Positive Signs and NTT

Oh. My. Goodness!  Somebody send me some wood so I can start building an ark over here.  We just cannot seem to get away from the rain for more than two or three days at a time, and this has been going on since the fall.  We did have two glorious days of sunshine this weekend and my parents were in town visiting, so my dad and hubs held up my latest quilt for some great photos.

I'm calling this one Positive Signs.  Obviously the crosses/plusses helped me decide on the name, but also, this is my first quilt finish after some pretty major life upheaval, and it feels so wonderful to be back in my studio.

All of my leftovers for this quilt (and there were a LOT after my cutting mishap) went onto the back, and I think the varied width of the strips make this really fun.

This quilt was finished with a nice, easy stipple, and I absolutely loved doing it.  There's just something about the smooth, gentle curves that is relaxing, especially when I have awesome music playing.

When cutting up my leftovers for the back of this quilt, I realized that I had a full half yard of this dark blue print, and decided it would be perfect for the binding.  Because I rarely buy fabric in larger cuts than 1/2 yard, that was certainly a pleasant discovery.  This is from the Macrame collection for Cotton and Steel, and though I usually prefer more solid bindings, this one turned out great.  Best of all, I didn't have to buy more fabric to get it finished!

This quilt has already gone home to live with my Mom (and Dad too, though this one's a little girly for him), and I've already started cutting fabric for a new quilt to hang on a wall in my new home.

What you're seeing here is a variety of 1.5" strips from about 35 different text, cream, tan, light gray, and metallic gold prints...plus a few bits of green for good measure.  This is quite a departure from the riot of color I've been working with for the past few weeks.  I'm so excited for this project to take shape, and I can't wait to reveal a little more to you so stay tuned for updates!

I'm super excited to show you some of the fantastic highlights from last week's party.  Sandra at mmm! quilts shared this stunning quilt-

I just love the scrappy beauty by Anorina at Samelia's Mum-

These curvy string blocks by Sally at Crafts, Cavies, and Cooking are gorgeous!

And finally, this lovely quilt is by Cynthia at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework-

Y'all are just amazing, week after week.  Okay friends, party on!

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 within your 

    post.  

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!  :)

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

 

Regatta

Are you ready for another stop on the Stash Statement blog hop?  This week features the Regatta quilt, and the background is full of soothing blue and aqua, with just a touch of teal to depict ocean water.

The variation in the shades of blue add amazing depth and movement to the water, and provide the perfect setting for the Kona Red and Corn Yellow racing sailboats.  I quilted this one with a very dense stipple with Aurifil 50 wt. White, and the crinkly texture also adds some great movement to the quilt.

For the back of this quilt, I pulled this soothing blue print from my stash, along with Kona Navy and more Corn Yellow.  This shade of denim blue is really perfect for this quilt, and the little print adds just enough interest.

I used plenty of my leftover blue strip scraps for a scrappy binding, and it disappears right into the quilt, which really is cool.

One of the great things about the quilts in Stash Statement is how easy it is to work on them as a longer term project if you prefer.  I generally like get down to business and sew my improv pieces together in a couple of days, but I have known quilters who prefer to sew a few blocks together here and there, pulling a handful of scraps out between projects.  

You can work on these quilts the same way some quilters put together string blocks or postage stamp blocks- but there is one BIG difference.  You don't have to do any additional cutting beforehand for improv blocks!  You can just grab a handful of scraps and start sewing!  I promise, it's easier than it looks, and the book walks you through the process with step-by-step instructions and three easy methods.  Everyone can do this!

Debbie at A Quilter's Table and Susan at Quilt Fabrication are sharing their own gorgeous versions of the Regatta quilt today, so head over there to check them out!

Ready to start turning your scraps into unique quilts, filled with amazing texture and interest?  You can get a signed copy of Stash Statement from my Etsy shop HERE.  The book is also available from Amazon, Connecting Threads, ShopMartingale.com, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.

Here's the full blog tour lineup!

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

 

Bloom Chicka Boom!

Though of course I love each of the quilts in Stash Statement and enjoyed creating them, the blog hop is now entering my personal favorite section of the book, with four quilts that have Improv in the Background.  In this section, the improv piecing becomes a textured backdrop for the blocks, and the effect is really cool- almost like an impressionist painting.  The four quilts in the section show land, sea, sky, and a neutral.  With its lush blooms, representing land is the super cheerful and fun Bloom Chicka Boom quilt.

It's no secret that green is my favorite color, and in Bloom Chicka Boom, I included green scraps in every shade imaginable.  Eight Kona solids were used for the blocks- Purple, Tangerine, Royal Blue, Pomegranate, Corn Yellow, Melon, Turquoise, and Cerise, and the bold solids against the improv create a cool, three-dimensional effect.

This quilt was so much fun to design and make, and even though it looks like a ton of improv, it's really just an illusion, because the solid floral blocks take up the most visual space in the quilt.

On the back I used this awesome Art Gallery print, which picks up the colors in the front just beautifully, and widened it out with stripes of Kona Pomegranate and Chartreuse.

Bloom Chicka Boom was actually made almost two years ago (publication is a long process!), so I can't remember the actual name of the fabric or the collection for the backing (sorry!).  This was also before I started getting a little more adventurous with my free motion quilting, and it is stippled with 50 wt. Aurifil White.  Confession- even after quilting other designs, stippling is still my very favorite motif for letting the piecing really shine.  I love how it is easy to vary the quilting density, and that it just blends right in.

I framed out these bold blooms with a Kona Cerise binding.  I almost went with a shade of green to blend into the background, but I love the contrast that the Cerise offers.

Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty and Chris at Made By Chrissie D did an amazing job making the Bloom Chicka Boom pattern their own, and I can't wait for you to see them!  Then, make sure to head over to my Etsy shop HERE for your very own signed copy!  You can also find Stash Statement on Amazon, Connecting Threads, your favorite craft book seller, or at your local quilt shop.

It's hard to fathom, but there are only a few weeks remaining in the Stash Statement blog hop!  I'm including the full lineup for you, and just so you know, each time one of these lovely ladies blogs her project, I've updated the links in this list to direct to the specific posts (even for the previous weeks in the tour).  So you'll always be able to find them!

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