Busy Hands Quilts' Best of 2018 Quilts!

2018 was a super busy year for me.  Sixty quilts made their way from an idea and fabric to a completed quilt.  I have many favorites among them so deciding how to narrow them down to 5 quilts took some thought.  

My Best of 2018 list includes goals that I met in 2018.

Printed Patterns!

Diamond Dance was the first quilt pattern I had printed.

Wholesale Quilt Patterns!

Picket Fence was my first pattern sold wholesale.  I now have 9 patterns selling wholesale to quilt shops.

Craftsy's 2018 Quilt Along!

Can you imagine my surprise and delight when my quilt design, Glorious Dawn, was selected as Craftsy's 2018 Quilt Along?!?  A dream come true!  This is Glorious Dawn in Botanical Hydrangea,  the quilt I made for the pattern.  It's a queen size at 94" square.  The quilt kit comes in 3 colorways in 3 different sizes each.

New Patterns!

Most Stunning Quilt I Made in 2018!

Whirl is a paper pieced quilt pattern.  While I didn't enjoy the process of making the quilt because I struggle with the visualization part of paper piecing, the quilt is truly stunning.  This quilt sold in my quilt shop.

My Favorite Quilt of 2018!

A Rosewood Lane lap quilt in True Colors.  I went OOC (that's Out Of Control) when making the blocks and have enough blocks left to make a queen size quilt and a baby or lap quilt!  I will be making a queen size for our bedroom this winter.  Rosewood Lane is a pattern of mine that comes in 6 sizes from wall hanging to king and is Fat Quarter friendly.

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me!  If you'd like to see every quilt I made in 2018 in one place, hop over to my Instagram feed, where I've been featuring the 60 quilts I made in 2018.  You do NOT need an Instagram account to look at them.

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Glorious Dawn Quilt Kits on Sale!

This year I had the privilege of designing Glorious Dawn for Craftsy's fall 2018 Quilt Along with Angela Walters!   

This is a great time to spoil yourself {or a friend!} with a Glorious Dawn quilt kit!  There are nine different kit options, and they're all on sale!  The quilt kit comes in three different colorways with three different sizes in each colorway - throw, twin, and queen.  

This is Glorious Dawn in Hydrangea - and that there is the quilt I made!!!  It's a queen size and uses a FQ bundle and layer cake plus black background fabric.



This is Glorious Dawn in Sea Spray in twin size.  It's made from a FQ bundle and a charm pack plus a marshmallow white background fabric.

This is Glorious Dawn in Solids Spectrum in throw size, made from a FQ bundle plus a medium gray background fabric.

The quilt pattern includes detailed instructions for fabric placement so you will be able to create your quilt with the exact layout as the cover quilts.  No guessing which fabrics to place where! 

Angela Walters created Glorious Dawn Quilt Along videos over on Bluprint, so you can get video instructions to help you with each step of the process.  

If you'd like to make Glorious Dawn in your own fabrics, the standalone pattern is available to all Bluprint subscribers.  And now is the best time of the year to become a Bluprint subscriber!  There are two deals currently running - the difference is what you receive with the deal - one is a quilt kit and $25 coupon, and the other deal is 12 Craftsy classes to own for life.

The Ultimate Quilt Package gets you an annual subscription along with a free quilt kit, 50% off all Craftsy-exclusive items until 12/31/2018, a $25 Craftsy coupon, and Free Shipping for the entire subscription year!  This deal expires on 12/26/2018, so check it out!  Here is one of the quilt kit options (there are two)!

Go Here to get the lowest price of the year on an annual subscription plus 12 Craftsy classes to own for life, 50% off all Craftsy-exclusive items until 12/31/2018, and Free Shipping at Craftsy for the entire subscription year!  This deal expires on 12/31/2018, so check it out!

I will be posting my 50 quilts from 2018 over the next few weeks.  Be sure to become a follower for some quilty goodness!

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Glorious Dawn Quilt by Myra Barnes of Busy Hands Quilts!

I can finally show you some of the Secret Sauce Sewing that was happening back in May!!  Meet Glorious Dawn, a quilt I designed for Craftsy's new Quilt Along!  Yep, you may have heard me squeal on January 23rd, 2018 at 9:04 a.m. Pacific time when I received notice that Glorious Dawn had been selected!  Since that time many, many hours were spent putting the design on paper in three sizes and three colorways in each size.  The pattern is 23 pages long, friend!  But no worries - it's broken down into easy steps, so it's not as difficult as it looks!

