Tag Archives: robert kaufman fabrics

Color Inspiration Thursday {69}

April 21, 2016 kittywilkin 7 Comments

This past weekend, my husband and I sought out a new trail to hike, and aimed to find one that we would not be able to tackle with a 3 and 6 year old in tow. Our big kids had just left for a grand adventure–a week in NJ with Grandma & Pop Pop, flying solo for the first time ever. With Finn in a carrier, we were aiming to hike up a mountain and get some much desired fresh air, burning muscles, and a view. We found exactly what we were seeking in the Mansell Mountain Trail in Southwest Harbor, Maine. We found it by watching 1 Minute Hikes with Aislinn, and you can watch her video of the hike here (watching it again, I’m realizing we hiked the trail backwards). It’s a pretty neat tool for those looking for new hikes in Maine (although I don’t really know why it’s called “1 minute hikes” since the hike certainly didn’t take us one minute, and the video is longer than a minute… but still, a useful tool!) This week’s color inspiration hails from photos I took along the hike. Color palettes were made using Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1, and the matching Kona cotton and Moda Bella solids and Aurifil threads are my favorite perk of using the Palette Builder.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Chocolate, Bella Stone, Bella Etchings Slate, Kona Scone, Bella Snow, Bella Paper Bag

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1140 – Bark
5011 – Rope Beige
2625 – Arctic Ice
5010 – Beige
2311 – Muslin
2335 – Lt Cinnamon

The climb up Mansell Mountain was very steep, so my gaze was often on the ground right in front of my face, finding hand-holds in some cases. I marveled in the variations of texture and color as we climbed up the mountain, and this one spot in particular caught my eye. I love the play of shadow in the crevasses, and could even see this transcribed into a full quilt. It reminds me of barren desert cliffs, and without the tiny twig for perspective, I’d almost think I were overlooking some barren landscape.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Graphite, Kona Coal, Kona Charcoal, Bella Zen Grey, Bella Snow, Kona Cobblestone

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
5004 – Grey Smoke
1158 – Med Grey
2785 – V Dk Navy
2600 – Dove
2311 – Muslin
2375 – Antique Blush

I love this photo and palette since it’s a perfect example of the benefit of taking a *really* close look at the world around you. These tiny almost crystalline bits of lichen could have easily been tromped over without a second glance. Looking closely, though, you see it’s a beautiful little varied world full of greys, beige, and a hint of peach. Call me weird, but I think it’s quite beautiful.

To give you some perspective, here is a series of photos showing you a lengthening view of what you see in the color palette above. If you take a step backward, you see this:

black lichen one step back — Take one step back…

Take another step back and you see:

black lichen two steps back — Take two steps back….

With one more step back, here’s what you would see as you’re hiking along the trail:

black lichen three steps back — Three steps back…

It’s amazing how the appearance of the world changes as you take a closer look! This “dirty rock” is actually a tiny world of beauty. Amazing!

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Cotton Candy Blue, Bella Admiral Blue, Bella Washed Black, Bella Etchings Slate, Bella Fig Tree Olive, Bella Evergreen, Kona Moss

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2770 – V Lt Delft
1310 – Med Blue Grey
2630 – Pewter
2325 – Linen
5010 – Beige
2887 – Olive
2905 – Army Green

We were seeking great views, and we found them indeed. Photos don’t do the hike justice at all, but I’ll include some more below. A mountain face of stone stairs, wooden slats across wet areas, pristine babbling streams winding along next to the path, sun on our backs, and a view that just cannot be portrayed. It was a lovely day!

climbing up mansell mountain — Climbing up Mansell Mountain with a baby on his back. He’s a keep-ah!

view from Mansell Mountain — The view from one of the lookouts on Mansell Mountain.

top of mansell mountain — It was THIS gorgeous!

metal ladder trail — I love trails with actual metal ladders!

stone stairs on mountain — Pretty much the entire trail down the mountain consisted of these gorgeously crafted stone stairs. 900+ foot elevation traversed on stairs!

sweet hiking buddies — My sweet and handsome hiking buddies!

