Rambler Quilt

Rambler Quilt

Rambler Quilt by Sharon Holland

Rambler Quilt by Sharon Holland

There’s been a lot going on since my last post! Have you heard that my new Kismet fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics is now available in your favorite quilt shop? Yes!!! I normally would have shops listed on my FABRICS page with online shops carrying my newest collection but one, I’ve been too busy with projects to work on compiling the list and two, many shops sell out of their inventory of Kismet about as fast as they get it in so to keep it current is not doable at this time. The best thing is to check your local or favorite online shops first and then do an internet search for Kismet by Sharon Holland or Art Gallery Fabrics Kismet and see what pops up. Inventories change daily and more Kismet is coming soon so be patient and persistent. Once I have a bit more time I’ll start adding to my stock list Fabric page.

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Rambler

There’s a new quilt in my SHOP and it’s called Rambler. I love that name for a quilt and I love this quilt. In fact I love it so much I made three versions! Prepare yourself for an epic blog post and virtual quilt show of Rambler quilts because there’s my quilts to show you and the quilt of six of my testers.

Rambler in Kismet fabrics by Sharon Holland

Rambler in Kismet fabrics by Sharon Holland

The first quilt to show is the one that started the whole Rambler parade. It’s made with my new Kismet fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics and has a wonderful retro 70’s look of a kitted afghan. This big boy is 72-1/2’’ x 86-1/2’’ and is available as a kit from Cottoneer (more on that, keep reading).

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The pattern has a very fun technique for making, what I call, Blunt Flying Geese and has very little fabric waste compared to a Flippy Corner technique. The pattern even has coloring pages for you to play around with color variations and comes in two sizes: A full-size quilt and an 18-1/2’’ x 75-1/2’’ table runner.

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Both my full size quilts have Hobbs Heirloom Cotton inside for a traditional drape and feel. Because of time crunch I ended up quilting all three of my Rambler makes (two full quilts and one runner). The big quilts are free motion leaves and stylized flower and it turned out pretty good! I like the dense, organic rambling roses effect.

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On my Kismet Rambler I used the Fleuron Haven print from the Kismet collection and I’m crazy over this floral as a backing! Having a backing like this makes a quilt double-sided in my book.

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I’m excited to be collaborating with Andrea Patton at Cottoneer to bring you kits of the Kismet Rambler. Cottoneer has a huge selection of your favorite fabrics as well as beautifully curated bundles—you’re going to love shopping for all your fabric needs at Cottoneer. The Rambler quilt kit will have all the fabrics I used in my quilt and you can get that amazing floral for the backing while you’re there—how easy is that??!!

For any of the Rambler kits you’ll need to purchase the PDF pattern separately from my SHOP.

Photo courtesy of Cottoneer

Photo courtesy of Cottoneer

While I was waiting for my Kismet fabric to arrive I was anxious to begin work on testing out this quilt pattern and making a sample quilt. I took a look at my fabric collections and curated a peach and spruce quilt I’m calling the Just Peachy Rambler. You know I love these soft peach tones and normally I tend toward peach and teals but the new spruce greens have me heading in a new direction!

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For this quilt I selected prints from my Signature and Spirited lines with the addition of my prints found in Ballerina Fusions and Serenity Fusions. Throw in the beautiful new Northern Waters Pure Solid and some Smooth Denim for the binding and you have this soft, peach and spruce version of Rambler.

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Don’t worry about trying to source all these fabrics on your own because Victoria Newmyer at Midlife Quilter will be carrying kits of my Just Peachy Rambler quilt. I know you’ll love Victoria’s shop and services!

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I quilted this one exactly the same as I had the Kismet version and they feel like brother and sister quilts. I used the butterfly print from my Signature fabric line to back my quilt but you’ll be able to find many beautiful backing options at Victoria’s shop.

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

Victoria even has the sweetest “pretty things inside” muslin bags she sends the fabrics in and made special sized ones for the quilt kits!

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Rambler Runner

The additional size option on the Rambler quilt pattern is instructions for a table runner. I personally love table runners because they’re a small project for time and materials, easy to quilt on your own (or even hand quilt), and it’s pretty much my only seasonal decorating change in my house so a fast decor item to your table!

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For a festive holiday look that will take me through Valentine’s Day, I chose the Kismet Fleuron Sanctuary print in cranberry tones and Dashing Cinnamon (lines) print. You could easily make this runner in a weekend!

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For quilting, I went with a very easy and simple diagonal crosshatch quilting and did it on my domestic sewing machine. I marked out lines with a friction pen and followed the lines of the blocks then went back in and quilted halfway between with more diagonal lines.

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I used Kismet Mudcloth Berries both for the backing and the binding. I’m excited to put this into use and start pulling out a few Christmas items. I think I need to make some napkins in this print, too!

Meet the Testers

Now’s the part in my post where I introduce the fabulous testers that worked on this quilt pattern with their own selection of Art Gallery Fabrics. It’s amazing to see how this quilt changes depending upon fabric selection, prints, colors, and placement. To see more of their work, be sure to follow them on the provided links.

