Kaleidoscope in pastel brights

Quite a few months ago, I began a Kaleidoscope quilt with a mix of muted vintage and modern prints, going for a softer colour balance. My inspiration came from @blueelephantstitches. Our fabric stashes are so different though, my fabrics seemed too multi-floral, too bright, too busy, and I remembered finding it a little tricky - it takes some self-discipline to keep it all "calm" & muted looking! So, the blocks got put away. 

This week however, 'Kaleidoscope in pastel brights' is back in the works 

- here's a few progress photos

I couldn't really remember the initial ideas for my colour palette, but began by resorting my fabrics into two piles, lights & mediums/darks.  I ended up settling on a classic mix of pinks, blues & browns, with a sprinkling of peach, yellow/golds & minty green, along with lots of multi-coloured low volumes. 

Having fun today with these #kaleidoscopeblocks, still discarding & swopping out fabrics as I progress.

Super happy to see some of the subtle circles beginning to fade in & out now. 

Have a good week, Linda

from a stack of pretty prints ...

This quilt top started out like many do around here, as a stack of pretty prints sitting on my bookcase ...

some were multi-coloured florals

a few were geometric

others had been waiting for a few years

... and now they’re all part of the same colour story.

The colour story (or theme if you like) for my 'checkered garden' quilt was a vague idea around a delightfully tangled summery garden. I chose colours & prints to visually represent my focus fabric, a peachy/pink floral - Anna Maria's Perennial Borders candlelight Beata's Garden 🡓

I also had 1xmetre here of Beata's Garden in the caramel colourway, just enough to frame everything beautifully. Use the good stuff✅.

I used Ashley @Film in the Fridge’s free tutorial 'Checkered Garden'

- so easy to change up & personalise the look of your quilt!

until next time, Linda

mixing & matching

This checkered garden quilt might just be one of my favourite makes yet. It’s such a simple, fun pattern, and it's given me heaps of room to play, mixing and matching fabrics until every block feels just right.

It's not all small-scale itty-bitty prints, 

I'm also adding in a few busy multi-coloured florals to help create a delightfully tangled garden look ...

love this next one

a super mix of Anna Maria, Kaffe, Karen Lewis & Ruby Star Society ...

Making the blocks?  Simple, Ashley @Film in the Fridge’s tutorial is excellent.

Choosing a colour palette? Easy, I simply picked 5 different fabrics per block, then cut and sewed the blocks up one at a time ... Actually, that's sew not true!

For those interested, I've tried to sort out my colour framework for you. I started out going for an overall *harmony vibe, using LOTs of soft blush pinks through to smokey plum with a few peach/coral prints mixed in too. And caramels that go from honey through into the warm browns.
And then I couldn't help adding in some subtle *contrast with my few bright pops and some dark value blues. (I did try to add in some green prints too, but they just didn't flow quite as nicely for some reason).

From my scrap baskets & stash - all the pinks, peaches, plums & caramels I could find. It's scrappy, warm, a little bright, a little vintage, and perfectly imperfect … really, everything I want a quilt to be.

It's all still laid out on the 'design floor'. No time to get it stitched together just now, but I will have to make time soonish 'cos my sewing room really really needs a vacuum!

* For more on the harmony & contrast colour theory check out this link here at shannonbrinkleystudio

checkered garden. again

I've been revisiting Ashley @Film in the Fridge’s free tutorial 'Checkered Garden'. Again.
I do enjoy making these blocks, can't help smiling each time I finish a block.  It's the kind of pattern you can make your own, in your palette made from your fabrics. I'm pretty sure no two 'checkered gardens' look alike!

My framework is simple - soft blush pinks & caramel for the centers, light-medium low volumes for the outer corners, everything else? well, a bit of a surprise as I go really.
You can see my mix of print styles is all over the place, different designers & collections, old & new - but hopefully the colours will tie everything together in a way that feels warm, slightly muted and yet still bright.

And few busy floral fabrics thrown in will help create a delightfully tangled garden look.

and on the "design" floor ...

... that's as far as my WiP got today

Linda

daydreaming

I've been daydreaming about this colour palette for a while now, 

lots of pink, peach & caramels, with maybe a few darker blues & muted greens.

... I just needed to figure out what to make with them. 

 trial block done✅ 

After scrolling around waiting for inspiration to hit, I suddenly had The. Perfect. Idea ... making me want to drop everything and start on this immediately! I think I'll use Ashley @Film in the Fridge’s tutorial 'Checkered Garden'. 

Again. 

Yes, I've made this a few times now - pop back here to see more - it's a super fun free pattern and works so well in lots of different colourways & fabric combinations. 

This time my framework is simple - soft blush pinks & caramel for the centers, light low volumes for the outer corners, everything else? well, a bit of a surprise really. 

Linda

the only dishes I'm doing today ...

I started making these blocks maybe 6 weeks ago, promising myself I'd make a few whenever time permitted. I was aiming for forty-eight sweet little 9" Broken Dishes blocks. It's been a meditative, no-rush kind of situation.
After I'd made up the last few blocks today, I added long lines of more scrappy sashing between my bunches of four blocks. Loving this mix of modern & traditional. 

Dishes done!

Broken Dishes quilt

pieced, not yet quilted

fabrics all from my scrap baskets & stash

inspiration for the quilt & colour palette from Amanda at prairie quilt co.

another week, another batch of blocks

 

 *backyard summer bouquet inspo

After relooking at my inspo pic, 

I've started adding a few warm sunflower-golds into this next batch ...

Broken Dishes is a simple classic traditional block, perfect for scrappy quilt lovers. I'm using lots of fabrics in a bunch of fun bright colours. Inspiration for the quilt and *colour palette from Amanda at prairie quilt co.

**************

While I've been stitching up these simple sweet 'broken dishes' blocks, I have been thinking. Mainly about what my next project could be. Using leftovers & stash of course.

I do love this little colour story in blush pinks, caramel, peach,

with small splashes of navy blue & muted green. 

Trouble is that this is a fabric pull sans pattern. 

And I don't have any clear ideas of what to make. Yet.

Which comes first ... the pattern or the fabric? (I'm thinking I may be team both!)

Love to hear what you think?