keeping it simple

Though I finished this quilt last year (and am only getting around to blogging about it now!), I actually started it back in 2010, not long after we moved to Maryland. I made the blocks as part of the Stitch DC Mystery Quilt Along, and stashed them away until last year.

I stuck with a lime green and periwinkle color palette, using prints from Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, and Cloud9 Fabrics. Though I played around with numerous layouts and considered incorporating borders and sashing, I wound up laying out the blocks in a simple grid pattern, which I think suits it perfectly!

I selected a fun, bright Amy Butler print from my stash for the back and love how it coordinates with the front. For the binding, I used a light blue and white seersucker stripe for a pop of texture. After quilting and washing, the quilt came out so soft and squishy---perfect for snuggling.

It's so nice to finally have this quilt done! It's now for sale in the Salty Oat Etsy shop.

UPDATE 11/21/14: This quilt is now available for purchase at Cary Quilting Company, in downtown Cary, North Carolina.

All photos by Caroline Okun. 

roadside quilt inspiration

When I first started working at Spoonflower over three years ago, my husband still lived in our Maryland apartment, so I spent many weekends driving up and down I-95 to visit him. Along the way, I kept an eye out for quilt inspiration, snapping pictures of rest stop bathroom floor tiles and highway signs.

The black-and-white chevron signs posted below the highway exit signs stuck with me, and I decided to translate them into a baby quilt.

Using half-square triangles, I constructed the chevrons from Kona solids. I loved the simplicity of the quilt top and the graphic pop the black and white lines created.

I backed the quilt with a blue Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet print, straight line quilted it with black and white thread, and bound it with a bit of the backing and a coordinating blue solid. The quilt is now for sale in my Etsy shop.

I've started a Pinterest board where I'm gathering other images of inspiring patterns for future quilts, if you'd like to see. Where do you find quilt inspiration? Please share your favorite images!

All quilt photos by Caroline Okun.