fernweh quilt

A few months ago, I began teaching quilting and embroidery classes at Pintuck & Purl, an adorable fabric and yarn shop in Exeter, NH. For most of the classes, I've created class samples for potential students to see what we will be making. This month, I taught students how to piece the Fernweh Quilt top, from the gorgeous quilt pattern by Domestic Strata, and I recently finished my sample.

I used fabrics from the shop for my quilt---including Cloud9 Fabrics' Cirrus Solids---basing the color palette off of a beautiful black, peach, and apricot floral print by Carina Gardner, which I used for the backing.

I did simple straight-line quilting in light pink, and chose Cotton + Steel's Sprinkle print in black for the binding, since it complemented the front and back so nicely.

I love the graphic nature of this pattern, and would love to one day make a queen-size version for a bed.

I will next be teaching the two-part class on April 9 and 16, and you can call or email the shop to sign up.

modern sampler quilt along: block F link-up

The Modern Sampler Quilt Along is an informal and virtual quilt along where we make a block from Yoshiko Jinzenji's Modern Sampler Quilt pattern each month. You can follow the hashtag  #modernsamplerquiltalong on Instagram to get a peek at everyone's blocks, fabrics, and progress, as we work our way through the pattern together. On the last Tuesday of each month, we gather here to share the blocks we've made; this month we worked on Block F from the pattern.

We've made it to the halfway point in the quilt along---yay! This month's block was my favorite so far, mostly because I really love the Yoshiko Jinzenji text print I used.

Rather than piecing the curves on my machine, I opted to needle-turn appliqué each of the half ovals to the background strips, and then machine sewed them from there.

Since we're halfway through the pattern, I thought it would be a great time for us to post all six blocks we've completed thus far, and cheer each other on. Here are all of my blocks so far (I haven't trimmed them yet, hence the varying sizes---ha!).

To celebrate everyone who has completed their first six blocks, Zakka Workshop and I have teamed up to create two small giveaway bundles, featuring coin purse kits, cuts of Yoshiko Jinzenji prints, and screen-printed fabric panels from the Salty Oat shop.

Orange + Purple Bundle:

Gray Bundle:

To be in the running for one of the two bundles, simply link up to a photo showing all six of your finished blocks by next Tuesday, March 1, at 11:59 pm EST. I'll select two winners from all of the entries on Wednesday, March 2. You'll still be able to post photos of your Block F until our next link-up on March 29.

UPDATE: Thank you so much to everyone that posted their finished blocks, and congrats to A Quilter's Table and Bespoke Outlaw on winning the prize bundles!

Now let's see your blocks!

HOW TO LINK UP
1. Click the "Add your link" button below, and link to a blog post or Instagram photo of your Blocks A-F (or just Block F). In the "Link Title" field, enter your blog name or Instagram handle.

2. If you're linking to a blog post, please link back to this post somewhere in your post. If you're linking to an Instagram photo, be sure to tag your photo with the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong.

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An InLinkz Link-up

amish hourglass baby quilt

After making this mini Amish hourglass quilt, I was itching to make another, larger, one---so I did!

This version features a combination of an American Made Brand navy solid and scraps of solid white, and slightly larger hourglasses. I really love the simple and graphic look of this particular design, and I enjoyed revisiting it (and I foresee more in my future!).

The back is a Dear Stella ikat print from my stash, and the quilt is bound with a navy-and-light blue Cotton and Steel plus-sign print, which I picked up on a recent visit to Quilted Threads, a local quilt shop.

This quilt will be available for sale at The Maker's Waypost, a curated shop in Whitinsville, MA, which opens next Saturday!

oversized log cabin baby quilt

Lately, I've been playing around with the log cabin block, experimenting with scale, color placement, and improvisational piecing. This quilt is the first result of my efforts: an oversized log cabin baby quilt. I selected a simple color palette of navy, cream, and peach for the quilt, using American-made solids for the top.

Wanting to maintain the quilt's simplicity, I quilted it with a grid, using cream thread.

The back, a super soft Nani Iro double gauze, is my favorite part. It's so soft and squishy! For the binding, I used Bonnie Christine fabric left over from my circles and triangles wall quilt.

This quilt will be available at The Maker's Waypost, a new shop in Whitinsville, MA, which opens Saturday, November 28. The shop will be carrying a number of my one-of-a-kind quilts and patchwork pillows, so be sure to stop by if you're in the neighborhood!

do. good stitches: birds in the air quilt

Right around the time of our move to NH, it was my turn to act as the quilter for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches.

I requested all of my circle members to create two Birds in the Air quilt blocks, albeit with a slightly different color placement than the tutorial. I asked for a mix of solid whites and grays, with an orange print in only one of the two blocks.

Once I received all of the blocks, I played around with the layout, winding up with something quite different than I had originally envisioned---which I love! I also love the variations in the shades of solid gray, and the random pops of orange scattered throughout the quilt top.

I used an orange Marimekko circle print for the background, quilted it with intersecting lines in orange thread, and bound it with a scrappy orange binding.

This quilt will be donated to my local chapter of Project Linus.

P.S. I'm super close to 2,000 followers on Instagram, and once I hit that magic number, I'll be doing a sale! Be sure to follow me there to be among the first to hear about it.

modern sampler quilt along: block A link-up

Welcome to the first link-up for the Modern Sampler Quilt Along, an informal and virtual quilt along where we make a block from Yoshiko Jinzenji's Modern Sampler Quilt pattern each month! You can follow the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong on Instagram to get a peek at everyone's blocks, fabrics, and process, as we work our way through the pattern together. On the last Tuesday of each month, we gather here to share the blocks we've made; this month we worked on Block A from the pattern.

