Cottage Quilt Designs

Here’s a new pattern from Cottage Quilt Designs!

This is Fairy Glen which is 50″ x 72″.  It is easily made with two simple pieced blocks and fusible web appliqués in the cream strips. Can you see your favorite child snuggleing under this throw as you read her favorite bedtime story?

Check out the slide show of the blocks on the homepage or pattern order page to see closeups of the fairies. Delight the heart of your special child!

 Here’s the link to the quilt page: http://www.cottagequiltdesigns.info/catalog.php?item=100&catid=2&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D2

Do you advoid making appliquéd projects because they seem fussy or you aren’t sure how to make your block look like the sample?

Here’s a method I use for positioning the prepared pieces.

1. I cut out a square of tracing paper slightly larger then the unfinished size of the block. If I am working on a 12 1/2″ block then I cut out a 14″ square. I like using the Golden Threads stencil paper. It’s see through and comes in rolls that can be cut at almost any size.

2. I draw the block design on the tracing paper and use that as an overlay for the background square. Now I can position each prepared shape under the overlay and pin it to the block to ready it to be sewn down. Always remember to appliqué first the piece that is behind all the other pieces.

The benefit for using an overlay sheet is that you don’t have to mark your appliqué block. Prepared appliqué shapes usually don’t end up the same size as the design sheet for various reasons. So if you have predrawn your design on the background square with a pencil and the shape size doesn’t match then you are left with pencil lines on your block. Quilt judges frown when they see that in quilts! Also pencil lines detract from the beauty of your work. Your heirloom quilt deserves the best you can do!

Positioning your shapes in this type of block is very important. The tip matching up with the tips in the center and at the outside corner makes the beauty of this block when it’s combined with others like it.

The last step I will do is cutting out the green and blue fabric from behind the appliquéd orange peel shape. As you can see, the darker fabric is shadowing behind the cream print. That’s another thing quilt judges frown on! So once the green and blue is trimmed out the orange peel shapes will be all the same shade of cream on top of the batting in the quilt. To see what this quilt looks like check out the June issue of Cotton Spice magazine after June 1st at  http://www.cottonspice.com/index.php The fabrics have been donated by P&B fabrics from the Floral Carpet collection and are beautiful!

Good news! My signature quilt made for Quilter’s World magazine is on the cover of the new issue!

The photo was taken by the magazine photographers for the issue. I had family and friends sign the pickets and the fabric was donated by Kaufman fabrics. The fabric is a 1930’s reproduction collection by Darlene Zimmerman. My family and friends were thrilled to sign the pickets.

Its an easy pattern-I hope you pick up a copy if you don’t already have a subscription. It makes a cute wall hanging!

Here’s the project I’m working on now. It’s the Jungle Song quilt using the fabric designed by Laurel Burch from Clothworks Textiles.

I have pieced the checked border around the center panel, fussy cut blocks for the side border and cut the outside border from a striped fabric all from the same collection. The quilt belongs to a fabric store in Arizona.  I’m making the sample to advertise the kits she has in her shop.

 I have the quilt safety-pin basted and will be machine quilting it this week. Isn’t it fun and bright? The store owner says she can’t keep Laurel Burch’s fabric in the store because it sells out so quickly. My husband asked if the quilt was for children. I replied I wasn’t sure because when adults snap up the fabric I don’t know if its intended for them or lucky children in their life!

Have a great week!

Rochelle