Where in the World is Wanderlust Quilts: A Blog Hop for Mandy Leins

It’s Tips and Tutorials Tuesday (scroll to the bottom to enter links to your own tips and tutorials)!

Today I have a fantastic tip for you about the new book Wanderlust Quilts, written by my dear friend, Craftsy Instructor Mandy Leins.

Mandy has been a close friend and a mentor to me for quite awhile now.  She is a quadruple threat in the quilting world:

Mandy pieces challenging quilts impeccably, with precision and great attention to detail.  She is a master longarm quilter.  She is a natural writer, and a skilled teacher. So it is not surprising that she has come up with a book that no one else on earth could have written.

For a chance to win an autographed copy of her book, scroll down for details.

Courtesy of Stash Books. Photo by Nissa Brehmer.

Wanderlust is an unusual quilting book: it doesn’t offer basic patterns or simple techniques.  Wanderlust is meant to take you to another level in your quilt-making; it’s a book you can grow with and never get bored reading. It’s a book that even your non-quilting friends and family will enjoy perusing.

Aqueducts made by Kristi Ryan designed by Mandy Leins. Courtesy of Stash Books. Photo by Nissa Brehmer.

Mandy’s Master’s degree in archaeology allows her to see quilting through an entirely different lens, in the context of classic architecture, history, culture, and art.   I guarantee you will be inspired and in awe of the creativity you see within its pages.  Don’t be surprised if you sit down with a cup of tea to leaf through the beautiful photographs, when you are suddenly overtaken by a sense of adventure and a longing to travel.

Mandy’s patterns are challenging and thought-provoking.  Who says quilts have to be rectangular anyway???

Just look at the Flowing Fabric quilt featured on the cover, isn’t it decadent and gorgeous?  With rich reds in Kona solids, it evokes the flow and drape of ancient cloth, in a color reserved for the most elite in Greek Society.

I stared at the cover of Mandy’s book, and laughed at her sense of irony, making a quilt in colors reserved for the culturally elite (Mandy is the furthest thing from culturally elite in our quilting world.  She is funny, kind, approachable, and a fierce advocate for those who need a friend.)

I see Mandy’s playfulness in her designs.  And for this blog post, I thought I would be a bit playful too, and show you one of the most adventurous things I’ve done in awhile.

That’s me, indoor sky diving.  And yes, of course, I brought along my copy of Wanderlust quilts on my adventure!  All I’m missing is the luxe red cape from the cover of her book, and I’d be the spitting image of Supergirl!  Believe me, as soon as I finish this enormous project I’m working on now, Mandy’s Flowing Fabric pattern is next on my list.

I’ll be sure to bring it with me on my next skydiving trip.

To enter to win an autographed copy of Mandy’s book, Wanderlust Quilts, please follow her on Instagram @mandaleiquilts so you can see all the wonderful things she posts, and leave a comment below telling me the most adventurous thing you’ve done lately.  And don’t worry, if you’re not on IG, just leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win.

And lest you think that indoor skydiving is not for you (that you couldn’t possibly fly straight up a 30 foot wind tunnel and spin in circles all the way back down) take a look at this next snapshot.  If my littlest firecracker can do it, so can you!

Bloggers, please link up your tips and tutorials below.  Link as many as you’d like!  We look forward to seeing what you’ve made!