I've got a few in-progress projects happening at present, but I wanted to share a quilt top I've recently finished. I guess this could be what Julie from pinkdoxies would call a 'second chance' quilt... where you use up some of your favourite fabrics, all leftovers from earlier gifted projects... and you get a 2nd chance to enjoy them all over again as you sew another project!
I followed Ashley from filminthefridge's tutorial for her lovely version of a vintage quilt. While the piecing is fast, especially if you chain piece like me, I found getting that cohesion of colour does take a bit of time.
I used mainly Amy Butler fabrics, scrappy strips and fat 1/4's with chunks cut out of them. They are from her different collections over the past few years, going back to 2003 when 'gypsy caravan' first came out. I enjoyed cutting into these last few fat 1/4's in my stash, and if you can cut them up how Ashley suggests, there's very little fabric wastage...
which = no more scraps! I've paired them up with lighter coloured prints, solids, dots, and stripes to give a scrappy vintage look.
It's a fun quilt to make. But, while all I wanted was to make a vintage-y scrappy quilt, I found it wasn't simply just a case of throwing everything into the mix! I think the real trick is taking your time to find the right fabric combinations ... for you ... and getting enough contrast to keep your eye moving around the quilt. After making a few trial blocks up, and discarding a few, I ended up loving the effect of including some darks into the mix. That warm dark cabernet shade from Amy's 'bright heart' collection was the clincher for me. Without it, I think everything
Just waiting for that little quilting fairy to stop by my place now!
Linking up with Cynthia here for 'oh scrap'
- where I see she's been giving her leftovers a second chance too!
14 comments:
I am still waiting on that quilting fairy too!
That's really pretty Linda - I think you're right about that dark fabric pulling it all together and giving it some zing!
Oooo, I think that's really a lot of beautiful combinations! It's so interesting how people avoid dark fabrics thinking it will boggle up the appearance, but it's really the opposite. You've shown exactly how it anchors it, Linda. Then I like how I can see the medium fabrics show up with the lighter ones. I don't think my eye would pick that up as well without the dark to add the contrast. Overall, it really does have that vintage, back-porch-swing appeal to me. I would love to have made this quilt. Good job, and Lucky You!
Love your Mainly Amy quilt. Great quilt-top finish! The pattern is rather simple but works so well! Love those darker spots. I have a lot of Amy fabrics left from a quilt and it’s appealing to start a simple quilt that will let all the fabrics speak for themselves!! I’ll send some quilting fairies your way!
I love all your happy colors!
When the quilting fairy is done at your house, could you send her my way, please? Thanks so much!
This has turned out great. Isn't it funny how getting that 'everything scrappy look' turns out to need more time and strategic placement than one might expect? Sort of like the crazy amount of time it takes to get 'that natural look' with makeup when that was a big trend. This quilt is going to last a lot longer than that, pretty good for second chances.
Yay for second chance quilts. I am trying hard not to keep over loading my scrap bins. I can see how this pattern leaves few scraps. I will have to file this away for future use. Yours is lovely!
Good points, Linda. This has the lovely scrappy vintage feel you wanted. Thanks for the pointers.
What a great quilt, Linda! And you used leftovers!!
A lovely quilt for your favourite left-overs fabrics and I think the fact that you used fabrics from one designer really ties everything ion nicely.
The thought that went into your planning/sewing really paid off - beautiful quilt (top). I enjoyed the second chance story too...maybe Scraps is a derogatory term - but I'd never thought that till now!!!
You have created a very pretty quilt from your scraps and leftover chunks of fabric. You really have the knack of picking fabrics which go together and show each other off too.
Thank you so much!
Sometimes I do struggle with fabric choices, and have to call in my ‘colour consultant’ (my daughter!), and then other times it all just gels together nicely!
Have a good week, Linda
What a beautiful quilt, Linda. It's such a simple pattern and with the fabrics you chose it looks fresh and inviting -- almost spring-like -- with vintage charm.
--Nancy. (ndmessier @ aol.com, joyforgrace.blogspot.com)
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