The Blessings of Abraham Mystery Quilt!!!

As promised, the fabric requirements are here, just in time for the New Year sales!  The mystery will begin on Easter, April 21st, 2019. You have lots of time to find the perfect fabrics for your own special quilt.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Just click on the link below.

BOA Fabric Requirements

#KCDIBlessingsOfAbraham

So much to share!!!

I have tons to share: ostrich progress, Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts, SSDIY, and holiday fun.

Let's start with the ostrich quilt.  I have about 3/4 of Round 2 completed.  I need my daughter's help to finish up.  She has gifts that I don't.  Round 2 is about using two specific techniques.  The first one is machine piecing, and because I'm challenging myself to use only my stash, I have channeled Bonnie Hunter and have gone for something scrappy.

The other part of it will be hopefully be appliqued celtic knot work.  Which at the moment consists of a ton of blue linguine.

Now, regarding the Bonnie Hunter mysteries....yes, plural.  I have been doing some fabric cutting of the aqua colors for On Ringo Lake.  And I have gone through all my stash and have found the following to use for Good Fortune.

For those who don't know, SSDIY is short for (Signed, Sealed, Delivered... I'm Yours).  It also sounds like the name of a ship which is perfect for my hubby who was in the Navy.  It is a postage stamp quilt that I'm making for him using the leaders and enders method.  It is slow progress, but progress none-the-less.  Each piece finishes at an inch.

I even used some postage stamp fabric...

While I have made progress on my Halloween Candy quilt, I don't have any pics. It isn't for a lack of trying.  I used wonderful glow-in-the-dark thread and wow, it looks so cool!  Sadly, I can't get a picture of it in the dark.  So, I will wait until the quilt is washed and the markings are gone so that at least the quilting will show up better.  I really am excited about how well it is coming along!!!!

As for Christmas, my sweet girl set up a surprise in my studio the other day.  How sweet is this tree?

And finally, I have done some mending on my sweet hubby's pjs.  I wonder how many times I can mend them before there is just nothing left.

Okay, you are all caught up.  Back to work for me, I hear Santa needs some assistance. ;)

Ostrich Challenge Round 2: "Two's Company"

Happy Sunday!  Is anyone else out there looking forward to Thanksgiving this week?  I am!  The food, the family, the faith...not in that order. ;)

Back to the topic, it is time for round 2!  The challenge theme is "Two's Company."  The idea is to use two different techniques, no more and no less.  Some ideas are machine piecing, hand piecing, paper piecing, English paper piecing, the various forms of applique, etc.

As a reminder, if necessary, you can add a thin border between the last round and this one.

I am stepping out of my own comfort zone with this round and look forward to showing you the results.  My two techniques are machine piecing and machine applique.  Okay, that part isn't out of my comfort zone, but the scrappy fabrics and Celtic braid-work is.  I have no idea how well I will do or how well it will look.  However, I have succeeded in choosing fabrics solely from my stash.

If you have forgotten to share pics on my FB page of your center block and/or Round 1 results, please do so.  It is never to late to get started or post your accomplishments.  And don't forget to add the hashtag listed below to make it easier for all of us to follow your creative genius. 

Because of the holidays, the next round will be posted January 13th.  We will have plenty of time to finish this round and even get caught up if we need to.

#KCDIOstrichChallenge

Mystery Food for Thought

Is anyone exited about the Bible Mystery Quilt coming up this springtime?  I wanted to give you a wee bit of information so that you can make a decision ahead of time.

There are two available sizes for this quilt, throw and king.  The throw uses smaller pieces and the king uses larger pieces.  Same number of pieces in each quilt, just made with different sizes.  If you don't like figuring out how to get the quilting done on a king, I would suggest the throw.  If you can't stand piecing with little bits of fabric, I would suggest the king.  You have plenty of time to think about this as I won't be giving out yardage and color options until late December.

Let me know which choice you are leaning towards...inquiring minds want to know,

#KCDIBlessingsOfAbraham

Ostrich Challenge Round 1: "Less is More"

Happy Sunday!

It is time for the first round to start.  The challenge theme is "Less is More"; you will need to find the fabric that you used the least amount of in the original block, use it the most in this round and in a very simple way.  Don't forget that if you need to, you can use a small border to separate the rounds. 

Here are the results of Round 1 on my ostrich...

