Shayla Wolf Good Vibes Only blog tour

"Summer-to-go!"

It's a great month!

It's time to celebrate with Shayla Wolf of Sassafras Lane Designs!!

It's time to take a look at this lovely Windham Fabrics line

with lots of color and prints that will make lots of different projects!  

There is a great blog tour happening right now.

And I couldn't be more excited to be a part fo the fun.

Let's celebrate together.

Leave a comment!

Each maker will be hosting a giveaway for a small bundle of Good Vibes Only. 

That is 19 opportunities to win! 

There will also be a big giveaway with the recap post on Sunday, June 23rd. 

The big prize will contain a fat-quarter bundle of Good Vibes Only and a pattern bundle.

It's summer.

Not only is it summer, but school is out, and that means kids are at home.

Well, only until they find the next place they want to go....

and then you're off to the races!

It's for this reason, I suggest a simple

"quilt-as-you-go"

project for this summer - it's these lovely, rich, cheery fabrics...

And, because, it's something you can work on

15 minutes at a time!!

These bright colors just say, "summer", to me, too!

"Summer-to-go!" mats and coasters

Mats

Place the first strip right side up, on the batting,

in the center of the 13"h x 16"w batting/backing rectangle.

(trim to 13" as you select each strip)

Quilt through the first strip.

Place the second strip right sides together on the first strip.

Sew together with an approximate 1/4" seam.

Flip open; quilt the second strip.

Repeat, across the left of the center, then the right of the center. 

Hint:  Piece some random strips together to form larger pieced strips.

Use these in your

"quilt-as-you-go" 

piecing.

Be sure to sew and quilt in opposing directions to keep your project square.

(up one side, down the other, and repeat)

don't you just love all of these patterns and colors???!?

Trim mats to 12 x 16, and coasters to 5-3/4" square.

Make 2-1/4" straight binding; attach to projects.

Color Recipe:

Use fat quarters of all of the colors to piece the mats and coasters.

Use the black to bind the coasters, the white to bind the mats.

The coaster backing is grey, and the mat backing is made from the whites.

(the rest of the details are below)

Coasters:

Piece them in a "loosely interpreted"

log cabin piecing technique.

Start with a square or strip in the center, then round and round you go,

quilting-as-you-go!

Who knows?

Maybe the kids will want to quilt with you, once they see these great colors!

Looking for a chance to win something?

Leave your comment below...and remember, each post

is another chance to win....

Details

(4) 6" squares grey for coaster backing

(4) 6" squares of InsulBright and lightweight batting

(4) 13" x 17" white/grey for mats backing

(4) 13" x 17" rectangles of batting for mats

(2) sets of 1-1/2" strips, and (2) sets of 2" strips

of all of the colors

(all of them!!! and yes, you'll have fabric remaining)

Schedule:

Monday, June 3rd: Shayla Wolf | Sassafras Lane Designs

Tuesday, June 4th: Emily Dennis | Quilty Love

Wednesday, June 5th: Nichole Vogelsinger | Wild Boho

Thursday, June 6th: Irene Sytema | Sugaridoo

Friday, June 7th: Sylvia Schaefer | Flying Parrot Quilts

Saturday, June 8th: Robin Long | Robin Ruth Design

Sunday, June 9th: Jessica VanDenburgh | Sew Many Creations

Monday, June 10th: Nicole Young | Lillyella

Tuesday, June 11th: Sherry Shish | Powered by Quilting

Wednesday, June 12th: Tara Curtis | Wefty Needle

Thursday, June 13th: Jo Westfoot | The Crafty Nomad

Friday, June 14th: Janet Nesbitt | One Sister Designs

Saturday, June 15th: Natalie Barnes | Beyond the Reef

Sunday, June 16th: Elisabeth Hardy | Elisabew Quilts

Monday, June 17th: Sarah Sharp | No Hats in the House

Tuesday, June 18th: Joanne Hart | Unicorn Harts

Wednesday, June 19th: Elise Baek | Elise & Emelie

Thursday, June 20th: Kaitlyn Howell | Knot and Thread Design

Friday, June 21st: Nicole Daksiewicz | Modern Handcraft

Saturday, June 22nd: Sarah Thomas | Sariditty

Sunday, June 23rd: Shayla Wolf | Recap

                                              
                                          

Guest Designer for Anthology Fabrics!!

