Firelight Quilt

Firelight Quilt

Firelight quilt by Sharon Holland

Hello, and welcome to my first blog post of 2021 where I introduce my first new quilt pattern of 2021!

I know it’s been two months since my last post—sorry about the gap but I’ve been busy creating new quilt designs and doing some secret sewing. I’ve got plenty to show and tell with you very soon and there’ll be new blog posts showing up in your inbox on a regular basis—you can count on that!

Right before Christmas I’d received a bundle of Little Forester Fusions from AGF and knew instantly this is the collection I’d use to make my grandson a quilt for his upcoming third birthday. The Little Forester collection is a fusion of beloved prints from several AGF designer, recolored and grouped into a new collection under the Fusions division of AGF offerings. FUSIONS are bite size collections featuring prints from AGF designers arranged in conceptual themes and as the name suggest, this is a playful, nature-themed collection.

Little Forester Fusions

Above is the entire Little Forester Fusions collection. I did not use every print from the collection but instead selected five of the prints and paired them with AGF Pure Solids and a couple prints from my Spirited collection below.

The Firelight quilt pattern comes with three quilt sizes: Crib, throw, and twin. The pattern cover quilt is the throw size. Quilt kits, just like my sample quilt, are available at Midlife Quilter and include the fabrics listed below. See the PDF pattern listing on my SHOP page for material requirements for all three sizes.

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

Photo courtesy of Midlife Quilter

I’ve labeled this pattern an intermediate level pattern because there are a lot of pieces per block and the need for accurate cutting, sewing, and trimming will be necessary for maintaining all those points. There are also many pieces to keep track of for orientation as well but the end results are really worth slowing down a bit and taking a little extra care.

The pattern has step by step instruction for making Half-Square Triangle (HST) units and Flying Geese units with no-waste piecing techniques. Units are purposely made oversized to allow for trimming and squaring so your blocks go together effortlessly.

For tips on trimming and squaring these types of units, read my tutorial HERE.

I love that this pattern is fat quarter-friendly and encourages mix and match, scrappy blocks. I preplanned my fabric pairing before I started sewing block so I could distribute the fabrics and make each block different.

My grandson really loves the quilts his Mimi (that’s me) makes and he’s a snuggle bug! So, to make this quilt extra special for him I added Shannon Minky in Cappuccino to the back of the quilt and quilted it myself on a diagonal grid by stitching in the ditch. It was a breeze to quilt on my domestic machine and oh, so snuggly!

I used Hobbs Heirloom 100% Cotton Batting inside and it was the perfect thickness with a thick Minky backing but still quilted like a dream. The quilt has some heft to it but still has a lovely, traditional drape and feel to it.

But wait, there’s more!

I wasn't the only one making a Firelight quilt these last two months. My amazing pattern testers have been stitching away on their own version of this pattern and I can’t wait for you to see these quilts!

Meet the Testers

Pattern tester Brittany Tunison

Brittany Tunison is a talented quilt designer in her own right and an amazing maker. Brittany curated Art Gallery Fabrics from several different designers and included AGF Denim in her quilt and the result is this stunning denim, blush, and gold throw quilt. See more of Brittany’s own work as a quilt pattern designer and blogger at White Plains Quilts . You can also find Brittany on Instagram @brittanytunison

Pattern tester Elaine Satterfield

Elaine Satterfield chose to make a crib size Firelight quilt and it’s incredible! Elaine also backed her quilt with Minky but rounded the corners which is brilliant idea since the corners of the quilt are created from large background triangle and don’t interfere with any blocks. I love the soft shades of mint, gold, gray, and peach in these assorted Art Gallery Fabrics used in her quilt. You can follow Elaine’s quilt adventures on Instagram @elaines14 .

Pattern tester Joyce Ulm

I’m crazy over Joyce Ulm’s Firelight make! Joyce stitched the twin version of this quilt and used AGF Pure Solids and my Kismet prints—a feast for the eyes! See more of Joyce’s work on Instagram @evamaecustomquilts, Etsy shop, and on her Facebook blog HERE, she’s are real dynamo and does her own quilting as well!

