Spring Garden is the second pattern in my Garden Series. If you want to check out the first - Summer Garden - you can read about it here! Summer Garden is actually getting a re-vamp this month and the new version will be available in April after little TLC. The Garden Series will feature Autumn Garden and Winter Garden as well, which are both currently in the works. Make sure to check back soon for more updates about the Garden Series!
When I sat down to design this pattern, I really wanted it to feel springy. What better way to do this than to include butterflies? Each corner of the flower blocks throughout this quilt have cute, little butterflies made up of simple triangle shapes. I feel like this addition to the quilt blocks give the flowers so much personality!
Spring Garden is Fat Quarter (FQ) and Half Yard (HY) friendly and comes in 4 sizes ranging from Baby to Bed. For my cover quilt, I decided to go the HY route and made the Throw size version. The fabrics that I used in the quilt are Michael Miller Cotton Couture in the colors Spa, Celestial, Iris, Saturn, Seafoam, Mermaid, Caribbean, Marine, Pink, Lagoon for the flowers, Orchid for the Centers, and Soft White for the background.
For my backing fabric, I wanted to tie in a color from the quilt top but I didn't want a fabric that would compete with it. I decided on using Michael Miller Cotton Couture in the color Saturn.
The binding on this quilt is actually two different fabrics! I'm not usually one to bind my quilts with scrappy binding so this was definitely not planned. I originally intended to bind using Orchid to match the center fabric, but ended up needing to sub in Iris because I ran out of Orchid. There was a slight moment of panic, but I think it turned out okay! What do you think?
Last but not least - the quilting! I had the pleasure of working with Katie Hanson of Modern Textiles. You can find Katie on Instagram at @moderntextiles. Of course we had to go with a fun, springy panto on this one! She used the pantograph Floral Fun by Dastardly Line Quilting (@longarm.quilting.glasgow).
I had so much fun making this Spring Garden quilt! If you would like to make your own version, you can pick up the pattern in my shop now using the buttons below. Make sure to share your quilt with me on Instagram and use the hashtag #SpringGardenQuilt so I can see it!
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Want a cute Spring Garden sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Keep scrolling to see some more pretty Spring Garden Cover pictures!
If you want to read about the Art Gallery Fabrics version of Spring Garden seen below, you can head over to that blog for more information!
Leaders and enders are one of those things in quilting that everyone seems to do, but no one seems to talk about. A leader/ender is that little piece of scrap fabric that you use to start and end a line of chain piecing.
I usually have a few of these laying next to my machine. I like to have several on hand because sometimes I forget to clip the leader and it gets lost in a sea of chain piecing, or they fall on the floor behind my machine and bending over to pick it up isn’t worth the effort. Either way, I never start piecing without them!
Pros of leaders and enders:
Instead of using a piece of scrap fabric, I also like to use it as an opportunity to piece a second quilt or project. I made these three projects (a pillow, a pouch, and a journal cover) by using the leader/ender method to sew the leftover triangles together from each of the Hurrication quilts I’ve made. You can read more about those projects here!
With the projects above, I had two stacks next to my machine (one for background triangles and one for the prints) ready to go. That seemed to be the easiest way to stay organized and also to remember to use these versus my scrap leader.
This is also the method I used to make my Scrappy Valley quilt (if you haven't gotten your free copy yet, you can do so here!). I had a stack of yellow squares and a stack of pink strips and I sewed them together as leaders and enders until I ran out of yellow squares. Then I pressed the entire batch, cut a new set of strips to the right size, and repeated the process until I had a set of complete blocks.
The key to using leaders and enders to make a second quilt is to have a plan and to stay organized. You might need to set your current project aside for a day to cut more fabric or plan your blocks out. But once all the blocks you need are done, it’s fun to take a day and put that quilt top together!
I recently cut a mountain of fabric scraps into usable sizes (if you haven't read it yet, take a look here) and I was itching to use them! I also wanted a quick project to jump start my sewing mojo after taking most of December off of quilting. Quilted coasters seemed like the perfect project!
