Tamarinis

12/06/2023

Morris Mist Blog Tour: Introducing The Grove

What do soft purples and grayish blues make you think of? Misty mornings and foggy evenings? Me too! So when I was invited to play around with some of those exact hues in luscious Island Batik fabrics in Sherry Shish's new Signature Line, Morris Mist, I knew EXACTLy what I was going to make!

First, let's look at the amazing fabrics - so you can see for yourself, and choose your favorites for your next project.

Aren't they lovely? I know - you want to use every single one of them, don't you?! Me too! But I limited myself to just a few. Want to see what I came up with?

Here are the wonderful fabrics I used for this new project. Three different purples (you know how I LOVE to use shades of a color, right?!), and of course two different blues (one with a bit of purple mixed in!). Oh - and I added a bit of Sprinkles, one of Island Batik's whites. You'll see why in just a bit!

Does this look a little familiar??? It should! It's a miniature of one of my larger patterns. Which one? Let's see if you can guess. Here's one more hint!

Did you guess Winter Woods? Then you'd be right! The Grove is a miniature version of my popular Winter Woods pattern, one of my guided improv patterns.

This is Winter Woods, a large lap size (62" x 68") quilt. I love it! While I'm a summer girl, by the time winter rolls around, I'm loving the crisp days, the stark landscape and the look of the bare tree branches. This captures all of that!

So when I saw the rich Morris Mist fabrics, I knew immediately it was PERFECT to create Winter Woods in miniature form! So I proudly introduce you to The Grove. This little beauty finishes at approximately 12 1/2" x 13 1/2".

Why miniaturize my Winter Woods pattern? Well, for one thing, tiny things are so stinkin' cute! And if you want to try out a technique, doing it on a small scale is less intimidating. Doing guided improv small scale gives you a taste of the technique without taking a lot of time or fabric. And you'll have a lovely little piece of art to grace your wall in no time!

Can you get a pattern for The Grove to make for your very own? Of course! Preorders are available now. It is currently being tested, and anticipated ship date is January 10th, 2024 (but it may be sooner, depending upon when I receive the test results back!). You can find the pattern here on my website!

While you are in maker mode, did you know I have a fun little on-demand class that is perfect for the holidays? You can sign up and take Mod Balls, a quick family friendly ornament making class. Did I mention that it's only $10.00? And you can watch it as many times as you want? Get all the details here!

If you like taking online classes, be sure to check out Quilt 2024 - a FREE series of online classes January 10th through January 14th, 2024. You can register to get access to all of the amazing classes by clicking this link. I'll be sharing more details soon!

Before you leave, check out all of the other amazing projects using the amazing Morris Mist fabrics - and be sure to visit Sherry Shish of Powered by Quilting's blog and enter to win her giveaway! Here are all the designers participating:

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Like me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and sign up for my newsletter at www.tamarinis.com! PS - I'm trying to get to the next milestone number on Facebook and Instagram (I am trying to get 3000+ followers) and would REALLY appreciate your help - so please click and follow! Thanks so much!

Following is one way to demonstrate your interest in my projects, patterns, and partnerships. Your comments are also GREATLY appreciated, and provide valuable feedback regarding what inspires you, as well as what you'd like to see explored in future posts.

Posted at 09:00 AM in Blog Hops | Permalink | Comments (0)

09/05/2023

Quilt Block Mania: Hey Pumpkin!

Fall means different things to different folks. For me, it is crisp air, bright blue skies, and swirling leaves. But above all that, nothing says fall to me more than pumpkins!

That's why my block to celebrate September and the advent of the fall season is Hey Pumpkin! I hope you enjoy this fun little paper pieced block. All you have to do to get your free copy is sign up for my newsletter (click the image above to be taken to the sign up sheet). And be sure the check out all of the other great blocks by the talented designers.

Hurry - blocks are free only through the end of September!

