I made my fabric design debut in 2016, but 2017 was the year things really started to kick in and feel real. Lots of changes, lots of projects (sewing and non-sewing), and never enough time/energy to do it all!

I keep a running list of all quilts I make (excluding mini quilts). I only count them when they are 100% complete, as in bound, and snuggle ready. Quilt tops don't count. I made 16 quilts during 2014, my first year as a quilter. 2015 saw 19 quilts, and in 2016 I made a crazy 25. In 2017, I only made 18. Just kidding, that's still a lot! 

Here's the list with Instagram, Craftsy, and/or blog links when available:

1. Caturday Medallion (January) **Pattern Available Here**
2. Fishbones (Jan/Feb) **Pattern Available Here**
3. Kira Kira (Jan/Feb) (Love Patchwork & Quilting issue 52)
4. Pretty Paws (Jan/Feb) **Pattern Available Here**
5. Caturday Kittens Quilt (go to page 11) (Jan/Feb)
6. Mandala (Feb)
7. Modern Triangles Upstart (April)
8. Luna Nova (June)
9. Orbital (July) **Pattern Available Here**
10. Granny Cat (August) (Quilty Box exclusive pattern)
11. Diamond Back (Coming to Love Patchwork & Quilting in 2018) (August)
12. Dizzy Dots (August) **Pattern Available Here**
13. Whitecaps (October) **Pattern Available Here**
14. Spooky Lanterns (October) **Pattern Available Here**
15. Basketweaver (November) **Pattern Available Here**
16. Maelstrom (November) (still need to photograph that one)
17. Secret Kira Kira for another Windham desinger (November)
18. Flowerbox (December) (Free pattern coming to Windham in 2018)

All but three quilts (#6, #7, and #8) were my own pattern designs as well. 

I also had a several publications in Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine, including 2 full covers and 1 smaller cover image.

Issue 46 - Color Me Happy quilt

Issue 47 - Pastel Pop (AKA, Mermaid Shells) quilt

Issue 49 - Rainbow Brights Banner

Issue 51 - Blueberry Ripple quilt

Issue 52 - Kira Kira quilt

Issue 54 - Shoal Goals Pouches

Issue 55 - Designer Profile

My second fabric collection, Caturday, showed at spring Quilt Market in St. Louis and hit stores in October.

Non-quilt things: I released a total of 16 enamel pins! Pins have been a big source of joy to me this past year, as I love supporting and collecting the work of other independent artists. They've also proved to be a fruitful part of my business. 

In addition to pins, I also stocked up my reopened Etsy shop with original stickers and art prints.

I did nearly a full year's worth of visual journal entries in an effort to force myself to draw every single day.

And certainly not least, we moved from Houston to Bryan, Tx. in September! After 3 years of living with my parents, Seth and I were deliriously happy to find our own place. 

All in all, wrapping up 2017 was probably the first time I've been able to look back at the year and see that I can do this. I can support myself by doing the things I love. I hope 2018 brings more of the same!

Gift Ideas for Scatterbrained Sewists

First of all, what makes someone a Scatterbrained Sewist? A passion for making! I want to MAKE ALL THE THINGS, all the time. I have more ideas (many of them half-baked) than time. Even with a project wish list a mile long, I'm always looking for more ideas. Since I try to crank projects out in rapid fire, finding shortcut techniques and tools is key, but having fun is always #1 on my list!

Here are nine gift ideas that are sure to help your Scatterbrained Sewist get inspired and create!


1. Clover Wonder Clips (Available in 10 pack or 50 pack). These guys are great for a variety of tasks when pinning isn't ideal, like binding a quilt or bag making when lots of layers are involved. I had been using mini clothespins, but they fall apart too easily and are bulkier then I'd like, so I'm hoping for some of these. Wonder clips would make the perfect stocking stuffer.

2. MicroFine Glue Tips. My friend Julia pointed these out to me at Quilt Festival, and I am so grateful that she did. Glue basting is the easiest way I've encountered to get accurate, precise seams...which I'm not naturally good at. I highly suggest them to anyone who hates pinning or wants to get some lovely seams.

3. Cotton + Steel Basics Bundles. I've already purchased the green/yellow, red/purple and blue fat quarter bundles to round out of my rainbow of blenders. There is also a bundle with white, gray, and black prints. You can also get the entire rainbow in a jelly roll! Part of being a Scatterbrained Sewist means it's hard to get excited about non-focal/hero prints, which isn't good for building a well-rounded stash. Seriously, blenders make the best fabric gifts for Scatterbrained people like me because we get easily distracted by all the shiny focal prints.



4. Wonky Tee from Patchwork Threads. Wonky and Scatterbrained-ness go together like PB&J, so this tee would make a fun addition to your closet.

5. Modern quilt magazine subscriptions. Quilt Now subscriptions are available to us Americans through Pink Castle Fabrics as either a 6 issue or 13 issue plan. Love Patchwork and Quilting is available as a print subscription through their website, but if you live outside of the UK, you'll be about an issue behind due to delivery times. It's also available as a digital subscription the Apple Newstand for $5.99 per issue, which is released at the same time as it is in the UK, so no waiting! Any cover-mounted goodies that can be digitized (like patterns or mini booklets) will be included in the digital issue too.

