Friday, November 17, 2017

Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Vol 16 Block Tour Road Rally

Welcome to California, I'm so glad you stopped by.
I hope you are enjoying the Road Rally.
If you are, great!  If your not sure what I'm talking about click on the car below and jump on in.



Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks has done it again.
Volume 16 is packed full of new quilty inspiration.

If you are new to my blog, let me introduce myself.
I am Tiffany Hayes of Needle in a Hayes Stack.

I am a lover of all thing quilt related.
I find inspiration everywhere.
After that, I design, piece, quilt and write patterns to help make the world just a bit more colorful.
I even travel and teach.  It's a pretty cool gig.

I have been married for 30 years
(dang I sound old, but I don't feel like I am).
Scott, my husband, has joined in on the design process recently.
Scott is digitizing machine quilting designs to complement the quilts I create.
It's a really cool thing.

Well, let's get to the good stuff,
the block and the chance to win!

Here is my block - Icicle Burst #1535

I know what your thinking, what's a California girl know about icicles?

Well, I live in the Mojave Desert.
It gets really hot here in the summer - like 110 degrees.
It get's good and cold in the winter - down to single digits on occasion.  And yes, we do get a little snow at our house once in a while.

So, it's a pretty cool block, right?
Well, lets see what happens when we put a few of them together.

Let the magic happen....

The quilt above has sashing and cornerstones.
So does the quilt below, but isn't it amazing when you change the fabrics?
I design with Electric Quilt and am in love with the new EQ8.


So, now let me put these blocks on point for you.


Is that crazy? or what?

This is gonna be a long post (sorry).
I need to tell you that I have a tendency to overthink things.
That will become obvious in just a little bit.

Now I need to show you the machine quilting design Scott created for this block.


Here is where the overthinking comes into play.
I decided that this would be a cool quilting design for a table runner.

Well, I did that and it was okay, not amazing.

I was then thinking "I wonder what the thickest thread is that I can run through Elle (that would be my long arm).
My mind kept going and I remembered I had couching feet for Elle.
I decided to couch a whole cloth quilt.
Here is my practice piece.



Now that you have read completely through my post, I would like to invite you to follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.  I would really love to have you join me.

I have a Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine to give away.
If you leave me a comment below, I will use a randomizer and choose a winner.
This promotion will run until midnight on Tuesday, November 21, then I will pick a name at random and announce the winner.
Thank you for visiting! 
I will contact the winner for there information and get the prize shipped directly to you.

So, if I have caused you to have more questions about me or my quilt life just ask them below.

Now, on to the next blog, I think you should probably move on or your Road Trip might take all day.

Blog at you later,
Tiffany

The drawing for the free magazine is now closed.
The winner is Anita!
Congrats!



Monday, November 6, 2017

Hera - The Greek Goddess of Women and Marriage

Introducing Hera!
This is my new Block of the Month
Believe it or not it is a 6-part program.

Because it is what I consider a Goddess Quilt it is best if you have The Goddess Tool (which you can find on my website).

The Goddess Tool is included as a paper version in the first pattern.

Lindsay (youngest daughter) got married in April 2017.  She asked me to make her a wedding quilt!  Of course I said yes!
She wanted her quilt in gray tones and she helped pick out the fabrics.I asked Lindsay if she cared if I turned her quilt into a Block of the Month pattern.
Lindsay gave me full permission to do so (whew)!
I think this is a great quilt (no curve piecing by the way).

Here is Lindsay's quilt.


Scott (my husband and Lindsay's dad) who I also refer to as the Great Digitizer, created the machine quilting designs which he then quilted onto Hera.
Check out the close up below:


This design could stand alone as a whole cloth quilt.
He is amazing (yes, I said that).


The pattern for Hera is available on our website: NeedleinaHayesStack.biz.

If you would like to sign up for a Block of the Month with Hera that includes fabric too, check out Stitchin' Heaven.  
The program will start with them in February 2018.
You might be able to locate it at other shops too.

The digitized design will be available on the website around the beginning of 2018 (maybe sooner).

Thanks for stopping by.
Blog at you later,
Tiffany