Grape Fizz to Be Auctioned Off

Update: The auction is over. Grape Fizz sold for $450, and the event overall raised more than $150,000!

A small army of makers is coming together this week to auction off items to benefit organizations that fight racism.

This effort, coordinated by Mathew of Mister Domestic and Amber of Alderwood Studio, is happening on Instagram at @misterdomesticfundraiser. The auction starts on Monday, June 8, and bids will be accepted through Friday, June 12. Over a hundred handmade items have already been listed!

I have donated Grape Fizz, shown in this post, to the event. It is a lap-size quilt (53 inches by 72 inches), the design for which appears in Amy Garro’s book, Paper Pieced Modern. It features an ombré array of Kona Cottons and Michael Miller Cotton Couture colors, ranging from a pale orchid to a deep grape, and a single floral print from Valori Wells.

The design and piecing, however, are upstaged by the custom quilting from Mary Gregory. This quilt is adorned with pebbles, ribbon candy, and paisleys. It’s really stunning work.

I am happy to support these organizations with this small gesture.

Follow Me On ...

An Easy, Breezy Quilt-Along / Beauties Pageant 84

Friends, I needed a reason to smile this week, so I started sewing a new version of my Ridiculously Easy Jelly Roll Quilt. Can I interest you in joining me in an easy, breezy quilt-along?

The plan is simple: Start when you want, finish when you want, sew at the speed that works for you!

I will be posting any in-progress shots on my Instagram account with the hashtag  #RidiculouslyEasyJellyRollQuilt. If you want to keep tabs on this project, that’s the place to be.

Everyone is a winner in this quilt-along, and the prize is the satisfaction of making something beautiful with your own two hands. HA!

To get started on your own Ridiculously Easy Jelly Roll Quilt, purchase the pattern here!

Beginner quilters, this is truly an easy pattern. As long as you know how to work your sewing machine, can read a pattern, and can sew a consistent quarter-inch seam, you’re good to go. And there is a small army of experienced quilters on Instagram who would love to answer any questions for you along the way.

By the way, I am sewing my project with a jelly roll of Basic Grey’s Gypsy Soul, pictured above, which I purchased at Green Fairy Quilts. Judi and Clint have a bunch of Moda precuts at good prices, and I received my fabric in just over a week. (I know many online retailers are behind in filling orders, so I was pleased with this turnaround and shipment from Utah to Massachusetts.)

I have so many quilts in the queue right now: Two just arrived at the longarmer, another is ready for quilting on my domestic, and yet another just needs to be bound. So of course, I started a new project. If you have one that’s crossed the finish line recently, good for you! Share it below, in this week’s linky.

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Pageant Highlight Reel / Beauties Pageant 83

Were your ears ringing earlier this week, Beauties Pageant regulars? I was talking to my mom, also a quilter, a few days ago, and we were chatting about the usual suspects here on From Bolt to Beauty. I was telling her about the beautiful drawstring bag Anja sent to me from Canada (just because!), and we had a laugh about Roseanne’s sweet and sassy comments.

That’s what I love about hosting this humble little linky each week: It’s made the quilting blogosphere smaller for me, in a good way. I enjoy keeping tabs on what everyone is up to—like cheering Linda on as she finished the quilting on her temperature quilt or seeing what new scrappy creations Cynthia has to share.

And the inspiration this weekly celebration of finishes offers me is quality. This post includes three projects that got me thinking about potential future projects. At the top of the post, you’ll find Anja’s version of 3rd Story Workshop’s Common Ground pattern. I am crazy about that palette and think the quilting is stippling perfection. (I strive for curves that are that curvy!)

Below are two other awesome pieces. Margo’s unique take on a disappearing nine-patch reminded me of my own Mix and Mingle. That circular quilting really makes the project something special, doesn’t it?

And Sew Yummy’s Diamond Brights quilt top makes me want to abandon my propensity for white backgrounds—at least for a bit—and explore a darker alternative. OK, so it wouldn’t be the most practical of palette decisions when you live with a golden retriever as I do, but look at how the charcoal makes those colors pop!

The Pageant Highlight Reels don’t run regularly enough to feature all the great finishes people have shared. Which one got your creative juices flowing? Tell us about it in the comments below (and include the URL!). : )

Follow Me On ...

 

* * *

The pageant rules are simple:

• Post your finish in the linky tool. (No links to your own giveaway or linky, please!)
• Point your readers back here with a text link or use the button above.
• Visit and comment on other participants’ finishes.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter