Windy day! Feature day too!!

Man is the weather crazy here lately!! 

For the past couple of days, here in Michigan, we have had very mild temps-upper 40's to 50's....not normal here...last night a front began moving through...oh man did "old man winter return"!! The wind is howling! I will have to bundle up today.
Great news: I get to represent YLI thread! I'm very excited! I used their thread a while back when I arrived home from a trip to my home town, Rock Hill, SC. Here is an image of my work:

I had fun!!

Since today my blog is being featured with Quiltstory.blogspot.com I thought I show off my pictures. If you would like to go visit their blog there is a link to the right, just click on the Quiltstory picture.

Here are the magazines and books my work has been featured in, in the past 2 years:

Quilter's World, Fons & Porter Scrap Quilts & Easy Quilts, Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks vol 5 (and a new issue coming out in the spring), Quiltmaker's Quilts From 100 Blocks and Quilty

Here is the book I would like to giveaway...

Books: all through Annie's Publishing, which by the way, I have a give away that I am about to launch. I have a book that I would like to giveaway to someone. I have 3 quilts in this book. I will randomly choose a number from my comments and that quilter will be contacted!! Please leave me a comment and follow my blog.

 

See! It made the cover!!

Here is my first quilt that was accepted, and it made the cover of the magazine

How exciting is that?!

I have 4 more quilts with Fons and Porter, I can't show images of them yet. One is a Quilt of Valor, 1 I'm working on right now, and then I have one more that I am working on that will be for the later part of this year...but....here is another scrappy quilt that I made that was in their Scrap Quilts from this past fall: Blackford's Beauty:

See, my quilt is to the left! It is actually  sitting right next to me on the bed in the room I'm in...I think I need to take a picture of it...another one of those "I forgot moments" I forgot to take a picture of it!!

This is the back of the Drunkard's Path quilt that I was asked to make for Quilty magazine:

www.heyquity.com 

This quilt will be in issue 4. The top image of the quilt is when everyone was voting on the cover for the magazine, I have no idea if I made the cover or not. I did not design this quilt, I was asked to make it by F&P. I love love love my quilting!! I was totally shocked when I had completed the quilting, took the quilt off the longarm machine and flipped it over to check out the back! Total shock!!

This is one of the quilts that is in Quilter's World magazine. I can't show you much more of the ones I have for this magazine, the magazines have not been released yet. 

This was the first quilt accepted by Quilter's World, I believe this was in the Jan/Feb 2011

I don't have a quilt on this cover, I just made this issue!! My quilt is below...see? I called it the orange beast!!

Well everyone!! Have a wonderful day! Stay warm and bundle up!! I'm freezing here in Michigan!

Pigeon Forge Here I come!

Mountain Quiltfest quilt show is being held March 12-16, you can visit the website to go check out their details: www.mountainquiltfest.com
I will be working with YLI Thread Corp training on how to be a representative for them. I really like their thread for piecing and longarm quilting. I will be using their thread in my work from here on out. I visited YLI while I was in Rock Hill, SC (my home town). Jim was very nice and sent me home with 5 cones of longarm quilting thread and 2 spools of piecing thread. I was very pleased with the way everything turned out.
Back in October/November I was asked by F&P to if I could piece 2 quilts for them. I had no idea what the one quilt would bring to me. It was a black and white drunkard's path. I have never pieced a curve seam with success, but I was not about to admit to that!! Sheesh, I can figure it out! I do have an "I can conquer the world" attitude sometimes and it really really gets me into some messes!! You would think I would learn, but hey, I do learn and I chalk it up to experience whether I win or loose.
So, here is the post about this quilt:

http://nancysonestitchatatime.blogspot.com/2013/01/im-up-for-cover.html

This quilt is being published in Quilty magazine!! I believe issue number 4, which is being released next month. Please visit Quilty magazine at:

www.heyquilty.com

If you are wondering about the quilting on my drunkard's path quilt, it is NOT computer digitized designs, it is all my own free drawing. love it love it love it! 

Presently, I'm working on a couple of large projects: one is for a publishing company, I'm not allowed to say so just stay tuned to my blog for some exciting news!! I will be able to reveal in June. I also have 2 quilt projects in the works for 2 different magazines. I love creating!! I love piecing.
Look up on Facebook:
One Stitch at at Time or Nancy Clark McNally

Happy Sewing everyone!

Finally accomplished some sewing!!

