Bloggers Quilt Festival - High Tea Quilt

Today I want to share a few more details of my High Tea Quilt.  If you're new to my blog, this is a new pattern that I've just released.  Make sure you pop over to my pattern release post to check out all the different versions made by my wonderful pattern testers.

 

My version is made with charm squares from a number of Bonnie and Camille's collections, gathered from the charm swap run by Ms Midge.  I really like the soft colours of Bonnie and Camille's fabric ranges, and I wanted to let the prints shine without too much distraction.  I chose white (Moda Bella White) to add brightness and freshness, and light grey (oops, I hadn't labelled this solid!) to add softness and contrast (but not too much contrast).

 

I came up with this design when I was thinking about a modified disappearing nine patch block.  I quickly realised that it would be much more efficient to strip piece the quilt, and came up with the design on that basis.

I couldn't resist taking a photo with these gorgeous copper tea things.  They belonged to my grandparents but live at Mum and Dad's house now.  I have many fond memories of seeing them in my grandparents house when I was little, and playing with a miniature version of them.

This quilt was quilted by Sue Burnett - I'm really grateful to her for turning it around for me in a ridiculously short time frame.  With a fairly traditional layout, and very square piecing, I felt like baptist fans were the perfect way to add some curves to this quilt.

This quilt has passed the most important test - it's Ralph (and Ivy) approved!  I can't wait to wash this quilt and see it crinkle up - I think it will make it even better.

It's that time of the year, when Amy from Amy's Creative Side hosts the Blogger's Quilt Festival.

It's definitely worth clicking through to check out all the other quilts that have been linked up - there's always a wealth of inspiration!

Quilt Stats 

Pattern: High Tea Quilt Pattern designed by me (find it in my Etsy shop and on Craftsy - on sale for only US$4 for another day)

Finished Size: 56" by 69"  

Fabric: Bonnie and Camille charm squares, Moda Bella in White, unknown grey solid

Backing: white on white unknown floral print

Binding: Orange Paisley from Bonnie and Camille's Scrumptious collection

Pieced by: me

Quilted by: Sue Burnett

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Autumn with a Twist Quilt

I am revisting my Autumn with a Twist Quilt for the Bloggers Quilt Festival. I made this quilt as a sample for a class I'm teaching and it was just a delightful experience. The colour palette was inspired by some fabrics I picked up on a quilty roadtrip with a friend, and then I found the perfect backing at a local quilt shop (on sale, no less). I think it was just meant to be!

This quilt is just a simple equilateral triangle quilt.  It's the third one I've made and I'd make another tomorrow!  If you're interested in making your own, you can check out my tutorials on how to cut equilateral triangles and how to sew equilateral triangles.

I've been wanting to make an autumnal quilt for a while, and I started on that with my Midnight at the Oasis quilt.  However, that project is on hold for the moment, so the need to make a sample for my class presented the perfect opportunity.  I've said before that if someone said they were putting chartreuse, plum, hot pink, grey-brown and cream together, I'd think of a hot mess, but I really love this somewhat unexpected colour combination.

As much as I love the front, I think I like the back as much.  I used a really beautiful panel from Cori Dantini's Beauty is You line, and it ties in many of the colours from the front, in a much softer palette.  I'm really glad I managed to find this fabric, because I had in mind to use on the back once I started the front, and it's quite hard to find online.  I might have cleaned out the local quilt shop I found it at!

Even though cream linen binding is horribly impractical, it just seemed like the right choice for this quilt.

 

For the quilting, I decided to go very simple so as not to compete with the quite busy quilt top (and because I loved the quilting on this equilateral triangle baby quilt that my mum made).  I simply stitched a quarter inch off each side of the seam lines.  It was much quicker and easier than I thought it would be, especially because I didn't need to mark any of the quilting lines, and just used my walking foot as a guide.  I actually used a different coloured thread on the top and in the bobbin, but the colour differences are very subtle (a very light beige on the back, and a slightly darker beige on the front).  It does make a very nice pattern on the back.

Of course, I added the label in my usual style.  I've found that curving the corners of my labels lets me blanket stitch around them a little bit more neatly, and they feel more secure without the points which can come loose.

At 238" inches around, my quilt just squeezes into the Small Quilt Category for the Bloggers Quilt Festival. Make sure you head over and check out the other quilts in that category and all the other categories!

Quilt Stats
Pattern: my own equilateral triangle quilt pattern
Finished Size: approx 56" by 63"

Fabric: various

Backing: panel from Beauty is You by Corin Dantini

Binding: Essex Linen in Ivory

Pieced and quilted by: me