Paper Piecing & Early Birthday (Crafty Show & Tell) - TTMT #565

This week I talk about Paper Piecing Club and show my finished test blocks for the patterns I'm releasing on Thursday. They'll be available, along with all the rest of the 2025 Paper Piecing Club Pattern series (which is available now) Thursday morning around 8am or so Mountain time. 

I also talk about the most amazing early birthday present: Jennifer O gave me the gift of TIME. Her time, given to me in taking on one of my languishing UFOs and finishing it for me, and my time, because now I have a finished object on my bed instead of a finished project hanging over my head. I had originally pieced these blocks into a top and did not like it at all. So I had taken it apart, last year maybe? And I sent her the blocks I received in the 2018 TTMT Quarter Log Cabin Block Swap, as well as the leftover blocks I had made in case we had more participants, and I sent a bunch of neutral fabrics she could use in the finished quilt. We discussed her laying out in a similar fashion to her finished quilt from the same swap, and then she started planning. She ended up having one leftover block from my extras that I had made and she even turned that into a zippered pillow cover. She backed both the pillow and the quilt in the most amazing mushroom fabric that is just super adorable. I love everything about this gift. It's just, well, perfect. Instead of posting a bunch of the same photos, I'm going to just link to her video about this quilt from this week so you can hear all about it directly from Jennifer. This truly was the best gift ever from the best friend ever. I love you Jennifer!

Love,

nmjewells

Sew-jo Suggestion Box (Craft Chat) - September 9, 2025 - nmjewells - aka TTMT #564

This week I'm talking about Sew-jo... how do you motivate yourself to do the stuff you don't WANT to do so that you can get to the fun stuff? I am having trouble motivating myself to clean and organize and purge, even though I know once I do I'll be happier trying to actually create in my space. What do you do? Asking for friend?

A Purrfect View of Chaos (Quilty Show & Tell) September 2, 2025 - aka T...

This week I talk about project room chaos and show my finished shop hop quilt called "A Purrfect View". These setting kits are currently sold out, but I plan to have the patterns available as a pdf download soon, and hope to have more setting kits available soon. This year's block ("Shroommates") and setting kit ("A Purrfect View" ) were designed in collaboration with my friend and cowork, Elizabeth Webb. We bounced ideas off each other, then she painted a mockup of our idea, then I turned that into a quilt layout in EQ and pieced the quilt. The quilt was quilted by Tisha Cavanuagh, of Quilt Icing. I'm very proud of what we accomplished this year with the block and the quilt, and look forward to more collabs with Elizabeth. 

Love,

nmjewells

Time to Hop! TTMT #561 - nmjewells - August 19, 2025

This week I share the dates and times for Albuquerque Shop Hop and show the Kokka fabric I bought to make new bedroom curtains for Miss P. Short and sweet!

Stay crafty y'all!

Love,

nmjewells

Miss P and Sumi e (Crafty Show & Tell) - August 12, 2025 - TTMT #560 - n...

This week I talk about getting my beloved daughter Miss P home from Japan, and I show off the Sumi e paintings she did while studying abroad. Once again, I want to thank everyone that supported her Study Abroad fundraiser. That category has been removed from the Hip Stitch website, but you can still purchase my patterns there. I'm so proud of this adventure she took and I love the art she made while she was there.

Stay crafty y'all!

Love,

nmjewells

About Sumi-e

Albuquerque Shop Hop

My patterns/classes at Hip Stitch

In Spinning Color (Crafty Show & Tell) - aka TTMT #559 - July 29, 2025

This week I show you my finished brand new Color Wheel of Destiny, a prize wheel I modified so that all the wedges are string pieced blocks, each a different color family. We will use the wheel each month at Scrappy Sewcials, a "sewcial sewing" event I created and co-host at Hip Stitch. Spin the wheel, and then go raid the basket of scraps from that color family to make your next block! Or aren't sure what color you want to use next? Spin the wheel! It's fun to let chance choose your colors and it makes it helps you avoid decision fatigue when you are working on a project. I also show you the scrappy improv blocks I pieced at Scrappy Sewcial this past weekend after unveiling the new wheel. Sew much fun! And that sound the wheel makes.... sew satisfying!