Pattern tester Megan Eckroth

Megan Eckroth of @cartellastudio on Instagram is a new member to my tester group. I was instantly smitten with Megan’s work and have enjoyed getting to know her and know you’ll love her, too! Megan made the throw size Firelight and it’s a beauty. The dark background is inspired and sets off the sage, clay, putty, and peach solids and spring-colored prints from Art Gallery Fabrics. Follow Megan on Instagram, FB, and her Etsy Shop.

Pattern tester Mary Gove

I wait with anticipation to see what Mary Gove will create next. Her Firelight throw quilt version is stunning and is only rivaled by the equally glorious landscape settings she uses as backdrops to her quilts. This beautiful fabric pull of Pure Solids, Homebody prints and Kismet prints is delicious and feels so fresh. Follow Mary’s quilting adventures from her Instagram account @thecurlyquilter.

Pattern tester Terri Neil

I was real excited when I heard Terri Neil say she was going to make an all AGF Pure solids Firelight throw quilt and beyond thrill when she sent me the reveal photos! Have you ever seen a prettier color palette? The juxtaposition of bright, muted, and jewel tone colors blow away all color theory conventions yet it utterly works and reminds me of museum-worthy antique Amish quilts. Terri on Instagram @quiltingrubies and you’ll be in awe of all the beautiful quilts she makes and quilts for others from her long arm business called Quilting Rubies.

Pattern tester Tracey Taber-Perry

This gorgeous jewel-toned Firelight throw quilt was made by Tracey Taber-Perry. Tracey used the AGF Marrakesh Fusions collection for the blocks and background and I love the big, bold geometric print background to add even more energy to the quilt design. This quilt looks like a beautiful spring bulb poking out of the snow. To see more of Tracey’s beautiful work and you can follow her feed @ttabes80 on Instagram.

Pattern tester Victoria Newmyer

Victoria Newmyer is the genius behind the Midlife Quilter shop where you can find beautiful AGF fabrics and get personal help curating your next bundle for a quilt project. I love this spring-fresh bundle Victoria pulled for her crib size Firelight quilt. The addition of Chenille-It Just Peachy faux chenille binding is the perfect finish and a product she stocks in her shop as well.

Don’t forget that Victoria is stocking kits for the Firelight cover quilt and you can find all the details on her online quilt shop Midlife Quilter and beautiful Instagram account @midlife_quilter.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this virtual quilt show and have been inspired to discover new Art Gallery Fabrics you may not have seen yet or new color combinations to spice up your life and energize your creativity. Be sure to stop by my testers social pages and say “Hi” and tell them how amazing they are!

Find the PDF pattern for the Firelight quilt in my SHOP and 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.

Trimming HST and Flying Geese Units

Trimming HST and Flying Geese Units

As a pattern designer I strive to make my patterns as easy as possible for all level of quilters to follow and for each maker to finish their quilt with true to size blocks and sharp points on units like Half-Square Triangle units (HST) and Flying Geese Units. Tips and tutorials make for better patchwork and in a recent discussion with my quilt testers group I realized many newer quilters are unsure of how to trim up units like Half-Square Trangkes and Flying Geese.

You’ll find many tutorials on this blog about how to make these different sort of units but I’ve not addresses directly on how to trim these units down to size if you don’t have specialty rulers like my favored Bloc_Loc Rulers. This seemed the perfect time to add this lesson as I’ve a new quilt pattern coming out in October that utilizes several different types of units.

Before we get into trimming of these two unit types you can review unit construction on these earlier blog posts:

• Half-Square Triangle units (two at a time)

• Eight at a Time Half-Square Triangle units

• Quarter-Square Triangle units

• Triple-Square Triangle units

• No-Waste Flying Geese

• Quick Corner Units (construction similar to flippy-corner Flying Geese)

Trimming HST units

Half-Square Triangles are the easiest units to trim to size and can be done without any specialty rulers. I’m using a left over HST unit from making Sweet Home roofs as an example in this tutorial.