1. Place your fabric square right side up on top of your batting. I aim for the middle - it's okay to eyeball it here.
2. Place your first fabric strip RST on the square and sew directly onto the batting.
3. Fold the strip back and press. I like using a seam roller here for quick pressing like this.
4. Place the next strip down RST and repeat. I like to snip off any excess fabric during these steps.
5. Keep adding fabric strips until the batting is completely covered.
6. Place your backing fabric RST on the top side of the coaster.
7. Sew a ¼” seam around the perimeter making sure to leave about a 2” hole.
8. Turn the coaster right sides out. You can use a stiletto or chopstick to push the corners out so they are pointy.
9. Top stitch an ⅛” from the edge making sure to fold the seam fabric in the hole under and sew into place.
10. Give it a good press and enjoy!
I hope you give these a try! It is a quick and fun way to use up your fabric scraps AND leftover batting! Win win! If you do try these out, share them on Instagram and tag @runningstitchquilts so I can see.
If you want to see some more glamour shots of these scrappy coasters, keep scrolling. :)
Deciding to cut your fabric scraps down into usable sizes can be a daunting task. Especially if you are just getting started and have a mountain of fabric to tackle! In this post, I break down my strategy for cutting into my fabric scraps.
I cut my scraps into: 2.5” strips, 1.5” strips, 10” squares, 5” squares, 3.5” squares, and 2.5” squares. I chose these because they are common pre-cut sizes so there are many quilt patterns already written to use these sizes (with the exception of the 3.5” squares). Also, I like that you can combine these sizes in many different combinations to make a 6” block.
These sizes work for me, but when choosing what sizes to cut your scraps into, choose what works for you! If you are planning a string quilt, 1.5” strips might be the best use of your scraps. If you are thinking a postage stamp quilt sounds fun, cut your scraps into 2” squares. If you don’t have a specific quilt in mind, cut your scraps into a variety of sizes like I do until inspiration strikes!
After I finish cutting the fabric for a new quilt project, I put all of the leftover fabric into a bin (it’s actually a flower pot)! When the flower pot gets too full, I cut my scraps down into the usable sizes and sort them by color into storage boxes. You could also sort the scraps by size depending on how you plan to use them (for example, if you are making a postage stamp quilt or string quilt).
I used to cut these scraps after I finished each project or quilt, but now I throw them into my flower pot and save them for the days I just want to do something mindless while I watch TV. When my flower pot gets too full, but I don’t want to stop what I’m working on, I’ll spend 5 or so minutes a day cutting up scraps until that fabric mountain is more manageable.
Scrap Cutting Strategy:
Last thought: Anything larger than a FQ or ¼ yard, I will consider saving for a fabric destash instead of cutting up. I don’t keep a big fabric stash (read here to find out why), so honestly, if I saved it, it probably wouldn’t get used. That is the main reason why this fabric scrap management strategy works for me. I am more likely to use fabric that has been cut down into usable sizes than I am larger pieces stashed away.
If you choose to cut your scraps into the same sizes that I do, I have a FREE quilt pattern written specifically for those cuts. Download my Scrappy Valley quilt pattern here!
The Chevron Stars Quilt Pattern is out now!
Chevron Stars quilt pattern is the second in my chevron series. You can get both Chevron Series Quilt Patterns here! And if you'd prefer just this one, you can get the PDF version here and the Printed version here!
So let me tell you a story about Chevron Stars... This was one of those patterns that I would work on for a bit only to put it away and come back to it later. I actually had 3 or 4 iterations of this design that I *almost* moved forward with before deciding at the last minute that I didn't like it. It wasn't until I offset the stars that it started to come together.
I think I am constantly having to remind myself not to rush the process because I am excited. Sometimes it is necessary to sit with a design for my creativity to have a chance to work.
Chevron Stars is rated as an intermediate level pattern. This is because accurate cutting, trimming, and a 1/4" seam allowance are necessary skills to make this quilt pattern come together. Don't let the "intermediate" scare you away if you are a newer quilter, though! This pattern is perfect if you want to practice matching points.
The star blocks in this quilt are BIG! These 15" square blocks make this a good pattern for showing off your favorite fat quarter bundle! If you haven't seen the Moonglow version I made using a Ruby Star Society bundle, you should check it out here!
If you are familiar with my quilt patterns, you will know that I have another chevron pattern - Chevron Points. This is the sister pattern to Chevron Stars, as they both use the pointed chevron design throughout! If you love the chevron design as much as I do, you can actually snag both patterns in this Chevron Series bundle!
