lav' bedtime bugs {wonderful things fabric blog tour}

Yep, you read that right!

Today is all about wonderful things, like lavender, fabric, and bedtime bugs(!)  (You know, the good kind.)

You see, our fearless little F lives for the outdoors, but is terrified of bugs.  In a funny sort of way.  I mean, this two-year old will pick up worms on our hikes, yet other times she'll see the teeeeeniest speck on the move and will sound the alarm:

"BUG!!! Da bug out dere! Get 'im! Noooo! Buggy!"

At some point, my husband told her not to worry, that mommy eats the bugs.  (Say WHAT?!)  Which means that for a while, her reaction to any six-legged friend (foe?) ended with the query, "Mommy eat it?", eyes full of wonder and head tilted to the side, as if I'd really come to the rescue.

...How wonderful? :)  But rather than resorting to that just yet, I'm hoping some colorful, paper-pieced critters will help her warm up to the real ones.  First up?  Da ANTS!  Inspired, yet again, by our charismatic little Picasso....

By F, age 2

Originally I'd wanted to make a whole bug quilt with these flashy picnic-crashers crawling every which way (and I still might)....

But to ease into things, I decided to stitch up a single pair of six-sided, six-legged friends using Bonnie's new Wonderful Things fabric.  (Don't even get me started on Aquarelle Study in Tint... allllll the heart eyes for that one, Bonnie.)

Add into the mix a hint of lavender and flax and—just like that—we've got some warmable little heat packs to help make bedtime a little less, shall we say, hectic?  (The struggle is real!! Are we the only ones?! I don't know about you, but with three girls under five, bedtime at our house has a pretty rowdy vibe at the moment... S.O.S.!)

So... relaxation-inducing bedtime bugs?  A wonderful thing indeed.

Because who wouldn't welcome these fanciful floral friends next to their pillow at night? The only bugs you want anywhere near your bed, amiright?! ;)  Next up in the pattern design queue, maybe some ladybugs, leafhoppers or crickets to join the Bedtime Bug crew—what do you think?  (P.S. Follow along on Instagram to see who'll wind up tucked in next!)

And tell me, any aromatherapy aficionados out there?  I've been chatting with my self-proclaimed semi-crunchy cousin about this too:  Chill Pill and Cheer Up Buttercup are at the top of her list.  What's on yours?  This newbie would love it if you'd share your favorite nighttime (or anytime!) blends in the comments :)

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to follow along with the tour over the next several weeks to soak in all sorts of wonderful things made from Wonderful Things, starting with Haley tomorrow!

x

Sarah

2017 pantone quilt challenge - winners!

Alright folks! The 2017 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Greenery results are in!  

...But (quickly) before we get to that, Rebecca of Bryan House Quilts and I just wanted to say how impressed we've been by vibrant and varied ways in which you all paid homage to Greenery.  All three of our judges remarked that their decisions were not going to be easy after seeing what you came up with, so kudos to all of our entrants for making their jobs that much harder. :)  And if you don't see your quilt listed below, we hope you know it is by no means a reflection on the quality of your work! You're all amazing.

 

But you know that already. :)  What you don't know, however, is who the judges and viewers picked! So without further ado....

WINNERS! 

Quilts (judged by Carolyn Friedlander)

Carolyn Friedlander

"These entries are great! I thoroughly enjoyed seeing what folks made, and overall, I think everyone paid Greenery a wonderful tribute! To pick just 2 entries from the Quilts category was indeed a challenge. I loved reading about and seeing the inspiration behind Vicky's Succulence quilt. I appreciate seeing an idea translated into a finished project in a way that honors the inspiration while still having a life of its own. On the other hand, Diana's entry spoke to me in terms of color and texture. The palette achieves an interesting play on color, and the hand quilting adds great richness and detail."

First place — Robert Kaufman — Green Prize pack (Kona Color Card + 3 green Kona FQ bundles) 

"Succulence Quilt" by Vicky of Veni Vidi Vicky

Second place — Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card + 1 green Kona FQ bundle

"Flamingos in the Shrubbery" by Diana Vandeyar

Viewers’ choice — Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card + 1 green Kona FQ bundle

"Cluster" by Stacey Lee O'Malley of SLOstudio

Minis (judged by Jennifer Sampou)

Jennifer Sampou

"Ah! Not an easy decision. So many talented makers and successful quilts. My criteria was first based on visual graphic impact due to not seeing the quilts in person. These are my two choice winners. Very different approach/style yet both artists exhibit originality, understanding of dynamic composition and use of greenery. Quilting enhances design, adds depth and rhythm. Ultimately I am drawn to the excellent design sense of both artists and I am honored to be the judge of this challenge."

