Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Zodiac BOM: Scorpio Block

Yesterday was the first day of the Scorpio zodiac sign! Happy Birthday all you Scorpios!!

I wanted to really quick share with you my Scorpio block. It is ... drumroll please.... my favorite! I know, I always say that, but I really love this one!  What do you think?


I can't put my finger on it, what I love so much, but it's just a happy block. Maybe because Scorpios are awesome and just make me happy. (My hubby is a Scorpio!) ;) ;)


While I was spending a little time playing around with the Scorpio pattern on repeat, I came up with this wild design! I'm really not sure I would ever make it like this, but I LOVE how it POPS!! Don't you think?!



I did come up with a calmer design too, and I do like this...



Above is a 4x4 block repeat, which would be great for a quilt. Below I did a smaller section of it to give an idea of what you could do for a mini quilt or pillow or something. :)



Or you could take out those center circles!




Anyway...

If you use the coloring pages in your pattern, I'd love to see what you come up with! There really are so many different possibilities!! (you can use #fbpColoringPages on Instagram to share).


There is still time to pick up the Zodiac BOM pattern as the complete bundle! (After the end of the year, the patterns will still be available but not as the complete bundle. just a heads up.)


Pick up the Zodiac BOM pattern below!

https://fromblankpagespatterns.com/products/zodiac-bom-236-paper-piecing-pattern-pdf




Be sure to check out the facebook group and the hashtags on Instagram (#fbpZodiacBOM, and #fbp + the pattern name, for example #fbpScorpio) to see everyone's incredible blocks!!

Thanks for letting me share with you!


Happy Quilting! and Happy Creating!





Friday, October 21, 2016

Exploring Creativity: New Pattern & Sharing My First Project!

This post is a part of the Exploring Creativity series. You can read all about it HERE. And HERE is the post sharing the pattern for this month, 70's Geese


 Well... I haven't done very good about keeping up with posting on my blog this month. oops. I will admit, I have PTSD (and I'll add social anxiety while I'm going to be sharing this), and I came across some bad triggers early in the month. If you get bad anxiety, you'll know what I'm talking about. But I'm feeling better and am glad that's past!

If you haven't experienced PTSD or severe anxiety, to say it's overwhelming and debilitating is probably an understatement. At it's worst, I think I would compare it to being engulfed in flames and wanting to run out into the street screaming for anyone to come put the fire out. Not that you feel like you're on fire, but the sense of panic is equivalent. At least that's how I felt at times earlier this month. Is that how it is for anyone else?

I don't share this to be all "woe is me" because even though I go through it and it's about the worst thing in the world, I've come to recognize it for what it is, and when it comes on I can mentally separate myself from it. It's still scary and I constantly ask my husband for blessings and prayers and wake him up in the middle of the night so I know I'm not alone. But even then, I know it'll end and I'll be ok. I have found my strength in Jesus Christ, and He truly has become my rock and my companion that helps me get through it. Despite the overwhelming emotions, I still have peace. Nothing short of a miracle.

The reason why I did want to share this is because I know I'm not the only one that goes through this. And, at least for me, anxiety is 1,000 times worse when I feel like I'm alone! So here I am letting you know, those of you who may be going through this, or have gone through this, or might in the future, that you are not alone!! (I wish I could type that on comforting clouds that would wisp peace into your soul!)

I love this quote I found the other day...



 Obviously you don't have to have anxiety or PTSD to feel like the path you are on is dark, we all experience that at some point or another. But this is one thing that throughout my life has made all of the difference, and really it's the only thing that's made a difference! If it's not for you, that's fine. I hope we can still be friends. But if you're unsure, I want to invite you to pray and ask Him to show you how He can help you. Because that's what He's there for! For each and every one of us! And I'm just so completely grateful for that and overwhelmed by that fact, that I just have to share! (insert heart emoji here)

I also want to share this because I think it's a topic that has been taboo for way too long!! I often feel embarrassed about it, I feel like if people know they'll think less of me - like I'm suddenly below them. or that I'm not normal. I feel ashamed, like it determines my value and self worth. It makes me jealous of people who don't struggle with it - leaving me wishing that I could be normal and high functioning all the time. I often find myself making comments that I never post because I don't know if it's a dumb comment or not, so I never get in on the conversation. Basically it's like I'm on the outside looking in on all the fun. I don't know how you feel about it - whether you struggle with it or not, but I know that the feelings I have about it are all lies! And I think it's about time that we debunk these lies and open and share our struggles and go through this together! Because you're awesome! and I'm awesome! And we should all be awesome together! (It's way more fun that way!!) :D


Anyway, I feel like sometimes I have to put up the facade that I have it all together and that I can be all professional and organized - especially on my blog, but now you all know. I'm really just a pile of crumbling bricks trying to use elmer's glue to hold myself together! lol. And because I really do want to get back into blogging regularly, maybe just putting this out there will make it easier for me to not feel like I have to get it right all the time, right?! Does anyone else feel like that sometimes??? or all the time? (I'll raise my hand to that!) So starting right now you all know that I'm going to fail at the goals that I set for myself, so now I'm free to just do what I can when I can. No more self-imposed expectations! hooray! That feels better. Thanks for letting me share! ;)


So, now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the cool stuff!!


