Murrina

Today's stop on the Stash Statement blog tour features the Murrina quilt, and I'm so excited to share it with you.  I traveled to Italy in college, and fell in love with the artistry in the small glass pendants created there, called Murrina.  They are unlike any other kind of jewelry and the details in each piece are truly spectacular.  They are also known as millefiori, or one-thousand flower pendants, and are actually the inspiration behind many English Paper Piecing projects we see in the quilt world today.

When I designed this quilt, I wanted to capture the charm of those gorgeous glass pieces, but without hand sewing (because you know I hate that).

These Murrina are the perfect little gems for showing off your cherished fabric bits.  They look like they are exploding from the center and floating out toward the edges of the quilt, which is such a neat effect.  Though others on the blog hop have used prints in the background, this is the only quilt shown in the book that has a print background, and the black and white crosshatch gives such a great backdrop for the improv snowballs.

I quilted this one with a giant spiral using 50 wt. Aurifil White, and the spiral is slightly more dense in the center which adds to the floaty look.  On the back, I used a nice, bright floral with a coral pin dot strip to widen it out.  I had a tough time deciding on the backing for this quilt because there are so many colors in the scraps, but it compliments the front well and I really love how it turned out!  The Kona Pomegranate binding adds a perfect pop against both the floral backing, as well as the crosshatch background.

You might be surprised to learn that the Murrina quilt is created with just nine big blocks.  It really is much easier than it appears, and it creates a real statement!

Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl and Leanne at Devoted Quilter each made their own version of the Murrina quilt, and I love the personal touch each put on the pattern.  I know you don't want to miss them!  After checking them out, be sure to get your own copy of Stash Statement, and you'll be well on your way to making these unique quilts with your treasured scraps.

You can get a signed copy of Stash Statement in my Etsy shop HERE, which includes the free bonus pattern, Take Flight.  You can also find it on Amazon, Connecting Threads, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.

Here's the full lineup for the Stash Statement blog hop, and you will definitely want to stay tuned for the awesomeness being shared every Monday!

4/16- Grand Bazaar    Shelley @ Cora's Quilts

                                      Connie @ Freemotion by the River

4/23- Louvered  Lindsey @ Primrose Cottage Quilts 

                            Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

4/30- Precarious  Jess @ Quilty Habit                       

                              Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts

                                                            

5/7- Beach Retreat  Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts                               

                                  Liz @ Savor Every Stitch 

                                                           

5/14- Fire Pit   Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts                                          

                         Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

                                                            

5/21- Detour    Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts                         

                         Shelley @ The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts

                                                            

5/28- Murrina    Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl             

                            Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

                                                            

6/4- Scattered    Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal                      

                           Christine @ Triangles and Squares 

                                                            

6/11- Bloom Chicka Boom   Chris @ made by ChrissieD            

                                               Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

                                                            

6/18- Regatta   Susan @ Quilt Fabrication                             

                          Debbie @ A Quilter's Table    

                                                            

6/25- Catch a Falling Star  Cynthia @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework        

                                              Anja @ Anja Quilts

                                                            

7/2- College Prep   Hilary @ by Hilary Jordan                 

                                Lori @ Crossquilt

                                                            

7/9- Take Flight (free bonus pattern)  Kelli @ Seriously, I Think It Needs Stitches 

                                                             Paula @ The Sassy Quilter