Got LVF?

Don't worry, it's not a disease. Well, maybe an addiction. We're talking quilt code for low volume fabrics (LVF's). Call them quiet, call them light, but never call them boring! With lots of white stuff on the ground outside at my house today, I thought this a timely topic!

I love them. Low volume fabrics, the more the better: creams, whites, grays, peaches, doesn't matter. They're the fabrics that are the contrast to your medium and dark fabrics. It's the contrast in your blocks that do the work to pull your eyes across a geometric design. I use them so much I'm always shopping for more to replenish my stash. Here's a sample of a recent haul, both whites and grays.

I tend to use LVF's in a couple of different ways. Option #1, and the favorite of my scrappy-loving heart: use a lot and mix them all together. Like this...

"The Perfect Setting", featured in American Patchwork & Quilting, December 2015. Image courtesy of AP&Q.

Close up on the LVF 60 degree triangles.

Option #2...pick one and use it more exclusively to give each block a more defined identity. Like this...

Here's one block out of my project "Cavanaugh Crossroads".

Here are 9 blocks all together in Cavanaugh Crossroads. Each block uses a different LVF. (I'm sure some of you may be stressing because I mixed true whites and creams together in this project, but I'm not! Do what you love!)

Option #3 is to pick one LVF and use it in the whole project like this...

"Pressed Leaves"

More often than not, I mix them all together, the more the better. For me, the best part about LVF's is that you can pull a whole bunch of them out of your stash and mix with abandon and get great results.

"The Big Spin" from Stash Lab. 

No matter which way you choose to use them, one thing is certain: You can never have enough or too many! I'm always on the lookout for great LVF's when I'm in my favorite local quilt shops.They are so versatile and work beautifully with a variety of scraps. Leave a comment and share your favorite way to use them. It would be reassuring to know I have good company in my love of LVF!

Want to see more and more often? Follow me on Instagram @tonyaalexanderquilts or on Facebook at Tonya Alexander Quilts.

Happy LVF stash quilting,

Tonya

A Perfect Setting

We interrupt the Stash Lab frenzy for a moment to bring you...A Perfect Setting...

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

 While I've been caught up in the excitement of Stash Lab finally hitting the store shelves this past week, another beautiful project got it's moment in the sun. This is my project "A Perfect Setting" and it's featured in the current Dec. 2015 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. I'm also super excited to share that it will be hanging in the APQ booth next week at Houston International Quilt Market! The beautiful long-arm quilting on this one was done by Tracey Fisher. Cannot wait to see it again - it's been awhile since I shipped it off into the quilting universe.

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

APQ, December 2015 issue

One of the things I love about quilting and the creative process is how a single geometric shape can lead you to new places. This quilt is made completely with 60-degree equilateral triangles - traditionally known as a "Thousand Pyramids" quilt. Of course, before it looked like the finished project, it looked more like this on my design wall...

Definitely one of those projects that a design wall or surface is a must to help you keep organized in your piecing. This could have absolutely been a great addition to be included in Stash Lab, but this one wasn't under the presser foot until long into the book process. But it certainly follows the Stash Lab equations! Here's a sample of my collection of background fabrics that I used in this quilt...

Selection of background neutrals - a fun focus for a shop hop trip!

Most were collected on a single shop hop trip through Washington and Oregon a couple of summers ago. This is one of my go-to fabric shopping tips: pick a focus and let the hunt begin! I focused specifically on low-volume, light background neutrals. White, cream, beige backgrounds were all fair game. I mix them all the time. The brights in the floating diamonds were all scraps from my stash. A great example of old and new coming together to create something special. Hope you are inspired to dive into your own stash and see what you come up with!

Happy stash quilting,

Tonya