Fanciful Look Book

Last week Art Gallery Fabrics published the Fanciful Look Book, showing off my new blender and debut Designer Essentials collection for AGF. The 10 new colorings plus the 2 original colors from my Bookish line make for a beautiful 12-piece blender range to coordinate with my other collections and the Look Book shows you how well they mix and match with your favorite Sharon Holland prints.

Click the Fanciful Look Book button below to view the virtual sewing catalog.

I’ve already blogged about the New Wave pillow, Scallop Bunting, and Quilted Carryall projects shown in this styled baby room photo above so this blog post will be about the Fanciful quilts.

One of my all-time favorite quilts to give as a baby gift is my Hold Tight quilt. I’ve always made the Hold Tight quilt in solids in the past because of the array of colors available to achieve beautiful transition colors where the balloons overlap but as soon as the Fanciful blender collection was finalized, I knew I wanted to make this quilt with this blender collection!

For the Fanciful version I wanted an extra lux quilt so I used Shannon Fabrics Cuddle “Minky” in white as the backing. Terri Neil of Quilting Rubies did the long arm quilting for this in a pantograph called Fanciful Flyers by Urban Elementz and I added the hand stitched quilting “strings” to the balloons after it was quilted but only stitched through the quilt top and batting so the quilting on the back of the quilt was uninterrupted.

To add a little extra pop to this Hold Tight quilt, I supplemented the different blenders with my Tiny Dancer prints and I love the scale change of this additional larger print. Above is the conversion of using less number of fabrics and upping the amount of each used to a fat quarter. Construction, background, backing, and binding remain the same as in the pattern for the throw—just the number of fabrics used to make the balloon is reduced and some fabrics show up in more than one balloon in my Fanciful version, rather than the original version of fabrics only being used once per balloon.

Evergreen Quilt

Here’s a bonus project for blog readers and one you wont find in the Fanciful Look Book! The Evergreen (or also known as Hinterland) quilt is a free pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics, designed by Sam Vanderpuy.

I took some liberties with the pattern that I will share and streamlined the number of fabrics to make cutting simpler.

To make my version I used 1/3 yard EACH of 8 Fanciful blenders and streamlined the cutting to be almost an even distribution of the 8 colors. I also chose not to add the occasional upside down strip set triangles because I wasn’t pleased with the skinny lines not lining up perfectly so I kept the quilt to all Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids in Latte for the triangles and skinny strips (background).

The beautiful fan quilting was done by Terri Neil of Quilting Rubies. To give this quilt some extra fun I used Chenille-It Blooming Bias tape for the edges in white. You can learn more about how to add a chenille edge to your quilt with my video tutorial, HERE.

I love the idea of stars over the mountains and how this quilt backing of Compass Points print from my Shine On collection gives this quilt a front and back that’s equally fun and graphic!

This is certainly a quilt that will grow with baby and would also be a beautiful wall hanging as the child gets older.

Be sure to check out the Fanciful Look Book for more sewing inspiration and looks at how lovely these blender colors coordinate with prints from my past (and upcoming) fabric collections. This is the perfect way to extend your stash of Sharon Holland fabrics!

Next time on the blog…

Another baby quilt and a hack for the Quilted Carryall bag you wont want to miss!

My Stars Quilt

There’s a new pattern in the Shop called My Stars. This fast and fun quilt pattern comes in four sizes: Pillow set, crib, throw, and full and is sure to add some sparkle to your holiday sewing!

The cover quilt is the throw-size seen here with the pair of pillows you can also make from the pattern. I wanted to create a super sweet and girly quilt using Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids and the pink and gold prints from my new Bookish fabric collection but you can see the Tester quilts (scroll down) in a variety of looks which shows the versatility of this pattern. I also used Shannon Fabrics Cuddle 3 Wide Blossom backing for a luxurious feel and weight and used Chenille-It Blooming Bias Just Peachy for the binding treatment—keep reading to see more of those products.

