Vista Quilt Pattern

Vista Quilt Pattern

Vista quilt flat lay-2.jpg

Life’s been pretty exciting around here with the fall collection reveals at the beginning of the month, the Sweet Home quilt along in full swing, and a brand new quilt pattern release today! Of course, all these things have been planned for some time and created well in advance but everything’s coming due all at once and really has me hopping!

Vista quilt pattern by Sharon Holland with feather quilting and photo by Lady Belle Fabric

Vista quilt pattern by Sharon Holland with feather quilting and photo by Lady Belle Fabric

I’m thrilled to announce Vista as the newest PDF quilt pattern in my SHOP. Vista is a medallion-style, over-sized throw quilt. It looks complicated but is really very straightforward. Even though I have it labeled as an intermediate quilt that’s only because of the large background pieces are a little awkward to cut and handle but that’s the only reason I have it labeled that way. A confident beginner will have no troubles making this design.

The Vista quilt, like my recent Phoenix quilt use a lot of half-square triangles (HSTs) in their constructions. If you haven’t invested in Bloc_Loc rulers yet and find yourself making HSTs and Flying Geese most of the time you’ll really thank yourself for purchasing these wonderful rulers. I’ll have an Amazon affiliate link at the bottom of this post for recommended Bloc_Loc ruler sizes.

Vista quilt outdoors-3.jpg

The graphic quality of a medallion quilt makes a real statement in home decor. This would look right at home draped on your favorite chair or hung on the wall like art. It uses only 6 different fabrics which makes it easy to coordinate with your homes color scheme and easy to plan a fabric pull.

Vista quilt flat lay-1.jpg

For the sample quilt I used Art Gallery Fabrics from a few of my fabric collections: Spirited, Signature, and the baby blue print is a recolored Spirited print released in the AGF Rosewood Fusion collection. I love this mix of prints and colors because they have a end-of-summer feeling and boho-nature vibe.

Vista quilt flat lay-3.jpg

The exquisite feather quilting on my quilt was done by Brooke Becker of Lady Belle Fabric. Not only does Brooke have an awesome shop with Art Gallery Fabrics, she also has a long arm service. I’ve been getting quite a lot of quilts quilted by her lately and she’s so wonderful to work with.

Vista quilt outdoors-6.jpg

For my batting I went with Hobbs Tuscany Silk batting inside. I love how silk batting is more crease resistant than traditional cotton and the wonderful stitch definition to show off that beautiful feather design.

Vista quilt styled-02 copy.jpg

In August I’d release my Phoenix quilt and for the first time, used quilt testers for a quilt release and have done so again for the Vista quilt. It’s been a wonderful experience working with these talented ladies and with three more quilt releases coming between now and November I’m really appreciating their help even more!

In case you’re wondering how to become a tester for me I’m not taking on any new makers at this time. There could be a new call for testers next year so best advice is to follow along on my Instagram feed as I would put a call for testers out via that social media platform.

Meet the Testers

The following six ladies (in alphabetical order) have done an amazing job making their Vista quilt samples. I asked that they work exclusively with Art Gallery Fabrics but to select prints or collections of their choosing— just like if they were making a fabric pull for any other quilt.

I’ve made collages of their quilt makes to bring you a virtual quilt show of Vista quilts. I highly encourage you to visit each one of their Instagram feeds or use the links I’ll provide in each of their write ups.

Enjoy the show!

Vista quilt make by Jennifer Cannon

Vista quilt make by Jennifer Cannon

Jennifer Cannon is the owner of Piper Autumn Designs, an online ETSY quilt shop. Jennifer has used a mix of AGF prints from designers Pat Bravo, Bonnie Christine, and AGF Studios and we’ve collaborated to bring you a kit based off Jennifers gorgeous quilt!

