180 More Doodle Quilting Designs

Hey all! I have some exciting news to share with you all. I had the wonderful opportunity to join a group of other quilters and collaborate on a new book all about free motion quilting!

180 More Doodle Quilting Designs is full of tons of ideas and styles, and the best part is each design is shown in several scenarios like a corner or a border. Check out my Ricochet Star design below.

If nothing else, this book is a great resource for when you feel stuck choosing a design. I know I'm going to keep a copy close to my machine and I suggest you do the same too.

No matter what type of quilt you're working on, there's something in here for every style. Not only that, but the book is designed in such a way it's great for even the newest of beginners. Come doodle along with us and learn something new! Even us seasoned quilters will learn something new too!

I hope you enjoy this book and you have a chance to enter to win a copy! Head on over to Martingale's blog to check out tips and tricks from some of the designers in the book and leave a comment for a chance to win! Just click here to find the post. 

The Big Book of Civil War Quilts (New Release)

Hello all! Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a new book Martingale has just released called The Big Book of Civil War Quilts.

 It's really a big book! 58 patterns! You heard me right, 58! You could make a quilt a week and still be making them this time next year and beyond!

The quilts in this wonderful book come from a variety of your favorite designers, in sizes large and small... Basically if you love Civil War or traditional quilts, there's something in here for you!

I was blessed enough to have two of my very own quilts in this book.

 This is Beloved and it's one of my personal favorite quilts ever. I made it almost entirely out of my stash (everything but the borders, binding, and backing) and you can really have fun with color combinations. I paired up some crazy fabrics together and the results are better than I anticipated.

I actually made this quilt for my Hubby (hence the name) and it has such a comfy cozy feel to it.

This second quilt is a mini called Woven Stars that I hand quilted. I actually began as a hand quilter and miss it so, but the long arming has slowly (but surely) taken over my life! This little gem was just enough to play with my favorite rich fabrics and get a little bit of hand quilting in without committing to a large project.

Again, you can find both of these quilts and many many more in The Big Book of Civil War Quilts. I think the timing is just perfect because the weather is starting to change here, the air is a little crisper and cooler, it's time to dust off the crockpot, and pull out my quilts for Fall.

If you'd like to see more quilts featured in this book as well as have a chance to win your own copy of the book, head on over to Martingale's blog to enter! Just click here. 

So, I think I need a new quilt for my bed and I have a ginormous stash of reproduction fabrics just sitting there... Now to decide on a pattern... I think that's the hardest part!

Calendar Giveaway and a Sale!!!

It's that time of year again! I can't believe it myself...

Time to pick out which Martingale Calendar is going to grace your wall for 2017! Yes, they are out and ready for your enjoyment (I'm pretty sure, if they're not out yet it'll be soon)

I got the wonderful news that I have a quilt in the Quilt Calendar 2017 (click here to purchase your own calendar):

I'm Miss August. Or atleast my Wayfarer quilt from Seems Like Scrappy is. See:

One of the best parts of this particular calendar is the wide variety of quilts to gaze at throughout the year. Oh, and the fact the instructions to make all of the quilts are included and that's pretty cool too. Yes, you read that right. It's like a calendar and a quilt book all in one.

The quilts are all gorgeous and its so wonderful to have this collection. Would you like one? You would? Well that's wonderful because one lucky reader will get a copy of this calendar - just leave me a comment below and you're entered! I will pick a winner Monday August 1st! Good luck!

Also, don't forget in the meantime my entire online store is having a sale in honor of my birthday month. Just enter the code HAPPYBDAY for 31% off all books, magazines and patterns. Sale runs through July 31st, so act fast!

Quick Curve Lanterns

If any of you have tried the Quick Curve Ruler patterns by the gals at Sew Kind of Wonderful, you know you're hooked before you can blink! I myself haven't sewn one of their patterns yet, but I plan on it in the future (along with about a dozen other quilts). Every one of my clients that has brought me a QCR quilt has raved about it and has already started another quilt or two. You really should check out these rulers and patterns!

Enough of that, back to the quilt at hand. This is the Urban Abacus pattern, but it looked to me like lanterns in the fabrics Anne (or her daughter-in-law) chose so that's how I planned the quilting.

 This quilt was so much fun to plan and execute. The curves are gradual enough that they allowed me to play without worry of bonus fabric or ripples or anything too harsh - visually or physically. I immediately thought of the collapsible paper lanterns when I saw this quilt so I ran with that idea first.

 To differentiate the lanterns from their "cords", I chose to quilt the cords in a ribbon candy design for added texture. Then came the hard part - planning the background. I pondered and stared at this quilt for a couple days before I came up with the idea you see quilted out above. That was because I was looking at it all wrong. I got the idea to quilt these curved bubbles when I looked at the quilt from the side rather than up and down. The pattern opportunity was so obvious to me I had to take a chance at it and I LOVE how it came out. I filled in the gaps along the sides just like the quilting in the lanterns to complete the design.

