Teacher Gift Ideas

It's that time of year when I start thinking about what to give my children's wonderful teachers for Christmas. (Actually I usually have it sorted by now, but everything is behind this year!) We had parent teacher conferences this week, and I was reminded how much I appreciate these humans who are so patient and kind to my children.

Last year I was really sick with first trimester pregnancy and had absolutely no energy or motivation, so I kept it simple as can be. I made these key fobs, tied one to a treat baggie with pretty ribbon. Add a gift card to the mix if you want, and any teacher would be thrilled.

Here's the recipe for the Saltine Toffee I put in the treat bags. Don't knock it until you've tried it, this stuff is completely delicious, and SO easy to make!

Image Via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Apple gifts are always a cute idea for teachers. I love these apple pillows that Ashley made. Everything she makes is adorable!

Image via Mommy by Day Crafter by Night

Ashley also made some really sweet stuffed apples for librarians and other special school staff. The pattern by Retro Mama is meant to be pincushions, but it would be a cute little doodad for their desk, or even a Christmas ornament.

Image via Mommy by Day Crafter by Night

I really like this free paper pieced apple block. I printed off the pattern at 50%, and went scrap diving for some appley colored fabrics.

Depending on pattern specifics, I might try to incorporate one little apple into this cute new pouch pattern by Knotted Thread.  My paper copy of the new Cove Clutch should be coming any day!

Image via Knot and Thread

And if free time grew on trees like apples and could be plucked off by the bucketloads (!) I would make them each a rainbow quilt like this one. It's a super easy, free pattern!

I'd love to make another quilt just like this one, but with a brighter rainbow this time. Something like these solids with Swiss Dots that I've been gazing at on my desk for the past few weeks. It is such a cheerful stack!

The last idea that I would absolutely love to make if time allowed would be a quilt with their name in a banner on it. Something like this alphabet pattern, worked into banner flags like in Celebrate by Cluck Cluck Sew, but in a different layout. I'd put the flags a little close together and all in a line to spell "Mrs. So and So". Tell me you can imagine the cuteness! Maybe some flower blocks along the bottom? Oh it would be fun.

Anyway, best of luck to you as you try to show you love and appreciation for these wonderful teachers through gifts. At the end of the day, a heartfelt note from you or your child would go a long way I'm sure. 

Honest Fabric custom fabric panels

This fall I've had the fun opportunity to become a designer for a new company called Honest Fabric. The founder, Karlee Porter, is known as a fantastic free motion longarm quilter. Her work is incredible! Her new company sells printed fabric panels- ready to quilt, no piecing required!

Each panel comes in different size and color options, and the fabric is high quality. I've had such a fun time thinking of different color options for my designs.

Some of the panels I designed to look like traditional quilts I love, but ones that use methods of piecing I don't love as much, like English Paper Piecing. I know so many people who love to do this, but I just can't make myself! And that's ok. These panels give the look of hexies without all the glue and papers :)

I had the same thing in mind when I designed the triangles. No point matching!

Other designs aren't meant to look like quilt piecing at all, just a fun motif that would be cute as a blanket, like these nesting dolls. There's also an option to have one of the designers make something custom just for you. I would love to do that!

Karlee has a coupon code right now if you check her Instagram page. I am still deciding which one I want to get, I'm exciting to work on my free motion quilting skills with one of these cute panels!

Celebrate Quilt with Tasha Noel, and Pixelated Heart Quilt

Hello! It's been a while. Today was one of those days where the sun was shining, the kids played nicely, and I finished multiple things that were already 98% done. You've got to love those days when they come!

This quilt has been finished for a while, maybe even a year (!), but I finally got around to photographing it. The pattern is "Celebrate" by Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew.

The fabric pull was inspired by this navy Amy Butler print. I'm not sure what it's called, sorry! I got it on the destash of course. I pulled navy, raspberry and mint from my stash to coordinate with it. That's the easiest way to do a fabric pull I think- build around a favorite print!

I quilted it with (wonky, ha) lines, alternating directions each row. Then I added some big stitch quilting to make it look like the pennants are strung together. I had fun fussy cutting little Tasha Noel scenes for some of the flags.

The backing is an older V and Co. print, one of my all time favorites. The binding is Swiss dots in navy by Riley Blake.

Here's another old finish that I photographed this week. You have to take advantage when you actually clean your kitchen floor, know what I mean?

This quilt has a funny history. I started it with a friend when we heard about a tragedy and wanted to make a quilt for that person. Then we found out that someone else was already making that person a quilt in this exact pattern. So we agreed to abandon that plan and I finished it myself. Next I decided it would be perfect for a friend whose dog was going to die, but the dog made a miraculous recovery! Ha! That's ok though, I know it will find the perfect purpose eventually.

The backing is tiny pink scallop from Little Ruby by Bonnie and Camille. The binding is an old one from Baby Jane. It was fun to scrap dive for the aqua and low volumes, this project pretty much wiped me out of the latter. I've still got aqua for days though :)

I had it quilted by Crinkle Love and I just love this little design, it's called Wiggle Worm.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'm hoping to squeeze in a few more finishes throughout the holiday season and can't wait to share!

Shiny Brights Quilt for American Patchwork and Quilting

Today I get to introduce a new quilt design- Shiny Brights! It's featured in the latest issue of American Patchwork and Quilting, which is on shelves starting today.

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. 

