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Tuesday, August 25, 2020

August Monthly Color Challenge Link Up

It's time to link up those August blocks!




There's nothing like a good hot pink on a hot summers day! I hope you enjoyed seeing the blocks that were shared in the Quilt and Learn with Patterns By Jen Facebook group as much as I did!






Sponsors July thru September

Quilters Chic - PDF Pattern
For The Love of Geese - PDF Pattern
Carole Lyle Shaw - Pattern and Grunge bundle
Quilters Dream Batting - Dream 80/20 - 60" x 60"
The Fat Quarter Shop - Fabric Bundle








Warm Company - Warm 80/20 - 55" x 60"
Warm Company - 1 yard Insul-Bright
Make Modern Magazine - 6 month subscription
Patterns By Jen - Superior Thread S-Fine 50
Patterns By Jen - Magic Wand




Make sure to visit the new sponsors this month and see what awesomness they offer.



The link up is open through August 31st. If you have a problem linking up, please use the "question mark" button next to the log out button. If you are trying from your phone, try it from a laptop/tablet if you have one.



Good luck and thank you so much for stitching along with me!

Missed the block? Find it HERE!

Happy Stitching!
Jen


New to Patterns By Jen?


Find paper and digital patterns in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Join the Quilt and Learn with Patterns By Jen Facebook page.


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates. 


Please make sure to add your first name!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Fat Quarter Shop Sewcialites

 Have you heard about this exciting quilt along from The Fat Quarter Shop?

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Affiliate Links. When purchases are made through these links I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your purchases help support my small business and keep my husband's head from exploding everytime a new quilting notion arrives in our mailbox. Thank you for that. Find out more about Affiliate Links Here.


This *free* quilt along has three quilt size options and runs September 25, 2020 thru June 25, 2021. A new block is released every Friday for your enjoyment.

They have even prepared a binder to help you keep track of your instructions. How cute is this? 


Click on picture for link.


I'm going to try to join in and make the 3" finished blocks. Here are my fabric choices, the All Hallows Eve line from Fig Tree.


Click on picture to see more pretty All Hallows Eve fabrics.

To find out all of the details head over to the Sewcialites post on Jolly Jabber.


Will you be sewing along?


Happy Stitching!
Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?





Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Meet Bernard

 If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I bought a new sewing machine.



Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Affiliate Links. When purchases are made through these links I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your purchases help support my small business and keep my husband's head from exploding everytime a new quilting notion arrives in our mailbox. Thank you for that. Find out more about Affiliate Links Here.


It's my first Baby Lock machine and my first brand new machine. I've been blessed to have been given a few sewing machines over the years, and I will always be grateful for them. This shiny new baby has me super excited all the same.



Why Bernard?

Well my sister got a new puppy (I think we're both quite happy with our respective "new" things) and it was named Bernard.



Doesn't he LOOK like a Bernard?! She refused to keep the name though, and I liked it so much I said, "Fine. I'll name my new sewing machine Bernard." Wouldn't you know, it stuck. Ha!


Now I get to introduce him as my new Baby Lock Brilliant, Bernard. Not gonna lie, I love it! 😍



I'm a quilter to my core, and piecing is my jam, so what do you think the first thing I did was?



Oh yeah, fill ALL THE BOBBINS.


25 to be exact. (Two cases of 12 and the one that was in the machine.)



It took 1 1/2, 547 yard spools of Gutermann grey polyester thread, my go to for piecing.


Click on the picture to be taken to the Bobbin Holders available from The Fat Quarter Shop.


I almost have my favorite bobbin holder completely filled. (Dang! I see they have a purple one now, I'm going to have to get another one and fill more bobbins.) I don't mind filling bobbins, but I do hate to run out in the middle of a big piecing project. This doesn't necessarily keep that from happening, but it certainly cuts back on how often it happens.



One of my new favorite things on Bernard is the Start/Stop button. Stepping on the foot pedal to fill 25 bobbins can make your foot sore, that button was awesome. It's the little things, don't judge. Ha!



Another favorite, yet extremely frightening, thing is the Needle Threader. No lie, this week I *struggled* to thread a needle. Apparently, when you hit your 40's your 20/20 vision quickly goes downhill. This needle threader though!!!  I shut my eyes and hope I don't break something when I use it, but it's amazing and soooo much faster than me squinting at it.  I believe I can pretend I have great eye sight for a few more years.



Did you see the quilting I shared on Instagram this past weekend? You know what would have been awesome for that? The knee lift. I *almost* broke Bernard out of the box to try it, but I didn't want to mess with a new machine in the middle of a deadline. But this thing is awesome, and I'm going to have to find it in me to quilt like that again, just to enjoy the knee lift.



