I had a hard time deciding what to make with these fun fabrics! I wanted to make a Rivermill, but I hated the idea of cutting up these beautiful prints. After playing with several mock ups, I finally settled on a Noughts and Crosses quilt. The center squares of this pattern are perfect for fussy cutting, and these prints are perfect to be fussy cut!
For the main fabric, I used the Darling Bouquets print. Combined with the white background, I love the softer, more subtle overall impression it gives the quilt. Plus, the pots are super fun and make a great feature.
In addition to the fussy cut llamas, I chose the blue and yellow florals to coordinate without being distracting.
And don't worry, I didn't forget about the sugar skulls! I loved this print so much I used it for the backing so I didn't have to cut into it at all! Haha!
I quilted my go-to serpentine stitch about 1.5" apart. I love this stitch because it gives a little bit of extra dimension without free motion quilting. Plus, it's quick!
To finish it off, I used the orange tie dye print for binding. I just love love love this quilt. It would be perfect for a baby girl!
After I finished this quilt, I had just enough extra sugar skulls fabric to make two matching pillows. Adorable, right!?
See the entire La Vida Loca collection here! Michael Miller sent me these fabrics as part of their brand ambassador program. :)
Back in February, I hosted my first quilt along with my Noughts and Crosses pattern. When the QAL ended, I packed my quilt away to prep for our move to Michigan. Well, I finally pulled the quilt out, got the binding added, and took some pictures. I am excited to finally share the finished quilt with you!
When I first saw this black plaid from the Riley Blake Winterberry line, I knew I had to make a Christmas quilt with it. I loved this print so much that I bought a five yard cut of it. FIVE YARDS. What can I say, it was an impulse buy after the Christmas season and it was getting hard to find. That's okay though, there is plenty if fabric leftover to make stockings, a tree skirt, and maybe a couple of pillows.
For my Christmas quilt, I used the plaid as my feature print and paired it with Kona colors Evergreen, Basil, and Rich Red. The background is Essex Linen in Metallic Crystal. Photos really don’t do this fabric justice, the sparkle is so pretty in real life.
The quilting was done by Jill of J. Coterie Quilting. I let her pick the panto and she chose the fun starburst/snowflake design. Jill also carries a selection of minky to use as backing, so I asked her to back it with a black minky. Oh my goodness, it is so soft! My toddler has claimed this quilt as hers and has also requested that all my quilts be the “cuddly kind” from now on.
The original Noughts and Crosses pattern doesn’t include borders, but I added a 5” border on all sides for this one. I wanted it to be just a tad bigger so I can cuddle up with my family on the couch with it. Let's be honest though, I really just wanted more blanket to cocoon myself with. (I'm not a very good at blanket sharing!)
You can find the paper pattern here and the digital pattern here if you’d like to make your own. If you do, tag me in instagram with #noughtsandcrossesquilt and @runningstitchquilts so I can see!
But now, pictures!
When I first started quilting, I really wanted to make a specific quilt for our bed. Except it was a throw size. Unsure of how to proceed, I emailed the designer and asked for her help. She suggested I add borders to the quilt to make it the size I wanted.
While that was great advice, I took it a step further by resizing the block and adding two borders. (In hindsight, this might have been the exercise that starting me down the quilt pattern design path.) Funnily enough, that quilt never got made. I made a few of the blocks, and packed it up to move across the country, and never got it back out again. It has been in my WIP pile for 5 years. Oops!
All that to say, adding borders IS the easiest way to increase the size of your quilt. Other reasons to add borders to your quilt? Borders can help square up your quilt if it has gotten a bit wonky, and add a nice frame to your quilt top.
First, lay out your quilt top on a flat surface.
Measure the length of your top in three places: the left edge, the middle, and the right edge. Take the average of the three measurements. That is what you will cut (and/or piece) your strip of fabric to.
When you have the appropriate length of fabric for your border, fold it in half and finger press to find the center. Do the same with your quilt top. Line up the two creases and pin in place.
Line up the end of the fabric strip with the end of the quilt, and pin in place. I use as many pins as I can to pin the entire length of the border in place. If you have a smidge extra fabric on one side, that's okay! As long as you pin the center and the edges, you can work the rest in. This is what will help square up your quilt top.
Do the same to the opposite side. Sew down both strips and press.
Repeat the exact same process for the remaining two sides of the quilt.
And done!
Now your quilt is nicely framed, a little bit bigger, and square!
Taking the extra time to line up the centers of your border strip with the center of the quilt top is worth it. It's faster to just start at one edge and sew the strip of fabric down, but that increases the likelihood of having wavy edges and a less than square shape.
Noughts and Crosses is here!
The Noughts and Crosses pattern comes in 2 sizes: baby (36"x36") and small throw (54"x54"). It is perfect for beginners because you get to practice half square triangles, flying geese, and diamond in a square units. ;)
Naming patterns is my biggest struggle. I usually ask my husband because he is witty and clever, but he didn't have any suggestions for this one. So I took to Instagram to crowd-source a good name. One person said it reminded her of tic-tac-toe, and I thought that was fun! Then another person said it reminded her of noughts and crosses. To be honest, I had to look up what that was. It is what the English call tic-tac-toe! It was the clear winner for a pattern name!
This pattern is perfect for highlighting a fabric you LOVE by using it as the main fabric. Add in coordinating solids, and you have a stunning effect. You could also choose your favorite 4 color combination and create different effects with different color placement. Using a darker background also changes up the look of the quilt. A couple of my testers did that, and I'll share their photos on Thursday. The possibilities with this pattern are endless!
I made a sample of each size using solids. For the baby quilt, I used muted blues and grays. For the small throw quilt, I used brighter teals and yellows. I want to make a Christmas version too. Hmm...maybe I can get that done before Christmas this year...
Now for the photos. First up! The baby size.
I think this would be precious for a little boy.
I kept the quilting simple - just wavy lines spaced about an inch apart - so when it gets washed it will be soft and crinkly. Perfect for a baby.
It is only 36"x36" so it is a good size for tummy time or for keeping a kiddo warm in the stroller. One of my friends is pregnant and doesn't know what she is having. I'm secretly hoping it is a boy so I can send this to her. Shhhh. ;)
Next: the Small Throw size!
I love the brightness of the teals and yellows. The effect of the yellow was what I originally had in mind when I designed this quilt.
The quilting was done by Jill (J.Coterie Quilting) and ISNT.IT.AMAZING!?!
We worked together to pick this geometric design and I think it compliments the overall design perfectly. I have always been proud of the fact that I quilt my own quilts on my domestic machine (even it is just straight lines), but using a long-armer takes the quilt to an entirely new level. You can bet I will work with Jill again and again and again!
Seriously. It's so good!
Come back Thursday to see my testers version!
