Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Bowtie


Bowtie quilts just draw me in lately, basically since I learned that my maternal grandma, Vesta, used to make them years ago. So when Cheryl/Meadow Mist Designs asked if I'd like to participate in the blog hop for her new book, "Just One Charm Pack Quilts," I chose to make the bowtie variation.



When Cheryl first told me about her book, I thought it was a novel idea, as most of us have those random charm packs stashed away. But I didn't even think of the fact that using a charm pack, besides adding some real nice fabric variety to the quilt, would make it quick and easy to sew up.



As I rummaged around in my stash seeing what my charm pack options were, I came across one made of solids, which isn't the norm, at least from my experience. All the ones I had ever used were prints, and I thought using the solid one might be a nice option, showing off the versatility of Cheryl's quilt designs. The charm pack I ended up using was "Blues" by American Made Brand (SQ0118), with a really fun blue/green ombre among its squares.



For background, I started with Kona White, but in alternating sections also used Moon and Stars in white from Andover Fabrics. That was just a fun design choice since it went so well with the Kona Lighthouse I chose for the "Irish units," plus it also was a good fit for the quilt's eventual recipient. Then it was an obvious choice to use Moon and Stars in gray for both the quilt's backing and binding.


It's quilted with a simple diagonal grid which I think accents the design nicely, while keeping the quilt  comfy cozy.



"Bowtie" finished at 40.5" x 48", a generously-sized baby quilt. And I can honestly say that it was a really enjoyable one to sew. In addition to the bowtie-like blocks, I really liked that they were combined with Irish chain diagonal rows. The ombre added a really fun touch, but I'm confident the design would be equally charming no matter what charm pack was used. 


So I'm fortunate to be one of the first stops on Cheryl's book hop for her new book. Follow Cheryl on Instagram, and her blog, Meadow Mist Designs, to see more designs from the book. She'll be featuring them throughout the hop, which goes through July 29. 

Monday, June 18, 2018

Regatta



Today is my day to share on the Stash Statement blog hop, inspired by Kelly/My Quilt Infatuation's new book. I love that the book is a mix of beginning improv technique, scrap-busting, as well as sharing patterns that combine the two. For me, improv and scraps go hand in hand.



As often is the case in a blog hop, I got to choose which pattern I wanted to make from the book, and I chose Regatta, though I did make just a portion of the pattern into a baby-size quilt. And because of the quilt's theme, I pulled greens and blues from my scrap basket for the 'water' background.



I chose to use the panel method for my scrappy construction, where I basically kept piecing scraps together until I had two slabs each about the size of a fat-quarter. Then I cut out the squares I needed to continue on with the quilt top. With the 'scraps' from that process, I pieced them together to make more larger pieces. Such is the way with scrap quilts - use the little bits to make larger bits.



The 'boats' in my little regatta are made from Kona Cyan, chosen after I pieced all my scrap blocks. I couldn't resist using my few extra blocks to piece one last 'boat' into the back of the quilt.



I quilted a loose (about 1" apart) grid using the bold and beautiful Aurifil 50wt #2810 (Turquoise). Then the quilt was finished with a print+solid scrappy binding and measures 36" x 42", where the book's original version measures 60 1/2" x 60 1/2". Most of the book's quilt designs have a flexibility of sizing for using scraps one might have on hand, which really is a bonus.





The genius of Kelly's book is that it takes improvisational piecing and makes it very approachable. And as Kelly points out, her designs in Stash Statement are definitely scrappy, but without the overwhelm that sometimes results. The quilts here provide some uniformity, making them appealing to a wide audience. 'Structured' improv is definitely a good way to become comfortable with it.



Here's a list of all the blog hop stops. Where projects have already been posted, links reflect that. Enjoy the tour through Stash Statement. You can also check out Kelly's version of Regatta!

