A Scrapbook of Quilts #pillowalong

Yes, I'm still here!  And working on this and that, but not doing quite as much sewing as I was doing this time last year.  I do have a little finish though.

It's this decorative pillow I made using the directions in the "Pirouette" chapter in the book A Scrapbook of Quilts by Joanna Figueroa and Carrie Nelson.  I went totally scrappy and used my stash of leftover 3 Sisters fabrics from various quilts I've made.  It goes with many of the quilts I use on our bed and looks great IMO.  The finished quilt is 16 by 20 inches.

And you need to add A Scrapbook of Quilts to your quilt book collection if you have not done so already.  It is really a marvelous book, not just for the projects in the book but also for all the tips and tricks sprinkled throughout and the writing style.  The day it arrived, I spent the evening reading it and was well entertained.  If your LQS doesn't have this book, you can buy it directly from The Fat Quarter shop, here.

But back to the pillow.  The central panel is half-square triangles sewn together then banded top and bottom with another fabric.  I quilted it using my walking foot, in the ditch on the pieced section then straight out into the borders.

I quilted the back in parallel horizontal lines, using the width of the presser foot to space them apart.  

I washed the pillow after I finished it because I'd used a chalk marker to mark the first line and it was being stubborn about not brushing out.  The washing machine took care of that though, and gave the pillow that soft, crinkled look.

I put a zipper in the bottom seam so I can wash the cover easily.  I basted that seam first (before sewing the other sides together) and inserted the zipper centered, like you would do for a zipper in the back of a dress.  It is easy to do (as long as you have a zipper foot for your sewing machine) and the instructions come with the zipper.  Carrie Nelson inserts zippers the same way she does for a zipper bag and it looks pretty easy.  She has a video with directions on YouTube; you can find it here.

I think I'll be making more pillows.  But I am so tempted to make the quilt version of the "Pirouette" design using my Fig Tree scraps.  And I have two hand sewing projects in the works, plus I have three quilts to bind.  But Thelma told me binding is winter work so...

The Bonnie & Camille Quilt Bee Book

Wow, am I ever enjoying this book!  

The Bonnie & Camille Quilt Bee, by Bonnie Olaveson and Camille Roskelley, published by Fat Quarter Shop, is something special.  Like most quilt books, it has projects to make but interspersed with the project directions are anecdotes about the joy quilting has brought to the lives of both authors (who happen to be mother and daughter) and the connections they've made with other quilters.  It is really heart warming, especially in this time of Covid-19 when we can be starved for human connection, and I spent a very enjoyable afternoon browsing through the book.  

I have my eye on a few key projects. First is this thread catcher.  

It will be adorable on my sewing table and also handy to take to my crafting afternoons (once this Covid thing is behind us).  And of course, there are quilts.  Besides the cover sampler quilt, I especially like the red and white Starburst Quilt...

... and Bonnie's Beehive Quilt.

Bonnie and Camille each made a quilt from the over 1,000 Beehive blocks they received from around the country and world after Camille asked Instagram followers to help with a project by making this small block and sending it to her.  They were overwhelmed with the response, which says something about the quilting community's desire to help and the esteem they have for Bonnie and Camille.  

I was also struck by the high quality of the art direction in this book.  It has all been thought out so well.  For example, the general directions for the cover sampler quilt give fabric requirements for those who want to make the quilt exactly like the sample.  Instead of just listing the order number for each fabric, there are these darling images of each print in the shape of a spool of thread.

The book includes directions for all of the blocks in the sampler quilt as well as how to assemble it, directions for the Beehive block and the two quilts and a pillow, several other quilts and the thread catcher.  Plus a bonus cross stitch version of the sampler quilt.  I consider it an excellent addition to my quilt book library and think you will enjoy it too.

Gift Ideas for Quilters

I celebrated my birthday three weeks ago and Mr. Main Street gave me a few quilting related birthday gifts.  He did not exactly choose these items himself but he is very directable, especially if I send him a wish list from amazon.com.  It you need a gift for a quilting friend for relative, I don't think you could go wrong with one of these items.

Charm School by Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique includes directions for 18 quilts made from charm squares.  Most use two or three packs of charm squares, so this book along with a few charm packs or a layer cake or jolly bar would make a great gift.  The designs are quite original and varied, and most are beginning quilter friendly while all the designs can be made by someone with one or two quilts under her belt. 

Patches of Blue by Edyta Sitar is a tribute to the two-color quilt, featuring 17 designs all done in blue and white or cream.  Of course, you could substitute another color like red or green for blue to make them your own.  I've already put two designs on my to-be-made list, the sawtooth star quilt hanging on the cupboard door on the book cover and a super simple but striking pattern called Sleigh Trails.  The photography in the book is super, most of it done around Edyta's home.  There are also a number of antique quilts shown as inspiration.  

And here's something different, a set of mini clothes pins made by Moda. They are called For Good Measure. The ones I got each have a different letter of the alphabet and I plan to use them to keep blocks organized for sewing into the quilt top.  They don't appear to be available on Amazon any longer but some similar ones are here.  They are very cute and I think they might also work for hanging mini quilts from a curtain wire (the kind Ikea sells). 

