2018 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop
Welcome to Week 2 of the New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop! This is the second year I have participated in this awesome blog hop! I learned from and met a lot of amazing quilters that I hope you will visit as well! During this blog hop, YOU will have a chance to win some amazing prizes from the sponsors of this blog hop, more information about this below. I am a part of the Happy Stitching Team hive, and our amazing button was created by Terri at Meanderings along Lizard Creek. Our hive leader is Tish of Tish n' Wonderland.
I realized I haven’t done an introduction post since last year's blog hop! So here it is…
My name is Sherry, and I live in Minnesota (for now). I have been quilting for a little less than 3 years, and I am completely gone down the rabbit hole of being completely obsessed with quilting. Prior to my quilting journey, I used to hand sew, crochet, knit, needle felt, scrapbook, make pottery, and even tried glass blowing and fusing. Needless to say, I have A LOT of craft supplies and tools in my house. My quilting journey started by purchasing a Vintage Singer Stylist off Craigslist for $40. I bought this machine in December of 2014, and it gathered dust until my mom came to visit Memorial Day the following year. I figured I needed someone to show me how to use this contraption as I've never machine sewn before. Who knew that there were places that would teach you how to use it? Apparently not me. My mom comes to visit and proceeds to ask me for the manual for the machine and then literally READS me the manual word for word. Thanks mom, I didn't think about doing that (facepalm). I started sewing stuffies and random items before I decided to make a quilt. I mean how hard could it be? I ended up designing and making a simple baby quilt, and the quilt top came out pretty good. Then things started to fall apart… Basting? Walking foot? Proper binding? All things I was unaware of. I went to the Original Sewing Expo in Minneapolis in late 2015 and learned so many things. I credit that event to leading me down the rabbit hole.
My vintage Singer sylist
Powered by Quilting came along when I wanted to start documenting my quilty adventures. Why Powered by Quilting? I am an engineer in my day job, and it's more on the electrical and automation side where "Powered by Intel" inspired other phrases like Powered by Ice Cream. So why not Powered by Quilting?! I quilt whenever I can and have even purchased a travel machine to take with me on business trips.
My hotel room set up
I would consider my quilting style to be a modern traditional-ish quilter. I love all the colors… minus brown. I will only use brown as necessary for things that are actually brown like a reindeer. I also am obsessed with Barn Quilts and am working on a plan to launch a quilt along for Barn Quilts next year. Here are some of my favorite quilts I've made: (click on the images to read more about them)
This is a pattern I designed that looks way more complicated than it actually is!
Frame It Up - Another quilt pattern I designed, but I have made this several times already because it is one of my favorites! I love secondary designs.
My mini quilt that I made for the Island Batik Ambassador Mini Challenge.
Twisted Ladder! My latest quilt pattern. I love the color and fun secondary design in this!
Crossfire Mini Quilt that I submitted to the Curated Quilts Mini Challenge
You can check out all my creations on my completed quilts tab in the menu.
Amy at Sewtopia summed up my thoughts about quilting very well when she called quilting a hermit hobby. It's really easy to be a hermit when quilting and being a voice in the community as well as building your own space in the quilting community is important to me. A few of us that participated in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers started Partners In Design, where Friends and Fabric meet. We hosted the I Wish You A Merry Quilt Along last year and will be announcing a new quilt along soon! I designed the super cute Snowman block, you can find the pattern in my Craftsy shop.
I also joined up with some 2016 New Quilt Blogger alums for the Monthly Color Challenge hosted by Jen of Patterns by Jen. I design a block each month that readers can download to participate in the challenge.
I host Friday Foto Fun each Friday to share something quilty or just fun for that week. I know things get busy for everyone and most of the time Friday Finishes just don't happen. The linky party is open to everyone and doesn't need a blog link to go with it, so you can share any fun photo from your PC or Instagram!
My best quilting tip or advice I can give to anyone is to actually use the fabric that you love rather than hoard it. I am one of the biggest offenders of having a pile of fabric I can use and another that I just look at and save. What I have found is when I use the fabric I love, I end up loving the process even more!
Do you also have piles of fabric you keep versus use, or am I the only one?
Be sure to visit all the other awesome quilter's in this week's hop!
- Velda at Freckled Fox Quiltery
- Carrie at Carrie Bee Creates
- Sharon A. at Ms. P Designs
- Ann C. at Laughing Gas Quilts
- Nicole at Handwrought Quilts
- Becca at Pretty Piney
- Sherry at Powered by Quilting <- That's me!