4/16- Grand Bazaar 

4/23- Louvered 

4/30- Precarious 

5/7- Beach Retreat 

5/14- Fire Pit 

5/21- Detour 

5/28- Murrina 

6/4- Scattered 

6/11- Bloom Chicka Boom 

6/18- Regatta 

6/25- Catch a Falling Star 

7/2- College Prep 

7/9- Take Flight (bonus digital pattern) 


Monday, April 16, 2018

Stash Statement

The Stash Statement blog hop starts today, inspired by the new book by Kelly Young of My Quilt Infatuation. When she asked me to participate, it was the byline of Kelly's book that first caught my attention, and as I delved further, I discovered that all the projects had very scrappy beginnings, and that sounded like fun. As Kelly explains, Stash Statement is "all about structured improvisation: using your scraps with a consistent background fabric."


So I'm working behind the scenes on a scrappy project to share in a few weeks, but meanwhile, here's the entire Stash Statement Blog Tour Schedule so you can follow along!

4/16 - Kickoff

4/16- Grand Bazaar 

4/23- Louvered 

4/30- Precarious 

5/7- Beach Retreat 

5/14- Fire Pit 

5/21- Detour 

5/28- Murrina 

6/4- Scattered 

6/11- Bloom Chicka Boom 

6/18- Regatta 

6/25- Catch a Falling Star 

7/2- College Prep 

7/9- Take Flight (bonus digital pattern) 

Thursday, May 4, 2017

No Scrap Left Behind



Welcome to my stop on the No Scrap Left Behind blog tour! It's all inspired by the latest book by Amanda Jean/crazy mom quilts, who is committed to using her scraps more than anyone I know! No Scrap Left Behind is a wonderful guide to scrap management and use, with a delightful collection of quilts to inspire. And one of my favorite features is the gallery of quilt backs Amanda Jean has created for her quilts. That's an area I'd really like to get more creative with.

As for me, my own personal scrap sorting method is a very simple one. Like not much at all! In fact, when I first saw folks sorting and organizing their scraps all nice and neat, I was so surprised. I guess that's not one of the things I picked up in my early quilting classes.


A big woven basket has been my main receptacle for years, and though I do paw through it to find just the right scrap, when I'm really getting into it, I'll just dump the basket out and work from the big ole pile. Over the last year or two, I've taken to keeping my solid scraps in a separate bin (the white one shown), as I sometimes do projects solely with them. I also keep two smaller patchwork baskets - one with low-volume scraps, and the other with 2 1/2" squares, or scraps that I particularly love that I want to cut into squares at a later date. I do realize that my method means more work for me when I really want to do scrap-sewing, but that's the way it is, and I don't expect I'll be reforming any time soon.


I guess one reason my hapless scrap organization works for me is when I work with scraps, I really like things pretty scrappy. Occasionally I'll work in a limited colorway, but what I especially love is a wild mix of colors and prints.



For the blog hop, I chose to make a variation on Amanda Jean's All Sizes quilt, a design cleverly created with half-square triangles of five(!) different sizes. I really love her finished quilt, and modified it to fit a 20" pillow form, using just four HST sizes, scaled down just a bit from the quilt.


With my finish size different from the quilt pattern, the width of my strips was obviously affected. Basically I made a patchwork slab consisting of several rows of HSTs. Note the sets of same-size triangles each line up, where I made sure not to have the different-sized sets line up, just like in the original quilt. I think that's part of the appeal!


I quilted the top with one layer of batting in an uneven grid, and had one additional tweak, which was to give the whole piece a bit of a tilt as I cut the pillow top to size.


The pillow was finished off with a backing of Essex linen to show off those gorgeous scraps, and a hidden lapped zipper.




Well in addition to showing off a project inspired by No Scrap Left Behind, I also am giving away a free copy of Amanda Jean's book! Just leave a comment on this post and share your best tip for dealing with scraps. Note that if you are a winner and you live in the U.S., you will receive a hard copy of the book. If you live outside the US, you will receive a digital copy of the book. The giveaway will remain open through the weekend. Giveaway has ended. Thank you!


Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to visit the other stops on the tour. There's such a nice variety, and I've added links below to the actual project posts. You'll be inspired, I'm sure, to start creating with those scraps!

