I make a lot of quilts, really, many many quilts. I design the fabrics and the patterns then I spend many hours cutting, sewing and pressing. I make custom backings for them and sometimes even design fancy bindings. The only part of my quilts that I don’t do myself is the long arm quilting. More often than not I have impossible deadlines. There is one person who always goes above and beyond the call of duty. This is my love letter to my long arm quilter, Angela Walters. Angela, I adore you! This post if for you and your formidable talents.

Free Motion Quilting is harder than it may look. I think it looks plenty hard but not everyone thinks so. What Angela does is like drawing with a 60 pound vibrating pencil. Most people have a hard enough time drawing with a regular pencil. The real talent is in the ability to approach another person’s project with the kind of reverence and effort that they put into it themselves. I was once told by an English professor that you should put as much effort into reading a work of fiction as the writer put into writing it. This is exactly what Angela does with my quilts but more. She doesn’t just read the story I have written for her she adds her own twists and turns thus making my story even more beautiful than it already was. Angela writes the ending.

Angela and I have been working together for just over 5 years now. I have watched her grow more confident and more talented over those years and she has watched me do the same. We have grown into a kind of shorthand when it comes to quilting. She knows what I like and what I want. She always delivers. Why do you want to know all of this? Angela has written a book that shares the process and techniques that she uses to transform a beautiful pieced quilt top into a work of art. Her approach is fresh and modern. She is the new authority on quilting for the modern quilt. Her book deals with motivation (getting started), Instruction (learning the designs) and Inspiration (applying these designs to modern quilts). Modern quilts often include bold color choices, ample negative space, irregular block structures or no block structure at all. a modern quilt is a hard thing to pin down and doesn’t need to be pinned down but there are a few things that one will run into repeatedly and Angela’s book deals with all of these things.

So if you have ever had a curiosity about free motion quilting or just want to polish and expand your skills then Angela’s book is definitely worth checking out.

Pattern: Stacks from Quilts from the House of Tula Pink

Fabric: Nightshade, The Birds and The Bees, Background: Free Spirit Solid S11 Gray

Quilted by Angela Walters

Angela’s Book: Free Motion Quilting With Angela Walters

Okay, so I have a new obsession and that’s Instagram. Instagram is yet another social media network, sigh, BUT… this one is all in pictures! I can snap a shot with my phone anywhere and y’all can see it instantly! Currently it’s an app for the iPhone only (I hear that is going to change soon) and since I am an equal opportunity sharer I find that wee bit hard to swallow. I have decided that since not everyone has access to Instagram I am going to randomly share the highlights here so everyone can be included in my picture madness. You know how much I hate to keep things from you. So here goes…

1.A magnificent little cross stitch gift I received from my friend Kaye Prince. She replicated my Modern Alphabet pattern in cross stitch! What?!?!?! Amazing is what!

2.The students of Missouri Western State University presented me with a cake all decked out in Parisville when I lectured there last week. Fabric + Dessert = Also Amazing!

3.The day I realized that my my bulletin board had been swallowed up by graph paper, fabric swatches and pencil lead. Snapshot!

4. A self gratuitous photo of my colored pencils, because many little colorful items all in a row makes me happy!

5. My new phone dock from Jonathan Adler. Get it? It’s a phone on a phone which is funny.

6. The half zebra half donkey (Zedonk) that lives next store was giving me the stink eye that day

7. That’s me in my favorite pink cat hat. It was cold outside.

8. A picture of my grandma, dad and two uncles. She was one hot mamma. I think I have those same glasses.

9. My back porch view at sunset because I was feeling all warm and fuzzy and romantic that evening on the back porch with a cocktail. Everything is lovely at sunset dontcha think?

Check out this super awesome shout out in Mollie Makes Magazine! You know, when I wrote this book I was thinking only as far as making a bunch of cool stuff and sharing it with other people who like to make cool stuff. I never thought about what would happen after it was printed and out there in the world. Then I get emails like the one I received from Mollie Makes that says “hey! we loved your book and gave it a great big page in our magazine because you are rad!”  That may not be exactly how it was worded but that was what I got out of it. Their mantra looks like a page out of my own personal mission statement. For everyone who ordered the book from my shop, they are on their way to me right now! Then on their way to you!

