I Want My Space

As a quilter, have you ever said, "I want my space"? While we'd all like a little more room for sewing and storing fabric, that phrase has a different meaning as the name of one of our new fabric collections. As in outer space. 

Space lovers will adore Stephanie Sheridan's "Atlantis" quilt made from the 
I Want My Space line, featuring the space shuttle panel, fussy-cut squares, 
and cool gradating star prints.

"Atlantis" designed by Stephanie Sheridan and quilted by Linda Leathersich;
featured in Quilt Trends Spring 2014

Stephanie shared with us just how she designed and made such an out-of-this-world quilt:

What makes the I Want My Space fabrics so appealing?

I was drawn to the realism of the panels in this line as well as the unique

gradated star prints. Another great thing about these fabrics is their size...they are 58" wide, which opened up more design options for me.

Can you talk about how you used the gradated fabrics? They really make the quilt.

By carefully placing the lights and darks in the gradated star fabrics I was able to achieve a lot of dimension and movement. The shadows and highlights of the lights and darks gives the outer borders a three-dimensional feel.

 

What do you envision it being used for?

I think it would be a perfect focal point as a wall quilt in a little boy's room, or would make a great toddler bed quilt for a child who dreams of visiting the stars.

Any tips for fussy cutting the panel and squares?

I like to press the panel using some spray starch before I start cutting, as it helps the pieces keep their shape and prevents the edges from raveling. And always measure twice...cut once! Take your time and be sure that your motif is centered before you engage your rotary cutter.

What is your favorite part about the quilt?

The large pieces and simple piecing make this quilt go together very quickly

(a single weekend...or even less!) but because of the great fabrics it looks like you spent much more time!

How is it quilted?

My mom, Linda Leathersich, did the long arm quilting on this quilt and really brought it to life. She outlined all of the panel motifs to make them pop, and then used an edgy swirl in the background to add movement. The blue border has a really modern angular spiky design, and in the outer border she outlined the planets and added stars to bring the whole design together.

See the entire I Want My Space collection here.

Find the kit for this project here.

Find Quilt Trends magazine here.

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All in the Family: Jean Ann Wright and Janet Houts

Today we're continuing our All in the Family series, featuring sisters Jean Ann Wright and Janet Houts.

Can you talk about how/when you learned to quilt?

Jean Ann: I learned to sew when I was 3 years old; it was a disaster. I can still see myself sitting in a little chair with that doll skirt attached with crooked stitches to my own skirt. I was so proud. I cried when I had to tear it out. I didn't give up, I kept sewing and sometime during my growing up years I started making quilts, first for dolls, and then in my early 20's my first real quilt for my first baby.

Tell us about quilting with your sister.

Jean Ann: I started quilting with my sister, Janet Houts, about 10 years ago. We are still quilting together and have written several books together and often collaborate on quilts we are designing and making.

How do your designing methods compare?

Jean Ann: I like quilting chaos. I like to start sewing and let the fabric "speak to me" and tell me what to do as I go. Janet likes everything organized and planned out in advance so she knows exactly what she will be doing step-by-step before she starts cutting and sewing.

How would you describe your quilting styles?

Jean Ann: My style is colorful, uninhibited and freestyle. Janet's style is planned, coordinated and well ordered.

Can you describe how you work together?

Jean Ann: I live in Georgia and Janet lives in Idaho. We typically work via Skype. We can turn on the video and actually see what the other is sewing. We also work via the computer, sending art files back and forth with suggestions to change this or that until we both like what the other is doing. We don't always take each other's suggestions, but most often we do. Two heads are better than one!

Once a year Janet and I teach a 3-1/2 day workshop together at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. When we are not in the workshop room, we are putting our heads together in our own room to think up new ideas and techniques for teaching.

What's the greatest benefit of working together?

Jean Ann: We always have someone to check our work, to make suggestions on how to improve our designs. Also, being together is more fun than always working alone. After growing up together and then living on opposite sides of the country for most of our adult lives, it is great to have a creative reason to be in touch with each other every day.

And a challenge of working together?

Jean Ann: When one of us feels strongly that the other should change a design and that one digs in their heels and insists on leaving the design as it is.

How have your roles changed over the years?