Monday, April 24, Mary Kolb/Mary on Lake Pulaski :: Pincushions
Tuesday, April 25, Lee Monroe/May Chappell :: Mini Nines
Wednesday, May 26, Sandi Hazlewood/Crafty Planner :: Slopes
Thursday, April 27, Bernie Kringel/Needle & Foot :: Ring Me
Friday, April 28, Erin Cox/why not sew :: Mini Nines

Monday, May 1, Katherine Greaves/Sew Me Something Good :: June
Tuesday, May 2, Tracy Mooney/Generation Q :: Cards
Wednesday, May 3, Cheryl Arkison :: Chain of Diamonds
Thursday, May 4, Debbie Jeske/A Quilter's Table :: All Sizes .... You're Here!
Friday, May 5, Amy Smart/Diary of a Quilter



Linking up with Finishing It Up Friday and Scraptastic Tuesday!

Monday, November 7, 2016

heårtland Blog Tour :: colossus



Welcome to the first day of the heÃ¥rtland Blog Tour! Pat Bravo's new line from Art Gallery Fabrics is a beautPat has said her heart 'traveled to the inland forests throughout Scandinavia,' in designing this collection, and I find it captivating to imagine such a place. Choosing fabrics sight-unseen is always a bit uncertain, but I tried to select a variety of color, value, and scale, (plus the geometrics I was most drawn to!) for my project, and boy was I pleased with my choices once I had the fabrics in hand.


When I was deciding on a quilt plan for my heÃ¥rtland fabrics, I really wanted to do something with larger piecing that would show off those prints. And I wanted something that would be easy enough for others to make, if they so chose. I finally settled on a giant plus quilt, using Leanne/she can quilt's tutorial, and I never looked back.



A twist in Leanne's design is to remove the center block of a few of the pluses and replace it with a block of 'background' fabric. I opted for this tweak just three times, all in close proximity, and I love the look.



For the background of my quilt, I had chosen the low-volume Pearl and Gold in Metallic, and lucky me, I had a good piece left to use as the centerpiece of the pieced backing, as well as the binding.



For quilting, I went with a dense organic crosshatch using Aurifil 50wt 2021 (Natural White), which gave the quilt beautiful texture.


The patterns and color mix of the heÃ¥rtland collection were a joy to work with and I find the end result so tranquil, just as I imagine those heÃ¥rtland forests to be.



Congrats to Pat on her new line, and many thanks to Amy/During Quiet Time for hosting and kicking off the tour by offering a free copy of her new pattern designed specifically for heÃ¥rtlandYou're here at the first stop, and tomorrow, check in with Jess/Craftiness is not Optional AND Charise/Charise Creates


  
      Here's the rest of the schedule so you don't miss a thing:

Wednesday, November 9  ~  Jade/Stitch mischief
Thursday, November 10  ~  Amanda/Jedi Craft Girl
Friday, November 11  ~  Kari/Craft happy
Monday, November 14  ~  Stephanie/Spontaneous Threads
Tuesday, November 15  ~  Christopher/The Tattooed Quilter
Wednesday, November 16  ~  Kerry/kid giddy
Thursday, November 17  ~  Nichole/Wildboho
Friday, November 18  ~  Krista/poppyprint

Enjoy your stroll through the heårtland!

Find Pat @PatBravoDesign on Instagram, and see the hashtags #PatBravoDesign, 
#HeartlandFabrics, and #ArtGalleryFabrics.
This quilt was on my FAL2016 list!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Quilters Take Manhattan

The Quilt Alliance is relatively new to me, I'll confess. I had heard of it, but it was Abby Glassenberg's post last month that really clued me in to what it was all about - documenting, preserving, and sharing quilts and quilt stories - and that's something I can really get behind. The Quilt Alliance has three main projects celebrating the history of quilts. Find out more about Quilters' S.O.S.-Save Our Stories, Go Tell It at the Quilt Show!, and National Quilting Day by clicking the links.


If you've read my blog much at all, you'll know that I do love a good quilt story. So when I was asked if I'd share here about the upcoming Quilters Take Manhattan, I said I'd be happy to do so. This is the sixth year for this annual event, held September 23-25, and will feature workshops with Victoria Findlay Wolfe; museum and garment district walking tours; featured speakers Kaffe Fassett, Dr. Carolyn L. Mazloomi, and Mark Lipinski; a scavanger hunt; and a Pizza Party at Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s home. What? Sounds pretty cool, right?!

