Welcome to the the Running Stitch Quilts Color Inspiration blog series! In this new series, I'll be diving into the world of color and bringing you practical color palettes. Every month, I'll pick a set of 3 or 4 foundational colors to use in building out fun and expressive color palettes that you can apply to my quilt patterns or any future quilts. Keeping reading for some quilty inspiration!
For June - since it is the month when summer starts - I almost had to feature the Summer Garden Quilt pattern as my Pattern of the Month! How could I not, right? When I took a look back at this quilt pattern, I knew it would be the perfect fit for June's Color Inspo challenge!
Before we get into the fun color palettes, I wanted to let you know that my June Pattern of the Month, Summer Garden, is on sale through the end of June 2024! You can save $3 on the printed and digital patterns.
Okay back to colors!
The colors used in my Summer Garden cover quilt are Michael Miller Cotton Couture solids in the colors Celestial, Nite, Mosaic, Lagoon, Isle, Luna, Sun, Melon, Geranium, and Peach for the Flowers. The Center accent color is Iris, and the background color is Soft White to make everything POP!
I loved how bright these fabrics were and how well they played together. Mixing and matching them in the making process gave me so many new favorite color combinations! If you want to read more about how this quilt came to be, you can read about it here.
It was honestly hard to narrow down the colors from my Summer Garden cover quilt into just 4 colors to use for this Color Inspo challenge, because I just love them all so much. After some color auditioning, I decided to go with Turquoise, Luna, Geranium, and Marigold. I felt like those 4 colors embodied the feel of summer perfectly!
In this first color palette, I wanted to expand on the yellow and coral gradient to give the full color palette a more vibrant summer feel. I'm not going to lie - this color palette has been one of my favorite to create! It's giving a "strawberry lemonade" vibe that I am so here for!
The addition of Bubble Gum, Girl, and Lava, makes this color palette transform into a beautiful youthful palette that can be used in a variety of project types! I love the pops of Marigold sticking out in the Summer Garden quilt mockup below. The vibrant Lava and Lipstick throughout the Rivermill quilt mockup packs a punch!
In my second color palette, I wanted to tie in the feel of a summer beach by adding in some browns and tans. Whether you frequent the beach of a pond, lake, or ocean, I bet the earthy feel of the colors Bamboo, Toffee, and Tan in this color palette make you feel the warmth in your toes and the smell of sunscreen in the air!
While I love the mix of colors in the Summer Garden quilt mockup, I can't get over how great these colors look in the Hurrication quilt mockup! The deep tones of Lavendar and and Toffee balance out the bright colors like Cameo, Geranium, and Marigold nicely.
I my last color palette, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to create a summer sunset color palette. I envision this sunset happening over the water after a long day of fun in the sun. The darker colors of Teal and Lagoon represent the depths of the water and the colors Nite and Jam represent the darkness of the night sky.
In the Summer Garden quilt mockup below, I paired these colors with a classic white background fabric. I always love how colors pop against a white background. But the magic comes when you take a look at the Mountain Valley quilt mockup below! Using those deep tones as the background and star colors in this quilt give it a lovely dusk sky look.
Playing with color is one of my absolute favorite things to do! Being able to blend colors together to create such dynamic color palettes for my handmade quilts makes my creative soul so happy. I invite you to try out one of my June Color Inspiration color palettes in your next quilt! Whether you use the exact fabrics or use them as a jumping-off point for your own palette, I'd love to see! Share your quilts made with my color palettes on Instagram using the hashtag #RSQColorInspo or tag me in your photo. :)
Stay tuned for next month's Color Inspiration. Until then, happy sewing!
One way to achieve a unique and scrappy look for the Mountain Valley Quilt Pattern is by using fat quarters instead of yardage. In this blog post, I’m going to guide you through how I made my scrappy Mountain Valley, including some FQ cutting diagrams to help. (You will, however, need the original quilt pattern to get the cutting sizes and assembly instructions). Let’s get started!
Before we dive into the scrappy goodness, let's quickly talk about fat quarters. For those who aren't familiar, a fat quarter is a pre-cut piece of fabric that measures approximately 18 x 22 inches. I really like working with curated FQ bundles, because they provide a variety of prints and patterns all while staying coordinated. Curated FQ bundles are sold in almost every quilt fabric store. Since these bundles are made uniquely by each shop, make sure to pay attention to the number of FQs included in each bundle before you buy.
Once you have your FQs selected, it's time to start cutting them into the necessary units for the Mountain Valley pattern. The great thing about using FQs is that you can get multiple pieces from each one, allowing for even more scrappy goodness.
I’ve included four different ways to cut up a FQ showing how you can get the various pieces from one FQ. That being said, I worked one block at a time, selecting six fabrics for a single block and cutting them into the necessary units. I did not cut everything at the beginning and then mix and match (my usual method of scrappy quilting).
