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!
35 Comments
Wanderlust looks great. I would love a copy to expand my quilting adventure. Love those quilts! Your skydiving looks a lot safer than the real thing and probably just as much fun!
The most adventurous thing I’ve done lately? Now, that’s hard. I tend to really cling to the safe side, having had enough “excitement” in my life. But we just adopted four new chickens, after the heartbreaking loss of our beloved hen, Opal. That’s risky business, yet we dove right in. So I guess that counts at our house.
Love architecture and would love Wanderlust. Greatest adventure has been becoming a blogger and meeting so many great quilters.
Greatest adventure? Moving 15 times in 18 years!
Used every last penny of my savings to buy a longarm. No regrets. No longarming skills either, but we’ll get to that ;). I already follow Mandy and think her quilts are wonderful.
Looks like a lovely book to inspire more creative quilt making. One of the adventurous things I did was go on a photography shoot to Cuba as part of a photo tour by myself. Met some brilliant people and got some fantastic photos!
Wanderlust looks like a beautiful book – I’d love to win the copy! No adventures for me recently, unless you call having my two young men (both over 21) live at home while they finish with college. Yeah, it’s an adventure every day!
Love the cover quilt on Wanderlust! I would love to win a signed copy of her book! My biggest adventure this year was trying mountain biking with my adult children!
I jumped out of a plane (with parachute) for the first time at age 54. I was celebrating having lost 160 lbs. Yeah me!
The most adventurous thing I’ve done lately is enter my most recently quilted quilt in a show. It was a departure from my traditional style with lots of solids and bright prints and my own quilting (domestic machine fmq).
I feel wonderful having Mandy as a friend a almost neighbor. She has taught me so much in the couple of years since we met and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished book myself. I like following her on IG too.
I am not very adventurous so I would have to say starting the Epic Sampler block of the month club by Don’t call me betsy and I have very little experience with paper piecing.
I love that you went indoor skydiving! That sounds like so much fun. Hmmm… the most adventurous thing I have done recently? I went on a doors off helicopter tour of Kauai on vacation and half the time we were flying through clouds, so I got soaked! It was great though, and I totally recommend it. 🙂
Looks like a great book! Most adventurous thing I’ve done would have to be cliff diving at Lake Travis. My heart raced each time I jumped.
Hmm…the most adventurous thing I ‘ve done…I’m really not a thrill-seeker or adrenaline junky at all. I guess, submitting a quilt design to magazine was pretty brave–I haven’t heard back yet and won’t for a while, but I think that was definitely a step outside my comfort zone!
I saw this book at Market (and met Mandy!) and I’ve had my eye on it ever since. I think the most adventurous thing I’ve done lately is move across the country!
the quilts are gorgeous in this book. my biggest adventure was back surgery.
What a great book. Looks like a real winner. Hmmm…wind tunnel. Seems like a safer way to sky dive than jumping out of a plane!!! Just don’t see it on my bucket list. Excitement is pretty low key here.
I’ve always wanted to try the I Fly and now I may ask for it for my birthday! It looks like a blast and I would love to have a copy of the book! My most recent adventure was the trip of a lifetime to Italy last month. Such wine!
What a wonderful book and how fun was that “skydiving”!
The most adventurous thing I’ve done lately….maybe some fmq. Oh well maybe more adventures await soon.
There are always adventures when I vacation with my husband and 26 year old son — generally initiated by one of them! Personally I’m not too adventurous, but I try to frequently step outside my comfort zone when making quilts. Recently I’ve done some FMQ that I wouldn’t have attempted a year ago.
OMgoodness…I don’t think I am brave enough for indoor sky diving…..maybe just a little bicycle riding….on a nice level surface!!! Love the aqueduct quilt – looks awesome!
The most adventurous thing I’ve done this year was in the spring when I went with my son and his family( 2 grand kids) in a Caribbean cruise and did scuba diving…I am thinking about indoor sky diving thou….marta
Love what I have seen of the book! Would love an autographed copy! The most recent exciting thing I have done is to throw on the pottery wheel. Very expressive!
Love archaeology- especially ruins. Book looks fabulous- thanks for the chance to win! Most adventurous lately??? Well not lately but went to Burma by myself 2 years ago where I have always wanted to go-only had reservations the 1st few nights- took a motorcycle taxi for the 1st time (and last) to find a textile store- lots of lovely adventures and look forward to more…
Greatest adventure : my 4 children .
I’m not the most adventurous person in the world, but my biggest adventure in the not-too-distant past would be going to live in Beijing for three years!
So pleased to have discovered your blog and your fab link up – can’t wait to share it! I’ve just written a post with tips on planning how long it’ll take to finish your quilt and I’ll be adding a link to your planner pronto! As for recent adventures, it was probably wild camping and hiking along the coastal path here in Cornwall in the UK – on my own!
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My latest, greatest adventure was being present at the birth of my 2nd grandson…. book looks amazing… I love architecture and all the ways it can inform and influence quilt design!
I haven’t been too adventurous lately…mostly trying to just keep my nose above water doing “normal” things! One thing I did that was out-of-the-box for me was go to a gift shop to show them of the things I sew. The lady was very impressed and offered to hang several in her shop to sell! I won’t be making much of a profit, but it’s progress!
I love the Aqueducts quilt!!
Indoor sky diving looks great fun!
The book looks wonderful and intriguing! I don’t know how adventurous I’ve been lately, but my little one just turned four yesterday, so life’s always adventure around here. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
I haven’t been too adventurous lately. Maybe last year when I decided to go back to work after 5 years off with my kids AND move at the same time. I’m still recovering from that adventure. 🙂