2019 FAL - Tutorial Week and Reminder to Link Up

Today I'm popping in for a quick reminder that the Quarter 1 link up for all your finishes closes on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 11 pm EST.  So you still have a few more days to finish that project or two and link them up to be eligible for prizes.  The link up can be found HERE or on any of the 2019 FAL hosts blogs.


A few reminders for linking up:

• Please only one finished project for each post that you link up, so that each finish can be an entry in the (random) prize draw. 
• Please include a link to your original list in each post of your finishes (on Instagram the link is the unique tag #2019FALQ1yourname to be used in the Q1 list post, and in any Q1 finish post).
• Please visit some of the other participants and leave a friendly comment, we all love to get those! 

I also wanted to share with you that we just wrapped up "Tutorial Week" which has been part of the Finish-A-Long since it's inception.  The tutorials are varied, interesting, and usually helpful, so take some time to investigate and visit the blogs below!

• April 2, 2019 - Sandra of Studio Sew of Course - Playing with Log Cabins
• April 3, 2019 - Sarah of Cedar Fork Stitches -  Easy Gingham Potholders
• April 4, 2019 - Sharla of Thistle Thicket Studio -  Easter Bunny Zipper Pouch
• April 5, 2019 - Nicole of  Handwrought Quilts - How to Bury Your Thread Ends

And whether you had a lot of finishes, or none at all this quarter, or you missed Finish-A-Long Q1 altogether, you can always join in for Quarter 2 which is taking off on April 10th, with the link up opening for your List of Proposed Finishes. We hope you will join us!

Weekend Wedge Workshop

Kathy Doughty and I

I had the most wonderful time meeting Kathy Doughty of Material Obsessions in person and the weekend spent in her workshop dare I say was EPIC fun. We follow one another on IG I had heard about and seen projects from friend who attended Empty Spools, so I'd set my expectations pretty high.

Finished Top

Although I don't typically work from a pattern or book while at home, I do enjoy the personal challenge for a class, especially when the books are fantastic.  My friend Anna had chosen for herself a scaled down version of Big Wedding to make this a 40-ish instead of 80" so I tagged along.  

Hand applique close up

Color theory and design concepts were woven into the workshop throughout the two days and in a very relatable way by Kathy, not to mention entertaining.  At first I struggled with the restricted palette and what I call Matchy-Matchy.  I did not want it to look like it came from a kit (no offense).  From a distance, the fabrics I landed on read pretty conservative (for me) but at closer examination you can see the playful variety with a dozen different prints if you count the binding.  We stopped at Back Porch Fabric and I bought the perfect one

Machine Pieced and Oversized 

The room was filled with an assortment of projects, most were quite different from one another which is what I find fascinating about being in a classroom environment.  Really hoping that some day in the future I'll have the opportunity to take another workshop with Kathy and highly recommend you jump on the chance if it comes you way.  

Here's a LINK to the list of her books including the newest one that she shared with us called Organic Appliqué. 

On the first of every month I create a Monthly Marker using something I've made and so of course it had to be this newest creation.

Instagram Monthly Marker

The part of the story that I didn't share was the journey to get to the sweet cohesive baby quilt that you see above.  Much of the first day was spent trying to make the center bird fabric shine.  

Original Center Fabric

When I went home after Saturday, I came to the conclusion that the parts were better than the whole and that I needed to "let the bird fly".  The "tassel" portions in the lower part of the photo will find a home in another quilt as well.  They are all good, just not together.

A bird and blue sky

On Sunday Lori, Anna and I arrived early and went by the ocean which was gorgeous and ironically had a bird walking by as I took this photo.  It was a sign that I'd done the right thing changing out the center fabric.

Original Palette Pull

Here are a few of the Stash Pulls in the Palette that are ready for another project.

Additional Stash Pull

And boy do I have a lot of ideas that I'd like to explore.  

Happy Stitching,

Karen

2019 Finish-A-Long Quarter 1 Link Up

We have reached the end of Quarter 1 of the 2019 Finish-A-Long already!!  Of course, that means it is now time to link up those finishes from the list you linked up in January. We had a record-breaking 233 lists linked up for Q1, and we hope that you have been able to complete a bunch of the UFOs on your list. If you haven't, we'll do it all over again for Quarter 2...

The 2019 FAL is hosted by a great community of bloggers. This year our hosts are:

• Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA Louisiana
• Sandra - Sew of Course - Ireland
• Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada
• Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA Georgia
• Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA California
• Lynne - Tinking Along - USA Maryland
• Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada
• Sarah G - Sarah Goer Quilts - USA California
• Sarah Z - Cedar Fork Stitches - USA Montana
• Julie - That’s Sew Julie - USA Iowa
• Sharla - Thistle Thicket Studio - USA Kansas
• Nicole - Handwrought Quilts - Canada

Each finish you link up will be in the draw for great prizes, so let's give a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors:

Winner's Choice of 1 Large 12 Spool Collection

$80 Gift Certificate

$50 Gift Certificate

$50 Gift Certificate

$25 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

1 Six Month Subscription

2 PDF Patterns

$30 Fabric Voucher

The 2019 Quarter 1 link for your finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs - you only need to link on one blog for your finish to appear on all host blogs.

Link-up "Rules":

Add one link for each finish.  If you want to link a round up post of all your finishes, use that link to enter one of your finishes and then link the rest of your finishes separately.  Please, only one link per finish, as your link is an entry into the randomly drawn prize draws. 

