Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living Blog Tour Recap Part 1

We're slightly past the halfway mark on this incredible tour for my new book, Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living. It fills my heart with joy to see how these talented designer/bloggers have taken my book and ran with creativity in their makes. 

Many of the bloggers are offering a chance to win a copy of my book from Landauer Publishing so if you want to get your hands on one before Christmas, check out each of their blog posts to see if the giveaway is still open and continue following along on the second part of the tour for even more beautiful makes and giveaway opportunities! I must note that the book giveaways are limited to US address only--sorry international friends.

Monday 12/4  Heidi Staples - Fabric Mutt

Tuesday 12/5  Amy Friend - During Quiet Time

Wednesday 12/6  Maureen Cracknell - Maureen Cracknell Handmade

Thursday 12/7  Amber Johnson - Gigi's Thimble

Friday 12/8  Karen O'Connor - Lady K Quilts Designs

Saturday 12/9  Kori Turner-Goodhart - Olive Grace Studios

Sunday 12/10  Silvia Sutters - A Stranger View

Monday 12/11  Sarah Maxwell - Designs by Sarah J

Tuesday 12/12  Jessica Swift - Jessica Swift

Wednesday 12/13  Lisa Ruble - Love to Color My World

Thursday 12/14  Cindy Wiens - Live a Colorfullife

Friday 12/15  Eleri Kerian - Sew and Tell Project

Saturday 12/16  Anjeanette Klinder - Anjeanette K

Sunday 12/17  Stephanie Kendron - Modern Sewciety

Monday 12/18  Christopher Thompson - The Tattooed Quilter

Tuesday 12/19  Susan Playsted - Hopewood Home

Blog Tour Recap Part 1

Monday, December 4th was the official start of the tour. My sweet friend, Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt lead us off. Heidi has a distinctive style to the type of prints she works with (and designs!). Her fabric choices are reminiscent of feedsack prints intermixed with playful graphics and always cheery in colors. They fit Heidi's bubbly personality to a T. For the book blog tour Heidi scaled down my Cabin quilt and made a quilted pillow top that is delightfully fun and beautiful! You must put Fabric Mutt on your blog visit list and find all sorts of exciting projects and tutorials. 

Tuesday, December 5th we stopped at Amy Friend's blog During Quiet Time and saw how Amy took one block from my Tracery quilt pattern and turn it into a stunning pillow. Both of the first two post in this tour prove you don't have to make a full quilt to make something useful and beautiful for your home (or gifts) as Amy plans to give her pillow make as a Christmas present. The nature inspired prints and soothing palette make this pillow a standout. I do love the Tapestry fabrics prints I designed for Art Gallery Fabrics included in the mix!

There's still a few days left on the book giveaway on Amy's blog plus you'll always find wonderful quilting and sewing inspiration on her beautiful site. 

Wednesday, December 6th belonged to my dear friend and Art Gallery Fabrics designer sister Maureen Cracknell or Maureen Cracknell Handmade. My friendship with Maureen has grown so much this year as we co-hosted the Sewcial Bee Sampler together during the first half of the year. We're kindred spirits and hardly a day goes by now that we aren't texting each other and bouncing ideas off one another. It's amazing to have someone you trust completely and know they have your back. We also have so much fun together--it's a wonder we get any work done at all! Maureen's blog post is another of our collaborations. At Fall Quilt Market in Houston, Maureen debuted her next Art Gallery Fabrics collection called Flower Child. I was at the show to debut my book and had time to sew a quilt for Maureen. Maureen's blog post shows the Goose Chase quilt remake in her new fabrics mixed with AGF Pure Elements and Prisma fabric. The quilt is stunning and just shows how different a design can look simply by switching up the fabrics and colors. I did a wavy, diagonal machine quilting that was easy and forgiving with it's organic quirkiness. Look for more about this quilt when AGF publishes the Lookbook for Maureen's new fabrics. 

Thursday, December 7th Amber Johnson of Gigi's Thimble wowed us all with her version of the Cabin quilt from my book. This quilt pattern has to be my favorite from the book (shhh, don't tell the other quilts). It is such a simple quilt to make but is so satisfying and a great throw size. The graphic quality of Amber's quilt in the rustic shades of the season look right at home in her farmhouse-style home. I just want to curl up on that sofa and snuggle under her quilt--especially since she used Minky to back her quilt! This was my first opportunity to work with Amber in a blog tour and you must agree we want to see more from her in the future! In the meanwhile, you can visit her blog and see more of what Amber has made.

Friday, December 8th the blog tour continued with Karen O'Connor of Lady K Quilts Designs. Karen is not only the nicest person you'll ever meet, she can sign like you wouldn't believe! Be sure to visit her on her to see more of her quilt and get links to her Instagram feed to listen to her Christmas carols. Seriously, that girl needs to make a record album! Okay, back to Karen's quilt make for my book tour...she stitched this stunning remake of the Night and Day quilt from my book and instead of making it queen-size like the pattern called for Karen simply reduced the number of blocks in her quilt and made a size she felt comfortable quilting on her domestic sewing machine. Absolutely stunning and I of course, love all the AGF prints she used in this make. This quilt is as lively and full of energy as Karen is and it was so much fun having her part of this tour!

Saturday, December 9th we were treated to this table runner by Kori Turner-Goodhart of Olive Grace Studios. Kori and I go way back but this is the first time we've aligned the stars and moons to work together. It was so much fun seeing what Kori would choose to make from my book and I adore her version of my Viewpoint table runner. Kori used the cheery print Petally Sweet from my Gossamer fabrics for Art Gallery Fabrics as the focal print on the runner. You know I love these colors but what I also love is that this runner fits Kori's sweet, feminine, and graceful style. Her blog or better yet, shop is a must visit to see more of what Kori has to offer in quilt design patterns.

Sunday, December 10th I cannot deny it, I wish I'd have made this quilt the way Silvia Sutters of A Stranger View has done! Silvia chose the Cabin quilt and an analogous color palette of cool teal with a tiny hint of coral. Both the quilt pattern and the colors are hands down my favorites and pair those with a stunning photography setting and you've got my heart--forever! Silvia and I "met" via the internet and her wonderful personality and talent shine through in everything she does. I've been lucky to have her and several of my blog tours now and she's a powerhouse of talent. If you're not already following this incredible lady, you must! See more of this beautiful quilt on Silvia's blog post for the tour. 

Monday, December 11th we had the pleasure of visiting Sarah Maxwell of the Designs by Sarah J blog. Sarah cleverly scaled down the Midsommar quilt pattern from my book to make a baby quilt sized project. She incorporated prints from her own fabric lines along with Alison Glass fabrics to create this gorgeous and graphic top. Sarah is a soon-to-be author with Landauer Publishing and an avid designer and quilter. It was fun having Sarah as part of this tour and she has a giveaway of my book open until December 19th so hurry over and enter to win!

Be sure to continue following along as the rest of the tour unfolds amazing remakes, tutorials, and insights into my new book Utility-Style Quilts for Everyday Living. You can purchase this book from my newly set up STORE on this website AND get a signed copy (copies are limited)! Or, you can order through Amazon (affiliate link), purchase directly from Landauer Publishing, or from your local quilt shop to name just a few resources.