Things I talk about in this video:

Scrappy Sewcials at Hip Stitch

"Puzzling" - A Crafty Show & Tell - July 22, 2025 (TTMT #558)

This week I show my latest test blocks for the 2025 PP Club Pattern Series: "Puzzling", a modern take on the traditional Dutchman's Puzzle quilt block. I made two versions, one using all grunge and one using fussy cut scraps. I also talk about being almost done with my new Color Wheel of Destiny, which should be finished in time to make its debut at Scrappy Sewcial this Sunday. I'll show y'all the finished wheel next week!

Stay crafty y'all!

Love,

nmjewells

Sampling & Shells (Crafty Show & Tell) - TTMT #557 - nmjewells - July 15...

Fabrics I used for this easy peasy panel quilt:

Classic Christmas Patch Panel (just 3 squares), Classic Christmas Collage in Parchment (2 squares), Classic Christmas Sheet Music in White (4 squares), Red Burlap Texture (4x 2.5in strips), Grunge Glitter Winter Spruce (4x 2.5in strips).

Free pattern for the Project Linus Sideways Shell Baby Afghan (aka Newbie Shell Afghan).

Stay crafty, y'all!

Love,

nmjewells

Halfway There - July 8, 2025 - Crafty Show & Tell - (TTMT #556) - nmjewells

Things I mention in my video:

Hip Stitch Birthday Bash

2025 Paper Piecing Club Pattern Series

Stay crafty!

Love,

@nmjewells

Fun with my Friends Crafty Show & Tell (TTMT #555) July 1, 2025

I'm back from almost a week in Austin, Texas where I visited my BFF and friend of over 30 years and her family (Jennifer O) and we did some thrifting and some LQS shopping. We also took a short road trip to visit a mutual friend, Jennifer R, in the Houston area! There's nothing better than getting away from work and recharging with your friends. Stay crafty, yall!

Crafty places I talk about:

Austin Creative Reuse

Sew Special Quilts Katy

find my patterns at Hip Stitch

Love,

nmjewells

TTMT #554 - nmjewells - June 24, 2025 - Dashing Sashing (Quilty Show & T...

This week I'm showing you the sashing fabric I purchased at Hip Stitch for a sampler quilt using my 5inch blocks from this year's PP Club Pattern Series.

Help support my daughter's study abroad experience in Japan (she's there now!). There are still a few physical items and patterns for which she will receive the proceeds. She's also currently getting the proceeds from any of my pattern sales, including the 2025 PP Club Pattern series. I've already added June's block, Hexplay!

Stay crafty!

Love,

@nmjewells

TTMT #553 - nmjewells - June 17, 2025 - Hexplay (Quilty Show & Tell)

I'm back from vacation and have a new thrifted top, a new haircut, and a new 5 inch pattern to release this Thursday at Paper Piecing Club at Hip Stitch.

Stay Crafty y'all!

Love,

@nmjewells

Sign up for Paper Piecing Club

2025 PP Club Pattern Series

 

TTMT #551 - nmjewells - June 3, 2025 - All the Pretty Wedges (Crafty Sho...

All of the scrappy, string-pieced wedges are done! Now I'm working on preparing them for insertion into my color wheel of destiny, so that when I spin the wheel they don't come flying out. So it's not finished, but the sewing part is finished, anyway.

Stay crafty y'all!

Love,

@nmjewells

TTMT #550 - @nmjewells - May 27, 2025 - Strings & Things (Crafty Show & ...

