Today’s post is going to take a distinctly “if money were no object” flavor, as picnic cloths by LeiLiLaLoo have me in a constant state of covet.
That being said, the cloths aren’t expensive, when you consider all the work and creativity that goes into them. And while they’re not quilts, they’re close to it.
One of these days, I will definitely have to spring for one.
You can, too, at her etsy shop, or just browse around her beautiful life at her blog.
If you’re jonesing for a little art this week, might I suggest the “quirky little quilts” section of extra toppings etsy shop?
They truly are quirky, and priced and sized for gift-giving. And if the recipient is yourself? So much the better.
(And if the recipient is me, get “Serving Mr. Man,” pictured here. They’re all great, but this is my fave.)
This baby quilt by Alexia Abegg has been one of my flickr faves for, literally, years.
Not a lot of years, obviously, but, in internet terms, anything more than a month can seem like ancient history.
Still, my admiration for this quilt has not waned. I think it’s wildly successful, for a number of reasons:
1. Simplicity. It’s tough to stitch up a square within a square that isn’t pleasing to the eye, after all. And the number of prints seems just about perfect to me: there’s enough variety to make it interest, but not so many different novelty fabrics that your eye doesn’t know where to look next. Which brings me to:
2. Movement. See how some of the stripes and dots are oriented sideways? Replace those with different fabrics, and you could easily have a hot mess on your hands. As they’re arranged here, they add playfulness while keeping the palette streamlined and chic.
3. Print sashing and border! It’s easy to forget to buy subtle, quiet little prints like the one shown in the border, but they do play well with others, don’t they? Much as I love white sashing, it can be a little jarring when the block designs just end, and a solid blue fabric could very well be too blue in this case. And speaking of solids:
4. Solids! (Comma judicious use of.) Notice how the solids bordering the print blocks don’t exactly match the prints? The sashing? Each other? Notice how it somehow looks better that way? There’s a lesson in this, methinks.
Ms. Abegg is not exclusively a quilter. Check out her etsy shop for lots more in the way of Good Design Choices.
I’m posting Brittney Michelle’s cute Log Cabin Polka top today because I’m really having a love affair with small quilts that are just four blocks.
Each of these blocks is probably around 18″, which, when you think about it, isn’t really THAT much bigger than the standard 12″. But it’s kind of amazing how much design she’s packed into each block:
Even more amazing is how just four, rotated to form a center cross, can form such an explosion of color.
I’m definitely adding this to my baby quilt inspiration list. The fabrics are so pretty without being too sweet, and the bold strokes lend themselves really well to a unisex design. And at 36″ square, all it needs is a border to be a generous crib size!
For more of Brittney Michelle’s cute creations, check out her blog, and Scrapyard on etsy.
If you missed out on the pattern I linked to yesterday, and you still want to help Haiti, consider purchasing instructions for the Charm Bracelets quilt.
Donkey not included.
If you’re looking to do a good deed or two while shopping, check out the Craft Hope etsy shop. All purchases made here will benefit Doctors Without Borders in Haiti, so there’s not better time to pick up some patterns, like this one:
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