Simplify

Sweet Escape on a snow day

How do you sum up 4 years of quilting, fabric, raising kids, and life? Yeah, I haven't quite figured that out yet. So for now I'll just start here! Good heavens I am rusty and this writing thing. It will get easier right?

I think there's something about snow and this quilt. I can't quite figure it out. See, I was at a snowy quilt retreat up in Utah with some of my favorite people a few weeks ago and my friend Samantha bought fabric to make a Sweet Escape quilt out of Little Snippets. Seeing her test blocks got me thinking about making another one but I couldn't decide if I wanted to go with Little Snippets or an all scrappy version.

(This is the original quilt in Smitten that I made last year)

Yesterday we woke up to inches of snow here in the desert (which never happens!) and after I sent my last grumpy kid out the door (they were really hoping for a snow day), I sat down with my computer in front of the fireplace and and started testing out fabrics in Illustrator. After trying a few scrappy combos I liked but didn't LOVE, I drew up a navy and gray version and knew it was the one. I mean-

Right? Although I still haven't committed to the white background or the gray background, I just can't choose!

I couldn't wait to get started on it, so last night I moved the scrappy nine patches I've been working on aside and whipped up a few half size blocks to make one star for a pillow for my living room. Well, technically the plan was to make one test block and just cut out the rest, but turns out I have no self control and I stayed up making all sixteen blocks much later than I should have.

Which worked out just fine because today we had our first ever SNOW DAY. Which is kind of funny because the school district called everyone in the valley yesterday afternoon to cancel school and today we woke up to blue skies, dry roads and not a snowflake in sight. But we aren't worried about that, its a snow day nonetheless. 

This was yesterday. Today looks nothing like this. (Thanks for the picture Carla!)

So today, on probably the only snow day that has ever or will ever happen here (and in between 8 million interruptions from my kids and the neighbor kids), I am going to dig into my navy stash and start cutting my blocks and maybe (hopefully) put a few together. I'll keep you posted! But really, I will. This blogging thing is kinda fun. 

Happy snow day!

 

Update: Pillow complete! Now on to the quilt because good heavens I'm in love with this one.

Hello again!

 

(tap tap)

Hello! Is anybody still here? I've been looking through this old neglected blog today and thinking it might be time to bring it back to life with lots of updates and new stuff. Honestly? I miss it! I miss all of you! Maybe it's time?

Camille

 

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. :-)

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For the latest news, click HERE for my Instagram. :-)

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. :-)