muted

I am going through a muted phase. Not the non-speaking variety, unfortunately for my children......I am talking color palettes.

I had been drooling over this gorgeous Kelly Ventura lawn print in Cottoneer Fabric's shop for a bit. That picture isn't the best at showing the color-- this picture is better  I think it is the top right fabric, because the gray is actually like an icy blue-gray mix. I bought it, along with a bundle and some other fabrics, and as soon as I saw it, I fell in love.
this picture is better
I started building around that main fabric, and eventually had a color palette. (which definitely evolved to include another color, with one of the fabrics below being omitted.)

And in keeping with my idea to Quilt the Book, I flipped through the book to determine a pattern. I knew I was going for a soft, modern look, one the did not look overly planned. So the Tagged Quilt was the clear choice for me.

And so I began constructing a basically improvisational patchwork quilt, using bigger blocks, and keeping a soft palette.

I knew  before I began quilting it that I loved it.  But the quilting just amped up the love.

Sometimes that happens for me, where I am not sure if I love it until I quilt it. And sometimes even after I quilt it, I'm still unsure. Fortunately, the latter is pretty rare. Because I know pretty early on during the piecing process whether or not I am liking a quilt. And the ones I am not are usually cast aside. There have been a few I continued on with. And of those, most I am happy I did. -- I will be honest and say that I have made a couple that even after it is finished and washed and all crinkly and cuddly, it still feels blah. I can think of 3 right off the top of my head, but I don't think I should share which ones because one was a gift, one went in my shop, and one is still sitting here, and I don't want to attach my meehhhhh feelings to these quilts. haha.

sorry.....I got sidetracked.

This quilt was not meeehhhhhhh AT ALL. I loved it. Here she is!

This quilt is available in my shop here  :)

Watercolor Boardwalk

I ordered the most delicious bundle of fabric from Cottoneer Fabrics. The bundle , titled Gelato, was built around a Nani Iro fabric that is pure fiber magic. The colors, the double gauze, the soft design as if someone painted delicately atop the fabric.  MAGIC.

As soon as my order arrived (which was full of fabric goodness), I quickly searched for a minimal pattern that would do the fabrics justice. I have a list of various patterns I want to use, and pulled up this one I starred a while ago from Cloud 9 Fabrics, called Village Life. You can find the pattern HERE.

I decided to size it down a bit, so if you are interested in my block size, let me know. It ended up finishing at 40 x 51 inches. I quilted it with straight lines to stick with the simplicity of the quilt.

And here is where I will break the rules of quilt humility and say I really love this quilt. It is soft and dreamy and filled with negative space to evoke that easy, yet modern feel that I crave.

I almost went with a striped binding in lavender and I am sooooo glad I changed my mind after cutting two binding strips. Not sure what it is about the silver Kona that I love here but I feel like it perfectly frames it.

I mean, look at that house lavender house (which is made with Lucy Engels handprinted fabric I have hoarded for a year) with the most perfect Nani Iro roof. I would move into that house in a heartbeat.

Remember when I said I bought 13 yards of the lavender fabric, so be prepared to see it popping up in quilt backs. Well. I was speaking truth.

My kind of village. 

What is it about a quilt swirl that makes me sigh a big ol breath of content? 

This quilt might be my most favorite in quite a while. When my husband FaceTimed us from the desert today, I was so happy with it, I made him hang on so I could go get it and show it to him. I never do that. He's not as into quilts as I am. haha. But he still put on a smile because he could see how happy I was with it. 

The quilt is listed in my shop HERE!

quilt the book. again, and this time I mean it!

Updated to add this: After writing through this post and flipping through some of my beloved quilt books I was wanting to flip back and forth between books, so I am altering my goal. Instead I will be quilting the bookS. I am going to try and tackle a few quilts from each of the books I mention below and I am aiming for 2 quilts from these books a month. So my new challenge will be #quiltthebooks18 


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Two years ago, after flipping through one of my favorite quilting books, Quilt Love, I decided to create a project goal for myself, Quilt The Book. You can read about my earlier experience here. 

I may have mentioned this before, but when it comes to long term quilting projects, I pretty much always fizzle out. I guess I just don't have the stamina....I'm more of a burst quilter. As evidenced by this blog. Nothing for 6 months and then back to back to back quilts in a weeks time. Past quilting projects I gave committed to but gave up not even halfway in- quilt the book 2016, #100days100blocks, the sewcial bee sampler, the 100 day project......wow, this is depressing. I will stop there.

So, knowing what I am and am not great at, I am taking on this challenge again, but with a loose frame so I don't feel boxed in.

The book I chose is Wise Craft Quilts by Blair Stocker. It is AMAZING!! Even if you don't take on the premise of taking fabrics you already have and turning them into quilts, it is packed FULL of amazing patterns that are so inspiring. I have not been this obsessed with a quilting book in a couple years.

Here is my plan. I am going to shoot for making 1/3 to 1/2 the quilts in the book, and while I am tagging this self-guided challenge #shannonquiltsthebook18, I am not necessarily needing to finish by the end of 2018. There are 21 quilts in this book, so I'd like to make at least 7-12 quilts, and I am shooting for one a month. I am not going to limit myself to only making patterns from this book. Which is necessary because I need the freedom to make other things.

So would you like to join me? You don't have to make from this book, it'd just be fun to be in community with others who are putting their own spin on a well-loved book. I am also using the hashtag #quiltthebook18. I would love for you to quilt with me!

Are you wondering about ideas for books? I am OBSESSED with quilt books. I am not sure what specifically it is about them, maybe just the different ideas and translations of this art form I love. So here are a handful of my other favorite quilt books if you are needing a good quilt book!

Liberty Love. (I LOVE this book!! It's top 3 for me!!) The Marcelle Medallion and Sugar Stars are each amazing in different ways!!

Quilt Love. Also amazing, and the source of my earlier neglected quilt the book challenge. I have made 3 favorite quilts from this book -  Morning Coffee Quilt Circle, Leaving The Nest, and New Baby Quilt. You guys-- this book is incredible.

Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. Love this one, too! That color wheel quilt!!Just Sweet Enough!! Stacked Coins! And I have made Summer Breeze and it is perfection.

The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. This is another book chock full of beautiful motivation to step outside your comfort zone. On my list of quilt scores to make- Floating Squares, Strings, and Modern Block Improv. Seriously, typing all these out makes me want to use this book for my next challenge. 

And last but not least Quilting From Every Angle. These quilts speak to my modern, minimal, negative space loving heart. My list of quilts to make includes Wayward (I LOVE this pattern!!), Colorblock, and that Desert Blooms Medallion is GORGEOUS!

There are dozens more books I love but I thought I would stick to my top 5 and not overwhelm you! I tried to link a variety of sources for these books- I get nothing from it, just wanted to share, but you can google each title and find what works for you :) 

Join me in quilting the book!!!!