Sunset Crossing and Positivity

It's time to showcase another two quilts from my new book, Scrappy Improv Quilting.  I can't believe we're almost to the end of the blog tour!  Today features two more quilts from the Standards With a Twist section, starting with Sunset Crossing.

Sunset Crossing uses scraps in a summery palette to add pop to the crossroads quilt blocks.  I love how the blue and aqua scraps play so well with the Kona Peach and Kona Melon solids.

I let the blocks be my guide for quilting this one.  Each crossroads block is quilted with coordinating thread with lines that follow the X shape with tiny crosshatch quilting in the center.  Stippling in the background adds lots of texture to the Kona White background.

This small blue and aqua floral print came right out of my stash and looks great on the back, and I finished it off with a Kona Melon binding.  By the way, I really love that with mini quilts, I usually don't have to go shopping!  Most of the time I can pull everything right from my stash- including the backing and binding!

Kate at Katie Mae Quilts made Sunset Crossing for the blog tour today, and I hope you will head over to see her lovely mini quilt!

Positivity is the second quilt being featured today, and this one is absolutely, positively, SO very easy to put together!  The scrappy purple and gray palette give this quilt some depth, but I think my favorite part of this pattern is how the plusses don't extend all the way to the edges.  That negative space makes it a little bit different.

With all of these squares, I knew that Positivity needed grid quilting to set it off.  The half-inch grid echoes the plus shapes and gives a nice, clean look to the quilt.  

I used this simple gray and white print on the back, and finished it off with a Kona Purple binding.

The Positivity stop for the blog hop is over at Sarah Goer Quilts.  Be sure to check out her version of this fun little quilt!

I'll be sharing the final two quilts next Monday, so come on back to see them.  And check out the full blog tour schedule below!

Signed copies of Scrappy Improv Quilting are available in my Etsy shop HERE, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.  It is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major booksellers.  
And shop owners, you can get it from any of the major distributors- Checker, Brewer, United Notions, and EE Schenck.  I hope you'll consider adding it to your library or carrying it in your shop!  :) 

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour Schedule-

8/31- Intro, Single Block Beauties, and Simple Shapes

9/7- Seasonal Sensations, Standards With a Twist 

9/13- Summer Blossom- Lori @ Crossquilt
           Up, Up, and Away- Sandra @ mmm quilts

9/15- Flutter- Rose @ Something Rosemade
           Botanics- Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

9/20- Face the Sun- Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts
           Full Spectrum- Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal

9/22- Prismatic- Anja @ Anja Quilts
           Downpour- Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting

9/27- Funkytown- Vasudha @ Storied Quilts
           Cherub Wings- Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

9/29- Chapel Window- Kris @ Sew Sunshine
           Winter Frost- Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

10/4- Heartstruck- Rebecca Grace @ Rebecca Grace Quilting
           Star Spangled- Christine @ Triangles & Squares

10/6- Birds of a Feather- Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts
           Fall Foliage- Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

10/11- Ornamental- Gail @ Quilting Gail
            Churn, Churn, Churn- Cynthia @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

10/13- Sunset Crossing- Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts
             Positivity- Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts

10/18- All Dressed Up- Linda @ Flourishing Palms
             Shockwave- Anne-Marie @ Stories From the Sewing Room

10/20- Sweet Bee (a bonus thank-you pattern), Finishing, and Wrap-Up (here!)