Quilting Beauties: Batik Beauty

Batik Beauty - the name says it all!  This quilt was stitched using batiks from Michael Miller. I love the bright clear colours in their batiks.

The black is actually not a solid; when you get close you can see it mottled with dark blue streaks which was perfect in this quilt.

To show the quilting, I did the unpardonable in the photography world and shot some pictures outside on a very bright, sunny day.  Yes, it distorts the colours, but the relief of the stitching stands out very clearly.

The centre orange section is filled with feathers, and little scrolls swirl around the cream band which circles the centre.

The pictures were taken at the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick border, where there is a small lighthouse surrounded by these very handy rocks.  I take a lot of quilts over there to photograph.

At Mrs. Pugsley's Emporium, this Batik Beauty is displayed on an antique player piano made from a dark wood; the quilt looks fabulous in that setting.  Come and see for yourself!

Quilting Beauties: Thistles In The Heather

One of the smaller projects in Quilting Beauties is Thistles In The Heather, so named because of the suggestion of a thistle bloom in the New York Beauty block.  The overlay of an argyle pattern in the squares seemed appropriate.

The unique shape and playful under-over of the squares makes an eye-catching design which doesn't take long to sew.

Thistles In The Heather is pieced using gorgeous Hoffman of California batiks, in a sea holly colourway. The quilting was kept very simple - continuous curves between the spikes and a big thistle leaf in the centre section.

For whatever reason, no kitties came to help;  "thistles" and "heather" are not nearly as enticing as catnip would have been, I guess.

Fruit Smoothie

I've added another pattern to the line-up of instant downloads through Craftsy.  It happens to be one of my all time favourites:  Fruit Smoothie  If you are a batik lover - like me - you'll appreciate the movement these fabrics bring to the table.  It makes a stunning centrepiece as shown here on a 42" round table... but honestly that's not how I use my quilt. (Don't you love that pitcher - it was a birthday gift from my Mom one year.)

Mine is hung on the wall and I love the pop of colour it adds to the room.  The pattern includes simple directions on how to hang this odd-shaped quilt - easier than you think.

 (Just to prove it is actually hanging, here it is shown on the wall next to the china cabinet!)

The quilt is easier than you suspect, using just one block and a very gentle curve.  You can download the pattern for Fruit Smoothie here at Craftsy, or order a print copy the old-fashioned way through my website.