Our friends at Chenille-It have the cover throw quilt available to order as a KIT and includes all the fabric for the top, the 5/8’’ Just Peachy Chenille-It Blooming Bias, and the pattern. Backing and batting not included.

If you’re wondering how the Chenille-It Blooming Bias is added to a quilt for binding and how to ‘bloom’ the faux chenille, check out my Chenille Binding Tutorial.

Here’s what the Blooming Bias looks like before it’s bloomed. I used 3/8’’ wide Natural Chenille-It as pillow top accents and the same Just Peachy binding in 5/8’’ wide for the pillows and the quilt. The faux chenille will bloom after laundering and drying but you can give any flat areas and extra fluff with a stiff brush while it’s damp to make sure all areas bloom fully.

These are 20’’ square pillows so a great size for on the bed or tossed on the couch. My sister-in-law is the lucky lady getting this quilt and pillow set for Christmas!

So, of course I have to snap as many pictures of it now as I can before I give it away :)

The beautiful long arm quilting on my quilt was done by Terri Neil of Quilting Rubies. Terri is terrific to work with and does the most amazing guided long arm designs (quilting without a computerized (panto) design).

For batting I used Hobbs Heirloom 100% Bleached Cotton because it’s a pure white backing and won’t change the color showing throw my Snow Pure Solid background.

Meet the Testers

It wouldn’t be a pattern release without my wonderful pattern testers making their own versions. These wonderful ladies have done it again and brought their vision to my pattern. I set up a Pinterest board for us and ask them to pin inspiration images for the color story and mood of their quilt’s fabric pull. It’s fun for me to see their final photos and put together the mood board collages of their project.

Mood Boards

My Stars quilt by Sharon Holland

Sharon (Me)

I’ll start you off with my collage because I had so much fun making the Tester’s collages I wanted to see my quilt’s mood board, too. There’s a sugar cookie sweetness to the pink stars that just makes me happy and the extra textures of the chenille and Cuddle backing are the icing on top! For a daily dose of my quilty posts, don’t forget to follow my Instagram account @sharonhollanddesigns.

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My Stars quilt by maker Tracey Taber-Perry

TRACEY

I was thrilled to see my Art Gallery Fabrics Lilliput collection used for Tracey’s crib quilt. How fresh and sweet are the colors she used with that green solid background?!?! Tracey used Shannon Fabrics Cuddle backing for one extra special baby quilt. To see more of Tracey’s beautiful work and you can follow her feed @ttabes80 on Instagram.

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My Stars quilt made by Amanda Baggin

AMANDA

This crib quilt by Amanda Bagin is extra special because she chose it as a crib quilt for her child coming early 2022. The fresh, clean citrus and terracotta color palette looks fantastic with her simply stunning diagonal quilting lines. Follow Amanda on her Instagram feed @quiltsbycritter.

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My Stars quilt made by Joyce Ulm

Joyce

This beautiful My Stars full quilt was made by Joyce Ulm in a cozy country palette of pleasing fall colors. How cool is it that she took her quilt on her road trip and photographed in front of the Laurel Mercantile Co. truck owned by Ben Napier of TV series Home Town! See more of Joyce’s work on Instagram @evamaecustomquilts, Etsy shop, and on her Facebook blog HERE, and does long arm quilting as well!

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My Stars quilt made by Terri Neil

Terri

This beautiful My Stars throw quilt was stitched by Terri Neil of Quilting Rubies. This palette is the perfect all season look and colors. Be sure to follow Terri on Instagram @quiltingrubies and you’ll be in awe of all the beautiful quilts she makes and quilts for others from her long arm business called Quilting Rubies.

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My Stars quilt made by Lindsey Fuessley

Lindsey

Lindsey Fuessley is an Iowa girl after my own heart and used nature as her inspiration in her flowers and fields image. The addition of olive greens to her My Star throw’s palette was the perfect choice to fit into the fall landscape. Follow Lindsey on her Instagram account @lindseymakes and her blog Lindsey Makes to see more of her work.

