Builder Quilt + Walk, Jog, Run Book Review

I admit....it's been a long time since I've done any free motion quilting!  For many years I did all of my quilting on my Juki sewing machine and then later on a non-computerized Handi Quilter longarm.  And I've missed FMQ!

I now own a computerized Handi Quilter and it's just too easy to load up a design and let the computer do the work while I shuffle around working on other things.  

I have really been wanting to try free-motion quilting again and see if I had any muscle memory left.  So when my friend Dara Tomasson asked if I'd be a part of the book tour for her new book Walk Jog Run: A Free-Motion Quilting Workout*, I knew this would be a great way to for me to brush up on my free-motion quilting skills.  

And guess what?  I was so rusty!  And nervous!  But after several practice sessions I quickly remembered how much fun FMQ really is.  

*this post contains affiliate links

Dara's book covers so much great information and it was a perfect refresher course for me - but it would also make a terrific reference book for those of you who are trying free-motion quilting for the first time.  

The first section of the book covers the basics: what tools you'll need, tips for choosing threads and batting,  and even trouble-shooting tension problems.  It's filled with a ton of great info.

The second section covers TEN different FMQ designs and includes plenty of tips for successfully creating each design on your quilt.  Dara covers:

• straight-line quilting
• directional e's and i's
• loops
• daisies
• paisleys
• stipple / meandering / puzzle
• circuit boards
• wishbones and fancy L's
• ribbon candy
• clamshells

And each design has a project to go along with it.  

The quilt I chose to make is called the Builder Quilt and the design that goes along with this pattern is  called wishbone.  

I thought it was clever that she designed a quilt with rows that were the perfect height for practicing this wishbone design.  It was nice to be able to follow the design of the quilt as I quilted the wishbones.  

I tried to make my wishbones just touch the seam allowance at the top and bottom, and then I spaced them out from side to side having one wishbone in each small block, and two wishbones in each large block.  You can see what I mean in the photo above.  

I also tried to make the little loops on the ends all the same size.  That was tougher than I thought it would be, but I definitely got better with practice!

The Builder quilt pattern was a fun one to piece.  Dara's instructions and diagrams were clear and easy to follow.  I added a few more rows and columns to my quilt to make it a large throw size since I knew my teenager would be using this one.

You can find Walk, Jog, Run: A Free-Motion Quilting Workout here on Amazon.  And learn more about Dara Tomasson here on her website.

Quilt details:
63" x 73"
Pattern: Builder Quilt from the book Walk, Jog, Run by Dara Tomasson
Fabric: Harvest Road by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabrics
Quilting: Wishbone quilting (from the book Walk, Jog, Run by Dara Tomasson)

Spot On Quilt + Color Weave Fabrics

I'd bet (if you're like me) you have some precuts sitting on your shelf and you're just not sure how you'd like to use them.  Sound about right?    

I'm here to help!  This month Benartex is hosting a Precut Project Hop featuring a variety of projects, patterns, and tutorials from a fun list of designers (find the full schedule at the bottom of the post).  

The precut-friendly project I'm sharing today is my pattern, Spot On.

Spot On is designed for those 10" precut squares that we all love, and the pattern comes with instructions for four sizes of quilts: crib, throw, twin, queen.

The one I made for this project hop is the throw size (51" x 63") and I used a 10x10 pack of Color Weave fabrics from Benartex.  

I love the subtle texture of these prints, and the colors included in the 10x10 pack are so so good!  

Spot On is a fun pattern - with the illusion of circles, but without the trouble of curved piecing.  And there's some quick-piecing short cuts included in the pattern as well to help make this quilt come together quickly.     

Want to know one of the best parts?  The throw sized version of Spot On only uses 15 (10") squares.  So from ONE pack of 10" squares you can make TWO throw sized quilts.  

You can find Spot On in both paper copies and PDF (immediate download) option here in my pattern shop.  And if you're a quilt shop, you can order Spot On wholesale through distributors. 

Want to see a couple of other versions of Spot On?  Check out this blog post.


Quilt details:
51" x 63"
Pattern: Spot On
Fabric: Color Weave by Benartex (10x10 pack)
Quilting: Mexican Carpet (edge to edge computerized design)

Want to see more Precut project inspiration?  Here's the schedule:

Monday 3/16:  Pat Sloan and by Annie

Tuesday 3/17:  Debby Kratovil 

Wednesday 3/18:  Modern Quilt Studio 

Thursday 3/19:   Charisma Horton

Friday 3/20:   Amanda Murphy 

Saturday 3/21: me!  A Bright Corner

Sunday 3/22:  Shelley Cavanna and Sandra Walker 

Monday 3/23:  Wendy Sheppard 

Tuesday 3/24:   Cherry Guidry 

Wednesday 3/25:  Nancy Halvorsen and Nancy Scott

Thursday 3/26:  Heidi Pridemore 

Friday 3/27:  Christa Watson and Lisa Ruble

And all during the hop, Benartex is doing a giveaway to celebrate National Quilt Month.  It's running on both Instagram and Facebook (on the Benartex accounts, not mine) and the grand prize is an Ever Sewn sewing machine.  There will also be two 1st prizes (three precut bundles) and two 2nd prizes (one precut bundle.)

