do. good stitches: birds in the air quilt

Right around the time of our move to NH, it was my turn to act as the quilter for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches.

I requested all of my circle members to create two Birds in the Air quilt blocks, albeit with a slightly different color placement than the tutorial. I asked for a mix of solid whites and grays, with an orange print in only one of the two blocks.

Once I received all of the blocks, I played around with the layout, winding up with something quite different than I had originally envisioned---which I love! I also love the variations in the shades of solid gray, and the random pops of orange scattered throughout the quilt top.

I used an orange Marimekko circle print for the background, quilted it with intersecting lines in orange thread, and bound it with a scrappy orange binding.

This quilt will be donated to my local chapter of Project Linus.

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do. Good Stitches: Fieldcrossing Quilt

Way, way back in November, I tasked my fellow members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches with making blocks for a Fieldcrossing Quilt. I asked everyone to use the colors of the Purl Bee's Felt Alphabet as their inspiration when selecting fabrics (they always use the best color palettes for their projects!): various shades of pink, yellow, rust and mustard.

Everyone did an excellent job of making blocks within the color palette, using prints and solids from their stashes. Once I received all of the blocks, I assembled the quilt top.

For the backing, I paired a coordinating Heather Ross mermaid print with a super-soft beige Japanese bunny print.

I did lots and lots of straight-line quilting, mostly with white thread, but I stitched a few lines in light pink as well. Two brown/pink/orange floral prints were perfect for the binding.

The resulting quilt turned out to be a nice size, perfect for a twin bed, and I really love how all of the disparate fabrics came together so beautifully! Like all of the quilts our group makes, this quilt will be donated to Project Linus.

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 58" x 70" 
Fabrics used include: Mermaids by Heather Ross for Spoonflower (no longer available, but can be purchased in another colorway here); Brown Calico from Heather Ross's Briar Rose collection
Quilt pattern: Fieldcrossing by Elizabeth Olwen and Cloud9 Fabrics  

do. Good Stitches: A Circle of Geese Quilt

Every few months, it's my turn to select a pattern and color palette for a quilt for the members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches to put together. Last week, I finally finished and photographed a quilt that our members started in May, and I'm completely smitten with it.

Using the Circle of Geese pattern---which Christina of Sometimes Crafter featured a paper-piecing tutorial for on her blog back in 2009---our circle members pieced together triangles in shades of mustard, pink, and black, using these two pins I shared for color inspiration.

After piecing the top, I assembled the back, surrounding two of the blocks with pink and black prints which have been sitting in my stash for many moons, waiting for the perfect project.

I quilted it in a one-inch cross-hatch grid, with various shades of pink thread, and bound it with a scrappy black binding.

Our quilt will soon be heading off to the Raleigh chapter of Project Linus, and my group members have already started assembling blocks for our next quilt, using this pretty color palette for inspiration.

do. Good Stitches: Yellow Cross Quilt

In December, I was the quilter for my circle of do. Good Stitches. I decided to keep it simple, since it was the holiday season, and I asked our group members to make two cross blocks, using any shade of solid yellow.

I love, love, love how this quilt turned out! The yellow crosses are so cheery and happy, and I'm so inspired to work with this palette more. I quilted it with a crosshatch pattern in yellow thread.

For the backing, I used a Marimekko print my mother-in-law got on super sale from the Crate and Barrel outlet. It's a wide sateen fabric, which meant that I didn't have to piece it, which I really enjoyed. For the binding, I used a striped, vintage-looking print that's been in my stash for ages---it was nice to finally use it up.

I donated the quilt to my local chapter of Project Linus this past weekend, so it's now off to its new home.

do. Good Stitches: Churn Dash Quilt

Way back in, oh, you know, JULY, I tasked my fellow members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches with making two churn dash blocks, using solid black and low-volume prints. Six months later, and during my short holiday break, I finally managed to quilt and bind our quilt---my first finish of 2014!

I was obviously on a black + low-volume print kick when we started this project (my houndstooth quilt is further evidence of that). I really love how the black can recede into the background and form a grid when seen from certain angles.

For the back, I used a few cream-and-black prints that had been hanging out in my stash for awhile; it was nice to finally put them to good use.

