Sweet Home & Faux Chenille

Sweet Home & Faux Chenille

Sweet Home quilt by Sharon Holland

Last week I released my newest quilt pattern called Sweet Home and shared images of one of the two Sweet Home quilts I’ve made from this pattern.

This week I’ll be showing the second quilt in a completely different fabric pull and color palette plus I’ve an awesome Chenille-It Blooming Bias giveaway to tell you about at the end of this post.

I love these quilts so much that I knew my two grandkids would love them too and have fun snuggling and playing on them. The first quilt with the Boho-Chic vibe of pinks, blush, and aqua was made for my granddaughter and her baby brother needed an All-American boy version. At two years old, he’s already showing preferences and one of them is his love for stripes!

Art Gallery Fabrics Sweet Home quilt fabric pull

Since this pattern is made for digging into your stash and using lots of prints that’s exactly what I did! I pulled a mix of Art Gallery Fabrics from lines I’ve designed and added in AGF prints from other lines and designers to come up with this American Summer palette.

With all the fabric shortages right now I’m not sure all these prints will be easy to find but, if you’d like to duplicate the American Summer version I’ve made the pattern supplement into a PDF download. Simply click on the graphic above and print it out for your reference when using the Sweet Home pattern.

The print used as the backing on both my Sweet Homes quilt is Lillium from my very first Art Gallery Fabrics collection. I used each of the color ways and in the fabric pull photo, I’ve listed the sku info for the color way used in this American Summer version.

The geometric quilting design on this quilt was long arm quilted by Brooke Becker of Lady Belle Fabric. Brooke did the quilting on both of my Sweet Home quilts and has a large selection of quilting designs and styles to choose from. I highly recommend her long arm services and as a fabric shop. Brooke’s quilting is perfection and the service incredible!

Sweet Home quilt kits available at Lady Belle Fabric

Find Sweet Home quilt kits at Lady Belle Fabric in a beautiful Art Gallery Fabrics fabrics curated by Brooke. Don’t delay, she sold out of kits last week but has reordered and restocked—they’re sure to go fast!

How to Apply Faux Chenille

The number one comment or question I’ve had about this quilt is about the chenille binding. So, this week it’s all about adding faux chenille to a quilt! I’ve put together a You Tube video to show you just how easy it is to attach Chenille-It Blooming Bias to a quilt to get this amazing faux chenille finish to the edges. Click video below to watch!

Easy-peasy, right!??! I’ve already ordered more Chenille-It 5/8’’-wide binding for my next new quilt pattern! Visit the Chenille-It Faux Chenille website and check out all the beautiful colors and project ideas! Keep reading till the end for a chance to win Blooming Bias tape for you and a friend!

I no longer have the Sweet Home quilts here and as soon as I took as many photos as I thought I’d need, I shipped both quilts out to my grandkids. This little guy set right to work servicing the town!

The quilts couldn’t have been made at a better time because my daughter and her family just this week closed on their new house and can get out of the rental they’ve been in since the beginning of the year. The kids have been sharing this room in a janky little turn-of-the-century house. My daughter painted the room and although it’s not got one straight wall, it was still a fun room to get these “in use” photos of the quilts. They’ll all be happier once settled into a house they can call their own.

Enter for a chance to win some Chenille-It Blooming Bias!

This week’s giveaway will be held over on Instagram. Visit my Instagram feed @sharonhollanddesigns for a chance for you and a tagged friend to win faux chenille Blooming Bias from Chenille-It. Follow the easy entry steps given in my Friday, May 22, 2020 Instagram post. Thanks to my sponsor, Chenille-It there’ll be 3 winning comments chosen! The randomly selected comments (with a tagged friend) will be picked at random around 4pm Eastern on Monday, May 25th. Winners IG handles will be posted on the IG giveaway post.

New Patterns Released

A new year holds great promise. It's like having a clean slate and in my case a clean sewing room because I needed to tidy it up for holiday company :) Before I got too deep into sewing and designing I thought it would be a good idea to publish some beautiful quilt projects I made for magazines. These quilts are now out of the magazine contract period ready for me to publish as stand-alone PDF patterns you can purchase. You can view all my patterns on Craftsy.

