Lori Holt's Cozy Cottage Calendar - A Blog Tour

Have you guys seen the new 2016 Cozy Cottage Calendar by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet?


It's a monthly calendar with each page featuring beautiful photos taken inside Lori's own vintage style cozy cottage in Utah, decorated with colourful quilts and other projects from her books.


As if the calendar is not pretty enough it also comes with patterns for the Cozy Cottage Block, Cozy Cottage Mini Quilt, and Cozy Cottage Pillow. The book's cover shows the mini-quilt - so dang cute. These patterns are not available to purchase elsewhere, and it's a limited collection calendar (just saying).


As one of the bloggers taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the calendar's launch, I decided to make the Cozy Cottage Pillow-mini (a mini quilt version of the pillow pattern). I started by making an 8" Cozy Cottage block.


I then added the borders, leaving the pillow backing out, and finished it as a mini quilt to add to the growing collection of minis on my sewing room wall.


For the quilting I used a decorative stitch that I recently discovered on my machine. I raved about it on Instagram when I shared a picture of another quilt, and there was so much interest that I wanted to recap it here as well. It's a wavy stitch (stitch #19 on my Janome Horizon Memorycraft 7700 QCP and #20 on my entry level Janome DC2050). I set the stitch length and wave width to the highest possible settings to get the biggest waves. I marked a single quilting line down the centre of the quilt and quilted outwards from that mark. Then turned the quilt around and quilted outwards in the other direction.  I didn't mark any other quilting lines other than that first one down the middle - I just lined up the edge of my foot with the peaks of the previous line. The distance between the peaks is close enough that you can traverse from one peak to the next quite easily without actually having a marked line to follow. I didn't try to get parallel wavy lines as I like the more organic look of random waves, which to me looks a bit like free motion quilting at first glance. But if you wanted parallel lines you would have to pay attention to your needle's position when you start each 'wibbly wobbly' line.


Back to the matter in hand, I can't wait to start using my new calendar - it will be so lovely to look at Lori's beautiful makes for inspiration every day. And look here - I have a very special event marked in my calendar already - I will be at the market!


Copies of the calendar are now available over at Fat Quarter Shop. The lovely folks over there have also sent me an extra calendar to share with my one of my readers - leave a comment at the end of this post and I will select a winner by the end of the week. And make sure you pop over to other bloggers taking part in the Cozy Cottage Calendar celebration if you would like to see their Cozy Cottage projects! Here's the full list: 


Monday, November 2, 2015 
Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet 
Jessie of Messy Jesse

Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Sherri of A Quilting Life
Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (me!)
Jane of Quilt Jane

Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Renee of Sewn With Grace

Thursday, November 5, 2015
Daisy of Ants to Sugar
Michele of Quilting Gallery

Friday, November 6, 2015
Erin of Why Not Sew
Melissa of Happy Quilting
Sinta of Pink Pincushion

Until next time, happy quilting!

62 comments:

  1. Your work is beautiful, and I would love a calendar. I love following all you talented ladies on Instagram.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love your mini quilt - the fabric choices are wonderful and the quilting is so lovely! peks1001(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I truly enjoy your pattern books; so, a calendar would be simply awesome! Love all your IG posts!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful doll quilt. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gorgeous mini! I love your country girl in the doorway! I am partway through two Lori Holt farm girl vintage quilts - would love to make a cozy cottage mini as well! 😍

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your fussy cutting with this block is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love your little house mini. Thanks for the chance to win.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Absolutely adore the mini you made! I'd love to get my hands on a calendar!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a lovely calendar. So many inspirations for a new to quilting novice (me). Thank you for the chance to win

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just beautiful, love the calendar and the beautiful patchwork but most of all love your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love love love Lori Holt's work and I am desperate to get this gorgeous calendar - so I hope I win. Your Mini from the calendar is beautiful - such lovely fabrics.
    Pauline
    perry94022 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your mini quilt is so cute! I would love to win the calendar. Love all the pretty, vintage goodness it has. Lori Holt has such a way with combining vintage things, cheery colors and fun quilting.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the wavy quilting. Beautiful work! Thanks for the chance to win the cute Lori Holt calendar!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love the wavy quilting too!! I am totally going to do that on my Halloween mini I just finished. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love your work and you select the prettiest fabrics!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love your mini. I really enjoy your blog. Lori Holt's calendar would be amazing

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would love to win the calendar,I'm am so thrilled you are giving one away. Thanks for paying it forward. IG@patsyellis

    ReplyDelete
  19. I enjoy following your blog and pictures on Instagram. Love your quilting and choice of fabrics and patterns! Lori Holt's calendar would be fun to win!!! Thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Loving your fussy cutting and beautiful quilting on this little house!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Loving your fussy cutting and beautiful quilting on this little house!

