Milo

 Meet Milo.

Milo

Milo is a layer-cake friendly quilt that was published in Annie's Perfectly Precut - Simple Quilts With Precut Squares - of Quilter's World. 

Milo on the Cover!

I designed Milo in EQ8 and used the Island Batik fabric collection Essence and the neutral Egg White.

Essence is a beautiful collection. Look for it in your local quilt shop.

Milo was completed earlier this year. Pictures were taken in January. See the icy backdrop.

Icy River, Hot Model :-)

I used Hobbs Thermore Batting. The backing is Dark Grey Solid. The binding is Egg White Neutral.  I used walking foot quilting to quilt squiggly lines 2" apart. Milo finished at 60" by 84".

Of course, I will sleep with you!

Here are a few more pictures. 

So cool

Hi Handsome!

Picnic Ready

Crushing on You

Milo is Mine!

Hope you will check out the magazine in your local quilt shop. It contains 23 precut friendly patterns including one from Connie Kauffman, a friend and a fellow IB ambassador and one from Vasudha Govindan, a friend and a former IB ambassador.

The weather is changing (I am channeling Mari). Time to get your shots. Stay safe and hug your loved ones.

Rainbow Parade - New Pattern, Bloghop & Giveaway

Spring is around the corner and I am ready to say goodbye to winter blues. Here is a new colorful quilt to get us in the mood for the new season. Meet Rainbow Parade.

Rainbow Colors

Made using Island Batik Blenders, Rainbow Parade finished at 57" by 70".

Basting

Light and Dark

The quilt uses eight colors (light and dark) for a total of 16 fabrics, plus the background.  

I am thrilled now that the pattern is published. 

The instructions are super simple and the detailed graphics ensure that it is a breeze even if you are a new quilter.

Yours Brightly

Is it Spring yet?

I am sure you would like to see this done a few different ways. And that brings me to my awesome pattern testers.

Ahead of the pattern release, Cathy, Bonnie, Frederique and Diptee agreed to test drive Rainbow Parade and they will be sharing their versions today. Please visit their blogs/social media  - for they have their separate giveaways. 

Love a Rainbow

The Rainbow Pattern is now available in my Etsy Store and it is on sale (20% off) till March 12, 2024.  I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

What is a pattern release without a giveaway? So, I have two prizes.

1. A PDF download of the Rainbow Parade Quilt Pattern (you can be anywhere in the world)

2. Fabrics to make your own Rainbow Parade Quilt (US readers only)

To be eligible, please leave me a comment on this blogpost. If you show up as Anonymous, please include your email, so that I can contact you. I will announce the winners on March 16, 2024.

Update - Astrid (#49) won the Rainbow Parade Quilt Pattern. Pat (#4) won the fabrics. Emails have been sent.

Prismatic

I have a new finish to share, but first this news!

Island Batik announced the 2024 slate of ambassadors and I am thrilled that I made the cut. Check out the link above to read about the new and returning ambassadors.

I will be receiving my goodies next week and the Unboxing post (and video) is scheduled for 1/23/24. Won't you come back then?

I do have a new quilt to share. Meet Prismatic.

Island Batik Solids

Made entirely with Island Batik Solids, Prismatic finished at 48" square and can play the dual role of a baby-going-to-be-a-toddler quilt or a small lap quilt. 

All things Bold & Bright

On a cold, soggy and dreary day, we quilters have plenty of bright fabrics to lift our spirits.  I had some solids left over from making the quilt top. I chose to make a pieced backing. 

Playing with Scraps

Paul, the model :-)

The backing is Frosting and it is a beautiful floral neutral.  Let me show you a close-up.

Frosting

The quilting is my favorite squiggly lines using my walking foot. The binding is Solid Light Grey. 

Quilting Detail

If you'd like to make Prismatic, you can get the pattern in my Etsy Store. It includes colored graphics, step by step directions and a coloring sheet too. Prismatic is on sale (20% off) till Tuesday, 1/16/24.

What is a pattern release without a giveaway? So if you'd like a copy of the Prismatic Quilt pattern, please leave me a comment on this blogpost, mentioning the favorite book (and author) you read in 2023.  If you show up as Anonymous, please include your email so that I can reach you. 

I will announce the winners on 1/17/24.

Update - The winners are Sara (#2) and Elizabeth (#21).

Emails have been sent.

I will be participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Angela has announced that January is Green. Let's see if I can find any green in my Island Batik stash/scraps.

Aha Green!

I am also working on my January RSC 2024 blocks. Will show you when I post next time, along with the Unboxing video. Sharing with Angela's and all my other favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

Hope you stay safe, warm and dry.

Olivia

Let me introduce you to Olivia.

Olivia likes the outdoors!

She is simple, layer-cake friendly, and suitable for beginners and advanced quilters alike. I used the Buds and Blooms Garden collection to make Olivia.