I finally able to accomplish some sewing yesterday! I had been in so much pain with my neck and back that I could only sit for 30 minutes at a time to sew...and then I had to go lay on the couch for a couple of hours. I figured out that my sewing machine's position did not allow me to sit directly in front of the needle, I was kind of angled and slightly turned. This is not good, plus my chair is the wrong chair for me to sit in! So!!! I switched things around a bit yesterday. I decided to sew on a table that sits higher, not have a machine that sits "down in" the table but rests on top of the table. I also placed my extended table by my New Home sewing machine and off I went!! I sewed for HOURS yesterday!!! I could not believe the difference in how my body felt and how much I was able to get accomplished.
So!! Lesson learned!! When you are told to sit a certain way for certain tasks, listen!! And do this!!

Happy Sewing everyone!!

It is bitter cold today!

Yes, it is bitter cold! Temperature is 0degrees, with -25degree wind chills!! And I have to go do 2 errands!! Dang I want to stay home and not leave the house!
Today, once I get back home I will have to figure out how to sew and not end up in pain! I don't know exactly what to do other than get up every hour and stretch. I must be sitting wrong and that is why I am in pain.
Today, I'm still working on my quilt that is due to F&P, I can't seem to sit long enough without being in pain. I have to figure this out.
so please send me some suggestions!!!
Thank you!!!

A little bird whispered...

A little bird whispered in my ear this morning, "its Monday, and it is very cold outside, please scratch my neck and keep me warm today." That would be my little sweet bird, Lily. She is a gray and yellow cockatiel. I written about her before on my blog, she is a very sweet little bird and just wants to be loved on. She will snuggle with you all day long if you let her. She likes to put her little head right in the cleft of your chin and chirp very quietly so you will scratch her neck....but once you start, she won't let you stop!! LOL

Quilting: This weekend I worked on my quilt due to F&P. I so far behind on it!! I hate this! I want the quilt done! Not that I hate the quilt, I love love love the quilt, can't reveal it of course!! But I am so ready to put the quilt on the longarm machine and do my "magic" Or make it sing! I've been drawing out some new machine quilting designs that I would like to put on this quilt, hopefully they will fit the quilt. Can't show the designs either :o)

On Saturday I was watching my sweet little grand daughter, AnnaLynne. She is 6 months old now and just a delight to have around. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm a grand mother!! Wouldn't trade it for the world though!! All of her uncles love her to death! They all get excited when they find out she is coming over or they come home from work and look, "Anna is here!"

I have received word from a different editor that I have another acceptance!! I love this! 

(you know what is so great about this, in addition to the acceptance, I don't have to piece anything...they already have it!)

Yesterday after church we had a couple come over for dinner, Sunday dinner that is. I made a roast, potatoes and carrots...oh and biscuits...can't forget the sweat tea and salad. Robin and Dale came over and we chatted for a good while at the table after dinner was finished. Robin is an artist, her work is beautiful!! Dale is a photographer, we call him the bird man! He is always posting pics of birds on facebook. We asked them to come over to take pictures of me for my project, my HUGE project that I can't breathe a word about yet!! OH this is killing me!!! Dale did a fantastic job with photographing me,  I can't wait to see the cd and send my pics to the publishing company.

At the end of the month, Thursday, January 31, quiltstoryblogspot.com  will be featuring my blog! Stay tuned!! 

Well my quilting friends, I must get off the computer and start sewing!

I will be making this quilt soon...anyone want to make it with me...? lol

Please have a wonderful day

I'm up for cover!!!

OH my goodness!! My quilt that I made for Quilty magazine is up for cover!!! I love love love this quilt!! Here is the story behind how this quilt came about.
I have had a few quilts accepted for publication with Fons and Porter ( along with Quilter's World magazine, Quiltmaker magazine, and Annie's Publishing) in the last couple of years. I love all these magazines!!! Anyway, the editor that I have been working with on F&P, I'm assuming, likes my work. She contacted me and asked if I would have time to piece a quilt for Quilty magazine. Quilty is Mary Fons' baby, she is Marianne Fons' daughter. I said, "sure!" The first quilt I pieced for them was a flannel brick quilt, sorry I forgot to take pictures...oops!! Then about a month later I heard from the editor again and she asked if I would have time to piece a couple more for them, they were not big quilts. I would love to! So fabric arrived and templates for the drunkards path. BUT, not in a timely manner. LOL There were for some reason issues with the fabric manufacturer getting fabric too me!! This is not good!! When you have deadlines, you need these things....fabric...asap!! Deadlines were approaching!! Especially when this is a last minute filler!! no fabric!! I had templates! but no fabric! SO!!! The editor and I kept in good contact, I'm feel pretty certain she was "hot on the trail" of figuring out what was going on and where was the fabric. Finally all arrived and I began working!
Guess what? I had never pieced a curved seam!!! Never made a drunkard's path quilt before....hahaha, don't tell the editor please!!! LOL I made up a few mock blocks to practice and away I went! I have determination that can really get me into trouble! LOL But! I finished this quilt. And you know what? The entire time I was working on it I had this great feeling.
So, there were other issues that came up with working on this quilt. I had a HUGE advanced level quilt that I was piecing for another magazine. I can't tell you why, but the deadlines for this quilt was moved up by 2 weeks!! This was a paper pieced quilt....you don't paper piece quickly....let alone quilt and bind quickly when it is going into a magazine. The pressure was on!! And I mean the pressure was on!!! I contacted both editors and they worked with me on deadlines!! Thank you!!! I can't show you this quilt because it will not be out until the later part of this year.
So here are some more pics of the drunkard's path quilt, I fell in love with!! I'm also teaching this at the Village Quilt Shoppe pretty soon. This quilt is also going to be used for a demo with a national teacher on QNN. How cool is that?!!!

