Simplify

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! 

 

A little Daysail sewing

Hello there! I'm writing today's post from the Norwegian Quilt Festival in Oslo and we are having such a great time here. Norway is so beautiful! More on that soon.  

I'm up late (please forgive the typos!) because I have new patterns to show you, and need to announce the winners of the Moda Love giveaway from the last post. The winners are Terri from Wyoming who loved Ruby, and Trisch who loves Bliss and is planning a king size quilt. Ladies, email me when you get a minute and I'll get those out to you as soon as I get home. Thank you to everyone who joined in, and make sure you check out all the other designers links HERE as well, to see if you've won something pretty! 

Now, about those new Daysail patterns... 

I haven't had a lot of sewing time this summer since it has been particularly crazy, but I have a few patterns all ready to go, and I couldn't wait all the way until Market to show you! It was always so nice to fit a bit of sewing here and there (including an all nighter or two) in between all the other things we've had going. I had about a million projects I wanted to make on my list. But when Daysail came, this one had to be first...

MINI Starlight

Yep, finally a mini version of Starlight. I've had this on my list for awhile, since the first mini Starlight I made was just too small.  

This one is the perfect size, and is so much fun to make! It's made from a charm pack too, so its nice and scrappy. It's 12" x 15" finished.

If I had to choose, my favorite quilt this time would have to be this one:

Saltwater

I wanted to come up with a block that had a Swoon feel to it, but a totally different block and construction method. And this certainly does! I loved making this quilt, start to finish.

And maybe I took too many photos of it. ;-)

Abby quilted this one, and I couldn't love it more. It is a little rainbow allover pattern, and it turned out so great!  Thank you Abby!

Okay, last one...

It's made from fat quarters and half yards, and comes together so well. I want to make another one- scrappy from a bunch of our lines! The finished size is 78" x 78."

Next up is Night Sky:

This is a funny one to show you, because my Daysail version isn't finished yet. It's close, but is back at home so I can't even take any almost finished photos. I'll take some photos as soon as its all quilted and bound, I promise! This one is made from fat quarters, and is the perfect way to use up a bundle. I can't wait to show it to you!

And of course, Mini Saltwater

I'm sure you are super surprised there is a mini version. I can't help it! This little one (15" x 15") is another one of my new favorites, and I can't wait to hang it on my wall of minis. 

I also made a single block, just because I like having lots of different sizes up on the wall. Isn't it so cute and tiny?

If you haven't made a mini yet, start with this one. You'll be hooked after you make it, promise!

Annnd Cheerio:

I've had more requests for a single pattern for this quilt than probably any other I've made ever since it came out in Love Patchwork and Quilting awhile back.

But that is getting pretty hard to track down, so I thought I'd release a single pattern too. The cover has two versions in Daysail, one with a white background and one with a navy. I think I need to make the navy one now! 

I couldn't decide if I should release the mini version or not. Let me know if you want one, and I'll get to work on that. Oh, and Abby quilted this one too!

I actually have a few more things still in the works, including a mini that will come a little later as part of an Auriful thread kit. Here's a little peek at that project:

Oh, and one more quilt in my head I'm hoping (fingers crossed) to get finished up before Quilt Market. I'll be back with those and the Night Sky quilt soon. PDFs of Mini Starlight, Saltwater, Mini Saltwater, Cheerio and Nigh Sky are in the shop now, and the paper patterns have been ordered and will be available to ship around September 20th. 

So, what do you think? Do you have a favorite? What do you think of Daysail so far?

Moda Love

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by my blog on the Moda Love Blog Tour. I’ve been having such a great time connecting with everyone on Instagram that I haven’t been great at keeping my blog up this summer, so it’s nice to have something to bring me back over to this space. :-)

If you are new to all this, every six months or so we have a Moda blog hop with all the Moda crew, and each answer a few fun questions, talk about what’s new, and have some pretty great giveaways. There is a list with all the designers, their blogs, and the days they will be posting HERE. Today Janet and Kate are posting too, so make sure to stop by and say hello. 

If you are new to my blog, here’s a little about me. My name is Camille Roskelley, and I design fabric with my mom, Bonnie for Moda. You might know us as Bonnie and Camille. Our newest line is called Miss Kate and is available in stores now. 

I also design quilt patterns for my company, Thimble Blossoms, and have for about 7 years. Time flies! 

  

I’ve written a few books, and also teach quilting classes over at Craftsy. More on that here.

I love to quilt, and have a recent obsession with making mini versions of all my quilts. I can't stop. Here's proof:

  

   

I am a mom to three wild little boys, and I love cookies. Any baked goods, really. If you make a good cookie, stop by anytime. ;-)

That pretty much sums it up, so back to the blog hop!

This time around, all the designers who were in the Moda Schoolhouse at Quilt Market made their own version of the Moda Love Layer Cake quilt. Since I was home packing for my teaching trip to Australia, I wasn’t at Market, and so I don’t have my own version of the quilt. Yet! I’m sure once I start seeing all of them popping up here and there I’ll have to make one of my own. :-) Here’s the free pattern, if you’d like to make one! 

I’m supposed to answer a few questions too, and since this is quickly turning into the longest blog post ever, I’ll try to be brief. ;-)

Q- When did you start quilting? Tell us about your first quilt. 