 You can see the trail of bubbles much better here. I love the texture in this quilt and how it's truly so simple yet looks complex. To finish off the border I quilted bubbles in various sizes.

 And here it is! Did I mention I LOVE this quilt?

And if it couldn't get any better, here's the view of the back. The movement and texture reduce me to a puddle of drool... Again, another quilt I was very reluctant to give back. But I had to. And I did. Even though I didn't want to. But it's part of the job, and I love my job...

Thank you, Anne! Once again I had a blast playing on your quilt and taking it to the next level. (Which isn't hard to do when you get awesome stuff like this to play on.)

Are you enjoying the peek at all of these quilts I worked on last year? There's plenty more to share so stay tuned and I will share them and much more as I can!

Lumina Feathered Star

Wanda contacted me about quilting her Lumina Feathered Star and I couldn't wait to get started. As many of you are aware (if you're familiar with Quiltworx patterns), Quiltworx offers computerized designs specific to many of their quilt patterns and they're amazing. But many, if not all of them, are super dense, super detailed designs. Wanda didn't want that much quilting, yet she didn't want to settle for just a plain pantograph over the entire quilt. So that's why she contacted me.

 Wanda was hoping for more of a semi-custom touch - my specialty! The fabrics for the Lumina Feathered Star are a ton of metallics and they are very busy. In several areas the quilting would only show up when the lighting is "just-so". So what's a quilter to do? We opt to keep those areas simplified and put the details in the areas you're actually going to notice it, like the center and that amazing satin in the border.

 Wanda requested swirls and just whatever would work to make the center pop and amplify the quilt as a whole. I thought of these fun circles in the spiked border and they worked out perfectly. In order to fit the curves, not every spike is the same size and shape, so circles are easy enough to adjust as needed so the border as a whole looks finished. Some designs may not be as forgiving and the small differences would stand out terribly.

 This quilt has ginormous pieces (for a Quiltworx pattern) so the center was played up and kept subtle at the same time. I kept the swirls in the satin and played with straight lines to emphasize the feathers where I could.

 The majority of the quilt was covered in swirls, and you can see some of the other details here in this shot. This quilt plan definitely fell into the less-is-more category. Swirls, circles and straight lines in a variety of uses are all that made up this large quilt.

I love how you can see the sheen from the satin in the spiked border here. I think that was my favorite part of this quilt. And in case you're wondering, Wanda knew satin wouldn't respond the same as a quilting cotton, so it all was backed in a super light interfacing to make it behave, yet it wasn't too bulky to interfere in the piecing or quilting process.

All in all this quilt was a stunner and I was sad to send it back home. However I know it went to a great place and is probably being loved on as I type! That's what makes my job a tad easier, knowing that the quilts I spend so much time on go to good homes where they are loved and used!

Thank you, Wanda! Your quilt was spectacular, your piecing was phenomenal and I had so much fun working on this quilt with you!

Block-Buster Quilts: I Love Log Cabins

It's time to share a brand new book with you that I'm super excited about! Today I'm going to share with you a new book by Martingale featuring 16 designers (myself included) called Block-Buster Quilts: I Love Log Cabins.

If you're new to the blog, welcome! If you're familiar with my ways, welcome back and please don't mind the life pauses here and there. I'm currently expecting our first child to arrive soon and we're trying to sell our house and move and yeah... Not much quilting happening at the moment. But today I have plenty to share so let's begin!

I have had a log cabin quilt on my quilting bucket list for a long long time. I finally made my first log cabin quilt a couple years ago - you can find Frolic in my second book, Seems Like Scrappy (it's on the cover) and from that moment I was hooked! 

I mean what's not to love? Choosing fabrics and getting prepped is so much fun and the construction goes together so smooth and swift - you have a quilt top before you know it. Not only that, but the color and layout options are endless allowing you to create and imagine and create some more until your heart is content!

As I mentioned, there are 16 quilts in this book - one from each designer. Oh, and before I forget - head on over to Martingale's blog and leave a comment to win! They're giving away 16 copies of this very book next week - one for each designer! Click here to head on over, just leave a comment and you're entered!

Daybreak by Rebecca Silbaugh (that's me!)

The neat thing with compilation books, like this one, is until the book is released or the marketing materials start to arrive, as a designer we usually only know about the quilt we made and/or the quilts our close friends have made too if we chat about that sort of thing. You never know what to expect. 

The quilt above is Daybreak by me! I am in love with wonky blocks and came up with this fun layout to try. This type of layout does give a directional look to the quilt overall, but it has so much dimension that I really want to try it in other color options soon. Maybe. Depending on when Little Miss arrives and how much energy I'll have left. 

