180 More Doodle Quilting Designs

Hey all! I have some exciting news to share with you all. I had the wonderful opportunity to join a group of other quilters and collaborate on a new book all about free motion quilting!

180 More Doodle Quilting Designs is full of tons of ideas and styles, and the best part is each design is shown in several scenarios like a corner or a border. Check out my Ricochet Star design below.

If nothing else, this book is a great resource for when you feel stuck choosing a design. I know I'm going to keep a copy close to my machine and I suggest you do the same too.

No matter what type of quilt you're working on, there's something in here for every style. Not only that, but the book is designed in such a way it's great for even the newest of beginners. Come doodle along with us and learn something new! Even us seasoned quilters will learn something new too!

I hope you enjoy this book and you have a chance to enter to win a copy! Head on over to Martingale's blog to check out tips and tricks from some of the designers in the book and leave a comment for a chance to win! Just click here to find the post. 

Still here

Hey all! I'm still here and still quilting, I just haven't exactly had the time to post on here.

You can follow along with my latest projects on either Facebook (Ruby Blue Quilting Studio) or Instagram (@rubybluequilts).

Until next time, toodles! -Rebecca

The Big Book of Civil War Quilts (New Release)

Hello all! Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a new book Martingale has just released called The Big Book of Civil War Quilts.

 It's really a big book! 58 patterns! You heard me right, 58! You could make a quilt a week and still be making them this time next year and beyond!

The quilts in this wonderful book come from a variety of your favorite designers, in sizes large and small... Basically if you love Civil War or traditional quilts, there's something in here for you!

I was blessed enough to have two of my very own quilts in this book.

 This is Beloved and it's one of my personal favorite quilts ever. I made it almost entirely out of my stash (everything but the borders, binding, and backing) and you can really have fun with color combinations. I paired up some crazy fabrics together and the results are better than I anticipated.

I actually made this quilt for my Hubby (hence the name) and it has such a comfy cozy feel to it.

This second quilt is a mini called Woven Stars that I hand quilted. I actually began as a hand quilter and miss it so, but the long arming has slowly (but surely) taken over my life! This little gem was just enough to play with my favorite rich fabrics and get a little bit of hand quilting in without committing to a large project.

Again, you can find both of these quilts and many many more in The Big Book of Civil War Quilts. I think the timing is just perfect because the weather is starting to change here, the air is a little crisper and cooler, it's time to dust off the crockpot, and pull out my quilts for Fall.

If you'd like to see more quilts featured in this book as well as have a chance to win your own copy of the book, head on over to Martingale's blog to enter! Just click here. 

So, I think I need a new quilt for my bed and I have a ginormous stash of reproduction fabrics just sitting there... Now to decide on a pattern... I think that's the hardest part!

Spring Cleaning Sale!!!

It's that time of year again where vacuums are humming, the entire house smells of cleaning supplies, and it's time for a sale!!!

Just hop on over to the shop by clicking here. Remember you have until 11:59pm April 30th (my time, Eastern) to save on EVERYTHING in the shop.

Ummm (and a giveaway)

Hello! I'm still here, I just haven't had much time to post on the blog since Maura is now tall and mobile and yeah... The toddler years are upon us. I thought I could quilt for little bits here and there and keep Maura entertained and out of trouble with all of the toys that light up and make noise in my studio. I *thought* (like a naive first-time mom) that since I could hear her I didn't need to keep an eye on her like a hawk. I WAS WRONG.

One day I was quilting along trying to finish a section after she woke up from her nap and I turn around to see this:

And then I had a mini heart attack. And it's only gotten worse since. Maura is now 13 months old and is half my height. No joke. So not only is she young and inquisitive, she can get into so much more because shes so tall. She didn't get her height from me!

But alas, I'm still quilting away like a mad woman (during naps and bedtime) and you can see everything I'm working on (or everything I'm allowed to show) on my Facebook page (Ruby Blue Quilting Studio) and Instagram (@rubybluequilts). It's so much easier for me to post quick little tidbits over there than blog posts here. So for the meantime that will be where you can see the most updates.

I'm still adjusting my quilting schedule (on a separate page you can get to here) and you can check back often to see progress. It's not up-to-the-minute updates, but you get the idea.

And finally, the giveaway. Martingale wanted to celebrate the release of The Big Book of Strip Quilts and you can hop over to their blog here to enter to win an ebook.

There are 60 (yes that's six-zero) quilts in this book that all use 2.5" strips. So it's time to bust out those jelly rolls you've been hoarding, maybe use up those leftover strips you have in your stash, or just cut your own out of those lovely piles of fabrics staring at you all day long. There are so many amazing quilts in this ginormous book from a variety of your favorite authors, there's something in here for everyone. I am so lucky to have three quilts in this book, one is Roll of Stamps pictured above.

And like it was meant to be, my very own copy arrived at my doorstep yesterday. Like magic! So head on over to Martingale's blog and enter for a chance to win! You have through the 25th to enter!

So that's what's going on here. Don't be a stranger on the other social media platforms, and if you need anything you can always shoot me an email too.

Yes I'm here. Yes I'm still quilting. And yes I spend my days chasing a crazy toddler. Life is good :)

Machine Quilting: Pretty Blues

Well, and yellow and tan and green I suppose. Karen is a wiz at working with floral fabrics!

 A nice big blocky quilt showcased the prints she used wonderfully. I think Karen is as much of a fan of swirls as I am so we put them on this quilt.

I could probably come up with an excuse to put swirls on any quilt if given the chance!

Thanks, Karen! Lovely as always!

Machine Quilting: Downton Abbey

Karen is probably by far the biggest Downton fan I know and she has made a ton of quilts using their fabric lines.

 Karen brought me this quilt along with another one she had quilted in the past with a pantograph. Well, I don't do pantographs but she really liked the way the feathers looked and wondered if I could do something similar and this is what I came up with.

 These feathers are loose and fun but they were a challenge for me at the start. When I normally quilt feathers I start at the base and work from the center of the spine out. With these feathers you still work from the base up but from the outside in. It was backwards to the normal way I quilt and took a little getting used to, but I did it.

 Since the feathers are nice and loose they were a perfect match for these wonky stacked strips in the quilt.

And here's how the feathers look on the back of the quilt. I think I need to do these more often! They're a lot of fun and pull me ever so gently out of my comfort zone which is a good thing!

Thank you, Karen! I love your quilts and the way you put colors together!