Sew Preeti Quilts: Throw Quilt

Showing posts with label Throw Quilt. Show all posts

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Niko

Have you met Niko?

Niko

He is handsome and stylish. He is friendly to jelly rolls and he can be yours!

Niko was first published in Make Modern Issue 62, published in January 2025.

Published

Designed in EQ8 and made with the Island Batik collection Shadow Blooms, Niko finished at 60" by 84", making him suitable for TV time and naps on the couch. He is a perfect picnic partner and just as happy to go on car rides.

Finding Happiness

But Niko isn't just fun and games. He is also just right for charity quilts including Quilts of Valor.

Since Niko is jelly-roll friendly (which you already have) all you need is 2.5 yards of background fabric and you are in business. The step by step directions and colored graphics for every step ensure success.

Jelly-Roll Friendly

But what I like best about Niko is this - simple blocks come together to make a fun secondary pattern. Dancing Pinwheels remind me that we are better when we are together. The elongated Granny Square like negative space also offers room to show off your quilting design.

Dancing Pinwheels

Niko is now available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop. Marked at $12, Niko is on sale for just $9 till May 8, 2025.

Labelled

But wait there is more. Leave me a comment on this blogpost to be entered into a giveaway contest for a downloadable PDF copy of the Niko Quilt Pattern. ~~I will announce the two winners on May 8, 2025.~~

UPDATE - The two winners are #7 (Jocelyn) and #27 (Jan). Emails are on the way.

What are you waiting for?

What is happening on May 8, 2025?

Island Batik and Accuquilt have teamed to sponsor the Irish Chain BlogHop and Challenge beginning May 5 and I will be posting on May 8. I will be using this gorgeous collection - Fusion by Jerry Khiev for Swan Amity Studios.

And one more thing. Angela has announced the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for May. It is green and here is my fabric pull. All gorgeous greens are from Island Batik.

Island Batik Greens for May RSC

I will be sharing with Quilting Jetgirl's Favorite Finish and all my favorite linky parties including Angela's. See full list on the sidebar.

Monday, April 21, 2025

The Color of Valor

Island Batik's April Challenge requires us to make a lap-sized (or larger) quilt using the timeless Drunkard's Path Quilt Block, making sure that the technique used is curved piecing and not applique.

Naturally, many ideas were considered and discarded. I am saving them to a very long list of possible future quilts.

In the end, I chose the quilt block - Moon Over the Mountain. I have been fascinated by this quilt block for a long time. I looked for tutorials and found few but none of them appealed to me.

It was time to design it myself.

Thank you EQ8

Next, I auditioned a few different fabric collections, also in EQ8.

Petal Poetry (I have a huge crush on this one)

Botanical Dreams

Shadow Blooms

They all looked lovely. But I wanted more than that. I wanted energy and passion. I decided to go for yellow orbs over rust/orange/red mountains.

Fabric Pull

I ended up using fabrics from Modern Opulence, Celebrate, and Fire & Ice collections.

Block Construction

Design Wall

Basting

And here is my first finish named Rising Suns.

Rising Suns

The background and binding is Island Batik Solid Black. I used Black Heirloom Batting from Hobbs and Schmetz 80/12 Needle for both piecing and quilting. I used Walking Foot to quilt squiggly lines. The variegated thread adds to the sizzle.

Walking Foot Quilting

Variegated Thread

The bright orange shades made me think of Saffron, one of the colors in India's national flag. India's national flag is named the Tricolor, so named for the three major colors. Saffron for sacrifice, White for Peace and Green for Prosperity. Saffron is symbolic of renouncement - giving up everything for the one cause, making the ultimate sacrifice for the country.

Labelled

Now that I am an American, I associate Red, White and Blue as the colors of valor. Is there a universal color for valor? Or does it mean different things to different people?

As I was mulling over colors, an off-color incident made me seethe. Not that I could do much, but I channeled my thoughts into prayer while I busied my hands to make another quilt.

Pinned

Work in Progress

I chose nine different yellows and nine different blues. The background and binding is Solid White. I used Hobbs Bleached White 80/20 Batting. I used Schmetz 80/12 Needle for both piecing and quilting. I used Walking Foot to quilt squiggly lines.

Backing is Frosting, Labelled

Here is my second finish. I have named it Doblest, which means Valor.

“Any fool can fight a winning battle, but it needs character to fight a losing one, and that should inspire us."
_William Butler Yates

Both quilts finished at about 53" by 51". I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar. Should you have any thoughts about color, valor or this block - Moon over the Mountain, I'd love to hear from you.

Monday, November 18, 2024

Island Batik Dresden Challenge and Bloghop

Island Batik November Challenge requires us to make a Dresden Quilt using our assigned Summer 2024 collection.

Here is my response. I have named it "Like It Or Not" (LION). LION finished at 45" by 46".

Vintage Fans, 45" by 46"

I received Peach Blossom, an original collection by Claudia Pfeil.

Fabrics

There are so many options for Dresden Plate designs. I could use a skinny Dresden Ruler (12 degrees) to make 30 blades per circle or a double Dresden (36 degrees) to make 10 wide blades per circle. I chose the 18 degree ruler.

I wanted to make a modern design but felt limited by the subdued color palette. I tried several designs but they did not inspire me. Honoring the vintage vibes of the fabric collection, I settled for the classic Grandma's Fans.

EQ8 Mock-Up

The First Block

I chose Meringue (Island Batik Neutral) as the background and Island Batik Solid Black as the accent. I used 10 of the 20 fabrics in the collection.

Piecing in Progress

All Blocks in Place

I used Schmetz Microtex 80/12 Needle for both piecing and quilting. I used Aurifil Thread 50wt for piecing and 40wt for quilting. The batting is Thermore by Hobbs.

Marked and Ready for Quilting

Quilting in Process

The binding is Meringue.

Here are some close-ups from the photoshoot.

Understated Elegance

Crinkly Texture

Close-up

Like It Or Not (LION)

I also made this one block. She is on the back, amid darkness, trying to protect the soul of all that is good and kind and hopeful.

Soul Sister, Dresden Skirt

Thank you, Paul!

I will be sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.

For the giveaway, I have two scrap packs of batiks that can be yours, if you do the following:

1. Leave a comment on this blogpost.

2. Provide your email. If I do not have your email, you will not be entered into the drawing.

I won't be showing pictures of the scraps. However, if you are the winner, I will reach out to you to ask for your favorite colors, before making the scrap pack for you.

If you are the lucky winner, not in the US, you can get any pattern of your choice from my Etsy Shop. If you don't want/need any more fabric, please do leave a comment and let me know and I won't enter you in the drawing.

Giveaway Update - The two winners are #23 and #44. Emails have been sent.

~~I will announce the winners next week - 11/25 or11/26, depending on how scrappy I feel. Hang in there and big, squishy hugs!~~

Below is the complete list of Ambassadors, the collections they’ll feature in their projects, and their scheduled post dates: