Getting Inspired
I don't know anything much better and more inspiring than being asked by one of your dear friends to participate in a blog hop showcasing a beautiful Island Batik Collection! My friend Heidi has a beautiful Signature Collection called Chickadee that is now available at your local quilt stores and I was asked to design a precut friendly quilt showcasing these beautiful fabrics! This collection has a range of rich colors from deep red to lime, from lovely blues to interesting oranges!
So, despite my plate being more than full, I couldn't resist in being part of this blog hop and design a quilt to go with it.
So, despite my plate being more than full, I couldn't resist in being part of this blog hop and design a quilt to go with it.
So, where did I begin? Naturally, since the time was of extra value, I decided to turn into my favorite tool, which is a V Block tool by Studio 180 design. I had recently come up with a cool method for another tool, and decided to apply similar concept to the V Block tool, keeping in mind that I was supposed to work with precuts (10" x 10" pieces of fabric). I drafted a couple of block on my Electric Quilt 8 software program and started playing with the layout.
I loved what was happening in front of my eyes, and I was curious to see what would take place if I started to fill in the shapes with the beautiful fabrics from the Chickadee collection. And, it didn't disappoint me! Those fabrics looked like they were specifically made for this quilt! After double and triple checking that this design really works with 10" x 10" squares, I was ready to cut into fabrics and to see how my newly created technique would work.
Well, guess what? It turns out that there are many benefits using this technique! The center points on the V Block triangle always come out perfect! The technique saves time and fabric, as usually this shape you would have to sew four seams to a block, and now you only have two seams to sew! One thing to keep in mind though - my new technique (floating V Blocks) differs a lot by how to use this amazing tool. So, if you decide to give this technique a try, pay attention to the instructions! Once you understand the technique, you will have truly a lot of fun making this quilt, and maybe designing many of your own!
What I also was amazed is how fast this quilt comes together: From the start (cutting the fabric) to finish (having quilted and binded this quilt) it only took me less than two days to make it! Now, what could be better than to make a fun quilt that looks like you had spent much longer time on creating it, and to gift it to a deserving bundle of joy! So, let's welcome Vendla's Play Date!
I loved what was happening in front of my eyes, and I was curious to see what would take place if I started to fill in the shapes with the beautiful fabrics from the Chickadee collection. And, it didn't disappoint me! Those fabrics looked like they were specifically made for this quilt! After double and triple checking that this design really works with 10" x 10" squares, I was ready to cut into fabrics and to see how my newly created technique would work.
Well, guess what? It turns out that there are many benefits using this technique! The center points on the V Block triangle always come out perfect! The technique saves time and fabric, as usually this shape you would have to sew four seams to a block, and now you only have two seams to sew! One thing to keep in mind though - my new technique (floating V Blocks) differs a lot by how to use this amazing tool. So, if you decide to give this technique a try, pay attention to the instructions! Once you understand the technique, you will have truly a lot of fun making this quilt, and maybe designing many of your own!
What I also was amazed is how fast this quilt comes together: From the start (cutting the fabric) to finish (having quilted and binded this quilt) it only took me less than two days to make it! Now, what could be better than to make a fun quilt that looks like you had spent much longer time on creating it, and to gift it to a deserving bundle of joy! So, let's welcome Vendla's Play Date!
Vendla's Play Date is named after my 7th great grandparents, Vendla and Eric Mellsten. They were born in the early 18th century in Finland. They made their home in Inkoo, which is a Swedish speaking town in Southern Finland, about 45 minute ride west from Helsinki. I have never been to Inkoo, but I have a trip planned to go to Finland this spring, and one of my hopes is to visit many ancestral towns in Finland that have come into light during this past year. It is truly fun to discover where you come from!
If you would like to buy Vendla's Play Date pattern, I'm offering an introductory price of $8.00 until the end of February! You can buy it by clicking here.
Don't forget to visit your local quilt store and to add some of this beautiful fabric into your fabric collection! And, make sure to visit all the amazing designers who are participating in this blog hop. Here are the blog addresses for all the blog posts:
The Whimsical Workshop
Needle in a Hayes Stack
Devoted Quilter
Studio R Quilts
Quilters' Treasure Chest
Katie Mae Quilter
Textile Time Travels
Slice of Pi Quilts
Masterpiece Quilting
Utah Quilt Apppraiser
Tamarinis
Faith and Fabric
Melissa Marginet
If you would like to buy Vendla's Play Date pattern, I'm offering an introductory price of $8.00 until the end of February! You can buy it by clicking here.
Don't forget to visit your local quilt store and to add some of this beautiful fabric into your fabric collection! And, make sure to visit all the amazing designers who are participating in this blog hop. Here are the blog addresses for all the blog posts:
The Whimsical Workshop
Needle in a Hayes Stack
Devoted Quilter
Studio R Quilts
Quilters' Treasure Chest
Katie Mae Quilter
Textile Time Travels
Slice of Pi Quilts
Masterpiece Quilting
Utah Quilt Apppraiser
Tamarinis
Faith and Fabric
Melissa Marginet
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