IG Alison Glass Mini Quilt Swap Re-Cap

June 28, 2015June 30, 20156 Comments

Thinking about joining a quilt or craft-related swap? Do it!!! I just finished up the Alison Glass Mini Quilt Swap on Instagram (IG) hosted by @ReapWhatIveSewn. #alisonglassminiquiltswap #agteamspectrum

It was a great experience, not only because I got to play with beautiful fabric by Alison Glass…or the amazing quilt I received…but for making new “friends” with a bunch of quilters I might not have followed if it weren’t for being in this swap.
The main requirement for this swap was to use primarily fabric designed by Alison Glass (AG) (per the swap’s namesake) and to make a miniature quilt that was 13-24″ squared. I was dying to get all of the 2015 Sunprint fabrics, and this swap made it easier to pull the retail trigger 😉 The intense colors in AG’s fabrics are just pure eye candy. I love using them in rainbows and they pop against Andover black chambray (one of my stash staples) so beautifully!

My Quilt

The partner I was paired with unfortunately, was not very active on IG…and by not active, I mean practically non-existent. She posted one picture of when she received her fabric for the swap and that was that. I know life happens and not everyone checks or posts to their accounts daily or weekly. Completely understood! But when you sign up for a swap that’s strictly on the IG platform, you wish your partner did participate a little more. It’s makes the experience a little easier and it’s more fun with the participation 🙂 The only information that I had was the completed registration questionaire. This gave me (1) my partner likes red, yellow, green, orange and (2) she likes modern quilts. That’s it….what was I going to do???

Luckily, I had the Astrodelic Quilt design fresh in my head from checking out free patterns on Art Gallery’s website. The palette my partner named was a challenge. I wanted to make sure I balanced out the red and green so nothing looked “Christmas-y” and that the yellows and oranges would all complement each other. It was nice to have all of Sunprint 2015 on hand to play around with color!

Kona white is always a safe choice as the background. With the bright colors selected, I didn’t want anything else to compete with this “Fireball.” Carolyn Friedlander’s Architextures Crosshatch in Shadow finished as the binding…Again, chosen to not draw away from the design. As for the quilting, I try to leave mine pretty fuss-free…straight-line is my go-to and I followed the 45* angles created from the piecing. This mini finished at 20″x 20″…a bit on the larger side, but easier on the quilt math 😉

Extras

Although not required, it’s always nice to send some extra “love” with your mini. Since I was getting no indication of likes/dislikes or any personal info off IG, I kept my gifts pretty generic. The rainbow mug and scissor pouch are from Michael’s. I included a wooden spool of thread from my vintage collection and a fun little tape measurer. I ordered Ex Libris directly from AG’s shop, so I got a few stickers (!!!) with my order and included one here. The pin cushion was a special little gift I made using scraps of Sunprint with Jeli Quilt’s Goosed Up pattern. Sewing notions are always a good inclusion so I added a few zippers to match the mini as well. Many swappers include food/candy, but it was scorching hot around the US, so I didn’t want anything to spoil or melt…hence no yummy goodness from me.

Mini Received

So off my package went (yes, it was on time!) and the waiting game began. It’s fun to watch the other swappers on IG receive their packages and you can slowly mark off who was not your partner. Luckily, I did not have to wait very long. My parcel arrived just a few days after I sent mine off.

And….it was this gorgeousness!!! Go ahead…take it all in…..yesssssss………mmmhmmm…..

Kitty of the Night Quilter made me this amazing hexagon shaped quilt from Robert Kaufman’s Prismatic Medallion FREE pattern. I know only because I have downloaded it for my personal Quilting Queue. But maybe I don’t have to try to make it anymore?!? The fabric selection was just on-point! I LOVE IT!!!

And there’s more! Remember the Hour Basket from my Sewing Room Organization post? Here it is with the mini stuck inside. There was also some small and large washi tape. I can’t wait to use the measuring tape one on packaging later on down the line! Kitty also included tea and candy that I love…and how did she know? She posted questions out to our swap group asking about what we would like in our packages and I just responded…so glad I did! It’s nice to get a surprise, but also nice to get something you know you will eat or use. Lesson learned – answer questions from your fellow swap-mates!

From sign-up to shipping, the swap was about 5 months. So if you are thinking of joining a swap, this is an ample amount of time for a mini. I got my design and quilt top pieced early on…probably within the first two months. I liked getting it done early just in case something pops up on the personal front (which you know always happens.) I owed it to my partner to be on time, since I wanted the same for myself. Good sewing karma pays off…in gorgeous mini’s!!!

Have you participated in any craft or sewing swaps? I’d love to hear your (positive) experiences.

Hugs and Stitches,

Cristy

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Bound Fabrics – Quilt Market Fall 2015 Booth Projects

May 11, 2015February 4, 2016

I have never been to Quilt Market…but like almost every quilter I know, I want to….so much! For those who don’t know, it’s a semi-annual trade show for companies to exhibit their newest fabrics lines and related sewing products. It’s a way to see the newest stuff AND be able to get your hands on it months before they hit the general public.

Although, I haven’t been to Market, a part of me has. I had the great honor of working on a few items for April Rhodes‘ new fabric line, Bound for Art Gallery Fabrics. In true April design, it has a southwest feel with her bohemian flair….so you know I LOVE it! It is her most personal collection with her own organic drawings and influences from her love of macrame and fiber arts. Needless to say, when I was asked to make a few pieces, I jumped at the chance.