Okay - back to talking about the cover girl.
So, this was actually my first time using a dark background. I'm not going to lie, I was kind of nervous about it! Having dark threads to trim from the back of the quilt top to keep from peeking through my lighter fabrics was a TASK. Plus, with darker fabrics I worry about bleeding but that's nothing a few color catchers and some Synthrapol can't prevent. I'm glad I went through with the dark fabric because I loved it! I think it really makes those stars POP!
The fabrics I used are Michael Miller Cotton Couture in the colors Delft, Glass, Ice Blue, Iris, Mauve, Ocean, Saturn, Spa, and Venus. The accent color that breaks up the stars is Soft White. The background color I used is the color Cadet. Lastly, the backing and binding color is Saturn.
The cover girl was longarm quilted by Katie Hanson of Modern Textiles. We went with the classic - a baptist fan pantograph. You really can't go wrong with it!
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Get your copy of the Chevron Stars quilt pattern in the shop now! You can get the PDF pattern here and the Printed pattern here!
Chevron Stars quilt pattern is the second in my chevron series. You can get both Chevron Series Quilt Patterns here!
Alexia Abegg is one my all time favorite fabric designers so I was thrilled to get this collection from Ruby Star Society as part of their Makers program. I really admire the way she puts her collections together without huge floral motifs. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good floral print, but Alexia's collections don't need them. Her style is unique and I love it. You can get to know a little bit about her here!
I didn't have room to use all of the fabrics from this collection in the quilt, so I selected the ones that flowed best and ran with it!
This was the first sample of Chevron Stars I made while I was testing the pattern. It was so fun to see it come together. I had been working on this design off and on for almost a year so it was a long time coming! I'm glad that I'm finally able to share it with you all!
I used Michael Miller's Cotton Couture Fabrics in the color Quartz as the backing of this quilt. I think it compliments the colors in Alexia's collection perfectly. The Moonglow collection is a stunner, so I didn't want to put a print on the back to compete with it.
The quilting on this Chevron Stars quilt was done by the wonderful Katie Hanson of Modern Textiles. We decided to go with the Pretty Petals pantograph for this one and I'm glad we did! It gives the quilt a dainty feeling that fits the collection perfectly.
I love this scrappy Hurrication quilt so much!
The fabric I used for this quilt came from Kristin Quinn Creative. Kristin made a quilt with a similar bundle for Modernly Morgan, and I fell in love with it. I reached out to her and asked her if she could expand the bundle to 20 prints for me and this is what she came up with!
Choosing the layout of this scrappy quilt was a process of mixing and matching until the layout was just right. I wanted to make sure the colors within the quilt flowed nicely from one another. I actually have a blog about planning this ombre layout that you can read all about here!
I decided to use Floral Elements by AGF in Antique Rose for my backing fabric. I figured that since the front has so many colors and patterns going on, the backing should be calm and pretty neutral for the quilt. I think it pairs nicely with the scrappy Hurrication top!
I decide to quilt this scrappy ombre Hurrication quilt myself on my domestic sewing machine. I chose straight-line quilting approximately 1" apart. If you need a trusty, quick quilting design, you can't go wrong with straight-line quilting!
The scrappy binding is hands down my favorite part of this quilt! I think everyone should have at least one scrappy bound quilt under their quilting belt. It adds so much fun and flair to the quilt - especially if you choose to add it to a simple solids only quilt!
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Want a cute Hurrication sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Scroll for more pretty pictures of the Scrappy Ombre Hurrication Quilt!
Welcome back to the Hurrication QAL!
We made it to the last week! This week is all about assembling your quilt top.
Let's get started. :)
If you are making a scrappy or ombre layout, figuring out the layout takes a bit more time and consideration. I go into more depth about the ombre version in this blog post, but when I'm planning a random, scrappy layout, I like to just get all of the blocks onto the design wall (or laid out on the floor). From there, I move blocks around until the lights/darks are balanced. I try not to have the same fabric in two blocks right next to each other if possible, but that's just a personal preference.
When I'm happy with the layout, the final step before sewing the rows together is to take a black and white picture. This helps to see the value of the fabrics and it is easier to catch if there is a too dark or too light area.
