Firework Quilt Tutorial

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Happy July friends!
Today I'm sharing another red, white, and blue quilt with you.
I just can't get enough of this summery, patriotic color combo!


I've been wanting to do something with the
 triangle cutoffs from my Glory quilt for a while now. 


So I used them to make 
3" finished Hourglass blocks.


And paired them with some coordinating 
solid squares that I cut from my stash.


I used 97 Hourglass blocks and 98 solid squares in this quilt.
I did a 13 x 15 layout so the finished size is 39-1/2" x 45 1/2".  
A nice baby-size quilt!  Are there any 4th of July babies out there?!?
I know a couple...


I had the backing fabric (leftover from another quilt back)
+ the binding fabric in my stash so I didn't buy anything
specifically for this project.  That always feels so good!


Jen Ostler in Highland, Utah quilted it for me.
She always quilts in an extra little motif for the
recipient to find; this time it was a heart.  So cute!
The panto Jen used is called Groovy Stars by Melissa Kelley.


If you want to make this baby-size quilt but don't have cutoffs 
from the Glory quilt, you will need:

Approximately 2-1/2 yards of red/blue scraps
1-1/2 yards of white fabric
1-1/2 yards of backing fabric
1/2 yard of binding fabric (cut five 2-1/2" x 40" strips)

To make (2) 3" finished Hourglass blocks, cut:
(1) red/blue 4-1/2" square and 
(1) white 4-1/2" square to make 

Here's a quick little step-by-step tutorial 
on how to make Hourglass blocks:

Step 1: Place (1) red/blue 4-1/2" square and (1) white 4-1/2" square on top of each other,
right sides together.  Mark a diagonal line on the top (white) square
going from corner to corner in both directions.  Sew 1/4" away
from one of those diagonal lines on both sides of the marked line.


Step 2: Cut through the squares on
both of the marked diagonal lines.


3.  Press the seam allowances toward the red/blue triangles
and then mix and match the units so two red/blue
triangles are opposite each other.  Sew the units together 
along the long edges (nesting the seams) to make
2 Hourglass blocks.


Step 4. Trim each block to 3-1/2".
(The center point of the block should be
the 1-3/4" mark on your ruler.)



Of course, you can make a 
Firework quilt as big or as small as you want.
Make as many Hourglass blocks as you need
for your desired quilt size.  

Click HERE if you want a Firework Quilt Coloring Sheet.
(There are extra squares on it if you want to make a bigger quilt!)


Also, if you're looking for more red, white, and blue
inspiration - check out THIS post featuring all 
the red, white, and blue quilts I've ever made!

What fun plans do you have in July?
We're going to Bear Lake at the end of the month.  Can't wait!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial today.
Let me know if you have any questions and happy quilting!

Kaleidoscope Quilt

Friday, June 23, 2023

 Hey there!  Today I want to share a really fun,
scrappy quilt I finished recently - my Kaleidoscope quilt!

I started with a bunch of random fat quarters from my stash...


And turned them into this finished quilt top!


The pattern I used is a free paper-piecing pattern called Kaleidoscope
by Sharon Holland.  Click HERE for the link.

I'm a HUGE fan of Sharon's work.  
She designs fabric for Art Gallery Fabrics and I swoon over
everything she creates!  Her Instagram feed is gorgeous and inspiring 
so be sure to check her out at @sharonhollanddesigns.

Sharon's Kaleidoscope pattern is for a mini quilt that finishes at 27-1/2" x 27-1/2"
(a 4 x 4 block layout).  The pattern has complete instructions and diagrams
 so it's a great project to practice the technique of paper-piecing.
The steps are repetitive and the project is small
so I highly recommend this for any paper-piecing newbie out there!


I LOVE paper piecing so I decided to make my Kaleidoscope quilt bigger 
with a 12 x 12 layout.  My quilt finishes at about 78" x 78". 


Because I multiplied the number of blocks to make by 9
I also multiplied the required background fabric by 9.
I had a LOT left over (I think I bought about 11 yards!) but unfortunately,
I don't remember how much was left over so I can't recommend 
how much to buy for this size quilt.  So sorry friends!


I started this project in February 2022 so I was thrilled
to get the quilt top finished just over a year later, in March of 2023.
A reminder that not every quilt comes together in just a few days
(like it sometimes seems on Instagram!)


I had the hardest time deciding on backing and binding fabrics
but I finally ended up with this rusty orange stripe for the binding.
It's called Morning Ray #187 by Edyta Sitar for Andover Fabrics.
The aqua floral backing (that you can see peeking out in the photo below)
is #9874 by Giucy Giuce for Andover Fabrics.
They don't really go together but the quilt is so scrappy that I don't mind.


Do you see the cute little heart that my quilter
Jen Ostler quilted into the design?  If you've been
around long enough, you know that she always quilts
an extra little shape into the quilt for the quilt recipient to find.  It's
a fun little game of hide and seek!


Jen used the Swivel Circles pantograph on my quilt and I love it!


A few friends joined me in this endeavor so I hope to get a 
picture of all of us with our Kaleidoscope quilts someday.


It was a fun project and I'm really happy
it's done so I can enjoy the finished quilt now!


Thanks for stopping by today!
I hope you feel inspired.
Let me know if you have any questions!

Oh What Fun Fabric Tour

Monday, June 19, 2023

The day is finally here that I get to share the project I made with the
darling fabric line, Oh What Fun by Elea Lutz for Poppie Cotton.


 I first saw this line at the 2023 International Fall Quilt Market.
I was immediately smitten with Elea's signature
vintage style, the unique color palette, and the 
fun details of this fabric line.


Oh What Fun features Santas, snowflakes and text, polka dots,
plaid, stockings, Christmas trees, snowmen, flowers and holly, and my personal
favorite...ice skating reindeer.  It's just so whimsical and sweet.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with this line.