Four New Patterns Added

Kilim is one of my all-time favorite quilt designs. I patterned this quilt after an image of a kilim rug. The rug inspiration was taken further by how I placed the cream background prints and let them flow from one type of print into another like how yarn is woven on a loom making subtle changes in color. Another way I pushed the concept of a rug was to use a mitered facing binding on this quilt--much like how a rug is finished on the back. This optional way to finish this project gives the quilt a clean front and uninterrupted quilt design.

Kilim by Sharon Holland featuring Sketchbook fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics

I love how you can use a ton of different fabrics with this quilt. Most of the prints are from my Sketchbook fabrics collection with the addition of Gossamer fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics. 

Here's a look at the finished quilt back with a mitered facing binding. The instructions for this quilt are written so you can do this facing binding technique or regular double-fold binding from the same 2-1/4'' cut strips. 

My Sketchbook fabric collection is a playful explosion of flowers and drawings. The Bloomescent quilt is a celebration of blooms created with large Drunkard's Path blocks. Even though this is labeled as an intermediate pattern, don't be intimidated by the curved piecing. The 6'' Drunkard's Path square is a gentle curve to piece and easy to learn how to stitch.

Bloomescent by Sharon Holland featuring Sketchbook fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics

My third new pattern release is a foundation paper-pieced table runner called Sea Breeze. This project was my last make for my Coastline fabrics fall 2015 Quilt Market booth. I had only a handful of scraps to work with and this Palm Leaf block couldn't have been more perfect for the theme of the collection and my materials available. 

Sea Breeze by Sharon Holland featuring Coastline fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics

The Sea Breeze table runner pattern is rated as an advanced pattern and utilizes foundation paper-piecing techniques to achieve the perfect points on the Palm Leaf blocks. Step-by-step instructions for how to paper-piece are included in the PDF pattern. A small project like this is a great time to try paper-piecing since you only need to make 12 blocks!

Last but not least is Beach Glass, a modern quilt design made from a repeating geometric pattern. I've rated this as an intermediate only because of the placement of the squares and half-square triangles. The making of blocks is straightforward and definitely a beginner level--just follow the quilt diagram closely for placement and orientation to achieve the repeat pattern effect. 

Beach Glass by Sharon Holland featuring Gossamer fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics

Stitched in cool blues, seafoam green, and sandy brown this calming color palette was made using my Gossamer fabrics and Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics. Simple half-square triangles and squares are used to create the repeating design of this quilt. Randomly spaced, straight line quilting gives the feeling of rippling water. 

Visit my Craftsy pattern page to purchase these or any of my other PDF patterns. Be sure to tag me #sharonhollanddesigns when you post pictures of your completed makes so I can see your lovely projects! Happy sewing xxxx

Tea Leaf Quilt Pattern

To celebrate my birthday month, I'd like to give you a gift with a new free quilt pattern! If you remember, back in August, I wrote a post about a quilt I made just because I wanted it. That may sound strange but actually, most of the sewing I do is for other reasons rather than for my personal enjoyment. Not that I don't love everything I make, but my personal wants are not usually factored in when I sew. My Tea Leaf quilt was just for me! My August post has a little tutorial about how to figure cutting sizes for half-square triangles (HSTs) of any size. 

Today, I share the free PDF download pattern for the Tea Leaf quilt along with a little tutorial about how to draw and stitch a fan or Baptist Fan quilting design on the finished top.

Tea Leaf by Sharon Holland

I've always admired this traditional quilt block called Tea Leaf. I love the movement of the block and have a thing for triangles in quilts. I also have a thing for leaf designs, so when it came time to make a quilt just for me--this was the one!

I used prints from 3 of my 4 fabric lines for a scrappy look and included Art Gallery Fabrics White Linen PE-408 solid. Gossamer, Coastline, and Tapestry prints in soft fall tones are the perfect look for my living room where this cozy throw resides. I used wool batting for drape, warmth, and definition of the quilting stitches. 

