Warm and Cool Coin Quilt / Beauties Pageant 87

I am happy to announce that the first From Bolt to Beauty pattern—my Warm and Cool Coin Quilt—is officially available for immediate download in my Etsy shop.

 

As a modern twist on the tried-and-true coin quilt, this pattern is very “me.” That traditional, bold geometry, however, is turned on its head with the simple addition of a diagonal line, which gives you the quilter an opportunity to play with color. You could separate your fabric into warm and cool color groupings, divide your scraps into two complementary color palettes, or create your own unique approach.

I made the lap-size cover quilt with a layer cake of Kate Spain’s Canyon collection. I have a second version, made with scraps, that just needs to be bound. I hope to unveil that soon!

For me, different designs check off different boxes, and this pattern ...

* Can work with precuts or scraps. The instructions are written for layer cakes, fat eighths, and scraps.

* Is a quick and easy sew. In particular, if you use precuts, you can whip up this top up in a weekend.

* Offers a variety of sizes. Directions for baby, lap, and twin quilts are included.

* Is good for all levels of experience. This pattern requires a combination of traditional piecing and simple paper-piecing, making it a good way for a beginner to try out a new technique. (Tutorial on paper-piecing coming soon!) But if you’re an experienced quilter with a bin full of scraps, this will be a satisfying sew for you, too.

This pattern was professionally designed and tech-edited. It also was thoroughly tested by a small army of quilters in three different countries. : ) I’ll be highlighting testers’ quilt tops on Instagram in the coming days, but here is a sneak peek ...

Kim (@serenityquilts on Instagram) juxtaposed two colorways of Alison Glass fabrics for her lap-size quilt. The bold colors on a crisp white background makes for stunning quilt top!

Photo courtesy of @serenityquilts

Beth (@bcurran322 on Instagram) broke into a bundle of Tula Pink’s Dots and Stripes to create her own beauty. It never would have occurred to me to use just two prints in different colorways for this project, but it completely works. It’s a show stopper!

Photo courtesy of @bcurran322

I’m especially excited to partner with Quilt Pattern Mart for this release. QPM debuted a few months ago as a one-stop shop for PDF patterns. The brainchild of Heather Kinion, it offers patterns from many well-known modern quilt designers ... and now me!

This pattern is exclusively available in my Etsy shop!

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Fund-Raising Success! / Beauties Pageant 86

When I start a new quilt project, it’s always for my pleasure. I work with the fabrics and design of my choosing. After all, making a quilt is a time commitment, and I want to tackle the projects that will bring me joy with the limited time I have to dedicate to this hobby.

Friends and family members have suggested over the years that I try to sell my quilts. I never do—I won’t recoup the investment of time and money I put into a project. Instead, I gift about 75 percent of the quilts I make. The rest live here at From Bolt to Beauty world headquarters with me and my family.

But recently, I gifted a quilt and raised money with it. I donated my quilt Grape Fizz to an Instagram fund-raiser to benefit various organizations that fight racism. This event, hosted by Mathew of Mister Domestic and Amber of Alderwood Studio, wrapped up last week, and my quilt sold for $450!

I made Grape Fizz back in 2016 and 2017, and after being displayed at MQX in 2018, it has been awaiting the perfect recipient. This fund-raiser was just that! I’m thrilled that it’s now at its new home in California and the Equal Justice Initiative received a substantial donation as a result. : )

I on occasion donate quilts—especially baby quilts—to organizations that get them in the hands of someone who needs them. My quilt guild, however, has donated multiple quilts to auctions. One in particular caused a bidding war and sold for a few thousand dollars. Others weren’t quite as successful. (I’m convinced that has nothing to do with the quilts that were donated but was an issue of marketing and getting the opportunity in front of the right eyes.)

If you have experience with donating to or running quilt auctions—online or in person—please share it with the rest of us in the comments below.

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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.

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Fastest Way to Finish a WIP / Beauties Pageant 85

I discovered the fastest way to finish a WIP: Sell the fabric!

I have been pretty diligent about pruning my stash over the past two years. I use what I have on hand, supplementing when necessary with smart purchases from my local quilt shops or online retailers. Gone are the days when I buy yardage just because I like it! Part of that process, at least recently, has been posting lots of fabric to sell on FeelGood Fibers, a secondhand fabric marketplace.

Using FGF has been an effective way to move fabric that doesn’t work for me anymore. So far I’ve sold 11 of the 14 lots I have posted. If you’re considering doing a little destashing, you might learn from my experience ...

What’s Worked for Me

My goal for posting this fabric was simple: Get it out of my life. This wasn’t just stuff I didn’t like; it was stuff I don’t think I could ever use. There was the Bonnie and Camille polka dot that was too pink for me, the Art Gallery floral that was lovely but not a palette I could work with, the graphic Carolyn Friedlander print whose cream background was too yellow for my projects.

I priced items to sell and did my best to estimate shipping. (All FGF prices include shipping within the United States.) After I had a few sales under my belt, I adjusted some price tags. Price points that worked for me were $12 for a yard of fabric, $16 to $20 or for a 2-yard cut, $25 for a modest collection of smaller cuts, and $35 for larger lots.

I took well-lit pictures of my fabric and was very specific about the size and condition of the fabric, including dimensions, whether it was prewashed, and the fact that I have a smoke-free, pet-friendly home. I also promoted everything on my regular Instagram account (@frombolttobeauty). I did this occasionally, because people don’t follow that account with the intent to purchase fabric. Including a notice about my FGF shop once in my feed and once in my stories seemed adequate. I did list each of the 14 lots to my secondary Instagram account (@fbtbdestash), pointing people to my FGF shop and making sure that I used #thegreatfabricdestash in each post. I know some of my sales came directly—and quickly—from those Instagram posts.

What I’ve Learned

I’ve learned that I’m not the smart fabric buyer I thought I was. Sure, some of the lots I posted were too traditional for my modern taste. Others were remnants from projects past. But half of them were things I bought because they were on sale. Moving forward, I’m going to buy what I love at full price instead of fabric I like at a reduced price.

What I Have Now

The three remaining lots I have on FGF are all canvas or home-dec sateens. I am fine with them sitting on FGF for a bit. If they don’t pique anyone’s interest, I’ll eventually price them so low that folks are just paying for the shipping; the fabric will in effect be free.

The lots I did sell have earned me a PayPal balance of over $200 (less the shipping costs). I will be spending every cent of it on new fabric purchases! : )

BTW: A word on the pictures included here ... The lot of Amy Butler fat quarters at the top of the post was slated for a project and then I decided to sell them. (Take that, WIP list!) The canvas fat quarters are still are no longer available at my FGF shop. The fat quarters from Bonnie and Camille’s Vintage Holiday also sold.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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