Chicago Geese Quilt

Fall’s just around the corner and time to start thinking about the weather getting cooler and sewing projects for the home and maybe even sewing for gifts! I always get energized in the fall and am continually inspired by the colors of the season—how about you?

The newest pattern in my shop is called Chicago Geese and this fun, intermediate pattern comes in 6 sizes ranging from crib to king! Even though the pattern is new on my site, it’s not exactly new. I had made the original version for Quilts and More Spring 2019 issue, using prints from my Signature collection for Art Gallery Fabrics (see image below).

For the magazine feature, the quilt was called Sense of Direction but that’s the name they gave it. To me, it’s the Chicago Geese quilt, named after the antique block of the same name. This was finally the year I turned the magazine pattern into a stand alone quilt pattern. So, with the addition of one more fabric for a even scrappier look and 5 more size options, we now have the Chicago Geese quilt pattern!

The cover quilt for the Chicago Geese quilt pattern is a twin size quilt made with a mix of fabrics from my Kindred, Kismet, Fanciful, and the AGF Vert Venture prints. I’m calling this version Moody Blues because of the goose and sky-colored palette. This is more of a masculine look with the addition of smokey black. Kits for the throw size in this version are available at Lady Belle Fabric. Brooke at Lady Belle Fabric also did the long arm quilting for this quilt and used a pantograph called Woven Wind—it’s one of my favorites! We also used two layers of Warm and Natural batting for a heavy quilt with lots of cushion and great stitch definition!

But wait, there’s a bonus to making a Chicago Geese quilt! Because of the way the blocks are constructed, you get usable half-square triangle trimmings. The cast-off corners can be sewn together in pairs to create nice size half-square triangle units. Sure, whatever your background fabric is will have a little seam in that triangle half but that adds to the charm of a true scrap project, right? Depending upon the size Chicago Geese quilt you make will determine how many corner scraps you get. I have made a twin quilt and a king quilt so far and the twin could have yielded enough scraps to create a baby quilt (but I chose to only use some and made a bag) and my king quilt created enough scraps to make a 60’’ x 70’’ throw quilt with the addition of borders.

Above is my impromptu book bag I made using selected colored scrap half-square triangles or goslings as I’m calling the trimmed scrap half-square triangle (HST) units from making a Chicago Geese quilt. The goslings can be made into anything you’d normally sew. I’ve no pattern to give for this bag because I made it up as I went—just use your favorite bag pattern if you wanted to make a bag with your Gosling scraps. You could make just about anything from the scraps like a fun fall quilted coat or a table runner or quilt. I did very simple patchwork arrangements with my projects but there’s so many block designs that use half-square triangles in construction—you could get really creative.

The king size Chicago Geese quilt is currently in transit from being long arm quilted by Brooke Becker of Lady Belle Fabric. This is the Fern Glade version and is a quilt I made for my new house and first time having a king bed! I can’t wait to have it bound and in use on my bed and will be sure to have a follow up post showing it all styled and finished.

The fabric used in this quilt are from my Shine On, Willow, and Fanciful collections for Art Gallery Fabrics and Brooke will be kitting this Fern Glade king version as well as a Fern Glade throw size.

From the king quilt I was able to make a Gosling throw quilt from the trimmed corner half-square triangles. A throw Chicago Geese quilt will yield less scrap “Gosling HSTs” but still be able to use for small bonus projects.

I used Hobbs 100% Premium Polyester batting and AGF flannel from my Willow collection for the backing.

Again, I’m not supplying instructions or a pattern for my Gosling bonus scrap project because depending upon what size Chicago Geese quilt you make will determine how many trimmed scraps you have to work with. From the scraps, you can make anything you want with the half-square triangles. I simply arranged these half-square triangles units in the same orientation to a desired size that used I think all but 2 or 3 HST units. To make my throw a little larger I added 3’’ (finished) borders on all sides using scrap strips from making both my quilts.

To finish the Gosling throw quilt on my domestic sewing machine I did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch following the diagonal lines of the squares. The polyester batting and flannel backing give this quilt a heavenly puff that’s snuggle-perfect! It’s my new favorite throw quilt and looks beautiful in my family room. I’ll share more of some home decor shots in the king quilt followup post.

Meet the testers

With every new pattern release, my tester team also makes their own quilt versions. I love working with this group of talented ladies and they always come up with the prettiest quilts in fabric selections I could never dream up on my own! The following showcase of their work also illustrates how versatile this pattern is in a variety of fabric prints and colors.