Bernard sews a beautiful stitch and I'm so excited to start my next project. It's going to be hard getting enough sleep each night when I can be stitching away with this beauty! I look forward to sharing my projects with you.

Happy Stitching!
Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?





Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.




Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Quilting: Expectations vs Reality

 Ah, quilting. It can bring great joy and great frustration; at the same time. Why is that? It might possibly be because expectations and reality don't always match up.




Expectation: Undisturbed sewing time

You have a: full hour, half a day, full day, whole weekend and it is all yours. You are going to finish that quilt; catch up on your Monthly Color Challenge; finally start on those Christmas gifts. Whatever it is, it is your time you have been looking forward to for what seems like forever and you are going to get it ALL done.



Reality:

Everyone suddenly needs your attention, including the dog. Suddenly that long lost cousin stops by to catch up or Dad calls and thinks now is the time to get chatty. Does this happen to anyone else? It seems as soon as I am prepared for some serious sewing, that is when the phone lights up with calls and texts. Your baby who ALWAYS sleeps for a good hour refuses to rest today. The dog pukes on the carpet. Or.......


Expectation: Smooth sewing time

You just picked up your machine from a much-needed cleaning. You've missed your best friend and you have such plans for the two of you! It's going to be amazing and your machine is going to sew so nicely since you took such good care of it.



Reality:

Everything that can go wrong will. For whatever reason you will start getting pretty little nests on the bottom of your fabric. You will start to applique without switching your presser foot and snap a needle. Your thread will keep breaking. Or......


Expectation: Smooth pattern cutting time

You have your fabric and pattern chosen. You've put in a new rotary cutter blade, your space is free and clear of clutter. You are going to get that pattern completely cut out and ready for sewing.


Radiant Paisley from Benartex/Kanvas Studio


Reality:

You know where this is going right? You don't have enough of the main fabric. Sometimes you have enough fabric, but you realize too late that your husband used one end to wipe his hands on. Either way you don't have enough and you bought this fabric eight year ago at a close out sale. Or........


Expectation: Smooth quilting time

You've finished your quilt top and you are going to quilt it yourself. You have the perfect thread chosen, you know the pattern perfectly and you have the perfect backing. Ah, sweet perfection.



Reality

You forgot to get the batting. You've run out of basting spray. The backing is too short. You can't get the tension right on your stitching. You five year old used the thread to make booby traps all over the house. So many things. Or......


Expectation: To enjoy crafting time

We expect to enjoy our craft when we have time to do it. Sometimes we only get an hour here or there, or some time on the weekend. Some of us can work on it all day, every day if we wish. However much time  we may have to work, we expect to enjoy it.

Click on the picture to be taken to my Teespring shop where you can get this mug.


Reality:

The reality is life happens. It's beautiful and unpredictable, and gets in the way and it inspires. It can be frustrating to have our time taken up by other people, issues with our machine, not enough fabric, etc, but in the end we are the only ones who can create our own joy and contentment. Sometimes it's through crafting, sometimes it has to be through walking away to breath.


Gradient Stars, click on the picture to be taken to my Etsy Shop.


I hope you enjoyed this little look at Expectations vs Reality. I hope it made you smile, maybe nod your head in understanding and possibly gave you a little break away from that reality. 😉


Happy Stitching!
Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?





Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.


Saturday, August 8, 2020

Batting Buster 2020 Wrap Up

What a week of ideas! I've got some new plans for batting scraps added to my calendar, what about you?




If you missed a day, start scrolling down, I've got them all here in one place. PLUS! If you sloooowwllllyyyy scroll down when you get to the end you'll find a new fun pattern from me that uses batting scraps, too. I guess you can scroll quickly and it will still be there, but what's the fun in that?!



















So many great ideas! I can't wait to take a minute and get some batting scraps used up!




My Batting Busting idea is to take a minute and make a sign for your own space. Do you have a special name for your sewing space? "She Shed, "'The Sewing Room",  or "My Room, Get Out."



I have always called my sewing area "The Dungeon." I sew in my laundry room, in the basement, without a window, so dungeon is definitely appropriate. However, I am a lover of all things Anne Shirley and my sister has said Anne would be very disappointed in my choice of name. (PS I'm pretty sure I would be the Diana Berry of that relationship.) So I came up with "Cavern of Creativity." I still had to keep my little sign pretty simple, because that honestly suits me. However, this pattern has all the letters of the alphabet and a few hand drawn sewing notions for you to use to make this sign your own. I can't wait to see what you make!

Get the PDF here:



I hope you enjoyed the 2nd annual Batting Busting Week Blog Hop! You can find the 1st Batting Busting Wrap here.

Happy Stitching!
Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?




Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.


