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New Hello Darling patterns

Hello again! Well, I finished up my new set of Hello Darling patterns a few weeks ago, and although you have probably seen them on Instagram, Facebook, or in my shop, I still wanted to introduce them here. Every pattern I've ever designed has been introduced here, so I should keep that up, don't you think?

I have 6 new patterns this time around, 4 quilts and 2 mini quilts. First up is Lollies!

Lollies is a layer cake pattern, and is a really fun and easy quilt to piece. I named it Lollies because when I was in Australia last year teaching I loved that they called their candy or treats "lollies." 

When I made this quilt it looked like little candies to me, so Lollies it is. It is a great lap size quilt- 64" x 74" and the stars in the border might be my favorite part. My friend Abby Latimer quilted it in swirls and did a wonderful job! Thanks Abby!

Next up is Vintage Tulips.

I have always loved flower quilts and have made many, but when I saw a vintage quilt a few months ago with the most darling tulips, I decided I had to make one of my own. It was made on point and was a lot trickier to piece, but mine is simplified, strip pieced and made from Jelly Roll strips. 

Abby quilted this one too in one of my favorite long arm loop patterns. It measures 64" x 80" and I just realized I really need to get more pictures of it! 

So after I finished all of the new quilts I had everyone vote on Instagram which ones should be made into mini patterns. Well, the clear favorite was a Vintage Tulips mini, and boy am I glad you picked this one because, well, this is my favorite mini yet.

It's a little one, at 11" x 16" and is made from a charm pack, a fat quarter of backing and a little bit of binding. Here it is on my mini wall- I'll get to that other new mini here in a just a minute. :-)

 

 

Piccadilly Circus

  

This one is probably my favorite of the bunch this time, partly because I had so much fun piecing it, and partly because I love any quilt that is made of two lines mixed together. This is made from two Jelly Rolls, one Hello Darling and one Daysail. I LOVE them together!

 

It is a pieced dresden quilt (you know how much I love dresdens) so there are no y seams or anything difficult to piece, and since it is strip pieced it comes together really easily. It measures 75" x 75". I absolutely loved piecing this one, and love the custom quilting that Nicole Christoffersen did on it just as much! Thanks Nicole!

 

The binding is my favorite stripe from April Showers. I hadn't planned to use it, and had a scrappy binding already made, but then I couldn't help it. It was too perfect!

But don't worry, I used the scrappy binding on this mini version of Piccadilly Circus instead:

It was meant to be. This came in second in the vote, and is a charm pack pattern too, but would be perfect out of any scraps or leftover precuts. It is 12.5" finished, and the cutest little thing. 

 

And last but not least, after being asked many (!) times for a mid size Swoon, I am so excited to introduce you to Swoon Sixteen. 

It is a 74" quilt and is made up of sixteen 16" blocks made from sixteen fat quarters. Pretty fun right? Also, I simplified the piecing so there are less seams and added some cheery sashing (the aqua dot from Hello Darling). 

Do I dare say I like it even more than the original 24" Swoon? No? Okay, I like them both exactly the same. ;-)

 

This was pieced by my angel friend Riann after I caught a cold/flu that nearly took me out (bless you Riann!) and quilted by Abby in an orange peel design. I couldn't have done it without these two. Thank you both!

And a few things just in case you were wondering:

*I used Moda Bella bleached white 97 for Swoon Sixteen, Lollies and Piccadilly Circus, but used the cream dot from Hello Darling for the background on Vintage Tulips.

*All the new patterns are in full glossy color and are available as paper patterns or instant PDF downloads in my shop, Thimble Blossoms.

 

*Hello Darling will be available in quilt shops this August, so let your favorite shops know now if you want some.

*I need a nap. ;-)

So what do you think? Do you have a favorite?

 

Also, If you made it through all this, give yourself a pat on the back! Thanks for stopping by to see what I'm up to, and for cheering me on. You are the best!

Camille

 

Hello Darling

Say hello to Hello Darling by Bonnie and Camille for Moda Fabrics. Showing to your favorite shops now and shipping this summer.

And I know we may have said this before, but we can't help it- this one's our favorite. :-)

Where I've been...