This issue (#11) of Mollie Makes is on the shelves NOW in the UK and the US. I love it when I stumble on awesome new resources for inspiration. It always amazes me how much creativity is floating around out there. It’s mind blowing!

Here’s a little bit about Mollie Makes:

‘Mollie Makes is published thirteen times a year. We curate the best craft from around the world into a tactile, collectable and totally irresistible magazine.

We love to make – handmade is more than just a hobby for us, it’s in everything we do.

We can’t resist hunting down treasures in thrift stores, then customising, re-covering and embellishing our finds with our endless stash of ribbons, buttons, fabrics and felt.

We’re forever on the lookout for new inspiration. Whatever we do, we’re living and loving handmade.’

♡ Making ♡ Thrifting ♡ Collecting ♡ Crafting

You can subscribe here

Download the iPad version here

And get their newsletter here

Y’all have seen the cover now it’s time to take a little peek inside my new book Quilts from the House of Tula Pink! The photos in this book are totally blowing my mind. I have to give a great big huge digital hug to Elizabeth Maxon for scouting, styling and photographing all of this (check out her blog here). She totally got what this work was about. It’s about fun and humor and fantasy and the little details that bring a story to life. Love it! Love her!

I have my advance copy and am seeing this all in print for the very first time. I am so proud of this collection of work that I can barely express it in words except to say that I offer you the very best of me. I have never worked so hard or cared so much. Holding the final copy in my hands makes me excited to do more. Tear, sniffle, pride… sigh. Now back to work!

Available for Pre-Order and shipping very very soon! (February/March)

Amazon

Barns and Noble

Martha Pullen

Tula Pink Pattern Shop

Published by Krause Publications: Thanks guys!

This is it kids! My very last Frog Prince. I have been drowning in tweets and emails, facebooked and hit up on every social media and physical outlet asking how they can get their hands on one of these big guns. I must say, I am reluctant to let him go.

If you are new to my site you may wondering what the heck this thing is and why anyone would want it. Well, It’s a giant frog with a fly in his belly and a floating crown, obviously. The entire chunk of cotton sateen measures 60″ x 72″. He was the mascot for Prince Charming, my latest fabric collection for Free Spirit Fabrics. The Prince appeared on the back of all of my Prince Charming quilts. I only had 7 of them made. So that’s the back story. He is rare and precious and I am giving my last one away to one lucky person.

So here’s the deal… Because this is a special give away I am handling this a little different. Entries will stop being counted on February 4th and a winner will be announced on monday February 5th. Every pattern purchased from my online shop will count as one entry, every book pre-order will count as three entries. Anyone who has already pre-ordered my book prior to this post is already playing with three entries. For example, if you were to pre-order my book and buy two patterns you would have five entries in the pot. Each entry will be assigned a number and the winner will be randomly selected.

This is not a raffle people, it’s a bonus! Keep shopping from my online shop like you already do and you will be rewarded. It’s like the toy at the bottom of the cereal box only this one is way bigger. Everyone wins!

Re-cap:

each pattern purchase = 1 entry

each book pre-order = 3 entries

Winer announced on February 5th!

GO TO SHOP

Check out my new tech protection for GelaSkins! Awesome, right? They make different sizes for practically every single kind of technology you can think of. There are tons of skins for phones, laptops, ipads, e-readers, mp3 players, game devices it’s totally insane.  There are four designs to start and if y’all like ‘em we will add more to the roster. Go show me some love!

The four lovlies are as follows:

TAIL FEATHERS

DAMASK DOT

SNAIL SCALLOPS

RAIN DROPS

This is Space Dust!! The best quilt ever! Above is the “styled room shot”. This is my Post No Bills Room or sometimes called the Surplus Art Room. Anywhoo, enough about my pre-teen decorating sensibilities and on to the best quilt ever! I have no idea how I made it, let’s just get that out of the way. Every piece is a different shape and of course every single side of every single piece is cut on the bias so that was super fun (sarcasm). Then it had to be appliqued onto the background fabric which is the sweetest little black pin dot in the whole universe.

