Patchwork Napkins

Hello and welcome to my stop on the Patchwork Napkins Blog Hop!

Today we are celebrating the newest pattern from my friend, AnneMarie of Gen X Quilters. This 10-page pattern includes full color photographs,four patchwork style blocks, two napkin sizes, fabric requirements, helpful tips and complete assembly instructions to make patchwork napkins that are FUN-ctional. Giveaway at the end of this post!

These patchwork napkins are completely reversible with no exposed seams. The self binding technique makes for a very polished edge on each napkin.

There are four block designs to choose from and I picked the log cabin for my napkin. I used some fresh, springy Lottie Da scraps. The tiny butterfly was just begging to be fussy cut for the center. The background is a grey Sweetwater print. Doesn't it make those bright pastels sing? 

For the backing and binding, I chose a candy green colored solid. I really like the way it framed the whole thing. It's like a little mini quilt for each place setting.

Don't forget Mom! Mother's Day is Sunday, May 11. These napkins are a snap to sew up. The Patchwork Napkins Pattern is ON SALE all this week for the hop - just $7 here.

Patchwork Napkins Blog Hop Schedule

Mon. Apr. 28  Diane / From Blank Pages

Tues. Apr. 29  Lee / Freshly Pieced

Wed. Apr. 30  Adrianne / Little Bluebell and Amy / Sukie

Thurs. May 1  Kati / From the Blue Chair

Fri. May 2  Debbie / A Quilter's Table

GIVEAWAY - This giveaway is now closed. 

AnneMarie has generously offered to give away a pattern to one of you!! To enter, please leave one comment below and tell me: Are your napkins paper or patchwork?! : D  I will chose a winner this Saturday, May 3rd. The winner will be notified via email so please make sure your email is either in your profile or part of your comment.

The winner is Sandyland Stitches!

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedly | Facebook

On the Worktable: Trellis Crossroads

I've been sewing pretty much every spare minute I can sneak away. Just for the joy of it. This little bundle has become quilt top. The pattern is called Trellis Crossroads by Jessica Kelly and it's in the book, Modern Bee by Lindsay Connor.

This morning I watched this short film by Gael Towey & Company, featuring Natalie Chanin, of Alabama Chanin. It's a beautiful and inspiring declaration of handmade. 

Make what you love,
-A

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedly | Facebook

Hello Sunshine!

Thank you all so much for the love and support for my Meridian quilt in my last post!! It was a fun challenge to participate in. Many thanks to Anne and Adrianne for hosting. I wonder what next year's color will be?!

Sunshine has arrived! This custom bundle is a mix of warm coral, sunny yellow, happy turquoise and deep navy. When there is no sunshine outside, we can make our own! : )

Let's take a closer look...

From Left:

-Mormor Blomster in Coral by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham

-Sweet as Honey, Honeycomb in Marmalade by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery

-Sweet as Honey, Honey House Peach by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery

-Sweet as Honey, Honeycomb in Marmalade by Bonnie Christine for Art Gallery

-Meadow, Sprinkled in Noon by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery

-Meadow, Gentle Breeze in Beige by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery

-Sphere, Direction in Sunshine by Zen Chic for Moda

-Bluebird Park, Magnolia Sunrise by Kate & Birdie Paper Co. for Moda

-Catnap, Finn in Yellow, Lizzy House for Andover

-Garden Party Tango, Hexagon Hustle in Pineapple by Iza Pearl Design for Windham

-Minimilista, Script in Turquoise, by AGF Studio for Art Gallery

-Chromatics, Pointelle in Celeste, by AGF Studio for Art Gallery

-Rapture, Butterfly Bliss Teal by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery

-Color Me Happy, Floral Vines in Navy by V&Co. for Moda

-Meadow, Geo in Deep Marina by Leah Duncan for Art Gallery

-Garden Party Tango, Medallion in Mambo in the Night Sky, by Iza Pearl Design for Windham 

-Tule, Windmarks Mirage, Leah Duncah for Art Gallery

And the whole gang...

