Spring Market was a busy one indeed! I was thrilled to be able to work with the esteemed Amy Butler her new collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics. Each quilt is available as a free pattern, found HERE.
I ADORE both collections and had so many ideas for each. It was so hard to narrow it down to just a few. I am so happy with how the designs turned out.
True Love – featuring Soul Mate by Amy Butler.
True Love came from an image in my head of little cartoon hearts floating above the heads of a couple newly in love. That love is fresh, vibrant, and feels like a dream. There is potential in that love, for something deeper and true, but only time will tell.
Cross My Heart – featuring Soul Mate by Amy Butler
Cross My Heart was the first design out of my brain. I new immediately I wanted to do a cross stitch heart when I heard the collection name. even before I saw the prints. As I colored in each stitch, I imagined a couple who have weathered the test of time. Each stitch is a memory, a milestone, that over time has woven two lives together in a tapestry of love.
You Complete Me – featuring Soul Mate by Amy Butler
Finally, You Complete Me. this is my favorite of the three quilts. Is the feeling when you find each other and realise you fit together perfectly. You are two halfs of the same whole, Soul Mates.
First up- the Splendor quilts for Amy Butler! Splendor was an amazing collection to work with. With her signature style and use of color, Splendor definitely inspired more than just two quilts, but these two were the favorites right from the start!
Zen Garden is an orange peel style quilt with some gentle curves that make it an intermediate level project that confident beginners could take on to learn a new skill. The main print can be fussy cut as shown in the picture, or you can just cut willy-nilly and see what happens =)
Zen Garden – photo courtesy of Amy Butler Designs
Also with Splendor is the full size Clematis Quilt. You all saw the mini that I made for Quilt Market, but the pattern is for the full size. I might have forgotten to take detailed pictures of the quilting for this one in my baby-brain addled state, but I assure you its fantastic. The center star is feathered like the mini, with an added border of zigzags and a row of pebbles. The border is done in swirls and a piano key border.
Clematis – Photo Courtesy of Amy Butler Designs
You can see some detailed shots of both quilts, as well as the other lovely projects made with Splendor, on Amy Butlers Instagram account @amybulterdesign. I am currently working on her next collection, and I can guarantee you are going to LOVE them! I know I do!
Next up are the Cool Cats projects for P&B Textiles. I love the funky colorful cats, and the second main print is a black and white outline print intended for coloring with fabric markers. How great is that? I came up with a fun, easy quilt and an artist apron. I ended up using my tester apron during my pottery stint a few months back (that I totally forgot to blog about, but you can find my pots on my IG account @staceyinstitches. Pottery is fun!) The quilt has a pair of set in 3D strips in the border for a unique look.
Clowder – a group of cats is called a clowder, did you know?
The apron has adjustable straps to be a one -size fits most.
Next is a soft and sweet flannel collection called Beaux Bebe. I designed a simple rag quilt that is beginner friendly, and a set of bonus burp cloths. This one will make the perfect baby shower gift set!
Sweet Dreams Rag Quilt
Lastly there is this fun project for Dear Stella- Meadow Quilt featuring Pine Grove, a collection of super cute woodland creatures. The owl print is my favorite!
Meadow- Featuring Pine Grove by Dear Stella
Soon I am also going to be publishing the next pattern from the book that never was. It is going to be a free tutorial here on the blog, so stay tuned!
Each pattern can be found by following the link in the drop down menu in the Free Patterns section. Enjoy!
Quilt Market wrapped up this past Monday, and in between basement reno’s and Halloween prep and a family visit, I found some time to follow along on Instagram and check out all the new awesomeness that was released. I was also stalking patiently to see pictures of the quilts I made for Market.
I have been sitting on my hands waiting patiently for the official release so that I can show off my new designs. I LOVE the new collections, and and super excited and happy with how everything turned out. My sewing room is finally set up the way I want it, and that includes the home for my new longarm!
That’s correct, I am now the proud owner of a Tin Lizzie Apprentice. I love my machine! She still needs a name (if I go that route, which I likely will). She stitched beautifully and works with my favorite threads – Glide and Aurifil – without issue. The best part is now I don’t have to get a quilt done all in one sitting! I have been getting more creative with my quilting as a result and I am seriously excited as all heck about the future. I can see it getting a lot more productive around here!
Now it’s time for quilts!
Fleur-de-Lis is an applique quilt using Joel Dewberry True Colors. It was a gloomy rainy day when I finished this one up, but @freespiritfabrics has a great picture on their IG account. I quilted it with the extended piano key on the outside borders, and an all over stipple in white Glide between the applique pieces. I outlined each piece in a matching Aurifil thread to quilt. This is going to be a free pattern from FreeSpirit Fabrics.
