Festive Flurries Pattern Release / Beauties Pageant 338

I have sewn like Santa’s star employee this past month, riding the Christmas in July vibes to their very end and finishing mulitiple wintery quilting projects along the way. I wrapped up a Christmassy Five-Star Experience as well as an Ornament Collection runner. (See them both pictured here.) It seems fitting, then, that on this last day in July I release my latest pattern: Festive Flurries.

Festive Flurries is a very "me" design. I love the pattern’s oversize blocks, offset rows, and snowflakes that seem to continue on beyond the quilt’s edges. 

The pattern features four sizes: runner, child, small throw, and large throw. I used a fat quarter bundle of Kimberly Kight’s Merry Happy to sew up my small throw, but I could have just as easily used quarter-yard cuts. 

Want to get an early start on your winter sewing? Festive Flurries is available for purchase in the From Bolt to Beauty pattern shop. 

Through the end of the weekend (Sunday, August 2), this pattern is 50% off the regular retail price. (No code necessary. Discount appears in cart.) It’s just an early holiday gift from me to you—and perhaps the motivation you need to get going on wintry projects!

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A Christmassy Five-Star Experience Quilt / Beauties Pageant 337

Well, that was an unexpected (but much-needed and well-enjoyed) little blog break! Rest assured that over the past few weeks when I haven’t been in this space, I’ve been having all sorts of quilty fun ...

Most recently, I participated in my first virtual teaching experience with Creative Spark where I talked to new friends across the country about jelly roll projects. If you were there, thank you—and I’d love to hear what you thought. Drop me an email at frombolttobeauty [at] gmail [dot] com. : )

The weekend before, I was at Cannizzaro Creations, a lovely little quilt establishment on Boston’s South Shore, for a popup shop. It was a special day to appear there: The Pembroke Chamber of Commerce and local politicians officiated a ribbon cutting to celebrate the business that owners Mary and Jen have created.

I set up my books, patterns, and quilts in a corner of the shop. The event marked the debut of my latest pattern—Festive Flurries—as well as a Christmassy version of Five-Star Experience, the cover quilt from Not-Your-Typical Jelly Roll Quilts. (Festive Flurries will launch online in PDF and printed from next Friday, July 31.) 

Five-Star Experience started with a jelly roll of Cozy Wonderland by Fancy That Design House for Moda. For the background, I cut into stashed yardage of a Kent chambray in succulent, which, I think, really elevates the project. For this pattern, I am a fan of sorting my strips into different colorways. I love the effect it creates!

 I am still in Christmas-project mode, so expect some more holiday finishes before summer’s end!

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Holiday Sewing Season / Beauties Pageant 335

Every summer, fabric manufacturers release their winter-themed fabric lines. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it may be hard to reconcile our longer days and ample sunshine with, say, a snowman project, but I think it’s always more enjoyable to tackle holiday projects in advance. Doing so makes for a saner November and December, and the holidays always seem to come and go so quickly ... I might as well get into the spirit in the off-season and then enjoy the fruits of my quilty labors when winter is here.

It’s little wonder, then, that we’re expecting a high of 84 degrees today in New England, and I am plotting my new snowflake pattern. 

But can you blame me? I picked up a fat quarter bundle of Kim Kight’s Merry Happy, and I am totally smitten. I love a holiday collection with a surprise or two, and this one features gummy bears, pickle ornaments, and a pink colorway. Nontraditional colorways get me every time -- I love a good Christmas line with blue or black -- and this pink is so, so good!

I was spinning my wheels on this idea for a while. When I couldn’t decide upon a layout, I took to Instagram for some instantaneous feedback. The masses spoke, and I took their advice: The third layout, with tight off-set rows, is what I am running with now.

Layout 1: On Point

Layout 2: Offset and Loose

 

Layout 3: Offset and Tight

I am calling this beauty "Festive Flurries" and expect to have a sample and finalized pattern ready to share next month!

It anyone else out there plotting winter- or Christmas-themed projects? 

 

Upcoming Teaching Event

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Take That, Scrap Bin! / Beauties Pageant 331

I am making good progress on my scrappy Falling Stars. I am even—ahem!—ahead of the sew-along schedule.

I’m past the halfway point of making blocks and couldn’t resist throwing some of them on my design board, just to appreciate the effect created by all that value play.

It’s pretty fabulous, right? What’s so much fun about scrappy projects is appreciating the overall quilt top and then getting really close and seeing the small parts that make it up. Take a look at these ...

 

There are so many low-volume prints in the background. Really, that’s what instigated me to embark on this project: I have a small drawer full of low-volume scraps, and this project decimated it. I managed to squeak out enough black prints to fulfill the pattern’s requirements, but I did have to purchase some of the brown-grays. And of course, cutting into them creates—you guessed it!—more scraps. Blerg!