In alphabetical order:

Leah Bruski

Leah Parker Bruski stitched this sunny Chicago Geese throw quilt in a mix of cheery Art Gallery Fabrics purchase at Piper Autumn Fabrics. Follow Leah’s quilt journey on her Instagram feed @lapinsta.

Jen Cannon (Piper Autumn Fabrics)

Jen Cannon of Piper Autumn Fabrics has created a magical palette of sea glass for her throw-size quilt and best part is she has kits available so you can make this version, too! All fabrics are from Art Gallery Fabrics beautifully curated. Grab this kit in her ETSY SHOP and don’t forget to visit Jen on Instagram @piperautumnfabrics.

Tamara Darragh

Tamara curated a delightful mix of Art Gallery Fabrics prints to make her aviary-inspired Chicago Geese throw quilt. See more of her stunning quilt on Tamara’s social media on Instagram @remivailstudio and visit Tamara’s shop Remi Vail Studio.

Tamara also made a bonus Gosling project from her trimmed scraps! As a talented bag maker, she self-drafted a beautiful cross body bag using fabric scraps and beautiful bag hardware.

Lindsey Fuessley

Lindsey has created a Chicago Geese throw quilt with a vintage palette and twist that it’s tied with machine tacking and pom poms! It looks right at home on the range and super snuggly with a Shannon Cuddle backing that also is used as self-binding—wow! See more of Lindsey’s makes @lindseymakes on Instagram as well as her blog Lindsey Makes.

Mary Gove

Mary Gove of @thecurlyquilter on Instagram has wow’d us again with her tester quilt! Mary used Maureen Cracknell’s Homebody collection for Art Gallery fabrics and backed it with flannel from my Kindred collection to make a sublimely pretty Chicago Geese throw quilt.

Terri Neil

Terri Neil owner of @quiltingrubies has outdone herself with this Chicago Geese baby quilt gem! She curated a palette of Art Gallery Fabrics in ruby jewel tones and backed with Shannon Cuddle fabric and of course quilting is done by Terri who’s also a profession long armer.

Terri creatively used her Gosling HSTs to create framed Quilt Block Art for her studio! Now that’s thinking outside the box, or, rather inside the box!

Elaine Satterfield

Elaine Satterfield of @createjoyquilt is so incredibly talented, and always creates pretty things. Elaine’s used a variety of Art Gallery Fabrics including several prints from my Shine On collection in creating her sunny, end-of-summer palette.

The Gosling bonus projects that Elaine Satterfield made are great examples of the many small projects that can be make using the trimmed HST units from making a Chicago Geese quilt. Elaine made a gorgeous HST pillow and a zippered pouch.

Tracey Taber-Perry

Tracey’s Chicago Geese throw is anything but scary! She did, however use Art Gallery Fabrics spooky Halloween collections to create this adorable throw quilt—look at that striped binding! See more of Tracey’s beautiful makes by following her on her Instagram feed at @ttabes80.

Liza Taylor

Liza Taylor of @lizataylorhandmade always makes something special! Her Chicago Geese throw quilt in Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solid color palette is in perfect tonal harmony. I especially love that she used my Delicate Balance print in the background.

Joyce Ulm

Joyce Ulm of @evamaecustomquilts is a prolific quilter and talented long arm quilter. Joyce used prints from Amy Sinabaldi’s Haven collection for Art Gallery Fabrics to make a twin Chicago Geese quilt.

Using the trimmed scrap HST units from making her twin Chicago Geese quilt, Joyce was able to make a generous-size baby quilt like my Gosling throw quilt.

Marija Vujcic

Last but not least is Marija Vujcic on Instagram @maraquiltdesigns and on her blog at Mara Quilt Designs. Marija used mostly prints from my Fanciful blender collection plus a green blender from Lilliput and the dark green floral is from Shine On. Marija’s Chicago Geese throw quilt looks like you are looking at a beautiful garden!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Chicago Geese quilt show and are inspired to make a version, or two for yourself. Don’t forget you’ll also have left over scraps to make some Gosling bonus projects as well!

I have so much more to share with you besides this new pattern release! My next fabric collection, Juniper is shipping to shops during the month of September and there’s new projects to make for the Juniper Look Book. This blog post is already way too long so to see more about the Chicago Geese quilts, my new fabric collection, and sewing project, follow along on my Instagram account @sharonhollanddesigns for daily updates and pretty pictures of what I’m working on.

Lily Pad Quilt

With summer right around the corner and the great outdoors calling us away from the sewing machine, it’s nice to have a quilt pattern that’s fast, fun, and the perfect size for picnics, campfires, or play forts! Oh, and how about some awesome faux chenille embellishment—you’ll find the extra time to make this one!!!!!