I've mentioned this before, but I rarely use pins when piecing my blocks. That being said, I always use pins when piecing my rows. Pinning helps keep the rows straight and the seams aligned. For this quilt, I put a pin at each intersection and each triangle point.
When putting the rows together, I sew them together in pairs, then sew the pairs together. This helps keep everything straight, in order, and easier to handle the bulk on my sewing table.
That's it!!
I am obsessed with how mine turned out. I love every single thing about it. :)
My cover quilt was long arm quilted with the edge to edge pantograph, Mike's Swoosh. I loved the swirly effect of the quilting that played into the hurricane theme.
My ombre quilt was quilted on my domestic machine with straight lines that are approximately 3/4" apart. I don't personally free motion quilt, so if I'm quilting something myself, I usually go for straight lines.
Other edge to edge pantos I considered were Modern Curves and Echoed Swirls. I think either of those would have worked well.
If I were to quilt another one myself, I think a diagonal lines following the background fabric would look nice! Or, keep it simple and stitch in the ditch. :)
Now, onto the PRIZES!
Jill of J. Coterie is giving away free long arming services (up to $250) and will offer 20% off on any quilt you send in to her! Jill has quilted most of my cover quilts and I think she does excellent work! I love sending my quilts to her. Sign up for Jill's newsletter here!
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Rachel of Saltwater Fabrics is giving away a $50 gift card to her shop! Rachel puts together some of my favorite quilt kits and bundles.
To enter in the giveaway:
– Share your progress on instagram using the hashtag #hurricationqal and #rsqpatterns. (Your Instagram account must be public or I won't be able to see it.)
– Sign up for Jill's newsletter :)
I will randomly pick one winner on Sunday night and announce it in next weeks email newsletter and in my IG stories!
Hurrication is finally out in the world and I couldn't be happier about it!
This one has been in my drafts for a couple years now, and I am excited to finally get it out into the world. It was inspired by my time living in coastal Georgia. We had only lived there for a couple of months when we had to evacuate for a hurricane. My sweet neighbor invited us to come stay at her family home a few hours away. It ended up being a really fun way to spend a few days, so we jokingly called it our “hurrication” for the rest of the time we were neighbors. And, luckily, the hurricane that was coming our way took a detour at the last minute, and there was minimal rain and wind damage to our area. *Phew*
For my cover quilt, I knew I had to use my go-to for solids: Cotton Couture by Michael Miller. The colors I used in this quilt are Cadet, Denim, Sea, and Delft with a background of Soft White. I love how soothing and calming these colors are together - despite the scary weather inspiration behind the quilt. It is a little like the feeling of relief once the weather has cleared!
The quilting for this Hurrication cover quilt is by Katie Hanson of Modern Textiles. She used the Mike's Swoosh pantograph which is basically the perfect design for this pattern - the swirly effect of the design looks like the pattern a hurricane makes on a weather radar! I'm not saying ALL Hurrication quilts should have this quilting design, buuuut it is a pretty great combo if I do say so myself!
You can get your own copy of the PDF or paper versions in the shop now! Make sure to tag me in your makes so I can admire your work and use the hashtags #rsqpatterns and #runningstitchquilts on your social posts!
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Want a cute Hurrication sticker? You can get yourself one here! |
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Keep scrolling on for more pretty picture of the Hurrication cover quilt! :)
Welcome back to the Hurrication QAL!
This week is all about the extra HST you can make from your snowball corner leftovers!
Let's get started. :)
I like saving all of my triangles for the end for a couple reasons. One, I don't always use the background fabric and pair up the prints instead. Two, they make a good leaders and enders while piecing other projects.
Reminder, these are on the bias so handle gently when sewing!
If you click on the Week 2 link above, there is section on sewing an extra line 1/2" away from the original. Cutting in between these two lines gives you the extra HST without having to sew them separately later! If bias edges are troubling for you, do it this way to avoid that issue.
Press your HSTs open or two the side (whichever your preference), and square to 2.5". They will finish at 2" when sewn together!
The Rainbow Sherbet Pouch by Great Heron Thread Co is my newest obsession. I made one to hold my hand embroidery projects, and I loved it so much I used my HSTs from my cover quilt and my QAL quilt to make two new pouches.