Unfortunately, we can't all be there, which is why there's a "Moda Home Ticket" which includes a QTM Goody Bag packed with sponsor-donated samples, plus priority access to online video of the Sunday with Sponsors event (sent via email link 2 weeks after event). And the Quilt Alliance is giving away one ticket right here, and at each blog hop stop this week. Just leave a comment below for a chance to win. The giveaway will be open until Monday, September 12th at 5 pm PDT, when I'll choose a random winner.  [Giveaway is open to all, but international winners are responsible for any customs fees that may be charged when shipment enters their country.] ***ETA: Giveaway has closed. Congrats to Lee, commenter #61!***

QTMbloghoplogo

Meanwhile, visit each stop on the blog hop for more chances to win. Here's the schedule of participating blogs:

Day 1 - Monday, September 5
Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD
Quilt Alliance
Pat Sloan
AccuQuilt

Day 2 - Tuesday, September 6
Victoria Findlay Wolfe @Victoria Findlay Wolfe Quilts
Erin Sampson - Aurifil @Auribuzz
Freespirit Fabric
Heather Jones @Heather Jones Studioo

Day 3 - Wednesday, September 7
Moda Fabrics @Moda Cutting Table
Denyse Schmidt on Instagram @dsquilts
Debbie Jeske @A Quilter's Table      That's me!


Day 4 - Thursday, September 8

Jacquie Gering @tallgrass prairie studio
Jessica Skultety @Quilty Habit
Gotham Quilts @Fabric Nerd
Handi Quilter

Day 5 - Friday, September 9
Kim Niedzwiecki @my go-go life
Leslie Tucker Jenison
John Kubiniec @Big Rig Quilting

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you take a little time to find out more about the Quilt Alliance's work with quilters like you and me.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Quilt-It Modern

Welcome to my day on Riley Blake Design's Quilt-It Modern Blog Tour! When I was invited to join the tour and saw it was all about the new line of Confetti Cottons solids, I was all in. I chose some colors without really having a plan, and by the time they arrived, I was thinking big and bold, like a super-sized traditional quilt block made modern.



After debating all sorts of blocks, I finally settled on Aunt Sukey's Choice, a block that could be pieced in a variety of ways while emphasizing different colors as well. Speaking of colors, I chose Mermaid Tail, Lime, Dandelion, and Rainforest, which make a bold statement against the mixed ‘background’ of Cloud and Sand Dollar.

Finishing at 48" square, the jumbo Sukey block goes together quickly and would make a generous-sized baby quilt or small lap quilt. I'm sharing a mini tutorial in case you'd like to make your own!


Supplies needed for quilt front:
1/2 yard each of Mermaid Tail, Lime, Rainforest, and Cloud
2/3 yard each of Dandelion and Sand Dollar

Cutting instructions:
8 - 8.5" squares Lime
4 - 8.5" squares Mermaid Tail 
4 - 8.5" squares Rainforest 
16 - 8.5" half-square triangles (HSTs) in Sand Dollar and Dandelion [To make 1 pair, cut 1 - 9.5" square of each color; place together, marking a diagonal line on the back of 1 square; sew 1/4" on either side of line, cut on line and press seams open. Trim each HST to 8.5" square.]
[EDA 1/14/17: A reader questioned the size of the pieced center, and until I get a chance to test in fabric, I've added the measurements according to the completed quilt. Sorry for any confusion or error.]
1 - 12.5" (11.5") pieced center diamond [Cut 16 - 3.5" (3.25") squares in a mix of colors. Piece rows and columns to create a 12.5 (11.5") unfinished block.]
2 - 13" squares Cloud, cut on diagonal [Sew one triangle onto each of two opposite sides of pieced center block. Press. Sew triangles onto 2 remaining sides and press. Trim to 16" (16.5") square.]

Arrange squares and blocks according to diagram. Piece rows and press, then sew columns together.



There's such a delightful variety of color in the full line of Riley Blake Confetti Cottons, which I found lovely to work with. See the complete schedule of the Quilt-It Modern Blog Tour below, plus you can also follow along on Instagram with the hashtag #ModernQuiltTour.