I added a dark border to separate the rounds after I cut off parts of the blue to make a new shape.  See, I'm even trying to challenge myself with this simple round.  I don't know how I managed to figure out the math to get a perfect octagon, but praise the Lord!  The flowery tan print was one of the two I used the least amount of in the original block.  So I used it to turn the project into a square.  Can't be simpler than that.

Now, I know that you might not have the exact same fabric that is in the main block, or enough of that particular fabric to use for this round.  If that is the case, don't despair... either find a very similar fabric, or paint some fabric to look like it, or create fabric to look like it.  Use your imagination!!!!!

Another way to challenge yourself with this quilt is to try to use only fabrics from your stash.  Don't be afraid to mix things up!  Feel free to use prints with batiks, or modern designs with reproductions, etc.  Let your imagination flow. 

If you are having a hard time figuring out what to do, I find it helpful to pin my project to the wall in the room I spend the most time.  I can stare at and let it speak to me.  Eventually, inspiration will strike!

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!!!!!  Please post your works on my Facebook page under the post about this round.  Be sure to tell us details on what you did for the round.  If you post on your own media venues, feel free to use the hashtag below to make it easier for everyone to view.  I'll be posting the second round on Sunday, November 18th.

#KCDIOstrichChallenge

Mystery Quilt

We have some "buzz" going around here that I have been anxious to share with you! Coming this Spring 2019, I'll be offering a mystery quilt experience. It will be completely free and available to all. But it isn't just any mystery quilt, it is also a Bible study. 

Now, you don't have to be a Christian to participate. You don't even have to read the Bible study if you don't want to. As someone who loves learning about the faith of others however, I hope you will at least skim the lessons. 

I really wish I could tell you lots more about the quilt!!!! Sadly, it wouldn't be much of a mystery if I spilled too much info at once. I guess I will have to share little bits and pieces between now and then. I am planning on sharing the fabric colors and yardage requirements between Christmas and New Year, so that you can take advantage of any sales that might be happening.

I also wanted to wait until the spring to start the mystery so that if you were going to do Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, you wouldn't be overwhelmed. 

Please let me know if you are interested in participating.

#KCDIBlessingsOfAbraham

Ostrich Challenge!

JOIN IN THE FUN!!! Have you ever been part of an ostrich challenge???

Quite a long time ago, I participated in an Ostrich Challenge and it really made a difference in my quilt piecing. I challenged myself knowing that the only one I needed to please was myself. I stepped out of my box and tried all sorts of new things. It was such a wonderful experience that I began hosting an Ostrich Challenge to help inspire others. Sadly, life got in the way and the challenge was put on hold. But now we are ready to get things moving again and you are invited to join in!

If you don't know what an Ostrich challenge is, let me explain it... It is similar to a round robin, except that, like an ostrich, it doesn't take flight, meaning you will be doing all of the rounds on your own quilt. You will start with a block for the center (great use for orphan blocks you might be wondering what to do with). There will be 6 rounds, each with a different challenge. You can add one smaller border between each round if needed to separate them. You have the option to be like an ostrich for one round, and one round only, and stick your head in the sand and skip it.

If you would like to see the pics and round challenges listed for my previous ostrich, here is a link to the album. https://www.facebook.com/pg/KCDivineInspirations/photos/?tab=album&album_id=148351028553 I chose to stick my head in the sand for the last round, after the 5th, it really seemed "finished" to me.

There are three pics showing the blocks that I and two others are using for this current OC. I hope you will join us. Find or make a block and post it here. I'll give us a week for everyone to find or make a block and then I'll post the Round 1 Challenge next Sunday, October 21, 2018.

Feel free to share this post with anyone that you think might be interested.

#KCDIOstrichChallenge

Britches and Blocks

What a productive Monday I've had so far.  I had my whole day planned and of course things never go as planned. LOL  But I've still managed to get everything in order. 

I headed into my studio this evening to work on Gentry's quilt, but before I could even get the bobbin filled, Gentry brought me a project from my hubby.  Poor David's favorite sleeping pants had a giant rip on the backside.  We had fun coming up with ways that could have happened...

Once those were mended, I was able to finish all of the utilitarian, in-the-ditch quilting on Gentry's Toy Story quilt.  After I finish doing quite a bit of marking, I'll be able to work on the rest of the quilting.

I hope you have a terrific week!

Hugs and Stitches,

Kimberly

I'm so humbled!!!