Vista Sunrise quilt kit from Piper Autumn Designs

Vista Sunrise quilt kit from Piper Autumn Designs

The beautiful Vista Sunrise quilt kit is available at Piper Autumn Designs. Hurry, these kits don’t last long! The quilt pattern is sold separately and can be found in my SHOP here on the blog.

Vista quilt maker Jennifer Monroe

Vista quilt maker Jennifer Monroe

Meet Jennifer Monroe, and Ohioan who lives very close to me but because of covid we never got to meet up. Jennifer is packing up and moving any day now but still managed to complete her Vista quilt make and snap some Ohio landscape photos before she leaves. This ethereal quilt is made with Art Gallery Fabrics designed by Bonnie Christine. I love the golden color palette. Read more about Jennifer and all her sewing adventures on her blog Sunshine Selvage.

Vista quilt maker Joyce Ulm

Vista quilt maker Joyce Ulm

Joyce Ulm is a life-long sewist and quilter and Etsy shop owner at Eva Mae Custom Quilts. Joyce had her Vista quilt done in no time flat so she could take it with her on a trip out west. She was able to snap some incredible photos so if you want to see more of her Vista quilt in the wild, be sure to visit her on Instagram to see it all! I adore her maroon, gold, and teal color palette and how she mixed AGF prints from Maureen Cracknell , Amy Sinibaldi, and Decostitch to make the perfect fall-inspired quilt.

Vista quilt maker Lindsey Fuessley

Vista quilt maker Lindsey Fuessley

Lindsey Fuessley of @lindseyleemakes on Instagram, lives in Iowa fairly close to where I grew up. I get homesick every time I see photos of her holding a quilt near corn fields! I love how soft and vintage Lindsey’s quilt looks in these AGF spring-fresh prints by Bonnie Christine, and Pat Bravo, mixed with Pure Solids. Her Instagram feed is an inspiration you won’t want to miss!

Vista quilt maker Renata Auld

Vista quilt maker Renata Auld

Renata Auld of @ciaomamaquilts on Instagram is an Aussie quilt maker who creates bold, beautiful quilts and isn’t shy to use color. I love the wow power of her Vista quilt and her photo locations! Renata deviated a bit from pattern and used only five prints, made placement changes, and didn’t add the end borders so as to keep her quilt a square. These changes are what makes quilting fun and customizable to your tastes. I love seeing how the same quilt can look completely different. The fabrics in Renata’s quilt are a mix of AGF Pure Solids, my Signature prints, and a print from Alexandra Bordallo’s Dew and Moss.

Vista quilt maker Tracey Taber-Perry

Vista quilt maker Tracey Taber-Perry

Last, but not least, is Tracey Taber_Perry of @ttabes80 on Instagram. Tracey is a relative newcomer to quilting but that doesn’t slow her down one bit! I’m in love with her fall-vibes quilt of honey and plum! Tracy used prints by Maureen Cracknell and AGF Floral Elements to create a stunner of a Vista quilt. Be sure to follow Tracey’s quilting adventures on Instagram!

Vista quilt make by Sharon Holland

Vista quilt make by Sharon Holland

I took a lot of photo of this quilt because it’s just so darn photogenic! Here’s a couple for Vista views for you…

Vista quilt.jpg

Vista quilt styled-10.jpg

Vista quilt styled-09.jpg

The backing for my Vista quilt is from my AGF Signature collection.

Vista quilt styled-06.jpg

You have to admit that was a spectacular quilt show! Are you inspired???

Coming late October-early November time, this lovely quilt pattern will be gracing the virtual pages of the Art Gallery Fabrics Kismet Look Book. Kismet is my new fabric collection due out in October. The fabulous Nuria Elkins of Fabric Stork will be making a Kismet version of Vista AND have quilt kits available as well,—yay!!! Keep watching for that announcement.

So, grab your pattern from my SHOP and add Vista to your list of quilt makes!

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

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!

Phoenix Quilt Styled.jpg

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.

Lady Belle Fabric Bundle.jpg

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

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!

IMG_8595.JPG

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.