Lily Pad is now available in the SHOP.

Lily Pad is a redesigned quilt pattern of a quilt I made for the Quilt Now Issue 15 (January 2015) magazine originally called, Honeycomb. The magazine version was more complex than the newly revised Lily Pad quilt but much the same overall look. I’ve always loved this pattern but never got around to publishing it as a stand alone pattern until this year when Nannette Holmberg of Chenille-It asked me if I wanted to design something for her monthly subscription boxes.

I’m all about quilts, as you know, and my newest Art Gallery Fabrics Lilliput collection just released this spring so it was the perfect platform to create a quilt that shows off Lilliput prints AND highlights Chenille-It faux chenille. The redesigned Lily Pad quilt did it all with big, quick-to-piece shapes from fat quarters and those skinny strips between the half hexagon were calling out for Blooming Bias tape embellishment!

The May Chenille-It subscription boxes have already shipped but you can still pre-order this Lilliput version as a kit from Chenille-It. Orders will be shipping in a couple weeks once more fabric arrives.

Add Chenille-It to Your Projects

If you’re wondering how to apply the faux chenille, here’s some videos and tutorials:

Handi Quilter

Sharon Holland - Chenille Pillows Tutorial

Sharon Holland - Adding Faux Chenille Binding

@sharonhollanddesigns IG Reel - Fluffing faux chenille with brush

So now comes the virtual quilt show of Lily Pad quilts—my favorite part! I made two versions of this quilt and my pattern testers created their own stunning versions so you can see how versatile this quilt pattern is. Basically if you select 8 fat quarters that look beautiful in the fabric pull you’ve got most of the work of picking fabrics for the quilt done! Add in a complimentary background and choose a coordinating or contrasting Blooming Bias from the 23 gorgeous Chenille-it colors. The faux chenille can be applied to the skinny quilt strips like in my samples and/or as the binding like some of the testers did on their quilts.

The Lilliput version photographed so beautifully I have plenty of images to share and inspire. The beautiful quilting on the Lilliput version was done by Brooke Becker at Lady Belle Fabric and I used Hobbs Heirloom 100% Bleached Cotton batting inside for the whitest whites and traditional stitch definition and drape.

GET THE KIT

Get this KIT at Chenille-It!

Quilt Inspiration

For my second Lily Pad quilt I pulled a mix of Art Gallery Fabrics from my Spirited and Kismet collections, added prints from Maureen Cracknell’s Homebody collection along with a print by Pat Bravo recolored for the Sparkler Fusions bundle, and used a printed background of Delicate Balance Serenity.

This quilt will be available as a kit from Lady Belle Fabric who not only has the kits but who also did the beautiful long arm quilting you see on this version as well as the Lilliput sample quilt.

Get the Kit!

For this version I used Chenille-It Blooming Bias in Natural which I bloomed by using a spritz bottle of tap water and a brush to selectively bloom the bias tape rather than washing and drying the quilt to bloom the chenille as directed in the Chenille-It instructions.

The batting for this quilt is Hobbs Tuscany Silk batting which has an amazing drape but looks and handles much like cotton batting with the added feature of warmth and light weight.

Get This Kit at Lady Belle Fabric

Meet The Testers

I thoroughly enjoy having testers make quilts from my quilt patterns before a quilt release so not only can we make sure the pattern is the best it can be but because the creative testers make the quilt in their unique style and fabric pulls to show you more possible quilt looks than I could possibly do on my own. Each of the following quilts have been made from Art Gallery Fabrics. Sometimes a tester will work from one collection like I did with my Lilliput version of Lily Pad or they will mix and match from several AGF collections and designers like in my second version. The beauty of AGF is from the Pure Solids to the blenders to the different collections, you know it will mix and match beautifully.

Buy the PDF Pattern HERE!

Lily Pad quilt made by Marija Vujcic

As you can see in Marija Vujcic’s mood board her color palette inspiration came from yellow iris. Marija used the new Evergreen Pure Solid as the background and a mix of yellow, sage, and aqua AGF prints and a layering of two chenille colors for accent. Follow this talented lady on Instagram Marija Vujcic and on her blog at Mara Quilt Designs. Her passion for sewing and color will inspire you!

Lily Pad quilt made by Jennifer Monroe

Jennifer Monroe selected feminine, floral AGF prints from designers Bonnie Christine, Amy Sinibaldi, and Bari J. and wanted to create a quilt perfect for curling up with a good book and daydreaming. Jennifer used pink Chenille-it for just the binding edges. This quilt feels like a summer garden in full bloom and if you want to learn more about Jennifer and all her sewing adventures find her on her blog Sunshine Selvage and @sunshineselvage on Instagram.

