Waiting For the Right Fabrics and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I have a brand new quilt top to share with you today, and I am so very excited about it.  I designed this pattern over two years ago and at the time, I had a very specific feel in mind for this quilt.  I really wanted the fabrics to have a certain vibe, and I couldn't immediately find a collection that felt right.  So, the pattern stayed in my design folder where I kind of forgot about it for awhile.

When I saw the 365 Fifth Avenue collection by Bari J, I started thinking about a quilt pattern for them, and when I stumbled across this one in my design folder, I knew right away it would be a perfect marriage of fabric and pattern.  Now that the quilt top is all put together, it's clear that it was totally worth the two year wait.

This is move-in week for my father-in-law, so helping him get all settled will be my priority for the next week, but I'm going to get this quilt finished as soon as I can.  After two years, what's another week, right?

Before we party, check out the highlights from last week.  This quilt by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting is so lovely.  I can't resist a quilt photographed in a beautiful setting.

This rainbow beauty is by Julie's Quilts and Costumes-

Sandra at mmm! Quilts showed off this fun quilt-

And Nettie Sews and Lucky Quilts linked up this sweet baby quilt-

Okay, y'all!  I can't wait to see what you're working on this week.  It's time to party!

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!  :)

Opulence and NTT

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday and happy November, y'all!  I've been sewing like crazy around here lately and have a newly finished quilt to share.

These Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabrics have such a pretty palette, and since it's heavy on purple and warm golden tones, it looks very regal to me.  I'm calling this one Opulence.  In case you missed my last post, this quilt is made with my Stems and Stones pattern (available HERE and HERE), and the curvy illusion sets off these beautiful prints so well.

When I'm making a quilt, I always choose to use as many prints as possible, so I can have lots leftover for the backing, plus, I hate having to decide which prints to eliminate from an entire collection.  I prefer the little bit of extra work to put together a pieced backing, rather than having to search out a single fabric that coordinates perfectly.  I had a bundle containing 34 prints, and I used every single one!

This quilt even got a scrappy binding.  Since the strips I had leftover were only 10 inches long, I worried that the binding would look too choppy, but I actually love the effect.  I just know the recipient of this quilt is going to love it, and I can't wait until she gets it.

Before we party, take a look at some of my favorite projects from last week!  Liz at Savor Every Stitch linked up this beauty, called Starlight Symphony.  Oh my goodness, that quilting!!!

Tisha at Quilty Therapy shared this cute string quilt with cute, woodland themed fabrics.

Sophie at Luna Lovequilts linked up this fun circle quilt with such an interesting layout!

and Alison at Little Bunny Quilts showed off this pretty star quilt.  Beautiful colors!

Okay, friends.  I know you're busy sewing all the awesome things, and I can't wait to see.  Let's link up!

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!  :)

Carrelage and Party Time!

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I'm ecstatic to share my Carrelage quilt and pattern with you.  Not a single snowball corner, half square triangle, or partial/Y-seam, but one really cool pattern!

This pattern came about while I was playing around with some scrap strips and slicing them to see what I could do.  I'm thinking that I should really play around with scraps more often, because I love the result!  It may look difficult, but seriously y'all, if you can sew strips together and use a rotary cutter, you can make this quilt.  The other neat thing, is that the placement of the white sashing means that the block comes together with very minimal seam matching.

All of my leftover fabric was used to make a scrappy backing, and I am loving how the sunlight is shining through it in this photo.  I had a tough time deciding on a binding color though.  Since I didn't have a clear preference for a specific color, I went with the blush for the sake of practicality- I already had enough of the most vibrant blush fabric in my stash.  Waste not, want not!

Another little note about the colors here.  I use tons of navy and teal/aqua in my quilts, but this shade of blush/peachy pink is one that I almost never use.  I realized that I have collected a few fabrics in this color here and there, and they have been sitting in my stash for awhile, so I purposely tried to find a home for them in this quilt.  I think the color looks soft and fresh against the navy and teal, and although it's not a usual color choice for me, I like it!

I just love creating patterns that look much more difficult than they really are.  The Carrelage pattern is available in my Craftsy and Etsy shops, and I hope you'll take a look if you're looking for a quilt with some wow factor!

My, oh my!  The links in last weeks party were scrumptious.  There was so much fun inspiration with every single click, like this Rainbow in a Box quilt by Snug Harbor Quilts.

Carol Quilts Sometimes shared this Dresden quilt made with Priory Square fabrics.  Such a beauty!

And this Rainbow Stars quilt by Twiggy and Opal is just amazing.  The entire thing only measures 15.5" square, and those teeny black squares in this mini are only 1/4 inch finished.  That is crazy and awesome, all at the same time!

This week, I think I could have picked about five more that were truly gorgeous, so if you didn't get a chance to really browse through last week's links, you should definitely take some time to be inspired.  I have no doubt that this week's party will be full of awesomeness, too!

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!  :)

Creating Illusion

Y'all, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about my newest quilt design.  What began as playing around with scraps turned into this quilt with such an intriguing pattern.

You know, most of us probably have a favorite part of the quilting process.  Some really love piecing, but prefer to quilt "by checkbook," others piece a quilt (or use whole cloth), only to look forward to filling it with the most intricate quilting motifs, and still others relish hand binding as a peaceful way to finish the quilt and say goodbye to it (not me- I'm a machine binding girl all the way).  Just for the record, I don't know anyone who loves basting;  it really is the devil.

I enjoy most parts of the quilting process (again, the basting- ugh.), but when other quilters have asked me what my very favorite part is, I have always answered "finishing it."  We all love finishing our quilts, but for me, it's more specific than that.  Truly, my favorite part of the quilting process is seeing a design that was once only in my own mind, take shape and become the reality of a finished quilt.  I am always most proud of the designs that create the illusion of difficulty, but are created with basic piecing techniques.  This pattern definitely fits that description.  If you can believe it, there isn't a single snowball corner or HST!

As soon as I saw this design all together, I thought it was reminiscent of antique encaustic or cement tiles; but of course, that doesn't make for a very pretty name.  In searching for a more appropriate name for this pattern, I did a little research on the history of the art of creating these tiles, and it seems that many believe that they originated in France.  According to my findings, the French call these tiles "carrelage encaustique," so I've decided to name this pattern Carrelage, which literally translates to tiling.

I am looking forward to my favorite part- finishing it up!