I feel awfully guilty for not keeping my blog up these days, but I guess it's time to admit to myself that I've pretty much moved on after 9 years of blogging. While I'll still post here once in a while when the big stuff happens, I really spend most of my time over on Instagram. I've mentioned this before, but since I've been getting a lot of emails checking in on me lately, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about Instagram. It's quick, it's easy, it's interactive. It's just pretty wonderful if you ask me. 

Oh, and you can find my Instagram HERE. (I'm @thimbleblossoms)

Instagram is pretty awesome. And did you know you can access it online, not just on a smart phone? True story. Just click HERE to get started. (Note: It sounds like you may have to sign up from a mobile device, but can access it online after that.)

I post photos most days, and there is an absolutely amazing quilting community over there. There are swaps and giveaways, lots of advice, tons of encouragement, and just a lot of really sweet friendships.

Something else that's great? If you access Instagram on a smart phone you can also use hashtags. Hashtags are little links you can add in your post that start with a # sign, and link a whole bunch of things together. For instance, when someone posts something with our fabric and puts the hashtag #bonnieandcamille in their Instagram post, it links to all the other photos with the same hashtag. If you click on it, you can see the whole group of photos (over 8000 so far!) people have tagged. All projects with our fabrics. How cool is that?

Same with #modafabrics, #apqquiltalong (the current American Patchwork Quilt Along), #thimbleblossoms and a whole bunch of other things.

If you haven't given Instagram a shot, or if you are just missing some of your favorite bloggers (you've probably noticed, as I have, that posts are scarce these days!) head over and start looking around. I think you'll be surprised at how much you love it.

If you have any questions about Instagram, ask them in the comments below and I'll try to help. 

So, what are you waiting for? :-) Go!

Edit: Just to clarify, I am not closing this blog down, and will still continue to blog new fabric and pattern releases, Quilt Market recaps, and other big things here and there. I just wanted to let you know that the day to day stuff is over on Instagram. I have been doing this for some time anyway, I just thought I should let you know about it, in case you were looking for more regular updates. :-)

Snapshots Quilt Along

Last weekend my mom and I headed back to Texas for something really special- that quilt right up there.

This is the Snapshots quilt, which is part of a Fat Quarter Shop quilt along for a cause, this one benefiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Did you know that the families of the children receiving treatments at St. Jude's don't have to pay a dime? St. Jude's wants the families to worry about helping their children get well, not about how to pay medical bills during such a difficult time.

So here's how it works. Each month, starting January 15, a video tutorial will be released on the Fat Quarter Shop blog to make one of the blocks. With each tutorial, my mom, Kimberly and I will be sharing memories, photos, and stories that go along with the block. All of the patterns will be free, but we are hoping that people can donate $5 per block to raise money for this great cause. Did I mention Fat Quarter Shop and Moda Fabrics are matching every dollar raised up to $10,000? Pretty great, right? You can donate and track the progress here. 

Oh! And if you would like to make one from Daysail just like ours, you can reserve your kit for everything you need for the top and binding now. If you do, you'll even get the first few blocks before they are available. There's more info about that here. And lots of links for the quilt along here!

We really are so grateful for the opportunity we had to participate in all of this and help raise money for St. Jude's. The last year and a half my mom has been battling breast cancer, so this really hits close to home. She is feeling much more like herself now, and we feel so lucky to help give back after all the kindness and love that we've been shown. A big thank you to Kimberly and all of the Fat Quarter Shop crew for inviting us to come be a part of something so wonderful.

So, which block is your favorite? Will you be sewing along? If you are, make sure to use the hashtag #fqssnapshots so we can see your blocks as you make them. I can't wait to get started on mine.

Quilt Market and Scraps Inc.

Lots to catch up on!

First, Fall Quilt Market in Houston has come and gone. It was so wonderful to be there with my mom again (who is doing great!) and to catch up with old friends. We don’t get to see our quilt market friends nearly enough, so that is always such a treat. We showed Daysail in our booth, and it was so fun to see everyone excited about it. Most of the time we are just working alone in our sewing rooms in our pajamas, so it's quite different than normal day to day designing stuff. :-)

 

(Isn't this a cute picture of my mom while she's talking to a customer?)

