Grown from scraps and the Cottage Blossom block by Vanessa Goertzen
Using a spring cleaning approach, I gathered all of my lowest of low volume fabric and discovered I had just enough to make Chamomile, a quilt pattern by Allison Jensen. I began by sewing strip sets into sixteen patch blocks. With even more digging I was able to unearth some aqua dots and pink florals to make nine patch cornerstones and sashing. This light and airy result exemplifies spring for me! Chamomile 69" x 84" The DeFries Garden goddess says, "Welcome to spring!"
Cheryl Brickey released her quilt pattern Canvas Lines in 2017. I knew immediately that I would be making it. You may correctly assume that my daughter who owns a 35 foot sailboat inspired my instant decision. My fabric selection was not as instant. These choices actually took months until I finally was satisfied. This smaller wall hanging size suits me just right. Canvas Lines
48" x 48" approximately 288 pieces Being a hermit and staying home 24/7 means what else but sewing more and finishing another quilt top. Camille Roskelly designed Takes the Cake to be made with a pre-cut called a layer cake. I used yardage instead. I love the fabrics, the colors, and the result. Now it goes into the "to be finished later" drawer until I can venture out again and buy batting. Takes the Cake
70" x 79" approximately 2,196 pieces Once again I pattern tested for a designer, and today is release day. Here is All the Diagonals by Melanie Meyer. These foundation paper pieced heptagons are quite satisfying to make and much easier than they look. Mine reminded my niece of phases of the moon. I think so too! If you are on Instagram, check out the hashtag #mm_allthediagonals to see a great variety of sizes and colors made by ten creative quilters. It is now available on her site for purchase. All the Diagonals
37" x 58" approximately 483 pieces I was fortunate to be given an opportunity to be a pattern tester for Angela Pingel, a fabric designer for Windham Fabrics and a quilt pattern designer. Her wonderful style is modern, bright, and colorful. So many triangles! For my version of this quilt, I chose to narrow both the number of different fabrics and the colors. Instead of cutting out all the fabric pieces prior to sewing (the usual way patterns are written), she designed the pattern so that each block is cut and sewn before moving on to cut and sew the next block. I really like this method. Choosing fabrics for the blocks as you go is the best fun ever. This is truly a great pattern to make. I am not being paid to advertise this pattern, but it is available to purchase from her site Angela Pingel Designs. Go for it. Veiled Suggestion
61" x 80" Every time I saw a classic red and white quilt I wondered when I'd make one (or more) for myself. After being inspired by so many different designs, I finally began my first by making a traditional Birds in the Air block. This block measures 12" x 12." Using nine of these blocks with some additional white fabric (to give the birds more airspace), I created a 48" x 48" block. I made four large blocks. Next? Choosing the layout. Each of the four blocks can be flipped and/or rotated into strikingly different combinations. With a little help from the Layout app on my iPhone, I experimented with some possible looks. ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* Which one to chose? Each day that I thought about it, my favorite changed. Today I settled on this one for my first red and white quilt. My birds are totally flying in formation. Flight
48" x 48" 556 pieces I finished this lone star quilt top last November. High time I added it to my blog. This quilt pattern is found in Oh Scrap! by Lissa Alexander. Using stash fabric and scraps of pinks and corals bring me great joy! And I'm loving the result. Sherbet Stars
81" x 81" 792 pieces My sister and I share an affinity for Christmas tree quilts. In December, we fabric shopped together, agreed on the pattern Twilight Forest by Hillside Stitches (shown above), settled into our seven-states-apart sewing rooms, and cultivated our trees. She chose neutrals (above, upper right) and I chose traditional greens. I think my quilt turned out okay...not great. But it's growing on me (pun intended). Check out the progress of hers...upscale, urban, sophisticated, and gorgeous. I love it. Amazing work, Sister P.
In August I began sewing buffalo plaid tree blocks. Large buffalo plaid tree blocks to be more precise. They required a considerable amount of floor space. Tammy at Three Sisters Fabric provided the Diagonal Plaid pantograph. She is my go-to, always-reliable, long arm quilting specialist. I chose an unexpected backing fabric, bright and cheerful for the season. Now in December we snuggle under my new Christmas tree quilt. Buffalo Plaid Trees 60" x 72" Approximately 539 pieces Pattern by Center Street Quilts Have a joyful Christmas!
Introducing Leafy Leafy began as a bundle of fabric that came home with me from Seattle. My sewing goal for this block pattern by Elizabeth Hartman was to keep the veins even and straight. They are skinny...less than 1/2" wide. I think I did it. Yeah! Then on to the "flimsy" photo shoot at Wellfield Garden. Vessels for Water and Wind (I love this photo. Windy days do work for photo shoots.) I do not love this photo. It reveals my personal quilt-making nadir. Pin basting involves moving furniture and too many hours on my knees. But I persevered. I quilted it myself with vertical wavy lines and some leaf shapes tucked into random places. And I'm loving the result. Leafy
approximately 630 pieces 60" x 56" I selected watermelon, salmon, peach, and nectarine fabrics for making Sunflare by Meghan Buchannan. A Sunday walk along Lake Michigan granted me an opportunity to take fun pictures of those vibrant colors. Sunflare
71" x 84" Liberty of London fabrics also dazzle on a black background. Enough scraps remained from Liberty One to piece nine blocks for Liberty Two. Simple diagonal line quilting complements the fabric. Liberty Two inspires me hanging next to my sewing machine. Liberty Two
32" x 32" 253 pieces My collection of Liberty of London fabric originated more than three years ago with a purchase from Drygoods Design just off Pioneer Square in Seattle. Very few shops in the states sell this fabric, but I managed to purchase some scrap bags online. With additional fabric gifted to me from my daughter last Christmas, I had enough small pieces of this dear (and by dear I mean heart-warming and three times the usual price per yard) fabric for a quilt. What makes Liberty of London unique? The fabrics are made with fine, high-count yarns which make them luxurious and silky to the touch. Most of their designs are comprised of intricate, multi-color florals. They have been available in England for over 135 years. Feels amazing. Looks amazing. I chose the pattern Round and Round by Camille Roskelly. White worked well as the background color. This is Liberty One, ready for quilting. It currently measures 68" x 72."
I may choose to add white borders to make it bed-size. Tough decision. Perfect for a ten year marriage celebration.
Happy Anniversary to the best son and daughter-in-law ever! |
I found I could say things with colors and shapes Archives
April 2024
Categories |