Phoenix Quilt Outdoors-6.jpg

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.

Phoenix Quilt Swirl.jpg

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.

IMG_8651.jpeg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Phoenix Quilt Outdoors-7.jpg

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!

Sweet Home QAL banner.jpg

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

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.




Everlasting Blog Tour - Week 2 Recap + Giveaway

Everlasting Blog Tour - Week 2 Recap + Giveaway

Everlasting_blog tour square.jpg

The Everlasting Blog Tour has been a tour de force of incredible talent and this week’s makers brought their A-game! Every day I swoon over the newest blog post—I hope you’ve been following along but in case you missed a day, here’s the week’s recap.

Art Gallery Fabrics released my Everlasting fabric line this spring in May. The summer-inspired prints make sewing easy with a classic palette of navy, red, turquoise, and blush and what better way to show off sewing with Everlasting than with a blog tour. So, to keep those summer vibes going, I invited the industries finest to make beautiful things with Everlasting fabrics and blog about their projects.

Take a look at the Everlasting Blog Tour Week 1 Recap, here.

EVERLASTING BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, July 12 - Sharon Holland

Monday, July 15 - Marija Vujcic

Tuesday, July 16 - Carolina Moore

Wednesday, July 17 - Dana Willard

Thursday, July 18 - Lisa Ruble

Friday, July 19 - Dritz Sewing

Monday, July 22 - Eleri Kerian

Tuesday, July 23 - Marisa Wilhelmi

Wednesday, July 24 - Sharon McConnell

Thursday, July 25 - Modernly Morgan

Friday, July 26 - Alexis Wright

Monday, July 29 - Priscilla Geissler

Tuesday, July 30 - Maureen Cracknell

Wednesday, July 31 - Elina Temmes

Everlasting has been a huge success and is available in shops everywhere. See FABRICS page for stock listings of online shops.

Everlasting Collection banner.jpg

Week 2 Recap

Day 6 started our second week with the multi-talented Eleri Kerian and her astonishing Seafarer quilt (pattern by Simple Life Patterns) and adorable garments for her daughters. Eleri excels at a challenge and this relatively new-to-quilting quilter masterfully pieced a stunning Mariner’s Compass-style quilt. I love her placement of Everlasting fabrics to get maximum contrast of the pieced elements. Hop over to Eleri’s blog and learn more about this quilt and the sweet romper and dress makes for her youngest daughters.

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Eleri Kerian

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Eleri Kerian

Day 7 was a day of many first for Marisa Wilhelmi. If you follow me on Instagram you’d know that I’d held an Everlasting fabrics giveaway this spring for 1/2 yard of each print from the collection for a winner and their tagged friend. Marisa was the tagged friend and was so excited about her bundle of Everlasting fabrics I invited her to be part of this tour. This was really an unknown for me as to what Marisa would create and she even went the extra mile and started a blog in preparations for the tour. Her passion for sewing (again, she’s new to quilting) is apparent in her exciting and creative pieces. I was blown away by all the beautiful quilt projects she made for the tour. Check them out yourself and give her a big hand for all she’s accomplished in such a short time.

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Marisa Wilhelmi

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Marisa Wilhelmi

Day 8 was Sharon McConnell of Color Girl Quilts day to wow everyone with her stunning new quilt pattern. I met Sharon through Instagram with my first Art Gallery Fabrics collection, Gossamer. We’ve been friends ever since and even traveled and roomed together at Quilt Markets. Sharon has an eye for mixing prints and playing with color and she certainly shined brightly during the Everlasting tour. All ten Everlasting prints were used in her quilt plus the addition of the green FE-527 Lettuce Floral Element from AGF. Find out more about her rulers and the soon to be released star pattern on her blog.