Guest Designer for Anthology Fabrics

(swoon)

I could not have been more excited

(insert poker face here)

when the Windham Fabrics team

asked me if I would be interested in being a

(insert giddy face here)

Guest Designer for Anthology Fabrics

it was absolutely an over the moon exciting moment

and a great opportunity to be able to work with

Myiesha

who is the 

most organized

most precise

most magical

when it comes to working with the team in Bali

and having patience with designers

and who can turn a vision of fabric design into a hand made piece of cloth

after Myiesha works her magic

and the makers in the Islands work their own magic

fabric arrives 

and the sample making begins

many friends, many hands, many hours

the samples are made, and the photos are taken

and the Look Book is created

and the sales team heads out to meet with the shop owners

but when it is all said and done

the quilts are carefully folded up and put in a safe place

until it is time to show them again

maybe they'll be admired at Market

or at a Trunk Show

or in a Class along the way

maybe they'll go on loan to a quilt shop

when the fabric starts shipping in July/August

but until that time

they are lovingly folded 

as the precision and determination and dedication

of each Maker

is admired

(insert tears of gratitude on my face here)

Deb, Jane, Kim, Nicole, Robin, Scott, Teresa, Tiffany, Zina

the Anthology Fabrics team
the Bali team

with gratitude....

Natalie.

beyondthereefpatterns.com

be.do.create

time to talk real life....again.

it's sunday.

time to talk real life.

some days bring us shadows

that is, to point out the obvious, a part of life

we all have faced it at one time or another in our lives

but it seems we're in a culture where we are more rewarded

for being stoic, staying productive

keeping our head high

staying positive and joyful and happy

and moving on

I want to suggest otherwise

I want to suggest it's okay to be sad every so often

(rather than angry)

I want to suggest it's okay to be, as my neighbor said the other day,

emotional

be kind to yourself

give yourself space

and allow yourself time to turn your grief

into great stories about the person that make you laugh

or reminds you of the sunshine

instead of the shadow

quilters do that so well

we comfort people with quilts

(see this video about Missouri Star Quilt Company)

we make pillowcases from happy fabrics

do something to honor that place of loss in your life

and give yourself a hug

that will be the best positive joyful happiest thing you can do

HappiestDays.

Natalie

beyondthereefpatterns.com

be.do.create

fly high, Pete

(look at it this way - you got an extra 30 years out of it - it was well worth the tradeoff)

Friends.....lessons from friends

friends.

lessons from friends

in the last few weeks

I have had the joy of spending time with friends

one of my friends

is my 90 year old neighbor, turned friend

(see more about this, here)

the biggest lesson I receive

from spending time with this 90 year old is this

everything is a

delight

this adult trike was hung with a small kids tricycle

an adult tricycle?!???

delight

dinner with friends

the simplest of a bbq filled with meats and veggies

flowers from friends as a thank you

delight

and carving time out of the day

to set up the chairs/table/kayaks

on the beach

for some time on the water

with people whose to do lists are longer than others'?

delight

let's remember to stop

and carve some time out of the day

prioritize our to do list

to include some

delight

have I made my point yet?

breathe.

take some time for yourself

and remember to learn from your friends

leave me a comment below - we'll give away some more

Marcia Derse

Palette fabrics

what did you do this weekend to delight someone else?

Finally, congratulations to Pamela and Delaine 

for leaving comments chosen by the Random Number Generator

look in your mail for your Marcia Derse fabric bundle!

HappiestDays.

Natalie

beyondthereefpatterns.com

be.do.create

ps - if it's labor day 2018 and you're reading this

we're having a Labor Day sale

in our Etsy shop

beyondthereefshop

20% off all goods listed in the shop

"LABORDAY"

is the special code

good until tomorrow at 6am pacific time

Homeward ....

 Homeward ....

new fabric - new release

it's that awkward stage

you've seen it before

the fabric is released, but won't be available for purchase

until much much later in the year

well....

we're in that awkward stage

please meet

Homeward

if you are a shop owner or a shop worker

maybe your sales rep has shown you this new line of fabrics

(squeal!!!!)

Here's the description - the inspiration behind these prints:

This new line of fabric is called “Homeward"…..My inspiration? That feeling when you’re on that last leg of “coming home”….

The long drive down the gravel road headed toward home….home to the things that matter most of all.  Grandma’s iris bulbs blooming at the front door, daddy’s rods and reels hanging on the wall in the den, and that good old dog standing on the porch, waiting to greet you….Tradition.  Spirit.  Home.

Pattern names were chosen to remind us of the simplicity of the spirit of home - "corsage, summer dress, chicken scratch, nest, front gate, family tree, hearth, brick porch and sparkle”.  