First place — Oakshott Fabrics — $100 gift certificate 

"Growing Green" by Ailish

Second place — Fat Quarter Shop — $50 gift certificate 

"Meadow" by Kari

Viewers’ choice — Love, Patchwork & Quilting Magazine — 1-year print subscription 

Okay, so it turns out the viewers were totally in sync with Jennifer on this one, which means "Growing Green" won their (your) vote, too.  However, in the interest of keeping things friendly and sharing the love, we're awarding the viewers' choice prize to the (close) second mini...

"Simple Stripes" by Monika Huelsebusch

Just the Top (judged by Christa Watson)

Christa Watson

"These were all so amazing and I had such a hard time choosing.

#1:  Those triangles just mesmerized me - making me wonder how she did that! I love all the color and movement that was achieved with her rich, monochromatic color scheme.

Runner Up:  I love how she mixed greenery with other colors to create such a delightful quilt. Her fabric choices are great and she was able to effectively create contrast with busy prints. Great job!"

First place — Aurifil — Large spool thread collection (Christa Watson’s Thread Box) 

"Love at First Glow" by Jill Fisher of Pie Lady Quilts

Second place — Lecien — Goodie Basket  

"X-Quilt" by Elina Temmes

Viewers’ choice — Crimson Tate — $50 gift certificate

"Fibonacci Geese" by Michelle Parent

Door Prizes

The following (and equally fabulous) entries have been drawn at random from the three challenge categories to win our “door prizes”:

 

"Good Morning My Feathered Friends" by Anne Varley
(Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card)

"Revitalized" by Jayne of Twiggy and Opal 
(me+you — precut triangles and hexies)

"Flowering Snowball" by Alisa of A Stitch In Between
(Stash Fabrics — gift certificate)

We'll be contacting our winners over the next few days to discuss logistics, etc., so keep an eye out for those emails.

Again, a big thank you to our judges, sponsors, and all of our entrants for making this challenge such a joy to watch over these past few months!  Rebecca and I have really enjoyed seeing all of your creations come to life.  And if you have any suggestions or feedback, we would love to hear it.  This was our first rodeo, so to speak, and we're sure there are ways we can improve for next year, so please let us know—we're all ears!

Sarah + Rebecca

reminder: vote for your favorite pantone quilts!

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  

Just a quick reminder that although the 2017 Pantone Quilt Challenge is closed to new entries, there's still time to vote.  And voting is open to anyone and everyone!  So even if you didn't enter the challenge yourself, you can still participate in the vote :)
  

 

Cast your votes on the entries page here or over at Bryan House Quilts.  Voting will stay open until 10pm PST on Friday, June 2nd.  You get to vote for your favorite in each category.  To vote, simply click on the heart in the corner of the thumbnail photo.  Just don't go clicking willy nilly... you only get one vote per category (no redo's!) so once that little heart turns red, there's no going back.  ;)

We'll be back to announce the winners next week.  Stay tuned!

Sarah + Rebecca

2017 pantone quilt challenge – open for entries!

The 2017 Pantone Quilt Challenge: Greenery contest is open for entries!  You can link up here or at Bryan House Quilts.  (The linky runs on both blogs, so it doesn't matter where you link up—your entry will appear both places once you do!)

 

Before you link up, check out our amazing judges, the rules, and our wonderful sponsors.

THE JUDGES

We are delighted to have these three judges on board:  Carolyn Friedlander (top), Jennifer Sampou (left), and Christa Watson (right).  These women are such an inspiration on so many different levels, and we have full confidence they'll do a wonderful job considering your entries.

THE RULES:

We’ll be keeping an eye on entries and enforcing the rules by removing any entries that don’t meet the requirements.  (But see below for more information on the separate linky for quilts that don't meet the requirements!)  

All items must be finished in 2017 to be eligible.

