Chatting with Lindsay Conner

Quilters, aspiring quilters and fabric lovers . . . today we have a fun feature and giveaway for you! Today, we're chatting with Lindsay Conner, author of the new book Modern Bee—13 Quilts to Make with Friends (Stash Books). It's available at select Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores!



A writer, editor and crafter, Lindsay lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Matt, two unsuspecting cats and a baby on the way. Modern Bee is her her first book, and she is a regular contributor to several sewing magazines and blogs. You can follow her crafty ventures at Craft Buds and Lindsay Sews.

We asked Lindsay what she had to say about quilting, organizing a bee and her biggest craft fail! Here's what she had to say:

1. Can you tell us how you started quilting?
Sure! I've always enjoyed being creative. In fact, my mom and I took many trips to Jo-Ann stores when I was growing up so I could buy embroidery floss and cross-stitch kits. But I didn't branch into sewing on a machine until after college. My mom bought me a Hello Kitty sewing machine for my birthday one year, and I started making some basic skirts and pillow cases. I found a tutorial online for a simple disappearing nine-patch quilt pattern, and bought some fabric to give it a try. After my first quilt, I was hooked!

2. What's a quilting bee and how does it work?
Quilting bees are a great way to meet other crafters and learn new techniques. It can happen in a few ways, but the most common structure is to have 12 quilters (one for each month). You can meet in person or arrange the bee online, but the basic idea is to assign each quilter a month. They get to choose a quilt block and fabrics for their month, and the other members of the bee make that block for them (and mail it to them, if they only meet online). After that person's month, the quilter has 12 or more blocks to make their own quilt, and next month, it's someone else's turn!

3. I'm getting ready to make my first quilt. Do you have any advice?
To get started quilting, I'd recommend finding a rotary cutter, ruler and self-healing cutting mat. You can find these at Jo-Ann, usually in a package. Scissors work great for most craft projects, but you'll have a lot more success quilting if you start with the right tools.

Other than that, have fun and enjoy the process! You can find a lot of great quilting tutorials online, and my book also has several beginner-friendly patterns and tips on assembling a quilt from start to finish.

4. What was your biggest craft fail?
Oh, that's a tough one! I've accidentally broken a sewing machine needle through my finger while binding a quilt, so that required a trip to the emergency room. But I think the most disappointing sewing project of all was a kitty tunnel I sewed for my cat, Murph. It didn't look that great, but I thought for sure he would at least try to get inside. Of course, he was more interested in a paper bag.

Lindsay has also shared with us a video preview of the book, which you can see here. You can also check out the book's website to learn more. 

This is the last day of the blog tour, but you can still catch several giveaways and fun extras by following along!

Modern Bee Blog Tour
Monday, 10/7:  Sew Mama Sew + Stash Books
Tuesday, 10/8: SewCraftyJess + Sew Sweetness
Wednesday, 10/9: Ellison Lane + Diary of a Quilter
Thursday, 10/10: Katie's Korner + Pat Sloan
Friday, 10/11: Fat Quarter Shop + imagine gnats
Saturday, 10/12: Quilting is My Therapy + Hot Pink Stitches
Monday, 10/14: Live a Colorful Life + Craft Gossip
Tuesday, 10/15: SewCanShe + Maureen Cracknell Handmade
Wednesday, 10/16: Craftsy + Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores (you are here)

 

Giveaway!
One lucky winner will take home this Modern Bee prize pack, filled with fabric, thread and notions to help get you crafting! The bundle includes: assorted fat quarters of Timeless Treasures and FreeSpirit Fabrics, the Olfa Splash rotary cutter, an assortment of Pellon products, Coats and Clark thread and Modern Bee stickers.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this blog post telling us what you're sewing right now.

Giveaway ends October, 21, 2013, when we'll choose one random winner. If winner lives outside the U.S., they'll receive a copy of the Modern Bee e-book instead of the prize bundle pictured. Good luck!