No designer does Christmas fabrics like Brigitte Heitland of Basic Grey. In the past I’ve sewn multiple projects with the design house’s her Evergreen and 25th and Pine collections, so it’s little wonder that I busted through my ample supply of Juniper Berry to create yet another Basic Grey Christmas project.
At the top of the post is Chalet #2, the foil to a quilt I finished back in May, pictured below. Whereas my original version was built around a darker background, this latest one uses my more typical light background and—wow!—does it make the fabrics pop.
I adjusted my approach to Chalet #2 in ways other than the palette. I added a thin border around the perimeter to protect all of my points, I sewed the trees to look less scrappy, and I used a bold, contrasting binding. That’s not to say I don’t love the original; these projects are just two quilts made with the same fabrics and the same pattern that are, in the end, rather different. (By the way, the Chalet quilt pattern is by Kate Spain and available here, on her website.)
The easy-to-overlook hero in both quilts is the tone-on-tone gray polka dot that serves as background and binding to Chalet #1 and rooftops and tree trunks to Chalet #2. It’s from Riley Blake, and I finished the bolt my local quilt shop had in stock. : )
This project was quilted by Seventh Heaven Quilting in a panto I have had my eye on for years. It’s Ginger Snap by Urban Elementz, and its soft swirls make the perfect complement to this pattern’s sharp lines and angles.
You know that if I encounter that Riley Blake polka dot in a quilt shop, I will have to buy some for my stash. That was my approach to another great basic—Zen Chic’s own take on polka dots, which I used here and here and which will be rereleased this fall as part of the Quotations collection. Yahoo!
It seems silly to get excited about simple prints, but I suspect you can relate. Is there a basic you have invested in again and again?
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Hi Michelle! Ah yes - Riley Blake and her polka dots. Love, love, LOVE. I have as many of these nearly-tone-on-tone versions as I can find. I pronounce it the perfect background fabric - at least at my house. HAHA! Not everyone may feel the same way. I love both versions and I truly do want to make my own sooner than later. It continues to amaze me the difference the background color makes on the overall look. Duh, I say to myself. Happy Friday and thanks for the linky party. ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteI rarely make the same quilt twice, but doing so allows you to make these tiny little changes based on what you learn. They are both wonderful and I like that there is continuity in the fabrics between the two. :)
ReplyDeleteYeahh, another finish! Hope you are celebrating and enjoying :) I have one for once too. Yeah! And I'd say I have a few low volumes that I loved a lot but mostly I do not buy them on bulk so I have to be careful with them. The only one I remember that I bought a half bolt of, was an AG LV called Stitched - light grey on white. I still loooove that one :) xo Melanie
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the two quilts with differing colors. They both look wonderful. I have a think for white fabric as background these days. I used to have a thing for navy blue background. It's probably time to move on to some other fabric. I really like how the white background makes the colors pop!
ReplyDeleteQuick note: Brigitte Heitland's company name is Zen Chic. Basic Grey is another group of designers. They are all great, and I have lots of their fabrics in my stash...and in completed quilts. :-)
ReplyDeleteKaren, of course you're right! I think I got myself confused by talking about that awesome Zen Chic print at the conclusion of the post. Thanks for taking the time to correct me!
ReplyDeleteLove the Ginger Snap!! Fun to see both quilts! My go-to basic is White Page Grunge by Basic Grey.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun quilt for you! Can't say I have a go-to favorite fabric though. Maybe solids. But honestly, I haven't bought fabric for a long time now. I just continue to use up, and find it's especially easy to do so with peg loom weaving. I won't have any quilt finishes to share, probably for the rest of 2020, as I'm focusing on finishing UFOs and WIPs that are hand-sewn.
ReplyDelete