Stitch two triangles together using a 1/4” seam allowance or make HST units according to a pattern instructions. Press unit open.

For this example I’m using a 6-1/2” square Creative Grids ruler that has a 45° diagonal line marking as well as the normal grid line markings. A square ruler works best for HST units.

In the above left image, use the ruler to size up the HST to see what usable size can be made by lining up the 45° marking with the seam line and making sure there’s at least a 1/4” seam allowance on all side. As you see, a 4’’ square or smaller can be made from this HST unit.

With the ruler in position, trim the top and right sides of the HST with a rotary cutter as seen in the above right image. Reverse these instructions if you’re left handed.

If working on a rotating mat, rotate everything 180° without disturbing the HST. If on a stationary mat, turn the HST so the trimmed sides are opposite of their starting point.

Slide the ruler down so the diagonal marking still aligns to the seam line and the 4” markings line up with the newly trimmed edges. Trim the two remaining sides to square the HST.

The image above uses the same method to trim a HST unit to 5” square using a regular 6-1/2” square ruler and a 6-1/2” square Bloc_Loc ruler.

Trimming Flying Geese Units

Flying Geese units take just a little more care when trimming and squaring to size. A regular square ruler is still the best tool for this job if you don’t have a specialty Flying Geese ruler for trimming.

I happen to have a square ruler the same width as what’s needed for my Flying Geese unit but a larger ruler would be just as useful but require a few more passes to cut since you could only cut up to two sides at once with a larger ruler.

Determine the cut size of your Flying Geese unit. In this case I need to trim my unit to 3-1/2” x 6-1/2”. Subtract 1/4” from the height of the unit. Example: 3-1/2” minus 1/4” is 3-1/4”. This is well marked on my ruler as it’s the center of this 6-1/2” ruler. Place the measurement mark (in this case 3-1/4”) on the point of the Goose. The point of the Goose is used as the reference point and will help establish the 1/4” seam allowance. Note how the 45° marking on the ruler lines up with one seam line on the unit and there’s enough fabric on all sides of the Flying Geese unit for trimming.

Trim both the sides and bottom edge of the unit as shown. If your ruler is larger, trim bottom and one side of unit.

Rotate the unit or mat so the Goose now points down. Align the 3-1/2” mark (or the cut size needed) with the trimmed bottom edge of the unit (now located at the top).

Trim the Goose point edge and remaining side, if necessary so all outside edges have been trimmed as needed to size which includes the 1/4’’ seam allowance.

Above shows the no-measure needed trimming of a Flying Geese unit using a Bloc-Loc Ruler.

There are other rulers on the market that are considered specialty rulers and cover more than one size of unit. I’ve only used the Bloc_Loc rulers but have heard good things about the Wing Clipper ruler from other quilters. Here are some examples available on Amazon using affiliate links:

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Having all your units true to size will make patchwork assembly a breeze and no more fudging or wrestling your pieces into place. There’ll be no more clipped points, or wonky blocks. Taking time to trim and square up units is all part of the patchwork process and since you’ve already put in so much time and money into your beautiful quilt It’s well worth the extra effort to assure it’s made as well and as near perfect as it can be!

Happy trimmings!

Sweet Home Quilt Along - Week 3

Sweet Home Quilt Along - Week 3

Welcome to the third week of the Sweet Home Quilt along hosted by (me) Sharon Holland, Maureen Cracknell, and Jennifer Jones. We’re halfway through the quilt along and excited to connect with the Sweet Home quilt makers on our Instagram community and here on our blogs!

I hope you’ve been following along on all three hosts blogs and Instagram accounts as we’re each making different versions of this quilt and let me tell you I’m loving ALL OF THEM!! See what I mean when you search the #SweetHomeQAL hashtag on Instagram.