For my quilt, I'm using the Superbuzzy Yoshiko Jinzenji bundle as the starting point for my fabric selection, and I've pulled a number of complementary fabrics from my stash to round it out, adding in pops of pink, yellow, and aqua.

For my Block A, I used out-of-date quilt labels, a vintage daisy print (I love the pop of neon coral in the flowers' centers!), solid aqua, an Ikea text print, and a Jinzenji print. One of the things that I really like about this pattern so far is that Jinzenji doesn't specify what types of fabrics to use (lights versus darks, colors versus neutrals) or where to place them, which I found quite freeing. I had fun experimenting with the layout.

TIP
In case this is your first time doing mitered corners on your borders and you'd like a bit of help, Craftsy has a step-by-step photo tutorial that shows you how to sew them, and the Fat Quarter Shop has a step-by-step video that walks you through the process as well.

Have any tips or tricks or observations you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments below.

Now let's see your first blocks!

HOW TO LINK UP
1. Click the "Add your link" button below, and link to a blog post or Instagram photo of your Block A. In the "Link Title" field, enter your blog name or Instagram handle.

2. If you're linking to a blog post, please link back to this post somewhere in your post. If you're linking to an Instagram photo, be sure to tag your photo with the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong.
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An InLinkz Link-up

throwback thursday: summer breeze picnic quilt

Back in 2012, my friend Kait and I set a yearlong challenge for ourselves: each month, we would make one of the projects from the book Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts---and we did! It was such a fun project, and it was a great way for me to stretch myself to sew things I might not otherwise have.

I realized recently that while I had shared photos of the Summer Breeze quilt top I made in May of that year, I had never shared photos of the finished quilt. So this week I draped the quilt on my quilt ladder in a few different ways, and snapped some pictures.

This quilt has been our go-to picnic and beach blanket, and many a nap have occurred under it this summer. I used a batting with a higher loft than I normally use, and kept the quilting rather minimal, so it's quite squishy. It's also super soft thanks to the vintage sheet back and the lightweight chambray I used in the top.

Just for fun---and in case you weren't a reader of this blog back in 2012!---here's a round-up of all of the projects I did that year, all in one place:

January: Colored Pencil Roll // February: Stacked Coins Quilt (quilt top and finished quilt) // March: Pieced Pillow Quilt

April: Peanut, the Wee Elephant // May: Summer Breeze Quilt // June: Pinwheel Duvet Cover

July: Little Bits Pillow // August: Kelly's Pincushions // September: Color Wheel Quilt (quilt top and finished quilt)

October: We took a break for Sewing Summit! // November: Bird Ornaments // December: Quilted Coasters

P.S. Are you on the Salty Oat email list? A new newsletter is going out tomorrow, so be sure to sign up now to not miss out!

yellow-and-white diamond quilt

After making the yellow cross quilt for our do. Good Stitches circle early last year, and seeing how cheerful, yet simple and modern, the final result was, I was itching to make another yellow-and-white quilt.

I decided to use a new shape for my own iteration, and chose diamonds so that I could try out Latifah Saafir's half-rectangle triangle tutorial. I used various shades of solid yellow, along with a few tone-on-tone prints by Leah Duncan and Marimekko, for the triangles which formed the diamonds. For the background, I used a mix of white and cream solids (I love having a varied background).

I first did simple outline quilting in white in the background section, and then brainstormed other ways to add more quilting, which I wanted to have to keep the batting stable. I wound up quilting angled yellow lines within each of the diamonds, which in turn made the diamonds look like they were faceted. It was such a happy accident, and one of the things I love most about this quilt!

I used a deep purple/plum/eggplant Marimekko print for the back, which was wide enough that it didn't need any additional piecing (I used similar Marimekko backings on my Scattered Squares and Up, Up, and Away quilts). I then hand bound it with a scrappy yellow binding.

I still find myself quite smitten with this color combination (I used it in my recent whole-cloth quilt), and know that I'll be returning to it again for future quilts. In the meantime, this quilt is now available in the shop. What color combinations do you find yourself drawn to lately?

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 40" x 48"
Fabrics used include: Comal in Saffron from Maya by Leah Duncan; Curry Foliage Grid from Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander; yellow and plum prints by Marimekko for Crate and Barrel; yellow solids from Modern Solids by Alissa Haight Carlton
Block tutorial: Half-Rectangle Triangle by Latifah Saafir for the Modern Quilt Guild

P.S. I'll be a vendor at the South End Open Market in Boston this weekend, and will have this quilt there, along with many others. Please stop by my booth and say hello if you're in the neighborhood!

hourglass mini quilt

 
When I first spotted this Amish hourglass quilt from the Esprit Quilt Collection on Pinterest six months ago, I was immediately smitten. I returned to the image over and over again, so when I was in between projects a few weeks ago, I decided to finally create a mini interpretation of the original.

The quilt's size was dictated by the amount of dark charcoal gray fabric I had in my stash (which first appeared in this gingham quilt I made in 2012), and as a result, the small top came together quickly---a very satisfying finish! I backed the quilt with a colorful Lizzy House print I picked up from Grey's Fabric in Boston, and machine bound it with subtly patterned gray print by Carolyn Friedlander.

Inspired, I've returned to reading my copy of Amish Quilts by Janneken Smucker, wanting to learn more about the history of quilts within the Amish community. I'm also very excited to explore this particular quilt design more, and have plans for larger versions in other colors.

This quilt is now available in the shop.

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 18" x 18"
Fabrics used include: Striped Etching in Ash from Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander; Cat Dream in White from Catnap by Lizzy House.
Quilt design: Based on an hourglass Amish quilt from the Esprit Quilt Collection