Rambler Quilt make by Tracey Taber-Perry

Rambler Quilt make by Tracey Taber-Perry

This gorgeous, serene Rambler quilt was made by pattern tester Tracey Taber-Perry @ttabes80 . Tracey is a new comer to quilting but does the nicest work you’d think she’s been quilting for years! She used Art Gallery Fabrics new Serenity Fusions line for her palette and I think this has a beach vibe with the soothing colors as well as a wintery look to it—so it’s perfect year round and would work in any decor!

Rambler quilt make by Marija Vujcic

Rambler quilt make by Marija Vujcic

Marija Vujcic is an amazing sewist and quilter and I recommend you follow her blog at Mara Quilt Designs. Marija pulled fabrics from her stash of assorted Art Gallery Fabrics to make a quilt for her son and made this bold blue beauty! She’ll be free motion quilting her top and I believe plans to back with Minky so you’ll want to check in with her to see the progress and finished quilt—it’s sure to be stunning!

Rambler quilt make by Lindsey Fuessley

Rambler quilt make by Lindsey Fuessley

Lindsey Fuessley as put a color wheel spin on the Rambler with a palette of muted orange-red, mustard yellow, sage greens, and denim blues. Another feature of Lindsey’s quilt is that her fabrics are mostly blenders or solids and has a very modern feel and graphic pop. Follow Lindsey on her Instagram account @lindseymakes —it’s a quilt feast for the eyes!

Rambler quilt make by Joyce Ulm

Rambler quilt make by Joyce Ulm

Joyce Ulm is a prolific quilter and has done it again with her Rambler make of complimentary blues and rusty orange all in Art Gallery Fabrics solids, blenders, and geometric prints. This would make a great quilt for a guy on your gift list! I know Joyce already has this quilted since this picture collage was made so check out her IG account to see the full reveal. See more of Joyce’s work on Instagram @evamaecustomquilts, Etsy shop, and on her Facebook blog HERE.

Rambler quilt make by Jennifer Cannon

Rambler quilt make by Jennifer Cannon

Jennifer Cannon has a keen eye for putting together great fabric combinations and her Rambler make is no exception! This mod pop of teal, mauve, black, and burgundy are pulled from a variety of AGF collections. You can make a quilt just like this because Jennifer is offering Tidal Pool Rambler quilt kits in her Piper Autumn Designs shop. You’ll also love her Etsy shop filled with your favorite fabrics and fabulous bundles.

Rambler quilt make by Christine Trotta

Rambler quilt make by Christine Trotta

Last, but not least is Christine Trotta’s Rambler quilt make. Christine has collaborated with Victoria Newmyer of Midlife Quilter to curate an Art Gallery Fabrics bundle for the Trellis Rambler version. Burgundy, cream, denim blue, and latte make this palette timeless. The fun mix of lattice geometrics, denim, and florals have a fresh air look to this lovely quilt. For more images of this quilt finished be sure to visit Christines Etsy Shop and Blog as well as her Instagram account @serendipityinlovecreations.

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Find the Trellis Rambler kit at Midlife Quilter in all the fabrics seen here plus the binding (not pictured) to make your own!

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

I hope you enjoyed that Rambler parade of quilts and are inspired to make one, or two, or three for yourself or those on your gift list. Find the pattern in my SHOP and follow me on Instagram @sharonhollanddesigns as I post and share more Rambler makes.

GIVEAWAY NOW Closed

Congratulations to: Mackenzie, Sharon, and Angela Miller!!!

* Note * This giveaway is open to EVERYONE! If you're a "no reply" or anonymous commenter, please remember to include your email address in your comment--you can't win if I can't get a hold of you!

1. Simply leave a comment here under this post! (First comment entry).

2. My followers get a third entry! If you follow via subscribing to my posts, through Bloglovin (or other service), or on Instagram, just let me know by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (Separate comment counts as second entry). Note: I'm no longer on Facebook.

3. Help spread the word!! I know that many of you already do, so I thought it would be nice to add that as another way to enter! Spread the word about this giveaway on YOUR instagram, facebook, tweet, pin, blog post, etc... (separate comment counts as a third entry). 

That’s THREE possible entries! Enter now through Friday, November 20, 2020. I’ll be drawing names for three winners. The winning comments will be picked at random around 4pm Eastern. I’ll post the name of the winners on this post once they've been notified and responded to my email.

Happy sewing,

Sharon

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.

Sweet Home & Faux Chenille

Sweet Home & Faux Chenille

Sweet Home quilt by Sharon Holland

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.

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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

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.

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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.

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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

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

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

Heart Quilt Sew Along - Week 3

Heart Quilt Sew Along - Week 3

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It’s the final week in the Heart Quilt sew along. This fast and fun sew along has been hosted by myself and Maureen Cracknell with special thanks to Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew for allowing us to use her Heart Block in our quilt layout.

