I’m baaaack! Today is my turn on the Romance Garden Blog tour. What is Romance Garden? It is the newest signature line of fabric for Sherry Shish by Island Batik. I still love Island Batik fabrics, and I do so enjoy using them a couple of times per year. Romance Garden is a happy collection, all purples and pinks, with just enough green to carry the theme. Be sure to read the entire post to find out how to win some fabric from Sherry!
In January Gotham Quilts hosted an online retreat (one of my favorite things we do). The theme was nine patch blocks, and I demonstrated the disappearing nine patch. Since I’m in Florida for the winter, with minimal stash, I decided to use Romance Garden for my demonstration. I do so love to do an easy quilt once in a while. Here is my permission to make something fun and easy once in a while. Just because we can make magic doesn’t mean we have to every time.
Have you tried the disappearing nine patch block? It is so easy and really fun.
I started by cutting 5″ squares. 4 of each color, and a whole pile of oyster, which was the Island Batik neutral I selected for this project.
Then I just sewed a bunch of big nine patch blocks. I chose to do the main color in the corners, with green in the center of each block.
Once each block was pieced, I cut it down the middle horizontally and vertically.
Then, I rotated two of the squares, mixing up the original nine patch to make it disappear.
Then I stitched them together.
I put all of the blocks up on my design wall. Meh. I thought the diagonal formed by the greens would be more interesting, but it just isn’t doing it for me. The big four patches being formed by the secondary design are distracting.
I like this layout better. The scattering of green is more satisfying.
Here is the finished top. It measures 40″ x 53″. I’m trying to decide if I want to make it larger or if I want to finish it off and give it away. It has been pointed out to me that we don’t have very many quilts in the condo, so this may end up with another row of blocks in each direction and then become a sofa quilt. I will use the remainder of the green fabrics to bind it. I do love a bright binding.
Need to get your mitts on some of this fabric? Sherry is doing a giveaway! Head over to Powered by Quilting for more details.
Make sure you visit the rest of the participants in the blog tour over the next week! Sherry always picks a great group of makers to highlight her fabrics.
- March 1 – Sherry Shish of Powered By Quilting
- March 1 – Leanne Parsons of Devoted Quilter
- March 2 – Kate Starcher of Katie Mae Quilts
- March 3 – Jen Strauser of Dizzy Quilter <– You are Here
- March 4 – Elizabeth DeCroos of Epida Studio
- March 5 – Sally Williams/Sally Jewell of Sallys’ Sewing Circle
- March 6 – Brianna Roberts of Sew Cute And Quirky
- March 7 – Jennifer Fulton of Inquiring Quilter
- March 8 – Anja Clyke of AnjaQuilts
- March 9 – Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis
- March 10 – Kathryn LeBlanc of Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio
- March 11 – Sarah Vanderburgh of Sew Joy Creations
- March 12 – Sherry Shish of Powered By Quilting
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