Saturday, June 23, 2012

Splash! Pattern testing for Sunday Morning Quilts

I met the amazing Amanda Jean at a Minnesota quilting retreat in 2010.  Prior to meeting her I may have been a tiny bit intimidated by her.  I mean, you've seen how prolific her quilting is, right?  But in person?  Absolutely delightful! I even enjoyed jogging with her for heaven's sake!  

(Amanda in action at the retreat...with matching pedicure, none-the-less!)

Fast forward to last spring when she emailed me to share a little bit about a "secret" project in the works and to ask if I be interested in pattern-testing for her upcoming book.  Would I?  Of course!  (Someone who can talk me into jogging should have no trouble convincing me to quilt!)  So she sent along the pattern for "Splash", a quilt she made in lovely aqua and orange and a few of her own green scraps as a jumping off point.

Amanda's "Splash"

My favorite fabric from Amanda's scraps.  How can you not LOVE those froggies???

I dug through my stash and pulled out everything from lime green to turquoise for the background and purple for the accent.  I began with the purple focus block.


Inspired by the name "Splash", I wanted it to look like the focus block literally splashed into the quilt, scattering little bits of purple through out.  As a result, my quilt top took on a fairly different look from her high-contrast original.  


It was fun to take Amanda's idea and turn it into something all my own, all the while following her pattern.  I found her slab-making technique to be a great way to turn scraps into quilts...easy, organic, flexible and practical!  Pieces small and large could be easily worked into the top and it felt like play!  Try a little of this, add a little of that, work a favorite scrap in here, cut a funky angle there....

 

....then cut to the given measurements and sew those babies up.  Voila!

The approach turns an improvisational process into a beautiful finished product.  I was so pleased with this top that it was hard to not to share it with anyone before the book was published.  (Ok, I maybe sent Amanda an e-mail every now and then asking her if she'd seen the fun quilt top I'd finished as I had to tell somebody!)  So glad to finally get to share it here!  Ah....now if I could just get it quilted.

Do you have a favorite project from Sunday Morning Quilts?

Don't you want your own signed copy of Sunday Morning Quilts?

11 comments:

  1. hurray! it's finally show and tell time! you did a lovely job on your quilt!

    (Thanks for your kind words. you are such a sweetie! and that red quilt photo with my toes in it...that made me grin. i had forgotten about that! i loved retreating with you at grubers. such a fun time. i wish you were going to be there again this year. i could use a jogging buddy!)

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  2. THIS IS GORGEOUS!! I love it and now that I have seen it I will be buying that book :) How exciting to work with Amamda-Jean - I would be so nervous to even say hello to her!! Your fabric colours are just my sort of colours. Thanks for sharing this quilt!!

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  3. It's just lovely! I like how the purple is "splashed" throughout the quilt! Reminds me of dropping a stone in a pond and the ripple of water and color that fan out. Maybe you can play with that for the quilting!

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  4. Awesome! It looks great, and I love the "splashing into the quilt" effect. Great work.

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  5. Your comment is right on I think - her method is so easy and fun,it makes using scraps an awesome play time! The splash quilt is my favorite I think. Hard to pick for sure!

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  6. Hi! I really love this quilt, colours and the pattern are so beautiful! Thank you for inspiration and idea! x teje

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  7. What a special opportunity to test for Amanda Jean and Cheryl! Thanks for sharing your FO.

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  8. I love your version! And I can't wait until I have a bit if a book budget again and can pick up the book. It really seems like the patterns are more about learning and experimenting rather than strictly following someone else's vision.

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  9. Beautiful! The colours you chose are so pretty and I love seeing all the random shaped scraps together. What a wonderful way to enjoy every last bit of a favourite fabric!

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  10. How interesting to read about how you made your quilt! Thank you for sharing!!
    Candice

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