While I was updating the 70's Geese pattern I caught myself playing around with the design and before I new it I came up with this variation of the pattern and a whole bunch of design options for it! I couldn't resist turning it into a pattern!!!

Meet 80's Geese!!!


This really is so much like the 70's Geese pattern, with the exception of the center and the construction of it. You can see how it is broken up in the diagram above. Compare with the 70's Geese below.



The 70's Geese pattern is very versatile in and of itself, as you can see in this post HERE. But as I was playing around with the 80's Geese pattern, a whole new level of possibilities emerged, and that's when I knew I had to make it!!


To make it even more confusing, er, versatile, there are two different sets of pattern templates you can use to create twice as many different designs. Here are just a few that I show you how to make in the pattern!


The pattern includes coloring pages for both options so you can have fun exploring the possibilities!!


I have some REALLY awesome testers helping me out with this pattern, and I'll share their blocks and projects over the next few weeks. I'm REALLY excited about what is going on in the tester group!! (Do you want to be a tester?? You can sign up here and I'll add you to the group.)



You can find the 80's Geese pattern in my shop!!

https://fromblankpagespatterns.com/products/80s-geese-250-pdf



I also want to share some of my progress with my 70's Geese pattern this month. Exploring this pattern this month has been awesome! And SO much fun! I am really loving all the possibilities and definitely need more time in the day.

How do you like this mini?? I made this with the 6 inch block and will turn it into a mug rug! (Did I mention that my favorite mug rug size is 6 inches square?! It's large enough to hold my drink and snack, but not too big that it takes up too much space on my desk or next to my sewing machine.) ;)


This is one of the designs that I shared in my last post. Can you figure out which one? I love how it turned out! I'll be giving this one away, so I hope the recipient likes it to!



If you haven't picked up the 70's Geese pattern yet, but want to, you can find it by clicking the shop now button below
https://fromblankpagespatterns.com/products/80s-geese-250-pdf


Thanks for reading!!

and DON'T forget to link up any of your 70's Geese projects! (No one has linked up yet, so if you end up being the only one, you're guaranteed to win! I'd say the odds are pretty good! ;)) If you share your project on Instagram, don't forget to use the hashtags: #fbp70sGeese and #fbpExploreCreativity!


Have a wonderful weekend!!




   

   


Monday, October 10, 2016

Exploring Creativity: 70's Geese Design Options...

This post is a part of the Exploring Creativity series. You can read all about it HERE. And HERE is the post sharing the pattern for this month, 70's Geese



So... before I start my post. I just want to let you know, that if you own the 70's Geese pattern already, I did make some updates to it. Unfortunately Craftsy has been changing their site, and I have been having no luck with updating my patterns there. I did contact them, but have heard nothing back, so I'm not sure what is going on. If you would like to receive the updated pattern, I am going to ask you to fill out THIS FORM, and we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping this will be quicker and easier, for both of us, to get you your pattern update!


Over the weekend I started playing with the coloring pages to try and decide on what design I wanted to make. Well, I kept playing and came up with some really awesome designs that can be made with the 70's Geese pattern!

Here's where it all started from...

I quickly realized that I have much better results if I start with a grey scale image and then add color from there. When I start designing with color, I get too distracted by the colors and it always turns out crazy.


After coloring the sheet above, I decided to see how these different blocks would look on repeat. Can I please have more time to quilt them all?!!! If only quilting was as quick as coloring! ;)

I'll share the base block and then the block on repeat. Which is your favorite???


Option 1:


 

 The same version, except without the grey points on the inside.
I think this would be a beautiful classy quilt!


Option 2:



 


 
  The same version, except without the grey points on the inside.


Option 3:
 I drew this option as 4 block design, so I didn't actually make a single block pattern of it, though each block is the same.
 


 


 I did make a color version of this pattern, to help show off the design a little more.
Another option with this version would be to ONLY piece the pink part, or ONLY piece the blue parts, and leave the rest as background fabric. 


Option 4:

 





Option 5:


 


Option 6:
I think is my favorite repeat design! It doesn't look like much as a single block, but the repeat is is really fun!
 





 Option 7:




 Option 8:
This is very similar to option 7, except for the very center is lightly colored in above, and this option is dark in the corners as well. I think this is a good example of what just a few tweaks can do to change the design. 






Option 9:




Option 10: 



Option 11:
This one is pretty neat on the repeat as well! Definitely has a wow-factor to it!





Option 12:

This one could also be done as a reverse/negative of Option 3!


Option 13:



 The last few options are pretty similar, mostly just a change in the ombre direction. Light to dark starting on the inside or the outside. That and coloring the geese or the background triangles.

Option 14:




Option 15:




Option 16:




Option 17:





What do you think??? Do you have a favorite? Which one surprised you the most with the repeat pattern?

Now I'm off to play with color and pick some fabrics!


Don't forget to link up your projects - you can link up your progress photos too! I can't wait to see what you are working on!! :) (remember, if you're on Instagram, use #fbpExploreCreativity and #fbp70sGeese. You can also share in the Facebook group!


   

   


Do you still need to pick up the pattern? Click on the button below!


https://fromblankpagespatterns.com/products/70s-geese-pdf



Happy Quilting! and Happy Creating!