Around the World Blog Hop

Hi all!  I was invited to join the ‘Around the World Blog Hop’ by Rhonda from Olie & Evie.  I am so excited she has asked me to join this blog hop.  Rhonda has a great blog featuring all the fun and inspiring projects she’s been working on and items that she has listed on her etsy shop.  So if you haven’t had a chance to take a look, hop on over for some fresh ideas!

Now I’m supposed to tell you a little about myself.  My name is actually Shannon, not Stormy.  Surprise!  Years ago, my soon-to-be husband gave me the nickname ‘Stormy’ and it stuck.  He is the only one who calls me Stormy (except maybe my kids when I don’t answer to ‘mom’).  I like the nickname and when I decided to start a blog, ‘Sew Stormy’ sounded so much better than ‘Sew Shannon’, so I went with it.  I have five children, four girls and one boy.  This year is the first year they have all been in school, so I have big quilting plans!  I learned to sew from my mom, my grandma and in a Home Economics class in Jr. High.  I started quilting after my third baby was born because I wanted to make a baby quilt.  I bought some ‘how to’ quilt books and watched lots of quilting television shows. Now, it is my absolute favorite past time.  Especially when I watch old movies while I sew.

On to the questions…..

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

You wouldn’t think this would be a hard question, but I have so very many projects it  was hard to decided which ones to show you. I am not the kind of person to start one project and stick with it until it’s finished.  I work on whatever I feel like that day.  So, I decided to show you my most recent projects…..

I started my first hexagon quilt about a year ago.  I don’t pull it out often because I rarely have the time to sit and hand piece, but one day I will have a beautiful grandmother’s flower garden quilt.

One of my favorite quilts I have ever made was for my nephew last year.  It features my two favorite kinds of quilt blocks.  Pinwheels and stars.  I love it so much, I started another quilt for me.  Because it doesn’t have a deadline, it is taking a lot longer to finish than I had hoped.

These gorgeous churn dash blocks are for a quilt I am making for my sister-in-law’s birthday that was last July.  I’ve been a little busy…. Maybe it’ll be a birthday/Christmas present!   I was loving the bright, happy, Jennifer Paganelli fabrics so much, I also made this for me……

It’s not perfect, but it turned out so very cute and mini!  (11 1/2 inches!)

These blocks are the beginnings to the Fig Tree version of the Moda ‘Modern Building Blocks’ quilt.  I am about seven blocks behind, so I have to get moving!

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHER OF ITS GENRE?

The only way I think my work is really different than others is the wide variety of fabrics and patterns I enjoy using.  My tastes change often.  I never get stuck on certain colors or styles.  Just give me a few months and I’ll have a new favorite.

WHY DO I WRITE/CREATE WHAT I DO?

I love pattern and color and I love mixing and matching to come up with new looks.  My favorite part of quilting is deciding on the pattern of the quilt and which fabric is going to go where.  My heart is broken over the fact that the nearest quilt shop is 3 hours away.  It is so difficult to pick out fabrics from a picture on the computer.  That is why most of my quilts are made from fabric lines that are made to match each other.  The majority of my shopping is done online or while I am in Utah visiting family.

I also love quilts.  They are beautiful. I have quilts all over my home. They are on my tables, walls, beds, rolled up in corners, draped over sofas and chairs. They tell a story about who made them and who they were made for.  They trigger memories and are shared out of love. Everyone should have their own quilt.

HOW DOES MY WRITING/CREATING PROCESS WORK?

It’s different each time. Sometimes I see a quilt I love and copy it exactly.  Sometimes I fall in love with some fabric and flip through patterns for weeks or months to find just the right one.  Other times I come up with my own quilt design while doodling and wait until I see just the right fabric before making it.

A couple years ago I designed a star quilt for a block of the week.  It was designed week by week.  I didn’t really know how it was going to turn out but, it is now another of my favorite quilts.  I plan on creating another sampler quilt sew along soon! 

Anyway, thanks for reading all of my ramblings.  I started this blog to show family and friends what I was working on and now I aim to inspire others to see and experience the joy of quilting for themselves. 

For next week, I am passing along the blog hop to my friend Briana and her sisters from Babblings and More.  They have a wonderful blog that shows off all the super creativity that runs in their family.  They are so versatile in their craftiness, I promise you will find something you will want to create!

Stormy