Big-hearted Blossom

I had to drop in today and tell you about one of my latest creations: "Big-hearted Blossom" (a quilted wall hanging or runner). Recently, my dear friend Mary was celebrating a birthday and I thought I would go through my fabric stash/scraps and pull her favorite colors to make a beautiful bloom as a gift for her special day. This project was aptly named after her HUGE and loving heart.

I am always looking for alternate ways to use my AccuQuilt GO! cutting dies, and that is exactly what I did with the GO! Orange Peel-4 1/2" (55455) in this project. Instead of using it for the popular traditional Orange Peel 4-Patch quilt block, I decided to use it for appliqué leaves along with a GO! Fantasy Flower. I purchased GO! Fantasy Flowers by Robbie Joy Eklow cutting die quite some time ago and I was excited to put it to good use!

The orange peel "leaves" were super easy - I just ironed fusible web on the back of eight assorted charm squares from the Sunkissed Collection by Sweetwater for Moda (the GO! Orange Peel-4½" die works perfectly for charm squares!). Next, I went through my fat quarter stash to find fabrics for the stem and flower petals. The stem was originally cut with the GO! Strip Cutter-1" (1/2" Finished), but I thought 1" was a bit wide, so I trimmed it down to a ¾" width. After seeing the approximate size of my Big-hearted Blossom, I cut a piece of neutral fabric (Natural Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman) approximately 18"W x 35" H. I was able to easily center, fuse, and machine appliqué my flower on my neutral background - I used a blanket stitch for the machine appliqué, but a zigzag stitch, blind hem stitch, or satin stitch would work very nicely. Once the quilting was complete (I simply quilted about 1/4" out around the perimeter of each shape), I trimmed the piece to 15"W x 34" H and added a pretty floral binding that coordinated with the backing fabric.

The GO! Fantasy Flowers die is quite versatile with multiple fun petal shapes included. Plus, it was fun to dig through my fabrics...I just used what I had on hand, giving it a scrappy look. If you are anything like me, you have a scrap bin (or two or three) filled with fabulous floral colors perfect for this project.

This entire design truly came together in one afternoon and I was extremely pleased with the results! It could be used as a wall hanging or a runner...and additional flowers could easily be added...I can see it with a patchwork border too....hmm, I can certainly see more of these fabulous flowers in my future...

Visit the AccuQuilt blog later this week to read my guest blog post about this project...

Tempting Tumblers

What a productive week it has been, even with holiday celebrations and obligations. I have been steadily working through a list of deadlines and marking items off my never-ending to-do list...and that's a great thing, because a new pile of quilt projects is arriving in a few days. Today I thought I would share a couple items I completed for AccuQuilt several months ago...they are fun and colorful...and should brighten up your weekend! I am blessed to be able to work on so many creative projects throughout the year...and the AccuQuilt pieces never disappoint. These two projects were cut using the GO! Baby Fabric Cutter...the GO! Tumbler Bright Baby Quilt and the GO! Tumbler and Flower Table Runner.

If you have been looking to purchase an AccuQuilt fabric cutter, the new GO! Baby Fabric Cutter Starter Set now includes two (yes, TWO) GO! cutting dies - the GO! Tumbler-4 1/2" (4" Finished) and the GO! Flower...along with a pattern booklet that includes both the projects I am sharing with you today...this makes it super easy to get started using your fabric cutter right out of the box!

The GO! Tumbler Bright Baby Quilt is made using the GO! Tumbler-4 1/2" (4" Finished)...and can easily be made in just about any size you can imagine - just add or remove rows to adjust the size - or change the size of your tumbler. The color layout for this quilt gives it an illusion of rows woven together...and the vibrant colors can definitely brighten any mood. I can see a throw quilt made from this pattern in black, gray, and white prints - it would be perfect in my living room! I actually finished this sample baby quilt in just a couple easy days of sewing (and the entire quilt was cut in less than an hour!)...and the tumbler die shape has specially designed corners with clipped dog-ears making the piecing process stress-free! If you like working with the versatile tumbler shape, this pattern is available for FREE for a limited time on the AccuQuilt website:
http://www.accuquilt.com/go-tumbler-bright-baby-quilt-pattern-2.html

The  GO! Tumbler and Flower Table Runner utilizes both the GO! Tumbler-4 1/2" (4" Finished) and the GO! Flower. I truly enjoyed working on this table runner, because I got to add rick rack and button embellishments...and the zig-zag binding was fun too! I was able to cut the entire runner quickly and easily...and both the piecing and the appliqué were a breeze. The size of this runner could also be adjusted, making it the perfect size for your table...simply add or remove rows of tumblers (and appliqué)...and it would be lovely in a variety of fabric prints and colors.
...and there is more GREAT news, if you want to try out this project, the pattern is available for FREE for a limited time on the AccuQuilt website:
http://www.accuquilt.com/go-tumbler-and-flower-table-runner-pattern.html

Both of these projects are perfect for a beginner or seasoned quilter...and can be done with a traditional or modern flair...plus they are great winter weekend projects! So, take advantage of the free patterns while they are available...and schedule a little sewing/quilting time....

In the coming weeks, I will have a plethora of creative AccuQuilt projects to share with you...so stay tuned...AND...I will be participating in the GO! Big Electric Fabric Cutter Blog Hop in February and will have a special project tutorial to share with you...yep, BIG things are on the way!

For now, I am back to work on a special quilt for a magazine...then, this evening, I will be model stitching a new design for a future Just CrossStitch magazine...I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, as well...