Limited Edition Fat Quarter and Half Yard bundles available at The Intrepid Thread

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedly | Facebook

Finished Quilt: Meridian

Meet Meridian..

The idea for this quilt came while I was knitting a scarf. The scarf had sections of stripes and each section carried one color and added in a new color. For example, in the scarf pattern,  the color changes looked like this: AB, BC, CD, DA. 

It was such a cool effect and I started thinking about ways to apply it to a quilt design. The blocks are made of simple rectangles and the color choices and color placement become the most important part of the design.  I chose all solids for the quilt top because they naturally have a crisp, graphic quality to them.

It took several days for me to decide on these colors and that was after doing mock-ups on the computer, pulling out every color card I own, and looking through many, many examples of radiant orchid online.

Kona colors from left: Regal, Dark Violet, Violet, Petunia, Orchid, Sky, Bluebell, Slate

This reminds me of a color gradient exercise in art class where I painted blue on the left side of a paper and yellow on the right. Then gradually added a little of each color to the opposite side until you find a true 50-50 mix of blue and yellow (green) in the middle of the paper. The same idea is shown here in an art instillation by Peter Wegner.

The backing is Sun Print by Alison Glass in Fuchsia. It was kind of perfect. I loved the colors and the scale of the print. It's fun to have a free flowing backing with a bunch of tossed, botanic motifs to an otherwise graphic and stark quilt.

I quilted it with a wavy stitch on my machine with grey Aurifil thread. It adds a softness to the otherwise hard, precise lines of the piecing. It amuses me that if you squint your eyes, it's like a radiant orchid mirage. 

QUILT DETAILS

Name: Meridian

Original Pattern

Measures: 42"x54"

Fabric: Kona in Regal, Dark Violet, Violet, Petunia, Orchid, Sky, Bluebell, Slate and Sun Print by Alison Glass in fuchsia

Thread: Aurifil #2606

Read more about this quilt here

I'm linking up with the Pantone Quilt Challenge, Radiant Orchid hosted by Anne of Play-Crafts and Adrianne of By The Windy Side.

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedly | Facebook

Modern Pincushion Swap

Sent: Apple Pincushion

At this month's South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild meeting some of us swapped pincushions. We were assigned secret partners last month and we received a little note with a list of our partners likes. My partner likes aqua, orange and green. Sometimes its hard to keep it simple. I had complicated plans, but in the end I decided I liked simple best. Let the colors and fabric shine!

I used the Fresh-Picked pincushion pattern by Heather Bailey. The fabric is a mix of two older prints from my beloved stash, Bijoux by Heather Bailey and Type by Julia Rothman. The leaf is made out of wool felt in a lime green on top and aqua on the bottom. I hand-stitched the details on the leaf with Cosmo embroidery floss. I keep a stash of those little leaf pins for gifts. They are kind of chunky to actually use, but they are so cute to decorate pincushions with.

Received: Pincushion

Little did I know, I was in for a dual swap. My secret partner turned out to be my friend Julie, and she had me for her secret partner. So funny!! She made me the most incredible pincushion ever! Seriously. Look at this beautiful creation!! I don't even remember what I said I liked, but I love this. She absolutely nailed it. I added the pins for the photo so you can see how teeny-tiny the piecing is. It's a mini version of this table runner she made a couple of years ago. Isn't it gorgeous?

Received: Drawstring Bag

And that is not all! She made this beautiful little bag to wrap it in. The perfect combination of fabric and color and expertly sewn - all the seams are enclosed, inside and out.

LINKS

Fresh-Picked Pincushion pattern by Heather Bailey

Type by Julia Rothman for Windham

Bijoux by Heather Bailey for FreeSpirit Fabrics

Wool Felt from Retro Mama on Etsy

Follow via: Bloglovin' | Feedly | Facebook