Photo from IG @aprilrhodes

Below are the three items that made it into April’s amazingly gorgeous Quilt Market booth:

1.) “Squash Blossom Bouquet” Mini Quilt

Squash Blossom Bouquet

For this quilt, I used Holly Gets Quilty’s Squash Blossom pattern. It was incredibly easy to follow, especially if you are used to HSTs (half-square triangles.) I used the 12″ block measurements and made 4 blocks. The blocks needed to each have their own feel by playing with the feature and accent fabrics and mixing them with Art Gallery’s amazing Pure Elements solids in Nocturnal, Icy Mint, Peach Sherbet, and Honey. I love how these Squash Blossoms are able to showcase April’s larger prints, Painting Morale and Macrame Cave as the feature fabric. But at the same time, you can use the smaller prints, Survey Orche and Growth Joy as the accent with as much impact.

HSTs made are ready to be chain-pieced to the squares

HSTs made and are ready to be chain-pieced to the squares

For the quilting, these Squash Blossoms screamed for some straight lines following the horizontal seams. I just used my presser foot as my guide and checked it against the seams to make sure I wasn’t accidentally veering to the wrong side (eek!) As usual, Aurifil was used for both the piecing and quilting in 2312 50 wt. This was the perfect beige color with this fabric selection. I like 50 wt to blend into the fabric for this particular project.

Close-up of block one

For the backing fabric, Dream-catching Celeste from the Wanderer collection was the best choice. It is just a beautiful light pattern that really complements the colors in the whole quilt. For the binding, Serape Dream was selected. I love all the different colors and how you get a different feel at every inch and angle all around the quilt.

Finished, this mini is 24″ x 24″, so it makes for a quick project (which I like!) If you are new to HSTs, this would also be a good starter since there are not to many of them.

Close-Up of Metallic Detail

Love a Beautiful Mitered Corner

2.) Ancient Lands Pillow

April made the fabric pull on this pillow and it turned out beautifully…No surprise, right? She is able to use unexpected color combos and make them all work! I am not usually a yellow/mustard kind of girl (maybe because it blends into my own skin???) so I tend to stay away from these fabrics. But I think I may start broadening my horizons….

This pattern is free on Art Gallery’s Blog site and utilizes some HSTs as well. It’s another great quick beginner project. The fabrics used are Macrame Clay, Growth Stone and Pure Elements Tumeric, Banana Cream, and Linen White.

3.) The Geese Go Painting

If you don’t know already, I love Flying Geese, Foundation Paper-Piecing (FPP), and Mini-Embroidery Hoops…all together. It’s fun to make these little quilt hoops…they are a quick project…trust me!

The quilt pattern is called “Goosing Borders” by Jeli Quilts (of course!) and is a FREEBIE! This is a great pattern to practice to see if you would like the other patterns by Jeli Quilts (I have a feeling you will…)

I used Growth Joy for the geese and Painting Morale as the background. After downloading the pattern, the printing was set to 25% of the original image to shrink it down enough to fit into this cute Dandelyne 2.2″/ 5.5cm hoop. An extra 1″ was added at the top and bottom as well.

When making these geese, I usually like them to stand out against a neutral background. But Bound fabrics has such fantastic imagery and detail that you have to look a bit closer and study the design. I wanted these geese to do the same…so they were “camouflaged” a bit against the different colors in Painting Morale. The quilting added to the “camouflage” while helping to keep all the piecing intact. The thread is the same Aurifil 2312 50 wt used in all of these projects.

#quiltedhoop #miniminihoops

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If you make any of these projects, please send me project pictures via IG or email. I would love to see them!!!

Happy Stitching!

Cristy

Cotton + Steel is a Star: Paper-Pieced Quilt

May 1, 2015July 7, 2015

…A Starburst, that is!

Lone Starburst – Fully pieced

When I first started toying around with Foundation Paper-Piecing (FPP,) you know I went to Pinterest. Through all of the images, I found this perfect pattern…It (seems) simple enough for a newbie like me, has great visual appeal, I could play with a number of different fabrics, and…it was FREE! The pattern is by Six White Horses and called Lone Starburst.

My bundle of Cotton + Steel‘s first collections gave me a variety of fun prints and color to use. I tried to mix in the awesome prints, as well as the basics for variety and color. I selected a simple background of Kona White to make the star stand out and pop. “Tangrams” from Cotton + Steel made for a nice neutral binding and I love “All the States” as a fun backing.

Quilted and Bound

Close-up of Starburst Backing

Full view of Starburst Backing

Quilting is not my strong suit, so I straight-lined with my walking foot and followed the angles of the star. I just used my presser foot as a guide in order to keep the spacing between lines as equal as I could. The repeating of the lines, made for such a great texture….just make sure to go slow and steady to get nice even stitches.

This Mini hangs proudly in my sewing dungeon…where I can be reminded of my first full FPP project 🙂

Hugs and Stitches

Cristy

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Handcrafted from the Heart

Tag: mini quilt

IG Alison Glass Mini Quilt Swap Re-Cap

Bound Fabrics – Quilt Market Fall 2015 Booth Projects

Cotton + Steel is a Star: Paper-Pieced Quilt