Wonk Around the Block in Indigo!

 This morning I finished up the last workshop session with the Great Lakes Modern Quilt Guild. We've been doing my Wonk Around the Block pattern as a virtual sew along since May, and it's been a lot of fun, and a great way to still be able to sew together even when we're apart. For my demo version for the sew along, I used the gorgeous Indigo Batiks from Anthology Fabrics.

Here's a progression of my quilt through the months: 

Month 1: The wonky center star that starts it all: 

Month 2: Flying geese border + additional borders

Month 3: Wonky Log Cabin blocks

Months 4 : More borders

Month 6: Half Shoo Fly and Wonky Flying Geese for the finish! 

Next up, of course, is quilting! 

I'll share a gallery of everyone's Wonk Around the Block quilts soon--there's so much variety! 

The Wonk Around the Block pattern is available in my Etsy shop.

You can also purchase access to a set of videos that walk you through each section's steps.

If you like what you've seen here, you can also find me:

To find all of my quilt patterns, visit my Etsy shop. 

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Zipped Up

I'm excited to have a project featured in Benartex's free e-zine, Modern by the Yard. I used Christa Watson's Gridwork collection (yes, I've used this a lot lately--it's so fun!). I wanted to come up with a design that would showcase those big prints in larger chunks, rather than cutting them up small. Here's what I came up with:

Photo by Erin Sutherland Photography

The name came naturally after finishing the design--I think the center looks like a zipper. I played around with several color palettes but really wanted to use the blue and citron to create a bold, spring-like feel. The Arches print (the stripe) was perfect to tie the two side colors together. Visit the e-zine to see some of the other color variations I tried. 

Diane Oakes quilted the quilt. We decided on lines of pebbles in the center blocks and a simple wavy line in the frames. There's so much going on in the fabric, and the pebbles echoed the circular feel in the prints. 

It's hard to see the machine quilting in the background--if you enlarge the photo, you can see it a little better. Diane quilted spiral boxes that would provide texture without overpowering the design. 

Fun fact: Diane told me that she had to quilt the citron using a black light because she couldn't see the thread on the fabric! 

I love this view down the center of the quilt!

Make sure you page through the entire issue of Modern by the Yard--it's FREE! There are four projects and other fun features, including Modern with a Twist and Mix & Match. You'll also find the pattern to make Zipped Up. 

Find the magazine here.

See the entire Gridwork collection here. Ask for it at your local quilt shop, or visit Christa's website to order what you need.

Introducing Echo!

I first designed the Echo quilt a couple years ago and have been wanting to remake it in a different fabric line. I found the perfect one! I used the Maara collection by Alexandra Bordallo for Art Gallery Fabrics.  

Here's Echo, a modern take on a Log Cabin. Four jumbo Log Cabin blocks with some pieced logs to enhance the design. The pattern is available in my Etsy shop, and the quilt is featured in the Maara lookbook.

I couldn't resist taking Echo out into our gorgeous Michigan fall colors for a photo shoot. The leaves didn't disappoint! 

My favorite part of the quilt? I love the two alternating light strips in the outer corners of each block. One is a cream solid, and the other is such a fun safari print from Alexandra's line called Maasai village. I love the subtle look of these logs.

I quilted Echo myself, and I'm pretty proud of it. I stuck with my three most comfortable designs, and they fit well in the various logs. 

The design is the same for all four blocks but I changed up the fabric placement in kitty corner blocks. 

The great thing about a four-block quilt is once the blocks are stitched, assembly is super quick! 

Here's what you're waiting for: the pattern! 

Purchase the pattern here.

Hello, Stripe-tacular!

Near the end of summer, I thought of the perfect scene to photograph my newest pattern,
the Stripe-tacular quilt. 

On a paddle board! 

I had my son video the photoshoot efforts just in case the quilt (or I!) fell in.
Spoiler alert: everything stayed dry. 

Balancing carefully...

The wind is not cooperating!

Still not cooperating...my paddle board has a sail!

And now we're sailing away!

Don't drop the quilt!

Obligatory swirl shot:

This pattern comes with directions to make a baby-sized version as well, measuring 36-1/4" x 45". 

Here it is in Benartex's Color Weave Pearl fabrics. Love those soft pastels!

This quilt is super easy to make and has a cool optical illusion effect to it.
Picking out the fabrics to use is the best part!

The Stripe-Tacular pattern is available in my Etsy shop.

Purchase the pattern here.