I have a problem buying fabric. And by problem, I mean I can't stop buying fabric. Sad for my credit card, happy for me...it's a genetic thing, ask my mom and grandma! Anyway, last year for my birthday, my mother got me a ton of Sampler Packs from Connecting Threads and I've been devouring them like crazy this last week. What's a Sampler Pack? Well, Connecting Threads is a gorgeous fabric (and sewing accessories) website, which design and manufacture their own fabrics. They have coordinating fabric sets, which of course you can buy the normal yardage amounts in, but then they also have, which I have deemed the coolest thing ever: packs of their fabrics you can buy in different sizes for an amazing price. Sampler Packs contain swatches of all the fabrics in one coordinating set; so, let's say you want to try out some fabrics together, you can buy a Sampler Pack, see how they work together, and then go ahead and buy the yardage amounts for all the fabrics you liked from the Sampler Pack.  For example, you see that quilt I made up there? All of those 5 inch patches came in a Sampler Pack from Connecting Threads. Each fabric included in the pack is a sample of the larger yardage of fabric you can buy from them, but, the cool thing is, in each Sampler Pack, you get 12-24 different patches to play with! And...each Sampler Pack (of 5 inch squares) is under $3. Yes, you heard me right...you can get all of those wonderful patches to make a quilt with for under the usual price of one yard of fabric.

Now, as my loving husband pointed out, when you get Sampler Packs, you don't have two (or more) of any fabric to do a repeating pattern with...but I sort of love that! It forces you to be creative. Also, when I showed him a Sampler Pack of colors he liked, I decided to make him a quilt, and so I simply ordered 4 of the Sampler Pack (which ended up being around $9) to make him a giant quilt.

I think this is an amazing deal for a lot of reasons. Number one, I hate cutting fabric. Number two, some nights I just feel like whipping up a small quilt, and with these packs, I have the fabric all ready for me. And number three, if you're a new quilter, you may not want to have to buy larger pieces of all the fabric you're working with, and you may just want to have some patches to play with. Furthermore, Connecting Threads is a family owned business (which you know we love), and their fabric is wonderful quality, with vibrant colors (as you can see above), and also...I have to mention that their normal fabrics are awesome prices too. Because they do everything in-house, they keep prices super low, but quality very high! If you're looking for some fun summer projects, I highly recommend trying out some of these Sampler Packs!

Check out some of their gorgeous 5 inch sampler packs below (there are more here!)

Top left: Try It Quilter's Candy Samplers, 5" squares, 16 fabrics, $1.59; Middle: Handmade from the Heart Sampler, 5" squares, 15 fabrics, $1.55; Right: Little Stars Sampler, 5' squares, 24 fabrics, $2.48; Bottom left: Spring/Summer 2013 Batik Samplers, 5" squares, 18 fabrics, $2.49; Middle: Botanical Beauty Samplers, 5" squares, 24 fabrics, $2.48; Right: Mirage Garden Samplers, 5' squares, 24 fabrics, $2.48

Top from left: D'Oh Words in Yellow; The Simpsons Bart Blue; The Simpsons Homer White Bottom from left: The Simpsons Characters Blocks in White; The Simpsons Family in Red; The Simpsons Family Crest in Blue

It's that time of year again...school is almost out and my sewing machine starts up! I love making quilts and gifts for other people, so when I came across these amazing Simpsons and Family Guy fabrics, I knew I wanted to start working on a quilt for my brother and stepdad. When I first started quilting (many years ago!?), you would never ever be able to find fun character fabric like this, and now, it's mainstream and I love it! What would you do with these fabrics?

Top from left: Family Guy Scramble Green; Family Guy Family in Frames White; Family Guy Stewie Blocks White Bottom from left:  Family Guy Toys of Destruction in Blue; Family Guy for Pete's Sake in White; Family Guy Logo

Isn't today one of those days you'd much rather be cuddled up in bed with a good book? I'm most definitely in one of those moods today! I would love to be wrapped up in this Blueberry Wedding Quilt from The Country Porch...I love the gorgeous quilt design, and the soft blue colors are so soothing! Check out The Country Porch for lovely, sweet, and classic home decor (like this Blueberry Toile Quilt; it would make any room look like it belonged in a magazine!)

Here's what I'm doing today: quilting! I'm working on a quilt for someone special, and I'm here, at my grandmother's house making a really big mess of her family room. I've been quilting for years, it's my therapy, my art, my craft. There's something magical to me about taking a pile of different fabrics and creating one piece with them. I don't have much time to quilt during the school year, so when summer comes around, I ferociously jump into my sewing machine and let my quilter's mind run wild. Full disclosure: my name on Match.com was Rockstarquilter...it was one of the things Eric thought was so different about me! Quilting can be easy and fun, but it can also be frustrating, as with any art. Here's some tips I've learned over the years to make sure even the newest quilters can enjoy the art of quilting:

• A good iron: I can't emphasis this enough! If your patches or fabric aren't flat, it's going to be nearly impossible to cut or sew them straight. I didn't use an iron for years, and when I got a good one, it was like my quilting jumped to a new level!
• Sturdy scissors: If you can't cut without moving the fabric or if you need to cut the same line twice, you need new scissors. Fabric scissors can be expensive, but I've gotten great ones for under $5 at Michael's. And most importantly, don't let anyone use your fabric scissors for paper!
• Strong lighting: Having good lighting in your sewing room of choice makes all the difference!
  
• A good chair to sit on: If you don't have a chair that can support your back correctly while on the sewing machine, you're going to not enjoy the process of quilting. I've spent nights up sewing and couldn't move for days after (it's romantically called, "Quilter's Back").
• And something I always forgot growing up, oil your machine! Oil makes your machine run smoother and last longer. It's so cheap, so indulge in some good oil and save your machine!
  

Quilting should be fun, colorful, and exciting. And speaking of, I should get back to it...have you ever made a quilt?

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but I'm a quilter. I've been quilting for years; it's my therapy, it's my passion, and my art. I love it. During the school year I don't quilt much, but when I do get the chance, I make small-ish quilts which I then donate to Project Linus. To make a long story short, Project Linus is a non-profit organization which donates handmade blankets to children in hospitals. I love working with PL; in high school I organized "patch drives" in which people would make and draw on blank patches which I would turn into quilts and donate. As a teacher, I try to encourage my students to help with quilts because it's an easy and fun way to help the community at large and children my own students' age. Why do I bring this all up now? February 20th is the annual Make A Blanket Day! If you'd like to make a blanket to donate, or help with a blanket to donate, or donate fabric to make a blanket, please let me know! I would love to help any of you Lovelies in any way possible. Quilting bees (or, the modern day equivalent, "the Stitch and Bitch") are a great way to get together with friends and spend time creating items for children who really do need a blankie in a time of need. If you'd like to help out in any which way possible, contact me (olivia.lovelyatyourside at gmail) and let's get this started!

This Wedding Ring pattern quilt would be a lovely addition to your home today, whether in a crib, on the wall, or used as a lap quilt. The quilt, made of 100% cotton, follows the traditional Wedding Ring pattern and features an adorable little boy and girl in the middle of the quilt.

It was made in a non-smoking home, measures 28x28 inches, and was sewn with lots of love. I love quilting and I would love for this quilt to be in lovely household!

This is a one-of-a-kind quilt and would be a perfect wedding present, bridal shower present, or as a great present for yourself today!