Everlasting Blog Tour project by Sharon McConnell

Everlasting Blog Tour project by Sharon McConnell

Day 9 comes to us from the UK where Morgan of Modernly Morgan is stationed with her husband. Morgan designs beautifully modern quilts and has a great eye for color. This was my first time collaborating with Morgan on a tour and I was so excited when she could take part. Morgan’s Tropical Storm quilt is absolutely sublime with Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids and Bouquet Muse large floral spinning around the central eye of the block. Be sure to take a peek at the back of her quilt that uses primarily Something Blue print with a splash of Crossed Paths. I’m also enjoying her #QuiltsInTheWasher hashtag and images on Instagram!

Everlasting Blog Tour project by Modernly Morgan

Everlasting Blog Tour project by Modernly Morgan

Day 10 closed out the second week with my dear friend Alexis Wright. I met Alexis through her sewing for Art Gallery Fabrics Look Books and in person at Quilt Market. I knew right away we were kindred spirits and although I’m almost old enough to be her mother, you’ll see in our Instagram comments we call each other Little and Big Sis (sisters) because she feels like the little sister I never had. Alexis can design clothing (Blake dress pattern Violette Field Threads), professionally sew, and I’m insanely jealous (sibling rivalry) of her photography! The garments Alexis made with Everlasting prints are easy, breezy, and summer-time perfection! In fact, I’m hoping next week to do a little garment sewing myself with the Flower Keeper rayon!

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Alexis Wright

Everlasting Blog Tour projects by Alexis Wright

WEEK 2 Giveaway

That’s two out of the three weeks of Everlasting blog tour and the only way to make it even better is to have a giveaway to keep this party hopping.

The week 2 sponsored giveaway comes to you from:
Bloc_Loc Ruler.

Bloc_Loc Giveaway Graphic.jpg

If you remember on my opening blog post for the tour I posted about my Pineapple Block pillows and BlocLoc Pineapple ruler. These rulers have been game-changers for my patchwork and I seriously don’t know how I ever lived without them! Bloc_Loc has instructional videos to accompany all their rulers.

Bloc_Loc has been a sponsor for this blog since the Community Sampler sew along days and I love being able to introduce you to their company and product line. Bloc_Loc was created by husband and wife team, Paul and Janna. Paul, an Australian, was an aircraft maintenance engineer and Janna, and American, is a quilt designer and author of Courtship Quilts; Inspired by the Victorian Language of Flowers, published by Martingale & Co 2005. Now based in Loveland, Colorado, Bloc_Loc manufacturers, distributes, and sells their own patent pending products which are new and innovative. Their rulers are made of the highest quality materials by the old-fashioned standard of making products and are built tough enough to last from one generation to the next!

 Shop Rulers * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Instagram 

Bloc_Loc is generously giving away a 3” Kite in Square (KIS) ruler set for making 9” finished blocks and the new KIS ME book so you can make beautiful quilt variations from this one ruler set! You could have a lot of fun with this—see entry rules below.


Giveaway Now Closed. Congratulations to Barb K!

* 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. Follow Bloc_Loc on Facebook and/or Instagram. Just let me know that you did by making a separate comment here to record that entry. (Separate comment - second entry). 

3. 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 - third entry). Note: I'm no longer on Facebook.

4. 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 the Everlasting Blog Tour on YOUR instagram, facebook, tweet, pin, blog post, etc... (separate comment - fourth entry). 

That’s four possible entries! Enter now through Tuesday, July 30. The winner will be picked at random around 4 pm Eastern. I’ll post the name of the winner on this blog post once they've been notified and responded to my email.

Don’t forget you have a second chance to win this same prize by reposting any of the the Everlasting Blog Tour makers projects on Instagram. Simply tag the project’s maker with their IG account, #ArtGalleryFabrics, and use the #EverlastingBlogTour hashtag on a public Instagram account and you’ll automatically be entered into all the IG giveaway drawings for this tour! Enter as many times as you’d like by reposting blog tour images—just be sure to give tour makers proper credit and tag them in your repost.