If you’re just joining us you’ll probably want to pop over to the Sweet Home Quilt Along - Week 1 post to get caught up. Purchase the Sweet Home quilt pattern from my SHOP here.

If you’ve been following along since the start then you should already have your fabrics cut out and Log Cabin blocks assembled.

The quilt along will run six weeks total and we’ll cover a different aspect of piecing or finishing for that week. Some of you are working ahead and that’s wonderful—it’ll give you more time for the quilting and finishing portion. This quilt along is very relaxed. If you feel like completing the top in a week—go for it! But, if you’re a beginner and want more instruction along the way—we have that too in the form of LIVE and recorded Instagram tutorials over on my IGTV channel on Instagram. I just added a Bungalow Block tutorial on Monday of this week.

I’ve recorded step by step tutorials for you to access on my @sharonhollanddesigns IGTV channel on Instagram and so far the Sweet Home Quilt series covers fabric selection, Log Cabin block, and Bungalow block construction.

Today we talk about piecing the Bungalow blocks. I’m using Art Gallery Fabrics Terra Kotta prints mixed with AGF Pure Solids Sandstone for the background and one of my Spirited prints for half of the Log Cabin block roofs. The Sweet Home Terra Kotta kit can be purchased from Fat Quarter Shop.

Once you’ve made one Bungalow block all the way through and are comfortable with the construction you can utilize chain piecing to help speed up the repetitive sewing steps.

In the photo above, I’ve added all the long strips to one side of the window units without clipping the threads. Once the same sewing step has been applied to all the pieces needed for the Bungalow blocks I remove the chained pieces, snip the connecting threads and add the long strip to the opposite side before moving on to the next step.

When constructing the roofs for both the Log Cabin and Bungalow blocks there’s usable trimmings from the Flippy Corner construction. I’ve been saving all my trimming and am planning to make something scrappy from them in the near future.

If you’re looking for some ideas of what to do with those leftover half-square triangles (HST) units, take a look at an oldie but goodie blog post were I show examples of what to do with leftover HSTs to create new quilt blocks.

If you don’t want to commit to making another quilt from leftover HST scraps then why not think smaller and make a pillow? I had a similar stack of half-square triangle (HST) trimmings when Maureen and I hosted the AGF Heart Quilt sew along earlier this year. If you’d like some inspiration for a pillow project, read about my pretty pillow that also uses Chenille-It Blooming Bias for an added bit of fun!

Just like the Log Cabin construction, you’ll find the Bungalow block uses much the same piecing techniques. The window sections are assembled in a Log-Cabin fashion and the base of the Bungalow comes together quickly—especially if you’re chain piecing. The roof is constructed exactly like the Log Cabin roof only minus the chimney.

If you’re working with a directional print for your roof like I am then you’ll want to either watch my Instagram IGTV video for this block construction or read about Controlling Directional Prints in Patchwork Units on my tutorial post.

Next week we’ll be making the corner squares and attaching sashing to blocks.

I’m enjoying seeing your postings to Instagram and following along on your progress—you’re all are doing amazing and beautiful work on your Sweet Home quilts!

Don’t forget that this Friday will be a new Friday Giveaway with fabulous prizes from our sponsors. Be following along on Instagram as all the giveaways will be held on that platform and winners will be randomly drawn the following Monday from the #SweetHomeQAL hashtag pool. The quilt along members that post their progress photos to public account on Instagram and use the hashtag #SweetHomeQAL will automatically be entered into every Sweet Home Quilt Along drawing! It’s that easy to enter, so enter often to up your chances!

And, while you’re on Instagram, take a look at the #SweetHomeQAL hashtag on Instagram and see what the other QAL Makers are using in their quilts—it’s an amazing resource not only to see fabrics but to make new friends!

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.

Vista Quilt Pattern

Vista Quilt Pattern

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…

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

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.