Got a New Group?...Get Out the RoseCards

I just got in the new Gallery Fiori by Karen Tusinski/Lilla Rogers Studio for P&B Textiles.  Fabulous painting-style prints in a great mix of colors.  At first glance there were 3 distinct colorways.  Once Grandma Pam and I started playing with them, though, we found that these fabrics cross color lines. 

So I picked a few RoseCard pattern candidates, and set color queen Pam to work picking groups.  Here is what we are thinking about making up into bundles and/or models....

I need to replace my popular model made from Laura Gunn's Poppy--this will do nicely.

A very popular kit, OPENING NIGHT always goes well.  The main print here will look fine sideways for the top and bottom borders.  This also makes a good sized throw at very reasonable price, since we use fabric so efficiently.

This lovely and subtle coloring will be nice in a more tailored design like our SUNSPRITE.  I think I would double up--use 2 6 Fat Quarter packs.  It makes 12 blocks, finishing 54"x60".  Great in a contemporary setting.

This group of 6 was just because it is colorful.  Isn't this fun to play with a new line this way.  Now to get to work.....

OPENING NIGHT in Magnolia Lane

Laura Gunn's Magnolia Lane collection of 8 prints is perfect for our OPENING NIGHT pattern.  The main magnolia print is strong, and looks fine on its side for the top and bottom borders.   Six fascinating prints for the patchwork have strength, but not enough to overpower the main magnolia.  A great brown texture print finishes it off for the binding. 

Laura's prints photograph so well for pattern covers.  People are drawn to them in my booths at the shows, too.  

FREEDOM Scramble

This quilt is made from one of the kits I made from our Community Service stash.  When I make these kits, the goal is usually to pick colors that go together.  It is always a pleasant surprise when the prints work well together, too.

The main thing I like about this version is that the quiltmaker scrambled the 4-patches more than I usually do.  My plan is to make 4-Patches out of 2 fabrics.  However, with only 6 fabrics and 6 blocks,  it happens that colors or lights and darks may clump up in the layout phase.  This quilt has 4 fabrics in each 4-Patch, which gives a scrambled, but more balanced look to the layout.

Variations are such an amazing part of quiltmaking--even something as simple as this pattern.

RED...BLUE Community

RED ROSE and MIDNIGHT BLUE are great quilts for Community Service.  I put together loads of kits for my guilds using their donated fabrics, and this one is the easiest to cut and kit.  If I have a good border fabric, I kit RED ROSE with borders.  Otherwise, the 12 block quilt is still a nice size without borders.  And if I have enough colors that go together, I do the 20 block without border MIDNIGHT BLUE.   Also, 9 blocks makes a great quick baby quilt.

Working from a 5" strip or half strips or scraps is so easy for this quilt.  Usually I start with a center fabric to set the color theme.  A fat quarter will yield 12  5" squares for the centers.  Then it is whatever I like with that center.  One of my guilds has a huge closet full of fabric, which the members have sorted into laundry baskets by color--makes my job easy and fun!

STARFIRE Party Dress

So many ways to use fabrics for STARFIRE.  This group called Party Dress from Blue Hill Fabrics makes up into a sweet little girl quilt.  Most of the prints are quite light, so they create a blended background for the soft lavendar stars.

The border is cut 5"-- larger than the RoseCard patterns suggested 3 1/2".  I think that on the next printing, I will change the fabric requirements and the border size to 5" cuts.  The two quilts that I've made so far have that size, and I like it.

Preview 25

We love 3 1/2" strips!  They show off more of the fabric than 2 1/2" and they are quicker to sew.  This "invisible" 4 Patch has been a favorite of ours for years.  We have called it Madame Butterfly when we made it of 28 Asian strips.  In the Fryer Patch pattern version I called it What Four, because you can't tell that is is made up of 4x4 patch blocks.

This variation uses 14 "dark" strips and 14 Background strips.  The background can be cut from a single fabric or different fabrics.  The fabrics can be high contrast or low contrast/blending.  With borders it finishes 63"x 77".

Preview 21

Take a Jelly Roll,  Bali Pop, Tonga Treat strips, and any of your other favorite 2 1/2" strip rolls.  Add a Theme fabric for fun or a Background fabric if you want the squares to stand out.   The pattern is basically Saratoga, but with the rails made in 4 squares instead of 2 rectangles.  There are loads of leftover rail pieces, so they become a border around the quilt finish framing the Theme Fabric.  This quilt is a generous throw at 60"x68"

The cover quilt is very busy, because I like lots of pattern and print.  Can't wait to make it in something softer, as well as something with more contrast.  And next time I will be more careful with my 1/4" seam allowance.  I did just about everything wrong--sewed at different times, used different machines.  It turned out to be a good thing that this is a busy one.