It was really fun to design and make this quilt. Lots of thought went into getting pattern and color placement just right. Today, I have a few Octagon Shimmer Pattern and all the stuff that you need to make one so I am excited to share it with you. I have been eyeing all things spiderweb-ish for a few seasons now: From nature walks through tall, wet grass observing tiny webby worlds nestled peacefully (before my lumbering chocolate labs wanna see too, obliterating it only to slobber my face) to 3am insomnia searches on Pinterest for spider web designs.... I adore octies, BIG SCALE and this curated color vibe I live with in my home. Here is the culmination of all those ideas. TIPS ON MAKING THIS QUILT. The new pattern I created for C&T Publishing, tells you "how to" very clearly with lots of tips included. This blog offers a bit more detailed information on color and value choices and tips I like to call "a few secrets revealed" :) if you care to read on. I am visual learner....so as usual it is loaded with images. Color palette includes the entire Shimmer 2 Collection, a few Kona solids and my Studio Stash Yarn dyes. Having one each of the FQ towers: Shimmer 2 and Shimmer 2 Coordinates will give you what you need for octagons. Next step is to start cutting. You will be using every piece of fabric in Octagon Shimmer Quilt.
C. Adding POP Kona bias and piecing triangles into finished octagons. Decide on final set of your blocks and then add pop KONA colored home made bias tape. More detail in pattern. SECRET #4- When in doubt take it out! Restraint is important during this step. I had originally overdone the color pops but the good thing is that they were pinned, not sewn on. Step back. Walk out of the room. Sleep on it....What I learned is that taking about 40% of the color OFF the block gave me the final look I was striving for. Loving the old adage, Less is More. D. Borders: Icing on the cake. The pattern instructions call for WOF yardage to create the wonky flying geese. Labor intensive little blocks but totally worth it. Easier to strip piece WOF with my method than using FQ. That is why My kit for sale includes yardage of whites for this purpose in addition to the two FQ towers for octagon blocks (14 1/4 yds total in kit) You will have great scraps left over to do something fun on the back. These are the main design considerations and observations that are important to understand if you want to create a similar feeling to what I have made. Yet, as always, I welcome new ideas, new approaches and hope you will share your own creations and show me how you see it. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram and of course always email my website too. Whether you pull together your own selection of fabrics or are supporting your local store (good job!), at least you have this inside look of what was swirling around in my head as the quilt evolved. I hope you enjoy your sewing every time you sit down to create.
Create and Shimmer on!!
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Red barns are timeless. Scrap quilts are too. They are traditional and modern all in the same breath. My sensibilities are definitely influenced by the modern movement as it has made its way into my heart and home. Yet, I will always have a constant love for traditional things....Classic design is always in style. Good design is good design. On that long list of classic good design are red barns and scrappy quilts. Apparently, American Quilt Retailer thinks so too. My Strips and Selvages Quilt (C&T Publishing ) made their cover, and naturally I am thrilled. This magazine is sold to the trade. It teaches shops how to be better at what they do. It's filled with lots of good information, like what is being released at upcoming quilt market, new techniques/product reviews plus they highlight shops and designers around the country. The editor, Heidi Kaisand knows her stuff and offers great content. They know that certain quilts like this are comforting, timeless and visually successful. Strips and Selvages Quilt evolved from my love of color of vintage California Pottery , the rhythm of strip piecing and the playful touch of raw selvages. Using my own colorful prints, a few bright Robert Kaufman kona cottons, paired with a gray yarn dye border is a combo that excites me. I love what happens to the ends when piecing long narrow strips WOF of Kona solids, my prints and wovens together. Each fabric is not exactly the same width. Kona and yarn dyes are wider than prints. Varied edges evolve and highlighting this design detail on a grey woven ground looks terrific.
In honor of scrap quilts, red barns and all the makers who are inspired by this look, I have pulled together 19 colorful prints, 5 solids and a grey yarn dye that will make this quilt. There are a few for sale in my shop if you want to make your own classic scrappy quilt. I hope you have a red barn in your area to drive or walk by to admire....It's very Americana and nourishes one's soul. Summer is coming to a close. I even wrapped an indigo scarf and colorful sweater around my shoulders tonight as the sun set and a chilly wind kicked up. I hope you are ready for fall and if you have young children, to send them off to school and have a little more time for yourself to start up a new project. Creatively yours, Colorful Scrap QuiltsWE all like to get stuff done. Nonnie, as known to her 12 grandkids, is my mom and she is no exception. Her sewing nook is a space nestled in the eaves of her very old Cape Cod house, hums with creativity. She makes quilts and lots of them to give away, hang over the couch, for her kids, plus the grandkids who are entering college to brighten up their dorm rooms and "to just use up the old stuff I've got"! Yes, she is talking about lots of my old stuff that I have handed to her over the years. Strike offs, samples that never went into production, things I designed over the last 20 years plus my most current collections. She likes lots of color and is traditional in most of her methods. Nothing too complicated, prefers a scrappy look and to quote Freddy Moran, "when in doubt just keep adding more color because eventually it all goes together!" I love her relaxed attitude toward quilting and life in general. She doesn't worry about it, enjoys the process, blends all kinds of prints together and relies on favorite magazines she gets at LQS and books from C&T for inspiration. She usually has a picture or project page she is using as a guide whether it be loosely followed or not. One if her favorites is by Cheryl Arkinson and Amanda Jean Nyberg, Sunday Morning Quilts which is full of cheerful scrap quilts. We spend hours looking at ideas together when she is deciding on a new quilt to make. This quilt below was a super fun quilt to make hence the name "Scrappers Delight" design by Amanda Jean Nyberg. I sewed up a few blocks with mom too for Ella as she left for upstate New York to school. She says it's the cheeriest thing in the dark days of winter and loves having it with her. Lucky girl! So that is just a glimpse of Nonnie's World. She has made many more quilts than sampled above and she will continue to work with all her stash to WOW her kids. Lucky us is what we all say. Lucky us..... Written with Love, PS- I have a collection of assorted Print Packs in my shop if you want to beef up your stash like Nonnie's. Buy 5 or more ($9 each) I will give you the book, Sunday Morning Quilts for free as I have a few in my studio that I would love to give away. Offer good while they last. Note that scrap bags will vary slightly from photo at times.
Shimmer 2 Collection is my response to the best selling first collection of mine, Shimmer. Produced by the fabulous Robert Kaufman, of course and sailing over the big ocean blue right now to California. Joyfully, this kind of color and design comes so easily to me and has hit a chord in many of you too. Nature's unique shimmery qualities captured in fabrics are created so beautifully especially because my fabrics are printed in the finest mills in the world: Japan. The above Octagon Shimmer Quilt is my latest design with C&T Publishing featured in my latest Shimmer LookBook so please take a peek. I have a few early sets of FQ towers and precuts in my store for sale. To make above quilt, you'll have enough fabric with both towers: Shimmer 2 and Shimmer 2 Coordinates. I will be adding a beautiful lookbook to those orders too. By end of next month, all of your favorite online retailers should be getting stock in. As you know, prints are in and out pretty quickly so don't miss out. Especially if you like to be first! This beauty is designed by Janice Ryan and she talks about it and shows more details on her blog. It's already available for download for free at Robert Kaufman.
Once again, thanks so much for supporting me, my quilting/making friends who come up with so many wonderful things to do with my latest prints and to Robert Kaufman for producing the best fabrics. Hope you all had a great 4th of July and enjoying your summer, Now, just go SHIMMER! Creatively yours, |
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