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My Stars quilt made by Liza Taylor

LIZA

Liza Taylor has done it again with a beautiful pattern make. This throw quilt is available as a has kit in Liza’s Etsy shop, Liza Taylor Handmade and is a beautifully curated a mix of Art Gallery Fabrics. The scrumptious Shannon Cuddle backing gives this quilt an extra layer of charm. See more of Liza’s beautiful work @lizataylorhandmade on Instagram and her Etsy shop of the same name.

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My Stars quilt made by Victoria Newmyer

Victoria

Victoria Newmyer has a great eye for balance and mixing prints. This throw quilt has all the sparkle of a crystal clear fall day and perfect for everyday fun. Victoria owns the Midlife Quilter shop where you can find these beautiful AGF fabrics and more and get personal help curating your next bundle for a quilt project. Kits are available for this My Stars throw quilt HERE and be sure to visit Victoria’s beautiful Instagram account @midlife_quilter.

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I hope you are all inspired to start your My Stars quilt or pillows now! You’ll find a materials list on the pattern listing images and don’t forget about the three great kit options that make shopping and sourcing fabrics a breeze!

I am an Amazon Associate site and earn from qualifying purchases on the products I’ve linked below. The helpful products selected are the same or similar to materials used to make the project(s) in this blog post or related items I think you may enjoy.

South Paw Quilt

South Paw Quilt

It’s pattern release day and there’s a new quilt pattern in my SHOP called South Paw! I love writing a blog post for a new quilt pattern because it’s one continuous stream of pretty pictures and inspiration that pulls together the weeks of hard work and love that’s gone into making the quilt and pattern—all for you to see and enjoy.

The South Paw pattern name was some word play fun to celebrate all the lefties out there and is what I lovingly refer to as a block baby that would come from joining a Log Cabin and Bear Claw block. The South reference is to the Southwest-vibe of the quilt design and Paw is a nod to the Bear Claw block—South Paw.

This is a fast and easy block to make and a great quilt for beginners as well. The pattern is fat quarter-friendly and plenty of opportunities to use and show off your pretty prints. You’ll find the material list for this over-sized throw quilt in the Shop description image carousel.

For the cover quilt sample I used Art Gallery Fabrics and mixed prints from my upcoming Lilliput, Spirited, and the AGF Decostitch blender collections and used AGF Pure Solids in White Linen for the background. I’m loving the cool spring tones of these color of denim, carrot, pale pink, and violet.

Get the Kit

You won’t have to search around sourcing the fabric I used in my quilt because our friend Brooke Becker of Lady Belle Fabric is kitting this quilt! You can pre-order a kit and as soon as the Lilliput collection starts shipping the beginning of April, you’ll be one of the first ones making a South Paw quilt just like the one I’ve made. Pre-order your kit HERE.

As soon as I had designed this quilt my granddaughter claimed this one for herself! So, to make it extra snuggly for her I backed this quilt with Shannon Fabrics Cuddle 3 Extra Wide backing in Woodrose. The color was just perfect and it looks and feels like velvet!

The beautiful longarm quilting on my quilt was done by Brooke Becker at Lady Belle Fabric so not only can you buy your quilting cotton from Brooke but you can have your quilt quilted, too! It’s very subtle but we used a pale pink thread with the Bangkok pattern from her huge selection of quilting designs.

For batting I used my favorite Hobbs Batting Tuscany Silk Blend batting for the most luxurious drape and quality.

Spring is just showing it’s signs here in south-western Ohio and even in just the last few days the trees are starting to bud out a bit. Unfortunately, over the last weekend when I needed to snap pictures of the quilt we still looked in the grips of winter dreariness. Above, shot on Wednesday at home and below, shot on the Saturday before at a nearby park.

I’m fine with the bleak outdoor shots because frankly, this quilt looks good anywhere. It was just nice to take a hike and get outdoors a bit and make my husband hold up the quilt for me, teehee.

The dried grasses in the image below I picked from the park to use as photo props!

