Best of 2018

2018 was a fun year here in the Sticks.

My son and his girlfriend made a coffee mug for me for Christmas

 so I've filled it with coffee and I am joining 

Cheryl over at Meadow Mist Designs

for the

Best of 2018 Linky Party.

To participate in the party, I'm supposed to highlight my top 5 posts from 2018

which is hard to do.

My #1 highlight is the best of 2018, for sure!

I'm a Grammy.  

My little Granddaughter was born in January and it's been the most amazing thing.

My blog has had a lot of little projects for her this year 

and 

I'm sure there are a lot more to come.

2018 brought more visitors to my blog than ever before.

The reason?

I created 30 quilt blocks in December 2017 and decided to have a blog hop with 30 talented designers using the blocks in different ways and layouts for each day in April.

The enthusiasm for the block tutorials has led to my top blog visits ever.

So my #2 blog highlight of 2018 is my 30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days Block tutorials.

My #3 highlight has to be the finished quilt that includes all the 30 blocks.

I named the quilt "Blocks" for that reason.

It's a fun modern quilt and is perfect for a beginner

 or 

can be a quick quilt for the more experienced quilter. 

I've been making quilts from each block and hope to eventually make all 30.

Project Quilting is always a highlight of my year and this year was no exception.

My friend Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts this super fun challenge for 12 weeks at the beginning of the year.  A challenge is announced and you have 1 week to make a quilty project and link it up to win prizes. 

My six projects are highlight #4 for 2018:

Left to Right starting at the top: 

 Bring on Spring

Be You (People's Choice winner)

Crazy Town (People Choice 2nd place)

Time to Stitch

Yellow by Design (People Choice 2nd place)

Mayor - No Joke

Last but definitely not least, 

my 5th highlight for 2018 was teaming up with my friends to offer the

It's a "Wild" Life Block of the Month.

I designed 2 blocks for the quilt.

Deer Meadow

 and Lunchtime

Our Facebook page for the Block of the Month has grown to almost 3000 followers

 and 

we are excited for the new year.

The new quilt will be unlike anything we've done before.

One last cup of coffee for 2018.

It was so hard not to mention all the projects I designed for Thermoweb,
my niece's graduation quilt, another niece's bridal shower quilt,

or

all the blog hops I've hosted or participated in this year.

Oops, guess I did mention them.  ha

It's been fun.

Happy New Year!

Craftsy Pattern Store - Download Your Pattern Library NOW.

If you haven't heard, Craftsy is changing.

Craftsy has been the host of my online store for over five years.

NBCUniversal acquired Craftsy in 2017 and has been making changes to fit its brand, Bluprint.  As a designer for Craftsy, I've known changes were coming.

This week the changes have been announced that will affect independent designers.

In an email, the company explained that some independent stores will be deleted and some will be downsized.  I was a lucky one and will still have a store.

BUT:

I don't know which patterns will remain in my store and which ones will be deleted.

SO:

If you have any patterns you have been thinking about downloading, now it the time to do that because, after December 28th, I don't know which of the 45 patterns I offer on Craftsy will still be in the store.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE

Take the time today to download all the patterns you have saved in your pattern library at Craftsy
to your own computer.
ALL of them so you will have no worries.

Make this your Friday Finish.

That's what I'll be doing today while I bake up some Christmas goodies.

Sometimes, change is good...

challenging, but good.

Gearing Up for 2019

December is so busy for everyone,

including me!

That doesn't mean my sewing room isn't getting some attention.

Besides Christmas gifts, I've been preparing some fun projects for next year.

Maybe you want to jump in too.

Here are some of the things I'm gearing up for the first few months of 2019:

This is the last call to sign up for the Black & White Blog Hop

It's is your interpretation of the theme. 

I'm not going to say you have to have a project that is 100% black & white.  Make it white with a black stripe, make it black with a white stripe, make it black & white with a pink accent.
It's up to you!  Inspire us, but sign up now because it's almost a month away.

Find all the details by clicking HERE.

Season 10 for Project Quilting starts January 6th.

My friend Kim at Persimon Dreams hosts this super fun challenge for 12 weeks at the beginning of the year.  A challenge is announced and you have 1 week to make a quilty project and link it up to win prizes. 

 I've been gathering supplies so I'm ready to meet the challenges, whatever they happen to be.

Find all the details by clicking HERE.

The sign-ups for the Show Your Wings Blog Hop in February have started.

You need to have something in your project that involves wings or that flies. 

Carol at Just Let Me Quilt is hosting this one and has all the details on her blog.

You can click HERE for the instructions to sign-up for the hop.

Another blog hop in February:  Dust Off a Quilt Book Blog Hop

Bea over at Beaquilter is hosting this blog hop where you find a project in an old quilt book to share.

I'm not sure if she is still accepting sign-ups but click HERE for the details.

We are also gearing up for the new 2019 Block of the Month over at

Sew Incredibly Crazy and Friends

but I can't share that yet...

Have a great December, friends.

A Midnight Picnic - It's a "Wild" Life Block of the Month - #11

It's December

and

the eleventh month for the 

It's a "Wild" Life Block of the Month!

It's 

A Midnight Picnic!

And that's not all.

You see, this month the block wraps around one of the February blocks.

Amy from Sew Incredibly Crazy is so clever.

She designed this months block.

Thank you, Amy, for designing this for all us "midnight bandits"!!!!

Amy has the pattern information HERE.

I'm using fabric from my stash this year.

These blocks are perfect for extra fabric laying around.

(who has extra?  lol)

To applique,

 I ONLY use my favorite fabric iron-on adhesive by Therm O Web,

 HeatnBond® Lite. 

Did you miss the first eleven months?

The patterns are available:

Here are my versions:

February-

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Maple Leaves - Block #1 Click HERE for the pattern.

March-

Creatin' in the Sticks (me)

Deer Meadow - Block #2 click HERE for the pattern

April

Just Let Me Quilt

The Big Tree and The Little Tree Stand Tall Blocks - Blocks #3 click HERE. for the pattern.

May

Moosestash Quilting

Bear Paw - Block #4 Click HERE for the pattern information.

June

Life in the Scrapatch

Owl Tree Block - Block #5 Click HERE for the pattern information.

July-

Creatin' in the Sticks (me)

Lunchtime - Block #6 click HERE for the pattern

August-

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Home at the Cabin - Block #7 Click HERE for the pattern.

September-

Just Let Me Quilt

He's So Foxy - Block #8 Click HERE for the pattern.

October

Moosestash Quilting

I Moose go Camping - Block #9 Click HERE for the pattern

November-

Just Let Me Quilt

Wishful Love - Block #10 Click HERE for the pattern.

Only one more block to go!

We started in February and will end in January

All the blocks are free

for the month that they 

have been released.

After that, there

is a small fee.

Come

quilt along with us.

There is a 

monthly prize drawing 

for those

who finish the blocks

from great sponsors!

Make the block and link it up over at Amy's blog to enter.

Join us for a "Wild" Life!

And 

if you haven't already,

 join the

Facebook group

you can find it HERE.  

Let's get a little "WILD" together!