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)
Want a cute Mountain Valley sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
When I made the very first digital mock up of Desert Charm, I pinks with yellow cornerstones. Imagine my delight when I saw the Art Gallery Fabrics line, Mayfair, around the same time. I knew I had to make this quilt with these fabrics. I think the result is stunning. I can't wait to get this quilted up!
I also wanted to share my pattern testers quilts! I have so much love for these ladies. They make suggestions and offer insights that make the pattern so much better.
Here are the beautiful quilts they made:
@turtlequilterjo made this beautiful purple baby sized quilt.
@collectivequilts made a stunner with jewel tones.
@mandipersell (from Sewcial Stitch) used corals/teals from Art Gallery fabrics to create this block. She will be selling these as kits. Go check her out so you can make this beauty too!
@oneblessedmamaquilts also used peachy/corals. She modified the throw to make it a square.
@maeberrysquare made this sweet baby size!
@redheaded_rita used a peachy background and it was such a fun fabric choice! (Also, check out that good doggo!)
@dmking52512 made this red, white, and blue version. Now I need to make a red, white, and blue version!
Eternally Yours in available in my shop!
While I released this pattern on Wednesday, I'm just sharing more about it now. I usually like to have this post ready to go when the pattern is available, but like all things with the pattern release, nothing went according to plan!
Right after I sent this pattern off to the testers, I found out I was pregnant! Right after I found out I was pregnant, I lost the will to do anything other than sleep. As much as I wanted to meet my original release date of Valentine's Day, I'm okay with having waited. I would rather things be done well, then quickly.
The Eternally Yours Pattern is available is three sizes: baby, throw, and bed. It has fabric requirements and layouts for two design options in each size: a minimalist, and a scrappy design. Here are some mock ups of the throw size in each of the designs.
Design 1: Minimalist - one color/fabric is used for the X's and one fabric/color is used for the O's.
Design 2: Scrappy - this option uses fat quarters, and each FQ makes 2 X's and 2 O's for a fun variety.
This quilt design actually started as a commissioned quilt I was making for a customer. I took the concept I created for her, and tweaked it to match my personal aesthetic a little better, and that is how Eternally Yours was born.
The cover quilt uses a variety of Kona Solids from Robert Kaufman. I used Blush Pink, Deep Rose, Sangria, Pomegranate, Cerise, Ruby, Rich Red, Wine, Crimson, Berry, and Garnet. The background is my go to, Kona Snow.
I quilted this one with straight line quilting about 1.5 inches apart. Straight line quilting is my favorite. It never gets old, and it looks good on everything!
And now, here are my testers versions. They did an amazing job!
Linda (@txquiltgal) made a fun scrappy throw size! I adore the fabrics she used.
Jen (@oneblessedmamaquilts) also did a scrappy throw in colors that make me excited for spring.
Mandi (@mandipersell) made a striking minimalist baby quilt. I can't get enough of the teal feature sashing she used!
April (@aprilgracequilts) made a scrappy baby size in calming, muted colors.
Jessica (@maeberrysquare) also went for the minimalist option in baby size. The pink and purple combo is a beauty!
The Summer Garden Pattern is now available in my shop!
When my old college roommate asked to make a quilt for her baby girl, I started sketching out some flower ideas. I prefer traditional piecing to appliqué, so I was playing with a traditionally pieced flower with a sawtooth star center. And that's how Summer Garden Pattern was born. My friend ultimately decided to go with an appliqué pattern (see that quilt here!), and I made this one anyway because I loved it so much.
This is my most versatile pattern to date. I've written instructions for a large crib size (40" x 53") using 12" finished blocks and a throw size (56" x 74") using 16" finished blocks. Since the pattern is block based, you make any quilt size you want by choosing how many of which size block you need.
The pattern is written to get two flower blocks from one cut of fabric. The 12" finished blocks have instructions from FQ or yardage. The 16" finished blocks only have instructions from yardage, but if you wanted to use a FQ you definitely could! However, for the 16" size, a FQ will only provide enough fabric for one flower block, so you would need extra FQs depending on how big you wanted your quilt to be.
My version was made entirely from fabric I had in my stash. Some of the fabric didn't have a selvedge or didn't have identifying information on the the selvedge, so unfortunately, I don't know where all of it came from! The combination of orange, peach, and pink makes it feel bright and summer-y.
For the backing, I stumbled across this in a fabric sale. It was like this fabric was made to be the back of this quilt. The blue flowers provides a nice, calming contrast to the brightness of the front. The pops of orange and red flowers mixed in with the blue perfectly compliments the front.
Similar to Snowflakes in July, this pattern is a suitable for a confident beginner. A tutorial on the No Waste Flying Geese method can be found here, and be on the lookout for an in depth tutorial on the Magic 8 HST method coming soon. The most complex part of this pattern is paying attention to the direction of the HSTs, ;)
As I stated earlier, I originally sketched this out as a concept for a custom quilt. When the client chose a different option, I still fleshed this out to see what it could turn into.
Compared to the drawn-out process for Snowflakes in July, this came together really quickly. It's been fun to share the process in real time as I've put it together.
I made the large crib size with 12" finished blocks.
My fabulous tester, Joanne (@turtlequilterjo) made the throw size with 16" blocks. I love how she used a blue background for hers!
Click Here to see the Flying Geese tutorial.
Click here to download the No Waste Flying Geese Reference Sheet.
Be sure to tag me (@runningstitchquilts) or use the hashtags (#summergardenquilt or #rsqpatterns) so I can see what you make! :)