love love love!!

white fabric, white thread

Soooo Cool!!!

This is the back of the quilt, all the white thread is from the white pieces on the front of the fabric. I used 2 threads with this quilt, black thread for all the black pieces and white thread for the white pieces. The backing of the quilt was solid black fabric!! Look how awesome my drawings turned out!!!

Here is a pic of the front, this is a black unit with black thread.

All of this quilting is all free drawing (no computer) that I do!!! I sooooo love drawing my quilting machine!!
I have to confess, when you look at the front of the quilt you have no idea what to expect when you turn the quilt over and look at the back. I remember when I took this quilt off the longarm machine, I was just standing there checking out all my work on the front of the quilt and thinking, "wow this was a lot of work, I hope they like it."

Then I TURNED THE QUILT OVER AND SCREAMED!!!! 

I MEAN IT! 

I SCREAMED!! I GOT TEARS IN MY EYES, THE QUILTING WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! 

I SHOCKED MYSELF!

So, my quilt is up for cover on Quilty magazine. I don't know if you can still vote for it or not, if the voting is still open as of today (January 18, 2013) you can go to Quilty on Facebook, "like"  Quilty and find the quilt. I do hope I make the cover, but if not, the journey was worth it!!!

Happy Sewing everyone!!!

Life is getting exciting...

Hi everyone!!! Today is going to be a great day! Even though, I don't feel so great I'm determined it is going to be a good, a great day! I woke up not feeling so wonderful, hate when that happens, but I will get some energy from somewhere! There is a big, huge, did I say big? project I am working on and well I get to go shopping for some clothes!!! HA!! Nothing like shopping to cheer you up! My big reveal will be June 1, I think I might have said that in yesterday's post...oh well, I just can't tell what it is...just super exciting!
For those of you who don't follow me on facebook, you can look One Stitch At A Time up on facebook and like me. Or you can do my personal page Nancy Clark McNally and find me :o) Almost daily I post what dinner is, I love doing this!!
Today's dinner has already been planned, that is a first! I normally don't plan this early in the morning what I'm going to make, it is 8:45am ....so, today I am baking a chicken and will have the fixin's with it. I will make a nice garlic herb rub for the chicken, cook some potatoes, carrots, green beans and biscuits....a hearty meal to warm the cold bodies from the winter temps!!
If I have time I like to prepare the potatoes in a skillet before I put them in the oven with the chicken. I wash, peel, and quarter the potatoes. Then toss them with garlic powder, chilli powder, onion powder, pepper and salt (notice salt is last!) I like flavor not lots of salt! Toss this into a heated skillet that has just enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet...not deep frying, just browning the potatoes. Once all sides are browned I add them to the chicken baking dish. The carrots I add last. Green beans, I would love to make them "southern style" but that is really fattening, but OOOOOHHHH so good! So instead I add a beef bouillon cube per can of green beans, don't add salt if you make the beans this way!! I also add pepper, to taste of course. Depending what I have in the house, if there are fresh green beans then I use these first and here is how I prepare them: I saute the fresh or frozen ones in a skillet with butter and garlic....this is my favorite way of making them because they taste so fresh!
It is time for me to get off the computer, time is a moving by and I don't need to sit here any longer!! Have a wonderful day everyone!!
Happy Sewing!

Hi!!! It is Wednesday!!