1. First of all, the feature color!  Here’s the official Greenery swatch:

The fabric in your quilt doesn’t have to be a perfect match to Greenery.  However, seeing as this is the Greenery pantone challenge, your project must contain at least some Greenery or similar green. (Just try to get as close as you can!) You can also use any other colors or neutrals you like, and as many (and as much) as you like.  That said, we would like to see Greenery as the feature color of your quilt, and we will be asking the judges to take your use of Greenery into account when making their decisions.

2. There will be three categories: quilts, minis, and just the top.

• Quilts: Any size from baby to bed (shortest side must be at least 30'').
• Minis: Shortest side under 30". (Pillows, table runners, place mats, mug rugs, etc. all count as minis!)
• Just the Top: Any size from baby to bed (shortest side must be at least 30'').

3. The contest will run from March 14 until May 29, 2017, with the link party open during the last ten days (May 19 - May 29, 2017).

4. You can submit one entry per category (i.e., up to three entries).  Entries for quilts and minis should be completed projects, including quilting and binding.  Again, all items must have been finished in 2017 to be eligible.

5. By entering the contest, you agree that your project picture may be used in follow up posts about the Pantone Challenge.

PRIZES!

Quilts (judged by Carolyn Friedlander)

First place — Robert Kaufman — Green Prize pack (Kona Color Card + 3 green Kona FQ bundles) 
Second place — Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card + 1 green Kona FQ bundle
Viewers’ choice — Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card + 1 green Kona FQ bundle

Minis (judged by Jennifer Sampou)

First place — Oakshott Fabrics — $100 gift certificate 
Second place — Fat Quarter Shop — $50 gift certificate 
Viewers’ choice — Love, Patchwork & Quilting Magazine — 1-year print subscription 

Just the top (judged by Christa Watson)

First place — Aurifil — Large spool thread collection (Christa Watson’s Thread Box) 
Second place — Lecien — Goodie Basket  
Viewers’ choice — Crimson Tate — $50 gift certificate

 

Just as in previous years, we've kept the viewer participation element of this challenge so that there is a viewer's choice award for each category.  We know you'll have fun looking at all the entries and voting for your favorite in each one (we will!)

Door Prizes

Finally, we would really (really) love to see an entry from absolutely everyone who feels the slightest bit inspired by Greenery, regardless of skill level, so a few entries that haven’t already won a prize will be drawn at random for one of our “door prizes”:

• me+you — Brand-spankin’ new precut triangles and hexies
• Robert Kaufman — Kona Color Card
• Stash Fabrics — Gift certificate

 

ENTRIES:

1. Entries are open NOW and will close on May 29, 2017 at 10pm PST.  The link up tool (below) should tell you how much time the link-up has to run.  Winners will be announced the first week of June. The link party/gallery will be hosted at Bryan House Quilts and no hats in the house, but you only have to enter at one site (assuming it all goes smoothly, it's all the same thing). Entries will be open from May 19 - May 29, 2017. Entries will close on May 29, 2017 at 10pm PST.

2. Each entry should link to a blog post, Flickr page, or Instagram post.

3. Each entry should include the project title and quilt dimensions. (This will help us check that the quilt has been submitted in the proper category.)

If you haven't used a link-up tool before, Katy from The Littlest Thistle explains everything you need to know here.  

If you're planning to use Instagram to link up, Katy has another great post explaining that process (here).  If you're working from a phone or tablet, check out Rhonda's tutorial on how to link from Instagram (here).

Please pay attention to the different categories to make sure your entry winds up in the right place! But don't worry—if you make a mistake, the link program will allow you to delete your own links and re-submit in the proper category.

So without further ado... the linkies!

QUILTS

An InLinkz Link-up

MINI QUILTS

An InLinkz Link-up

JUST THE TOPS

An InLinkz Link-up

JUST FOR FUN (NON-JUDGED ENTRIES)

We thought it would be fun to provide a place for people to share quilts that feature Greenery but don’t necessarily comply with all the challenge rules—e.g., because they were not finished in 2017, or were made by me or Rebecca, etc. ;)  This is the separate link-up for people to share these quilts.  However, they will not be eligible for judging, voting, or to win prizes.   If you link up a quilt that is not eligible for the contest (e.g., it was finished pre-2017), we will move it to this category.

An InLinkz Link-up

We look forward to seeing all your entries!


Sarah + Rebecca