    ReplyDelete
  22. i saw the calendar at my Local quilt shop. Very pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Very sweet! Thanks for sharing your quilting techniques!
    I'm drooling over the calendar...😊

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is a wonderful calendar, I pull love to win

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow what a beautiful blog. I saw you on Instagram and decided Id love to follow you. Your materials are glorious and the calendar is really great. Thanks for a chance to win it. Love Sharon from roseofsharon.wright@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow what a beautiful blog. I saw you on Instagram and decided Id love to follow you. Your materials are glorious and the calendar is really great. Thanks for a chance to win it. Love Sharon from roseofsharon.wright@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love seeing everything you create on IG. I'd live the chance to win this beautiful calendar ... It's on my Christmas wish list!!!! Thank you xx

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love all the cute quilts. Perfect calendar for next year.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Love your mini quilt. The color combination of fabrics is just beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is on my Christmas list as well - thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Lovely mini quilt! Great selection of fabrics and fussy cutting!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Adorable as usual! You have such a good eye for color and design.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I have been admiring you and Lori for a while now

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thanks so much for your lovely post! I adore your mini Cozy Cottage and your wibbly wobbly quilting!!!
    xx
    Lori

    ReplyDelete
  36. I am in with the extra calendar from Lori Holt's cottages! Thank you for the offer and I do love your version with the added quilting ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  37. What a fun calendar..love your mini and the cute quilting you did!!
    cwayons(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Love your mini quilt and thanks for the chance to win!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thanks for taking time to talk about the wavy quilting. I want to try it on my next mini. I would love a calendar.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Love your mini quilt. The calendar would be so neat to save. Thanks for opportunity.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Love your wibbly wobbly quilting! And your mini quilt is adorable! Thanks for showing us the calendar.

    ReplyDelete
  42. i am in love with you cozy cottage mini! that's all i gotta say about that.

    ReplyDelete
  43. What an awesome cottage! Love your fabric choice and your quilting is amazing. Im going to check my machine and see if I have something similar. I already have my calendar and can't wait to hang it up next year.

    Love Lori Holt and Fat Quarter Shop!

    usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  44. Love Lori Holt and absolutely LOVE what you did with the little cottage pattern and your fabric choices!!!! I just started following Down Grapevine Lane and am very impressed with all your posts. Thanks for the opportunity to win the calendar.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I Love Lori Holt's designs and would love to win her calendar!!
    j_dobler@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Love your quilt! Please pick me for the calendar, I love new calendars! Lol Thanks for the chance to win. vickise at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Great mini quilt. I would love the calendar.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Such a beautiful calendar and one I'd be so happy to hang in my sewing room!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I love your project and the calendar, too.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Awesome, I love this calendar. dawnm1993(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  51. Love your mini quilt - great idea! The colors are awesome and the little girl in the door very cute!

    ReplyDelete
  52. What a lovely, vibrant calendar!

    ReplyDelete
  53. I really like the way you quilted your mini quilt. Turned out great! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I love the texture of the wobbly quilting.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I love the texture of the wobbly quilting.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi I love the choices you made for the cottage and of course fussy cutting the little girl in the doorway. I checked on line there are no other calendars like it, Lori did a great job putting this together.

    ReplyDelete
  57. "Wibbly Wobbly" should definitely be an official quilting style - I'm a pro already!! Love your mini quilt and the calendar looks so inspirational. If entries from England are permitted, I'd love to be entered into your draw for a copy. Thank you x

    ReplyDelete
  58. Love the fabric as well as the block and quilting. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Oh your calendar is so darn cute! Would be fun to look at all year in 2016!
    sewfabrics@outlook.com

    ReplyDelete
  60. I love the colors in your cottage! Thanks for the opportunity to win this calendar. chocolatewiskers@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  61. The little girl standing in the doorway of your cottage- such cuteness! Great tip on the wavy wobbly quilting, I can't wait to try it. I'll HAVE to get Lori's calendar if I don't win!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...