Don't tell the others, but the ombre effect from my QAL pouch is hands down one of my favorite things I've ever made. The ombre continues on to the back and it's just so fun!
For the blue pouch, I attempted some improv style patchwork. I randomly paired triangles together to make the HSTs and then randomly paired the HSTs when sewing them together. It was freeing to not worry about matching points!
I used this pattern by Something from Nothing to make a journal cover that fits over a composition book. When sewing these HSTs, I randomly paired the fabrics together omitting the background fabric altogether. I had less HSTs to work with, but this was a small project so it worked out just fine!
Each week I will be giving away a FQ bundle curated from my own stash! Here is this weeks bundle!
To enter in the giveaway:
– Share your progress on instagram using the hashtag #hurricationqal and #rsqpatterns. (Your Instagram account must be public or I won't be able to see it.)
– Because I want this to be a stress-free QAL, any picture of your progress counts! It doesn't have to necessarily “match” the prompt. If you don't have your fabrics yet, post the QAL graphic. If you have your fabrics, show them off so we can see what you're going to make! If you want to post more than once, go for it! All of it counts. :)
I will randomly pick one winner on Sunday night and announce it in next weeks email newsletter and in my IG stories!
Jill of J. Coterie is giving away free long arming services (up to $250) and will offer 20% off on any quilt you send in to her!
AND
Rachel of Saltwater Fabrics is giving away a $50 gift card to her shop!
We're almost done! If you haven't finished your blocks yet, next week is a good chance to do that before we finally assemble the tops!
I've been wanting a new (long and skinny) pin cushion to keep next to my sewing machine. I had a few leftover HSTs from my Scrappy Hurrication quilt, so I made one really quick. I took some pictures of my process so you can make one too!
Because pin cushions are so small and can be made so quickly, these are a great way to use up small scraps!
1. Sew scraps together to make at a panel that is 7" x 9". Place the panel right side up on top of lining fabric. The lining fabric will be inside the pin cushion and wont get seen. So it doesn't have to be anything fancy.
2. Quilt as desired. I did straight lines approximately 5/8" apart.
3. Trim panel down to 6.5" x 8.5".
5. Fold in half wrong sides together and sew a 1/4" seam.
6. Now it will look like a tube. Press seam open, centering the seam in the middle of the tube.
7. Sew a 1/4" seam on ONE end of the pin cushion tube.
8. Turn pin cushion right side out. Use a stiletto or butter knife to help push out the corners.
9. On the open end, fold the edges under approximately 1/4", press, and clip in place. I like to do this before I add the filler because it is a little easier to work with at this stage.
10. Using the small funnel, add the filler. I massaged the bottom of the bag in between pours to help distribute the filler down evenly, and to make sure it got into the corners at the bottom.
11. When full, use clips to hold the edges together. Carefully sew edge closed backstitching at the beginning and end.
12. Fill with pins!!
Welcome back to the Hurrication QAL!
We are almost to the halfway point, how are you feeling!?
I don't have much to share this week, so I thought I'd share some of the posts from the Instagram hashtag. Everyone is making great progress, so hopefully you are feeling inspired and motivated to finish!
Let's get started. :)
These are just a handful of the quilts being shared on Instagram. Be sure to follow the hashtag or check it out here!
Each week I will be giving away a FQ bundle curated from my own stash! Here is this weeks bundle!
To enter in the giveaway:
– Share your progress on instagram using the hashtag #hurricationqal and #rsqpatterns. (Your Instagram account must be public or I won't be able to see it.)
– Because I want this to be a stress-free QAL, any picture of your progress counts! It doesn't have to necessarily “match” the prompt. If you don't have your fabrics yet, post the QAL graphic. If you have your fabrics, show them off so we can see what you're going to make! If you want to post more than once, go for it! All of it counts. :)
I will randomly pick one winner on Sunday night and announce it in next weeks email newsletter and in my IG stories!
Jill of J. Coterie is giving away free long arming services (up to $250) and will offer 20% off on any quilt you send in to her!
AND
Rachel of Saltwater Fabrics is giving away a $50 gift card to her shop!
Next week will be all about snowball corners! I'll share what I'm making with my leftover HSTs, give you some other ideas what you can make with yours, and have a handy tutorial for you. :)