Friday, August 7, 2020

Batting Busting Week Bea Quilter

It's the last day of the Batting Busting Week Blog Hop already. How did that happen? Have you enjoyed the ideas? I hope you have been inspired to use up those scraps!




Bea is the "last but not least" portion of our Blog Hop. I appreciate that she stepped up and joined in! First you need to check out her PROJECT LIST. The amount of projects marked "done" is amazing! Maybe you have seen Bea in one of the many publications she has been in? Bea is also an Island Batik Ambassesor and she has some amazing quilts and projects to show for it!




Bea's cute(!) and extremely useful Batting Busting idea is a must see! Get all of the details on her blog and then start making gifts for all the people you know! Let her know how much you appreciate her time and talent!


Batting Busting Week
Links will be updated with a direct link to their Batting Busting idea on their day. Current links take you to their blog.

Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio (Day 1)

Dizzy Quilter (Day 2)

Sew Joy Creations (Day 3)

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting (Day 4)

BeaQuilter (Day 5)

 Enjoy the week long Blog Hop and let us know which ideas you can't wait to put into good use!


Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?




Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.




Thursday, August 6, 2020

Batting Busting Week Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting

Day 4 of the Batting Busting Week Blog Hop and I think I'm going to have a lot of fun using up my batting scraps with all of these amazing ideas.




Raylee is our forth blogger for the blog hop and if you haven't yet taken a minute to visit her blog/shop/website this is the day. Do you need a little encouragement to finish a project (raising my hand over here)? You will want to read THIS POST. Need some help with binding? I'm always up for sharing different ideas for binding and you can read Raylee's tips HERE.



Raylee has a few different ideas for you and I think you are going to have a hard time picking just one, so you should just get all of them. ;)  Let her know you appreciate her time and sharing of her talent! Then maybe, just maybe, go finish something!




Batting Busting Week
Links will be updated with a direct link to their Batting Busting idea on their day. Current links take you to their blog.

Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio (Day 1)

Dizzy Quilter (Day 2)

Sew Joy Creations (Day 3)

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting (Day 4)

BeaQuilter (Day 5)

 Enjoy the week long Blog Hop and let us know which ideas you can't wait to put into good use!


Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?




Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.


Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Batting Busting Week Sew Joy Creations

Day 3 of the Batting Busting Week begins now!




Sarah of Sew Joy Creations joins us for Day 3 of our Batting Busting Week Blog Hop. Sarah is just starting her very first Quilt Along. In fact it just started yesterday! That means YOU have time to join in! Get the schedule and find out where you can get kits in THIS POST on her blog. She also has a great post on how to prepare for a quilt along. I may or may not need to follow the "Tidy your space" advice. Shhhhhh....




Enjoy Sarah's Batting Busting idea by going to HER POST for the Batting Busting Week Day 3 Blog Hop. Will you be making some fun gifts for December? Let Sarah know you appreciate her time and if you will be joining her first Quilt Along! Go Sarah!


Batting Busting Week
Links will be updated with a direct link to their Batting Busting idea on their day. Current links take you to their blog.

Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio (Day 1)

Dizzy Quilter (Day 2)

Sew Joy Creations (Day 3)

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting (Day 4)

BeaQuilter (Day 5)

 Enjoy the week long Blog Hop and let us know which ideas you can't wait to put into good use!


Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?




Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Batting Busting Week Dizzy Quilter

We are on Day 2 of our Batting Busting Week Blog Hop!




Our second designer is Jennifer from Dizzy Quilter

Jennifer is an amazing long arm quilter, designer and Island Batik Ambassador. She's been published in McCalls Quilting, Quilter Maker and Love of Quilting JUST THIS YEAR! If you love a little Christmas in July (yes I know we're already in August, but I'm in denial) you will want to check out how she played Santa AND his elves in THIS POST.  If you want to see what Island Batik Ambassadors get to work with you will want to take a look at her Island Batik Unboxing - Part 11 post. It's a lot of fun glorious quilty stuff to work with, but those Ambassadors put in a LOT of work, too!




Check out Jennifer's adorable Batting Busting idea! Go to her Batting Busting Day 2 post to get all of the details. Give her a shout out in the comments about her idea and thank her for her time in sharing this awesome idea!


Batting Busting Week
Links will be updated with a direct link to their Batting Busting idea on their day. Current links take you to their blog.

Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio (Day 1)

Dizzy Quilter (Day 2)

Sew Joy Creations (Day 3)

Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting (Day 4)

BeaQuilter (Day 5)

 Enjoy the week long Blog Hop and let us know which ideas you can't wait to put into good use!


Happy Stitching!

Jen

New to Patterns By Jen?




Find paper, digital patterns, and Studio 180 Design rulers in my Etsy shop.

Find fun PBJ merchandise at Teespring


Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for daily sneak peeks and updates.