As soon as I get it bound I will take a flat shot of it but I thought this accidental shot gave you the general idea. If you don’t want to wait for me to get around to taking a photo of the entire quilt you will just have to head to Oregon to see it at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. I know, it’s kinda mean but it’s the only way to justify my laziness.

So this is the crazy map that was supposed to tell me what went where. I had this quilt idea pop into my head around three A.M. one morning. During this time of night my mind works a little differently than any other time of day. I remember this seeming extremely logical at the time.

This quilt was fun to make because it didn’t need to satisfy anything but my own sense of humor. I used at least one piece from every collection I have designed. There are 116 different fabrics total. Usually I allow Angela, my quilter, to take the reins on the quilting and do her own thing with just general instructions from me. This time was different. I designed the quilting to be an extension of the concept so it had to be exactly how I saw it. I drew in little propulsion engines and how I wanted the smoke to billow out from them. It needed a little ladder because how else would anyone get in it? Angela added a hidden alien which I thought was a nice touch. All in all I think it’s pretty awesome.

Did I mention it will be on Display at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show next month? Where I will be teaching! Come see it, and me!

I never intended to put these up for sale but I received about a million emails so here it is. The store is up! But only for a while. If every one who emailed me actually buys a pair I might take a vacation or maybe buy a years supply of grilled cheese sandwiches, which ever way the wind blows that day.

A few things you should know… First, these are men’s sizes, the woman’s shoes were cute but not my style, just a hair too “Gidget” for me, there is a conversion chart. Second, if I am walking down the street and I see you wearing them I will rush and then proceed to tackle you, just because. Third, if I see you on the street and we are wearing the same exact pair at the same time then we will link arms and possibly skip together, either that or we’ll kick some trash cans over.

Check out the shoes here

In between re-runs of America’s Next Top Model I was able to get some new products up in my store. Yay for me! Yay for you! I received a ton of emails about the quilt labels that I use on all of my quilts so now I offer them up to all of you. I have also used them on the inside of tote bags as pockets. I am pretty excited about them and if I happen to see them everywhere I won’t mind at all.

My little Tula Cans come in 5 colors, Eggplant, Aqua, Sweet Pea, Mustard and Tomato (I couldn’t come up with a cute food related name for Aqua. We all have our short comings). I feel very strongly about labeling projects. I just know that in 100 years or so people are going to be taking my quilts to the Antique Road Show on Mars. They will all be properly labeled and there will be no question about their extraordinary value.

I always label mine with the date, pieced by, quilted by and location is a good thing to have on there too. I also like to add special info like the fabric I used, the pattern or technique I used to piece and any info about why I made it (like if it was for a special occasion, charity, show, quilt market, pattern sample). What really makes a handmade item special is it’s history. You won’t be around to explain forever so leave a clue, ya know?

SHOP NOW

The coordinators of

The Creative Connection Event asked me to guest post on their blog about my “creative process”. So I did. You, my friends, can read it here.  The event sounds like it will be pretty awesome. It will be in Minneapolis on September 16th, 17th and 18th.

Here is what they have to say about it:THE CREATIVE CONNECTION is a 3 day conference, crafting extravaganza, and emporium for creative women and women entrepreneurs. Created by Nancy Soriano, former editor in chief of Country Living, and Jo Packham, the founder and editor in chief of Where Women Create, this event brings together women who are passionate about being creative in their lives as artists, business owners, bloggers, and more.

Before you go rushing over there to leave tons of comments about how much you like me and how inspiring my work is (this is a request to make me seem more popular) I must warn you… They asked for a picture of me. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that this is not an idea that I entertain often. So I may look a little irritated but that is only because I am and please know that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the taunting that I received from my brother as he took the picture. Totally unfair. I plan on throwing fruit at him during his college graduation.