Fleur De Lis
Fleur de Lis
Next up is another True Colors quilt using Tula Pinks collection of prints. This one is going to be a Craftsy kit. It was hanging front and center in the FreeSpirit Gallery at market, what an honor! I quilted it with an all over swirl in a pretty aqua thread. The aqua pretty well went with everything.
Rainbow Bargello
And then there were two quilts for Amy Butler’s new collection, Splendor. Zen Garden was designed by myself and sewn by Kerri Thomson. Clematis was quilted on my Lizzie, and I am so proud of it! I was able to take mytime over a couple evenings and really get creative with my quilting. Clematis and Zen Garden are both going to be free patterns. These are the mini versions of the quilts, just wait until you see the full size! I haven’t shown a full size of Clematis because it wasn’t actually pictured yet, but once it’s been released, I will. But sneak peeks of the fabric have been posted to Amy Butler’s IG feed, so I can share the quilting details. These are slated to be free patterns as far as I know. A big thank you to Amy Butler for choosing my designs!
Zen Garden – image from @freespiritfabrics on instagram Sewn and quilted by Kerri Thomson
Clematis-Details
Clematis-Details
Clematis-Details
Finally, I am super pleased to share the Catnip quilt, which is a collaborative design between myself and Tula Pink for her new collection, Tabby Road. I am not entirely sure who did the quilting on it, either Angela Walters or Tula herself, but it is fantastic! Tula pieced the quilt. This quilt is the new exclusive quilt kit, which will be available from your local quilt shops and online retailers in March 2017, which is when the collection hits the stores. I already have a full yard bundle on pre-order!
Thh Catnip Quilt- Image from @tulapink
The Catnip Quilt- Image from @tulapink
There are going to be a couple more quilts for this collection eventually, so I will keep you posted.
A quick update for those of you following the Long Weekender Blog Hop.
I finally decided on my fabric. I wanted to use Ty Pennington’s Foliage in Spiced Chocolate. Finding it was another matter altogether! Hawthorne Threads carries both the cotton and the home decor weights, but it was completely sold out in all the colorways. I had considered Amy Butler Love -Paradise Garden in Midnight, but I could not find an accent I was completely happy with. ( I may still make that one, we will see….)
I stumbled across a site called Stitchsteals completely by random chance. I don’t think I could repeat the search that led me to it, but lo and behold, there was the fabric I wanted, and only 5.50/yard! throw in cheap shipping to the USA and a shiny new mailbox across the border, and I had my fabric in my hands in 3 days! Woot! That mailbox may get me into trouble……
Foliage in Charcoal
I also ordered the co-coordinating print Lace in Spice for the inside of the bag and the piping. So much piping! My friend was over the night I planned my cutting layout. I wasn’t too keen using the accent for the handles, and she suggested piping them so it still has a nice pop of color. “What a great idea!” my sleep deprived brain screamed at me, “its only 45″ per handle so that not too much extra!” Right. It did turn out fantastic though. For whatever reason the local stores here either don’t carry cotton cording or they hide it so well you need a bloodhound to sniff it out. I was starting to panic, then I remembered that I have a ball of Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn in my closet. I measured it and it turned out to be only 1/32″ smaller than what was required. It made a suitable alternate in a pinch.
Piping the bag
The pattern calls for home decor weight, but all I could get my mitts on was cotton. I know cotton sateen is slightly heavier and has a firmer drape to it so I added a layer of lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing to the wrong side of all my pieces. It took a little more time but was well worth the effort. The pieces held their shape much better while sewing and because I used the flimsiest interfacing I could find it did not add any extra bulk. It was as close to home decor weight you could get without actually being home decor.
To make a long story short, after only ripping out my finger once on a pin during the final stretch of hand sewing, I finished the bag! Serendipitously it just happened to be a long weekend so my husband could watch Harry while I sewed up a storm. They kept me company in the final stretches so I didn’t go completely crazy. After the piped handles I needed some support, though you will see that i did indeed add some to the side pockets as well. I had all this extra length and Brain though “well, it really shouldn’t go to waste….”
I have decided to join the Long Weekend Blog Hop. The challenge is to make the Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag. It is a challenging pattern, so by doing it all together we can support and help each other out. It is being hosted by Lori H. Designs and Fabric Mutt. There are tons of great giveaways too so be sure to check it out. Head on over for all the details! Once my pattern arrives I will be getting started on my Weekender Bag!