Jean Ann: Janet started out working for me when I was editor-in-chief of QUILT magazine. After teaching her to quilt so she could help me with the graphic arts for the magazine, I find myself learning from Janet as her computer skills were more advanced than mine. We have reversed roles and it comes very naturally to us. I may be older, but I am not always in charge!

Can we see some of your designs?

Leffert's Garden, using Prospect Park
There were three fabrics in this collection that could be used as "focus" fabrics due to their distinctive design and the scale of the fabric design. I finally decided on a strippy quilt with my favorite focus fabric, the dark print with the birds cut as columns on the length of fabric. The Bachelor's Puzzle blocks provided strength in the center of the quilt. I pieced Flying Geese units on opposite sides and emphasized them with the wide multi-stripe and narrow brown strips to complete the quilt center. 

I decided to use the patchwork print as the top and bottom borders of the quilt and chose the narrow brown strips to divide the border elements and used the light bird and vine print for the side borders.

A Blue Moment, using the soon-to-be-released Palm Springs collection
This fabric has several large-scale prints that needed to be presented in big chunks. I am taken with the modern quilt movement and have also been immersed in making log cabin quilts for the past two years. I decided to combine these two concepts into one large improvisational log cabin block. The quilt has no border, but the rows that surround the center of the quilt act as quasi-borders and multiple frames for the center print. (Watch for this pattern coming soon to our website!)

Cachet Hexies, using Cachet from Contempo Studio
A contemporary collection was the perfect fit for a hexy design, considering how hot hexies are right now! This quilt is featured in the Winter 2014 issue of Quilt Trends magazine.

Photo: Quilt Trends magazine

Find more of Jean Ann and Janet Hout's work here.

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(Lime) Green with Envy

A while back we shared a tutorial using the yellow colorway of Cosmopolitan (a Contempo Studio line designed by Michele D'Amore).

Today, we're (lime) green with envy, admiring Wendy Sheppard's "Manhattan" wallhanging, featured in the fall issue of Quilt Trends magazine. 

"Manhattan" designed by Wendy Sheppard;
featured in Quilt Trends Fall 2013

A large portion of the quilt center is comprised of the panel print from Cosmopolitan, and then Wendy framed it in an asymetrical and fun grouping of borders. Read what Wendy has to say below and then head over to her blog to see more close-ups of this modern piece of art!

Cosmopolitan panel

What made you choose to add more triangles to the design beyond the flying geese in the panel?

I felt like triangles done a little differently would contrast the preprinted geese nicely. Plus, I thought with the bulk of construction already done with the panel, introducing the template pieced triangles is a nice touch for those who have never attempted template piecing. 

Any tips for fussy cutting pieces like the panel?

I have found that not pressing the fabric prior to cutting helps me achieve better accuracy as far as matching the prints and eliminates any potential for distortion. So now, I cut my fabrics fresh off the bolt (no prewashing of the fabrics in this case), and press only after a block is pieced.

Can you share your thought process in selecting border treatments, specifically the asymmetrical ones?

I felt like the busy-ness of the panel print needed something long and soothing to balance.  Thus the long vertical strips in the quilt center.  I also chose the large brushstroke portion of the stripe print to give a bit of contrast to the smaller prints on the panel print.

Tell us about the machine quilting.

Yes, the quilt is busy and anything dense would probably be obscured by the busy print. So I opted for the open-air feel.  I quilted straight lines radiating from a point in the quilt center.  And then added randomly quilted circles. You can see my technique for quilting circles here.

Anything else you'd like to tell us about the quilt?

I love that the orientation of the quilt is so flexible.  I like it when it when I can offer options to quilters.

See the entire Cosmopolitan collection (including the blue and yellow colorways) here.

Find the free pattern for the Manhattan quilt here.

Learn more about Wendy and her work on her blog, here.

Find Quilt Trends here.

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The dramatic appeal of Moonflower

If sleek elegance and vibrant colors speak to you, we'd like to introduce you to Sandi Irish's "Moonflower" quilt. Featured in the fall 2013 issue of Quilt Trends, this contemporary design uses magenta and olive green to pop off a black background, courtesy of the gorgeous prints of Kanvas' Floral Philosophy collection by Maria Kalinowski. 