Do you have all your Christmas shopping finished?  I have most of it done but need to pick up three items this week.  At least I know what I'm looking for so it should not be too difficult. 

Millefiori Quilts 3

Willyne Hammerstein has a new book out, Millefiori Quilts 3.  I bought it at my LQS as soon as it come out because I've been thinking it is time for me to start another hand project.  There's lots of great eye candy and more than a little inspiration!  Willyne makes all her quilts by hand, not the English paper piecing method, but with the instructions in the book, you can use either method.  (But machine sewing is probably not an option with these tiny pieces.) 

There are 18 new designs in the book.  Here are a few of my favorites.  Please excuse the poor photography; it is difficult to hold the camera with one hand while you hold the book open with the other hand. 

This is the cover quilt, Moncarapacho.  Really fantastic, and an unusual combination of colors.  I'm deterred by the fact that the center of each motif is a 10-pointed star.  Think of all those points coming together and the bulk of the seam allowances!

Nocturne uses a similar color scheme and also has a pieced border.  It looks a little easier too, with just six points coming together in the center. 

Le Grand Desert is her take on the dresden plate block, with the addition of smaller six-pointed stars.  And all fussy cut from one fabric.  It's like a mash-up of dresden plate and one block wonder and looks so impressive.

Belle Fleur, again an unusual color combination but so effective.  I've seen this block before, called Antique Rose Star (in fact, I have a whole Pinterest board on it, here), and it is very adaptable to different fabric types, from the 19th century reproductions shown here to modern prints and everything in between.

So now I'm looking for some color inspiration in the form of a possible border fabric, then I'll decide exactly which direction to take.  But another epp project is definitely in my future.

Wildflowers Quilt by Kim Brackett - Test Block

A while back, I fell in love with this fabric line:  Garden Delights from In The Beginning.  I like the Liberty-like floral prints. 

Then I came across a quilt pattern, Wildflowers by Kim Brackett, in her book Scrap Basket Strips and Squares. 

So now I'm working on the marriage of the two - a Wildflowers quilt made from Garden Delights fabric.  I did some cutting...

...and made a test block.

My block is actually two half blocks because I am changing the construction method a bit to avoid having to sew set-in seams.  If it works, I'll do a tutorial in a later post. 

Wildflowers

A few weeks ago, I blogged about my love affair with a new fabric line, Garden Delights from In The Beginning.  I bought a little stash of it and turned to figuring out what to make with it.  I've landed on this design called Wildflowers by Kim Brackett.  I'm going to make it wall-hanging size.

The pattern is in her books Scrap-Basket Strips and Squares.  All the patterns in the book use pre-cuts or pre-cut sizes (2.5" strips or 5" or 10" squares).  Several other designs caught my eye, including the cover quilt, called Velocity.  I'm considering putting that one on my list for floral fabrics with denim in place of the gray solid.

And there is Magnolia Bay Gazette.  A while back, I went crazy for text prints and bought a few mixed bundles.  But how to use them?  I found an idea right here.

But I need to finish my current project before I start any of the quilts shown here.  More about what's on my work table in my next post.

Topper or Quilter?

To be truthful, I am more a topper than a quilter.  Though I hand quilt the occasional small project (and I have about 35% of the quilting done on my butterfly quilt now), I outsource anything sizeable to a professional longarm quilter (and highly recommend Karen Thompson of Greenbrier Designs).  I've taken two free motion quilting classes but concluded it would take a major investment of time in practicing before I would ever be satisfied with the outcome.

I've used my walking foot to quilt straight lines on a few baby quilts but always thought that approach was rather limiting.  Well, I clearly don't have the imagination of Jacquie Gering, whose new book Walk, takes straight line quilting to a new dimension.

I became inspired just browsing through the book and even more enthused after I sat down to read it cover-to-cover.  Jacquie provides lots of instruction in how to use your walking foot,  how to mark your top (or not mark it for some designs), along with designs even a beginner can manage.  I particularly like shattered quilting, curved crosshatch, and some of the radiating line designs.  Though I probably won't attempt a bed size quilt on my machine, there are lots of designs in the book I can see using on a wall hanging or small throw.  

And the designs are not all straight lines as this sampling (the back cover of the book) shows.  I think you will find Walk to be a good addition to your quilting library.  And if you think Jacquie's name is familiar, you are probably right. She blogs at Tallgrass Prairie Studio and is Chairman of the Board of the international Modern Quilt Guild.

A big thank you to all of you who left comments on my last post, sharing how you got your start quilting.  I enjoyed reading all of the stories.

A New Book In My Library: Mini Marvels

Over the past few years, I've been more selective about adding books to my quilting library because I have a large collection already plus get so much inspiration on the internet.  No more buying books on a whim!  But I had a few glimpses of Mini Marvels on social media and started thinking it was worth a look.  So when I saw it in stock at my local quilt shop I browsed through it and ended up buying it.