Quilting, Tutorials

Riot of Color: Quilter’s Planner Cover Tutorial

February 16, 2016 kittywilkin 5 Comments

Today I’m sharing the tutorial for how to make the outer panel of a Zippy Quilter’s Planner Cover like the one I made. I’m calling it Riot of Color and it’s a tribute to Alison Glass and her consistently bold and beautiful fabrics. A full color pdf of this tutorial is available on the Quilter’s Planner website, so head on over there to download it!

This tutorial is for creating the outer panel for the Zippy Quilter’s Planner Cover pattern customized by Stephanie (Late Night Quilter) and Amanda (What the Bobbin) for the Quilter’s Planner. This tutorial will provide cutting and piecing instructions for the outer panel (11”x19 1/2”). From there, follow the instructions in the Quilter’s Planner cover pattern found at http://quiltersplanner.com to make the full zippy planner cover, using this 11”x19 1/2” panel as the “exterior fabric”.

The secret to this cover’s creation is the fabric choices. The dark grey of the Essex linen in Charcoal (Robert Kaufman Fabrics) lets the bright bold colors of Alison Glass’s Sun Prints 2016 and Art Theory panel in Charcoal (from Ex Libris – Andover Fabrics) shine. This could also be made using a favorite large scale print for the feature fabric and fussy cut bits for the squares, but be sure to use a contrasting solid or reads-as-solid background fabric so that the construction shines.

General Notes: Seam allowances are 1/4” throughout unless indicated otherwise. I like to press seams open, but in some cases I pressed to the side for this project. I will note those places in this tutorial.

Cutting

First, cut all of your fabric pieces according to the Cutting Requirements chart and diagram above.

A Note About the E Pieces

Here’s where I’m going to be real with you. The DE strips have a lot of seams. This means that if your 1/4” seam allowance is off by even a little bit, your strip may be slightly the wrong size. In the cutting chart above, I’ve accounted for this human error. (You’re welcome!)

*IF* your seams are an absolute perfect 1/4” and your cutting is precise, the top and bottom E pieces on both strips (four E pieces total) only need to measure 1 1/2” x 3/4”.

This tutorial allows you to trim the excess at the end so that you don’t have to worry as much about the precision of your 1/4” seam. That said, focus on straight, consistent seams and we will adjust for scant or generous seams during the process! If you feel like you want to be a Perfect Seams Superhero and save yourself some math and cutting, use 1 1/2” x 3/4” E pieces on the top and bottom of each strip. Go ahead and cut your pieces.

Ready? Lay it all out how you want it and then start assembling!

Assembly

Pair each D piece right sides together with an E piece and sew with a 1/4” seam allowance.

I like to get them all ready and then chain piece to save time.

Organization Tip
Be sure to take a photo of your layout before sewing so that you have a visual reference along the way!

Set seams and press open. Lay them out again and check your reference photo. There should be one E that has not yet been paired and sewn. Pair and sew components of the DE strips until they are completely assembled. Press seams open.

If you are being a Perfect Seams Superhero today and used 1 1/2” x 3/4” E pieces on the tops and bottoms of your strips, confirm that your fully assembled strip now measures 1 1/2” x 11”, pat yourself on the back and skip ahead to the full panel piecing.

If you are being merely human today, give your strips a good press and lay them on your cutting mat. It’s time to measure how much excess you have and take care of it.

We want the finished strips to measure 11” long, but we want to be sure our colorful bits stay centered. To do this, take the following steps (the example shown is in parenthesis):

Measure each strip to the nearest 1/8” being sure to press it flat so that it extends to its full length. (My strips shown measured 11 1/2” when I held them flat.)
Take the difference of 11” from the length of your strip. (11 1/2 – 11 = 1/2”)
Divide the difference by 2. (1/2” / 2 = 1/4”)
That’s how much you should trim from each end of your strip. (I trimmed 1/4” from each end)

Now, measure your strips again. Each strip should measure 1 1/2” x 11”. Don’t worry about a little wobble or wonk at this point. Everything will be smoothed out during the final assembly!

Next, we will piece the rest of the panel.

