Friday, April 1, 2016

March Madness: The Championship Game!


We're excited to announce the two quilts in our championship game! 
Congratulations to Shimmering Constellation and Circling Stars! 

In addition to showing you the quilts one more time, we're sharing short interviews with the designers so you can learn a little more about each design. 

Thanks to everyone who has helped narrow the patterns down from our original 50 to the Sweet Sixteen to these final two.  As a thank you for your participation, this final round of voting will include the opportunity to win fabric prizes! 

Leave a comment below with your vote for this game (choose Shimmering Constellation or Circling Stars). One comment per person, please. You can also vote a second time on our Facebook Group – Sew Interesting, and a third time on our Pinterest board
Voting for this game is open through Monday, April 4 at 5 pm EST. We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 5th. 
Voting is now closed. Thank you for playing!

Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard
using Gold Standard/Simply Sterling




Circling Stars by Jackie Robinson using Basic Blacks and Beiges


Wendy Sheppard talks about her Shimmering Constellation design:

What attracted you to the Gold Standard/Simply Sterling collection?
I like the metallic accents  in the prints and colors of the collection.

Can you talk about how fabric placement enhances this design?
When I work with a fabric collection that has multiple main colors, I try to sprinkle the colors all over the quilt design. So that's why you see a mix of gold, gray and black in the design. The reason the design looks more complicated than it actually is rests solely on the fabric placement for this design.  I think of it as optical illusion at play. At least for me, whenever I see a quilt with many colors/fabrics, I automatically go into a "WOW" mode and think it is a difficult quilt.

How did you come up with this design? 
I started with the stars -- but then I felt like having stars all over the quilt design is too predictable.  That's when I came up with the alternate block to give the design a bit more interest.  I then softened the edges of the other blocks with gold on white prints to give a bit of "halo" effect to the star blocks.

What do you like best about this quilt?
I like it for many reasons - I like that it is a traditional quilt, but with striking visual elements for a home decor piece to add fun statement to a room.  What I love it best is that it is an easy quilt to construct, but with much more to offer in the final design and layout.


Jackie Robinson talks about her Circling Stars design:


What inspired your Basic Blacks and Beiges collection?
It came from when I was a quilt shop owner and could never get enough good blacks and beiges. The fabrics have varying values, which adds interest when they’re all used together.

Tell us about the star block in Circling Stars.
One of the artists in the Benartex design studio, Liz Kolansky, created this block for the front cover of some marketing materials. It is a block that is reminiscent of 54-40 or Fight, but it isn’t. I really liked it and asked Liz if I could use it for a quilt design.

Tell us about the layout.
The black setting triangles make the star blocks pop. Then simple straight borders frame the design.

What do you like best about the quilt?
The illusion of circles created by the blocks. It’s circles without actually piecing circles. 

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It's a battle of the stars! 
Shimmering Constellation vs. Circling Stars 
Which one will be the fan favorite quilt pattern?

Here's how to vote AND how to enter the giveaway:
  • To vote: Leave a comment below with your vote for this game (choose Shimmering Constellation or Circling Stars). One comment per person, please. You can also vote a second time on our Facebook Group – Sew Interesting, and a third time on our Pinterest boardVoting for this game is open through Monday, April 4 at 5 pm EST. We'll announce the winner on Tuesday, April 5th. 
  • To enter the giveaway: Send an email to socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com with Battle of the Stars in the subject line.
  • Both the voting for Favorite Pattern and the giveaway will be open through Monday, April 4th at 5 pm EST. We'll announce the Favorite Pattern and giveaway winners on Tuesday, April 5th. 
  • Prizes: One lucky winner will receive a box of Benartex fat quarters! Winner will be randomly chosen from received emails and will be notified by email as well as announced here on the blog. 
Good luck to both of these fantastic patterns! 

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136 comments:

  1. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard, is my vote.

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  2. Shimmering Constellation. Hard decision! Terrific competition!

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  3. Shimmering Constellation. It's so beautiful.

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  4. Shimmering Constetllation gets my vote - beautiful quilt

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  5. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard, is my vote.
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  6. Shimmering Constellation all the way. this is on my to-do list of quilt projects.

    tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  7. Oh, this was hard!

    Circling Stars

    Sandy A

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  8. Shimmering constellation for me.