I love how some of the prints almost fade away, giving even more interest and energy to this quilt. This is a 60" square quilt--just a small throw-size quilt. If you want the quilt to be larger, just make more blocks and add on. Remember, you will also need to increase yardage requirements for blocks, backing, batting, and binding if going larger. 

The Fan or Baptist Fan quilting design in one of my favorite quilting designs. I feel it goes well with just about any quilt top. I love how it is an independent design placed over what's already happening in the quilt, adding yet another layer to the overall effect.  

Probably the only hiccup with a fan design is that it needs to be drawn out on the quilt top and does slow down the finishing process. However, once it's marked out, the quilting can be stitched in continuous rows and goes relatively quickly so I think it evens out in the end. 

How to Draw and Quilt a Fan Quilting Pattern

1. Use a non-permanent fabric marking tool (I like the ceramic lead pencils that have a screw on tip). Test marks on scrap material to make sure they can be removed with water or washing before proceeding. Read manufacturer's instructions for marking tool, as some can become permanent after exposed to heat such as an iron.

Determine how far apart you want the radiating fan arches. I used 2" spacing for my Tea Leaf quilt but have also used a 1-1/2" spacing on other quilts which I also like. Your batting choice may also influence how far apart your arches should be. 

Cut a 13" length of embroidery floss (light colored works best). Lay the floss out against a ruler and mark 6 evenly spaced segments starting about 1/2" from the end. Cut a 1/2" to 1" tail after the last mark.

Slightly unscrew the tip of the marking tool and wind the floss around the marking tool tip just so the last mark is secured in the tip once tightened. If using a marking tool without a screw tip, use tape to hold the floss in place at the mark. Note: You may need to re-secure the floss as you work, just pay attention if your fan designs start to get a little out of shape.

You now have an odd number of marks showing on your floss. The reason to have an odd number of arches to the Fan quilt design means you will now be able to stitch with a continuous quilting line. See Step 4.

2. With the floss attached to the marking tool. Hold the first mark on the floss at a corner starting point on the quilt top. While holding the floss with one hand, mark an arch with the marking tool. 

Move the second mark on the floss to the corner starting point and make a smaller arch in the same manner as the first. Continue adding arches for a total of 5 concentric rings.

3. To add additional fan, repeat Step 2, starting and the base of the large ring of the previous fan. Continue adding fans till the end of the row. Start the next row directly above where you started the first row.

4. To quilt, begin at the small arch of the first row. Follow the black dashed line arrows. The red dashed line arrows indicate bridge stitching and where you will need to backtrack over earlier stitching to keep a continuous line flow to the quilting stitches. Each arch will be quilted the same direction till you reach the end of the row. Remove the quilt, and start at the beginning of the second row, quilting in the same direction as before. 

5. To remove the marking stitches after quilting and binding, I like to gently wash my new quilt in the wash machine. I use Woolite on wool setting and very low heat dry. Remove when still a little bit damp and hang dry or press top if desired. 

Crystal River Quilt Pattern

Fall's my favorite time of year. I call it my squirreling instinct when I start cleaning up the yard and gardens, readying them for winter. After the yard's in order I can then turn my attention to the house and start nesting. Time to spruce things up for the upcoming holidays, change the bedding to warmer, cozy layers, and of course, start baking and making all those comfort foods I start craving as the weather gets cooler!

It's been such a busy summer and I've been slow to get this pattern up and running for my Craftsy Pattern Shop. I'm so happy to finally bring you the Crystal River quilt pattern. Even though I made this in my Coastline fabrics line from Art Gallery Fabrics, I don't necessarily consider this a summer only design. The large-block design has an Indian blanket motif and the teal and bronze colors look perfect for fall and winter!

Crystal River quilt pattern available at Craftsy

This design will make a queen-size quilt and the large pieces are perfect for showing off fun prints like my Palm Leaves and Beachcomber prints. 

Crystal River quilt photographed by Sandy Storer

Crystal River quilt photographed by Sandy Storer

I love the photos Sandy Storer took of my quilt in the beautiful nature setting on Frye Island in Maine. What a stunning way to display this quilt!

Simple, diagonal machine quilting compliments the crystal effect of the half-square triangles points. Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Element Snow white solid fabric contrasts with the prints to make the block design stand out and shine.