Sketchbook Quilts

If you follow me on Instagram, @quiltachusetts, you've seen that I've been posting a series of quilts made with my first fabric line, Sketchbook.  I've recently finished my Sketchbook Sampler, Topsy-Turvy and Office Daydreams quilts.  This took longer than I anticipated, for many reasons both in and out of my control, but I'm happy they are all done now and I can finally share them all together.  Keep reading until the end for a couple of surprises.

SKETCHBOOK SAMPLER

Sketchbook Sampler is a free pattern on Paintbrush Studios' website, pbsfabrics.com, and is fat quarter friendly.

 

This quilt has 6 different large scale blocks with varying prints, orientation and layout.  This quilt came together quickly but I stalled on how to quilt it.  I wanted to try an all over or edge to edge design since I'm not very good at them and thought this would be a great quilt to get some practice in.

I chose two inch circles to tie together all the blocks and even though I like the look in person it was really difficult to photograph so I hope you can see in the detail picture above.  The overall texture seems to float behind the prints and unifies the look.

 

TOPSY-TURVY

The next sample quilt I completed was my Topsy-Turvy pattern, which is available on my website as a print or digital pattern.  It is also a fat quarter friendly pattern.

I've talked about in the past how I design quilts, and now fabric, in my down time as a way to relax and this means I have quite a collections of designs.  Some designs go into a folder and I don't really go back to them but others go into my 'quilt queue.'  The quilt queue is made up of design I really want to make.  Topsy-Turvy was in that file but I never had the right color palette.  When I was thinking of quilts for my Sketchbook line I thought I'd give Topsy-Turvy a try and it was perfect.  I'm so happy I had this design when I needed it and that I waited for the right color palette to make it.

Topsy-Turvy is definitely a modern quilt so I wanted to choose quilting that complimented the moderns feel.  I love horizontal stripes and the texture you get from varying the spacing.  I quilted the top blocks with a geometric wedge circle and angled lines to give the feeling that the circles and half circles are spinning.

 

 

Here is a look at the from the back of the quilt.  It also shows how you can us the Sketchbook panel as a quilt backing.  This was my original sample fabric so it's missing the dotted cutting between panels but it works great as a backing.

 

SKETCHBOOK PANEL

I hadn't planned on showing my quilted Sketchbook panel but since I mentioned it above I thought I would throw in a shot of the panel as a mini quilt or wall hanging.  This would also work really well as a stroller or car seat quilt.

I would love to see this panel used as a large print for a garment but since I don't sew clothing, or I should say, I don't sew clothing well, I'll have to wait and see if someone posts pictures.

OFFICE DAYDREAMS

The last sample I made was my Office Daydreams quilt.  I've said this before but Office Daydreams has been on my list of patterns to write for a long time.  I actually started writing this pattern a couple years about but it kept getting pushed to the back burner as other deadlines would come up.  I'm very excited to now be able to say that Office Daydreams pattern is available in my shop as a print or digital pattern.

I'm so pleased with how this quilt turned out.  I had done the original Office Daydreams quilt is a slightly different color palette and size so I was experimenting a bit with this new version.  I also stretched out the curve on the file folder tabs to fit the scale better.

This design has a nice gentle curve that you piece just like a standard quarter circle.  If you are new to curves this is a great project to get some practice on curve piecing.  The main focus of this design is that file folder look so I kept the quilting simple.

 

Thank you for reading about all my recent finishes with my new fabric line, Sketchbook.  If you're reading this you've made it to my first surprise, a Christmas sale!  Now until the end of December 2020 you can enter the code: CHRISTMAS at check out and get 15% OFF your entire order.

Next surprise, my second book is available for pre-order in my shop!  Design, Make, Quilt Modern focuses on designing tips and tricks in simple everyday terms.  There are also 4 projects in the book.  Three new quilts, Grounded, Moving Through and Around Town, and one older quilt, Misprint.

Final surprise, or really a sneak peek, my second fabric line Road Trip!  Because of Corona Virus my Sketchbook line, which was suppose to released in July, wasn't released until October but my Road Trip line was released right on time in November.  With both releases being so close to each other I haven't had time to get all my patterns ready for Road Trip. There are two that are up now, Mile Markers, a free download on pbsfabrics.com, and Landmarks which is available in my shop but I have two more to write, Road Trip and Sightseeing.

 

I will be doing a whole post of the Road Trip fabric line soon, instead of just a mention here and there, but I wanted to make sure Sketchbook had a proper launch before I switched to Road Trip.

"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:1-5