Happy sewing,

Sharon

Everlasting Blog Tour

Everlasting Blog Tour

Everlasting_blog tour square.jpg

I’m so excited for next week when the Everlasting Blog Tour officially begins! Thirteen incredible designers and sewists from around the globe have been busy stitching behind the scenes to make this upcoming blog tour truly remarkable.

Everlasting by Sharon Holland rolls.jpg

This May saw the release of Everlasting, my seventh fabric line for Art Gallery Fabrics. Romantic, summer-inspired prints make sewing easy with a classic palette of navy, red, turquoise, and blush. Everlasting has been a huge success and is available in shops everywhere. See FABRICS page for stock listings of online shops.

I knew right away I wanted this collection to have a blog tour and coordinated a list of wonderfully talented makers to share their love of stitching with all of us. Here in the States we’re enjoying summer and I know I’d love these long, lazy days to never end. So, to keep those summer vibes going, over the next three weeks you’ll find inspired sewing posts, exciting makers to follow, beautiful projects, and of course, weekly giveaways all focused around my Everlasting fabric collection—you won’t want to miss a day!

EVERLASTING BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, July 12 - Sharon Holland

Monday, July 15 - Marija Vujcic

Tuesday, July 16 - Carolina Moore

Wednesday, July 17 - Dana Willard

Thursday, July 18 - Lisa Ruble

Friday, July 19 - Dritz Sewing

Monday, July 22 - Eleri Kerian

Tuesday, July 23 - Marisa Wilhelmi

Wednesday, July 24 - Sharon McConnell

Thursday, July 25 - Modernly Morgan

Friday, July 26 - Alexis Wright

Monday, July 29 - Priscilla Geissler

Tuesday, July 30 - Maureen Cracknell

Wednesday, July 31 - Elina Temmes

Everlasting Blog Tour photo.jpg

My Blog Tour Makes

You know I couldn’t host a blog tour without contributing so this pre-blog tour post is also my opportunity to share my new Everlasting makes with you.

I was originally planning on making a new free quilt pattern for the tour but decided instead to make hand quilted pillows. I’ve been wanting to make a Pineapple block for ages and pillows seemed the perfect application! Also, these pillows are going to be gifted to a friend and it’s a win-win when I can make a project, blog about it, and use the finished piece as a gift!

Everlasting Pineapple pillows by Sharon Holland

Everlasting Pineapple pillows by Sharon Holland

It was very tempting to use more than just one print from this collection but I wanted to keep these pillows very classic and slightly rustic. Red and white, or in this case natural with Art Gallery Fabrics Linen and the bold red Flutter Buds cotton print. Besides, you’ll see the rest of the prints in action during the tour from the other makers!

Pillow Materials.jpg

To get perfect Pineapple blocks I used the Bloc_Loc Pineapple Ruler and it was so easy! Simply cut strips to a desired width depending upon your ruler size. I have the 3/4’’ - 1-1/2’’-size ruler and cut according to the 1-1/2’’ size to make a 21’’ square for my pillow top. Bloc_Loc has a helpful video, cutting charts, and printable instructions.

Once the piecing was done and my block measured 21’’ (unfinished) I basted a 23’’ square of Hobb’s Tuscany Silk batting scrap to the wrong side of the blocks. I didn’t use any backing because it is intended for a pillow and not having the backing reduced the bulk for hand quilting.

I hand quilted with DMC #8 Perle Cotton thread in ecru for a more traditional look. Once both blocks were quilted I used my Hidden Zipper tutorial to add Dritz Sewing brass zippers, giving a professional finish to my pillow covers. The finished size of my pillows is 20’’ square.

24’’ Brass Upholstery Zipper by Dritz Home

24’’ Brass Upholstery Zipper by Dritz Home

Everlasting Pillows 1.jpg

With the insertion of feather pillow inserts these pillows have a high-end designer quality to them and I cannot wait till I can give them to my friend—she’s going to love them! She loves red, too!