A- My mom taught me to sew when I was a little girl- about 5 or 6 years old, but I didn’t start my first official quilt until I was 14, and finished it when I was 15. It doesn’t look anything like my quilts now, and was hunter green and maroon, but is still one of my favorite quilts I’ve ever made. It is so special to me!

Q- What fuels you to create?

A- Dr. Pepper. Seriously.

Q- What is the best part of your design process? 

A- Laying out a finished project when it is pieced, quilted, and bound. It makes me grin every time.

Q- I love the color…… 

A- Aqua! You’d never guess, right? 

Q- This project features a layer cake, charm pack or mini charm, but what is your all time favorite moda precut?

A- Hmm… I love all the precuts, but if I had to choose, I’d have to say a fat quarter bundle. There is nothing prettier than a bundle of beautiful fabric! 

Speaking of fabric, I have some precuts to give away (thanks Moda!) Just leave me a comment below and tell me what your next project is going to be and which Bonnie and Camille line has been your favorite so far.

(Giveaway closed, see the winners HERE)

And in case you’ve had your eye on any patterns, I’ll also be having a PDF pattern sale in my shop this week, just enter ModalovePDF (code has expired) for 25% off all PDF patterns. Minis included! Oh, and both of my classes over at Craftsy are aslo on sale for 25% off. You can find them here and here. 

Since I’m heading out this weekend to teach at the Norwegian Quilt Festival, I’ll be filling all paper pattern orders placed after Sept 3rd as soon I return on the 17th. (Don't worry, the PDF’s are instant so if you need something quick, they will still send out right away.) And I’ll have new patterns to show you then too! Now one last sneak peek:

Daysail- more on this soon! 

Thanks for stopping by,

Camille 

 

Australia (part 2)

Hello again! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and wished Olfa a Happy Birthday, and for the love on the Aurifil block. I'm so happy that you like it!  

The winner of the Olfa prize is Judith who said "I'm actually getting ahead of the game this year, and I've started a Christmas quilt. Happy Birthday, Olfa. Oh, to be 35 again." Congratulations Judith!  Email me your info (envelope button over there on the left) and I'll send it on to Olfa. Thank you Olfa!

So, where was I?

Guess who was waiting for us in Sydney? These two guys:

 My husband, Jarom, and Holly's husband Dave (Mr. Stately Type)

After we took an embarrassing number of photos in front of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, we took a ferry across the harbor to Manly Beach. And also stopped for the first of at least 20 gelato stops over the course of 5 days. I'm still having withdrawals.

That night Holly, Di, and I headed out for a trunk show (the boys were exhausted!) at Kim Bradley Creations. Kim's shop is gorgeous!

The trip to Kim's was followed by a class at Melinda's beautiful shop, Quiltsmith, the next morning. This was such a wonderful group of ladies, and they sewed their hearts out! Such a great day, start to finish.

Jarom even popped in toward the end and said hello. It was such a nice surprise!

A ferry trip out to Watson's Bay that night for fish and chips was one of the highlights of our time in Sydney for me. We were the only ones crazy enough to be outside on the ferry since it was chilly out, and were able to see the whole city behind us, the dark night sky, and even find the Southern Cross. It was magical.

My last class of the trip was at Kim Bradley Creations, and it was an absolutly perfect ending. Not only did they whip up 58 (!!!!) blocks in class, but they were also one of the friendliest and most amazing groups of ladies I've taught yet. Loved every minute.

I was so sad when the last class was over. I wasn't ready to be done!  

The last day of the trip was a day just to explore and fall in love with Sydney in general. And we did.  

Because it was the Red Letter Trip, Holly and I wanted to take some photos of our Red Letter Day quilts in front of a favorite Australian landmark. The bridge was perfect. 

 

Isn't Holly's Red Letter Day quilt beautiful? It's huge!

Then we asked the boys to hold the mini quilts for a photo. And this is what they came up with!  

Oh, and we climbed that bridge too! The whole crew- Dave, Allan (Di's fiance), Di, Holly, Jarom and Me. It was amazing! 

On our last night, Patrick and Shane of PK Fabrics took us to Cafe Sydney for our final meal, and it was absolutely perfect. Perfect night, perfect view, perfect company. 

 

We headed to the airport first thing the next morning and after a teary goodbye with Di, we started the trek home. Completely exhausted, overwhelmed, and happy. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

Di, thank you. I just can't say that enough. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime. I'll never forget it. Patrick and Shane, thank you for all your help, and taking such great care of us, from start to finish. Fiona, Karen, Melinda, and Kim, thank you for inviting us into your beautiful stores and homes and making us feel so comfortable and welcome. Moda and Aurifil, a big thank you for sending such generous and wonderful prizes for my amazing students. They loved them! Dave and Jarom- thank you for the best photo of the trip, and you know, for coming all that way. ;-) Holly- just...all of it. Good on ya! To all my students who traveled near and far for class, and made the whole experience what it was, for making me feel so loved, thank you. Truly. 

I can't wait to come back.

Besides, I'll probably be on Australia time for the rest of my life. ;-)

 

*In case you missed it - here's part 1.