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Quilt Block by Carolina Moore
Autumn Leaf by Inquiring Quilter
Pumpkin Spice by Inflorescence
Beanstalk Table Runner
Maple Twist by QuiltFabrication
Hats Off to Fall by Patti's Patchwork
Hey Pumpkin
Apple by Penny Spool Quilts
School Pencils from Crafty Staci
Farmer's Market
Scrappy Pumpkin by Katie Mae Quilts
Apple Harvest
Flying South at Epida Studio
Scattered Leaves by Patchwork Breeze
Persimmon Star Block

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Posted at 09:00 AM in Quilt Block Mania | Permalink | Comments (3)

08/24/2023

TGIF - A Small Finished Project is Better than a NOT Finished Project

I don't know about you, but I LOVE starting a new project! There is something about cutting into new fabric, stitching up new blocks, and just trying something new in general. But.......the downside is those projects need to be finished....yikes. Not my strong suit.

But I do OCCASIONALLY finish a project. And when I do, woohoo! Break out the party horns and celebrate!

My most recent finish is Whorl! This sweet little project was created with designer pal Heather Valentine (of The Sewing Loft) new fabric line, Color Play. It is such a fun, happy line full of bright prints that work as solids. Those cheerful prints inspired the mini version of my larger Rotation pattern.

Lately I've been enamored with smaller projects. So I started a new line of Tamarinis Tiny Treasures, which are mini versions of my larger patterns. Whorl is the latest addition to that line.

Why small projects?

Well - they are easy to work on.

You don't have huge yardages to man handle, iron and cut.
You don't have to wrangle rows of blocks that drop off the edge of the sewing table.

They are quick to finish!

Because they are small, you can go from months (yes, I have worked on a project for months - don't judge, I'm a slow sewer!) to days (or even a day) start to finish.
Due to the small size, you can try out different types of quilting without a huge time commitment.
You can try out different binding techniques. I did a scrappy binding on Whorl, and I LOVE it!

They are easy to display.

You can almost always find a place to put a small project. I love tucking them into nooks to brighten up a corner. They make great accent pieces on the top of dressers or bookcases.

And did I mention it is done?! Yup - it is done.

Ok....well, the quilt is done. Now I just have to write the pattern. Sigh....

So that's my TGIF. What about you? What finish are you celebrating?

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Posted at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

07/20/2023

Summer Scrap Elimination 2023: Mini Improv Quilt

I'm so thrilled to join Swan again for another Summer Scrap Elimination event! I am so excited for this year's project - it's one that I've used to bust some scraps in the past, and it is so much fun I thought I'd share the process with you. What is it? We are going to make a mini improv pieced quilt using our scraps. Let's dive in! Use the steps outlined in this post as a "formula" for your first improv mini quilt.

Step One: Pull out your scraps!

Everyone has their own method of storing scraps - by color, by size, by type. Maybe you have yours neatly folded in bins - or tossed in a basket. Whatever your method of sorting and storing, we are starting with the scraps - so pull them out!

Step Two: Audition scraps

You've got scraps. Great! But you need to narrow down WHICH scraps you want to use for the mini quilt. So play around with different combinations of prints and colors.

If you have any pieced scraps - you know, those left over pieces from strip pieced blocks - pull 'em out. It's a nice shortcut to get you started on your project.

Now you need to audition your fabrics to decide what will go into your mini quilt. Above are some examples of my "auditioning" for the mini quilt. I had two pieces of strip pieced scraps that I wanted to try out for the quilt. You can see them in the center of each picture above.

Step 3: Begin with pieced scraps

Let's speed up the project by including some pieced scraps. Now, if you don't have pieced scraps, no worries - make some! But if you DO have pieced scraps, pull 'em out and get the improv started! Full disclosure - I'm starting with the strip pieced scrap you see above.

Step 4: Cut up your pieced scrap

Once you've decided on a pieced scrap (or you pieced two or more of your scraps together), let's start cutting it up.

My pieced scrap had a great high-contrast combo, but the lime green strips were too wide for a mini quilt, so I trimmed down both sides to make it smaller scale.
Since I decided to use several different prints, I wanted to surround the yellow print with the lime print to provide contrast and a sense of order to the overall project. With that in mind, I started by adding a strip to the bottom of the trimmed strip piece. Notice that I placed the strip at an angle. It's improv after all! I sewed along the raw edge of the lime green angled strip.
Next I wanted to add another strip to the top of the unit - again at an angle that is different from the first. Again, I sewed along the raw edge of the strip.
The piece looked a little too large for a mini quilt, so I cut it in half. Use your ruler to test out angles to find one that looks interesting.
Now you have two different sections for your mini quilt!
Continue adding strips to the pieced sections, and trimming down to suit your taste. Remember, this is improv. There are no rules. Do what looks great to you.