I love the ladies at Intown Quilters in Decatur, GA.  They have a great store as well.  If you are ever in the area, make sure to treat yourself to a visit.


Check out this video they made about the Sassy Sixteen...
https://www.facebook.com/IntownQuilters/videos/2275653535782942/

On to other news... we have been making some changes in our business.  We finally bit the bullet and added barcodes to our patterns.  I don't think those little codes are very attractive and that also makes me wonder why I see people get tattoos of barcodes???  Any insight on that would be appreciated. 

Other changes have seemed rather daunting lately.  But God showed us His blessings recently and I'm always amazed at how He works.  It reminded me, when I'm waiting for things to work out, I need to remember that I can't see the roots of the fig tree.  Jesus cursed the tree, but it wasn't until the following day that the effects were visible.  He was dealing with that tree from the roots.  That is how He handles everything...fully and completely from the roots.  So, the next time you are feeling impatient or frustrated, don't forget that something is already in the works, you just can't see it yet.

Time for pizza and a movie with the family.  Have a great Friday night!!!

Hugs and Stitches,

Kimberly

Dog Days of Summer & Charmingly Twisted

It is hot, humid and stormy in this part of Tennessee!!!

The storm on Sunday afternoon wreaked a lot of havoc in the area.  Lightning actually fried our router and we were without internet (and all that is used with it... computers, phones, Roku, etc.) We finally got that resolved yesterday.  And the upstairs A/C is on the fritz... which means I have NOT been able to quilt in my studio.  I have been working on a counted cross-stitch project for my son instead, while watching quilting videos on YouTube.  We think we may have the problem fixed and I hope to make it up to the studio before midnight.

In the meantime, I still wanted to post some quilty pics.  These are ones that Hailey took of my Charmingly Twisted quilt.  You can find it on etsy if you have a ton of charms and/or need to do some scrap busting.  

Try to stay cool and away from the storms this week!

Hugs and Stitches,
Kimberly Crenshaw

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Life changes all the time.  I know my life has gone through some big ones. It can be hard to stay on track, even harder to get back on track, especially when you find yourself in a rut.  
Now, don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining.  Changes can be good as well as bad.  

For me, I went through a divorce, a marriage, homeschooling, not homeschooling and homeschooling again.  I went from no pets, to four dogs, to fostering an additional nine and back to "only" four.  I have gone from getting what I thought was the house of my dreams to discovering it literally makes me ill and is a money pit.  We have had jobs gained and lost and gained and lost.  I've gone from blogging to not to blogging again.  I've watched my children grown and all of the amazing changes that come with that.  

Some things remain the same.  My love for the Lord is always a big part of my life.  My love for my family never changes.  And my hobbies tend to remain the same.  I enjoy quilting, reading, logic puzzles, computer games, counted cross-stitch, binge watching TV shows, playing games with my family, etc.  And while my hobbies haven't changed, my time to devote to them has most definitely been disrupted.

I still love to quilt and design patterns.  I still love selling them retail and wholesale around the globe.  My God and my family come first though.  As a result, I haven't been releasing new patterns as quickly as I like.  I haven't been doing anything quilty as quickly as I would like.  However, my daughter, Hailey, is now 20 and is needing me less and less (a mixed blessing indeed).  My son, Gentry, is in the midst of high school and will be an adult before I know it.  How is it even possible???  I mean, look at these two???

Oh, wait... I guess that isn't really what they look like anymore.  Let's try that again.

Okay, that's better.  I love those two more than life itself!!!!  As you can see though, I will eventually be dealing with empty-nest syndrome.  At that time, I will probably have more than enough time to devote on anything and everything quilty.  

That doesn't mean I'm not working on stuff right now though!  I'm quilting on a quilt for Gentry right now.  I'm working on a postage-stamp quilt for David.  Oh, that's my hubby that I haven't introduced to you yet.  Here he is and a pic of the quilt I'm piecing for him.

This postage-stamp quilt is my "leader and ender" project.  I am also working on Bonnie Hunter's On Ringo Lake mystery quilt.  I'm so far behind in that one. But it isn't a race and I am looking forward to seeing it come together.

Well, if I don't quit gabbing, I'll never get any quilting done.  Have a great Saturday night and I'll post pics of Gentry's quilt soon.

Hugs and Stitches,

Kimberly 

Sassy Sixteen

My sweet daughter had fun doing an amazing photo shoot with quilts made from my first pattern, Sassy Sixteen.  I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I have.