Lily Pad Quilt made by Joyce Ulm

I’m loving the Zen quality of Joyce Ulm’s fabric selections for her Lily Pad make. Sage green, sky blue, blush, and teal play harmoniously in a background of flocking birds. Joyce used Bahama Blue chenille on the horizontal strips and for the binding (you would need two rolls of 5/8’’-wide Chenille-it to achieve this same look) and backed her quilt with luxurious Shannon Cuddle fabric. Joyce is offering kits from her Etsy shop and you can see more of Joyce’s work on Instagram @evamaecustomquilts, Etsy shop, and on her Facebook blog HERE, and does long arm quilting as well!

Get this KIT at Eva Mae Custom Quilts!

Lily Pad quilt made by Liza Taylor

I want to welcome Liza Taylor to the tester collages. Liza has been working with our tester group since the beginning of the year but was out of the country visiting relatives for several months and this is her first chance to work on a test quilt for me. I love this Pure Solids Sage Green background and assorted peach and terracotta prints palette so much. Don’t you just want to live in that mood board!?!?! White chenille horizontal accents add to the Shabby Chic vibes of the quilt and Shannon Cuddle backing gives it that simple elegance. See more of Liza’s beautiful work @lizataylorhandmade on Instagram and her Etsy shop of the same name.

Lily Pad quilt made by Terri Neil

I’m really loving the homespun feels I get from Terri Neil’s Lily Pad quilt. Terri used Maureen Cracknell’s Homebody collection with AGF Smooth Denim as the background to create this beautiful quilt. Navy Chenille-it was used for the horizontal strips as long as the center hexagons and for binding to create a luxurious custom looking quilt. Be sure to follow 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.

Lily Pad quilt made by Elaine Satterfield

Summer, sun, and sand is what I think of when I see Elaine Satterfield’s Lily Pad quilt make! How stunning is this quilt!?!?! Elaine used AGF Smooth Denim for the background and a mix of red, cream and blue prints from Art Gallery Fabrics along with Natural chenille accent and Shannon Cuddle fabric backing. You could feel like you’re on vacation every day of the year with this quilt. See more of Elaine’s work on Instagram @createjoyquilt.

Lily Pad quilt made by Victoria Newmyer

Victoria Newmyer drew inspiration from Paris flower markets for the color palette for her quilt. The Pure Solids Icy Mint background is the perfect match to the mood board water pitcher and the spring-fresh floral prints in teal, pink, and fuchsia create a sweet bouquet across the quilt. Victoria owns the Midlife Quilter shop where you can find these beautiful AGF fabrics and more and get personal help curating your next bundle for a quilt project. Kits are available for this Lily Pad and Chenille_it quilt HERE and be sure to visit Victoria’s beautiful Instagram account @midlife_quilter.

Get this KIT at Midlife Quilter!

Lily Pad quilt made by Tracey Taber-Parry

This gorgeous, Boho-inspired Lily Pad quilt was made by Tracey Taber-Perry and she uses jewel tones of Pure Solids Very Berry coordinated with Bari J’s 365 Fifth Avenue collection from Art Gallery Fabrics to create a sumptuous look. Tracey backed her make with Shannon Cuddle and combined two colors of Chenille-it between just the hexagon rows for the added accent—what a stunning look! To see more of Tracey’s beautiful work and you can follow her feed @ttabes80 on Instagram.

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Lilliput Look Book

Back on April 23rd, Art Gallery Fabrics released the Lilliput Look Book but between Prickly Pear and Lily Pad pattern releases and a family emergency I never wrote a blog post about my newest collection release. So, the next post you receive from this blog will be a Lilliput Look Book Review so be prepared to be inspired by projects and more detailed behind the scene looks at the projects I made for the virtual publication.

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.

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.

Phoenix Quilt Pattern Release

Phoenix Quilt Pattern Release

Phoenix Quilt by Sharon Holland

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

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

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

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

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

Bundle photo courtesy of Lady Belle Fabric

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

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

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

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

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

Meet the Testers

Phoenix quilt make by Brittany Tunison

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

Phoenix quilt make by Christine Trotta

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

Phoenix quilt make by Kathleen Armstrong

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

Phoenix quilt make by Marija Vujcic

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

Phoenix quilt make by Mary Grove

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

Phoenix quilt make by Victoria Newmyer

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

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

Quilt Along

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

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

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

Sweet Home quilt by Sharon Holland

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