modern sampler quilt along: block F link-up

The Modern Sampler Quilt Along is an informal and virtual quilt along where we make a block from Yoshiko Jinzenji's Modern Sampler Quilt pattern each month. You can follow the hashtag  #modernsamplerquiltalong on Instagram to get a peek at everyone's blocks, fabrics, and progress, as we work our way through the pattern together. On the last Tuesday of each month, we gather here to share the blocks we've made; this month we worked on Block F from the pattern.

We've made it to the halfway point in the quilt along---yay! This month's block was my favorite so far, mostly because I really love the Yoshiko Jinzenji text print I used.

Rather than piecing the curves on my machine, I opted to needle-turn appliqué each of the half ovals to the background strips, and then machine sewed them from there.

Since we're halfway through the pattern, I thought it would be a great time for us to post all six blocks we've completed thus far, and cheer each other on. Here are all of my blocks so far (I haven't trimmed them yet, hence the varying sizes---ha!).

To celebrate everyone who has completed their first six blocks, Zakka Workshop and I have teamed up to create two small giveaway bundles, featuring coin purse kits, cuts of Yoshiko Jinzenji prints, and screen-printed fabric panels from the Salty Oat shop.

Orange + Purple Bundle:

Gray Bundle:

To be in the running for one of the two bundles, simply link up to a photo showing all six of your finished blocks by next Tuesday, March 1, at 11:59 pm EST. I'll select two winners from all of the entries on Wednesday, March 2. You'll still be able to post photos of your Block F until our next link-up on March 29.

UPDATE: Thank you so much to everyone that posted their finished blocks, and congrats to A Quilter's Table and Bespoke Outlaw on winning the prize bundles!

Now let's see your blocks!

HOW TO LINK UP
1. Click the "Add your link" button below, and link to a blog post or Instagram photo of your Blocks A-F (or just Block F). In the "Link Title" field, enter your blog name or Instagram handle.

2. If you're linking to a blog post, please link back to this post somewhere in your post. If you're linking to an Instagram photo, be sure to tag your photo with the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong.

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An InLinkz Link-up

a custom flying geese wall quilt

 

One of the benefits of making Salty Oat my full-time gig, is that I now have the time to take on commissioned quilts for customers. I was recently asked to make a wall quilt which would be hung above a bed, and needed to work with the room's color palette, which included orange, teal, beige, and gray.

After learning more about the customer's style---including their preference for triangles and diamonds, and a love of animals---I sketched an idea and pulled fabrics from my stash. The design was quickly approved, and I got to work on this 30" x 30" wall hanging, which features two sizes of flying geese, flying both clockwise and counterclockwise.

I loved working with a new-to-me palette, as well as some of my favorite fabrics (like those Japanese elephants!). I also really enjoyed working on something while being able to visualize the space in which it would eventually hang.

I used my go-to Marimekko dots for the backing (I stocked up on so many colors of this print the last time I was at the Crate and Barrel outlet!), and included a hand-stitched hanging sleeve so that it can go right up on the wall in its new home.

I'm currently accepting custom orders for the holidays, so if you've been thinking about commissioning a quilt for holiday gifting, now is the perfect time to get started! Simple send me an email at saltyoat at gmail dot com and we can discuss details, pricing, and turnaround times. Happy Wednesday!

modern sampler quilt along: block A link-up

Welcome to the first link-up for the Modern Sampler Quilt Along, an informal and virtual quilt along where we make a block from Yoshiko Jinzenji's Modern Sampler Quilt pattern each month! You can follow the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong on Instagram to get a peek at everyone's blocks, fabrics, and process, as we work our way through the pattern together. On the last Tuesday of each month, we gather here to share the blocks we've made; this month we worked on Block A from the pattern.

For my quilt, I'm using the Superbuzzy Yoshiko Jinzenji bundle as the starting point for my fabric selection, and I've pulled a number of complementary fabrics from my stash to round it out, adding in pops of pink, yellow, and aqua.

For my Block A, I used out-of-date quilt labels, a vintage daisy print (I love the pop of neon coral in the flowers' centers!), solid aqua, an Ikea text print, and a Jinzenji print. One of the things that I really like about this pattern so far is that Jinzenji doesn't specify what types of fabrics to use (lights versus darks, colors versus neutrals) or where to place them, which I found quite freeing. I had fun experimenting with the layout.

TIP
In case this is your first time doing mitered corners on your borders and you'd like a bit of help, Craftsy has a step-by-step photo tutorial that shows you how to sew them, and the Fat Quarter Shop has a step-by-step video that walks you through the process as well.

Have any tips or tricks or observations you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments below.

Now let's see your first blocks!

HOW TO LINK UP
1. Click the "Add your link" button below, and link to a blog post or Instagram photo of your Block A. In the "Link Title" field, enter your blog name or Instagram handle.

2. If you're linking to a blog post, please link back to this post somewhere in your post. If you're linking to an Instagram photo, be sure to tag your photo with the hashtag #modernsamplerquiltalong.
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An InLinkz Link-up

a custom half-square triangle quilt

Prior to our departure from North Carolina, a dear Spoonflower coworker commissioned me to make a quilt for her and her husband. She provided me with a few fabrics from her travels to Japan and San Francisco---a navy floral, a mustard polka dot twill, and a blue-and-white ditsy floral---and expressed a love of triangles. My friend is a computer engineer, so when it came to the quilt's design, it was no surprise that she included the code-generated quilts of Libs Elliott (such amazing work!) in her list of inspiration quilts.

Inspired by Libs' designs, I created half-square triangles in two different finished sizes---5" and 10"---and stuck them up on my design wall, constantly rearranging as I went along, until I had a composition I was happy with. In addition to the fabrics my friend provided, I added in a few pink prints, a Leah Duncan print that happened to coordinate beautifully with the palette, and a large navy cross-hatch which I used for the binding.

For the backing, I used large, leftover pieces of the original fabric, along with a few extra half-square triangles. You can spot a few in-progress shots of the quilt over on Instagram, as I worked on the cross-hatch quilting and then added a leather Salty Oat label.

The quilt is now back in North Carolina, at home with its new owners, to whom I am so grateful for the commission and the fun design challenge!

Quilt Stats
Finished dimensions: 60" x 60"
Fabrics used include: Mojave Illuminated by Leah Duncan; Glimma Crosshatch by Lotta Jansdotter; Pink Paint and Pink Dot from Picnic Pals by Penguin and Fish
Quilt pattern: original by Salty Oat (me!)

2011 calendars: patchwork

Two years ago, I fell in love with SeptemberHouse's calendar panels. So last year, I decided to order a few and customize them for the family members on my holiday list. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing the calendars that I made with you. 

For the first calendar, I made a mini quilt from scraps in my bin. I appliqued the patchwork piece to the calendar panel and then used navy embroidery floss to quilt it.

To finish it, I added ribbon loops to the top of the panel and then backed it with some Japanese fabric I was given a few years ago.

P.S. Thank you to Melissa for spotlighting "Welcome to Our Year" on her blog, Oh, My Darling!

sashiko throw pillow

Inspired by this post on The Purl Bee earlier this year, I decided to try my hand at sashiko (Japanese embroidery). I purchased my supplies (sashiko kit, needles, cotton thread, and leather thimble) from KimonoMomo on Etsy and got started stitching. I did most of the stitching during our trip to Seattle last March---including while on the plane---and I turned the finished piece into a pillow a few weeks ago. 

The lovely graphic patterns used in sashiko are my favorite part, and I've used them in the past---like on this cross-stitch travel mug---without even realizing it.