Today, it is my turn on the New Blogger blog hop. This post has been one of the hardest posts, I have had to write so far. I had fun writing it, it gave me some time to reflect on how far I have come and how much things have changed, since my blogging journey started. I am so excited, I have some great news to tell you and just want to blurt it out…. but first I should share some information about me 😉
Why did I start blogging?
I enjoy sewing/crafts, fine arts and cooking/baking and I wanted to share what I was doing with people of similar interest and join a community. Facebook just didn’t quiet have enough room for all my thoughts. That is what let to me blogging in September 2012.
How did I come up with my blog name?
When looking for a blog name I wanted Jack/Jill of all trades but that was taken, with a little use of google I found “Factotum”. Factotum is Latin, and in english means “a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities”. Perfect!! Factotum of Arts.
What are 6 things most people don’t know about me?
- My banner for my blog is one of my chalk pastel drawings of a dried lily.
- I started sewing in August 2012, before that I had made a pillow case in home ec. class when I was 13.
- I studied in New Zealand, my undergrad is in Biology and Statistics, my Masters in Marine Science
- I really like science fiction and fantasy. I am currently reading Finale, Becca Fitzpatrick; Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare; and Shadow of Night, Deborah Harkness. Buffy the Vampire, and Supernatural are two of my favorite shows.
- My favorite places I have visited are Lisbon, Portugal; Prague, Czech Republic; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; Tahiti, French Polynesia
- I grew up in New Zealand, lived in Sydney, Australia; Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany and now live in Cary, North Carolina, USA and I love to travel.
What are my favorite aspects in quilting/sewing?
Fabric: I think my favorite thing, and somewhat an addiction…is fabric!!! I see a project in every fabric line.
Color: I really like being visually stimulated by color and then playing and using color when designing projects.
Ideas/Designing: I love taking an idea to the final product. My head is always full of projects floating around and I try to write or draw these down, so I don’t forget.
Best tip, so far: I was having trouble lining up rows for a postage stamp cushion, and Adrianne from “On the Windy Side” came to my rescue. Using her tips definitely helped in so many projects….here are her tips.
Projects: I love projects that can be done in a couple of hours and interspersing these with long-term quilting projects. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, and keeps me going on the longer projects. Here are some of my 2013 projects:
Now for my exciting news….I am introducing my first paper piecing pattern…
“Royal – X – Plus Block”
The block reminds me of a mashup of a union jack and the X & + Block (hence the name). It was inspired by a floor tile. I would consider this Intermediate due to the joins but an easy sew since they are all straight lines. The biggest tip I can give, is when joining the 3 sections using opposite pressed seams to match the pieces up (like you would matching up a row of squares).
I reached out to others participating in the New Bloggers blog hop and a big thank you goes out to my three testers that tested my pattern. I am so appreciative of the work and great feedback. Here are their blocks:
Cath @ Wombat Quilts, who posts a paper piece block every Monday which are always amazing!! She made her block 11.5 x 11.5″. 
Alison @ Making Happyness, who is a newbie at paper piecing. Her first paper piecing was a beautiful rose.
Lisa @ Hilltop House Creative Works, made this very cute mini quilt from the block. I could definitely use this as a mug rug or a pot holder/trivet….don’t you think??
In the process of making the pattern I tried a couple of blocks, and after feedback from Alison I wanted to show you all how a couple of blocks would work together.
You can get the free pattern from Craftsy, here. If you try it out I would love to know, so I invite you to post photo’s of your finished block on my Paper Piecing Flickr Group.
Finally, check out the other modern quilting new bloggers participating in the blog hop:
Friday, June 7th
Nancy @ Owen’s Olivia
Amy @ 13 Spools
Ashley @ Wasn’t Quilt In A Day
Casey @ The Studiolo
Nanette @ Yeah, I Made That
Ange @ Heart Of Charnwood
Kim @ Robot Mom Sews
Erica @ Kitchen Table Quilting
Friday, June 14
Julie @ Jolie Maxtin
Melissa @ Melia Mae Quilting
Adrianne @ On The Windy Side
Molli @ Molli Sparkles
Laura @ Little And Lots
Sarah @ Duck Egg Threads
Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
Cari @ There’s A Thread
Valerie @ Between Quilts
Friday, June 21
Leigh Anne @ Ella’s Cottage
Stacey @ The Tilted Quilt
Sarah @ Quilt Candy
Jackie @ NW Patchwork
Liz @ Beadqueene’s Bits And Baubles
Erica @ Happy Fabric
Stephanie @ Simple Sewendipity
Lauren @ Seraphym
Amy @ Cloud CouCou Crafts
Friday, June 28
Green @ So Sew Green
Gwendellyn @ The Rainbow Revolts
Jessica @ Stitched In Thyme
Amira @ Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy @ Kayak Quilting
Michelle @ Factotum Of Arts
Paula @ The Sassy Quilter
Kris @ Sew Sunshine
Camilla @ Faffling
Friday, July 5
Christa @ Christa Quilts!
