College Prep

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope you're ready to kick off another awesome week.  Today's quilt on the Stash Statement blog hop is College Prep, and it's the perfect quilt to use up all of your neutral scraps.

The shades of gray, taupe, and cream combine to create such amazing texture, and it allows the giant argyle blocks to really stand out.  I quilted with a dense stipple using 50 wt. Aurifil White, and I love the added crinkle.

When I designed the quilts for the book, I wanted to show that this technique can utilize modern or more traditional scraps, and the quilts can be made with a more masculine color palette just as easily as a feminine one.  In the College Prep quilt, I chose a classic color combo with Kona Basil and Navy for the argyle blocks that anyone would love, but this quilt would be so much fun to personalize with the colors of a favorite sports team or alma mater.

On the back, I used a large cut of this green and navy Denyse Schmidt fabric that I had been saving (hoarding), along with a stripe of Kona Basil.  I love this DS print, and I'm so happy I finally found a use worthy of it.  I used Kona Navy for the binding to tie in the X's in the argyles and I love the result!

If you think you might not have enough scraps for an improv background, or that you might not want to tackle quite so much improv, you can always flip the design!  I made this little mini awhile ago where the improv and solid sections are reversed, and with the argyles showing off the improv, the result is just as cute.  Versatility is the name of the game!

Lori at Crossquilt is sharing her College Prep project today, so head right over to see i.  Hilary at by Hilary Jordan and I had scheduling mix-up, so she will be posting hers later this week, so be on the lookout.  As soon as she posts, I'll update my blog hop list as well!

**Edited- Hilary's project is all finished, and I've updated the links for you!

Get your very own copy of Stash Statement and start turning your scraps into spectacular quilts! Signed copies of Stash Statement are available from my Etsy shop HERE, or you can get it from Amazon, Connecting Threads, Shop Martingale, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.  Thanks, friends!

The blog hop is winding down, with just ONE more week, but don't worry!  If you missed any of the posts, you can always go back and check them out.  I have updated the links in the lineup each week (even in the previous weeks' posts), so you'll always be directed to the right place.  Check them out!

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

 

Needle and Thread Thursday Time!

Happy NTT, y'all!  My secret sewing has been a success, and I am pleased to call this one finished!

If you missed my last post, this one is for my wild thing for Christmas, and it was made entirely in secret.  That's a little bit hard to do around here because he's pretty observant.  Even though the sewing happened while he was at a retreat this weekend and finished while he was at school, every single incriminating scrap had to be thrown away in the outside trash.  He can spot LSU colors from a mile away.

 I pieced the backing with some leftovers, of course, and framed all of the busy pattern with a solid Kona Purple binding.

A snuggle with a quilt is almost as good as a hug from mom (though I still steal those when I can), and it makes my heart happy to know that he will treasure this quilt for years and years to come.

So, before we link up this week, let's check out some of the awesomeness from our last party.  Carole at From My Carolina Home linked up this perfectly pretty Autumn Jubilee table topper-

This lovely is from Myra at Busy Hands Quilts, and it is her brand new pattern, called Castle Dreams.

I love this In the Pink quilt from Kris at Sew Sunshine.

and finally, I cannot help myself this week.  I have to show this improv stunner, called Crown of Orchids by Jess at Quilty Habit.

There is so much fantastic eye candy every single week!  Time to link up your latest projects!

1.  You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)