Introducing a New Pattern: Interweave

I'm thrilled to introduce my newest pattern. Interweave.

Interweave was designed specifically to feature large scale prints. Kaffe Fassett. Amy Butler. Philip Jacobs. All those beautiful, big prints you're afraid to cut. Go ahead and cut them up. This pattern is the perfect place to show them off.

If big prints aren't your thing you don't know what you're missing. Give them a try. That said, Interweave will make a beautiful quilt with all sorts of different fabric choices. Use your favorite fabric collection. Try different scale prints. Think batiks. I think it would even look stunning in all solids and give you a wonderful space for showing off your free motion quilting skills. Maybe a different motif in every row.

The Interweave pattern includes:

• A design lesson to help with choosing fabrics.
• Yardage for baby, throw, twin and full/queen sizes.
• Information on how to alter the size to meet your needs.
• Design explorations illustrating additional ideas.
• Fully illustrated step by step instructions.
• Coloring pages for all 4 sizes so you can color your own version.

The design looks amazing on a bed. If I'd had enough fabric of the quilt shown above I would have made a queen size for my new guest room. Some of those black and whites have been in my stash for years and I was down to just small amounts so could only manage a small throw. Right now I'm playing with another Interweave throw for the family room using some traditional large scale leafy prints I've hoarded. So many ideas. So much fabric. So little time. Can you relate?

To celebrate both the new pattern and because my birthday was this week, I'm putting Interweave on sale for 20% off. No coupon code needed. Sale runs through Sunday February 6th 2017 ending at midnight CST.
Edited: Introductory sale has now ended.

Head to Craftsy or my Etsy shop and give Interweave a try. I'd really love to see what you make. Send me a photo, or better yet, post it to Instagram using #springleafstudios and #interweavequilt.

Happy Quilting.
Anne

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I Am a Maker

I am a maker. I am a designer. I am a lover of fabric in all it's glorious colors and prints. My soul is fed by playing with pretty fabrics and designing new ways to cut that fabric up and sew it back together into something new and exciting.

If you are reading this post, chances are you are a maker too. There is great satisfaction in making something with your hands to use yourself, to give to someone special, or donate to some worthy cause.

After contributing to the Pattern Writing Series put together by Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs, I saw just how many others there are out there like me. Quilters with a passion for coming up with their own designs and taking that idea to the next level by writing a pattern. As the series demonstrated, writing a pattern does not happen overnight. It requires time, time and more time.

So when I read Lindsay's post May is For Makers it struck a cord. I usually feel compelled to design my own things. I also love the free stuff out there just as much as everyone else. But I should also support the other independent pattern designers out there. Why not send a little quilty/sewing love their way?

I'm jumping on the May is For Makers wagon. I will be purchasing from other small, independent designers this month in an effort to pay it forward and show them my support for what they do. I will post about what I buy here on the blog and on Instagram using #mayisformakers.

I'm also inviting you to support just one independent designer's work out there. Someone who inspires you with their work. Maybe it's a bag pattern you know you'd love to make. Maybe it's a special dress you'd love to make and wear this summer. Go ahead. Buy it. Make it. And show your support. Spread the love and appreciation.

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My Favorite Quilt

I'm playing along with the fun series My Favorite Quilt over at SewMamaSew. Pop over and get a peek at some wonderful quilts and read along to see why they are favorites.

Tell us about your favorite quilt. When did you make it? What pattern did you use? 
My all time favorite quilt is Cascade. I'm a huge fan of Kaffe Fassett fabrics and look to create designs that can showcase the fabrics well. The original design for Cascade had been taped to my wall for a good number of months before I finally started pulling fabrics and playing around. That was about four years ago. I have since gone on to create a pattern for the design and it's proven to be quite popular.

