Saguaro Quilt

There’s a new (old) pattern in my Shop! Saguaro was first published to my shop almost 10 years ago and only came in one size. I’ve always loved this beginner-friendly, scrappy quilt pattern and thought it was high time to update the instructions and republish a pattern with multiple project sizes.

Here’s a look back at the original Saguaro cover quilt made with Art Gallery Fabrics Artisan collection by Pat Bravo. Today, you have six project sizes to choose from but with still all the wonderful scrappiness that lets you play with a lot of different prints and colors.

I made the cover quilt throw and a pair of pillows from the pattern to share in this blog post and we’ll start with the throw quilt made using prints from an assortment of my Art Gallery Fabrics collections. This quilt will be available as a kit from Brooke Becker at Lady Belle Fabric and included prints from my Spirited, Kismet, Kindred, Listen to Your Heart, Fanciful, Willow, and Shine On collections. Brooke has 18 quilts to match this look exactly but Intrinsic Soft from Shine On is now completely sold out at AGF so any additional kits after the initial 18 will have Spirited’s Painted Prairie Anthesis as a substitute print (equally wonderful—so not to worry—it’ll be beautiful).

Not only did I get this cover quilt done in time for our Arizona trip in January but we also missed the bulk of the big winter snow storms that came through the midwest at that time! My husband and I had a lot of fun hiking around and looking for spots to photograph the quilt—we definitely needed some Saguaro cacti in the photos!

I used Hobbs batting Polydown batting inside for that lovely loft. It was the perfect choice batting for packing in a suitcase and did not crease or wrinkle—so nice for photographing! I did the quilting on my sample using my domestic sewing machine and my Easy Orange Peel method of quilting. I eye-ball corner to corner and free motion quilt so it goes very fast (not perfect) but fast and done.

The quilt is a scrap-lover’s dream because you not only have scrappy blocks but a scrappy background, too! I think it took me longer to pick out the fabrics than it did to make the quilt.

For my pillow samples I decided to make the background the darker fabrics and the blocks lighter and this quilt pattern looks fabulous both ways! For the Pillows I used prints from my Juniper collection and had originally thought Vert Fusions Venture (the top print in the above photo) was going to be my binding but changed my mind at the end and used the same Juniper Grove print (bottom of pile) for the binding and backing.

Saguaro pillows are 24 inches square and if you use feather pillow inserts like I do, they are soft and comfy as toss pillows for a bed, the sofa, or for lounging on the floor. I love how this green and low volume palette can work in my home decor all throughout the year.

I chose to quilt the pillow tops in a simple diagonal grid. The Saguaro pattern include full instructions for how to finish your pillows with a Lapped Zipper backing and bound edges.

Meet the Testers

With every quilt pattern release there’s a talented team of testers making project versions before the pattern launches. Saguaro is my first pattern release of 2024 and we have three new members this year to the Tester Team! Please welcome Katherine Clark, Sandy Saengsuk, and Melissa David. I’ll include each testers social media link(s) so you can learn more about them and follow.

Lindsey Fuessley

Lindsey Fuessley chose to make her Saguaro quilt in Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids. I love the muted, earthy color palette Lindsey used and how it reminds me of antique Amish quilts—stunning! Lindsey made the throw quilt size that’s perfect for couch-time snuggling. See more of Lindsey’s work on Instagram by following her at Lindsey Fuessley of Lindsey Makes.

Mary Gove

Mary Gove used Art Gallery Fabrics prints from Amy Sinibaldi’s Haven collection to make the pretties pair of Saguaro pillows! I love everything about these pillows and am a huge fan of whatever Mary makes. Follow her on Instagram @thecurlyquilter.

Joyce Ulm

Joyce Ulm hit it out of the park with her Saguaro throw quilt! She mixed colors and prints from assorted Art Gallery Fabrics collection lines and created a balanced, classic, natural palette. Joyce will be quilting this one up on her long arm so be sure to check back with her on Instagram, HERE and also as the owner of Eva Maes Custom Quilts where she sells handmade items as well as runs her long arms quilting service.

tracey taber-perry

Tracey Taber-Perry never disappoints! Her eye for combining prints and colors creates the prettiest quilts and her Saguaro throw just proves it. Tracey selected fabrics from multiple AGF fabric lines to come up with this plum and gold beauty. This talented maker can be found on Instagram, HERE.

