This sweet celebration quilt was Lisa Michelle’s entry into DQS8, and I’m so excited to be posting it on the birthday of one of my oldest friends!
I think a celebration quilt is a heck of an idea. We make quilts for holidays, and to give as gifts, but what about to honor birthdays and anniversaries? I know a quilt is a lot of work just to be displayed for one day. But is there a more special way to celebrate?
Confession time: this cute doggie may have influenced me to invite this photo to the A Quilt A Day pool.
Right?
Luckily for all of us, quilter and chihuahua-mom Julia Bravo followed up with a tutorial for this project, which, when the dog was removed, turned out to be an ironing board cover.
Not a quilt, per se, but something you’ll need if you’re going to be doing any quilting. And it’s patchwork! Squares, no less, which is turning out to be the unofficial theme of this week. Squares that are a great reminder to come up with a project to use all the kawaii fabric I’ve been hoarding.
After a full weekend of deliberation, I have settled on the revolutionary idea of… squares!!!
I know, I know. But as Stephanie said in comments, “You can’t go wrong with keeping it really simple and letting the fabrics just show themselves off.” And I do love a good, simple quilt.
I referred to some of my most favorite quilt books for inspiration, including the gorgeous Material Obsession, which features, among other things, instructions for Gypsy Squares.
It’s a pattern I could have figured out on my own, but if I hadn’t referred to this glorious book, I never would have discovered Sarah Fielke’s description of “one block… one gorgeous quilt, one that’s on my bed and is still my favorite one of all time.” Because, really my needs are so simple: a quilt I can make quickly, before a big move. Bright, beautiful colors to match my delicious green bed. Wide enough to cover me, my man, and the teeny tiny kitty who always manages, in the middle of the night, to hog a full third of the mattress.
Anything more than that seems like overkill.
The clincher, though, was this:
Rose e Chocolate finished her first quilt! And it’s all squares! And it’s BEAUTIFUL! Judging by the cute items in her etsy shop, I’m sure this is the first of many. And years from now, it could still be her favorite.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a quilt made from really huge, sprawling blocks Burgoyne Surrounded, of which this is just one variation, comes to mind, but this week I did notice this wonderful entry into DQS 8 made by what I never said.
I’d call this a single block – which it is – but it’s also much more than that. Nine-patches, rail fences, a bit of starriness in the corners…. It’s the best kind of miniature quilt, really, in that it contains everything a larger quilt does. But it’s pared down so you can really concentrate on the integrity of the design.
The fact that some of my favorite fabrics have been used certainly doesn’t hurt, but the more muted color scheme isn’t what I’m used to in the exuberant celebration that is your average doll quilt.
Then again, this is no average doll quilt. I’d like it in solids, but I wouldn’t love it, not in the way I love the blend of playfulness and sophistication she’s achieved here. But if you want to make a quilt like this, note how perfectly precise the piecing is.
Not easy to acheive, but so worth the effort.
Andover has several really cute lines of kid-friendly fabric, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar collection that weepereas used for this quilt:
How sweet is that?
I’d love to see this trend continue to include even more of my childhood favorites. The obvious downside is the sheer number of childhood favorites I have!
I don’t know about you, but spotting all the Swiss flags at the Olympics has me cuckoo for cross quilts.
This one, made by the always brilliant Camp Follower Bag Lady, is my most recent in a long line of faves.
I’m in love. WHY did I not sign up for Doll Quilt Swap 8?
But, wait! There’s more! She’s posted a tutorial!
Happy Sunday sewing, everyone!
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