This is such a beautiful collection with a wide range of values from light yellow, through medium red and orange all the way to deep purple. I love these warm colors. Look for Buds and Blooms Layer Cake in your local quilt store.

Here are some more pictures.

Breezy Day

Glowing Fabrics

Gorgeous Fabrics

To make Olivia, you need one layer cake, one focus fabric and background. I am sure you have a layer cake that is (almost) too pretty to cut up.  Olivia makes sure that your fabric shines while you get a fun and fast quilt in the colors of your choice.

Quilting Detail

Backing, Binding & Label

Finishing at 60" by 84", Olivia is a perfect size for Mercyful Quilts as well as Quilt of Valor. 

Here are a couple of mock-ups in Red, White and Blue. 

Olivia in "Porcelain Blue" Collection with Red (Island Batik Blender) 

Olivia in "Red, White & Blooms" Collection with Blue (Island Batik Blender) 

My detailed instructions show how to distribute the fabrics evenly throughout the quilt, with no two blocks the same.  Olivia is now available in my Etsy Shop. Priced at $10, it is a steal but you can get it for just $8 till December 15, 2023.

Thank you, Paul

I will be by the river, enjoying a picnic with Paul and Olivia. But if you want to win a copy of Olivia quilt pattern, please leave me a comment on this post, mentioning your favorite colors to make this quilt. If you show up as Anonymous, please include your email address. 

I will pick one lucky winner next week. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

UPDATE: The two lucky winners are #18 and #39. Emails have been sent.

Window Dressing & Pattern Release

Window Dressing was published in March 2023 in Make Modern Issue #51, in the category of Prints Charming! I smile every time I read that :-)

Made with Ruby Star Society Fabrics (Reverie by Melody Miller) provided by Moda, it is a simple design that exploits the value gradations for maximum effect. Put another way, the Prints Charming did the heavy lifting and I gathered the compliments :-)

Cold Day, Warm Quilt

For some reason, the blog publication of this quilt slipped through the cracks. But here we are now.  

Window Dressing finished at 60" by 80", making it a perfect size for lap/throw/picnic and even Mercyful Quilts. The simple pattern uses black and white solids in alternating blocks, highlighting the changing values. 

Gradations Galore

As a model-photographer team, our roles are reversible.  If it is a larger quilt, it is practical for Paul to be the model and if it is a smaller quilt, I like to smile from behind it, while he takes the pictures.

I took Window Dressing to Berlin, MD for our Christmas mini vacation. On a particularly cold morning, as Paul wanted to sleep in and I was itching to get out and take pictures, this happened.  

Paul, the reluctant model

There is more than one way to model a quilt :-D  

The low sun lit our room beautifully, with ample opportunities for indoor pictures. 

Window Dressing

Sunlit Room

No, I do not belong in the closet!

There was a a small reading nook/snack area just outside our room. It provided a perfect staging area for the quilt. 

So Cozy

All these pictures were taken at the Inn Berlin in Berlin, MD. It is an upscale Bed and Breakfast place that is also completely gluten-free. No, we do not have such dietary restrictions but I love it, all the same.

I love it here!

Window Dressing Quilt Pattern is now available in my Etsy Shop for an introductory price of $8, till July 4, 2023. 

I can get used to this!

In other news, Angela has announced that July is Red. I am ahead of the game, at least this time :-)

July is Red 

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, including Angela's. See full list on the sidebar.

New Pattern Published!!!

So so excited...

1. Island Batik's Fall/Winter 2021catalog is out!!!  AND I am in it, not only as an Ambassador but also as a Pattern Designer. My new pattern Masala Box is featured in the catalog. 

2. Masala Box is now listed in my Etsy Shop :-) It looks like a happy dance of colorful fabrics.

Listed!!!

When I made the quilt "Beg, Borrow and Barter" in March 2021 as a part of the Island Batik Scrapbuster Challenge, little did I know what was to come next.  Some of you asked - what pattern did you use, do you have a pattern...

Paul, the model!

I am so grateful to all my pattern testers who made the pattern and shared their completed tops and their generous feedback with me, so I could fine-tune the pattern. 

Thank you to Elizabeth and Shirley, who made the baby size.  

By Elizabeth Moore

By Shirley Fox

Thank you to Jennifer and Charity for making the lap size version. 

By Charity Feit

By Jennifer Odell

And kudos to Kathy and Stevie for making the queen size version. You ladies rock!!!

By Stevie Will

By Kathy Paul

While my sweet and kind pattern testers were busy, I made a baby quilt using a black background.

Baby Size

It looks lovely in all sizes and I am very happy with it. 

The pattern is ideal to use as a signature block, perfect for a wedding or a graduation quilt. 

If you like it, please head to my Etsy Shop, or just click on the image on the top right of the blog. I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties, see full list on the sidebar.