Hi everyone!! It is Wednesday! But you know what? When I woke up this morning, I thought it was Monday!!! NO WaY! LOL It took me a few minutes to get myself together and figure out what day of the week it is! LOL
So, what is everyone working on? I'm still plugging away, and I don't mean that in a negative way, just lots of little triangle pieces to sew together for this quilt I designed for Fons & Porter magazine....sometimes I don't think far enough in advance to go...oh you know, that quilt has LOTS of pieces...little pieces...do you really want to piece this?!! But you know, I love a challenge! I love working with new designs, getting that WOW affect when you open the block up when it is color combination or shapes! You know?!
Today I will be teaching at the Village Quilt Shoppe in Canterbury Village in Lake Orion, MI. I teach here all the time, I love the shop! You know there are only a few quilt shops that I have walked into and got that...you don't like this shop feeling...Most of them I love!! Has that ever happened to you?
I'm working on a huge project that will be ready for reveal in June. And yes, I will be advertising it on my blog!! I get to travel for this project too, not to some exotic place but to the publishing company's headquarters. So, please, I can't stress this enough, share my blog!! The big reveal will be wonderful!!!!
Happy Sewing everyone, I have to go get myself ready for the day!
I almost forgot to mention, I'm going to bring some I just can't cut it fabric today and work on another quilt pattern while I teach...ok while my students sew!!! Hopefully I can get this pattern up and running by next week...

Midnight Flight Quilt

The other day, when I should have been working on a different project, I had to work on this instead! I made a very easy quilt from a piece of fabric that I did not want to cut up into tiny pieces that you end up loosing the "Oh I love this fabric" feeling. Yes, I realize I could put it in the border, but take a look at how much of each panel is showing. Now, if you have fabrics that you don't want to cut up into pieces, then here ya' go!

 I have not quilted this quilt yet, I have named it though: Midnight Flight. I also call this my Screen Quilt. I have other designs that will be following this in the next several weeks, so if you want something more interesting just hang on and I will have it up for you.
You will need 2 yards of the main fabric, the one you just don't really want to cut.
the sashing, if you want you can go multicolored, I chose 1 fabric to make life simple = 1 yard
Here is how I constructed:

Focus fabric: Iron your fabric first, make sure all wrinkles are out and it is folded so the selvage edges are aligned. Fold of the fabric will go at your belly and selvage edges are opposite end (just lay the fabric on your cutting board like you normally do).
The fabric is 2 yards. We will not be using all of this for the body of the quilt, the remaining will be used for binding. If you have some extra, you will, put it in your scrap bin.
So, I fold the fabric in half length wise. The lengthwise fold is placed at the "0" line on my cutting board, the width fold is still at my belly.
Make sure your fold is resting directly on the zero "0" line! With your strip cutting ruler, place this on the 25" line of the cutting mat, cut your fabric. You can remove the excess fabric, but not the piece that is resting on ZERO, this is what you are going to use for the screen quilt. SO:
DON'T MOVE THE FABRIC!!
Next: We are going to cut the strips/panels for the quilt, pay close attention!
I move to the other side of my cutting board at this time. So if you are looking at my cutting table I move to the right and stand at the other side, I don't move the fabric.
You are going to need a square ruler so that you can cut these panels. You can join rulers to make the amounts needed, however you can figure it out is good.
You will have the width of the fabric now running along your belly, the fold should be to your left. Place your square 12 1/2" ruler on the 8 1/4" line (this panel will be 16 1/2") but you are cutting on the fold so there will be a correction after all is done. The fold gives you slightly more fabric than you need.
Make the cut all the way up this piece at 8 1/4".
Next cut is 12 1/2".

 See!!! This is so easy: sum it up for cutting: cut from width side: 8 1/4, and 12 1/2". You only need one of the 16 1/2" x 50" panels and 2- 12 1/2" x 50".
Next cut: double check your 16 1/2" x 50", make certain this is the size, cut off any excess
Take the 16 1/2" x 50" piece, cut 1- 8 1/2" x 16 1/2" piece and 1- 12 1/2" x 16 1/2"
Take the (2) 12 1/2" x 50" pieces, leave them folded, don't pick them up and mess up your nice lines. Now you are going to cut 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" and 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" pieces. By leaving this strip of fabric together you cut the units needed at the same time.
time for the sashing! Again, place the fabric fold on the zero "0" mark make sure you fabric has been ironed and is nice and neat. I place my fabric on the zero mark and then check to make sure everything is even. I also had more than a yard of this fabric to allow for the longer cuts. If you prefer to cut your sashing strips on the cross grain not a problem, you can always piece your strips together for the longer lengths that are needed.
You are going to cut your 2 1/2" strips now.

