Behind the Blue Dahlia

Parlez vous francais? Unfortunately, I don't much either short of what I can remember from high school, but luckily I think the language of quilts translates. This is my project "Blue Dahlia" which appears in the current issue of Simply Moderne No. 8. Fortunately for me, they also publish an English version!

Blue Dahlia featured in Simply Moderne No. 8, Photo courtesy of Quiltmania

Dahlia inspiration

Dahlias grow better than dandelions here in the Pacific Northwest, so you can probably see where the inspiration for this project came from. They come in so many varieties, shapes and colors, it's hard to pick a favorite. (There's also a film noir movie from 1946 called The Blue Dahlia starring Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, but the plot is kind of creepy and that's not where I drew my inspiration!)

This is my first time working with the folks at Quiltmania and I have to say, it is a beautiful publication. If magazines are your thing, you will find lots of lovely projects in this issue including a new one from Liza Prior Lucy and Kaffe Fassett, Rana Heredia for Sewn Into the Fabric, Pam Goecke Dinndorf for Aardvark Quilts,  as well as a great technical lesson article series by Kathy Doughty and many more. I am so excited to have the opportunity to share the pages with these wonderful designers. Be sure to look for it at your favorite local quilt shop.

Simply Moderne No. 8, Photo courtesy of Quiltmania

While this is an applique project, I designed it specifically to be a to-go project. It may look like it's all one big applique, but it's actually not. The multi-directional print of the background fabric (which is Modern Background Paper collection by Zen Chic for Moda) allows it to be divided up and when pieced back together, the block lines blend right in. The petals are appliqued on individual squares so you can prep them and take them with you in smaller project pieces. Most of the fabric for the applique petals are from Cotton + Steel's Bluebird Collection. The scrappy binding is also from Bluebird.

Blue Dahlia, 60" x 60"

As for the three magenta petals, there is no deep meaning, just that they remind me of the random beauty of nature and how occasionally a few petals don't get the memo and decide to do their own thing! The amazing quilting on this was done by Tracey...it was such a joy to even stitch on the binding and enjoy the beautiful detail of the quilting...

up close and personal with Tracey's beautiful quilting detail...

front quilting all crinkly and cozy after it's first wash...

backing fabric after the wash, Tula Pink Free Fall 108" wide - I LOVE this fabric for backing.

Since this post is already a little picture-heavy, I'll wait until next time to share a tutorial with you on the applique method I used on this project. Until then...au revoir!

Happy stash quilting,

Tonya

Pressed Leaves and a Giveaway

With summer in full swing, it's hard to believe fall will be here before we know it! I want this beautiful summer in my Pacific Northwest to last forever, but I'm ready for fall for a couple of really good reasons - one of them is the upcoming issue of McCall's Quilting, September/October 2015 that will be hitting your mailbox and store shelves soon. One of my favorite recent projects is being featured - "Pressed Leaves" - and it even has its glamour shot moment on the cover!

It was such a fun project that used some of my favorite scraps framed by a really great neutral newsprint fabric. The one I used is from Collage by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics. If you can't find this one around, not to worry. Any great print neutral would be perfect for this project. Your favorite quilt shop probably has some already on hand, so check them out.

Pressed Leaves table runner

With so little actual snail mail these days, I'm always excited when something like this lands in my mailbox...advanced copies! So it must be time for a giveaway! Leave a comment below and share your favorite fall leaf color for a chance to win a free copy of the McCalls Quilting September/October 2015 issue. I'll pick a name out of the hat and mail off a signed copy to you!

Time for a giveaway! Leave a comment with your favorite fall leaf color to enter.

The other reason I'm excited for fall, of course, is because of this little beauty that I'm anxiously waiting for....

Just found out the release date has been bumped up from October 15th to October 6th. Nine less sleepless nights of anticipation for this first-time author. I can't wait to share it with you :)

Happy summer quilting,

Tonya

Fruit Bowl Bullseye

"And the first shall be the last"....at least when it comes to quilt magazine publications! I'm happy to finally share this quilt with you - especially since this was the first quilt I ever submitted to a magazine. I've learned a few things during the past two years about publishing. One thing I know for sure: nothing is for sure, until you actually see it in print!

This is Fruit Bowl Bullseye and it is currently featured in Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting March/April 2014 issue. The lovely quilting on this one was done by my good friend, Tracey Fisher. (It should also be noted that Tracey graciously listened to my hysterical squealing on the phone when I got my first magazine acceptance - and she even told me she was happy for me :)

Fruit Bowl Bullseye

Adding the binding

F&P's Love of Quilting March/April 2014

This pattern was a jumping off point for me because it was the first quilt that was inspired by something completely non-quilty and I just dove in without a pattern or a plan. It started with a string of beads....

I was working on a lanyard with these beads and was really taken with the design and the colors. Starting to see it as a quilt design, I found this fabric line called "Fruit Slices" by Anthology Fabrics (good luck finding it now, two years later - sorry!) and then it slowly came together. How do I turn that bead into a block? What about the seed beads in between? I originally had a different layout in mind but once I got the blocks up on the design wall other ideas won out.

Follow your quilt inspirations, wherever they may lead you!

