What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

One day I was sick of playing with block designs, so started playing with sashing. the worst thing about this project file is the title, but I am yet to come up with something better.

Then I added some pieces to the blocks to interact with the sashing.

When I can think of a catchy title I have another project file which has been waiting for exposure for a long time with applique sashing.

Designing for the May/June 2023 Issue of Quiltmaker Magazine, I chose the fabric line Celebrate. Designed by Kathy Engle, this fabric line will be available in stores in May 2023.

Imagine my surprise when the magazine was published in March 2023.  It is Island Batik's guidance to release patterns as close to the fabric availability as possible. If the fabric is not available (at the time of pattern release or shortly thereafter), then it feels like a tease or even a torture, especially when the fabric is this gorgeous!!!

For this reason, I have been slow/reluctant to ...

Interesting, and I love that twisted border.

Interesting blank space for some interesting quilting.

Interesting. Well, the cat thinks so.

I love the second one, even if the cat thinks it is boring.

Wow!

Two very interesting designs but it is easy for to pick a favourite … the first one.

I love it., but I love anything in traditional Christmas colours. Perfect size for a queen size bed if the blocks were made 12 inches square.

Love the second design too and the quilting would look great in white thread on the dark red.

I called this sashing a lot of names while trying to get it to connect nicely during design, most frequently it was “that Twisted Sashing”, though a few other words crept in from time to time!

I like both variations of the sashing, but I think the first one needs more work, while the second one is workable as it is.

Pastel and pretty.

Less contrast in the second, but I prefer the first design.

Love the first design, and think it would look great in pretty colours, bright colours … any colours … providing the contrast is right.

Slightly more masculine than the first, and I like it.

So this is Orphan Annie with the first border. From the start, I kept thinking that Dogtooth borders might be a good design, especially using the lightning design. That just sort of seemed like the thing to do and I haven't used that layout in forever! If I was thinking more about black or pink for the borders, well, that idea quickly got shut down.

First border on Orphan Annie

I like it … old fashioned and restful.

I like the second one too, for the same reasons, but like it more than the first because there is applique!

The first design features quilting … just quilting … and I love it!

I love the second one too, simply because it is like nothing i have ever seen anywhere.

A Round Robin quilt is the sweetest of group projects. It is passed among friends, each adding blocks or borders of their own.

And when it is finished, that quilt represents the talent and creativity of everyone involved. (I get all tingly and sentimental just thinking about it!) 

For this month’s Triple Play tutorial, Jenny and the girls stitched up one big Round Robin quilt. They named it Sparkling Stars, and it sure is a beauty! 

Jenny built the center with 9-patches and half-square triangle lemoyne stars, Misty added pretty sawtooth star blocks and quarter-square triangles, and Natalie finished ...

A quilt I would like if I had a huge four poster bed and all the matching pieces of furniture in our room.

Or maybe this one!

Nice one, and with that many blocks it would have very small blocks for a lap quilt, more normal sized blocks for a king size bed.

I rather like the second one, but both have one fault repeated four times … no coloured square in the border corners. The big question is should they be red or green?

Very busy, but I like the four plain squares near the centre … somewhere to rest the eyes.

Borders are a great way to make a collection of blocks made for a double bed big enough for a king size bed. I would be happy doing the applique, but would simplify the pieced one.

WOW!

I love the second design, but it certainly lacks the WOW factor of the first one!

It is busy, but I like it anyway.

Like the second one too … it has room for the quilting to shine.

Every so often I stop playing with block designs, and play with sashing designs instead.

As you can see in these designs the sashing can be used as border designs too.

And then of course, you can add some blocks with some tricky bits pieced to form a frame around an applique.

Lovely.

Lovely … and restful.

Right now I could use the restful part of that!