get the mix

- initial selection of four groups of fabric to use throughout my main blocks.

I find repeating a fabric or colour often disperses any doubts I may have had, so fingers crossed!

And onto the collage section...

Just adding in some green foliage now to connect up my floral clusters.

Oh and I was determined to include this plaid... somewhere...anywhere... 

… and am très happy now! 

Lots of fun exploring this eclectic mix of fabrics - Kaffe spots, Tilda and Anna Maria's effervescent florals - all teamed up a few extras from my stash and a selection of creamy low volumes.

And, thanks to Susan from patchworknplay for the spot on visual, I'm now thinking this palette is looking very much like a four seasons in one day quilt - the light florals for Spring, the rich purples & deep blues for Winter, with touches of warm orange & gold for Autumn, and the cool light teal blues & very berry colours for Summer.

 

Until next time, Linda

kathy's colours

Sometimes you just have to drop everything and sew what excites you, even if it has no real purpose other than allowing you to combine pretty fabrics together.

And so over the weekend I started to audition fabrics for Melanie from southerncharmquilts  latest quiltalong. The pattern is available here if you are keen to join in too. Anthologie is a remake of one of Melanie's earlier quilt patterns from 2017, which I made back then too, however there have been a few changes. It's basically a sampler quilt with bohemian style.

I'm always drawn to florals, and I've had a few pretty Tilda fabrics in my stash just waiting for the 'right' project. Like many though, I prefer to mix it up a bit. If a quilt is too matchy-matchy, everything appears as the same muted value, and that's kinda boring. 

So, totally inspired by the colour combinations that Kathy from Material Obsession excels at, I'm adding in a few bright Kaffe spots and some recently purchased fabrics too, a handful of 'Sunday in the Country' designed by Nathalie Lete for Anna Maria Horner’s Conservatory line. They have a modern, but retro look to them and the colours are amazing!

I'm a couple of weeks behind I think, but it's all good. I've jumped around with making my blocks, first up 'la fleur' block, then my 9patch darlings. And then I made a start on my inspiration collage today, which is technically the first step and sets the theme for the rest of the quilt. Fingers-crossed that this will turn out okay!

Linking up with Cynthia for 'oh scrap' over here

Until next time, Linda

on the design floor

I spent some time today making more blocks for my 'pinwheel on point' quilt. Deciding on my inset triangle border took a bit of time. Initially, I was going for a neutral border, as I wanted to keep it all light & breezy. I trialed a few options, including a selection of alternating medium tone-on-tone grey fabrics and then a Kaffe grey & white funky stripe called 'regency daisy'... but things still looked a little lost... and let's face it, a little boring! 

 I finally settled on an Art Gallery teal floral, 'signature' by Sharon Holland. 

All righty 

- after a bit more of a reshuffle to up the contrast a bit more - 

I'm happy and it's time to get these pinwheels up off the floor and all stitched together

Linking up with Kelly for 'needleandthreadThursday' here

and with Wendy for this weekends 'peacock party' over here

Until next time, Linda

scrappy 9patch all finished

A couple of years ago I signed up for a few months of stash packs from Amitie, little 10" squares of "pretty" cottons across all genres … certainly not big pieces, but enough to make a 9 patch block!
So I began making blocks, adding in extra prints & solids as needed from my stash to give things a bit of an "already been loved" sort of feel. Whenever I had some time at the machine I'd make one or two more blocks and slowly the pile mounted up until I had enough to make a good sized quilt. 

For my decision on how to set these blocks, I combined ideas from a Kaffe pattern I've used many times and Jo's 'wintersweet' quilt @frankieandray   

Yep, there's a real clash of fabrics, along with some strong colours to stand out amongst the others. And I'm really loving the slightly vintage vibe that this eclectic mix of fabrics gives to my 9patch quilt.

In keeping with that vintage feel, I backed it with an old sheet I'd purchased from a 2ndhand shop. I had it quilted in an edge to edge pattern called 'waterdrops' by Leeanne from quiltmekiwi {thankyou!}. The binding decision was a tricky one and it took me some time to actually decide. In the end I used a warm gold tone-on-tone Alison Glass fabric. Finished size measures 69" x 72".

A super satisfying quilt to piece, and another finished quilt!  

Linking up with Kelly for needleandthreadThursday here

and Anja for 'TGIFF' here

Until next time, Linda

pinwheels on point

I'm enjoying a spot of simple sewing at the moment. Bonbonerie, a pattern by Christine Vlasic, is a scrap quilt combining plains and prints to make a classic pinwheel. I have altered things just a little, my HST squares are cut at 5" {not 4 3/8" as the pattern states} and I'm going to have smaller setting triangles in my border. 

It's wonderfully scrappy and to help create some cohesion, I've worked out a little plan - I'm coordinating the colours within each block, usually a busy or floral print with something geometric. For my pinwheel 'backgrounds', I'm using a selection of neutrals, including light coloured plains, tone-on-tones and other non-busy low volumes.

Still very much a work in progress,

with many more blocks to make yet, and reshuffling & checking my colours as I go

Pop over here @thimblesandneedles to see her recent finish

and the pattern is available over here at Liz' Etsy shop

Until next time, Linda