In addition to donating our group's quilt to Project Linus this weekend, I'll also be donating a small quilt that I made two years ago. The front is a pixelated heart, made from red and pink solid squares, and the back features a Japanese goldfish print.

I'm so happy to finally get both of these quilts off the studio shelf and out to people who can enjoy them! 

do. Good Stitches: June Block

Have you sewn a lot of curves? I've done only a few, but I got some good practice in last week while making the block for this month's quilt for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches. We used a restricted palette and Alyssa's pattern, and I think the finished quilt is going to be stunning!

Each month, I make quilt blocks for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches, which our group then turns into quilts that we donate to Project Linus. You can see all of my past blocks here.

do. Good Stitches: Arkansas Traveler Quilt

I've always loved this quilt by Ara Jane of the blog You Know What I Love? So when it was my turn to ask for blocks from my do. Good Stitches circle members back in January, I soon thought of Ara Jane's gorgeous quilt, and asked everyone to send me an Arkansas Traveler block, using this image for color inspiration. (You can find a great tutorial for the block over here.)

I fell in love with every block that was sent, and assembled them into this baby quilt, which I quilted with an imperfect, one-inch grid. For the backing, I used a well-coordinated floral print that I picked up from the $2.97/yard table at the fabric store I worked at a few years ago. The binding is scrappy and bright.

The quilt washed up crinkly and soft, and will be donated to Project Linus this Saturday during the Make a Blanket Day that's happening at Spoonflower.

Have you recently finished anything that had been sitting in your WIP pile for a while? If so, please share in the comments---I'd love to see!

Each month, I make quilt blocks for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches, which our group then turns into quilts that we donate to Project Linus. You can see all of my past blocks here.

do. Good Stitches: May Blocks

Here are my crazy star quilt blocks for Erica, made up of pinks, oranges, and yellows, with low-volume prints in the background. This is the first time that I've used low-volume prints in a quilt block, and I really like the results. Next, I'd love to make something similar to this. Do you have any favorite quilts that incorporate low-volume prints?

Each month, I make quilt blocks for the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches, which our group then turns into quilts that we donate to Project Linus. You can see all of my past blocks here.

do. Good Stitches: March Blocks

Last month, Sonya requested wonky star blocks for the March quilt for our circle of do. Good Stitches.

Working within her suggested color theme---which I loved!---I made two blocks using quilting weight, linen and voile.

You can see all of the past blocks I've made here. 

do. Good Stitches: February Blocks

My February blocks for our circle of do. Good Stitches. Lynn will be turning these Road to Tennessee blocks into a quilt for Project Linus.

do. Good Stitches banner quilt

Way back in August, I was tasked with deciding on what quilt my circle of do. Good Stitches (the Wish Circle) would make. I eventually settled on making a variation of this quilt, by Ellen Luckett Baker. I asked my circle members to make the banner blocks in primary colors: red, blue and yellow. You can see the two blue blocks that I made here.

After receiving all of the blocks from my circle members, I pieced the top together, adding white sashing between each block. I kept the quilting simple, outlining each banner.

For the backing, I pieced together larger pieces from my stash that fit within the color scheme, including some Lizzy House and Heather Ross prints. I also added in an extra banner block.

I bound the quilt in blue and yellow scraps and added a do. Good Stitches label to the back.

I'll be donating this quilt to the Raleigh chapter of Project Linus this week, the charity that our circle supports. Hopefully the quilt will brighten the day of a child who needs it!

do. Good Stitches: December Quilt Block

For the month of December, Alyssa asked our circle in do. Good Stitches to create a block featuring a combination of pink prints and solids, using this tutorial by Faith at Fresh Lemons. This was my first time doing traditional paper piecing, and while I had to rip out a few (teeny, tiny!) seams, I loved the process and its accuracy, and am inspired to try out more paper-pieced blocks. Have you ever done paper piecing? Any recommendations on patterns to try?

do. Good Stitches: November Blocks

Here are the blocks I made for Erica, November's quilter in our circle of do. Good Stitches. Erica requested blocks made in boy-friendly colors, using this tutorial. I had fun pulling a bunch of fabrics from my stash for these, including some shirting and a vintage print. I can't wait to see the finished quilt!

P.S. Looking for the Giveaway Day giveaway? Hop on over here!