Years ago, I bought a copy of Amy Smart’s Fabulously Fast Quilts. The book features 12 patterns that all use slick shortcuts to get to a finished quilt top faster. Although I’ve paged through the designs many times over the years, I only recently made one: the baby size version of Square Deal pictured here.
I love the bundle of Spectacle, by Christian Robinson for Cotton and Steel, that I picked up second-hand on Instagram, and its busy prints were the perfect foil for Square Deal’s simple piecing. Following Amy’s instructions, I stacked up fat quarters, cut them up into the required pieces, and mixed them up before sewing them together.
Originally, I used low-volume prints throughout the quilt top but, deciding the result was too busy for my taste, ripped them out of every other block and replaced them with a cream solid. Ah, yes—that’s much better. (See the quilt top before this fix here.)
I’m never sure what to do with fabrics like this hexagon print (would you consider it a panel?). I made the most of it, though, by framing it out with the fish fabric and using it on the back of the project. In the end, that use-it-up print has created a something-special quilt back. I love that!
Fabulously Fast Quilts is long out of print, and now that its publisher, That Patchwork Place (an imprint of Martingale), has decided to close, that will not change. I’m happy to have it in my library, though: There aren’t any must-make designs in it, but its patterns are simple and timeless. I am sure to need it again in the future.
Do you have any quilting books like that on hand? I have some I have never made anything out of but still deserve a spot in my collection.
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I am no where near finished with the quilt I link to as I just started to quilt it but maybe in 3 months it will be done lol - I would consider the hexies you show a panel but that is me - maybe others that have pieced actual hexies by EPP or machine think differently?
ReplyDeleteWhen I first scrolled through I thought you had 2 finished quilts! Brilliant using that hexie print on the back, Michelle!!!
ReplyDeleteI have two, no, three books that I hold onto, more than the others: Elizabeth Hartman's Modern Patchwork, Amy Gibson's Quilt Block Cookbook, and Susanne Woods' Modern Blocks. I don't really like doing sampler quilts, but these books have stood the test of time in my library.
ReplyDeleteYes! I love Elizabeth Hartman's books, too, and agree that they're keepers. Her designs have taken a turn toward cute creatures since she published those volumes, and her older designs are much more my style. : )
DeleteIt's so funny-- I've been going through my books with plans to get rid of most of them, but there are a few that I want to hold on to, mainly the block books, like the ones from Judy Hopkins. They are useful and well-thumbed. (Also, the hexie print works great on the back! I have a couple yards of a small hexie print and I'm planning to use it as a backing in itself.)
ReplyDeleteThe quilt looks great and you came up with the perfect solution to calm the prints on the top a lot. The backing is really lovely, too. Congratulations on a two sided finish!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful quilt! Besides being fast, it’s a good way to show off some larger print fabrics, like the hexagons. I like that you decided to put the calm cream around every other block. I like a busy quilt, but that would probably be overwhelming for me too.
ReplyDeleteI knew when I was sewing the original version that it was going to be too busy for me, but I persevered anyway and paid the price with "unsewing" and resewing those blocks. I should have listened to my gut from the get-go!
DeleteThat's a lovely quilt for a baby/child & great use of fabric for back. Well done! I've a big library of quilt books (& other reference books), but can't really give them up, as I find screens hard on my eyes, so would prefer to thumb through pages in a book for relaxation purposes. Thanks for sharing & I'll think about joining in. Take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteI rarely use multicolored or big prints so I find your choice of using it on the backing perfect. Congrats on your finish! xo
ReplyDeleteAdding the solid border to alternate blocks works really well. I have that Amy Smart book too. It's definitely one I will keep when I eventually get round to decluttering my book shelf - there'll be more room for fabric then ;-) I like the way you have used the printed patchwork fabric on the back of the quilt, it looks just right.
ReplyDeleteI love your quilt and I can see why you made the change. We used to call the hex print cheater cloth....looks like a quilt but not of the work. Congrats on your finish!
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