Step 5: Auditioning Spacers

So that my wonky little sections from Step 4 show up, I want to separate them with some high contrast spacers. The easiest way to do this is by simply laying the wonky units on different fabrics to see how they look. Which one would you pick?

Step 6: Adding Spacers

Add spacers much like we added fabrics in Step 4. I settled on the orange fabric as a spacer. I loved the high contrast and the pop of yellow that tied in with the yellow print in the wonky units. Because I only had a small piece of it, I pieced directly on the orange fabric. I started by laying a wonky unit, right sides together, along one edge of the orange fabric and stitching with a 1/4" seam allowance.
Leaving a little space, I added a second wonky unit on top of the orange fabric. To keep up the improv/wonky look, I put the second unit on at an angle.
Continue up the spacer fabric, adding units at an angle and varying the size of the spacers.
You can see the project taking shape as you continue to add units.

Step 7 - Add Spacers to Finish

Keep in mind - there is no wrong on this! So keep adding spacers and wonky units until your project is the size you want it. Or until it looks "done" to you.

Step 8 - Trim

Now I get it - some folks would quilt first, then trim. But for me, I like to know what my surface area is that I'm working with. And I like to work with the trimmed unit instead. AND you can always add those pieced trimmings to ANOTHER improv project!

Step 9 - Choose threads for quilting

A terrific aspect of a mini quilt is that it is easy to quilt. So here's your chance to try something new - new thread colors, new thread weights, different stitches - go crazy! Personally, I LOVE the look of variegated thread. It adds a sense of movement to a project. For this mini, I chose three different variegated threads from Aurifil in three different weights to add texture and color to the project.

Step 10 - Quilt the mini

Layer your project for quilting. Pssttt...fusible fleece makes a terrific option for small projects like this one. For backing you can use a large scrap to bust more scraps. I like to use plain white fabric for the back of minis, since they are going to hang on a wall. That way I can save all my pretty prints for the front of my quilts!

Have fun with your quilting! I did simple straight line quilting and some "v" quilting that echos the wonky shapes. With small projects like this one, you can easily stitch from edge to edge. That means you don't have starts and stops with thread ends that have to be tied off. Bonus!

Once it is quilted, trim the project (again). Then bind it and ta da - you're done!

I love how the scrap project came out! It reminds me of summery citrusy punch. I've used this same formula for another mini scrap improv quilt and I love it too. Try it and see if you like it too!

Here's another little mini improv quilt, using the same "formula" I outlined for you above. Isn't it amazing how just changing fabrics can change the look of a project?

And remember those edge trimmings from the first improv quilt? I used them along with some more fabrics (love that pop of pink/yellow) for a small little mini mini quilt!

Making these little improv quilts can be addictive - so have fun!

I also have a fun new class coming in a few months! This virtual on-demand class will dive deep into creating gradations (or ombre effects) using your fabric stash. Sound fun? Click the image below to get on the waitlist so you don't miss a single detail!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Posted at 09:00 AM in Blog Hops | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/26/2023

Twist and Turns Blog Hop

Twist & Turn Quilts by Cinzia White published by C&T Publishing is landing in stores this month. I have joined with a group of exciting original designers to bring you more ideas on how to meld different designs to make your own original quilt. These innovative designers are showing you a variety of their own circle designs (or in my case, fabric lines) using the latest fabrics to highlight the versatility of Cinzia’s Twist & Turn Quilts.

I have a new fabric line that just released (Summer Twilight - see the blog hop all about the fabrics here), and I'm thrilled that Cinzia wanted to recolor some of her amazing projects from the book using my fabrics. Woohoo. Take a peek!

And then look at this one too!

I love how just changing up the fabrics gives the same quilt a much different look. I don't know which is my favorite - they are both sooooo fun! Here's a bit more info on how much fabric you'd need to make the quilts and what you'd need to make each. Oh and of course you'll need (you know you already want) the book too!

