Joie de Vivre

Joie De Vivre

Joie de Vivre Quilt

Joie de Vivre is a string pieced king, sized quilt made for my daughter, Carly. She chose the pattern from a quilt pin saved on my Pinterest page. The directions were simple, using only one star in the quilt, but she required a large quilt, so her quilt is made using 20 star blocks. Fabrics chosen coordinated with one focus fabric, mostly bright yet medium value colored fabrics collected throughout the year.With so many strips in each block, a lot of different fabrics were required so as not to duplicate fabrics. I'm not certain how many fabrics were used, but it was quite a few!

Each block was constructed of 16--6 1/2 inch squares string pieced on a muslin square. Strings were cut one inch, one and 1/4 inch, one and 1/2 inch, one and 3/4 inch and two inch strips. I began by making the split block, using half light and half bright fabrics. Each block required 8 of these. The quilt was so massive, I made each block separately, sewing all 16 squares together to complete each 24 inch block.

When piecing a large quilt, it's easy to become bored and set aside the blocks to complete smaller projects. But that didn't happen with this one. When you love the fabrics as much as I loved these, I kept plugging away until it was completed. Like birthing a baby, this quilt was nine months in the making!

Center blocks using medium value fabrics

Corner blocks using light fabrics

Finished quilt!

 Carly chose Teaberry, a coral fabric from the grunge line, for the binding. Warm and Natural cotton batting was used. The quilt is quilted by Joyce Coburn from Coburn's Quilting Plus in Barberton, Ohio.
 

Botanical Gardens Quilt

Botanical Gardens

 

I have always admired the bright colors and floral designs in the fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs. I  began buying their gorgeous fabrics in magenta, red, purple and blue colors about 10 years ago with no idea how I would use them. Once I had collected quite a few fabrics, I selected 7 fabrics of magenta/red and 7 fabrics of purple/blue//green fabrics. Having made several chevron quilts, I wanted to make something similar, yet different. Finally, I decided on a stair step pattern, so the design goes down the quilt on a diagonal. 

Originally, I attempted to place one of the floral fabrics with one of Kaffe Fassett Dots fabric, but didn't feel it was the cohesive effect I wanted. When I decided to combine one warm fabric of magenta or red with a cool fabric of blue or purple, I knew it was a winning combination. The pattern is simple, yet the colorful designs in the fabrics make this pattern pop! 

The strips are cut 3 inches each, sewing a pink/red strip to a blue/purple strip. Seven red/magenta fabrics and seven blue/purple fabrics were used, thoughtfully placing each strip to make the most of the busyness of the large designs. The quilt measures 72 inches x 80 inches which allows the color combinations to be used twice in the layout.

Several of the discarded blocks are used on the backing, one way to use them up as well as to create an interesting backing fabric.

Joyce Coburn of Coburn's Quilting used a clam shell quilt design on her long arm APQS Millennium machine. One of the Dots fabrics, purple dots on a black background, was used for the binding.

Botanical Gardens

© Jenny Fowler

Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

On my bucket list of quilts to make is a kaleidoscope quilt. The appeal for this quilt is the fact that although you see curved lines in this quilt, there is no curved piecing. Artfully arranged batik fabrics create interlocking rings in blue, aqua, purple with a touch of green. The pattern, American Patchwork and Quilting, April 2010, must be closely followed to achieve the kaleidoscope effect. Completed in May, 2014 this quilt measures 40 inches x 40 inches, uses cotton batting and is quilted by Carole Beery.

First ribbon received from Lake Farm Park Show

Displayed at Streetsboro Quilt Show 2014, it received a Blue Ribbon; Lake Farm Park 2015, an honorable mention, and Stow Munroe Falls Library Show 2016, third place.

Destinations Quilt

Venice, Italy, 2011

 Destinations Quilt

Traveling to Italy in July 2011 has to be one of the highlights of my life. Experiencing Venice, Florence, and Rome were breathtakingly beautiful, extremely hot, and filled with historical monuments. Shortly after my trip, I discovered a fabric with famous destinations, printed on it. Of course, one was Italy. For several years, I collected fabrics with different types of destinations on it, both physical and emotional. Eventually, I found the perfect pattern at the International Quilt Show in Cincinnati. "Color My Fresh and Modern World" pattern by  Allison Quilt Designs, a traditional quilt with a fresh and modern appeal. Each block uses 3 fabrics with the neutral background fabric in strips to easily create a block.

Each block is different, using pink, red, yellow, tan and brown fabrics with a light cream background fabric.

Squares on point, arranged in a pleasing order, create the simple border.