- Stephanie at Low Country Quilts and Embroidery
In order to enter for the amazing giveaway from our sponsors, visit one of the co-hosts blogs:
- Beth at Cooking Up Quilts
- Jen at Dizzy Quilter
- Tish at Tish n’ Wonderland
- Sandra at mmm! Quilts
I hope you'll join me in my journey on your favorite platform whether it’s here on my blog or Bloglovin', my Instagram, or on Facebook.
I do have quite a stash, but all of it is for using. My husband says I have to live to 150 to get my patterns and fabric used up. And my stash just got bigger because I went to the AQS Quilt Week in Paducah, Kentucky last week. Not sure where I am going to put my recent purchases:)
I have lots of piles of fabric–love the colors and designs!
bjkaup(at)(abbnebraska)(dot)(com)
I have been following your blog since participating in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop. I have some fabric that I have hoarded, but sometimes I do not have the right project for it. I will take your advice and start using it! Thanks for hosting the Monthly Color Challenge, also.
I love your star mini! So cute, but what mini isn’t!!!???
I think they stay piles, until they tell us how they want to play!!! That is one sweet vintage machine, I bet she just purrs right along. Thank you for sharing today!
Hi Sherry, My stash pile seems to have a life of it’s own. Everytime I look at it, it seems to have doubled. I just need to figure out what to do with it. When I want to start a new project I go to the store instead of looking in the stash. I think I like new fabric choices with each and my stash is old to me.
Fabric piles that I keep – oh yeah – but since moving many fewer and each time I look I see less I need! Brown is one of my favorite bindings for many small quilts (like a frame) and I have found it useful – so don’t discount it! You are one quick learner lady – and congrats on all your progress – I would have guessed you were at this a bit longer.
I have a large stash and enjoy shopping from it. But, from time to time, when I MUST go shopping for a certain color, I end up bringing home more than I went for. I am not a hoarder, I am just slow to use it all up. You could say I am rotating my stock!
Hi Sherry! You’ve come so far in your quilting journey with all the hosting and designing you do, and I’m excited to see where you go next! I am definitely guilty of buying 3 (or more) bundles of fabrics I like. One to use. One to look at. And one to keep my options open.
Sherry, I’m in awe of all you’ve learned and accomplished in such a short amount of time. Woohoo, you’re on fire! I also love secondary designs in quilt patterns.
Wow you sure have some fabulous designs, Sherry! I, too, love secondary designs (enter my alter-ego, Shadow Woman) and I, too, have been known to take a smaller sewing machine in my carry-on on a vacation…yeah, it sure got the comments from security, lol, but hey I would be gone 2 weeks and couldn’t not NOT sew right? So I love that you do that too. Good to know you more through this hop and not just Island Batik!
I don’t usually buy fabric just randomly, but try to go with themes–like 30’s reproductions–which I started using last year–and they so make me smile!! I have been collecting Civil War reproductions also–haven’t been using them yet–but someday!! I have moved on to collecting text prints, low volume fabrics and bright modern prints. Yeah my taste runs eveywhere!! And of course the lovely Island Batiks from the Ambassador program!! Nice to meet you!! Terri
Of course I have keeping fabric. It’s actually more like pondering fabric, because I ponder the best way to use it. I never buy “lines of fabric” so collect fabric I like and then decide how I’m going to use it.
Hi Sherry
I really like your patterns..they are fresh and unique! The mini quilt and twisted ladder have me very intrigued.
Thanks too for the intro and story about your Mom..it was a nice read..Cheers
Terry
Yep. I have lots of fabric that I collect. I’m trying to use more of it up now, but somehow the pile keeps growing.
I sure do have a lot of fabric. My husband tells me I’m a fabric hoarder. I made the quilt for the I Wish You a Merry Quilt Along and am in the process of trying to quilt it. I have 3 or 4 blocks quilted but I’m new to free motion quilting and not sure what to do on each block. I enjoyed your Blog and you have beautiful quilts.
Great post, Sherry! Yep, I’ve got a lot of fabric also! And I feel the same way about brown! Your quilts are beautiful and quite intricate for a beginner!
Hi Sherry. I have a TON of fabric and drool (and buy) fabric when I just can’t stand to cut into what I have. I also have some that’s pretty dated….the problem with buying and not using. There needs to be a happy medium. I love the patterns you’ve designed and hope to see more of them.