Several other designers incorporated their designs into these fun quilts as well. Take a peek on their blogs to see just how much you can do to create your own unique projects with this amazing new book. Be sure to check them all out - and to finish out your tour at Cinzia's link, as I know she has a fun giveaway for you!

Thursday 25th Monika Henry from https://www.pennyspoolquilts.com/blogs/blog/twist-turn-blog-hop

Friday 26th Tammy Silvers of https://www.tamarinis.com/

Saturday 27th Swan Sheridan from https://www.swanamity.com/

Sunday 28th Laura Piland from https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2023/05/twist-turn.html

Monday 29th Robin Koehler from https://nestlingsbyrobin.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 30th Terri Vanden Bosch from http://www.lizardcreekquilting.com/

Wednesday 31st Cinzia White from https://www.facebook.com/groups/cinziawhitedesigns/

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Posted at 09:00 AM in Blog Hops | Permalink | Comments (1)

05/12/2023

Wrapping Up the Summer Twilight Blog Hop

I hope you've enjoyed seeing all the fabulous, drool worthy projects from the Summer Twilight Blot Hop! I want to leave you with one more temptation!

So what do you do when you have a stack of "bonus" HST units (these were left from making Taffy Twirl)? BTW - they are all smaller than 2"!

The first thing you do is to press them all and trim them down to size! As one follower said, that's a LOT of work! It is - but well worth it!

And then you stitch them up into a project! Welcome Little Granny!

Why Little Granny? Little Granny is what my husband's family called his great grandmother. She was a tiny little thing, much smaller than her daughter (aka Granny). And I thought it was the perfect name for this tiny little quilt that is a miniature version of my larger quilt, Granny Squares (named after my grandmother's crocheted afghans).

Here is Granny Squares - which has three size options (Crib (36" x 42"), Lap (48" x 56") and Large Lap (60" x 70"). Want to make it? I know it is tempting - and fun and easy! You can grab a copy here!

Little Granny also offers three size options - but they are much smaller! You can stitch up Little Granny in 12" x 14" (I know - super small using 1" HST), 18" x 21" or 24" x 28". Think about all of those bonus HST units left over from other projects. Or all those scraps you have that can now be turned into HST units for this project! Talk about scrap friendly!

Ready to bust some of your scraps, or put some of those HST units to good use? Or if you are making Taffy Twirl, you can use the "bonus" units to make Little Granny! You can grab a copy of Little Granny here!

I asked this in Monday's blog post..which is your favorite fabric from the line? And which is your favorite quilt? I so enjoy hearing what other people favor, because it is often very different from what I lean towards. That's the fun and beauty of quilting, right? Something for everyone?

You've made it this far - so guess what? I'm going to draw one person's name from all the blog comments and that person will win a pdf copy of Taffy Twirl AND Southerly! Comments will close Friday night, May 12th.

Ok enough about me! Other designer pals played around with Summer Twilight as well! Take a peek at their creations by visiting their blogs. The schedule and links are below!

Tammy Silvers	May 8	https://tamarinis.typepad.com/tamarinis/2023/05/introducing-my-new-fabric-line-summer-twilight.html
Sherry Shish	May 9	https://poweredbyquilting.com/2023/05/09/summer-twilight-blog-hop/
Lisa Ruble	May 9	https://www.quiltyzest.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-quilt-gallery.html
Kate Colleran	May 10	https://katecollerandesigns.com/summer-twilight-blog-hop/
Cassandra Beaver	May 10	http://thenotsodramaticlife.com/dont-miss-this-new-fabric-line-see-my-hand--machine-applique-remix/
Laura Piland	May 11	https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-hydra-pillow.html
Heidi Pridemore	May 11	https://heidipridemore.blogspot.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-blog-hop.html
Kate Starcher	May 12	katiemaequilts.com/blog/summer-twilight-a-double-pattern-release
Swan Sheridan	May 12	https://www.swanamity.com/single-post/summer-twilight-from-island-batik

Hey - before you go, I wanted to let you know that my Free Mystery Quilt Block Challenge is still going on. A new block started Thursday, May 4th (so you can still jump in!). Click to get all of the details for this free, fun month long challenge! But you've got time to hit that sign up button! It's just one block - but what block? Ah....that's the mystery!