Doing it this way was a lesson in slowing down. It definitely took me longer to get all of the blocks put together. But I also think it allowed me to make sure I had as much variety within the blocks as possible.
If you are making the throw size, you’ll need 18 sets of the A - F units. I used a FQ bundle of the full Winterglow fabric collection by Ruby Star Society, which includes 31 fabrics. I used some from each print, and had plenty left over. I’d aim for at least 24 FQs, but you can always use more if you have them! If you are working with a smaller fabric collection, adding coordinating solids is a good way to increase the number of FQs you have!
So, the next time you're feeling adventurous, grab some fat quarters and give the Mountain Valley pattern a scrappy twist. Happy quilting!
When I got the opportunity to sew something with these gorgeous Riley Blake Designs basics, I knew I had to make a Mountain Valley wall hanging. I modified the pattern slightly to get a flag effect, and I love the end result so much!
The Riley Blake Designs basic, Textured, is one of my favorites. It has subtle depth without being over the top about it. I'm using Navy, Barn Red, Denim, and Cream.
I knew I was going to want to hang this when I was done, so I went to my old mini quilt hanging method standby: corner tabs.
Using corner tabs is my favorite way to easily hang a mini quilt on the wall that will not be seen from the front. The tabs get sewn into the binding making it a permanent solution. Then all you need to do is pop in a small dowel rod and hang the rod on a couple of command strips. See, so easy!
Couple housekeeping things: this method is best for smaller quilts (think less than 24 inches or so). For a quilt wider than 24 inches, I would probably make a hanging sleeve. The quilt also needs to be unfinished. If the binding is already attached, an alternative method (like a hanging sleeve) is more appropriate.
- Quilted Wall Hanging - quilted, but no binding yet!
- (2) 5" squares of coordinating or matching fabric
- Binding
- Dowel Rod (I used a 1/4" dowel rod that I got from Home Depot. I've also seen them at Hobby Lobby)
- Command Hooks
1. Fold 5" square diagonally into a triangle and press.
2. On the back of the quilt, place one triangle in each corner on the top edge. Pin in place.
3. Bind quilt as usual. I attach my binding to the front, fold it over to the back, clip in place, and stitch the ditch from the front to sew it down.
4. The triangles are now corner pockets that will hold a dowel rod.
5. Attach command hooks to the wall.
6. You might need to cut your dowel rod down to size. I did! Hang the dowel rod on the command hooks and admire your new wall hanging!
The original inspiration for this quilt came from when I used to live with my boyfriend (now husband) at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. We hiked in the Franklin Mountains and enjoyed spectacular sunsets at night.
When I saw the Warp and Weft line by Ruby Star Society I knew immediately I wanted to use it for this pattern. The combination of orangey brown, light pinks and purples, and navy fabric is exactly what I think of when I think back to my time in El Paso.
I made the wall hanging size, and it turned out exactly as I imagined.
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Want a cute Mountain Valley sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Behind every pattern release is a team of testers who have combed through the first drafts and made suggestions and caught errors that help me get the pattern ready to share with the world.
In the process, they make beautifully unique quilts. If you don't follow these ladies on Instagram, you should! They are fantastic quilters and even better people.
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Jessica (@maeberrysquare)
Vikki (@kikifab)
Megan (@megansager18)
Missy (@bestillblessings)
Laura (@quiltsandchaos)
Denise (@dmking52512)
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Want a cute Mountain Valley sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Introducing the Mountain Valley Quilt!
This quilt pattern was inspired by my time living in El Paso, Texas and the Franklin Mountains. We lived on the west side of the city, and had a spectacular view of the sunset every night. On the weekends, we would hike the various trails around the mountains. It was truly a beautiful place to live, and I miss it! I also miss the tacos and the churro stands. Haha.
The Mountain Valley block is a log cabin style block that is built around a sawtooth star. The real magic happens when the blocks are sewn together. There is so much dynamic and dimension and it looks great in every color/fabric combo I've seen it in.
The pattern comes in four sizes: wall hanging, crib, throw, and bed. I've labeled it an intermediate skill level due to the bias edges and "on point" setting. Skills needed would be a consistent, accurate 1/4" seam allowance and the ability to keep a block square.
For the cover quilt, I used Kona Cottons: Eggplant, Dusty Peach, Foxglove, Plum, Cadet, and Snow. The quilting was done by Jill of J. Coterie Quilting. I let Jill choose the quilting design and I absolutely LOVE what she chose. The flowing design is the perfect compliment to the geometric pattern.
Jill also used a cotton bamboo batting. This is my first experience with it, and it's been a positive one. The quilt lays flat and drapes beautifully without being stiff. I would choose this batting again if given the opportunity.
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Want a cute Mountain Valley sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Now for the pictures. :)