And colors are rich and varied.  Look for purple to teal to avocado, to pink and cheery red and a rich gold.  These colors, along with a group of black, white and greys will give you the right mix for any project.  Finally, remember to add the "special coordinating print" of florals.   You’ll have great success with your quilting projects, home projects and even garments!

I'm so proud to be designing fabrics for Windham Fabrics!!

you'll find all of the great quilts and projects

in the 

Look Book

on the Windham Fabrics site

(Sidewalk Chalk by thencamejune.com)

(Double Struck Star by kristamoser.com)

if you are looking for a place to purchase this fabric

(in January)

please let your local quilt shop know

you'd like to see

Homeward

on their shelves!

remember, we'll be doing an online auction

for the 30" quilts

at Market (and probably Festival, too!)

so please keep an eye out on fb or ig or maybe follow along

(beyondthereefpatterns)

take a look at the look book to see the 30" quilts

and the lineup of the Makers

Finally, I just want to say

how proud I am to have the chance to design fabrics for all of you

it is an honor

please leave a message below to let me know what you think

of the line

and include your opinion about

"that awkward stage"

(your comment will enter you in a drawing to win a fat quarter bundle

of Marcia Derse Palette colors!)

HappiestDays.

Natalie.

beyondthereefpatterns.com

be.do.create

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing....

lessons from A Quilter's Affair in Sisters, Oregon

and

Jenny Doan

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jenny Doan

of

Missouri Star Quilt Company

while I was teaching at A Quilter's Affair

What a pleasure, a privilege it is to just "chat"

And then.

Then she asked me.

"What's the next big thing you're doing?"

I froze.

What to say, what to say.

Told her about my upcoming fabric line with Windham Fabrics.

And we chatted about the upcoming event at Missouri Star,

The Birthday Bash.

As I was walking through the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show,

it hit me.

What my next big thing is for me, when I return home.

It is a visit with my neighbor and friend, Roger, 

who is turning a spry 90 years old this year.

THAT

is my next big thing.

We'll go for sour cabbage soup 

"it's only served on Tuesdays and Saturdays", he will remind me.

And then we'll take our weekly walk through Sam's Club

or Costco

We'll laugh and cry as we both tell stories about our pasts.

And we'll share wisdom of the ages.

He'll be polite and kind with my "energy".

He'll tell me to settle down a little bit

in the kindest way.

We'll joke about how much food we're both getting

and talk about the "best orange juice ever" 

from Sam's Club

(they squeeze it fresh for him)

And when I returned home

I realized also, what Jenny was telling me,

not asking me.

"What is the next big thing you're doing?"

She didn't want to know at all where I would be teaching

or if I was attending a show.

She didn't need to know where my travels would take me

or when my next fabric line was releasing.

She was coaching me, in the kindest of ways.

Same as my 90 year old friend.

Offering me some space to think about where my boat is pointed.

Where I'm headed.

The big picture.

Thank you, Jenny.

Thank you, Roger.

Thank you for taking time with me.

For asking.

And for gently guiding me along the way.

So, today, on this blog that is long overdue, I will ask you - 

What is your next big thing?

HappiestDays.

Natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

On your "not to do" list

On your "not to do" list...

shorten your list

it was a goal I made at the beginning of the year

to post something "thoughtful" every Sunday

it seemed like it was "do-able"

just one small post a week

on a quiet day

just one.

one.

(did you see how cool that was?  how the words made a flying geese?)

and in the course of two months, I have found a way to miss two weeks

of posts!

some times our to do list

becomes a big big thing

something we wake up to

and fall asleep thinking about

a big big thing

BIG.

but tonight, yes, Sunday, yes, I'm writing to all of you

I am giving you permission

to shorten your list

to make a "not to do" list

to be a little kinder and more gentle with yourselves

to wake up excited for the day, and to fall asleep with a smile on your face

knowing you did everything you could

that day

to make it the very best day you could possibly have

(without measuring it by your to do list)

because we only get one - one day - every day

and then it is gone

so forgive me a post here and there throughout the year

and please....forgive yourself

if there are still dishes in the sink

because you read three books to your grandkids this afternoon

because you planted spring bulbs

because you cleared the snow from your neighbors walkway

because you (gasp) took a nap with a book on your chest

it's all a matter of perspective

(did you see what I did there with the dump truck photos?)

there are lots and lots of books published right now

on simplifying

let's start with our to do list

and move some of those critical items to our 

'not to do'

list

please leave us a comment below - what will you put on your

'not to do'

list

HappiestDays.

Natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com