Interested? Click here (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624df0c78d82793f8155498a) to sign up to get the weekly emails!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Posted at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

05/08/2023

Introducing My New Fabric Line - Summer Twilight

Do you ever work on something and then step back and think...Hell yeah?! That's pretty much my Summer Twilight line! The motifs are fun and easy to work with, and the colors are spot on! They offer a fun range of color and value - which is an awesome thing in a fabric line, right?! And it has a lot of my favorite colors - tealy blue and sagey green!

See....fun, right? And it gets better, because the fabulous folks at Island Batik created precut sets from the line as well (no, they don't do precuts in every line, so I was super stoked to get to work with precuts for this line!).

Pretty much everyone's favorite, 2 1/2" strip sets! Woot woot (and yes, I designed a pattern specifically for this strip pack, so keep reading!). And yes, you can grab a set for yourself! In fact, just for this line launch, I have the strip sets (and the 10" square stacks) on sale! What?! Yep - you're welcome! Grab 'em here!

And yes, I did say 10" square stacks too! While I didn't do a new pattern for 10" squares, many of you will know I have several patterns that are 10" square friendly (Juxtapostion, Dripp, Jester, Dutch Windmills). And it's such a pretty line for the large squares, isn't it?? Yes, the 10" square sets are on sale too! Get one here!

Ok, Tammy - the fabric is pretty. What about the quilts! Ah....here you go!

Here is Taffy Twirl! I love this pattern - because it is easy (really easy!), it uses a full 2 1/2" strip set and you only need a background to add to the strip set.

Why do I call it Taffy Twirl? The bright almost fruity colors made me think of salt water taffy (it always comes in the most enticing colors!). That got me to thinking about the chewy aspect of taffy, and how many folks kind of tug it when biting, resulting in long strands of gooey sugary goodness. And ta-da! Taffy Twirl was born!

Oh....and I designed a fun little mini using the "waste" HST from the quilt - and I'll reveal that pattern on Friday, so be sure to come back! Want to start stitching up your own version of Taffy Twirl? Grab a pattern here!

Southerly combines several favorite elements: my new fabric line (of course!), Flying Geese units (made of course with the Studio 180 Wing Clipper), and a two color background. Yes, the two color background is subtle, but that's part of the fun. Just a little bit of shading (a cream and a very light gray) to provide some interest.

Why is it called Southerly? Well, there are a LOT, and I mean a LOT, of Flying Geese units on this quilt. And you've heard the saying "geese fly south for winter", so....even if all geese don't make it south for winter, they may go in a more southerly direction. That's exactly the case with my geese - some are going north, some south, some east and some west!

You'll get VERY proficient with making flying geese with this quilt! It offers two piecing options - Studio 180 method and the no-waste flying geese method. Grab a copy of this pattern here!

Oh - and guess what?! If you LOVE Southerly, you'll be pleased to know I'm teaching it on a quilting cruise next spring! Get more information (and heck - go ahead and register to sail and quilt with me) here: Stitching Heaven Batik Cruise March 2024.

Last but not least is Flown, a fun and scrappy paper pieced pattern. I love how you can rearrange the units to create different layouts - all from the same two blocks! This one is in final edit mode, and it should be available for purchase by the end of May (cross your fingers!).

So I have to ask....which is your favorite fabric from the line? And which is your favorite quilt? I so enjoy hearing what other people favor, because it is often very different from what I lean towards. That's the fun and beauty of quilting, right? Something for everyone?

Ok enough about me! Other designer pals played around with Summer Twilight as well! Take a peek at their creations by visiting their blogs. The schedule and links are below!

Tammy Silvers	May 8	https://tamarinis.typepad.com/tamarinis/2023/05/introducing-my-new-fabric-line-summer-twilight.html
Sherry Shish	May 9	https://poweredbyquilting.com/2023/05/09/summer-twilight-blog-hop/
Lisa Ruble	May 9	https://www.quiltyzest.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-quilt-gallery.html
Kate Colleran	May 10	https://katecollerandesigns.com/summer-twilight-blog-hop/
Cassandra Beaver	May 10	http://thenotsodramaticlife.com/dont-miss-this-new-fabric-line-see-my-hand--machine-applique-remix/
Laura Piland	May 11	https://www.sliceofpiquilts.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-hydra-pillow.html
Heidi Pridemore	May 11	https://heidipridemore.blogspot.com/2023/05/summer-twilight-blog-hop.html
Kate Starcher	May 12	katiemaequilts.com/blog/summer-twilight-a-double-pattern-release
Swan Sheridan	May 12	https://www.swanamity.com/single-post/summer-twilight-from-island-batik