Meet the Testers

South Paw quilt by Sharon Holland

For this quilt release I had some extremely talented quilt testers making their own version of this pattern. All the testers used Art Gallery Fabrics but selected their own fabrics and colors based on their vision of this quilt. I’ve had Meet the Tester highlights for several of my most recent quilts of this year and last and always create a collage showcasing the tester and the quilt they made from my pattern but this time we’re mixing things up a bit. For this quilt we all stepped up our game and incorporated a few images each tester curated from Pinterest to create a South Paw Moodboard collage to show off their quilt make and tell a bigger story.

Above is my mood board that includes a photo I took on our last trip to Arizona where we traipsed around Sedona. Oh, how I wish I was there now, photographing this quilt in those surroundings and can just imagine my husband holding up the quilt amongst the cacti!

South Paw quilt by maker Victoria Newmyer

Victoria Newmyer of Midlife Quilter shop used various Art Gallery Fabrics prints that include some of my Kismet collection. I am in love with her color palette of olive green, harvest gold, pink, berry, and black. This will eventually be a kit available at her shop once Kismet prints are back in stock. Be sure to sign up for her newsletters so you don’t miss a thing!

South Paw quilt by maker Tracey Taber-Perry

Tracey Taber-Perry does amazing quilts and you can follow her feed @ttabes80 on Instagram. The spruce and pinks color palette of her quilt is stunning and I love how she photographed this elegant quilt in front of the rustic white barn! In her quilt I now see the quilt block design as spring tulips!

South Paw quilt by maker Megan Eckroth

Megan Eckroth of @cartellastudio on Instagram is a new member to my tester group and this is her second test quilt for me. Megan is amazing and her work is exceptional and creativity is boundless! The South Paw quilt made from Art Gallery Fabrics Serenity prints with the smokey-blue background has captured her inspiration images to a Tee. Follow Megan on Instagram, FB, and her Etsy Shop and see more of what this gifted maker has to share.

South Paw quilt by maker Joyce Ulm

Joyce Ulm is a quilting powerhouse! This exciting South Paw version was made with Art Gallery Fabric Terra Kotta prints and AGF Pure Solids background. I love the bold print backing and how the quilt relates to her inspiration images of shapes and colors. See more of Joyce’s work on Instagram @evamaecustomquilts, Etsy shop, and on her Facebook blog HERE, and does long arm quilting as well!

South Paw quilt by maker Marija Vujcic

The instant Marija Vujcic saw my South Paw quilt pattern it reminded her of her Serbian heritage and particularly Pirot kilim rugs. Marija’s mood board tells the story of her color inspiration, heritage, and color palette for this most amazing quilt. Follow this talented lady on Instagram Marija Vujcic and on her blog at Mara Quilt Designs. Her passion for sewing and life has no bounds and it’s wonderful to have her testing my patterns!

South Paw quilt by maker Mary Gove

Mary Gove amazes me with every quilt she makes. She has an eye for design that translates into quilts you want to use in every room in your house. For her South Paw make she chose to use only Art Gallery Fabrics solids, four plus the background for five total colors that is inspired by her turquoise earrings—stunning! See more of Mary’s work on her Instagram account @thecurlyquilter.

South Paw quilt by maker Amanda Bagin

This is the first quilt Amanda Bagin has tested for me as she just joined our group at the beginning of the year. It was a no-brainer to bring Amanda into our testers fold and you can see yourself from her Instagram feed @quiltsbycritter why I fell instantly in love with her work. Amanda has a clean, fresh style and you can see that in her crisp and graphic South Paw quilt in turquoise and terracotta. Along with AGF Pure Solids she also used prints from the AGF Studio Luna and Laurel collection.

South Paw quilt by maker Jennifer Cannon

Jennifer Cannon is owner of Piper Autumn Designs shop and the face behind this stunning all solids South Paw quilt. Jen used Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids in tropical sherbet colors that she’ll have available as bundles in her shop. The quilt design pops off the Nocturnal blue background—what a fun quilt! Visit Jen’s Etsy shop Piper Autumn Designs and see all her Quilty doings on Instagram at @piperautumndesigns.

