blogger’s quilt festival: neon sea breeze

Posted on 10.31.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

Welcome, friends! My second entry into the Fall 2014 Blogger’s Quilt Festival (small quilts category) is my Neon Sea Breeze!

I made this quilt for my first ever QAL and blog hop, hosted by the awesome and awesome (yes I meant to say it twice) Angie of Gnome Angel.

The pattern we used is the Sea Breeze Mini from Canoe Ridge Creations. I chose a combination of lively neons and black & white to play with contrast and really highlight the lovely and versatile design.

I decided to keep the back simple and let the quilting be the main attraction. I used a neon yellow thread from Coats & Clark. It’s intense, but I couldn’t resist!

In keeping with the bold graphic look, I used a fun black and white print to bind the quilt.

It’s not always easy to put yourself out there, but I’m so glad I did! And because of that, this bright and happy quilt holds a very special place in my heart. Not only does it scream “Amanda,” it also introduced me to a whole new world of quilty friends. Really, such a welcoming and supportive group of people!

quilt details:

name – neon sea breeze
finished size – 22 ½” x 22 ½”
pattern – sea breeze mini by canoe ridge creations
fabric – neon solids from riley blake, kona solids in black and white, black & white fretwork from camelot design studio
pieced and quilted by me

Don’t forget to head over to the Blogger’s Quilt Festival to check out all the amazing entries. Seriously. Do it now. I promise, you won’t be disappointed :)

You can vote for my quilt in the small quilts category here from Nov 1 to Nov 7. I’ve also entered my Radiant Gem in the modern quilts category, check it out here!

A very big thank you to Amy for organizing the event. It’s quite an undertaking, and she has done a fantastic job, as always!

have a great weekend!

xoxo

blogger’s quilt festival: radiant gem

Posted on 10.30.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

The Blogger’s Quilt Festival, hosted by Amy’s Creative Side, is going on now, and instead of sitting on the sidelines this time, I’m jumping in and entering!

First up in the modern quilts category, my Radiant Gem improv quilt. Apologies to those who have seen it, bear with me as I get out all the details. And to all the newcomers, welcome!

This quilt was made entirely with scraps from my Radiant Orchid Challenge quilt that were just too pretty not to do something with.

I chose to matchstick quilt with a delicious variegated plum-purple thread from Coats & Clark. This was my first time matchstick quilting. It’s not a fast process, but well worth the effort.

I used Kona Berry for the back to really show off the quilting, and I of course had to do scrappy binding.

Of all of my quilts, I’m particularly fond of my little Radiant Gem. It was 100% improv, and I found the exercise very rewarding, and surprisingly relazing! It was the first time that I had absolutely no plan other than to just sit down and go (not always easy for me) and I just love how it turned out. Sometimes not having a plan is the best plan!

Quilt details:

name – radiant gem
finished size- approx 27″ x 23″
fabric- assorted cotton solids (kona cotton, hawthorne hues and alissa haight carlton)
pieced and quilted by me

The Blogger’s Quilt Festival is always a wealth of drool-worthy quilts and inspiration. If you haven’t already, go to Amy’s Creative Side and take a look!

And, if you’re so inclined, you can vote for my quilt here from Nov 1 to Nov 7. I’ve also entered my Neon Sea Breeze in the small quilts category, check it out here!

xoxo

pattern testing: high tea quilt

Posted on 10.27.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

The lovely and talented Adrianne of On the Windy Side has just released her first self-published quilt pattern, called High Tea, and I was lucky enough to get to pattern test it before the release. Here’s my finished High Tea quilt top!

The High Tea quilt pattern is super versatile, and would work equally well with pre-cuts or as a scrappy stash-busting project. I chose to use high-contrast black and white prints, most of which came from my stash (a current requirement for all of my projects).

The quilt top came together quickly and without too much trouble. (The only problem I had was 100% my own fault because I was paying more attention to Top Chef than my sewing). I absolutely love how it turned out, and I can’t wait to finish it!

Adrianne has written a fun and easy-to-follow pattern that quilters of all skill levels will love! The pattern has all the information needed to make the quilt in 5 different sizes, from baby to queen. (I made the cot size– 43” x 56”).