I chose to make a quilt using the Patchwork Plaid pattern from my book,
Quilt the Rainbow.  I wanted to see it in another colorway
besides blue and white.  I think Christmas fabrics were the 
perfect match for that pattern.


I paired the Oh What Fun fabrics with a dark blue chambray
fabric that I had in my stash and a white with red polka dot fabric by
Lori Holt for Riley Blake.


Jen Ostler in Highland, Utah quilted it for me
with a fun loop and snowflake design.  It's called
Snowflake Meander.  Jen always hides an extra little 
shape in the quilting for its recipient to find.
This time it was a tiny star - so cute!


There are 3 different Plus blocks in Patchwork Plaid.
It finishes at 70-1/2" x 90-1/2" and would be cute in any colorway!


I backed it in a navy blue plaid fabric and bound it with 
the red Good Measure grid fabric from my fabric line, 
Treasured Treads with Poppie Cotton.


Oh What Fun is now in stores.
Grab a fat-quarter bundle and my book, Quilt the Rainbow
so you can make this quilt too.


Congratulations to Elea for another fabulous
fabric line!  I just love everything she creates
and am so happy I got to be a part of this tour!

To see some more Oh What Fun projects
check out these other makers on the tour:

Friday, June 2 http://prettybyhand.com/
Monday, June 5 http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, June 7      http://www.abrightcorner.com/
Friday, June 9         https://bretquiltdesigns.com/
Monday, June 12     https://www.sewmariana.com/
Wednesday, June 14 https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, June 16     Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Monday, June 19 http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Wednesday, June 21 theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Friday, June 23     https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Monday, June 26     http://www.linenbouquet.com
Wednesday, June 28 www.cardinalcreekquilting.com
Friday, June 30     Instagram: @emmas_crafternoons

Thanks for stopping by today!

Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt

Thursday, June 1, 2023

A scrappy, classic quilt is my favorite kind of quilt.
So when Liza Taylor (of Liza Taylor Handmade) announced
that she was hosting a Scrappy Log Cabin Quilt-Along
in 2022 - I couldn't resist joining.  And even though I am way 
behind schedule, I am so glad I participated!


I took my color palette inspo from some beautiful yardage
I had in my stash.  It's from the Kismet collection by Sharon Holland 
for Art Gallery Fabrics and I used it for the back of my quilt. 


I knew I wanted a layout that created diagonal rows of 
saturated prints and low-volume prints so I pulled warm
pinks, coppers, greens, golds, and low-volumes from my stash.


I tried not to choose "cutesy" prints.  I wanted a pretty, more mature 
feel to this quilt.  I auditioned and eliminated lots of fabrics along the way.


This basket stayed organized like this for about 2 seconds.
Once I started making blocks, strips were strewn about as I searched
for the perfect contrasting fabrics for each block.

I completely guessed how many strips to cut and I had to
cut more along the way to give me the variety I needed.
I have a bunch leftover so I may make a baby quilt out of them someday.


I cut fabrics for 6-8 blocks at a time and then chain-pieced
everything to help things go a little faster.


The blocks finish at 11-1/2" x 11-1/2".
You can get the free pattern if you sign up for
Liza's newsletter via her Instagram profile
@lizataylorhandmade.


I love Log Cabin quilts because there are so many ways to create 
secondary designs through fabric/color placement and block orientation.


My fave long-arm quilter, Jen Ostler quilted this for me. 
The panto I chose is called Behold.
I was a little nervous that it would be too busy but
I'm really happy with the way it turned out.
I think the design compliments the 
diagonal rows of the dark and light fabrics while
adding some softness to this otherwise, angular quilt.


I originally planned on using a green or dark pink
fabric to bind this quilt but a friend at the fabric
store found this sweet little civil war brown print that I really liked! 
I loved the scale of the flowers and that it incorporated several of my colors.
It added a nice vintage vibe to the quilt, which I always love!


I made 56 blocks for a 7 x 8 layout so it finished at 80" x 92".
A great size to snuggle under!


Have you ever made a Log Cabin quilt?
I had so much fun making this quilt and look forward
to making another one someday.

Kitty Loves Candy Fabric

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

 I fell in love with this new fabric line,
Kitty Loves Candy by Poppie Cotton
the moment I saw swatches of it at the
International Quilt Market last fall.


It has such a fun, unique color palette for Halloween and the prints are
sweet and whimsical.  There are so many fun details like Candy the witch, 
barns, chickens, kittens + pumpkins, pigs, stars, florals, and ginghams.  It's just darling!


I decided to use some Kitty Loves Candy fat quarters to remake
my Cross Stitch pattern.


It's a Layer Cake friendly pattern
and the quilt finishes at 62" x 81".
A nice throw/twin-size quilt!


The blocks are big - a great way to show off those cute prints!


And the scrappy binding is a fun way to finish off the quilt.
(I really can't decide which print is my favorite!)


You can snag the Cross Stitch pattern in my shop HERE.


Who said Halloween has to be dark and scary!?!
I love these bright, happy prints and can't wait to snuggle
under this fun quilt come October.

Thank you to Poppie Cotton for asking me to participate
in this fabric tour and for the darling fat quarter bundle!

Want to see more Kitty Loves Candy?
Visit the other stops on the fabric tour:

Wednesday, May 10 http://blueribbondesigns.com
Friday, May 12     http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 15 https://www.cardinalcreekquilting.com
Wednesday, May 17     https://amerooniedesigns.com/
Friday, May 19     https://charismascorner.com/category/blog/
Monday, May 22  http://theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 24 http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Friday, May 26     https://bretquiltdesigns.com/
Monday, May 29 https://www.sewmariana.com/