Interested? Click here (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624df0c78d82793f8155498a) to sign up to get the weekly emails!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Posted at 09:00 AM in Blog Hops | Permalink | Comments (5)

04/13/2023

TGIFF - Good Fortune

Have you ever let a project get larger and larger (in your head) until it reaches "it can't be done" status? No? Just me? Well, that was the remake of my Good Fortune pattern samples.

Good Fortune in Kismet

Here is a version of one of the options of Good Fortune in my Kismet line for Island Batik from a few years ago. I love how bright and cheerful it it!

Good Fortune Transcendental in Wool

Here is another version of Good Fortune, done in wool fabrics and edge stitched in Auriful 12 wt. I love how soft and pretty the pink and gray version is!

So why did I need to redo my samples? Honestly - because I lost the samples above. Argh.....I know! I know! How do you lose quilts? Ok - so they are mini quilts - but still....I have NO idea, absolutely NO IDEA where they are. But I do know that wherever they are, they are together because I very clearly remember stacking them together. And then....nothing.

So along comes a new blog hop for quilty pal Sherry Shish of Powered by Quilting to celebrate the launch of her new Bits and Pieces fabric line. I know - it is soooo yummy! So...I bit the bullet and remade not one, not two but all three projects from Good Fortune! And yes, thank goodness they are done!

Lotus Hamsa

While I had dreaded making the samples again, and kept putting them off, I'm really glad I did them for this line. Sherry's line is perfect for them - bright, lively prints that provide great contrast!

Transcendental Hamsa

And I took a slightly different approach this time to make things a bit easier - and faster! Instead of edge stitching around every single shape with contrasting threads (which is super fun and eye catching - but oh so time consuming!), I fused the entire project.

Persian Hamsa

All of those raw edges don't HAVE to be edge stitched, especially if they are going to be sweet little wall hangings. So I knew I was fine taking a different approach. Instead, I used one of my current favorite quilting methods - matchstick quilting.

But...I was out of my favorite thread - a soft yellow variegated Aurifil thread. So I used the next best thing - a soft variegated blue. It blends nicely with the teals and greens, and the very light areas of the thread offer a soft highlight to the off white background.

But....I feel like the color was almost too much and dulled down the overall brightness of the project. In person, in certain lights, it is practically perfect. In other lights, the thread is more dominant. If I had it to do over again, I'd try a different color thread for a less overwhelming effect.

Thank goodness, though - it's done!

What about you? What are you celebrating finishing? Link it up below, then go visit some of the other links to celebrate their finishes!

Hey - before you go, I wanted to let you know that my Free Mystery Quilt Block Challenge is still going on. A new block starts Thursday, May 4th. Click to get all of the details for this free, fun month long challenge! But you've got time to hit that sign up button! It's just one block - but what block? Ah....that's the mystery!

Interested? Click here (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624df0c78d82793f8155498a) to sign up to get the weekly emails!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Posted at 05:45 PM in Link Party | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/30/2023

Bits and Pieces Blog Hop

Welcome to the Bits and Pieces Blog Tour! And spoiler alert - you are gonna want every single fabric in the Bits and Pieces line! I mean it - they are bright, juicy, yummy fabrics that are so fun to work with! Let's take a peak at this Signature Collection by Island Batik for the vibrant Sherry Shish of Powered by Quilting (really, it's like it was custom made for Sherry!).

Aren't they fabulous? It's hard to pick a favorite - so I worked with eight different colors. And it was the PERFECT collection to recolor my Good Fortune pattern.

Good Fortune is a sweet little fused applique project that features three different Hamsa hand options. Hamsa Hands are a universal symbol of strength, power and protection. They are thought to protect against the evil eye and all negative energies. Who couldn't use some of that, am I right?