Everlasting Pineapple Pillows by Sharon Holland

Everlasting Pineapple Pillows by Sharon Holland

My next make to share was created because I love easy-to-wear summer dresses and had the strong desire to stitch something for myself. My daughter and I wear basically the same size and have similar tastes in clothing. In fact, our tastes are so similar that we bought the same dress, in the same print, on the same day, and we live a state away from each other. We both liked how it fit us so I had the big idea to use it as a template and try to make a knit dress with it.

Everlasting Pillows and Knit Dress.jpg

Now, I don’t want to take any business away from pattern companies or Indie pattern designers. This project may actually do more to encourage you to BUY a pattern rather than make your own hack like I did because after finishing the first one I really want to make more adjustments to my pattern and try it all again. Never the less, I will quickly go over my not-so-skilled hack and let you be the judge.

Dress Pattern Hack by Sharon Holland.jpg
  1. I used the grid side of a roll of gift wrap as my template paper because it was wide enough to accommodate the store-bought dress (once I get my final templates I’ll transfer it to freezer paper, so it’s sturdier). With the dress inside out, I taped it down to the paper with washi tape, trying not to stretch it out of shape.

  2. I drew the shape of the dress, adding a 1/2’’ seam allowance and marking the back and front necklines. I cut out the shape using the taller back neckline and then folded the cut out in half. Once folded I could do more cutting to mirror image the sides. After cutting the mirrored shape down the center (where it will be placed on the fold of the fabric) I went ahead and designated one side as the back (higher neckline) and the other I cut a lower neckline for the front of the dress. From paper scraps I cut out the pocket shape. For a great tutorial on sewing pockets into a garment visit Dana Willard’s Made Everyday You Tube channel.

  3. Finally I took a piece of rope and roughly measured around the neck and arm openings to determine the length of binding needed to finish the garment openings. Use a straight ruler to determine the amount determined with the rope and add 1’’ to that total for seam allowance. Since I’m sewing with knit fabric I simply cut my binding on the straight of grain from selvage to selvage. I cut 1-3/4’’ wide strips.

Everlasting Flutter Buds knit by Sharon Holland

Everlasting Flutter Buds knit by Sharon Holland

Overall it wasn’t a bad first attempt and some very minor tweaks may yield just the perfect fit.

Everlasting Flutter Buds Knit dress.jpg

I do love this Flutter Buds print in blue knit and so does my daughter so we’ll both have one to wear this summer. I also want to make myself one in the red Cherished Wishes knit print. There’s enough unused fabric from my dress attempt that my granddaughter will be getting a summer dress(s) to match!

Everlasting by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics

Everlasting by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics

The extremely talented Marija Vujcic will be leading off the Everlasting Blog Tour on Monday, July 15th. Be sure to stop by each of the makers blogs to get the full story about their Everlasting makes and get to know these incredible women even more.

Blog Tour Giveaways!

I know you follow me on Instagram and I’ll be posting daily to keep you in the know about the tour. Each weekend I’ll have a weekly recap here on the blog and announce the special giveaway that week from one of our sponsors! Dritz Sewing, Bloc_Loc Rulers, and Fat Quarter Shop have generously offered fabulous prizes to be given away during the tour.

You’ll have two chances to win each week!

  1. One chance is here on the blog by leaving comments on the weekly recap posts (see details coming next weekend).

  2. The second chance is on Instagram. Starting today (Friday, July 12) if you repost any of the tour makers projects (including mine or any of the tour graphics) posted during the Everlasting Blog Tour, tag the project’s maker with their IG account, #ArtGalleryFabrics, and use the #EverlastingBlogTour hashtag on a public Instagram account and you’ll automatically be entered into all the IG giveaway drawings for this tour! Enter as many times as you’d like by reposting blog tour images—just be sure to give tour makers proper credit and tag them in your repost.

More details about giveaways, how to enter, and giveaway drawings will be announced at time of giveaways.