Happy Spring stitching,

Tonya

Baby Love

Talk about timing! If I were to have another baby (don't worry honey, I am definitely NOT having another baby), the timing would be perfect for this quilt for Valentine's Day - and I didn't even plan it that way. It's called "XOBaby!" and it's making its appearance now in the March/April 2014 edition of McCall's Quilting.

"XOBaby!", McCall's Quilting, March/April 2014



I made a pink version and a blue version for the magazine and my good friend and long-arm quilter, Nikki Crisp did the lovely quilting on these. She did a great job, as always, and I really like the swirly pattern she chose.



"XOBaby!", McCall's Quilting, March/April 2014

Here's a close up of the blue version:

 

You need to see the blue version in the magazine though because there's a real cutie-patootie modeling with it in the picture. (Not one of my cuties - they are both too old!) McCall's also included a free sweet pillow version of the pattern - also available on line. Nice! I may have to make one of those too!

These blocks are quick and very versatile. I liked the fact that you make each X and O with four of the same components so you don't have to decide too early in your process which blocks will be which, know what I mean? Just make them all up, lay them out wherever you like the fabric, and then commit them to either the X or the O block.

I'm also a bit of a rick-rack junkie and have used it several times. It adds a playful element that I like, especially on quilts for kids. For this project, I used the 1 1/2" jumbo rick-rack on the borders. You could just stitch straight down the middle, and for a narrower rick-rack, I might do that. But for the jumbo, I like to stitch down both edges so that it will still lay flat after washing.

I found the rick-rack at a favorite LQS in Bellingham called Fabric-Etc., and they just got a bunch more in too! Oh, the possibilities!

Well, I hope you have someone sweet in your life to quilt for - today and every day.

Happy Valentine's Day stitching,

Tonya

Stamp of Approval

Sharing a new quilt - what a great way to start the new year! I can't believe we're almost in February already! This is "Stamp of Approval" and it will be featured in the April 2014 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting. It's my take on a postage stamp quilt - well, half-ways anyway!

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

I love antique postage stamp quilts but find the million-plus little one inch squares a little daunting. Our quilting predecessors were champions of using every last scrap, right down to the little one inch squares that would be scrimped, saved and stitched together. A postage stamp quilt was a badge of honor reflecting its maker's frugality and resourcefulness during hard times and could take many, many years to make.

Mine, not so much. I came up with the center blocks that are inversions of each other so I would only have to make half as many! I also used strip-set piecing to make them go together a lot quicker. Lazy, maybe, but I do like the result. Originally, I only had planned to make the center but once I got that far I felt like it just needed a little somethin'-somethin' so that's where the leaf and vine border came in. It framed whole project and gave just enough curve and flow to an otherwise very linear grid design.

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

Just about any project that will eat up some of my scraps is sure to be one of my favorites and this one was no exception. After falling for the aqua blue in a previous project, I was bound and determined to use it again, this time in a big dose. I pulled out all of my 1 1/2" scrap strips (the smallest size I usually keep) and then filtered them down to just the ones that looked like colors you would find in an Easter basket. To up the scrap-factor in my quilts, I usually expand my search to a color category instead of a single color and I am usually pretty pleased with what the additional scraps bring to the party.

The finished quilt measures 63"x 63" and the lovely quilting was done by my friend and wonderful, long-arm quilter Tracey. Thanks also go to my quilting buddy Yvonne, who gave me the idea for stitching down the yo-yo "berries" in the border using decorative embroidery stitches on my machine. There is a nice detail shot and also a quilt diagram in the magazine spread.

I have been told that this issue hits the newsstands and goes out to subscribers the first week in February. So while "Stamp of Approval" is not a cover girl, she's still one of my favorites! Hope you enjoy it too!

“Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2014 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.”

Happy stitching,

Tonya

On the Dot

My modern baby quilt goes retro! I call it "On the Dot" (because all babies arrive as expected, of course!)

"On the Dot"

The inspiration for this quilt design was actually from a silver tinsel Christmas tree my aunt had back in the 70's. It had a color light circle that rotated and reflected off the tinsel to turn your tree four different colors. Very groovy and fun! Did you have one of these? You never know where your going to get and idea for your next quilt.

The quilt and pattern is currently featured in Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting September/October 2013 issue that is available now. Believe it or not, there is no curved piecing in this quilt! I used a window-pane fusible applique technique and then sliced and diced my way to these mixed up circles of color. I love black and white checkerboards just about anywhere but I thought they would be a little too strong for a baby quilt so I opted for grey and whites instead. This was a quick and easy project and I had fun making it.

Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting September/October 2013
 

 Happy stitching,
Tonya

Double quilt bonus week!

Double quilt bonus this week! Hot on the heels of Fons & Porter Scrap Quilts Spring 2013, McCall's Quilting July/August 2013 edition just hit the stands and it features my quilt "Tickled Pink". Thanks to Karen O., one of my quilt-peeps for letting me know it was even out there ;) Here's a sneak peak!

"Tickled Pink"

Needless to say, after a waiting a year, I am definitely "Tickled Pink" to see these in print! Hope you enjoy!

Happy stitching,

Tonya