What do you like best about the quilt?
One of the things I like best about this quilt is the combinations of fabrics. I'm particularly drawn in by beautiful large scale prints and love letting my eye wander around the surface of the quilt taking in all the different prints. The other thing I love is the color scheme. The refreshing greens and aquas of the color palette along with the spark of purple just feel so relaxing and fresh to me. As the quilt evolved it began to evoke images of being in a lush tropical garden and viewing the foliage though the cascade of a waterfall . . . thus the name Cascade. One of these days I'd like to get a really nice photo of the quilt next to a waterfall but for now these will do nicely.

What memories or people does the quilt make you think of?
This quilt will always make me think of my daughter because she loved it so much she took it to college with her to hang on a big wall in her apartment. It will forever be hers.  : )

How did you grow as a quilter while making it?
I grew as a quilter more in the area of design than actual quilting skills because Cascade is such an easy quilt to make. I did play with new machine quilting ideas by using free form curved lines done with my walking foot and variegated thread. I think it complements and softens the shapes of the triangles quite nicely. I also didn't want the scraps from the trimmed corners going to waste so I made three pillows from the leftovers. Now I look for ways to put scraps to use right as the quilt top is being sewn.

If you could make this quilt again, what (if anything) would you do differently?
I have remade this quilt design several times, each time discovering a different way to use the basic concept and come up with something totally new. I absolutely love the design process and finding ways to bring a new and different look to the same design. This exploration has become a regular part of my patterns. Here's a few of the variations I've made along with the bonus projects from the scraps.

If you read my blog you've seen this one before, but I hope you enjoyed reminiscing with me about My Favorite Quilt. What's your favorite quilt?

WIP Wednesday

Working away on my biggest WIP of the week . . . my Colorful Colorado challenge quilt. I'm happy to finally see light at the end of tunnel. It will be done in time for the Berthoud Outdoor Quilt Show. Quilts must be delivered by June 13-14 (ack . . . 3 more days!!!) The show is June 21st from 10:00 - 4:00 in Fickel Park Berthoud, Colorado. If you live anywhere nearby come see all the quilts. Four modern quilt guilds in Colorado are participating in the challenge so there should be a good representation of modern quilting. I'll post more about the process and the show in the next couple of weeks.

I also needed to get my May Mid Century Modern Bee block for Carla of Grace and Favour done. She requested either arrow blocks from a great tutorial she did or feather blocks from Anna Marie Horner's pattern. Since most people were doing arrows, I thought I'd throw a feather into the mix. I love the look of these feathers once done but not the process of making a single one. I think the method of making multiples from strip piecing would be quicker in the long run. Still, it was fun to do and I love the result. Hope it works with all the rest. Thanks for your patience Carla.

As long as I was in the bee mood I decided to jump on June's bee block for Linda of Flourishing Palms. Linda is trying to wrap up an older UFO made of scrappy diamonds and asked us all to contribute some mid value blocks with a touch of orange thrown in. Now that Linda is "retired" she's uber busy teaching quilting, writing about quilting, and talking about quilting. Good luck getting fitting this UFO into your schedule Linda.   : )

Still one more June bee block to do for Denise and the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild Bee. A scrappy X block will be in the works soon.

And for all of you who have asked about a pattern for my Blogger's Quilt Festival winning quilt . . . it's coming along. As soon as the challenge quilt is done, I'll be wrapping up the final details. Thanks for all the interest and encouragement.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced. Hop over to see more quilty goodness.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Thanks to everyone who voted for my entry in the Blogger's Quilt Festival. I won!!!!

I'm thrilled and honored to have won in the Original Design category. As many of you know, designing quilts is what I love to do, so to be recognized for this is very encouraging. Plus receiving notice of my win made a difficult week a whole lot better.

And thanks to Amy for yet another amazing festival too. It's so much fun to see all the fabulous quilts being made. I'm so glad she sponsors this event so we can have a chance to glimpse just a little of the talent out there in blogland. Best festival yet as far as I'm concerned. Loved the new categories too. If you've never participated, why not give it a try. The next festival will be in the fall.

You can read more about my entry here. I'll be getting back to finalizing the pattern in the next couple of weeks, so if you're interested hang in there. It's coming. I promise.