My Favorite Things Blog Hop Tour

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Christine and I have been quilting for about 7 years. This is my very first blog hop and I am so excited to be particating in the My Favorite Things Blog Hop Tour with my fellow Island Baltik Ambassadors.

First on my list of favorites are my three machines. I am so lucky to be able to have three. I have my Viking Sapphire 830, my Juki TL-2010Q and my little Baby Lock Audrey. Each machine is different and I just love them all! 

My Viking was the first machine I purchased when I returned to sewing.  (Ok, I need to tell you a quick story.) I always had a love for sewing and being creative, and even took sewing lessons when I was a child.  I wanted to embroider or crochet or sew.  Fast forward.  Having a family with 2 children and working didn't leave much time for anything.  One day at work I met a wonderful person, Maryellen McAuliffe, while we were crocheting blankets for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, during our lunch breaks.   We started talking and became good friends.  She brought a mat, ruler and rotary cutter in one day, to cut out a quilt during her break.  I mentioned that I planned to start quilting when I retired.  And she said, "You are starting to quilt tomorrow.  Why wait?"  So, she came over with her Viking Sapphire 850, and I loved it. We went to a local quilt show, and I fell in love with fabric and tested some machines.   She had a contact, and got me a great deal on the 830, and I made a quilted pillow, then worked on some rag style quilts.  And collected fabric. 

 

I purchased the Babylock Audrey as a light-weight machine to take to classes. It is perfect because my mother's name was Audrey. 

And I tried out the Juki at a workshop with Victoria Findlay Wolfe, and love it. It's fast and furious.
 

When I bought my Juki, I needed a more permanent space to sew, so I purchased a table at Ikea. I had been putting my machines away every time I used them, and realized I wasn't as productive. Having to set up anytime I wanted to sew wasn't helping. The table is in front of a window, and has plenty of light.

I love my thread catcher (which was a gift from Maryellen).

My other machines are put away in my laundry closet.

I store my cutting mat under my table cloth on the dining room table. It makes for a nice, big cutting area. We're careful to use hot plates so the mat doesn't warp. 

 

I have a temporary shevling unit I picked up until I can find something I really like, hopefully with doors that I can close the doors to hide the mess. 

The top shelve on the left are "project boxes" which I just started using. I am hoping they keep me a little more organized. On the right top shelve is my pattern basket. On the second shelve is my thread box and some fabric. On the bottom is more fabric. My fabric is not currently in any order since I get distracted easily whenever I try to organize which leads me to another favorite, finding things I have forgotten about. While cleaning up for this blog, I found some books I had wanted to read and a stack of 2 1/2 " squares to be basted into hexies. I love English Paper Piecing! You'll learn more about that in our Ambassador hop in August.  

This is where I keep my fat quarters and charm packs. The baskets have notions in them, small rulers, and more fabric. Under my machine I keep my scrap bin and another smaller cutting mat. The white rolling cart needs to be cleaned out and to find a new spot. It has school supplies in it now.

My Accuquilt GO! cutter and dies are kept in a bin in the garage. It is easy to get to when I need them.

And bins of fabrics are just too messy....

Well, that is my space. 

All of the Island Batik Ambassadors will also be particating in another blog hop which will start on August 17.

I hope you visit all the others Island Batik Ambassadors. All of these women are very talented and 

I am honored to be able to learn from them. 

Here's the full schedule.

July 13:  Linda Pearl www.onequiltingcircle.com
July 14:  Barbara Gaddy www.bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com
July 15:  Maryellen McAuliffe www.teachpany.blogspot.com
July 16:  Christine Martinez www.madeinscraps.blogspot.com
July 17:  Maria Hrabovsky www.mariamichaelsdesigns.com/blog
July 18: Tammy Silvers www.tamarinis.typepad.com
July 19: Joan Kawano www.moosestashquilting.blogspot.com
July 20:  Marlene Oddie www.kissedquilts.blogspot.com
July 21:  Nan Bakerwww.purrfectspots.blogspot.com
July 22:  Adele Mogavero www.adelemogavero.com
July 23:  Pam Geisel www.forquiltssake.blogspot.com
July 24:  Bea Lee  www.beaquilter.com
July 25:  Connie Campbell www.conniekresin.com
July 26:  Pam Boatright  www.pamelaquilts.blogspot.com
July 27:  Connie Kauffmann http://kauffmandesigns.blogspot.com/
July 28:  Patty Bochey  www.lemontreesnippets.wordpress.com
July 29:  Carol Steely www.funthreads.blogspot.com

I am having a small give away to celebrate my first year as a Island Batik Ambassador and for my first blog hop. I am giving away three Island Batik fat quarters. 

Island Batik Cream Watercolor solid

Island Batik Stone Blossoms

Turquoise Bali Bubble Blossoms 

To enter the giveaway please leave me a comment. I will pick the winner on July 30. I would also love it if you would like my Facebook page Christine McCrann Martinez Quilts  Once I reach 100 likes on my page I will have another giveaway. 

Thank you for visiting! I hope you will visit again soon.

Christine