This is Glorious Dawn in Botanical Hydrangea, in sweet purples and aquas, and this is the quilt I made for the pattern.  It's a queen size at 94" square.

This is Glorious Dawn in Collage Sea Spray, in a blend of soothing blues and greens.  To make this quilt twin size, the X blocks down the sides are omitted, and less of other blocks are used.

This is the rainbow-ish version in Solids Spectrum.  This is the lap size which is identical to the queen with smaller blocks and less blocks in a few of the rounds.

Each picture above links right to the page where that colorway is sold in three sizes.

I bet you're wondering how you can get your hands on one of these kits or the pattern!!  Here's the scoop.  

Quilt Kits come in all three colorways in all three sizes - Throw, Twin, and Queen - and are available right now over at Craftsy.  Botanicals Hydrangea - Collage Sea Spray, and Solids Spectrum.

If you're not sitting down, now is the time you need to get yerself onto your seat - I had to when I heard this news ... 

Angela Walters created a video Quilt Along for y'all over on Bluprint!!  Yes, Angela, the Angela Walters!!!  Here's a peek at her holding my quilt.  Yep, holding a quilt made by little 'ol me ... {squeals in disbelief!!}

If you've ever watched any of Angela's video courses, you'll know how fun this video Quilt Along is going to be as she walks you through making all of the blocks, assembling the quilt top, and quilting it.  I can't wait to see her fun take on this quilt!  I'll definitely be watching along - and maybe you'll join Angela and me!?!

The Glorious Dawn Video Quilt Along is available for free on Bluprint.  If you are a current subscriber, you should have received a coupon via email for 50% off the quilt kit of your choice.  This coupon expires on October 31st, 2018.

If you're not yet a Bluprint subscriber, this is your lucky day!!  When you sign up for an annual Bluprint subscription, you will receive a free queen size Glorious Dawn Quilt Kit in the colorway of your choice, a $25 Craftsy gift certificate to buy supplies, 24/7 access to all Craftsy videos and Bluprint exclusive shows, plus free shipping on all Craftsy orders for a year!  The total value of this package is $630 - and the annual subscription fee is only $120!!  What's not to ♥ about that?!?  Sign up for this terrific offer on this page.

Mark your calendar for Monday, October 1st, when the Glorious Dawn Quilt Along begins!  You can see the schedule for each week over here.  Order your kit by September 21st in order to have it in time for the beginning of the Quilt Along.

And since Craftsy understands that you might have your own colorway in mind and would rather not purchase an entire kit, the standalone pattern is available for Free to Bluprint subscribers.  If you choose to forego the ease of a quilt kit and want to choose your own fabrics, the course materials include help in selecting fabrics since that is the key to making the Glorious Dawn design really shine through.

So to sum it up - you can get your hands on a Glorious Dawn quilt kit in Botanicals Hydrangea - Collage Sea Spray, and Solids Spectrum ... or through the Bluprint platform.

And just because I . Am . So . Excited, here is another peek at my quilt!

And another fun peek at all three colorways side by side ... which one is your favorite?  {It's okay if it's not Hydrangea!!}

Glorious Dawn is my entry in the Fall 2018 Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side.  Twice a year Amy hosts the BQF where we can share our favorite finishes with each other.  Be sure to go check out all of the amazing quilts linked up, and for sure share your favorite finish of the year!

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Linking to:
♥ Brag About Your Beauties ♥

Ombre Strip Square Lap Quilt | Finished or Not Friday Linky Party!

Welcome to Finished or Not Friday where you can share your finished {or not} projects!

My Finish is an Ombre Strip Square Lap Quilt!  There's nothing like selling a made-to-order quilt to bump a quilt to the top of the list!

The beauty of the quilt is simply that ombre fabric is spectacular!

This quilt is made from the kit available on Craftsy.  The quilt kit actually made many more blocks than are called for in the pattern by adding in a binding fabric.   The quilt increased by 11" both directions with an additional six blocks leftover.  The fabric from those six blocks could have been used for binding, but I didn't know that ahead of time.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Split Square, pattern available here, quilt kit available here.
Size:  66" x 77"
Fabric:  Boundless Ombre from the quilt kit
Backing:  Also Boundless ombre
Batting:  Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton/poly
Quilting:  Zing on Gratitude in white thread.

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It's your turn to share your finish {or not}!  What's welcome at this party?  