Lay out all of your pieces again as shown (left to right): C, DE strip, B, A, B, DE strip, C.

Sew them together!

Here’s the order in which I assembled it, but do what works logically for you.

Right sides together, sew B pieces to A. Press seams open. This is the BAB unit.
Right sides together and double-checking the orientation of the DE strips, sew C outer pieces to DE strips. Press toward C. These are your DEC units.
Sew DEC units to the BAB unit, pressing seams toward BAB.

Give your panel a good press, check that it measures 11” x 19 1/2” and trim if needed.

From here, head over to the Zippy Quilter’s Planner Cover tutorial by Amanda and Stephanie to complete your planner cover! Use this Riot of Color panel as the “exterior fabric”.

Have fun creating your own versions of this cover, and please tag me @nightquilter if you post pictures on social media. I always love to see what you create!

I’m linking up with Stephanie’s Tips and Tutorials Tuesday. I love collaborating with that girl! Can you tell?

Color Inspiration

Color Inspiration Thursday {55}

July 23, 2015 kittywilkin 7 Comments

It’s time to share another color scavenger hunt! Today’s inspiration comes from the findings of the red-orange-yellow scavenger hunt around our July gardens and fields in rural Maine. Color palettes are made using Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs. Flowers were found by my five and three year old kiddos.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Lead, Bella Cayenne, Bella Clementine, Kona Grellow, Bella Acid Green, Kona Mint

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1158 – Med Grey
2395 Pumpkin Spice
2390 – Cinnamon Toast
2975 – Brass
2120 – Canary
2886 – Lt Avocado

This was a very fun scavenger hunt, since the yellow flowers just kept multiplying. It was great to look at each new flower and try to decide whether it was one we already had, or if it was a different species. The environmental scientist in me was thrilled to see my daughter reason through similarities and differences in the flowers, and of course the quilter in me was thrilled to play with flower arranging layout once we retreated to the cool porch.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Steel, Kona Sunflower, Bella Sunflower, Kona Citrus, Bella Orange, Kona Gold

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2625 – Arctic Ice
2125 – Wheat
1135 – Pale Yellow
2120 – Canary
2975 – Brass
2155 – Cinnamon

Oh, these yellows! I will never cease to be amazed by the varied textures within flowers. It’s like a whole new world within the center of this tiny, dime-sized flower. Want to explore? Me, too!

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Pewter, Kona Nectarine, Kona Cayenne, Bella Clementine, Kona Persimmon, Bella Golden Wheat

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2620 – Stainless Steel
2215 – Peach
2395 – Pumpkin Spice
2350 – Copper
2150 – Pumpkin
6010 – Toast

The woman who originally planted our gardens LOVED lillies. There are such a wide variety of colors and species of lily, it’s impossible to capture them all. We chose two different flowers as a sampling, and this vibrant orange daylily is like a fiery volcano (you can thank my three year old son for that comparison; he’s all about hot lava these days). So gorgeous!

Hand Stitching

Dropcloth Color Wheel Embroidery Finish… but only the Beginning!

July 3, 2015 kittywilkin 21 Comments

I’ve officially completed my first ever embroidery sampler, and I must say I’m hooked! It has been the perfect project to just pick up here and there while snuggling a sleeping baby and playing with two big kids.

I stitched this Color Wheel sampler by Rebecca Ringquist of Dropcloth using Aurifil 12wt cotton in the following colors (for when you want to get your own sampler to embroider, since I’ve had a few people ask about details!):

2884 Green Yellow
1147 Light Leaf Green

1148 Light Jade

4140 Wedgewood

2525 Dusty Blue Violet
2784 Dark Navy
2515 Light Orchid

2540 Medium Lavender

5002 Medium Red

1154 Orange
2145 Yellow Orange
2120 Canary

I love the shine of the stitches created by the Aurifil 12wt, and I’ve already mentioned how nice it was to work with a thread that wasn’t strandy or prone to unravel.