©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

It features one fairly simple star block on repeat in solids. I adore solids! Did I ever tell you the story of when I was in a quilt shop in another state, and I asked the owner what kind of solids she carried and where they were, because I didn't see any at all, and she said "solids are against my religion". I was so surprised I was speechless, and we both just stared at each other for a minute. Ha! We ended up having a really good chat, but had to agree to disagree on that point for sure. To each her own!

This one was quilted by Emilee Hathaway. I had her choose the design and she picked just the perfect thing. I was in such a hurry to send it off that I didn't get any pictures myself, so I will have to share more when I get it back. It's going to travel to quilt market first!

I've started a yearly tradition where I challenge myself to do something scary in quilting- a new technique or way of doing things that intimidates to me. Then when I've thought of the scary new thing I want to do, I contribute it to a magazine so that I'll be bound by contract to actually follow through and do it! Ha! No backing out of that. Last year it was curved piecing with this quilt. Before that it was just submitting to a magazine at all. This year, I wanted to challenge myself to use LOTS of colors in one quilt, and to try new color combinations.

I pulled out my Kona color card and started picking colors that stood out to me. I didn't worry too much about how much they would work together, just colors that were appealing to me at the time. You can see I'm rather fond of aqua shades :) Then I ordered them from Fabric Bubb, (she has kits for this!) cut them up, and started to match them willy nilly. Some of the combinations made me cringe, but I powered through! I would never think to put lavender with mustard by myself and it makes my a little uncomfortable, but I like it. This way of doing it led to some fun new-to-me combos.

To be honest I wasn't imagining it as a Christmas quilt at all. My tentative title for it was "Circus", but the beauty of collaborations is letting other minds make your idea into something more, and I couldn't be more pleased with how the clever people at APQ styled it! The blocks really do look like those cute vintage ornaments. (By the way, they are giving away that cute pink tree, you'll have to check out the magazine for details on how to enter.)

The cover looks like this, in case you want to keep your eye out for it. There are some other wonderful things in there, including a spotlight on Tara Faughan, who is the coolest, and a wonderful quilt design by Sherry McConnell. I always love her patterns!

Lastly I just have to share the gorgeous photos that Fabric Bubb took of the bundle for the kits. Kristina sure has a knack for making fabric look pretty. This is a quarter yard bundle and would be a fantastic stash builder for solids even if you're aren't planning on making this quilt.

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy October!!

Summer Blossoms- a new flower quilt pattern

Hello there! I'm so very excited to share with you my newest pattern- Summer Blossoms.

I designed this block over a year ago, but couldn't ever get the shape of the petals and size of the center just exactly how I wanted it. I wanted big juicy flowers and dainty centers. When I finally landed on the perfect shape, I went right to work making it with my Florida and Bahamas inspired fabric pull.

This fabric has been waiting forever and it was the perfect match. Between the dreamy colors and the fun shape of the flowers, I honestly never got tired of sewing this one. I loved making every single block!

The pattern calls for fat quarters for the flowers and some additional green for the leaves. It turns out the be a great size for a twin sized bed, or a large throw.

The blocks are traditionally pieced and quite simple. If you know how to do corner triangles you're good to go!

I backed mine in a minty aqua basic Dottie from Cotton and Steel, and used my precious hoarded Posy stripe for the binding. So far no regrets! :)

The gorgeous quilting design is called "Rind" and was done by Starlit Quilts of course! She's the best.

Perhaps the best news of the day is that I've started carrying PAPER PATTERNS!! I know this has been a long time coming and I thank you for your patience! You can purchase one in my shop, or email me at woodberrywayblog@gmail.com if you're interested in carrying them in your shop.

To celebrate, you can use the code GOODBYESUMMER to get 30% one pattern now through Monday. 

What Shade Are You & the new Baby Blocks pattern!

Happy Friday friends!! Today I get to share a secret I've been keeping for a while. What a relief- I hate keeping secrets! Introducing "Baby Blocks"- a new pattern I made using RJR's gorgeous solids. It's featured over on their blog Quilt With Love today.

I picked these colors out back in March and I'm still in love with every one! It is so much fun to pick out color palettes, never gets old. I'm not sure if I answered the question "What Shade Are You?" completely thoroughly or honestly, but it does have lots of aqua, so we'll call it good. Honorable mention to Navy and Red, who aren't represented here, ha!

I decided to showcase the colors with basic shapes in a baby quilt. There are 5 different blocks, and the piecing is very simple. You can find PDF copies of the Baby Blocks Pattern in my shop. (Paper copies coming very soon.)

I had it quilted by Sarah at Crinkle Love. Usually I quilt baby sized quilts myself, but by the time I finished this I had a big pregnant belly in my way :) I love these playful loops she did. Thanks Sarah!

The gorgeous photos were taken by Quilt Photography Co., who you've heard me talk about before. This was actually the first quilt she did for me and I nearly cried for joy when I saw them! So perfect. If you need someone else to take over the daunting task of photographing your quilts and doing a spectacular job of it, look no further.

I decided to do white binding on this one, which I'd never done before, and I really love it! The backing is a Cotton and Steel basic called XOXO in Natural. It's hard to see here but it has a pretty texture to it.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with these solids. I was pleased with the color selection, the feel of the fabric, and even the names of the shades were creative. You can read more about their fabrics and this quilt over on the RJR blog hop. Thanks for having me RJR!

Thanks for stopping by today! As per tradition, I have a pattern release coupon code for my blog friends- use the code RJR for 30% off any pattern now through Tuesday, including the brand new "Baby Blocks".