Everything Blue Blog Hop

Welcome to The Whimsical Workshop Blog for the Everything Blue Blog Hop with Clothworks!

For this challenge, I decided to make a fusible appliquéd Rose block. I LOVE fusible appliqué and I always jump at the chance to use this technique whenever possible.

Please leave a comment below about your favorite piecing or quilting technique  for a chance to WIN my newest pattern, "Skip to Dessert" shown below! We also have a limited number of fabric kits available, just click on the name above.

Please follow us here and on Facebook to keep up with all the projects underway at The Whimsical Workshop.

Check out all our patterns and fabric kits at our
website www.TheWhimsicalWorkshop.com. We always have free shipping in the US and discounted shipping around the world!

Thank you for visiting my blog!
Until Next time....
Heidi

How it's Made-Skip to Dessert

Original Sketch

 I love the show "How it's Made" that is on the Science Channel. I have always wanted to draw the curtain back and see what goes into making something from a pile of materials and what tools are required. So I guess it is not a surprise that I went to school for Industrial Design.

So that being said, I would like to share with you how some of the quilts are designed at our studio.....

Our example to today is my newest quilt "Skip to Dessert"

1. Which came first the fabric or the design?????

I would have to say it varies from project to project. In the case of this quilt, I have had an idea in my head for a turkey for several years now and sometimes it takes awhile to get it to the paper. 

Pieced and Appliquéd

So when I found the border fabric at Timeless Treasures last year, I knew it was time for the turkey. So which came first the design or the fabric???? 

2. The Sketch

Nothing is scarier than a blank piece of paper. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head and wish they would just flow down my hand and onto the paper the way I see it in my mind. 

Unfortunately this rarely happens. It takes a few sketches in my sketch book to get the image to look the way I imagine it. For this quilt I spent about an hour working on the original sketch. Once I have the idea down on paper, I make some notes on the drawing about changes I would make or if I have a name in mind. Then it is off to the computer, where the image is scanned in, redrawn and I make any adjustments I wanted to make from the original design. From this drawing I make a materials and cutting list for the project. 

On the Long Arm for Quilting

3. Fabric Selection

Now that I have an idea of what the quilt will look like, I select the fabrics for the design. In this case I had the border and inner fabrics selected and I just needed the coordinates for Tom.

4. Off the the Studio

With my fabrics and design in hand, it is off to the studio and time to cut and sew. This is also another chance to make sure I love the fabrics for the project. I can sometime switch fabric 3 or 4 times before I am happy with the final selection. This is also when I check my measurements and make sure I have all the information written down for the pattern. We make the quilt top and then it off to be quilted.

5. Instructions

While the quilt is being quilted, we start on the instructions, they are written by my partner and then sent back to me to edit and  add the illustrations and templates.

6. All comes together

Once the quilt is quilted and bound, I photograph the quilt for the pattern cover. We put all the components of the pattern together and it is edited one more time. Then it is off to the printer.

Once the pattern is printed we package the patterns and we then start cutting the fabric kit. 

Now that everything on this list is finished, I add the new product to our website and share it with all of you. 

Hope you have enjoyed this peek inside "How Its Made" at The Whimsical Workshop.

Until Next Time.....

Our Winner is....."Woolensails". Congratulations and thank you for following us. I have sent you an email with the details.

Thank you for everyone who joined in.

until next time.....

Heidi

New Fabric Kit and FREE Pattern

Under The Sea Panel Quilt-Free Pattern

Under The Sea Panel

We have finished a free pattern to go along with our new "Under The Sea" fabric. This is the first chance I have had to sew with our new fabric and it made me sooooo happy.

I don't know why bright fabrics make me so happy, but when I work with bright fabric it is like going on a mini vacation.

Here are the two main panels in the group. We also have scales, bubbles, stripes and several tossed character prints as well. Click here to see the Under The Sea Fabrics.

We are also offering a fabric kit to go along with the free pattern which includes the pattern and fabrics for the quilt top and binding as shown here.   Click here to order the fabric kit.

Well until next time......

Portholes Panel

Everything Blue!!!

We are excited to announce we are participating in the "Everything Blue" Block Hop with Clothworks.  I am working on my block this week and if you would like to know more about this hop on over the Clothwork's Blog The Works Blog for more details. I cannot wait to see everyone else's Blocks as well.


Happy Sewing.
Until Next time........

Fall is on its way!

Fall is right around the corner. Here in AZ, kids are starting back to school this week and believe it or not pre-season football started yesterday! this means Fall is coming and with (hopefully) cooler weather for us. I have been busy this summer planning up all kinds of fun and easy projects for the months to come and our first new pattern and fabric kit is "Harvest Leaves Wreath" shown here.

Indian Summer Pattern

To kick off the the coming of Fall, I am giving away a free Fabric Kit with pattern for this project. All you have to do is head over to Facebook and Like our page! If you already like us, just add a comment under the post to enter (one entry per person please). Contest ends Wednesday 8/7/13 at midnight and the winner will be announced on Thursday 8/8/13.

I thought I would also share with two other patterns we have for fall (sorry no fabric kits on these at this time). Indian Summer and Pine Tree Lodge, these quilts just make you wish it was cool outside!

Harvest Leaves Wreath Fabric Kit 

Pine Tree Lodge Pattern

Busy couple of weeks at Mulqueens

Mulqueen's Sewing Center is a local business that has carried my patterns for several years now. Every July, they do Christmas in July all month long. This year I did a trunk show, demos and Make & Takes for them. Last week where we unveiled our newest pattern and fabric kit, Harvest Leaves Wreath , which I am holding in the photo above and I did demos on using our Binding Ruler  and Value Tool

I had a nice turn out of people and the last visitor of the day brought me her quilt finished using our One Lump or Two pattern . It was so exciting to see it all finished along with the lovely young lady she made it for.

 This week I spent Thursday doing Make & Take Gift Tag labels at Mulqueens that I designed especially for these classes. I had so much fun with this that I will be adding the free pattern for these guys to our website soon. So stay tune......

Until next time.....