June 27 ~ Andy/A Bright Corner [abrightcorner]
Caitlin/Salty Oat [saltyoat]
June 28 ~ Caroline/Trillium Design [trilliumdesign]
June 29 ~ Debbie/A Quilter's Table [aquilterstable] you're here!
June 30 ~ Jessica/Euphoria Jessica [euphoria_jessica]
July 1 ~ Anorina/Samelia's Mum [sameliasmum]
July 5 ~ M-R/Quilt Matters [quiltmatters]
July 6 ~ Christina/Sometimes Crafter [somretimescraftr]
Natalia/Piece N Quilt
July 8 ~ Katie/Sew Katie Did [sewkatiedid]


Linking up with Finish It Up Friday and Show Off Saturday.

Friday, September 18, 2015

good neighbors :: a pincushion party!

A first fabric collection is definitely reason to celebrate, and I'm joining in to give a shout-out to Amanda Jean/Crazy Mom Quilts' as her new collection, Good Neighbors, is now available through Connecting Threads.

Amanda Jean is a real encourager, scrap-happy and then some, gathering oodles of us up each week for her finish it up Friday link-up. AND she is an avid pincushion maker and collector so a pincushion party made perfect sense! Her Good Neighbors collection is a colorful and delightful mix, with white thrown into every piece. I chose one of my favorite prints for the top of my pincushion - the "X's". The charcoal makes a great low-volume choice, and I know it'll be making its way into other projects.



The little bow-tie blocks are 2" finished, so this is one mega 6" pincushion, quilted in a dense grid. I hand-washed the quilted patchwork to add more texture before continuing on with construction.



By continuing on, I mean I was having so much good neighborly fun, I had to make the "bottom" as interesting as the "top", so I make some cross blocks (2 3/4" finished) and matchstick quilted them, again washing before the final step.


The Silver Lining "Cross Stitch" print was perfect for the sides, adding just a bit of calm to all that color. And per my norm, I filled my pincushion with crushed walnut shells. 
Lucky us, as part of my participation in the pincushion party, I'm able to give away a charm pack of the Good Neighbors collection to one of my US or Canadian readers! So if you'd like a chance to win, just leave a comment on this post, and I'll choose a random winner after the weekend. This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Helen, commenter #21!

Meanwhile, enjoy the party and check out these hashtags on Instagram to see more Good Neighbors fun: #goodneighborsfabric and #connectingthreads.

9/1/2015    Amanda Jean – Crazy Mom Quilts
9/2/2015    Anna – Noodlehead
9/3/2015    Mary –
Mary on Lake Pulaski
9/4/2015    Svetlana – S.o.t.a.k Handmade
9/5/2015    Debbie – Esch House Quilts
9/6/2015    Holly – Bijou Lovely
9/7/2015    Carla – Grace and Favour
9/8/2015    Faith – Fresh Lemons Quilts
9/9/2015    Vanessa – V and Co.
9/10/2015   Anna – Thimbleanna
9/11/2015   Krista – Poppyprint Creates
9/12/2015   Erin – Why Not Sew
9/13/2015   Lee – May Chappell
9/14/2015   Alex – Teaginny Designs
9/15/2015   Cheryl – Nap Time Quilter
9/16/2015   Penny – Sew Take a Hike
9/17/2015   Amy – During Quilt Time
9/18/2015   Debbie – A Quilter’s Table (you're here!)
9/19/2015   Anne –
Spring Leaf Studios
9/20/2015   Melissa – Happy Quilting
9/21/2015   Amber – One Shabby Chick
9/22/2015   Nettie – A Quilt is Nice
9/23/2015   Adrianne – Little Bluebell
9/24/2015   Cindy – Live a Colorful Life
9/25/2015   Amy – Diary of a Quilter
9/26/2015   Chase – Quarter Inch Mark
9/27/2015   Rene – Rene Creates
9/28/2015   Erin – House on Hill Road
9/29/2015   Nicole – Modern Handcraft
9/30/2015   Teri – Connecting Threads