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Ornament Collection Quilt / Beauties Pageant 303

When I learned that one of my sisters-in-law likes Rifle Paper Co’s designs, I took it as an opportunity to—ahem!—buy some fabric. I chose selections from multiple lines to curate a collection of wintery scenes, Nutcracker motifs, and Christmas decorations. 



The oversize baubles and balls in my Ornament Collection quilt pattern were the perfect venue for these prints. I loved using big swaths of the fabrics to feature the sweet designs instead of cutting them into tiny bits. 

And I am smitten with the palette. There were so many colors in the fabrics to choose from. I homed in on grayish blue, orangey red, apple green, and forest green. I am a sucker for nontraditional holiday palettes!

My friend Ophelia gave this project her special panto treatment with a swirly holly-and-berry design, and I found the perfect striped fabric for the binding, one that plays off the grayish blue in the ornament frames. I hope I can get my hands on more of it because I have a bunch of fabric leftover, and naturally, I’m planning on a near-identical Ornament Collection for my other sister-in-law, who is also a fan of Rifle Paper. : )

We’re less than five months out from Christmas ... Is anyone else sewing now for the holidays?!
 

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Ornament Collection Pattern Release / Beauties Pageant 273

Ornament Collection, the design I’ve been talking about the past few weeks, is done, and I’ve released the pattern out into the world!

Instructions include two projects that are appropriate for confident beginners and above: a large throw-size quilt and a table runner. If your weekend sewing plans are open, you can start your project today and have a quilt top finished before the turkey is on the table next Thursday. (If you don’t celebrate American Thanksgiving, the turkey is optional but recommended.)

This pattern is especially suited to those of you who want to ...

* Sew a big quilt fast—the throw finishes at 70" x 73.5"



* Use leftover squares from a layer cake—the runner requires just five squares 10" x 10"



* Maximize your precuts—you can sew two throws and two runners with a single layer cake (although fat quarters work, too!)



* Celebrate the holidays by making big, bold blocks—the ball blocks finish at 13.5" x 14.5", and the bauble blocks finish at 8.5" x 14.5"

For my first Ornament Collection project, pictured at the top of the post, I opened up a layer cake of Twas by Jill Howarth for Riley Blake. The red, green, and pink palette is the perfect complement to the vintage vibe of Twas.

My next version, which I am in the process of piecing now, incorporates prints from Rifle Paper Co.’s holiday lines for Cotton and Steel. I’m using another light background with this second quilt because it’s more in line with my personal aesthetic .... and a cream or a white doesn’t show the Golden Retriever hair the way a dark background would! I love nontraditional Christmas palettes, and the pale blue and orangey-red I am using will change things up nicely ...

A green background would be equally fabulous, though, and drive home the idea that these are ornaments hanging on the tree. Here is the throw mocked up with Cozy Wonderland by Fancy That Design House for Moda ...

I am very pleased with how my first Ornament Collection came out. I received some expert advice about quilting options for my second version and will share that in a future post! Until then, this is my favorite finish for November, so I am linking up over at Quilting Jet Girl!

All PDF Patterns 25% Off

To celebrate the release of Ornament Collection, all PDF patterns (excluding the Almost Free for Charity patterns) are 25% off through 11/30/2024. No code required. This is my Black Friday sale—snag your good buys now!

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Let's Talk Table Runners / Beauties Pageant 272

In the 10-plus years I’ve been quilting, I have made a total of three table runners. On one hand, I have limited places in my house I’d display a runner. My children (and/or dogs) may do bad things to a table runner (there was an applesauce incident on the kitchen table just this past week!). And putting covers on my pretty table tops doesn’t seem really “me.”

On the other, if I made more runners, I would have more-frequent finishes, and wouldn’t that be nice?

When designing my Ornament Collection pattern (releasing next Tuesday, November 19), I added a runner option. The sample I’ve made so far is the throw, and it’s a generously sized throw at that. But I figured that some people might want a smaller, faster finish. What I didn’t consider until Anne (@batiksbythebay) mentioned it to me on Instagram is that people who live in the southern hemisphere celebrate Christmas in the summer. They have little need for a Christmas-themed throw. Of course! Why didn’t I consider that? Needless to say, all future Christmas designs from me will include the option of a smaller finish for that very reason.

Me with a freshly longarmed Ornament Collection. Picture and quilting by Ophelia Chang.

Because I am a runner newbie, however, I had to ask Anne how she would orient the ornaments in a runner.

Should they all be right side up (as I would prefer on a runner displayed on a console placed against a wall)?

Or should the baubles be upside down (as I would prefer on a runner displayed on a kitchen island)?

Anne said both, and that’s what I’ll do. : )

So, what other runners have I made up to this point?

There was the runner I made for the sideboard in my dining room (and still resides there).

There was the runner I made from Modern Plus Sign Quilts and gifted to a friend.

And then there was the runner I made from a free pattern on Moda Bake Shop and gifted to another friend.

You knew this was coming ... I am soliciting any and all thoughts on quilted runners. Do you sew them? Do you display them? What are your thoughts on the issue of orientation? Thank you in advance!

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