Clare & Argyle

I am delighted that the latest issue of Quilter's Connection magazine is out;  it contains a quilt I designed and made using Hoffman Me+You Indah Solid Batiks, and stitched with gorgeous Aurifil Thread.

The Indah Solids are a new line of batiks from Hoffman, and they are fabulous to work with.  They take an iron exceptionally well; the seams set neat and flat with little effort (and no starch at all). I love a fabric you don't have to fight to have it lay flat!  Even on an angled cut, this fabric sewed with no distortion. 

Since the quilt was for a winter issue, I chose cool blues and greens - Cobalt,Arctic Blue, Leaf , and Pistachio. The background is a greyish/white, aptly named zinc.

Once the diamonds were pieced, I added a line of stitching with my walking foot during the quilting stage which forms the traditional "argyle" pattern, but in a very easy way.  To do this, I used 12 weight Aurifil thread in colours to match the fabrics.  A size 16 topstitch needle made stitching through the quilt layers very easy.

After this stitching was added, I switched back to 50 weight Aurifil to quilt some lines inside the light diamonds. All of the quilting on Clare & Argyle was done using a walking foot.

It was summer as I stitched this quilt, and I needed a spot to photograph it that didn't have flowers.  Beth Munroe, from Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium, kindly offered me free reign of her property.  This section of fence, with the weathered pickets on one end, was the perfect spot.

The pattern is a generous twin size, and in these colours is great for a boy's bed.

The magazine is available for purchase at Mrs Pugsley's Emporium where the quilt is also on display.

Mrs Pugsley's also carries the Indah Solid batiks, and has some pretty colours in stock:  Melon; Violet; Cadmium Orange; Pine; Burnt Sienna; Sweet Pea and the gorgeous background, Zinc..  Clare & Argyle could look like this:

I have the 12 weight Aurifil threads available for sale;  please email for a list of colours. I am happy to process mail-orders as well.

If you are wondering where the name for the quilt came from...Earlier this year, I presented a workshop on 60 degree diamonds in Saulnierville,N.S. which is located in the municipality of Clare.  With diamonds on my mind from that trip, the argyle design for the quilt emerged.  When trying to come up with a suitable name, I kept mulling "argyle...argyle...what goes with argyle..?"  If you are familiar with Nova Scotia geography, the answer is Clare.  A perfect tie-in! 

(I'll leave it to you to Google). 

Enjoy!