Destinations Quilt

Displayed in Stow Munroe Falls Library Quilt Show in 2015, it received a Second Place Ribbon.Quilted by Joyce Coburn of Coburn's Quilting using cotton batting.

Destinations Quilt is an example of how one favorite fabric can turn into a fresh and modern quilt!

Sunshine

For about 18 years now, I have seriously been making quilts . By this time, my quilt closet is pretty full, so I make a few each year to give away as gifts to specially deserving people. My daughter, Carly, has been friends with Kelli since, well, since they were 2 years old and in the same Sunday School class. Carly and Kelli went to the same high school, marched in band together, attended the same college and still remain very good friends today. While they were still in high school, I came home one day and noticed some of my quilt books had post it notes with names on the quilts they liked. Kelli marked one she liked but specified that she would like it for her wedding quilt in yellow. Kind of a hint, don't you think?

So when Kelli became engaged to Ryan--on top of the Eiffel Tower, no less-- I had to get busy. Her favorite color is yellow, sunshine yellow, but it is not my favorite, so honestly, this was the first yellow quilt I have ever made. But I have to admit, I truly enjoyed making this "first" for Kelli and Ryan.

Pairing yellow fabrics with gray, really toned down the bright yellow fabrics and using a very pale gray with small white polka dots fabric for the background made the stars pop. Using the same pattern as Atmospheric, (found in a 2013 post here) but a smaller size, I began making half square triangles.

half square triangles

I prefer using Thangles to make my half square triangles so all the squares are uniform.Four matching half square triangles are sewn together to make a pinwheel, then sewn with other pieces which are carefully placed with background squares. Using just blocks, no borders, made this quilt easy to finish with a modern appeal. Gray with yellow polka dot fabric for binding finishes the quilt and draws the colors together. Best wishes to Kelli and Ryan!

Pattern: Inspired by Celestial Waltz by Gerri Robinson, published in McCall’s Quilting magazine, March/April 2011

I Spy Quilt

For many years, I have been collecting novelty fabrics for an I Spy Quilt. Finally, last year, upon the birth of my first grandchild, Zelda, I began my quilt. As I have collected fabrics, I cut out 3 1/2 inch hexagons. Several fabrics have different objects and so allowed for more than one hexagon to be cut. Then, once the quilt was complete, I discovered that a few objects have been included more than once, oops! (See if you can find them). Another fun, unexpected game will be to find items that match. Again, see which items you

can match.

I Spy Quilt

The setting triangles are solid colored fabrics or primary colored tone on tone fabrics, all from my fabric stash. As I laid the hexagons into rows, I tried to include an animal or two, a sport item, a girly item then filled in with other items, paying attention to colors, and light fabrics versus dark ones. On the even rows of 12 hexagons, I placed an all over fabric because half of it would be cut off. Once the quilt was put together, I didn't know what to use for borders. But when I saw this white and black newsprint type fabric with encouraging words, I knew I had found the perfect inner border. The cute red fabric in the outer border seems to calm the quilt. Last, a black with white polka dots fabric finishes the edges.

Several fabrics have special meaning for my family, such as our favorite dessert, ice cream.  Son in law, Tony, likes super heroes, and bats; Sara loves the beach; Carly likes her fashion and shoes, her friend Rachel is a chef, my mom and I love to drink tea.My favorite block is right in the middle for my little beagle, Rosie. Did you find a favorite?

We will have many years of fun playing I Spy and other games with this quilt.
Quilted by Joyce Coburn with variegated colored thread. Batting Warm and White.

Sweeti Pie Quilt

Sweeti Pie

At times, quilts are difficult to give away because you love them so much. Sweeti Pie was one of those quilts. I found a fat quarter pack from Jessica Swift in pink, gray and lime green at a major quilt show in Cincinnati. I felt the fabrics were perfect for a pattern by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Fun Quilts in Perfect for Precuts, 2011. Interestingly enough, the book was given to me as a gift from the previous year's donation quilt recipient. Sweeti Pie is a smaller version of the pattern, Flower Show, but used the concept of modern florals with a bright, solid fabric separating the rectangles. The white with gray polka dot background fabric compliments the bright main fabrics. The backing fabric has adorable lifesaver circles in pink, yellow, green and orange. I quilted it in circles with Aurifil variegated gray thread. The binding is the same bright pink solid fabric used in the quilt.

This quilt was so charming, it was difficult to give it up and donate to the Kingsway Christian School Auction 2014, but I did it. We don't know who purchased this quilt, but I hope they love it as much as I do.

Sweeti Pie Quilt is 48 x 72 inches.
Donated to Kingsway Christian School, March 15, 2014.