• Any in-progress or finished project made with fabric, yarn, or thread.
• Projects from this week only.
• ♥ ♥ PLEASE!  Link to the actual blog post, not your home page.  
• LINK BACK with the Finished or Not Friday button or a text link.

To grab the code for the button below, left click in the box, press Ctrl-A for Select All, then Ctrl-C for Copy, then go to the HTML code for your post and press Ctrl-V to paste it where you want it to appear.

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An InLinkz Link-up

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Rainbow Trip Around the World Throw Quilt

Long-time blog followers will remember the Trip Around the World Quilt Along I hosted in 2016.  My version was an ombre rainbow.

I am still in ♥ with my Trip Around the World!  I don't keep very many quilts that I make, and this one is a keeper!  I have sure been enjoying my quilt around the living room.  Here it is on the back of my chair.  

If you'd like to see the full reveal of my finished rainbow afghan shown in its beginning stages here, come back on Sunday for a Slow Stitching Sunday post.  It's finished, a whopping queen size, and is really, really beautiful!

My Trip Around the World is currently on the back of the sofa.  I moved it off the back of the chair since spring is here and the sun is now shining and I don't want it to fade in one section.

Did you know you can still get a quilt kit similar to this?  Craftsy has one made from their ombre fabrics on a super sale this weekend!  You'll save up to 60% off supplies and kits, and the Color My World quilt kit is included in this sale.

Take advantage of Spring Cleaning at Craftsy and grab yourself some fun projects today!

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Kits and Supplies Flash Sale!

Did you get your free Craftsy class yet today?  Don't miss it!  Craftsy is also having a 24-hour Kits and Supplies Flash Sale with some items 60% off!

You know I'm always looking for a rainbow, and I found one in Blueberry Park!

What did you get?

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Enter to Win a Flower Basket Quilt Kit!

I have had a hard time resisting the Spring 2017 Quilt Along at Craftsy.  I love this quilt pattern, especially the fact that it's made from only three simple blocks. My kind of quilt - quick simple blocks and a big quilt!  Did I say big?  Yes, I did.  Bed size quilts are my favorite to make, and that's kinda annoying when my bucket list of quilts is so long!

You could win this beautiful Flower Basket Quilt kit in Rosemoor fabrics!  One lucky quilter will win the quilt kit including the fabrics, pattern, and online video classes!  If it's not me, I hope it's you!!  Enter Today!

And don't miss Craftsy's clearance sale after you've entered to win the quilt kit!  

And yes, I did succumb to another quilt kit which I plan to repurpose for an upcoming pattern release.  Welcome Home includes 18 yards of fabric!  I have zero of this type of fabric in my stash, and the pattern will look amazing in reds and creams.  So a fabric purchase is justified, right?!?

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Finished or Not Friday a linky party | My New Handi Quilter Fusion ProStitcher!

Welcome to Finished or Not Friday where you can share your finished {or not} projects!

My almost finish is setting up my new quilting studio!  Purchasing a longarm machine last week required major house rearranging, and what a week it has been.  I'm still not done fine tuning where everything goes, but here is my new quilting studio!

And just so you know, since the picture doesn't show the right end of the frame, NO, there isn't any space to move around the end with less than 6" to the wall/window, and YES, I have to crawl under the machine morning and night to raise and lower the curtain because this is, after all, our master bedroom!!  I get to wake up to this happiness everyday!

The longarm took over my entire sewing room, so most everything had to be moved out.  Below is a picture of what used to be in this room.  All of this, minus the small, white cabinet on the right, had to fit into a room 3' narrower and 3' less deep than this, plus I added another stack of bookshelves to double the shelving in the new room.  That room is still under construction, and I'll share it with you next week.

My new machine is a Handi Quilter Fusion with ProStitcher, which is a computerized 24" machine on a 12' table.  I was so fortunate to find this machine on Craigslist in like-new condition at an amazing price.  You probably heard me shriek after my son and I loaded it in the van and began the drive home!

After some free motion quilting to get the tension just right, I couldn't put the fun off any longer and turned on the ProStitcher and followed along with a Handi Quilter video.  Quicker than you can imagine, this fun circle design was being quilted out.  It . is . a . dream . come true!!  {I covered over the names I had quilted in my playing.}  Yes, I do have one of the leaders on wrong and will correct that.  The machine is a lot bigger than it looks in this picture, if you can imagine.