You can find all of the details here on the Benartex FB page.

Happy stitching everyone!

Strips and Squares Quilt + Perfectly Pretty Patchwork Book

Hi everyone - how are you holding up with all of the Covid 19 craziness?  It's during times like these that I really appreciate how therapeutic sewing and quilting can be.  

Lately I've been finding some solace while working on this pseudo-scrappy quilt called Strips & Squares.

I call it "pseudo-scrappy" because it's not a true scrap quilt, but it sure looks like it!  For this quilt I used a fat quarter bundle of the Sugarhouse Park line by Amy Smart (Riley Blake Designs).  

The pattern I used is from the book, Perfectly Pretty Patchwork* by Kristyne Czepuryk (Pretty By Hand).  Kristyne has a fabulous vintage style that I've always loved and the pages of her book are filled with it.  

I love her attention to detail and there's plenty of close-up photos sprinkled throughout the book that allow us readers to really appreciate those details.  

*this post contains affiliate links

Her pretty version of the Strips and Squares quilt is made from all low-volume prints and it's so soft and lovely.  

My first thought was to make a similar quilt (haven knows I have enough low-vol scraps) but then I thought it might be fun to see a completely different version of this quilt done in bold, bright colors.  Which one is more your style? 

This pattern is perfect for using your scraps but Kristyne also gives the fabric requirements for those of you who (like me) have a fat quarter or fat eighth bundle you want to use.  

That navy floral print is my favorite from the Sugarhouse Park line so I wanted it to be the star of the show.  I used it for all of the squares and the border.  It frames it up nicely!  And by not using any other navy print in the quilt, it makes those squares pop even more.  

This quilt is just begging to go on a picnic, don't you think?  Now we just need some warmer weather and some sunshine!

You can see other projects from Kristyne's book by searching the hashtag #PerfectlyPrettyPatchworkBook on Instagram.

You can find copies of Perfectly Pretty Patchwork here on Amazon, and here from the Fat Quarter Shop.  Fat Quarter bundles of Sugarhouse Park are available at the Fat Quarter Shop as well.

Quilt details:
60" x 70"
Pattern: Strips & Squares from the book, Perfectly Pretty Patchwork
Fabric: Sugarhouse Park by Amy Smart for Riley Blake Designs
Quilting: Reverse Loops (edge to edge computerized design)
Backing:  Kona cotton solid in Mint (color #1234)

 

Grandstand Quilt + Modern Farmhouse Fabrics

With two boys (and their friends) in the house, there's not a lot of pink to be found around here - and what little there is, exists mostly in my sewing room.  So I love when I get the chance to sew something very floral, and very pink. 

The pattern I used for this quilt is called Grandstand, and it's one of the patterns from my book, Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts.  (You can see the original Grandstand here in this post.)

Grandstand is one of my favorite ways to use medium and large scale prints like these.  I loved the large florals & buffalo check prints in this line and I was SO happy to not have to cut them up so small that you couldn't appreciate them!  

These prints are from a fabric line called Modern Farmhouse by Simple Simon & Co for Riley Blake Designs.    Find it here at Fat Quarter Shop (affiliate link).

 

At first I was hesitant to add the black prints into my blocks because I was worried they might overwhelm the softer greens and pinks.  I cut a few blocks and tried them out on the design wall and decided that I loved the contrast that the black added.   

The original pattern uses 14 fat quarters and finishes at 76" x 87".  I wanted more of a throw size for this one so I removed the last row and the last column from the original layout.  This version finished at 59" x 70" - perfect for what I needed.

Grandstand looks more complicated than it is - I promise.  

There are five different blocks - can you spot them?  Here's the fun part.  When it's time to lay out the quilt you can rotate, flip, and swap blocks all you want - there's no one "right" way to put it together.  Each quilt will be unique.  You'll have to look at the pattern to see what I mean - I can't give away all my secrets ;)

Want to make a Grandstand quilt? 

You can find copies of Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts here in my shop, and here on Amazon.  I've also spotted copies in my local Barnes & Noble and JoAnn stores and I'd bet yours has copies too.  