Initially I thought I might finish the sampler in a hoop and hang it in my craft loft as is, but the colors are just so gorgeous that I feel a strong need to draw them out into an even larger creation. I scanned the sampler and played with it in Inkscape a bit to determine a course of action, and I think I’m going to aim to make a larger color wheel using coordinating fabric–mostly Alison Glass Sun Prints, although I’m sure none of you are surprised at that!

Once I visited my fabric stash and did a trial fabric pull, I was completely convinced that a larger quilted color wheel is the way to go.

Really, can you blame me for wanting to use these fabrics in every.single.project!?

I will most likely include my favorite neutral, Robert Kaufman Essex yarn dyed linen in charcoal as the background, although I’m liking the bright colors’ contrast on a lighter background, too.

So, once again, I’ve finished a project only to turn it into a larger, more complex project. But as usual, I am very excited about this project extension! I will be trying my first inset circle as well as practicing curved sewing, in which I have only dabbled early in my quilting foray. I’m also I’m eager to hand quilt the next phase of the project with the Aurifil 12wt to help tie the entire color wheel together.

I’m linking up my Dropcloth Color Wheel Embroidery Sampler finish with Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Up Friday & TGIFF, even though it’s only the beginning of the next phase of the project. Let the rainbow wheel stitching begin!

Quilting

Bloggers Quilt Festival – Spring 2015 {ROYGBIV Entry}

May 20, 2015 kittywilkin 13 Comments

Twice a year, Amy from Amy’s Creative Side hosts a Bloggers Quilt Festival, an online quilt show where peers vote for their favorite quilt in each category. It should come as no surprise that I am entering a quilt into the ROYGBIV category, given my penchant for rainbows. As my first-ever entry into the Bloggers Quilt Festival, I’m entering my Alison Glass Prismatic Medallion mini quilt. Yes, this quilt will soon be mailed off to my swap partner, but that’s one of the huge benefits of this Quilt Festival–you don’t need the quilt in hand to enter!

Without further ado, I give you Alison Glass Prismatic Medallion:

I finished binding this quilt earlier this week. It’s created with primarily Alison Glass fabrics, most of which come from her newest 2015 Sun Prints Mercury and Grove. The pattern is the Prismatic Medallion pattern offered for free on the Robert Kaufman website.

Alison’s Sun Prints offer such a gorgeously saturated and bright color palette, perfect for ROYGBIV quilting creations. I decided to quilt this mini in coordinating Aurifil thread, both 40 and 50wts, depending on what weight I had in my stash. I used a fun prismatic quilting pattern, which really brings out the angularity of the design.

alison glass prismatic medallion roygbiv mini quillting detail — Quilting detail

alison glass prismatic medallion roygbiv mini quilt finish — Nice crisp corners!

The quilt is bound in Yarn Dyed Essex linen blend in Charcoal by Robert Kaufman. Here are the final quilt stats:

Alison Glass Prismatic Medallion Mini Quilt

Completed May 2015
Pattern: Prismatic Medallions by Robert Kaufman Fabrics
Size: 23″ x 20″
Fabric: Assorted fabric from Alison Glass’s 2015 Sun Prints, Mercury and Grove (Andover Fabrics), with other Alison Glass fabrics: Feathers in Dahlia and Black, Bike Path, Handcrafted, and some others, including but not limited to Carolyn Friedlander Architextures Crosshatch in Tangerine, Cotton + Steel basics in yellow, magenta, and green, and some Timeless Treasures Sketch.
Binding is Yarn Dyed Essex Linen blend in Charcoal (Robert Kaufman Fabrics).
Quilting: Prismatic straight line quilting with my walking foot
Thread: Aurifil 50wt 2600 – Dove for piecing
Assorted color coordinating Aurifil for quilting:

40 wt 2230 Medium Peony
50wt 1154 Dusty Orange
40wt 1135 Pale Yellow
50wt 2886 Light Avocado
40wt 1114 Grass Green
50wt 2810 Turquoise
50wt 1125 Medium Teal
40wt 2730 Delft Blue
40wt 2520 Violet
40wt 1100 Red Plum
50wt 1246 Grey
50wt 2021 Natural White

Giveaway

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!