Alyce @ Wonderland By Alyce
Anna @ The Crooked Banana
Rachel @ Sew Happily Ever After
Stephanie @ Quarter Incher
Shayla @ Sassafras Lane Designs
Caroline @ Carolines Craftiness
Lisa @ Hilltop House Creative Works
Friday, July 12
Leona @ Leona’s Quilting Adventure
Karen @ Karen, {Novice} Quilter
Anne @ PlayCrafts
Rachel @ Let’s Begin Sewing…
Jan @ Sew And Sow Farm
Anna @ Quilting Along The Grain
Cath @ Wombat Quilts
Sarah @ {No} Hats In The House
Friday, July 19
Karen @ Little Birdie Quilting Studio
Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures
Katie @ Snuggle Up With A Dish From Karma
Alison @ Making Happyness
Ella and Nesta @ Ella & Nesta’s Little Room
Adrienne @ Chezzetcook Modern Quilts
Nicole @ Modern Handcraft
Aylin @ AyliN-Nilya
Kelsey and Amanda @ Everyday Fray
Friday, July 26
Vicki @ A Quilter’s Mission
RobinSue @ RobinSue Quilts
Elisa Lea @ Lovelea Designs
Elizabeth @ In The Boon Docks
Jenny @ A Note To Follow Sew
Lorna @ Sew Fresh Quilts
Sonia @ Fabric & Flowers
Emily @ Sew E.T.
Em @ Sewing by Moonlight
Factotum of Arts 
it’s great to read your post and learn more about you! I really like your paper pieced block! Might have to go on my to-do list!
🙂 Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
Thank you do much. It was not easy to know what to write. 🙂
It has been a pleasure to see all your projects from this year. I especially admire your kiwi pillow! Loved reading your post and getting to know you through the New Blogger Hop, Michelle.
Lorna:)
http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com
Thank you. I have had so much fun on the blog hop and it has been great getting to know more folks 🙂
Nice to meet you Michelle. Your new paper pieced block looks fun. I hope to see more from you in the future. How do you like the US compared to all the places you have been?
Kris – thank you. it has been nice meeting all of you on the hop. I love living in Cary, North Carolina and will stay a while longer :-). At least, for me the standard of living is definitely great in the US and I think I would not have the same lifestyle outside of the US. There are always things I love and things I don’t like so much in all the places I have lived.
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Hi Michelle,
it is very nice to meet you. I am a neighbor in Georgia! lol. I loved your post and look forward to seeing more of your blog in the future!
jan@http://sewandsowfarm.blogspot.com/
What a great block you made. Love your work, too. The purse and pillows are my faves! Nice to get to know ya!
I love your paper pieced block. I’m already a follower and I’ve been loving your posts. Thank you for sharing your beautiful things with the world.
Wow…really, you have only been sewing since August of last year?! You ARE talented in many arts indeed! Your work is lovely! Congrats on the new pattern!
I love your blog banner – I especially love it more knowing you drew it!!! Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your paper pieced pattern – it was fun to see mine up on your blog!
So nice to meet you via the bloghop! Congrats on the new paper piecing pattern and thanks for the tip you linked to 🙂 🙂
Great stuff Michelle! I’m going to go check out your new pattern–I love paper piecing!! Thanks for sharing everything. I was nice to get to know you 🙂
Lovely to meet you! Love the paper pieced block, they are really effective when they are placed side by side! Brilliant!
Awesome block Michelle – well done on getting the pattern done and ready for the blog hop! So nice to find out a bit more about you (and thanks for the shout out!). Can’t wait to see more of your quilts and other projects.
I enjoyed your post and thank you for creating your pattern! I am excited to add this to my “to make” list.
