sewtakeahike

Making Faces with Melissa Averinos

 

 

I fell hard for Melissa's pieced face quilt as I watched her progress on it on Instagram. Then when she posted that it was going to be on display at QuiltCon and she was going to be there as well, I had high hopes of meeting her!

Although our paths didn't cross at QuiltCon, fast forward a couple of months, and after a bit of back and forth, Melissa agreed to come to my house in Colorado for a weekend of teaching and a slumber party with a wonderful group of women I had in mind (she wrote a bit about that process here).

Melissa (and her teaching methods) are brilliantly mindful and thoughtful. I really had no idea what to expect, although I had a few preconceived ideas based on the supply sheet.

The class started with a lesson on face drawing. If you take a look at my before the lesson drawing compared to my after lesson drawing, you will see that her methods are very effective.

 

 

By the time we had practiced our face drawings for a bit, we were all restless to get to work with some fabric. Melissa encouraged us to work on a couple of faces at a time and not get too attached as we worked. I love how this method kept my personal need for perfection in check.

Here is a partial of the progression of one of my faces

 

 

   

I'm still working on redhead, and I'm fortunate that Fozzy hasn't discovered all those pieces on my designboard are not yet tacked down!

 

Here's the other face I started. I've started grid stitching her and will keep you updated as I get further along. 

 

 

I love this photo, it's really uncanny how much everyone's faces resemble the maker in features or personality. And then the proud (as she should be) teacher in the front.

 

Thank you so much Melissa for investing in us, we are so grateful to you and I'm so excited to see where the Making Faces journey takes you! You're an absolute treasure!

xo, Penny

 

Paddleboarding and a winner

 

 

 

I have always loved watersports and am willing to try most anything if it has to do with fun on the water. When I was a kid, my cousin Brenny would take us out on the lake with real jet skis that you could stand up on. We loved when she would call and whisk us away to the lake for a day or two on the weekends. And if we weren't with Brenny, we were lake camping/swimming as my dad was an avid camper/fisherman.

L-man and I have recently picked up a new water activity and we are having so much fun with it. Paddleboarding! We are so excited to travel with them and explore.

If you paddleboard and have any tips for us, we would love to hear!

 

 

 

 

Thank you for all the comments on the Noodlehead style giveaway post! I have chosen a winner and it is Linda M, who said:

"I am always a fan of blue and this one here is nice, but I like the blue with white flowers the best!  Tumble!"

I will send an email to you shortly Linda!

Happy Monday!

xo, Penny

 

Noodlehead style giveaway!

 

Well hello there!

I hope you're all having an active and fun summer like we have been! So far it's been all about being outdoors, family, and a few home improvements. Now that the end of July is rolling around, I'm starting to feel ok about being indoors a bit and doing some sewing.

I have quite a few projects I want and need to work on, and I'm always happy to check something fabulous off my list

 

and this pencil case from Anna's book Handmade Style has been just the ticket.

Have you seen the projects in her book yet? So many fun things to make. I love Anna's asthetic and construction techniques!

And then, she has also recently come out with a fabulous fabric line called Rain Walk. Oh Anna....

These are a few of the prints I asked for and they are so lovely!

 

 

I used the top three prints for the pencil case

 

 

And the bottom print, Sprinkle in gray, I'm going to make a shirt with. Stay tuned for that!

Now, for a giveaway!

Anna has graciously offered up a signed copy of her book as well as a hard copy of her Runaround bag pattern up to one of you!

 

 

Leave one comment telling me your favorite print from Anna's line to enter the giveaway. I'll choose a winner this Friday the 25th.

Good luck!

 

 

The Paper Pieced Home blog tour!

 

Good (Mon)day to you! I hope you all had a great weekend. The weekend here was full of bike rides, sewing and I had the good fortune to take a class with Carolyn Friedlander yesterday in our very own Loveland.

 

 

We even managed to have a picnic with Carolyn thanks to Joelle's forethought and organization! It was the perfect day for a picnic!

It's no secret that hand sewing is not my favorite. However, after taking Carolyn's excellent class and learning a few basic hand applique techniques from her, my confidence has grown, which has made my heart grow a bit fonder. It's a miracle!!

I'm also very excited to share with you all that today is the first day of a fantastic line up for a blog tour for my book The Paper Pieced Home.