May 6, 2015 kittywilkin 482 Comments

It’s here: the most epic sewing-blog giveaway day in the entire blogosphere. This is my first year participating, and I’m excited to have a great bundle to give away today! Welcome to readers new and old, and to those of you visiting for the first time, I encourage you to have a look around. Here I share my creative and design process, project progress, completed creations, tutorials, color inspiration, and more, chock full of colorful photographs. If you like what you see, you can follow my blog via email or bloglovin (look –>) or follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or can check out my paper piecing patterns on Craftsy.

Now, let’s cut to the chase! Here’s what you could win today:

Fabric Bundle

I personally selected this bundle of fabric from one of my favorite local quilt shops, Fiddlehead Artisan Supply in Belfast, Maine. The bundle includes a half yard of Cotton + Steel Fern book in Navy, from Mesa by Alexia Abegg as the inspiration piece, and fat quarters of:

XOXO in Toy Boat by Rashida Coleman Hale, Cotton + Steel Basics
XOXO in Dandilion by Rashida Coleman Hale, Cotton + Steel Basics
Plot Circles in Carrot from Doe by Carolyn Friedlander (Robert Kaufman Fabrics), and
Spot On Pearl Metallic Small Dot in Copen (Robert Kaufman Fabrics)

Choice of Two (2) Quilt Patterns from

Yvonne of Quilting Jetgirl was generous enough to offer winner’s choice of any two (2) of her quilt patterns! You can check out her available patterns in her Craftsy shop HERE. I know which two I would choose–have you seen Tesselated Leaves or Triangle Transparency!?, but which two would you choose? Here is a peek at just a few of her patterns:

quilting jetgirl patterns — Clockwise beginning top left: Spring Rain, Color Weaving, Triangle Transparency, Tesselated Leaves

On this blog, I strive to share the course inspiration takes in my sewing and creating: from original spark to completed project. To enter the giveaway today, I’d love to hear what inspires you to create. Leave a comment and make sure I’m able to get ahold of you if you win. If you’re a follower, leave a second comment telling me how you follow for a second entry.

This giveaway is open to US and international participants. The giveaway will be open until 8pm EST Sunday 5/10 when I’ll select the winner randomly with random.org. I’ll announce and email the winner on Monday 5/11. Good luck! NOTE: The giveaway is now closed. A winner will be announced tomorrow!

While you’re at it, go check out all of the other fabulous giveaways at Sew Mama Sew, especially this generous offer by my friends Stephanie & Michelle at Late Night Quilter for free long arm quilting!!

P.S. I always try to respond to comments, but may not be able to on the giveaway posts due to the high number of comments. Please know I appreciate your visit and hope you follow or come back again!

Design, Life

Color Inspiration Thursday {42}

March 26, 2015 kittywilkin 2 Comments

Green, I need green! While the weather has been warming and mud season is almost officially upon us (yes, it’s a real season in Maine–it falls right between winter and spring), there is still a dire lack of green or signs of new life out in the world around us. So today I gathered all the green life I could find and had a little photo shoot. Sure, they are potted, but here is some springy green and life-filled color for your inspiration pleasure. Color palettes are created using Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Bella Betty’s Brown, Kona Black, Kona Basil, Kona Grass Green, Kona Old Green, Kona Baby Blue

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
5013 – Asphalt
2692 – Black
5023 – Medium Green
5018 – Grass Green
2850 – Med Juniper
2612 – Arctic Sky

Green, glorious green!

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Coal, Bella Cloud, Kona Pewter, Bella Peacoat, Bella Brick Red, Kona Black

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1140 – Bark
2612 – Arctic Sky
2610 – Lt Blue Grey
1130 – V Dk Bark
2566 – Wisteria
5024 – Dark Brown

This may not be green, but it’s alive and beautiful. This lovely succulent is on top of the trends, since I dare say it’s sporting the lovely Pantone color of the year, marsala. Am I right? Even if there isn’t a solid that matches perfectly, I think if you mix Bella Peacoat with Bella Brick Red, that would land nicely on Marsala.