"Moonflower" designed by Sandi Irish;
featured in Quilt Trends magazine, fall 2013

Here's what Sandi had to say: "The magazine picture is stunning! Can I borrow those vases?" Keep reading to learn what she has to say about designing this beauty.

What attracted you to the Floral Philosophy fabrics?

I LOVE magenta and the colors just pop on the black background. The color combination is a favorite of mine, and the quilt turned out simple but elegant.

Do you have a favorite print in the collection?

It's a tough choice to pick just one but I really like the paisley print. It would make a great tote bag, I could even see it in a shirt.

Talk about your design and fussy cutting decisions.

I had actually designed this wall hanging several years ago and had been saving it for the right fabric. Big fabrics need big spaces. This fabric almost gives the impression of hand applique and it's a good fit.

Why did you choose the olive color as the tonal print for the quilt?

When looking for an accent for the main fabric, I didn't want to "over pink" the quilt; since olive is a near opposite on the color wheel, the contrast is nice.

Want to see more Floral Philosophy? Read our post about Kanvas' spring Quilt Market booth, decorated in Floral Philosophy.

See the entire Floral Philosophy collection here.

Find the kit for this project (and learn more about Sandi) here.

Find Quilt Trends here.

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Lovin' the Lime!

Lime green isn't only a summer color, but it's sure looking good right now! Sandi Irish fell in love with the lime and navy prints of Catalina, a collection by Greta Lynn from Kanvas that is based on the classic American bandanna.  She used it to create "Calypso," a classic star pattern with a twist.

"Calypso" by Sandi Irish;
featured in Quilt Trends Summer 2013

Sandi shared some of the details of "Calypso" with us.

What drew you to the Catalina fabrics?

I love the fresh colors! Lime green has always been a favorite of mine and it looks like spring!

Catalina in both the lime and red colorways

Why did you design a quilt with this type of star?

I had made this same quilt in the country reds, creams and blues first, but when the chance came to use the Catalina collection for a quilt I knew the design would also work well and create a totally different look.

Love that you made the star without y seams or set-in piecing. What prompted you to make it that way?

I have designed a template set that I used in this pattern (although paper templates are included in the magazine) and as I continue to add patterns to the Quilted Jewel Pattern series, my goal is to keep it easy without set in seams. I might need to do a partial seam at some point but no Y seams allowed! Since the quilt is assembled in rows, avoiding Y seams also came easy.

It looks like you fussy cut one of the fabrics for the stars.

I did fussy cut the bird; it was just a perfect fit for the template. It would be pretty even if it is not fussy cut.

Was it easy to choose the inner and outer border prints?

I tend toward the traditional look of small solid inner border and printed outer border, but the small print in the inner border blends nicely from the white background to the large scale flowers in the outer border.

 

Learn more about Sandi Irish here.

See the entire Catalina collection here.

Find the kit for the project (and the templates) here.

Find Quilt Trends magazine here.

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Stripes Hard at Work

Designers Joanie Holton and Melanie Greseth used the geometric motifs in Manhattan Modern to create "Side by Side," a deceptively complex looking (but easy to make!) quilt. Their quilt is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of QuiltTrends magazine.

"Side by Side" by Joanie Holton and Melanie Greseth,
featured in Quilt Trends spring 2013

How did you come up with the idea for this design?

We wanted a quilt with a stair-step look, but also wanted it to be simple. The quilt uses just one block! 

                        

What attracted you to the Manhattan Modern line?

It’s fresh and pretty, and it really reminded us of spring. (Joanie and Melanie used the more muted aqua, brown and green colorway, though the line comes in brights as well.)

           

What makes this quilt stand out in your mind? 

It’s not symmetrical – sometimes a challenge for me (Joanie), but I really like the effect it creates. (We do too!)

QuiltTrends also offered a sneak peek at another design using Manhattan Modern, called "Cubit." 

This quilt was designed by Stephanie Sheridan and Linda Leathersich of Stitched Together Studios. Visit their Facebook page to learn how to purchase this pattern and see it made in a few other Benartex fabric collections.

See the entire Manhattan Modern collection here.
Find a kit for this quilt here.
Find QuiltTrends magazine here.

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