Today is my stop on Karen, The Quilt Rambler’s blog hop introducing her signature fabric line with Island Batik. Karen and I have been running into each other online and in person for years. She is so much fun, and a hugely prolific quilter. Her fabric line, Vincent’s Garden, is totally drool-worthy. The colors are so rich and saturated – I couldn’t wait to cut into them. I decided to make a new version of my Color Catcher quilt with them, and I’m so happy with the way it turned out.
Make sure you read to the end to find out about a giveaway!
For this fabric line, I was given a 2.5″ strip set of fabrics. You know I love my precuts, right? I dithered over the perfect design for a while. I considered doing some appliqué to play up the garden theme, but I found that I was yearning for something a little bit more simple. Since I was planning to launch my Color Catcher pattern this month, I started wondering how it would look made with precuts.
EQ8 to the rescue! As it turns out, it looks great when made with strip sets. I mocked it up using a couple of different Island Batik collections, and it couldn’t look better.
I got started cutting out my pieces immediately. All of this rainbow goodness was a little intoxicating.
Once everyone was cut, I sorted my rainbow, and paired fabrics up for the first round of piecing. I decided to work in my kitchen, to better enjoy my winter vista.
Of course, Oscar kept me company. He curls up in the chair and snoozes. If I forget to pick him up, he scratches my leg and whines.
Next step – snip my blocks apart, and press the seams. I like to use my thread cutter from Sunflower Quilts when I chain piece.
Isn’t this pile gorgeous?
Time to lay the blocks out. I dragged my design wall up from my frigid basement and put it on my dining room table. (I need a more rigid design wall, so I can move it around the house.)
Once I had a layout I liked, it was time to stack up the rows of blocks, one at a time, and put them together. I think this might be my favorite part of quilting. It is like watching a blurry image come into focus.
Tah dah! Finished top. I love the pure rainbow palette of this collection.
For quilting pattern, I chose to use Ikat #1 from Urban Elementz. I love the texture it gives to the quilt.
The binding is a piece of yellow “Cheerios” from my Island Batik scrap bin. There was exactly enough to bind this quilt with.
At long last, my Color Catcher pattern is available for purchase! You can find it in my Etsy shop.
Blog Hop Schedule
March 1
Michele Sutton, Sew Sutton Quilts
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Brenda Alburl, Songbird Designs
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March 2
Paula Nelson, Prairie Notion Quilt Shop
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Amy Costabile, Amy’s Quilt Room
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March 3
Bea Lee, Beaquilter
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Roseanne Nelson, Home Sewn By Us
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March 4
Jennifer Strauser, Dizzy Quilter
Blog <—- You are here!
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Sarah Yuhr, Sew Much Charm
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March 5
Terri Vanden Bosch, Lizard Creek Quilting
Blog
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Margaret Willingham, Eye of the Beholder Quilt Design
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Giveaway!
Karen is hosting three generous giveaways with this hop!
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
That is a stunning quilt and looks like summer time to me!
You are so right, those colors are so rich. I could see them lasting all the way through fall. Beautiful Quilt!
Thank you!
Beautiful! Fabulous fun design!
Thanks so much!
Hi Jen! Oh that rainbow stack in your hand after a little sewing is just so . . . SO! These Island Batik fabrics have such a deep rich jewel tone to them. Your new pattern really does showcase all this line in a gorgeous way. Congrats on the pattern release! ~smile~ Roseanne
Wow, that is stunning! I just love that design with that color placement.
What a gorgeous quilt. It is so colorful and cheerful. It must have been fun sewing at the kitchen table and looking out at the snow filled scene. And that thread color is a real helper. Thank you for sharing your quilt. Oh, did you use all the strips in the pack?
Love how your colors flow one to the other.
Thank you! It’s all about that first sorting.
This is a spectacular rainbow quilt! Love your pattern as well as the fabrics.
I love the rainbow, Jen! Thanks for sharing! Nice pattern!
Really nice pattern–works great for those beautiful batiks!
Beautiful quilt and your choice of quilting design looks wonderful.
Great quilt – lovely bright and colorful!! and a great helper in Oscar!
What a beautiful layout of those luscious batiks!
this is stunning!
Your quilt is great. The color flow is done so nicely. Really highlights the beauty of this line. Thanks for sharing!
Love the rainbow colors – the quilt looks great!
The design is great, and I really like the way the colors blend. It is such a joyous quilt!
Jen your Color Catcher pattern is perfect to showcase the vibrant colors in Vincent’s Garden collection.
This is stunning, love the design and the colors are outstanding.
Beautiful quilt!
Nice job, great colors.
Beautiful and bright quilt! Sometimes simple is best!
Your pattern has the right energy for this vibrant collection.