Sorry I missed you last week, I've been working on something I can't show yet, but I did have some crafty time over the past week or so, and that's what I talk about in this video. I took a class last week with an out of town instructor and had a great time making art quilt bookmarks. Then this past weekend I started making string pieced wedges for a new color wheel of destiny to use at future scrappy sewcials. All in all a much craftier time for me lately. I also got rid of some of my personal scraps by adding them to the color sorted baskets at Scrappy Sewcial, and yesterday I color sorted the remining giant bag of scraps from my project room into ziploc bags and have them all in a single big tote bag to grab and sew with when I want/need a little bit of a color.

Dr. Susan Kruszyinski (my art quilt instructor)

Her two books: Starter Guide to Creating Art Quilts , and Art Quilts Made Easy.

Stay crafty, y'all!

Love,

@nmjewells

 

TTMT #549 - nmjewells - May 13, 2025 - Here Comes the Sun (Crafty Show &...

In which I show my next 5inch finished block that I'll be distributing this Thursday at Paper Piecing Club, "Here Comes the Sun". "Here Comes the Sun" makes a quarter of a sun design. You can use it as a single 5inch block, pair it with a second one to make a rising or setting sun, or make 4 and sew them together into a 10" finished full sun block! PDF pattern will be available for download soon.

January - April's blocks are already available on the Hip Stitch website

Learn more about Paper Piecing Club

Stay Crafty y'all!

Love,

@nmjewells

TTMT #548 - nmjewells - May 10, 2025 - Sew I Quilted (charity quilt show...

I'm coming to you a few days late, or a few days early, depending on whether I get another video posted this coming week, with 2 finished quilts that I donated at my local Project Linus group (Material Girls) meeting yesterday. It felt so good to finish two quilts from my two pants hangers' worth of quilt tops that have been languishing in my project room waiting to be quilted. I hope to be coming to you with more finishes soon.

Stay crafty, y'all!

Love,

nmjewells

TTMT #547 - nmjewells - April 29, 2025 - (RE)makin' It (crafty show & tell)

This week I'm talking about my current crafty endeavor, which is (re)fashioning clothing, to me it fit better either size-wise or personality-wise. There is no selvage name on the lightweight canvas I'm using to remake these overalls, so I can't share that, sadly. With my new work schedule I think it will be much easier for me to be able to post a video every week, and hopefully also to get more crafty-type stuff done every week.

Stay crafty y'all!

Love,

@nmjewells

TTMT #546 - nmjewells - April 15, 2025 - Silly Scrappy Star (Quilt Block...

This week I talk about my newest addition to the 2025 PP Club Pattern Series, "Silly Scrappy Star", which finishes at 5 inches square. I'll be giving printed copies of this block pattern to attendees of this month's Paper Piecing Club and then next month it will be available to purchase as a pdf download.

Can't come to Paper Piecing Club? You can purchase a pdf download of the first three blocks now.

Stay crafty y'all!

Love, 

@nmjewells

TTMT #545 - nmjewells - April 8, 2025 - Tokyo Ramble (fabric/travel sho...

I spent the most of the last week of March and first week of April in Tokyo with my daughter, Miss P, as I tagged along with her as she traveled there for her study abroad semester. There's a lot more tell than show in this video, but I talk about some of the places I visited with and without her, and show some of the things I purchased.

The Sumida Hosukai Museum

Nippori Fabric Town Official Website

Quilt Party (owned by renowned quilt author Yoko Saito)

Tokyo Sky Tree

Sumida Aquarium

Shorter video next week, I promise!

Love,

@nmjewells

TTMT #544 - nmjewells - April 1, 2025 - Greetings from Tokyo

 

just a video to say hello from Tokyo. Technically it's Tuesday evening here, but it's very early Tuesday back home in Albuquerque, NM, so I will greet you with Ohaiyo Gozaimas. My daughter Miss P and I arrived last Wednesday afternoon and have been exploring the city together. She is now in her dorm as her Study Abroad semester begins next week and this week she is busy with orientations and the like, so the next few days I will be doing some solo explorations before I head home this Saturday. See you next week! aregato gozaimas love, nmjewells