Please ensure that the photo (Instagram or Flickr) or blog post you link up contains a link or reference back to your original list so that we can verify your entry (make sure it is from the appropriate quarter, too). On Instagram the best way to do that is to tag your photos with #2019FALQ1yourname (where yourname is unique to you), this makes it easier for us to match your finishes with your list, which also should have this tag.

Please become part of the FAL community.  Check out the links of others and leave a comment. We all need encouragement so let's applaud each other.  The 2019 FAL Facebook page is HERE and you can follow us on Instagram @finishalong.

Our hosts will also link up their finishes to share in the community but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

The Q1 Finishes link will stay open from now thru 11 pm, EST, Tuesday, April 9, 2019 - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. You can also see how much time is left below the linked up images on the right.  It is best to link up your finishes early and if you have a last minute one, add that one later so you don't miss out.  The prizes will be awarded as soon as we can verify all the entries and do the drawings.  We will post the winners on each host's blog.

Lastly, don't forget to start making your Q2 list as the next LIST link opens on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

2019 Q1 Finishes Link Up:

An InLinkz Link-up

Two Finishes for me this time 2019 FAL Q1

QuiltCon Mini Swap

My goals were lofty and if you're a statistics kinda a person it might look like a fail.  Fortunately, I'm not so I'll take the two finishes as a win.  The first to show off is my QuiltCon Mini that was made for my partner Jera and gifted in person as a direct exchange.  Because it's a secret the picture of colorful scraps identifying it as a project to get done is hard to spot (see arrow below).

You can see our smiles in this group shot where I'm holding the amazing mini that she gifted me.  We didn't get everyone in the photo which is a bummer, but as the Swap Fairy, I was just glad that none of my people flaked out and were a really fun and talented bunch of makers. 

2019 QuiltCon Nashville

 The other goal checked off the list is this version of my Merge, the MQG QOM (Modern Quilt Guild Quilt of the Month) that I designed and patterned in a color way so so different than the others and possibly my favorite.  I  did a very simple organic straight and bound in the same colors that I'd used in the quilt.  Finishing the hand stitching of the binding at the March Retreat and dodging puddles to get a shot.

Merge - Moody Blue

What I'm realizing as I end this blog post and get linkup to the Linky Party for Q1 is that I need to write more about both events soon!

Until then, thanks for popping by and please check out and cheer on what others have gotten done this quarter.

Happy Stitching, Karen

Winners Announced - Q4 FAL 2018

We are at the last post to round off the 2018 Finish-A-Long. Today we are celebrating 392 (!!) finished projects in Quarter 4 of the 2018 FAL. So many of you are joining in and getting their UFOs or WIPs out of that dark corner, and into the limelight to be shown off as a finish. If you are in need of inspiration go on over and have a look, there were so many great makes. And of course, thanks to our many generous sponsors, we are finishing off the quarter and the year by announcing the lucky winners!!

Without further ado, the winners picked by the Random Number Generator of the 2018 Q4 FAL prizes are:

The Q4 Winner of the $50 Gift Certificate from Fat Quarter Shop is Kate who blogs at Life in Pieces and she finished this adorable Halloween themed quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from During Quiet Time is Helene on IG @30hela and she finished this lovely rainbow solids quilt :

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The Q4 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop goes to Heather who blogs at Peachy Pages and she finished this Dresden Ohio quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Quilting Jet Girl is Cheryl on Flickr at Paisley Crazy and she finished this pretty quilt that she gifted as a wedding present:

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The Q4 Winner of the $20 Gift Certificate from Sew Me a Song is Mary and she blogs at Quilting is in My Blood and she finished this Floating Hexagons quilt with a wonderful quilting pattern:

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The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from Happy Quilting is Celine and she blogs at EspritPatch and she finished this Tabor V-neck top:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Charm About You is Teresa via IG @misdosbichillos and she finished these super cute house ornaments:

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The Q4 Winners (3x) of the 6 Month Subscription to Make Modern Magazine are:

1.  Melanie who blogs at Mel Meyer.  She finished this rainbow Sew Together bag:

2.   Kat who blogs at Craftaholic Kat.  She finished these cheery Christmas pillows:

3. Debbie who blogs at A Quilter's Table.  She finished this Bee Sewcial group quilt inspired by Gwen Marston:

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The Q4 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Studio 39 Fabrics goes to Leslie via IG @sugarhousequilter and she finished this Accentuate the Positive quilt in warm colors:

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 The Q4 Winner of the $25 Gift Certificate from Tartan Kiwi is Magdalena via IG @magdalenadetz and she finished this English paper pieced pillow for her living room:

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The Q4 Winner of the Minikins bundle from Sew Sweetness is Robin via IG @robinbirdrobin and she finished this lovely Christmas tree skirt for a friend:

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The Q4 prize of the $50 Gift Certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Jan via IG @snell.jan and she finished this fantastic floral quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts is Sheila who blogs at Chez Budsmam and she finished this cute mini tuffet:

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The Q4 Winner of the $30 Gift Certificate from Clover & Violet is Helen via IG @archiewonderdog and she finished this drawstring knitting bag for her Mother:

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Congratulations to all the winners!  Thank you for playing along with us in the fourth quarter, and we hope you are joining us in this new year. We love to encourage you to finish up all those WIPs and UFOs, and to see what great makes will be finished next time.

This post officially finishes up the 2018 Finish-A-Long and we want to give a huge thank you to all of this years hosts: Sandra, Marci, Leanne, Karen, Izzy, Lynne, Ella and Felicity.  Each of you made this task of the FAL easy and enjoyable.  A gigantic thank-you to this years sponsors, we truly appreciate your prizes and sponsorship this year.