A number of talented quilters jumped in to help test the pattern, you can see all of their fantastic takes on it in Adrianne’s post here.

The High Tea quilt pattern is available now on Craftsy and Adrianne’s Etsy Shop. It will be available at a discounted price for a very limited time to celebrate the release, so pick it up now!

I clearly had a terrible time taking pictures ;)

A big thank you and congratulations to Adrianne on her first pattern release. I have no doubt that it will be very well-received. And if you make one, be sure to share it on Instagram (tag #highteaquilt and #onthewindysidequilts) or in Adrianne’s Flickr group.

Have a fantastic week!

xoxo

100 quilts for kids 2014

Posted on 10.08.14 by Amanda | mucho xoxo

100 Quilts for Kids wrapped up last week, and now that I’ve had a moment to breathe, it’s time to share!

I managed to finish 5 quilts to contribute, and I’m SO happy with all of them.

quilt #1: strips & stripes

For my first quilt, I went with a simple strip pattern. I love how it shows off this adorable fabric (Folk Tale Bird Cages by Natalie Lymer). The colors are so bright and refreshing, and the sweet little birds just make me smile!

I did double rows of stitching instead of just one, and I love it! I especially love the little something extra it gives to the solid coral back. This is a great pattern for beginning quilters, or anyone looking for a quick and fun weekend project. It’s also perfect for showcasing prints that you just can’t bring yourself to cut up too much.

The finished size is about 42″ x 42″. This quilt is going to Project Linus.

quilt #2: gingham checks

My next contribution is this fun gingham check quilt. I’ve been wanting to make one of these for a while. I have a pretty big stash of solids, so this was a great way to bust through some of them! I used Kona solids in White, Robin Egg and Lagoon for the front and binding. I knew I wanted to offset the solid front with a printed back, but I didn’t really have anything in my stash that felt right. Luckily, I found a cute print at Jo-Ann Fabric during a crazy clearance-on-top-of-clearance sale. Who doesn’t love monkeys, dogs and frogs!

I did a single row of stitching on both sides of each seam. Clean and simple.

The finished size is about 40” x 40”. This quilt is going to My Stuff Bags.

quilt #3: rainbow stripes

I couldn’t resist sewing up a fun rainbow stripe quilt. The front is all Kona solids from my stash, and I picked up a playful alphabet fabric for the backing. It wasn’t quite wide enough so I added a bright strip of blue. I’m a big fan of breaking up backs this way. It’s easy and adds a nice graphic punch to it.

I used the blue, as well as a little pop of red, for the binding. I did double rows of stitching along each seam, as well as along the blue strip on the back.

The finished size is about 43” x 47”. This quilt is headed to a local NICU.

quilt #4: april showers color block

My next contribution is this cheerful color block pattern featuring a fun print and bold solids. I picked up this print for about $2 a yard (woo!), and originally was thinking I would just use it as a backing fabric. But the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to incorporate it into the front. Maybe it’s because I’ve been desperately hoping for rain (Los Angeles has been hot hot hot), or maybe it’s because it’s just so adorable!

I used this quilt pattern for a baby quilt I’m working on, and I love it! It’s fun and versatile, and works equally well with prints and solids. I did straight stitching as well as diagonal. I love the combination of the two. And of course, I had to do scrappy binding.

The finished size is about 42.5” x 42.5”. This quilt is going to My Stuff Bags.

quilt #5: pop checkerboard

My final quilt for 100 Quilts for Kids is this fun checkerboard. Simple and graphic, with a pop of hot pink. I used a fun polka dot fabric for the backing, and a coordinating pink for the binding.

I also decided to quilt with hot pink thread just to add a little extra pop.

The finished size is about 40” x 40”. This quilt is going to Project Linus.

I had such a lovely time making all of these quilts. It was definitely a push to get them done, but it was well worth it! I hope the recipients loves them as much as I do :)

If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to hop on over to Quilts in the Queue and take a look at what everyone else made. There are some fantastic contributions, and I’m sure they will bring smiles and comfort to some very deserving children.

Have a great week!

xoxo