Thank you to the one and only Tommy at F&W who works miracles on a daily basis and set the tour up. xoxo!

Before we begin, have you all seen this? THE Mark Lipinksi reviewed my book a few months ago (you have to scroll down a bit)! And he liked it!!

And then make sure and check out this interview and post my friend Angela wrote up (thank you Ang!)! Make sure and hop over to her post and leave a comment now! She is giving away a copy of my book! And then have you checked out her book A Quilter's Mixology? ::Bonus! It's on sale for about $20 right now if you don't have your copy yet. I'm just sayin::

Anyway, I'll be doing a project out of it soon, it's a fab book!

Ok, so on to the tour!

Today, we start out at McCall's Quilting blog. They have done an excellent version of my sewing machine block! You'll want to make sure and head over there to check it out and leave a comment on their post, they have three copies of my book to give away.

 

 

 

The Paper-Pieced Home

Blog Tour Schedule 

3/16       McCall’s Quilting / Sewing Machine Block

3/17       Love of Quilting / Review

3/17       Sandi Sawa Hazlewood  of Crafty Planner / Watering Can Block

3/18       Quilty Pleasure (Quiltmaker blog) / Review

3/18       Imagine Gnats / Rotary Phone Block

3/20       Verykerryberry / Lion Block

3/21       Artisania / Cast-Iron Skillet Block

3/23       Where the Orchids Grow / Lamp Block

3/24       Katie Blakesley of Swim Bike Quilt / Layer Cake Block

3/24       House on Hill Road / Oven Mitt Block

3/24       Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced / BBQ Grill Block

3/26       Pink Penguin / Allie-Gator Block

3/26       A Happy Stitch / Giraffe Block

3/27       Bijou Lovely / Jar Block

3/27       Two Little Banshees / Saucepan Block

3/27       Charise Creates / Espresso Mug Block

3/30       Karen Lewis Textiles / Couch Block

3/31       Poppyprint / Clawfoot Tub Block

3/31       One Shabby Chick / Stack of Books Block

3/31       During Quiet Time / Sleeveless Dress Block

4/06       Pat Sloan The Voice of Quilting / Author Podcast Interview

 

I'm so excited to see the blocks everyone makes!!!

xo,

Penny

 

 

Happenings...

 

 

 

I can't believe it. My book is finally out and I had my first book signing. I am still waffling between periods of disbelief and pure excitement. I mean, I never would have thought even 5 years ago that I would have authored a book.

It was an honor for me, having my first signing at favorite fabric shop here in Fort Collins, Mama Said Sew/Jukebox Quilts. The Fort Collins MQG showed up in full force (including my friend Maggie from the Front Range MQG, thanks Maggie for the awesome surprise! and L-man even made an appearance!), and they were all so encouraging and genuinely excited for me. I am so grateful to have this quilting community!

 

(Barbara, Susan, me, Maggie at the signing)

 

Interweave did an amazing job capturing my style from the fonts they used to the page layout. I am so blessed to work with them!

 

Which brings me to my next topic, a paper piecing interview I'm doing over at Crafty Planner. She is doing a Learn More, Sew More series on paper piecing this month and you'll want to make sure and click on over to read it and leave a comment on her post to enter a drawing for a copy of my book The Paper Pieced Home!

 

And congratulations to Ruth, the winner of the P&B Colorweave Medley fq set! I've sent you an email!

 

One last thing, I'm super excited to announce a Bundle Up sale FabricCadabra is having and a blog hop bundle giveaway they are hosting!

 

First, FabricCadabra has 20% off all bundles from today through Jan 26.

Secondly, they are having a bundle giveaway hop. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win this fq set of Follie by Lotta Jansdotter.

 

 

Then make sure and leave a comment on Nicole's blog Modernhandcraft for a chance to win a Priory Square bundle,

and

on Erica's blog Kitchentablequilting for a chance to win a specially curated Winter Warm Up bundle she put together available only at FabricCadabra!

Lastenia and Mayka, the sister duo behind FabricCadabra are super fun, energetic partners. If you'd like an extra chance to win the Follie bundle, go and follow FabricCadabra on their Facebook and Instagram then come back and leave another comment for me on this post that you're following them and you'll be entered into the drawing twice!

Good luck everyone and Happy Monday!

xo, Penny