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Lovely to read your post and learn a bit more about you. I’m a regular visitor anyway so I don’t need to tell you how lovely your makings are. One thing I didn’t realise is that you’re in the US..I thought you were in Oz! Congrats on your first paper piecing pattern 🙂
Thank you. I enjoy visiting your blog as well, obviously check it out quite a bit:-)
I have been following for a bit but didn’t realise you were a fellow kiwi who’s also lived in Australia! Another nomad!
I love the paper pieced block! Congrats on putting it out there on Craftsy – I recently did the same thing with a paper-pieced hexagon block. Wonderful to meet you on this blog hop!
Wow, you are quite the traveler (I’m jealous)!! Great paper pieced block too:)
I absolutely love your half square triangle pillow!!!! That is just beautiful!!!! You did an excellent job! Your post was great! It was really nice getting to know you!
Great, great pattern! So eye catching! And I really loved that pieced bird pillow – actually all of your pillows are quite lovely. Nice to meet you through the Hop! 🙂
So fun to meet you through the swap, congrats on your first paper piecing block!
Great to meet you on the blog hop. Love the PP-Pattern as well!!!
Sending you some LGA love from a fellow hopper! Cool new take on the X+ block… I’ve seen them popping up in a few places, so you must be very happy!
I enjoyed reading your post and getting to know you. For my first paper pieced venture I am going to make your block – it looks manageable and I love the variations your testers made.
I love how artsy you are in all different genres! Love the paper-piecing block. Great to meet you!
Loving your work! Can’t wait to see what else you come up with. Found you via the Blog Hop and happy to be following you!
Nice to meet you!! Wow! Congrats on your first PP pattern! That is awesome and it’s beautiful! It’s amazing all the different places you’ve been and lived. Great experiences I’m sure!
Wonderful to meet you! Your first paper piecing looks great 🙂 Off to wander around a bit.
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Cool block! I don’t know what that animal is in the pillow in the top right corner (someone said kiwi?) but it looks super cute! And a Buffy fan… girl after my own heart. 🙂
What a great range of blocks. I can see a whole quilt just using that block!
Great blog hop post! I concur on mixing longer term projects with instant gratification. The paper piecing pattern is a great block, looking forward to having a go!
You did a wonderful job with your post! I love the constellations pillow; it’s gorgeous! I just tried paper piecing for the first time 2 weeks ago and it was a little hard, but I won’t give up. I’m going to download your pattern and give it a go. I’ll post in the flickr group to show you my results.
Hey, I’m a scientist-turned-quilter as well! I have a Master’s degree in Botany and wrote my thesis on the community-level changes resulting from the introduction of invasive shrubs into New England forests. I think quilting is great for the scientist brain. It’s creativity based in precision.
I would have to agree – I think that’s why I enjoyed making the pattern. Great thesis topic, my thesis was pn the ecology of a specific Chiton looking at the correlation between its grazing habits and bio-erosion of the carbonate reef system. Boy that seems like a world ago now 🙂
love love love your work – and you totally inspired me to make pillows. thanks for sharing adrienne’s tips!!
Thank you 🙂 I am hoping to get a couple of more pillows done soon. Hopefully with my week off at the end of July.
I’m so sorry I’m late to come by–I enjoyed reading your post! Funny, when I started my blog the blog name I wanted was taken too, but now I can’t even remember what the name was that I wanted. 🙂 Glad to know you, and to have learned a little more about you.
Great introduction, great style — very multi-talented you are, indeed! And whaddya know, I learned a new Latin word today, too 😉
That little Owl pouch is beyond cute. I just bought a bit of that fabric last week and am hoping to use it to make a cathedral windows cushion. I also love your constellations cushion. Lissy House’s fabrics are some of my favourites!!
I’ve been to your blog a few times before, but I never did get a chance to look up what the name meant–brilliant choice 🙂 Congratulations on your new pattern, and best of luck with it! It looks great! I love that you mention Lisbon–it’s one of my favorite cities too, and I’d love to visit Prague someday. It’s so nice to be part of this blog hop and have the chance to learn more about the people behind the blogs and avatars!
That Paper Piecing pattern is super cute! I’ll have to try that sometime. It’s nice to meet you through the hop… sorry I’m a week behind. Also, Shadow of Night is one of my favorite books/series, hopefully you are enjoying it (esp since part of it takes place in Prague)!
Congrats on your first paper piecing pattern! I really like your Zakka pin cushion. I’m going to make one someday 🙂
I’ve been seeing that block around a little bit – great job! I’m trying to learn a bit about drafting patterns, but it seems quite difficult. Great getting to know you!
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