Summertime Quilt

Posted on March 29, 2020 by zippyquilts

This quilt was inspired by all the fun text prints I have collected and also by the desire to make something new as a sample for teaching curved piecing.

I used batiks from stash for the colors and I love the combination. BUT combining batik fabrics, which are lighter weight, with the printed fabrics was a bear! I do not recommend it. Ordinarily this block is fairly easy to piece, but this combination made it difficult. Another doggone learning experience 😀

I did put in a few of my trademark tiny strips of color:

The templates I used are from Back Porch Designs. I’ve been pleased with them and think they are reasonably priced. This is not an affiliate link, but you can find them here if you’re interested. The quilt block used here is a slight modification of a pattern that came with the template.

And here is the back! Notice the cute “bubble” quilting pattern 🙂

Quilt Stats: Summertime

Finished size: 47″ square

Fabric: batiks and text prints, all from stash; backing is a Windham print

Made by: me

Quilted by: Walker Quilt Co.

An Exciting New Book!

Posted on March 22, 2020 by zippyquilts

I agreed to review new quilt books for C&T this year, and here’s the deal. They send me books they think might interest me and I tell you about the ones I especially like. (If a book isn’t to my taste, I just don’t mention it. That way you know that if I endorse a book, I really do like it.)

That being said, I am excited about several of the books they sent recently. The first is New Patchwork and Quilting Basics, by Jo Avery.

Photo Courtesy of C&T

This is a fresh, modern book with a whole range of projects. It starts with three quilts for the true beginner and progresses to projects involving special skills such as applique, curved piecing, and even paper piecing. It’s a nearly-complete set of quilting lessons all in one book!

I would LOVE to work with a local shop to develop classes from this book. I’ve started on one of the earlier quilts that I hope to use as a class sample eventually. Here’s the picture from the book:Photo Courtesy of C&T

And here’s my quilt so far 😀

I think the projects in this book will appeal to quilters of all ages. I found the instructions and illustrations clear (and even more important, accurate) for the blocks I have made so far. Although I wouldn’t recommend someone learning to quilt with only a book, I think it could be done with this one.

Here are a few more of my favorite projects from the book.

As you can see, this one demands some skill with HSTs, but the blocks are fairly large:

Photo courtesy of C&T

This artsy one appeals to me because it is a little whimsical. It also looks as if it would be pretty easy to get an impressive result:Photo courtesy of C&T

Finally, I think I may try this one just for the challenge. It’s pretty spectacular:

Photo courtesy of C&T

You can find the book at C&T, here. (FYI, this is NOT an affiliate link.)

You can go to Jo Avery’s website here.

Let me know if you have used this book or decide to try it. I’d like to hear someone else’s opinion–and that’s whether you agree with me or not!

Now, I’m going to wash my hands and go make a quilt 🙂

Sewing Circle

Posted on March 15, 2020 by zippyquilts

My Mother used to have a group of friends called her “sewing circle” who met in each other’s homes to do hand work on a regular basis. That was in the days when she didn’t work outside the home and neither did the other ladies–times have changed! However, I still have a group of friends with whom I quilt regularly. This little art quilt is in honor of that tradition.

I’d been seeing cute little quilts made with a narrow wedge ruler and wanted to do something similar. I don’t have a narrow wedge ruler and wasn’t sure I wanted to make anything with pieces that small anyway, so I used my narrowest triangle ruler, a 45 degree wedge.

I cut the wedges with the ruler and just estimated the angle for the trapezoidal doors. I cut the windows and roofs freehand. The houses are made from some Jen Kingwell fabric left over from another project. The background fabric says “cut, sew, repeat”. I decorated the doors with tiny buttons for knobs and put a bird bead on one of the houses.

Quilt stats: Sewing Circle

Finished size: 25-3/4″ x 25-3/4″

Designed, made, and quilted by me

More Rabbits!

Posted on March 8, 2020 by zippyquilts

After showing the Rabbits! quilt made from Debbie Maddy’s “Usagi” pattern, I lent the quilt itself to a local shop that carries the commercial version of Debbie’s Shibori-dyed fabric. Then I decided to teach the quilt at Studio Stitch in Greensboro, so I made a second quilt using bright Grunge.

I don’t know if you can see it in the close-up below, but I did Quilt As You Go, using Marianne Haak’s method. She has nice video tutorials on her website if you want to learn. I found this method easier than some of the older ones, and neater than the “modern” QAYG method recently publicized elsewhere. As a bonus, the quilt came out nice and square!

Quilt stats: More Rabbits!

Finished size: 45″ x 45″

Pattern: “Usagi” by Debbie Maddy

Fabric: Grunge for the rabbits; fabric from stash for the sashing, border, and binding

Help from: Jerri on fabric selection

Quilted by me, using QAYG technique

Batting: Quilter’s Dream, Dream Green Request Loft

Teaching Landscape Techniques

Posted on March 1, 2020 by zippyquilts

I’ll be teaching a one-day class on techniques for making landscape quilts at Studio Stitch in Greensboro (NC) on Friday, March 20, so I thought I’d show some more of my samples. We’ll be making “tiny landscapes” so everybody can try several techniques.

Somebody asked me what I do with these little quilts, which are postcard size. First, I use them to practice art quilt techniques. Then I send them to friends who need a get well card or other pick-me-up. I do put them in an envelope rather than sending them as postcards so that they arrive in good shape!