Mini Marvels is a compilation of small quilts (small wall hangings, table mats, and the like) designed by 15 Moda fabric designers.  If you ever thought it would be cool to have a wall of mini quilts in your sewing space, this book will get you started.  First up for me will be this foundation paper pieced star quilt designed by Laurie Simpson.  

I'm also smitten with the Mini Medallion design by Betsy Chutchian.  A medallion quilt is on my l-o-n-g bucket list of quilts to make and mini may be the best way to get it made.

Then A Pink Christmas, an applique design by Anne Sutton, is just darling (though I might replace the sheep in the foreground with a dog).

So many quilts to make, so little time!  But minis are a good way to try something new:  a new technique, a new color combination, a new size.  2017 might be my year of making it mini.

Red & White Quilts: Infinite Variety

Another Christmas gift, Red &White Quilts:  Infinite Variety covers the 653 quilts in the Infinite Variety show that was in New York in March, 2011.  You may recall it from photos of the stunning way the quilts were hung.

I've mentally kicked myself for not making the time to attend the show in person.  We live close enough to NYC and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  The book is like a catalog of the 653 quilts that were in the show.  As the show was being developed, each quilt in the collection was photographed and cataloged.  (The owner, Joanna S. Rose, did not even know how many quilts she had until they finished the photography.)  The photos are presented in the book, organized so similar quilts are together, along with a few essays about putting on the show.  It is very inspirational for a quilt maker; I've already got a few designs mentally marked down for my next two-color quilt.

Thank you, Mr. Main Street, for adding Red &White to my quilting library.

3 Quilt Books

With the help of Amazon Wishlist, I received four quilt books this year for Christmas.  They are all books I had my eye on, without ever seeing them "for real," and I am very happy with all four.    Here's the first three:

A feathered star quilt has long been on my bucket list.  I saw a quilt made using the Star of Chamblie pattern by Marsh McCloskey at a quilt show last fall and thought it might actually be do-able for me.   This book (booklet really) has detailed instructions for the feathered star blocks with a variety of center designs, plus instructions for putting the blocks together as shown.  Finished as shown on the cover, the quilt is 67.5" square.  

Tributes and Treasures is by Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison of Red Crinoline Quilts.  I think most, if not all, of the quilts in the book were previously published as individual patterns.  For example, in 2012, I made Boughs of Holly from a pattern called Crossroads that is in this book.

However, the other designs are new to me and first on my list will be this quilt below, called Plantation Road.  I just need to find a toile print that coordinates with fabric in my stash.  All the designs in Tributes and Treasures are consistent with the designers' Civil War reproduction aesthetic, though they can look very different when made in non-reproduction fabrics.

The third book, Simply Color Green, is closer to the modern end of the quilt design spectrum.  The author, Vanessa Christenson, has authored a series of six with each book focused on a different color. Each book covers color theory, with a few projects.  

 I'll be back in a few days with a post on the fourth book I received.

Need A Gift For Someone Quilty?

To celebrate my birthday last week, my husband gave me the books on my Amazon.com wishlist, including 500 Traditional Quilts, from Karey Patterson Bresenhan (director of the Quilt Market trade shows).

Wow, what inspiration.  Photo after photo of stunning quilts!  There is a lot of variety represented, including applique and both simple and complex pieceing.  Each is a marvelous example of the art of quilt making.  There are plenty of quilts included that I wish I could make, and plenty more that give me real ideas for something I could actually complete.

This book does not include any instructions; it is inspiration only.  But I think it is something every quiltmaker would enjoy looking at and like having in her library.  If you need a gift for a quilting friend, or even for yourself, 500 Traditional Quilts could be just the thing.

Playful Petals - Book Review

Periodically (like, at least twice a week), Amazon.com sends me an email with some books they think I'd like.  When Playful Petals by Corey Yoder appeared in one of the emails, I was intrigued by the cover enough to check it out further.  Fortunately, it is one of Amazon's "Look Inside" books where you can see a sample of inside pages.  I saw a project that I wanted to put on my "make soon" list so I ordered it and am glad I did.

Corey Yoder has taken the petal shape, often called "orange peel," and freshened it up in creative ways.  There are nine quilt projects but each includes a companion pillow project, a good way to try out a new technique.  Fusible applique is the author's construction technique for the petals and the book includes extensive instructions, including several alternative ways to stitch down the applique pieces.  I am thinking of modifying my selected project for hand applique or machine applique with the raw fabric edge turned under.

Most of the designs also involve piecing.  For example, Tossed Petals puts the petal appliques on top of a pieced foundation.

And Flower Garden uses the petal appliques in the sashing.  I like this quilt a lot though not sure I'd  use black.  The pieced blocks use 8.5" squares so this quilt could be made using a layer cake.

 

Scattered Blossoms is the reason I bought the book.  I've been wanting to make an orange peel quilt, procrastinating only because of the amount of hand work involved.  But as soon as I saw this design, I knew it was the one. My planned fabric choices will give it slightly different look though.

It was worth going off my book-buying diet to get Playful Petals!