Old Blog Discontinued!!!

I've just discovered that my "old blog" still exists in cyberspace and many of you may not be aware that I have a NEW website and a NEW blog!   If you wish to still be one of my faithful "blog stalkers" please visit my new website at: https://www.cindyneedham.com/blogs/news and sign up using the new subscription button.

Thank you and if you have ANY questions please email me at:  linenqltr@comcast.net.

Hugs, Cindy :)

Out with the old...

The past 3 months have been jam packed with life changes and new stuff...but it's all good.  Two of the biggest changes have been buying a new home which we moved into about 2 weeks ago...woohoo!  The other "move" has been creating a new website.

My favorite oldest daughter, Jenny, created my first website many years ago.  She absolutely insisted I needed one and I couldn't figure out why.  Seriously????  It has served me well and she has worked hard to keep it updated but I've outgrown it...it's time to move to a new "home".

My new website should be launched in the next 24-48 hours so please keep your eyes and ears open for an announcement of my move.  It will still be cindyneedham.com.  As always I love to receive feedback from all of you and look forward to hearing back on the pro's and con's.  My old website, as well as my old blog will be disappearing once the new website is launched. 

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all in my new "home".

Hugs, Cindy

GREAT blogpost-The Ultimate Shape

I just received an email from TheQuiltShopGal about a wonderful blogpost from Karin in Australia featuring my new Ultimate Shape Stencils.  I was SO impressed, and knew you would be too, that I had to post it here too.

Click HERE to be taken to Karin's blogpost.  It is quiltyarnblogspot.com.

Thank you Karin for your wonderful inspiration!  Fabulous designs!

Hugs, Cindy

Introducing The Ultimate Shape!!! ~ Special Sale Thru August 6th~

I am VERY pleased to be introducing the newest member of my designing stencils collection...
The Ultimate Shape!

When I teach my design workshops I often talk about a very simple shape that I use to create overall designs simply by repeating the shape and filling it any way I wish.  It was another one of those light bulb moments when I decided I should have this shape cut into stencils!

This designing stencil has been cut into four different sizes, i.e., 2", 4", 6" and 8" to accommodate most quilt blocks.  The basic shape is a Cathedral Window with four arches and it also has horizontal, vertical and diagonal guidelines.  It has been designed to allow you to use all of the guides or just one or two to create an unlimited number of custom quilting designs for both pieced and  wholecloth quilts.

A very common quilting design is the Cathedral Window.  The Ultimate Shape will provide perfect arches on all four sides of your block.  If you decide to add lines in the middle those are there too!

If you want to add an arch to a block and it is larger than The Ultimate Shape, simply center the stencil on your quilt block and then extend the arches to fit.

If you want to add an arch to a design and the stencil is too big, simply extend the stencil past the design as much as you need until the arch fits.

You can use the center lines as guides to fill the block with beautiful free form feathers...or any design you wish.

Look what happens when you use combine two sets of arches!

I got really crazy here and just used a corner of the stencil and repeated it to create this beautiful pinwheel.  By the way, I used the angles on the circle Ultimate Stencil to line up these corners and it came out perfect.


I have a 38 page, full color e-book that accompanies the purchased set of four stencils that has oodles of instruction and illustrations showing how you can easily create your own beautiful quilting designs using just this one stencil in any of the four sizes.  This book will be added as a separate chapter to the New & Improved design book and will continue to be updated with new designs. 

I am running a five-day sale on this special set of stencils for $25 (normal retail is $30). I will include my 2-book set of quilting designs, New & Improved and Oldies but Goodies, FREE for this sale!  These are e-books and will be sent to you within 24 hours of purchase.  You will also receive by email  the 38 page handbook that accompanies this set of four stencils. This sale will end at midnight on Saturday, August 6th.

Please click HERE to purchase the stencils and download the free 7-page handout. 

Thank you very much for being one of my students, blog stalkers or retreaters!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Hugs, Cindy :)

Email:  linenqltr@comcast.net

Featuring Toni Tweedle Healy!!!

It's been awhile since I've been able to do a blog post...life has been nuts lately!  The other day I received a wonderful show and tell from Toni Tweedle  Healy who is one of my "Craftsy Kids" and she shared some of her prize winning linen wholecloth quilts from the Lassen County fair in Susanville, California.  I just knew you would love indulging in her beautiful work too!  Notice the ribbons hanging on these quilts!

Congratulations Toni!!!  I am sharing her story below...

Two years ago I took a beginning machine quilting workshop in Susanville with Jill Schumacher that taught me the basics of machine quilting.  Shortly thereafter I was looking for inspiration by googling machine quilting images and one of your linen quilts caught my eye.  I was so intrigued by the beautiful free hand feathering and medallion designs that I immediately signed up for your online Craftsy class on linen wholecloth quilting.  Your teaching method makes the concepts easy to grasp and I love your philosophy of "you are the boss of your quilt". 

(LINK to discount coupons for my Craftsy Classes)

I bought some small linens on EBay and made some miniatures and wall hangings.  Soon I bought a mid-arm Baby Lock Tiara II.

As you can see, I've taken your methods and expanded them into king-size quilts.  In your class you stress the importance of allowing the artist who created the linen to inspire the design.  In the two king-sized quilts I entered this year I designed the quilts around the linens.  For the corner design I traced the corners of the linen and copied them in my quilting.

Thanks for your inspiration, Cindy.  You inspire me every day!

Tony Tweedle Healy

Quilt Shop Gal's Ultimate Free Motion Quilting Challenge!

I first met her when I attended Diane Gaudynski's workshop at Asilomar several years ago when she embarked on her very own personal free motion quilting challenge.  She went on a year-long  journey where she set out to learn as much as she possibly could about free motion quilting from all types of instructors expanding her quilting and designing skills at the same time.

I was honored to have been invited to participate in a previous FMQ challenge she hosted a few years ago and am thrilled that she is once again featuring my Ultimate Stencils in yet another challenge she refers to as a "Linky Party" (LP).    LP#1 was for those quilters with past projects using The Ultimate Stencils.  LP #2 will raise awareness and inspiration with quilters sharing their doodles/sketches for both of my stencil collections.  The 3rd LP will be for those that create with my stencils this summer.  And not only is this a great quilting challenge she also has great prizes to win too!

If you're interested, please click on THIS LINK to be taken to the Linky Party headquarters!

Quilt Shop Gal also shared a blog post by Karin in Australia where she shared her beautiful quilt created with The Ultimate Stencil as well as The Ultimate Backgrounds.  CLICK HERE to be taken to her post.

I just have to throw in a little teaser here!  I've come up with another fabulous little stencil that I'm calling The Ultimate Shape.  You will be able to use this special shape to create hundreds of block and border designs.   I am having it cut into four different sizes, i.e., 2", 4", 6" and 8". 
Quilting Creations is in the midst of cutting these and I am anticipating having a "Blessing Sale" in the middle of July to launch these to the world.  This set will come with it's own free design book that will get the creative juices flowing.

If you are already participating in Quilt Shop Gal's Linky Party, or plan to join soon, please email me and share photos of your work.  I would love to share what you you've come up with!

Hugs, Cindy :)



  

Featuring Michiko Yonemaru..."Bouquet Blanc"