Corresponding solids from left to right:
Kona Coal, Kona Basil, Bella Fresh Grass, Kona Celadon, Kona Medium Grey, Kona Sky

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
1158 – Med Grey
5021 – Light Grey
2890 – Dk Grass Green
2845 – Lt Juniper
2625 – Arctic Ice
2560 – Iris

Glorious green. This succulent has seen better days, but I’m hoping that once the sun begins to shine more regularly, the temperatures warm, and perhaps I figure out the best succulent watering schedule for success, it will shine. I’m sure of it. For now, it offers promises for the days to come where green sprouts will be all around us!

Did anyone else notice that despite all the life in these palettes, “Arctic Sky” or “Arctic Ice” made an appearance in every palette!? I just have to laugh at that!

Free Motion Quilting (FMQ), Quilting

Friday Finish: Dr. Seuss Diamonds Quilt

March 20, 2015 kittywilkin 14 Comments

Just in the nick of time, I finished the Dr. Seuss quilt for my daughter’s preschool fundraiser. As I mentioned in previous blog posts When Duty Calls: Dr. Seuss Raffle Quilt and Dr. Suess Flimsy Finish, this quilt was created from an old work in progress for a fundraiser raffle at our local elementary school. Every bit of fabric used was already in my stash, with the exception of the polar fleece backing. I am really happy with how the quilt came out, and finishing at 44″x51″, it is a decent snuggle size for a child to curl up under while reading a book.

Before I go into the details of this finish, I want to extend a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who commented on my previous Flimsy Finish post. You helped me to realize the true joy in giving that is involved in donation quilts, and to feel entirely positively about the whole experience. What matters most is that this quilt will be loved by a child, and that I have donated my time, skill, and materials to a cause in which I believe. Hopefully the school and PTO will earn a good sum thanks to the addition of this quilt to the raffle basket, but even if not, the joy that it brings to a child–and really, to me for having the ability to donate such a labor of love–is what matters in the end. So THANK YOU!

Now, the quilt!!

dr seuss quilt finish — Mr. Cat in the Hat likes it, too!

I backed this quilt with gorgeous turquoise polar fleece so that it is extra snuggly, and decided to use that same polar fleece backing to bind the quilt. I wanted the binding to be extra wide, since it is so snuggly, so I trimmed the backing so that it extended 1.5″ from every side, then folded in half and then folded over the front of the quilt to make a 3/4″ binding, top stitched on the front. It was surprisingly smooth and easy, and I love the finished look!

The free motion quilting shows nicely on the solid polar fleece back, and I almost like the back of the quilt as much as the front!

dr seuss quilt finish back — Free motion quilting detail on the back of the quilt.

My free motion quilting (FMQ) is far from perfect, but I think it was an excellent design for this quilt layout. The wonky Seussical triangles I quilted on the narrow sashing crossed fairly smoothly, and the simple orange peel-esque diamonds hold it together nicely. I used a wide wiggle on the wide white borders (can you tell I’m a total FMQ newbie? “wide wiggle”!? haha), and couldn’t resist the urge to do a bit of free form Dr. Seuss FMQ in the corners. I roughly quilted three Truffala trees with “Unless” written beneath in one corner, two Seussical stars in two opposite corners, and I quilted my “tag” into the final corner, since I didn’t want to mar the beautiful back with a cotton label.

I had my usual helper, Mr. Max, who couldn’t resist snuggling behind this quilt. Just a few cameos of my cutie pie helper and then I’ll share the official quilt stats

peek a boo Max dr seuss quilt — Peek a boo!

Quilt Stats

Pattern: Must Stash (Diamond Quilt) from the book Modern Designs for Classic Quilts by Kelly Biscopink and Andrea Johnson. *Amazon affiliate link*

Size: 44″x51″

Fabric:
Front: Dr. Seuss fabric by Robert Kaufman Fabrics with Kona White sashing and borders.
Back & Binding: Turquoise polar fleece

Batting: 100% cotton Warm & Natural batting

Thread: Aurifil 50wt 2615 – Aluminum & 2600 – Dove

Quilting: Free motion quilted on my domestic Bernina Artiste 730

Time:
Cutting diamonds (rough approximation): 3 hours
Layout and cutting of supplemental diamonds: 45 minutes
Piecing the top–aka sewing sashing: 7 hours
Squaring, layering, and basting: 1 hour
Quilting: 6 hours
Finishing (trimming to size, clipping threads): 45 minutes
Binding: 1 hour
Total: Approx. 19 hours 30 minutes

I’m linking up with TGIFF. I’m also going to link up with Yvonne’s Thankful Thursday since I’m truly thankful for you awesome quilting community, who helped me see the light about donation quilts. It’s all about the giving!