 Here is what you will need:
4- 2 1/2" x 49"
4- 2 1/2" x 8 1/2"
4 - 2 1/2" x 37 1/2" (trim these down once you attach)
4 - 2 1/2" x 12 1/2"
Easy sewing!!!
Take you 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" strips and sew them to the sides of your rectangles: you have 2 that measure

8 1/2" x 12 1/2" and the center one is 8 1/2" x 16 1/2".
This is your first row. Attach the 3 units together: 8 1/2" unit attaches to the 16 1/2" unit to the other 8 1/2" unit. Look at the image at the top of this page.
Now you are going to attach a long 2 1/2" x 49" strip to the top of this unit and to the bottom.
Next: You will attach your  2 1/2" x 37 1/2" strips to the longer rectangles (the middle of the quilt), now join those three in the same fashion you did with the top unit. Once these are sewn together, add another long strip 2 1/2" x 49". Look at the picture again:

 See you have pieced the top rectangle sections and the middle, now we are going to work on the bottom. It is pieced in the same fashion as the other two. You should have 4- 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" sashing pieces plus the bottom sashing piece 2 1/2" x 49" remaining. Attach your sashing pieces and last bottom strip, connet the bottom section to the quilt. Walla you are done! You can do this in just a couple of hours. 

For quilting, I have not decided how to quilt mine yet. I will be binding this in the black butterfly fabric, remember there is leftover fabric.

The first time you begin this quilt, you might stumble a little, don't worry, not fretting. If your blocks don't measure exactly like mine, don't worry!! 

I have more fabrics, I purchased years and I do mean years ago, that I really don't want to cut into borders. I want more of the design of the fabric to show and sometimes borders just don't allow that. I have the Florentine collection from the early part of 2000's....like 2004? I could never make myself cut this fabric!! And honey, let me tell you!! I have yardage!! I plan on doing this will all of the colorways that I own. I also plan on making some that are larger!! I feel very comfortable in cutting this fabric now....so look for more of these easy patterns in the coming year!

Email me if you can't follow, but I'm hoping that just by looking at the picture of the quilt that is easy peasy!

Happy Sewing everyone!!!

New year, great things to come!

Good morning everyone! Yes, this is a New Year...I'm trying to convince myself this is a good morning! At 6:30am when I opened up the kitchen cabinet to retrieve a coffee cup/mug one fell from the top shelf onto my hand! I, of course, had no idea what was happening, I was still sleepy!! The mug fell on my right hand little pinky and cracked my nail!!! My gel nail! dang does it hurt!! I chose to wrap my finger in a bandaid to protect it until I can get to the shop for repair.
Now, on a different note, yes, I have advertising on my blog. Yes, I am promoting Annie's, I love Annie's!! I have lots of work in Annie's publications. So when I find great deals on their products I want to share it with my readers. So please don't be offended by the adds. I choose them wisely!
And besides....I have a wonderful surprise for y'all come the later part of this year! I can't wait till I can share!!
Do you see the large ad for the book for beginner quilters? I teach this quilt/book all year long. I'm always starting a new class every other month. This is a fantastic book to purchase for a friend who wants to begin quilting or if you need a refresher course.


Lots to do today! Have a wonderful day everyone!!!

By the way, I often put up on facebook my "dinner" for the day. What is your favorite dinner or meal that you like to prepare?

And do any of you watch PBS Masterpiece Theater? Season 3's premier of Downton Abbey was last night! I loved it!!

Happy Monday folks!!

Sunday morning

Good morning world! I've been awake since 5am, just could not sleep! I have been tossing and turning for several nights now due to this crummy cold! The doctor put me on an allergy medicine to try and help my skin redness and irritation....this medicine dries me out sooo bad! I can't drink enough water to keep myself hydrated. Today I think I will skip the meds and focus on hydrating even more then start taking the meds again tomorrow. It made it very hard to focus on anything, not fun!
I'm working away at a project due for F&P. I have some designs in my head for applique, longarm quilting and even embroidery!! Now where did that come from?! I don't have an embroidery machine....but I do want one :o)
Exciting news: can't reveal yet, but just wait till the later part of this year!!! I'm working on a special project with a publishing company, can't say a word yet, but please please please stay with my blog and you will not be disappointed!! Get some of your friends to join!!
Also, I promised giveaways this month!! I have a few items in the works...still need more followers, but I won't disappoint you!
Enough for a moment about my quilting life: now on a more personal note. Our Pastor resigned suddenly from our church this past Sunday. This morning will be or first Sunday without him. We love our Pastor, he is a wonderful man. I know the details, but I will not post the reasons, that would be very disrespectful. So please pray for him as he searches what God has next in his life and for our church.

I designed this bear paw quilt last year for a friend, just thought I'd share. I have not made it yet...oops...someone has been busy....I plan on making it this year maybe one block at a time each week...I think some applique would make this quilt sing, don't you?
Happy Sewing everyone!!