6. Soak Wash, Flatter, and Handmaid. Part of being Scatterbrained means that when I hand wash things, I usually walk away and forget about them. With Soak Wash, a gentle, no-rinse detergent that's not a problem. Flatter is great for getting extra smoothing power when ironing, without the added stiffness of starch. It comes in handy for me because I have a bad habit of leaving fabric lying around in a wrinkled wad. Bonus, it comes in a variety of amazing scents! Handmaid is a hand cream, which I can never get enough of, especially after lots of hand sewing.

7. Craftsy Classes. Normally I'm too impatient for video courses, but I can't deny how helpful it is to get a clear visual when learning new techniques. Craftsy's video courses are easy to reference time and time again with multi-lesson classes that let you take notes and ask the instructor (and fellow students) for help.

8. Patchwork City by Elizabeth Hartman. I get bored easily when sewing, which is why I never make the same thing twice. Sampler quilts are another easy remedy to quilt-block boredom, and Elizabeth's new book is super duper exciting. The book contains 75 blocks in three different sizes, and only one is a square! Her freezer-paper template approach is perfect for people who have a phobia of FPP (and glue basting works wonders here). There are five quilt patterns as well, but these blocks have so much potential beyond those patterns. I've already started working through the book, page by page.

9. Shape by Shape by Angela Walters. I got an autographed copy of this book at Quilt Market, and it's already saved my butt on a quilt where I felt stumped. Custom quilting isn't something that comes naturally to everyone, so having a visual guide to get you started on tackling a project is a big relief. I can't wait to put this to work on some QAYG projects.

My Sewing Project Wish List

My quilt guildie Anna recently introduced me to the Modern Sewciety podcast, which I've taken to listening to during my daily work commute. In one episode (can't remember which one) Stephanie talks about how she keeps a sewing project wish list. It's good to know I'm not alone! I have so many projects I really want to make, so keeping a list helps me keep them loaded in the chamber. Since I just finished my Starfield Quilt, I have to pick some new projects to work on after I wrap up some swap projects and our Ren Fest costumes. Here's my running sewing project wish list!

Image credit - Jeni Baker (In Color Order)

1. Lined Drawstring Bag by Jeni Baker
I'm working on an EPP project right now that is getting progressively problematic to keep together. One of these desperately needs to happen so I can stop carrying it around in a tacky ziploc bag.

Image credit - Jeni Baker (In Color Order)

2. Dreamin' Vintage Quilt

While I was familiar with this fabric collection since its release, I only recently came to really appreciate its beauty. I used to avoid rainbow-y palettes because they felt too childish to me, but now I can't get enough of pale, pretty rainbows! This collection is so happy and it reminds me of my mother's teenage bedroom at my grandparent's house. I remember her vintage linens and I'm kicking myself now for not keeping them when we cleaned out my grandparent's house a couple years ago. I really want to make a quilt with this collection because it does remind me of my mom so much. I have 10/20 fat quarters, but I planning on asking the fam for a FQ bundle of this collection for my birthday.

Image credit - Violet Craft

3. Forest Abstractions Quilt by Violet Craft

My hubby is like the super critic of quilts, but he really loved this quilt from the moment I showed him Instagram pics of it at spring Quilt Market. FPP is not something I'm super comfortable with yet, but I really want to make this quilt for him someday. Maybe for his birthday in February? We'll see!

Image credit - Noodlehead

4. Divided Basket by Noodlehead

Since hubby and I are living with my parents while we save for a house of our own, we're basically living out of a single bedroom (and the guest bedroom I commandeered for my sewing room). That means clutter can build up fast, and both of us are easily stressed by messes. I need something like this to stick near my bed to keep small, portable sewing projects in. I already made one last night that I shared on Instagram, but I think more are in order! I'm tired of my dresser being buried in crap!

Image credit - Pink Stitches

From Patchwork Please!

5. Large Boxy Pouch (or Triangle Patchwork Pouch from Patchwork Please!)

I made a TON of these bags in college, but they were small sizes good for pencil bags and the like. I need something larger to stash other WIPs in, so it would serve a similar purpose as the drawstring bag. It would be nice to have a more structured option too.

Image credit - Wild Olive

6. 50 States Stitch Club Quilt by Wild Olive

My fellow quilt guildie and paper piecing princess, Julia, introduced me to EPP when she was working on this project at the July meeting. It's from Wild Olive, so you know it's just too stinking cute to resist! I love how it combines sweet embroidery and EPP. The thing that's holding me back is that the patterns are released on a weekly basis, meaning this project is at least a year-long commitment. Knowing my scatterbrained personality, there's a good chance I would forget or move along to another project without finishing this one if I had to wait a week for each new pattern. Hopefully once the year is over and all the patterns are over, there will be an option to purchase the entire pack in one fell swoop.

Monarch - Sarah Watts

7. Sarah Watt's Monarch Dress

When I pre-ordered my August FQ bundle by Sarah Watts for Cotton and Steel, I also ordered 2.5 yards of the turquoise Monarch print with the intention of using it for a dress or top. I ordered 2.5 yards because that's how much I need to make dress E from the Stylish Dress Book #1, but now I'm not so sure I want to make that dress with this fabric. I'll have to look at my pattern collection and figure it out.

Image credit - Sometimes Crafter

8. Fabric Scrap Bins by Sometimes Crafter

I generate (and use) a ton of tiny scraps, so I have a lot of open containers to toss them into near my sewing machine. I would like to make a few of these to help keep my messes under control.

How about you guys? What projects are on your list?