Giveaway, Patterns, Quilting

Doe Layers of Charm Quilt & a Giveaway

February 9, 2015 kittywilkin 366 Comments

When Fat Quarter Shop contacted me about quilting along with their newest shortcut quilt pattern, I immediately decided I wanted to make the quilt out of Carolyn Friedlander‘s newest fabric line Doe. Thus the seed was planted that grew into the Doe Layers of Charm Quilt.

Remember this sneak peek?

Well, here it is!

Layers of Charm

Layers of Charm is Fat Quarter Shop’s newest Short Cut Quilt pattern, complete with a free downloadable pdf and video. The pattern uses a layer cake and charm square pack, so I used a Doe layer cake (with two cameos by Botanics) and the coordinating Kona cotton solids charm pack. When I started this quilt, Doe wasn’t yet available in the US so Robert Kaufman Fabrics was kind enough to send me what I needed in advance (Thank you!). The part of the process that took the longest was deciding on a layout that I liked. I ultimately decided on one that I feel embodies the Doe fabric line well, with the focus on low volumes and amazing texture, with just a pop of color. Piecing the 57 1/2″ x 57 1/2″ lap sized top took me only 6 hours (and I’m a meticulous, seam-ripping-until-perfect kind of sewist).

For the back, I chose to sew one row from Carolyn’s Catenary pattern on an Architextures Ledger backing. The Catenary was my first time attempting needle-turn applique, and even with a time crunch, I truly savored each stitch! All three of Carolyn’s fabric lines are represented in this quilt, and I absolutely love it.

I decided to use a combination of straight-line quilting and free motion quilting, all of which I did on my domestic Bernina sewing machine.

Doe Layers of Charm quilt — Two quilting thread colors converge.

When inquiring about a coordinating Doe Aurifil thread set, Alex Veronelli from Aurifil said that there was not yet such a set, but offered to send me coordinating threads of my choice (Thank you, Alex & Aurifil!). I chose:

2783 – medium delft blue
1320 – medium teal
2850 – medium juniper
1154 – dusty orange
5022 – mustard
2021 – white
2026 – chalk
2310 – light beige
2600 – dove
1246 – grey

Look at them shine (and comment below for a chance to win small spools of all these colors)!

My chosen quilting pattern left a TON of thread ends to bury (3 hours worth!) but I’m really happy with the outcome. Changing threads to coordinate with each section of the quilt really helps emphasize the varied values and textures in Carolyn’s Doe line. The Layers of Charm pattern is a great pattern that lets the fabric do the talking.

My family helped me photograph the completed quilt during one of our recent blizzards (there seems to be one every few days). We had a little bit too much fun, as you can see.

Quilt Stats

Pattern: Layers of Charm free Shortcut Quilt pattern by Fat Quarter Shop. (instructional video here)

Size: lap sized: 57 1/2″ x 57 1/2″ (pattern includes table runner, crib, lap, queen, and king sizes)

Fabric (all by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman Fabrics):
Front: layer cake of Doe with two squares from Botanics, charm square pack of Doe coordinating Kona cottons.
Back: Architextures Ledger in Grey with Catenary pattern in Doe Droplet in Carrot on Kona Med Grey and Architextures crosshatch in Niagara
Binding: Architextures crosshatch in Navy with an accent of Poppy

Batting: 100% cotton Soft n’ Crafty batting

Thread: Aurifil 50wt in coordinating colors: 2783 – medium delft blue, 1320 – medium teal, 2850 – medium juniper, 1154 – dusty orange, 5022 – mustard, 2021 – white, 2026 – chalk, 2310 – light beige, 2600 – dove, and 1246 – grey