For this project in Sherry's fun fabrics, I tried a few new things. I kept it simple - just fused applique with no edge stitching. In the past, I've made versions with edge stitching around each layer of applique. Beautiful. Eye catching. Time consuming.....yeah. I also decided to finish each one off with matchstick quilting in variegated threads. Let's take a look - and please let me know what you think!

Lotus Hamsa

Persian Hamsa

Transcendental Hamsa

Which is your favorite? I can't pick - I love them all! I wasn't sure how I felt about the matchstick quilting at first. In person, I think it blends a bit more than it does in photos. The thread seems to catch the light and show a bit more. But the more I look at it, the more it has a feel of kantha cloth to it, which suits the design. A side benefit of the matchstick quilting is that it secures all of those fused pieces down - in case I was feeling insecure about the fusing (which I wasn't). You can grab your own Good Fortune pattern here on my website and make your own. Hey - maybe you'll win the fabrics (head over to Sherry's post for a chance to win!) and you can make yours in her yummy fabrics!

Don't forget to visit all of the participating designers that worked up projects in Sherry's Bits and Pieces line! There's so much gorgeous eye candy to see!

March 24 - Sherry Shish of Powered By Quilting
March 25 - Jennifer Thomas of Curlicue Creations
March 26 - Jennifer Fulton of Inquiring Quilter
March 27 - Elizabeth DeCroos of Epida Studio
March 28 - Sally Williams of Paleofishdesigns
March 29 - Annie Unrein of ByAnnie.com Blog
March 30 - Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis (you are here!)
March 31 - Laura Piland of Slice of Pi Quits
April 1 - Kate Starcher of Katie Mae Quilts
April 2 - Melissa Marginet of Melissa Marginet
April 3 - Brianna Roberts of Sew Cute And Quirky
April 4 - Sherry Shish of Powered By Quilting

Hey - before you go, I wanted to let you know that my Free Mystery Quilt Block Challenge is still going on. A new block starts Thursday, April 6th. Click to get all of the details for this free, fun month long challenge! But you've got time to hit that sign up button! It's just one block - but what block? Ah....that's the mystery!

Interested? Click here (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624df0c78d82793f8155498a) to sign up to get the weekly emails!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?

Posted at 09:00 AM in Blog Hops | Permalink | Comments (2)

03/07/2023

Quilt Block Mania - Floral Blocks and Coneflower

March is here, and with it a brand new Quilt Block Mania roundup! This month's theme is Floral. I decided to share one of my favorite flowers - the coneflower - with you!

I've colored it in my favorite Kismet batik line from Island Batik - and yes, you can get kits! Just head over to the website to grab yours. Like February's block, the Coneflower block is fused, which makes it quick and easy!

How do you get this easy peasy fused applique block? Easy peasy - just sign up for my newsletter using this link:

And once you've done that, you'll want to visit all of these other designers and grab their blocks as well!

Chubby Daisy Quilt block by Carolina Moore
Violet by Inquiring Quilter
Dahlia by Inflorescence Designs
Poppy by Boberry Design Co
Summer Poppies
Coronation Bloomd
Rose of Sharon by QuiltFabrication
Irises by Paleofish Designs
Lavender by Palm Creations
Crocuses at Patti's Patchwork
Tulip by Penny Spool Quilts
Improv Pansy at Lovingly, Lissa
Daisy by Appliques Quilts and More
Cone Flower
Summer Flower by Crafty Staci
Mother Nature's Memos
Kaye Collins- Big Blossom
Flower Shop
Star Flower Quilt Block
FPP Flower at The (not so) Dramatic Life
Spring Tulip by Around the Bobbin
Pretty Pot
Happy Sunflowers by Blue Bear Quilts
Poppy by Sallys' Sewing Circle
Reversible Flower Block | Happy Hippie Studio
Primrose Pinwheels by A Piece of Quiet Quilts
Flower power

Hey - before you go, I wanted to let you know that my Free Mystery Quilt Block Challenge is still going on. A new block starts Thursday, March 9th. Click to get all of the details for this free, fun month long challenge! But you've got time to hit that sign up button! It's just one block - but what block? Ah....that's the mystery!

Interested? Click here (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/624df0c78d82793f8155498a) to sign up to get the weekly emails!

Like what you see here, and want to hear more from Tamarinis?