Hello!  Today I have a free quilt pattern for ya!

This pattern was a done in collaboration with my cute friend, Amanda, aka Jedi Craft Girl.  We first met in Salt Lake City at Spring Quilt Market 2016.  I thought she was just the sweetest, cutest gal ever and wished we lived closer so we could hang out more!  When I noticed from Instagram that we were both in St. George, Utah for the Thanksgiving holiday we decided to meet up!  She had my little family over for pie (so sweet) and then we made time for a little fabric retail therapy the next day.

[Amanda and Amber @ Quilted Works in St. George, Utah]

I can't take a whole lot of credit for this 5 Fat Quarter Fun project.  Amanda wanted to do a project using just 5 fat quarters so we picked out some fabrics together while we were in St. George.  Then she came up with the design and wrote the pattern.  I looked it over but was mostly just there for the ride!

I love these big 15" blocks and the happy colors!

 And I just so happened to have had this vintage fabric in my stash that was my grandmothers!  It's a little hard to tell but the fat quarters we used have eggs, chicken wire and milk jugs on them so I just HAD to use this fabric for the back!

 

I think this size quilt would make a great little baby quilt or wall hanging.  And it whips up really quick!  If you'd like the FREE pattern, head on over to Amanda's blog (click HERE).  We're hoping to do some more of these little 5 Fat Quarter Fun projects in the near future.  Maybe next time it'll be my turn to design!  

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Amber

Pineapple Quilt [Finished]

I just realized that I never showed you my Pineapple quilt!  It's probably my most favorite "make" to date and (if I'm allowed to say this) the one I'm most proud of - only because it took about 100 hours to make so it was a really involved, time consuming project and I love the way it turned out.  I can't believe I haven't posted about it yet...sheesh!  :)

So, let's go back to how it all began...

 

~ THE INSPIRATION ~

One day, I was looking around on Pinterest trying to find a good pineapple quilt pattern to work on at a quilt retreat I was about to go to.  When what to my wondering eyes did appear, but the most beautiful pineapple quilt I ever did see.  I tried to contact the maker and get the information so that I could make the pattern too.  All she told me is that it was a pineapple block.  But I needed more.  I needed this quilt.  I needed the pattern!  I just HAD to make this quilt.  Exactly like it.  100%. 

Photo cred: MerryMary10/Flickr

I'm attaching the picture (and the link) that inspired me.  Because in no way, shape or form, am I trying to take credit for this quilt.  Also, I have to preface all of this by saying that I think the original quilt (above) is far better than mine.  I just love it so much.  I hope (I think) this is where the adage comes into play, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  

 

~ THE JOURNEY ~

 So, I set out to find a pineapple block that was extra large and where all the slices continued out evenly into the corners.  That was a lot harder to find than you would think.  In fact, I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I designed my own.  Each block took me about an hour to paper piece.  And I loved every minute of it!  Do you like to paper piece?  My tutorial for paper piecing these exact blocks is HERE if you'd like to try it!     

I eventually decided to sell these paper patterns in my shop because I thought others might want them too.  They finish at 12-3/8" x 12-3/8" - so they're quite large and make a big impact.  You can purchase the set of 36 papers HERE.

After I got the blocks made, I began working on the outer borders.  I got two sides finished before I realized that the white background I had used was the wrong color!!!  Does stuff like that ever happen to you?  Well, that really set me back.  I had to put the project away and regroup.  Finally, I pulled it back out, gave those two borders to a creative friend (who I knew could come up with some fantastic way of how to use them) and started over.  I just didn't want to have any regrets, ya know?

Finished quilt measures approximately 90" x 90".

I finally finished in time to show it at a retreat I was teaching and presenting at last February.  And I have to admit, I had a little help at the last minute.  I was trying so hard to get all the applique done in time and came to find out that each side was taking me about 10 hours to do.  The thought of doing 40 hours worth of applique in a span of a week had me totally overwhelmed.  So, my sweet friend Aniva came to the rescue.  She appliqued one side of the border so I could get it to my quilter quicker.  What a great friend, huh?!?

Melissa Kelley (@sewshabbyquilting) quilted it for me within a week with some of the most amazing hand-guided long-arm quilting I have seen.  Seriously, breathtaking.  Here are some closeup shots of the quilting...

The back: 

For the life of me I can't remember who the designer is of that fabric.  Anyone know?  I thought the colors were perfect for this quilt and then the birds just put me over the edge!  I had to get it!

~ THE LESSONS~

I think sometimes you learn life lessons from creative endeavors, don't you?  I started this quilt in February 2014 and finished it two years later.  Almost one year later, I blogged about it.  So here's what I learned: I never claimed to be 100% on the ball and sometimes set backs come our way.  But if we keep plugging away at things (life) and give it our best and surround ourselves with good friends and family that lift us up, things always have a way of working themselves out.

Well, thanks for letting me share this journey with you. 

Have a great weekend!

~ Amber

Penny Tiles Quilt [Finished]

Do you know the blog, Messy Jesse?

Well I have been a big fan of the author, Jessie Finchman, for a long time.  I've been following her blog forever and her Instagram account for ages.  One day I was just scrolling through Instagram, minding my own business, when I saw a picture of the most amazing quilt.  It stopped me dead in my tracks and I sat there studying that quilt (called Penny Tiles) for a while trying to figure out how she did that!?!  Then, a short while later I get a message from Jessie asking if I'd be willing to test the pattern out for her.  So of course, I was like, yeah (duh :).
 

And here we are.  Almost a year later.

I picked some of my favorite colors/fabrics and just had fun with it.  Jessie might have thought that I would only make a block or two but I loved the pattern so much I knew I wanted to make the whole thing!

They're really fun blocks to make and I love the secondary pattern 

of the white stars in the corners of the blocks.

As I was making the blocks, I had to trim off lots of little triangles 

so I decided to hang onto those to use for another "side project" later.

Thus, my little Pinwheel quilt.

 It was perfect because I had enough trimmings from each block to make 4 matching pinwheels of the main bright fabric and 2 matching pinwheels of the second bright fabric!  I just sewed a bright and a white triangle together to make a half-square triangle, squared them all up to 2.25" and then made pinwheels.  I alternated the pinwheels with white squares of the same size and made this really simple quilt!  The blocks finished at 3.5" and the whole quilt finished at 45.5" x 60".

 

These were both quilted by Cathy Barney in Alpine, Utah.  I used two of my go-to patterns, the interlocking orange peel on the Penny Tiles quilt and wavy lines on the Pinwheel quilt.  Cathy always does a fantastic job!

These will be going to a good friend for Christmas.  I hope she likes them!

Are you busy making handmade gifts for Christmas?  They're the best kind!

Have a great weekend!

~ Amber