What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I have two new quilts to share.

Austin was published in Make Modern #60.

Good Tidings was published in Annie's Christmas Pattern Book.

Good Tidings

Both quilts were made using Island Batik Fabrics collection Peppermint Sprinkles. 

Peppermint Sprinkles is a beautiful collection - perfect for Holiday sewing. I love that it has elements of the season such as reindeer and snowflakes but it isn't so Christmassy that the quilt/decor becomes outdated by January 1.  It has year round appeal.

That was my thought process as I designed Good Tidings in EQ8.  A fellow quilter/blogger once said that ...

Do you remember Diva?

Designed in EQ8, Diva was published in Make Modern Issue 58. Now, she is available as a standalone pattern in my Etsy Shop.

I made Diva using the Vintage Charm collection, combined with Island Batik Solids in Red, Orange, Yellow and Fuchsia. The focus fabric strip sets were scraps leftover from making Kashvi, but there is nothing scrappy about Diva!

Finishing at 51" by 68" she glides in royal splendor. And although you may think that she is set in her ways, she is very adaptable. I encourage you to take a look at the various ...

Have you seen my newest finish? Fireworks was published in Make Modern Issue 59.

Published in MM#59

Fireworks was designed in EQ8 and made using Fire and Ice, an original collection designed by Claudia Pfeil. 

I love this pattern because it is not paper-pieced and requires no special rulers, making it very accessible to quilters of all skill-levels.  

I like big blocks :-)

Made of 12 large blocks, Fireworks finished at 60" by 79". The background and binding is Egg White, an Island Batik Neutral available all year round. The backing is Dove, an Island Batik Basic from the Bodacious ...

There is a beautiful Hindi song - Gulabi. 

Although Gulab (in Hindi language) means rose, the word Gulabi can mean rosy or pink. Watch this video and notice all the pinks. It is a visual delight. Lyrics Translated in English here.

That is how I feel today. Everything is rosy.

Dogflowers/Snapdragons

The nature is bursting with gorgeous pink blooms.

Peonies

Roses

There is a new season of Bridgerton, celebrating all things romantic.

Close-up of a White Peony with Fuchsia Center

I am working on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks for May. 

All fabrics are Island Batik. It is good to ...

Aurelia was published in Make Modern Issue #56.

Blue Skies, Breezy Day

No, this isn't the first time, but I still feel giddy every time I see my name in print, even if it is digital. 

Kashvi was published in Make Modern #55. 

Kashvi, 60" by 80"

It is a jelly-roll pattern made using Island Batik collection Vintage Charm.

It is a lovely floral collection - airy, delicate and bright. Start this quilt now and you will be celebrating Spring in style.

Instead of choosing a white/black or gray background, I chose the Island Batik Solid - Cobalt Blue.  Isn't it refreshing?  

Bright & Beautiful

The backing is Frosting from the Island ...

It is January 1, 2024. First day of the new year - one day to reflect and introspect before the onslaught of work and responsibilities.

A review post is always tricky. What do I include? What do I leave out? And how do I say it? Should it be just quilting? But my feelings are so entangled with the threads of my quilts. Can you really keep your work and thoughts in water-tight compartments?

Unable to separate my feelings from my work

I will try to focus on my quilts and if my feelings seep in so be it. Here are ...

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 ...

It was a heavy lift. The net was bursting with a huge catch. 

It took a lot of effort to haul it out of the river.

Ooh it is heavy...

The fish wriggled and pulled against the net and Paul struggled. 

Paul struggled

And finally managed!

Such a proud angler Paul is!!! Now, you may think that catching all these fish on the banks of Potomac is a load of bull. But honestly, it is a fishy story :-D

The one that got away...

Well, here is the true back ...

1. Topsy Turvy is now available as a stand alone pattern in my Etsy Store.

Topsy Turvy in Honeycomb Fabrics

I first made Topsy Turvy using the scraps left over from the Island Batik "Make it Modern" Blog Hop and Challenge.  Many refinements later, making it suitable for 2.5" precut strips, writing and rewriting and then correcting the pattern, Topsy Turvy is now available as a standalone pattern.   

Here are a few more pictures.

Basting and Ironing

It has been a very busy year for me. According to Paul, all the busy-ness is self-created and self-inflicted. He is mostly correct and even if he was not, I am not going to argue with him. He is the only quilt model I have in these pandemic times.  Cannot afford to irritate him. 

I have news!!!

My pattern Synergy is in the Make Modern Magazine, Issue 44.

Synergy in Make Modern #44

Meet Synergy. Measuring 56" by 70", Synergy is made entirely with Island Batik Solids, provided to me free of charge by Island Batik. It is good to be an ambassador :-)

Orange Foliage, Rainbow Quilt

My favorite :-)

Breeze was a Brat

More Fall Foliage

Oh my beauty!

The quilt was completed in November 2021. The  pictures were taken on November 14, 2021. All instructions and pictures were sent on November 20, 2021. And then I had to sit tight till NOW.  

Sitting ...

I don't share progress or process posts or pictures here or on Instagram. I just never think to stop and take a few pictures while engrossed in a project. Also, because of my full-time job, my sewing time is so precious. I want to make the most of it and just sew! What I thought I could do instead of simply sharing a finished project is provide you with a little bit of a review. Hopefully, you'll find this helpful.

A little note before I get started: I don't get sponsored and pay for everything I share ...

I finished another scrappy quilt! This is New Orleans Sidewalk designed by Linda Graham and published in Issue 39 of Make Modern. 

This took a really long time to cut and piece but it was worth the extra time - I love this quilt! But because the cutting and piecing took so long, by the time I was ready to start quilting, I really wanted it to be done so I chose to stitch a large stipple in grey thread.

I love all the different shades of green with the Kona Ash. And the backing is a gorgeous and soft sheet ...

My first finish of 2021! To be honest, 2020 was such a weird and crazy year, I'm really happy to be writing about a 2021 finish! 

I’m thrilled to introduce a brand new quilt to you today! It’s called Interlinked and was a design I came up with a couple years ago when playing around with some modern design ideas.

Interlinked Quilt by Christa Watson, 64″ x 80″
Made from neutrals of Fandangle, Geo Pop, and Gridwork

I love making all kinds of quilts and most of my designs fall on the “Modern Traditional” side of things. But with Interlinked, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and really embrace modern principles like “minimalism” and “negative space.”

Interlinked Beauty Shots

I’ve ...

I am pleased to introduce you to Turnabout which is in Issue # 31 of Make Modern a digital magazine, available today November 4th.

Turnabout is made with big blocks for a big impact

Blooming Beauties by Teri Farrell-Gittins

the colours show more true here

a closeup of some of the quilting