I didn’t get nearly enough real photos, but did get a few pictures up on Instagram. One of the highlights of this Market was seeing Scraps Inc, a brand new Lucky Spool collaboration I contributed to, in person. It is such a fabulous collection of scrappy quilts, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I want to make every single one! There are so many amazing quilts and designers in this book.

Here’s mine, called Delightful.

It's a really simple quilt that was made entirely from my scrap bin and one of my favorite backgrounds, the gray and white dot from Ruby. I used Moda Pez in navy for the binding, and some of Vanessa's Simply Color for the backing. 

I am kicking myself for not getting any good in progress photos (or photos before I sent it off), but this one was made during some late night sewing a while back, so they wouldn’t have been that great anyway. :-) 

Abby quilted it in the most perfect swirl, and I washed and dried to to make it extra wrinkly. Unfortunatly, traveling here and there left it even more wrinkly for these photos (sorry!), but nothing that another good wash and dry won’t fix. 

See?

I really enjoyed making this quilt, and enjoyed working with Susanne and the Lucky Spool team even more. They have made some really beautiful books, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. If you think you’d enjoy Scraps Inc (and I think you will!) they have a special right now directly from Lucky Spool for 30% off using the code SCRAPS30.

I have a few more things to write about, but they will have to wait for another day. It’s cold outside, my sewing room is nice and warm, everyone is ready for bed (after Elf is over), and I have a quilt I’m working on just for fun. No deadline! Oh, and the Gilmore Girls. How have I not watched this before?

       

Have a great day!

 

Norway- the place, the quilt, and the mini

You have probably guessed by now that I’m back from Norway. :-) It was such an amazing trip and experience, and I met the most wonderful people! Since I have too many pictures to share, I’ll try to keep it brief. And if you are just here for the quilts, make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see more of that quilt up there. 

 

Jarom and I stopped in London for a few days of sightseeing on the way. It was our first time there, and we had the best time. I’m already dying to go back. There was too much to see, and not enough time!

After London headed home and I traveled on to Oslo for the Norwegian Quilt Festival. It was a huge event (The first like it in Norway!) that shop owners Kathrine, Asne and Siw planned, and they knocked it out of the park. There were classes, exhibits, and booths from shops all over Norway for shopping. I did a lot of shopping...

Each day I taught a different class and had different students. It was so much fun meeting a whole new group of ladies every day! Here's Round and Round class on the first day:

 

Mini Quilts on the second day:

 

(The top one was a video on Instagram, which is why it is a little blury)

Starlight quilts on the third day:

  

And Swoon quilts on the last day:

Oh, and trunk shows and other events at night. It was quite the crowd!

All of the teachers were well taken care of and we even got some sightseeing in. Oslo is such a beautiful place, and it was extra special for me, since the Olaveson side of my family immigrated from there when my great grandpa was young. I've always hoped I could visit someday, so it was such a treat to be able to experience Norway. I hope to return there as well with my little family.

  

 The chocolate. Did I mention the chocolate?

On the flight home, I couldn’t help myself, and had to draw up a quilt based on a beautiful rug I saw in the Norwegian Folk Museum. So, meet Norway! 

Abby quilted it with a small cable pattern, and I love how the quilting is so simple, but beautiful. And it looks a little bit like a sweater, doesn't it?  

Thanks Abby!   

Oh, and of course, a Mini Norway too. :-)

PDFs are available in the shop now, and paper patterns have been ordered. They should arrive and ship sometime early next week.

Both of them were such a delight to piece, and are so special to me, since they will always remind me of the time I spent in Norway.

Next up? Quilt Market! I’m leaving for Houston in the morning. Things never seem to slow down around here lately. If you want to keep up with Market (and everything else!) real time, make sure to check out my Instagram (@thimbleblossoms) or Facebook. While this blog will always be a space I can share the big stuff, it just isn’t practical to blog as often anymore. There are so many tools that are better suited for the day to day stuff now, and they are quick!  Plus, there is an amazing quilting community over there- we have such a great time. (By the way, did you know you can access Instagram online, that you don’t have to have a smart phone to see it? Here’s the link, in case you want to follow along.)

 

See you soon!