If you’re just joining us, you’ll want to get up to speed by reading first weeks post announcing the sew along. If you’re already making heart block or at the point to start adding the sashing and borders—check out week 2 HERE.

This last post is dedicated to turning that top into a quilt plus I’ve added an extra bonus project for all those left over half square triangles from trimming the large flippy corners off the hearts!

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Quilting

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm directing you to the blog post for Finishing that was originally posted during the Sewcial Bee Sampler sew along. You'll find all the tutorial information for spray basting, quilting, and binding your quilt. The sizes have changed but the concept for basting, quilting, and binding your quilt are the same. As stated in that post, there are many ways to finish a quilt and I am blogging about how I finish my quilts. If you have a preferred method, please do it the way you're comfortable with. If you intend to send your top off to be professionally quilted, discuss with your long-arm quilter how they'd like you to prepare your quilt top and backing for being quilted. 

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I'm not a professional quilter by any means. I get by and call my quilting style "organic" because it's not perfect and lines are not straight. I love the human touch that non-perfect quilting adds to my quilts. I used my mid-arm Viking Platinum 16 for quilting my top. The quilting guide lines were marked out ahead of time and the quilting went really fast after that to just follow the diagonal lines as shown below in the quilting diagram.

Quilting diagram

Quilting diagram

I used my favorite Hobb’s Tuscany Silk batting inside my quilt and love how light and drapey it is—especially for handling and maneuvering when quilting.

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The backing on my quilt is from my Everlasting fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics and is called Summer’s Dance. For the binding I used Woodblock Ballerina that was also used for hearts.

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Here’s another look at the prints that went into my quilt. My Heart quilt’s stitched from a curated mix of fabrics from Art Gallery Fabrics Ballerina Fusion (a recolored mix of AGF designer prints), my Spirited, Everlasting, Signature, and Maureen’s Enchanted Voyage and Mystical Land collections.

My non-traditional Valentine colors remind me of sugared gum drops and candy. I’m crazy over this color palette and went with my heart when I did my fabric pull.

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One of the biggest challenges of photographing quilts this time of year is the gloomy, cold weather. I had some grand plans for how to photograph this out doors but the wind didn’t cooperate. It started to rain shortly after we got these shots…

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Be sure to check out Maureen’s blog to see her finished quilt top and bonus project from left over HSTs all made using a mix of Amy Sinabaldi’s MayFair and the new Foresta Fusion collection. Quilt kits for Maureen’s quilt are available at Lady Belle Fabric.

Photo and Heart quilt by Maureen Cracknell

Photo and Heart quilt by Maureen Cracknell

Bonus Project

Since I finished my quilt by Sunday I could’ve easily stopped there, written this blog post and moved on to the other projects stacking up on my desk but no—that’s too easy!

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Remember in my Instagram Stories videos where I told you to hold onto those large half square triangle (HST) waste pieces???

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I turned mine into this fun pillow! As a bonus, I’ll share with you how to make one (or more) for yourself!

The beauty of this type of project is that it can be customized to any size you want. I happened to have an extra rectangular pillow I wasn’t using anywhere in the house so I used it as my pillow form. It measures around 14’’ x 26’’ and is probably not a standard size.

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I trimmed 36 HSTs to 3-1/2’’ square using my Bloc_Loc Ruler then arranged them into a design. I would’ve loved if the design was symmetrical but no such luck in this improv piece using scraps. I don’t really notice it now that the pillow is done.

I added 2’’-wide strips to the top and bottom to get it all up to the size I needed.

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I’ve done a few projects on this blog where I’ve incorporated Chenille-it Blooming Bias and I can’t tell you enough how much I love this added texture—especially to pillows!

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After stitching quilting lines to outline the chevron shapes 1/4’’ inside the seam allowances I added the 3/8 inch-wide Chenille-it to my pillow top. Stitching the blooming bias down not only adheres the product but also works as quilting.

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I added two echo rows of chenille to the background areas. To read about how to stitch and then bloom the chenille, read more on my Chenille Pillow with Hidden Zipper post/tutorial. Plus, to see the gorgeous decorator pillows I made more recently with my Spirited Trail Marker print and Chenille-it, read HERE.

For more Chenille-it projects, here’s a fun You Tube video!

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Personally I love a zipper closure on a pillow. Especially in a case like this where I’m using an existing pillow as the pillow form and like to switch out or clean the pillow covers regularly. You’ll find my go-to method for adding a hidden zipper on a pillow HERE. It’s insanely easy to do!

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Now, not only do I have a heart quilt to snuggle under this Valentine’s Day but I have a coordinating pillow to go along with it!

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Maureen and I want to thank you for sewing along with us and sharing your progress of your blocks to Instagram. We love seeing your work and encourage you to follow along, share, and tag when you post. Use the sew along hashtag of #agfLOVEquilt and be sure to tag @sharonhollanddesigns @maureencracknell and @cluckclucksew so we can see your progress! If you’re sewing with Art Gallery Fabrics don’t forget to tag them too as they love to see what Makers are making with @artgalleryfabrics !

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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.