirt design.  While many of you are fans of the more fitted style of shirt, we know it’s not for everyone.  The new black and white design is printed on a unisex fitting shirt and a v-neck.  We hope whatever shape you like, you’ll be happy with our super soft tri-blend design.

Under the needle:

Like a lot of you I’m sure, I am starting out the new year with a resolution to complete some of my existing projects.  That’s not to say I haven’t also started some new projects.  I signed up for the Color Collective monthly subscription hosted by Sewtopia and Tara Faughnan.  We are in month 2 right now and I’m learning quite a bit.  December was a new appliqué method and January is a block made with foundation paper piecing.  I’ve been a fan of FPP for several years now, so this has been a great opportunity to play with some different color combinations and to learn about the effect of value on designs.

In my attempt to spend less time on my phone, I’ve pulled out my Star Kisses quilt top and have been working on some large stitch hand quilting while I’m relaxing on the couch with the kids.  I love the look so far and have a goal of getting this quilt done in time for baseball season.

The other project I’m in the middle of is a Retro Rainbow baby quilt.  The curves came together without any issues and I decided to back it in minky to make it extra snuggly.  I find that kids are big fans of the soft backs and have a definite preference for minky over a traditional cotton back.  I’m doing a free motion spiral/flower quilting motif, but have found that it’s a little bit tougher to slide the top around on my table.

Other Stuff I love:

• I just finished reading Little Fires Everywhere.  I was on the wait list for months to borrow this book from my local library and I finally made it to the top of the list.  I breezed through the book, but can't say that I agree with all of the hype behind it.  I did love that I was able to use my city's public library to read it.  Do you every borrow e-books and read them on your tablet or phone?  I know others will think I'm crazy, but I actually read entire books on my little iphone.  I just find it convenient since my phone is always close at hand.
• I also just finished The Nightingale.  I'll admit, I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this novel, I was just sold based on the number of 5 star reviews.  Such a heavy subject matter and things just kept getting worse throughout the story.  I kind of hated reading this book but I fell hard for the main characters and wanted to see it through.  This book has haunted me somewhat and I'm still thinking about it weeks later, so if that makes a good read for you, give it a shot.
• To lighten things up, now I'm binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix for the second or third time around.  I love Stars Hollow.  There's something so magical and endearing about it.  It's the soundtrack I imagine playing in every small town USA.

I hope that you have had a healthy and enjoyable start to the new year.  Thanks for following along with our blog.