If anyone knows me - I usually am not a fan of yellow. However there are exceptions to every rule and one being my sewing room is painted yellow. Knowing this book would be released in the typically most mundane time of year for me (I live in the snow belt in NE Ohio, usually by now the landscape has been several shades of grey for months) I wanted to choose lively colors that would remind me of Spring. And sun. And warmer temperatures. And yeah. That's why I chose these colors. 

I would love to see what colors or fabric lines you would choose to make this quilt out of. You know what - leave me a comment below with what color or fabric scheme you'd make Daybreak out of and I'll choose a winner later this week to receive a copy of I Love Log Cabins! 

Scrappy Courthouse Steps by Lissa Alexander

Well, to be honest I got my books in the mail last week and haven't had a chance to open them until today (we're trying to sell our house so my office and sewing room can't be the usual clutter storm I'm so used to living in - hey, I'm creative and it works). So I opened my books and started to scroll through the pages and had to keep the drool at bay. There are so many beautiful quilts in this book bursting with personality that I want to tear into my stash and make almost all of them. But I can't because I have to keep it clean and tidy... But the second we sell this place and move it's game on! Quilting season will be open as long as Little Miss and I have come to an understanding. I'm hoping the sound of the sewing machines will lull her to sleep. 

Anywho, the first quilt I stumbled across that I want to make is this amazing Scrappy Courthouse Steps by Lissa Alexander. It's simple and fun and fresh but timeless. I see this as a quilt for Little Miss and I to cuddle under in the future and watch movies. 

Mi Casa by Carrie Nelson

And then I flipped a few more pages and saw this dream of a quilt that I NEED TO MAKE!!! Carrie is known for her eye for color and texture and this quilt is the perfect opportunity to play with both of those things. It's another simple yet fresh concept that allows for maximum scrappiness. And you all know how I love scrappy!

 Seeing Stars by Kimberly Jolly

And what's not to love about a log cabin block with a star in it set in stars? Kimberly did an awesome job with this quilt and I love it. Okay I love them all, but for different reasons. This particular design could work so well for just about anyone by changing the colors and the textures. It could be masculine or patriotic or feminine or whimsical. I'm not sure which fabrics I would choose to make this one in, but the possibilities are endless!

 Log Cabin Chevron by Penny Barnes

And finally this quilt just blew me away when I looked at it. I'm a traditionalist at heart and this is honestly a very traditional block. It's just a modern color palette and layout to take this quilt to the next level. When I see this quilt, immediately I want someone to make it and send it to me to quilt it.  This type of design gets the long-armer in me buzzing and my brain is working overdrive to figure out how I would quilt it. I mean really - how much fun is this - AND it's a log cabin that doesn't look like a log cabin. BONUS!

So what do you think about this new book? Are you in love with log cabins like the designers in this book? Are you a hooked quilter on the road to log cabin recovery or a newbie to the log cabin fever? I'd love to hear what you think!

Don't forget to leave me a comment below to enter for a chance to win a copy of this book - I will probably choose a winner this weekend - and don't forget to head over to enter for another chance to win at Martingale's blog too!

If you're too impatient and you want to get your hands on this book NOW, you're in luck. You can look at your LQS, they should have copies in stock now, or you can purchase a copy from Martingale. The great thing about buying a copy directly from Martingale is you know the actual book will be arriving and be in your hands soon, but you also get an ebook download immediately after your purchase so you can scroll and start to plan your next project right away. Without the wait. How awesome is that?!

Well, that's a bunch of log cabin love to share with you today. Good luck and I can't wait to hear what you think about this latest book.

Judi's Reach for the Stars Quilt

Now this quilt has a funny story. Last summer I got an email from Judi wanting to send me this quilt but it's HUGE and the backing she chose was directional so we needed to formulate a plan to make it work and get it large enough to fit the quilt AND match the pattern as best as possible. Well, after a few emails and phone calls back and forth, we had success and this amazing quilt showed up at my doorstep.

 Judi made this version of Reach for the Stars and I can't even begin to describe to you how rich and vibrant this quilt was in person since it's basically a neutral quilt. It's creams, grays, tans and black, but it was sooo captivating.

I knew early on before I began that a few of the busier fabrics would be challenging to plan a design because they were so contrasting and so busy to the eye (like the grey borders - well, they read grey in pictures). For those areas we planned simpler quilting, because let's be honest, you're probably not going to be able to see the quilting 80% of the time anyway. That then allows for stand-out quilting to be in the lighter areas where you will see the quilting more.

We tried to keep the elements simple, straight lines, pebbles, swirls, and some fleur de lis by request of Judi. This quilt was inspired by a trip she took with her girls to Italy and we wanted to keep that same vibe in the quilting.

 Some of the blocks were quilted simply and let the fabrics do the talking, some had a bit more interest in plain areas where the quilting could be a bit "louder". All of the blocks were framed in one of three different fabrics, we chose three different fillers and kept the designs consistent throughout the quilt.