South Paw quilt by maker Christine Trotta

Christine Trotta used AGF Smooth Denim Afternoon Sail for the background in her South Paw quilt as a nod to Ina Garten’s signature denim blouse then mixed in feminine AGF florals of spring-fresh colors adds a bit of boho flare to classic chambray. Visit Christines Etsy Shop and Blog as well as her Instagram account @serendipityinlovecreations.

Wasn’t that fun? Now, go grab your pattern from my SHOP and start planning your South Paw quilt today! If you are posting your South Paw quilt make to Instagram, be sure to tag me @sharonhollanddesigns and use the hashtag #SouthPawQuilt so I don’t miss seeing your inspired make!

And, for links to the products I used to make my quilt, see the affiliate Amazon links below.

Happy sewing!

I am an Amazon Associate site and earn from qualifying purchases on the products I’ve linked below. The helpful products selected are the same or similar to materials used to make the project(s) in this blog post or related items I think you may enjoy.

Cover Quilt

Cover Quilt

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Yup, that's my quilt in the large photo with the chair on the cover of Quilts and More magazine! Not only is my quilt on the cover of this issue but I have two quilts in this Quilts and More Winter 2018 magazine. 

Both of the quilts are made using my Bountiful fabrics for Art Gallery Fabrics and both are super easy to make. 

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

The cover quilt is a mix of simple foundation paper-piecing (FPP) and traditional patchwork. I had originally called this quilt Barnstorm because the diagonal FPP sections made me think of barnwood panels. The radiating design has so much energy and makes for a graphic quilt. In the magazine this project has been renamed (editors do that) to: Bursting with Energy.

Photo and quilt by Sharon Holland

The second quilt in this same issue is also made using Bountiful fabrics with the addition of Art Gallery Fabrics natural linen and Shannon fabrics faux rabbit minky. This projects is technically not a quilt but a throw because it has no batting and is tied instead of quilted. The drape on this piece is absolutely amazing and the faux rabbit makes it so luxurious and a high end designer piece. 

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

I made both these quilts for Spring Quilt Market to display in my Bountiful booth. I was thrilled when the All People Quilt editor snatched them up for their publications. It's so hard having to wait to share my makes and it feels like all my work since spring is now coming out at once. 

This was a purely for fun project and something completely different than I've ever done before. I wanted to showcase my hide print from Bountiful but interject texture and Farmhouse-style into the project. The answer was the faux fur and pompom ties!

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2018 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Photo by Sharon Holland

This project has it all and could actually be one to get the kids involved in. Truth be told, I'm not sure how well this project would launder. But I do suggest using tapestry wool for the pompom as it's very hard wearing and I would launder by hand if needed. But who cares, right? This is such an amazing tactile throw blanket and talk about wow power--you just have to make one!

I was so thrilled that Meredith Corporation (All People Quilt publisher) bought all my pompom step out photos for this project. I had so much fun making, writing, and photographing this one and then to have the validation of being paid for the photography is a big deal for this gal. So, when you see the article, take note of my name there in the photo credits :)

I'm heading off to Houston tomorrow to attend Quilt Market. There I'll be having a trunk show of quilts from my book at a Schoolhouse session 1:55-2:25 on Friday and three book signings:

Saturday - 11:00 - 11:45 in the Hobb's Batting booth #347

Saturday - 3:00 -3:30 in the Landauer Publishing booth #2040

Sunday - 10:00 - 10:30 in the Brewer booth #734

I hope you'll stop by and say hi if you're planning on attending.

The All People Quilt booth with have both of my quilts on display so I will snap some pics and show you those on my Market Review post when I get back. Otherwise, be watching my Instagram feed @sharonhollanddesigns for postings while I'm at Market. 

Looking ahead: Starting November 1st I will be hosting the Bountiful Holiday Blog Tour and have lined up some super talented Makers that will be bringing you fast, fun, and fabulous sewing projects for the holidays, gift giving ideas, and home decor sewing. Plus I will have a Harvest colorway fat quarter bundle giveaway at the end of the tour courtesy of the Fat Quarter Shop. 

Stop back soon, there's so much more to share with you!