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  9. Shimmering Constellation
    amycaldwell@swva.net

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  10. my vote is for circling stars

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  11. Circling Stars. Love the circular effect!

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  12. Circling Stars, a beautiful design!

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  13. Shimmering Constellation. Would love to see this in person.

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  14. Shimmering Constellation. Would love to see this in person.

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  15. Difficult choice, but I'll go with Shimmering Constellation.

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  16. Shimmering Constellation

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  17. My choice is Shimmering Constellation.

    lin.web.28 at gmail dot com

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  18. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard.

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  19. Shimmering constellations gets my vote!

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  20. Shimmering constellations gets my vote!

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  21. Shimmering Constellation....Difficult choice, really like both of them!!

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  22. Circling Stars for me. I love the illusion it gives.

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  23. Circling Stars,love the second block on in.

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  24. Circling Stars-curves without curved piecing!

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  25. Shimmering Constellations by Wendy Sheppard
    tough choice

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  26. Shimmering Constellations, but they are both great!
    Kcneiman(at)gmail(dot)com

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  27. Shimmering Constellations, but they are both great!
    Kcneiman(at)gmail(dot)com

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  28. Its a really tough choice, but I vote for Circling Stars.

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  29. Shimmering Constellation, always my #1 pick.

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  30. Circling stars is my favorite.

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  31. circling stars is absolutely beautiful.I like the illusion of circles that adds so much to the interest.

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  32. Hard choice, but I will go with

    Circling Stars

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  33. Very tough match up. The contestants are both strong with design and pop, but the winner, in my humble opinion: Circling Stars.

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  34. Shimmering Constellation gets my vote.

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  35. Shimmering Constellation. The final two quilts are so beautiful it was a very hard decision.

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  36. Shimmering Constellation has my vote. They are both beautiful with wonderful workmanship.

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  37. Shimmering Constellation ... by 1 point.

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  38. Circling Stars - It's dramatic and doable. A fresh and interesting star design.

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  39. Shimmering Constellation

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  40. Love Shimmering Constellation.

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  41. Love them both but will have to vote for Circling Stars. These are my two favorites, nice to see them in the final.

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  42. shimmering constellation; but it was close

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  43. Shimmering constellation all the way

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  44. Circling stars gets my vote!

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  45. They are both beautiful, but I choose Shimmering Constellations!

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  46. Shimmering Constellations, and yes, they both are wonderful

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  47. Shimmering Constellations. What lovely fabric.

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  48. Shimmering Constellations

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  49. Shimmering Constellation. Tah dah!

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  50. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard
    using Gold Standard/Simply Sterling

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  51. Kaye M tkmattson@hotmail.comApril 3, 2016 at 10:19 PM

    I like Shimmering Constellation and the optical illusion that Wendy designed.

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  52. Love the Shimmering Constellation!

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  53. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard
    Absolutely beautiful!

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  54. I love the combination of my two favorite blocks in Circling Stars! Definitely on my list to make!

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  55. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard. I love Wendy's designs.

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  56. I've got to go with shimmering Constellations for its fresh look.

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  57. Shimmering constellations by Wendy Sheppard.

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  58. Shimmering Constellations! I love metallic.

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  59. shimmering constellations! there is something compellingbut also gentle about the design with the colors. wouldl love to get ahold of the pattern.
    shoshana

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  60. The lovely Shimmering Constellations is my choice.

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  61. The lovely Shimmering Constellations is my choice.

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  62. Shimmering Constellations by Wendy Shepherd.

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  63. Shimmering Constellation and its a quilt I so want to make

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  64. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Shepherd has my vote.

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  65. Circling stars. Love the movement in a traditional style quilt.

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  66. Shimmering Constellation has my vote also.

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  67. Shimmering Constellation by Wendy Sheppard gets my vote. It shines beautifully.

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  68. Shimmering Constellation -- love the design.

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  69. I like Shimmering Constellation.Just love the shiney fabrics

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  70. I like Shimmering Constellation.Just love the shiney fabrics

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  71. Wendy Sheppard and her Shimmering Constellation. It is a great use of space and texture.

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  72. Shimmering Constellations. I love it.
    Joan

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  73. I absolutely love Wendy Sheppard's Shimmering Constellation

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