12 Marcelle Medallion.

Since I had so much fun making my x plus quilt during the #xplusalong on Instagram, I decided to join in on another informal quiltalong this month, the #medallionalong!

We're making the Marcelle Medallion quilt from Alexia Marcelle Abegg's new book, Liberty Love (the pattern can also be found in the new UK magazine Love Quilting & Patchwork)

This quilt is meant to be really scrappy, so I pulled a bunch of different fabrics in six colors - coral, citron, light grays and whites, magenta, teal, and navy.

 I made the center square last week and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I'm being extra careful to make sure all my seams and points match up on this one.  It's a good pattern to practice piecing accurately, especially with those Y seams!

This quilt grows gradually with the addition of each border.  I'm having fun working on it in little chunks of time between other projects.

I finished adding the third border yesterday and have all my pieces cut for the flying geese in the next one.  I'm really enjoying playing with all the little scrappy bits!

If you want to join in, tag your photos with #marcellemedallion and #medallionalong on Instagram!

52 x plus quilt.

I am back and finally fully recovered from QuiltCon!  It was an amazing experience, and I'll be talking more about it this week, but first I want to share with you my finished x plus quilt!

This quilt was made using Badskirt's Japanese x and + quilt tutorial, but modified to make 12" finished blocks using Megan's measurements.  I used all of the prints from Field Study for the + and x parts, a mix of low volume prints including grays, text prints, and white on whites for the background, and a mix of black and dark gray prints for the ends of the pluses (this black and white bundle would be a good start if you're trying to replicate this quilt).  The intentional fabric choices give the quilt a very high contrast look that I love!  It feels sort of edgy and strong, and the + and x shapes are very defined and make sort of a lattice pattern when you look at the quilt as a whole.

The quilt is pretty large throw, at 72" square.  There are 36 total blocks, 6 across by 6 down.

I quilted down the edges of each of the pluses, and down the middle of each x, using black and white variegated Aurifil 28wt thread, with 50wt black in my bobbin so it would blend in with the back.  I had no issues quilting it other than how heavy the quilt was with velveteen on the back!  It's bound in one of my favorite text prints, from Architextures.

The velveteen on the back makes this quilt amazingly cozy.  I curl up on the couch under it every night!  It's so warm!

The back is super simple, but this Field Study print is one of my all time favorites.  I want to buy it in voile too!

My husband was a really good sport during this shoot, here he is rolling his eyes at me after climbing a snowbank in snowshoes to get these pictures :)

I think this quilt is my favorite that I've made so far.  I'm so glad to finally have made a quilt for myself!  

  
Oh, did I mention that it's signed by Anna Maria Horner?  I will tell you more about that tomorrow! :)

If you want to join in the #xplusalong, be sure to add the hashtag to your photos on Instagram, and upload your pictures to the flickr group!

27 x plus progress.

I've been making a lot of progress on my + and x quilt this week!

I just can't stop making these blocks.  I find myself running upstairs for an hour just to sew a few together even when I should be doing other things!  Which is good and bad at the same time :)

I've been making the blocks a few at a time, laying them out like this before sewing them together to make sure I'm happy with my fabric choices.

I have 12 blocks made so far, so I'm about a third of the way there!  My target is about 36 blocks, or 72" square, so a generous sized throw.  I'm going to back it in this AMH velveteen.  Doesn't that sound luxurious?  I am forever freezing so the thicker the quilt, the better.  I just bought the backing yesterday, so now it's official.  This quilt is for me!  I have never made a quilt for myself before!  I plan on spending most of the day today making more of these blocks.  Happy Saturday  :)

15 #xplusalong.

So remember yesterday when I said I was going to resist starting a new + and x quilt for the #xplusalong on Instagram?  Yeah, that lasted about six hours.  I couldn't get it out of my mind!  So I spent a few hours last night cutting into Field Study.  I'm using some low volume prints for the corner triangles, and some black and dark gray prints for the ends of the pluses.

I'm making the 12" finished blocks using Megan's measurements (Brenda made a helpful diagram too!).  One 5.5" x WOF piece from each fabric is enough for the legs and pluses in 36 blocks, with some leftover scraps.  I cut four 5.5" squares, four 2.5" squares, and one 6.5" x 2.5" piece from each strip.  I'll have some extra pieces leftover at the end, but I'll probably use them on the back or something.

 The blocks come together really quickly once all the fabric is cut.

It's so fun to come up with different fabric combinations!  I'm paying a lot of attention to value and contrast in my blocks.

I've finished two blocks so far today and I am counting down the hours until I can make another!  I am so excited to see how this quilt comes together.

Sewing for fun is, well, fun!!  I need to do it more often.  If you feel like joining along, tag your pics on Instagram and Twitter with #xplusalong, and add your photos to the flickr group!