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 have some fabric that I have been holding on to for awhile. I don’t think I do it intentionally, sometimes when I buy fabric just because I love it and not necessarily for a specific project, I have a hard time matching it later on to use it up.
I have so much fabric that I know I could sew for years and still have too much. I, too, like piecing so enjoyed seeing your quilts. Thanks.
Hi Sherry! So fun to “meet” you! I love your quilts and quilt designs and what is up with so many quilters being engineers??? You are the fourth or fifth one that I know of online who are either currently or retired from being an engineer. Now that I’m following you, I’ll try to remember to join your Friday linky party! Really great advice about using fabric you love instead of hoarding it. Guilty. 🙂
so glad you have found your way into the quilting community. now about that glass blowing do you still do that?
I do have some I am “waiting for the right project” for (aka: hoarding because I’m afraid I’ll ruin it). My husband just sighed and shook his head when I was relocating some fabrics to a new cabinet and I told him “this is for my ‘good fabric’… no really, it’s my designer fabric… the special ones”.
Hi Sherry! You’ve done a lot in the quilting world over less than 3 years!!! Does that little comment, “for now” mean you’re leaving Minnesota? After the winter we just came through, I get it! On the other hand, because of our winters here in Minnesota, we have a huge quilting community! As for those piles of fabric, most of us have them! We just have to remember to shop from our own collection first!
Hi Sherry! I was one of your testers for the circular illusion quilt. It is such a fun design! I totally agree on using that well loved fabric. I don’t know why I just keep my favorites in the original fat quarter bundle wrapping to just admire it on the shelf? Crazy, I know! It’s wonderful to get to know you a bit better. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day or evening❤️❤️
Hi Sherry, thanks for sharing your quilting journey. Of course I have a pile of fabric I hoard! It’s for that very special quilt I am going to make “someday”, and can’t use it now,,because I will be sorry when I find that special quilt design and now no longer have the fabric, thus the hoarding!!
Great intro post! Now are you talking barn quilt as in painting a barn quilt or sewing one? MN has some great barn quilts. I’ve even painted a small one 2′ square. Your quilts are great! My I Wish You a Merry QAL is still not finished as I’ve had to set it aside while I finish some other quilts that had deadlines. Soon, very soon, I’ll be back to it.
I love your Illusion quilt. I so enjoy making these. Your Twisted Ladder looks like fun.
I have quite a bit of fabric that was given to me. I’m working on using it up before actually buying more. I hoarded fabric years ago when I lived close to a warehouse that practically gave their fabric away.
I’m laughing, of course I have piles of fabric… I am encouraging my daughter in law to use a bunch up but she is started to make her own purchases and starting her own piles
Hey, Sherry! I cannot believe you have been quilting for less than 3 years. Your work is beautiful.
I want to know more about this barn quilt sew along. I also love barn quilts, altough I don’t see too many of them in my neck of the woods.
Wow your Circular illuision is amazing!!!
I used to hoard favorite fabrics, but no more! I’ve found they’re much prettier IN quilts than ON a shelf!
Your quilts are wonderful! I am very protective of my fabric-zi love the process of going through my stash to remind me of what I have, and to wonder why I haven’t used it yet!
I was shocked to read the “quilting 3 years” line! I had no idea! I’ve dabbled in lots of crafts, too, but quilting is my True Love and I knew it as soon as I found it. I love looking at your quilts!
Hi Sherry,
Great quilts! I enjoyed reading your post.
About the fabric, I have a significant supply. I don’t really “hoard” it, but sometimes it has to wait a while to find that “just right” project in which I will use it. I used to buy fabric, just because. Now I try (mostly) to purchase for a specific project. But, somehow, the stash keeps growing.
Happy quilting,
Sharon
I have alot of stash but I am working my way threw it.Because I know I can’t take it with me so if you buy it use it…. Like cloths fabric gets old and there is always a new fabric line coming…..happyness04431@yahoo.com
Yes I am guilty of having fabric and not using them. I am trying to target those forgotten ones and create something out of them.