In case you're wondering, below is my beloved Mrs.Singer, on whom I have quilted for the last six years.  She is a Singer 31-15 with a patent date of 1896 which means she was built in an unknown year between 1896 and 1930 when this model was no longer made.  Someone along the line added her to a longarm frame before I purchased the getup in 2010.  Mrs.Singer resides in the shop, but there was no way I would put my fantastic new machine in the shop, especially since I have time to sew, dance, read a book, clean a toilet, etc. {all things that take place in the house} while the machine quilts.  So it was a no-brainer to put the new machine in the house.  Mrs.Singer was well loved in the years she served me, and I have the highest regard for her.  RIP Mrs.Singer.

Most viewed link from last week!

Two links from last week tied for the most viewed.  Jann's Brick Quilt

and Shannon's Economy Block Quilt.

If you want your quilt featured here next week, be sure to put a link back to this post in your post or sidebar, or tag @busyhandsquilts on Instagram, AND link directly to your blog post so I don't have to hunt it down.

Craftsy is having supplies sale this weekend!  Last year I bought the True Colors Table Runner quilt kit below and made a table runner for my mom and a wall hanging for my sister, and I still have enough triangles left to make a baby quilt!  You can see both of those quilts at this link. This kit is on clearance and is a great price per yard and makes far more than the table runner pictured.  And there's lots more quilt kits and fabric on sale!

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It's your turn to share your finish {or not}!  What's welcome at this party?  

• Any in-progress or finished project made with fabric, yarn, or thread is welcome!  
• Projects from this week only!
• ♥ ♥ PLEASE!  Link to the actual blog post, not your home page.  We'd like to see your post and don't have the time to go hunt it down.
• Include the Finished or Not Friday button or a text link that links back to this week's link-up in order to share the fun.  No, I won't delete your link if you don't, but hey, adding a link in your post is just being friendly, so be friendly and share!!

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To grab the code for the button above, left click in the box, press Ctrl-A for Select All, then Ctrl-C for Copy, then go to the HTML code for your post and press Ctrl-V to paste it where you want it to appear.

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking to:
♥ Finish It Up Friday ♥ 

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Trip Around the World Quilt Along {Quilt Parade!}

Join me for the Trip Around the World Quilt Along Parade!

I'm in ♥ with my Trip Around the World!  It's my new snuggle blanket in the living room on these cold evenings.  Binding is a Kona gray.  The kit came with a purple Gradation for the binding, but I forgot to use it.  The backing is also a Gradations print.  You can get 4-yard pieces of several colors on sale here - they're perfect for backing.

Thanks to the rest of you who joined in the Quilt Along with me.  I hope the rest of you finish your quilts soon!

Looking Ahead to the next Quilt Along - Postcard From Sweden!

I am planning on hosting a Postcard From Sweden Quilt Along after the first of the year!  I've already made a Postcard quilt in queen size {view here}, but maybe you need some encouragement to learn new skills and make a beautiful quilt.  Let's make one together!  And if the original colors don't suit you, there are lots of solid and blender options available in the Boundless line at Craftsy that would look beautiful in Postcard From Sweden!  I hope you'll join me!

Linking to:

♥ Linky Tuesday ♥ Monday Making ♥ Main Crush Monday ♥ Moving It Forward ♥ Midweek Makers ♥ Let's Bee Social ♥ Needle and Thread Thursday ♥ Finish It Up Friday ♥ TGIFF ♥ Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?!? ♥ Fabric Frenzy Friday ♥ Off the Wall Friday ♥ 

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Get a free pattern when you sign up to receive the latest info on what's happening in my studio, new quilt patterns, subscriber-only sales and Giveaways, quilty window shopping, and other fun news!

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A FREE 2016 Summer BOM Class + Vote for the Fabrics in the 2017 BOM Kit!

Isn't this quilt totally stunning?!?  It's the 2016 Summer BOM online video class offered by Craftsy for free!  When you sign up for the free class, you'll have access to the quilt pattern and to a new lesson on the first of every month from July to December 2016 - and you'll own every lesson for a lifetime!  There are also Boundless Solids kits available that include nearly 16 yards of fabric for under $80!!  That's a super buy!

And you can have a part in selecting the fabric that Craftsy's 2017 BOM will be made from by voting here.  This BOM class will be available for free in 2017 from Craftsy.  I think I like A, the blue one, the best.  Which one are you voting for?

Get a Free Quilt Pattern!

Get a free pattern when you sign up to receive the latest info on what's happening in my studio, new quilt patterns, subscriber-only sales and Giveaways, quilty window shopping, and other fun news!

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