Time:
Piecing the top: 6 hours
Piecing the back: 4 hours
Squaring, layering, and basting: 45 min
Quilting: 7 hrs 45 min
Finishing (thread burying): 3 hours
Binding: 1 hr 30 min
Total: Approx. 23 hours

While I always seem to take the long road, this quilt could easily be whipped up in a weekend (or a day, if you’re quick). I am already thinking of making a baby-sized version with all black and white (heavy on the black) 10-squares and a bright pop of color solid charm pack.

Now, for a giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of the Layers of Charm pattern, I’m hosting a giveaway. One lucky winner will win a layer cake (ten-square) of Doe by Carolyn Friedlander (thanks to the Fat Quarter Shop) and a set of small spools of coordinating Aurifil threads* (thanks to Aurifil). You can enter by leaving two comments:

What would you make with your winnings?
If you follow me, Night Quilter, let me know how–or visit my right toolbar to follow me if you don’t already, then tell me how! (e-mail, WordPress, Bloglovin’, Instagram, Twitter, Craftsy)

The giveaway will be open until Monday, February 16th 12noon EST. I’ll select one winner randomly from the comments below. Good luck!

*Note: The coordinating Aurifil thread set is not an “official” Doe coordinating set. I personally chose ten colors that I feel compliment and coordinate with the Doe fabric line.

After entering the giveaway, head over to the Fat Quarter Shop’s blog the Jolly Jabber to see the other version of this quilt in the blog hop. Meanwhile, we’ll be snuggling in this lovely Doe quilt.

Design, Life

Color Inspiration Thursday {34}

January 22, 2015 kittywilkin 6 Comments

Are you ready for another fantasy trip to the tropics?! I know I am! It’s still hovering in the single and barely-double digits here in Maine, so I am going to savor these tropical palettes today. As per usual, color palettes are created with Play Crafts’ Palette Builder 2.1 and my photographs. Matching Kona cottons and Aurifil thread are awesomely provided with the palette builder. Today’s photographs were taken in Cozumel, Mexico.

Corresponding Kona cottons from left to right:
Charcoal, Mushroom, Pewter, Fog, Sky, Spring

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
4241 – V Dk Grey
2370 – Sandstone
2605 – Grey
6720 – Slate
2710 – Lt Robins Egg
2850 – Med Juniper

I’ll start off with another palm tree photograph since I’ve already established my love of palm trees. I love the texture in this photographic study of the alternating bark pattern on the trunk of a palm tree. The splash of blues and green paired with the color gradient of grays is just icing on the cake. Thinking about texture and quilting makes me think about Doe. I was recently reflecting on Carolyn Friedlander’s new fabric line Doe, and realized that one of the big reasons I love her fabrics so much is the diverse and intense texture in each one. Texture and color play so well together, and Carolyn manages to design fabrics that convey a strong texture, either while playing delightfully with color or in the wonderfully all-purpose low volumes for which she is so well known.

Corresponding Kona cottons from left to right:
Titanium, Coal, Silver, Cadet–or–Charcoal, Ruby, Taupe

Corresponding Aurifil thread from left to right:
2610 – Lt Blue Grey
1246 – Grey
2615 – Aluminum
2606 – Mist
2230 – Med Poppy
4012 – Copper Brown

Since we are voyaging to the hot and sunny beach in the tropics. it only seems right to include a catamaran to take us out snorkeling–or just sail us around on a breezy, sun-bathing booze cruise–at least those of us who are not currently with-child (come pick me up in July)!. The color palette resulting from this photo is a quintessential nautical palette, in my opinion. You’ve got your blues and grays, with those shining stars navy blue and a pop of red. Go ahead and sail away… but come back soon!

I’m linking up with #ThankfulThursday on Yvonne aka Quilting Jetgirl’s blog since I’m ALWAYS thankful for the color all around us, and that I can see it. I’m also thankful for the hot memories from Cozumel to help warm me on this frigid winter’s day!