Tamara Darragh

Tamara Darragh has created a beautiful Saguaro pillow that’s perfect for a modern farmhouse, a chic townhouse, or any decor in between! Add some fresh toss pillows to your home in a classic black and white palette. The gingham is such a fun touch! See more of Tamara Darragh of Remi Vail Studio on her website and of Tamara on Instagram, HERE.

Marija Vujcic

I love how each of the pillow projects have looked so different and Marija Vujcic’s pillow pair are just stunning in peach and coral. Marija mixed prints from mine and Maureen Cracknell’s AGF lines for a fresh and floral, playful look. Learn how Marija free motion quilted her pillows by visiting her at Marija Vujcic on Instagram @maraquiltdesigns and on her blog at Mara Quilt Designs.

Katherine Clark

Katherine Clark of Katherine Elizabeth Quilts on Instagram is one of our three new members to the Tester Team. Katherine, is also our first international member and is a shop owner in the UK. Katherine’s beautiful Saguaro crib quilt is made from AGF prints designed by Katarina Roccella for her Mindscape collection. Welcome Katherine—we love your work!

Sandy Saengsuk

You may have seen Sandy Saengsuk’s work before in Art Gallery Fabrics Look Books and in samples made for other designers. We’re thrilled to have her new to our Tester Team this year and love her Saguaro crib quilt she made with assorted AGF fabrics and the new AGF 2.5 binding. Be sure to visit Sandy’s Instagram page and website under her business name of Thai Charm LLC.

Melissa David

Last but not least is our third new Tester Team member, Melissa David of Quilting Above the Clouds on Instagram. Melissa’s succulent-inspired palette is made from an assortment of prints from different Art Gallery Fabrics collections. Melissa quilted this Saguaro throw quilt on a domestic machine while on vacation in Colorado but normally works on a long arm machine when at home in Texas. We’re thrilled to have Melissa on our team!

I hope you're inspired to start looking through your fabric stash and playing with fabric pulls for your Saguaro quilt. The shop listing for this quilt will show you the fabric requirements for the project sizes. Be sure to tag me @sharonhollanddesigns and your quilt with #saguaroquilt when you make and post your beautiful version!

Happy sewing,

Sharon

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.

Phoenix Quilt Pattern Release

Phoenix Quilt Pattern Release

Phoenix Quilt by Sharon Holland

Has it really been two months since my last post!? Time really does fly when you’re having fun (and keeping busy)!

I hope this post finds you well. I’ve been staying home and trying to get the most out of what’s left of this dismal year. I’ve had a sudden burst of energy and from now until the end of December I’ve plenty of posts and projects planned to share with you! And, be sure to read down to the end for a special announcement you won’t want to miss!

August is the first month in the next four that I’ll be releasing a new quilt pattern! That’s not the special announcement but very exciting all by itself non the less. This first quilt is called Phoenix, not for the state but because the idea for this quilt came from me playing around with the left over half-square triangle (HST) trimmings from my Sweet Home quilts I made earlier this year. (That’s a hint to the special announcement.)

The Phoenix quilt was born from scraps! Well, really more like one block was born from scraps. I needed a whole lot more HSTs to make the Phoenix quilt.

This summer-inspired palette is a mix from several different Art Gallery Fabrics collections: Spirited, Decostitch, Marrakesh Fusion, Pure Solids, and Gossamer for the binding. But you don’t have to source out all these fabrics on your own if you’re wanting to make one just like the pattern sample because Brooke Becker at Lady Belle Fabric has made up Phoenix quilt kits with all the pretties you see in the photo above. Don’t delay—these kits go fast! Here’s a link to the Phoenix Quilt Kit. You’ll also need the quilt pattern and you can find that on my SHOP page.

Bundle photo courtesy of Lady Belle Fabric

Lady Belle Fabric is your one-stop online shop for fabrics and long arm quilt service. I have sent several of my quilts to Brooke and she has one of mine she just finished up yesterday. You’re going to love the service!

The entire Phoenix quilt is made from half-square triangles. You’ve probably heard me sing the praises of Bloc_Loc Rulers before and I’m still singing! If you’ve never tried them or feel it’s finally time to invest in a quilting tool that’ll make your life and quilts better, this may be the time—especially if you’re planning on sewing this quilt—there’s a lottttttt of HSTs! If you can only by one HST ruler, by the largest one because you can always trim smaller sizes with a large ruler.

I did a very simple and quilt machine quilting on the diagonal for this quilt. For my batting I used Hobbs Heirloom Bleached 100% Cotton because my background is Art Gallery Fabrics Snow and I didn’t want any color showing through from an unbleached batting.