 Here you can see the crazy bold fabrics a bit better that I was talking about. Every part of this quilt has quilting in it, you just can't always see it all.

 And the fabric that started it all - the center of this block was the fabric that Judi picked first to use as color inspiration and it also happens to be the backing too. Whenever it came into play on the top of the quilt, I just followed the motif and let the fabric talk. There's no sense taking away from it at all.

 It took me awhile to figure out what to quilt in these complex side setting triangles, but I was so happy with the results, I'm grateful I waited to see how the rest of the quilt was coming along and see what areas or designs I could play with more to fit the space the best.

 The center of the quilt is this huge medallion type block and I tried to tie in a little of every quilting design in the spaces where I could.

 Here's some more close ups of the blocks - I'll take a narrative break and just let the quilt speak for itself.

 Now, the border. I came up with this crazy plan for these wild feathers to fill the borders and I'm so glad Judi agreed. They're complex and beautiful and fit the feel of the quilt wonderfully. If my memory serves me correctly, not all the borders were the same width so this type of feather allowed to fill wider and narrower spaces and still feel right.

 This quilt was massive and just barely fit on the machine with the way it needed to be loaded (the way you piece your backings determines how it gets loaded onto the machine, more on that in a later post).

 All in all, this was so much fun to work on and see it come to life as I worked. With so much contrast within the fabrics, we kept the thread colors as close to the fabrics as possible using grey and tan both top and back. Maybe there was a cream in there too, I don't remember - it's on my notes, but not important for the blog...

 I really really LOVE those feathers and need to find more excuses to quilt them!

 Here's the backing fabric once the quilt was done and all folded up to go back to Judi. Aside from a shadow here or there, the fabric is so busy you can't really see the quilting, can you?

Here's a close up. See the different threads. There's a tan and a grey, I promise. This is why you hear quilters say busy backs are best because they are! Especially when the top has so much going on and every color from black to white. It makes matching threads and getting the perfect tension/thread pairing so much easier to achieve.

Thank you Judi! This was one of my favorite quilts to work on last year - granted almost all of them are my favorites, but once again this was another quilt I wanted to hold hostage and never send back! It happens a lot...

If you have questions about my quilting services, you can read all the info you need by visiting the Machine Quilting Information page (at the top of the blog if you're on a desktop, follow the drop down menu at the top of the blog if you're on a mobile device) or by emailing me at rubybluequilts (at) gmail (dot) com. I'm still taking in quilts at this moment, but I may only have a spot or two left before I can't reach the machine anymore and quilting may have to wait until Little Miss arrives in March. I'll be posting updates in the mean time and feel free to contact me to schedule a spot (or spots) or send me your quilt now so I can get to it when I can. I'll be working on a first come/reserved basis, so please plan ahead if you have deadlines. I will try to be accommodating, but no guarantees as I settle into motherhood and hopefully a new house in the future!

Well, thank you all for the comments on the other quilts I've posted! It's been fun to reminisce and see these beauties once again. Have a great day and if you're snowed in - have fun quilting!

Blue Pine Tree Ridge Quilt

And as promised, here is the second version of the Pine Tree Ridge quilt Bobette made. It's very similar to the green one I shared yesterday, and similar to the one Linda Hrcka did originally (check it out here), but with a little twist here or there to keep them both unique.

 So as you can see it's mainly the same feel, just more blue. I'm going to take a back seat today and let this quilt do the talking.

 I LOVE this angel block. The feathers were a bit tricky to figure out at first, but I'm so happy with how they turned out. Oh, and if I remember correctly there were about 6 different thread colors used on this quilt to blend in with the fabrics here and there.

 One block I really followed the cues from the fabric was the red with stars. It was so much fun and I think it turned out great!

 Once again I left the wool alone in spots and quilted it "just enough" in other areas to tack it down for functionality and give it a little personality. I really like quilting wool applique quilts although the thickness and weave of the wool can be a bit tricky to work around if it's layered up.

 This border was my favorite and my worst nightmare at the same time. Here's why:

 This was a super teeny tiny stripe and this was my angle while quilting. The more I quilted these feathers and put some curved stitching over the fabric, it made this optical illusion that was really messing with my eyes.

Here you can see the stripe better. This is a straight on view and the lines still give it a goofy look, but it's so pretty, I just needed to take a few more visual breaks than normal and get it done as quickly as possible.

I LOVED working on these quilts! It was a major challenge that had me a bit terrified at first, but I felt I grew as a quilter so much with new designs and fillers and trusting my instincts. This goes back to the post I had earlier this week about trusting your quilter and allowing them to get more creative if they have guidelines and an imagination. Bobette knew I couldn't do it exactly like Linda did, but trusted my quilting to have the same effect, but be personalized to her quilts. It really was a win-win for us both!