Want to read more about the book?  Check out this post here.

Quilt details:
59" x 70"
Pattern: Grandstand from the book, Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts**
Fabric: Modern Farmhouse by Simple Simon & Co for Riley Blake Designs
Quilting: Mist (edge to edge computerized design by Natalia Bonner)
Backing: Tiny Plus Coral from Modern Farmhouse collection

** If you're a quilt shop, Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts books are available wholesale through Checker, Brewer, United Notions, and Martingale.

If you make a Grandstand quilt I'd love to see it!  Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags: #grandstandquilt #freshfatquarterquilts and #abrightcorner

**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post.

Lofty Quilt + Dream Weaver Fabrics

It's so fun for me to re-visit an old favorite pattern!  This is Lofty, and it's seriously one of my all-time favorites. It has so many things going for it:

• It's fat quarter friendly
• No background or borders
• It's a one-block-quilt...
• And that one block has just ONE seam
• No special rulers or templates needed

How can you beat that?  

For this version of Lofty I used a new fabric line called Dream Weaver.  It's designed by my friend Amanda Castor (Material Girl Quilts) for Riley Blake Designs and it's available in stores this month - ask your quilt shop if they've ordered it!

I used as many of the Dream Weaver prints as I could in this quilt - and I fell in love right away with the large floral prints!

You can see the whole line here on the Riley Blake website.

And you can find Lofty quilt patterns here in my shop.

I love the orangey-reds and butter-yellows combined with all of those pretty blues!

I wanted this to be a cozy, snugly quilt so I went with a teal-colored minky for the backing.  Don't you just love how the quilting texture looks on minky?  This longarm design is a computerized one called Fort (see it here).

The Lofty quilt pattern has instructions for four sizes of quilt: crib, throw, twin & queen.  This version is the throw size (54" x 72") and in my opinion it's the perfect size for naps on the couch :)  -- it's been tested multiple times.   

Quilt details:
54"x 72"
Pattern: Lofty (PDF and paper version available here)**
Fabric: Dream Weaver by Amanda Castor for Riley Blake Designs
Quilting: Fort (edge to edge computerized design)
Backing: Teal minky from my local quilt shop

** If you're a quilt shop, Lofty patterns are available wholesale through Checker & Brewer

If you make a Lofty quilt I'd love to see it!  Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags: #loftyquiltpattern and #abrightcornerpatterns

Game Night Quilt - The Christmas Version

I'm sharing my latest quilty finish with you today, and yes, yes I know, I know.......it's a CHRISTMAS quilt.  I'm sure we're all tired of seeing reds and greens.  I'm the same way.  But I decided when I started this quilt in November that I'd slow down and allow myself to enjoy the process. 

I let go of the self-imposed deadline of Christmas and as a result I was able to really enjoy every step of making this quilt - from choosing the fabrics from my stash, to picking a perfect backing (which you'll see in later photos.) 

The pattern for this quilt is called Game Night and you can find it in my book, Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts. 

Find Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts here on Amazon, or grab an autographed copy here from my shop, or tell your local quilt shop to order copies!  

The Game Night quilt pattern uses 10 fat quarters (plus background fabric).  But for my version I used red, green, and black prints from my stash and my scrap bins.  I tried to use a different red print and green print for each block, and I love the result!

(You can see the original Game Night quilt in this blog post)

Don't let the circles scare you away from trying this quilt!  In the instructions I give you two options to choose from - a more traditional applique technique, and a fusible applique method - that's what I used here.

 I used Heat n Bond Featherlite for my fusible webbing and then a machine blanket stitch (it's a setting on my machine) to secure the circles.  Easy peasy.  And I step you through it in the book.  If you prefer the more traditional method of applique I provide instructions for that as well. 

One of the really nice things about finishing a Christmas quilt AFTER Christmas is that I was able to find a cute backing fabric in a 50% off sale at my local quilt shop.  These little peppermint circles are from the Sweet Christmas fabric line by Urban Chiks (Moda fabrics). 

Now comes the hard part, folding it up and putting it away for the next 10-ish months.  Or maybe I'll just let it sit here on my ladder for a week so I can enjoy it a little :)

Quilt details:
59"x 73"
Pattern: Game Night (from Fresh Fat Quarter Quilts book)
Fabric: Red, green, and black prints from my stash & scrap bins
Quilting: Soho (edge to edge computerized design)
Backing: Peppermint Polka Dot, Marzipan color (Sweet Christmas by Urban Chiks for Moda)

If you make a Game Night quilt I'd love to see it!  Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags: #gamenightquilt and #abrightcornerpatterns

**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post.