Over the years I’ve been approached by makers wanting to know if I ever use pattern testers. I’ve never done so in the past but thought that this year might be a great chance to use testers and help promote new rising quilt makers.

So, during July I started work with my testers. I have 17 in all right now which is plenty so the search for testers is closed for this year. Since I have four quilt patterns coming out over the next few months this was as good a time as any to get some help from pattern testers and I’ve split up the testers into groups by quilts. Today I’d like to introduce you to six of my testers who have made and tested the Phoenix quilt.

Meet the Testers

Phoenix quilt make by Brittany Tunison

Brittany Tunison created a Phoenix quilt in a soft, farmhouse color palette and used a mix of Art Gallery Fabric prints from a variety of AGF fabric designers. I love her Farmhouse style and sweet fabric selection. See more of Brittany’s work on Instagram @brittanytunison and on her Etsy shop at White Plains Quilts.

Phoenix quilt make by Christine Trotta

This lovely Phoenix quilt top was made by Christine Trotta of Serendipity In Love Creations. Christine used Bari J.’s new 365 Fifth Avenue AGF fabric line and it couldn’t have been any more perfect a collection to juxtapose a feminine twist to the geometrics of this quilt design. Let’s all pause a moment to take in this beautiful garden setting for this quilt—it’s gorgeous! For more fabric fun, check out Christine’s shop on Etsy.

Phoenix quilt make by Kathleen Armstrong

Kathleen Armstrong is a prolific quilter. Just check out her Instagram account @creativestitchesbyk and you’ll see exactly what I mean! You can learn more about Kathleen from her website Creative Stitches Quilts where she also takes custom orders. Kathleen used prints from my AGF Everlasting collection for her Phoenix quilt and I love how she mixed up the fabrics in the blocks for a unique twist on the pattern.

Phoenix quilt make by Marija Vujcic

My long-time followers may remember my friend Marija Vujcic from my blog tours. Marija is the Queen of Bold Colors and her AGF Pure Solids fabric pull for the Phoenix quilt is pure Marija-magic! I love how she pulled colors from my AGF Bountiful Tartan Field print (the backing) for the color inspiration for the blocks. You’ll definitely want to follow her on Instagram @mvquilts and on her blog Mara Quilt Designs where she has quilting, tutorials, and lots of sewing inspiration to share.

Phoenix quilt make by Mary Grove

You’ll find Mary Gove on Instagram as @thecurlyquilter and be equally blown away by her beautiful quilt makes like I was when I first viewed her page. This new comer to quilting has a natural eye and Quilty talent plus I’m very envious of her Wyoming landscape for photography! Mary chose Art Gallery Fabric blender prints and solids form several different AGF collections to create the perfect summer-vibe palette.

Phoenix quilt make by Victoria Newmyer

Victoria Newmyer is also brand new to Instagram. In fact she just started her account @midlife_quilter the beginning of this year but don’t let that fool you, this girl has talent! Check out her Etsy shop at Brass Tacks Sewing. I can really connect with Victoria’s aesthetics and if you know anything about me by now, you know my love for this palette she used for her Phoenix quilt. Although her fabric selection is a mix of many AGF designer collections her backing fabric (the trees print) and some of the block prints are from my AGF Tapestry collection.

Be sure to stop by my pattern SHOP and get the Phoenix quilt PDF so you can start your quilt today! I can’t wait to see what you create with the Phoenix quilt pattern! If you’re posting to Instagram be sure to tag me @sharonhollanddesigns and use the hashtag #phoenixquilt so I don’t miss your posts!

Quilt Along

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post I had a special announcement to make…drum roll…Maureen Cracknell (Instagram @maureencracknell ) and I will be hosting a Sweet Home Quilt Along! We’re also going to be joined by a special new quilting friend, Jennifer Jones of Penelope Handmade! Find her on IG at @penelopehandmade. It’s sure to be loads of fun!

The Sweet Home Quilt Along begins September 9, 2020 and will run for six weeks. If you haven’t already bought the Sweet Home quilt pattern yet you can find it in my pattern SHOP and started gathering your materials. All three of us hosts will be making new Sweet Home quilts from Art Gallery Fabric collections and I can’t wait to show you my fabric pull.

The QAL is going to be so much fun and there’ll be plenty of giveaways and tutorials during the event. Stay tuned for more QAL news—hope to see you there!

Sweet Home quilt by Sharon Holland

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.