Live a Colorful Life Quilt Diary: August 2022

227. Jettstream

Jettstream is a collaboration with Oakshott Fabrics. I rewrote my Charm Parade pattern to specifically use a fat eighth bundle of Oakshott called Jett.

It's "sister quilt," Color Commotion, uses the same fabric, but the center squares are each a different color rather than black. I actually like this version better as I think the black calms everything down a little.

The Charm Parade block is a simple one and gives you the opportunity to play around with color. It then creates a secondary design where the blocks come together.

I put the extra blocks on the back, including a couple from Color Commotion. Also, notice the cute label.

When we were in Mendocino, California, in July 2022, we passed a temple and knew it was perfect as a backdrop.

Oakshott Fabrics added these photos to their website:

Title: Jettstream

Pattern by: Me (Charm Parade variation)

Date Completed: 2022

Size: 40" x 50"

Quilted by: Darby Myers

226. Color Commotion

Anyone who knows me at all from a quilting perspective knows that my favorite fabric of all time is Oakshott shot cotton.

I have been privileged to correspond fairly frequently with the owner of Oakshott, Michael Oakshott himself, who is extremely generous. He gave me a deep discount when I made an MCC quilt one year using Oakshott, and when I place an order I will often find "surprises" that he has included.

He contacted me earlier in the year about a possible collaboration using a bundle that is slated to be called Jett.

He sent a bundle of 12 colors, with the color threads going one direction, woven with black in the other direction (the warp and weft). One thing I love about Oakshott fabrics is that their dimensions are all larger than the quilting cottons we buy here in the US. For example, we purchase fabric by the yard, which is anywhere from 40" to 44" wide, a fat quarter is about 18" x 22" and a fat eighth is 9" x 11". Oakshott is woven by the meter and is 54" wide. So their fat eighths are a generous 10" x 27" and fat quarters are 19.5" x 27".

I had decided that my Charm Parade pattern would once again work nicely with these fabrics. Each block would have four different colors, with a consistent "lattice" strip of black to tie everything together.

I made quite a few blocks before I realized that Michael had sent me a generous amount of fabric.

I sketched the layout to see what it would take to make 20 blocks, cutting the fabric to the exact dimension that would be sold as a fat eighth, and realized I was short the fabric needed to cut the center square. By the time I realized this dilemma, I had made all the blocks. What should I do?

I decided that the easy solution was to remake all the blocks and use black in the center of each block. And I decided I liked this version much better anyway.

Then I decided to go all out and add a border to this one. I had this cool batik that had a lot of colors that were in the blocks. Ugh.

I switched it to black. Ahh...so much better. If you are wondering what the color is in the black border--I had Darby quilt with colorful variegated thread--just to add a little more "color commotion."

I had some great fabric in my stash for the backing. Also, a cute label.

We took the quilt along on our trip to Oregon in July 2022, and in this small town of Point Arena we found this colorful mural.

It was a windy afternoon but we got some fun shots.

Title: Color Commotion

Pattern by: Me (a Charm Parade variation)

Date Completed: 2022

Size: 46" x 56"

Quilted by: Darby Myers

225. Deco

Deco is a pattern by Brittany Lloyd of Lo and Behold Stitchery. I loved the colors she chose for the cover version on the pattern, and since a kit was available, I ordered it.

Lots of cutting. But actually the blocks went together easily.

Darby quilted it. She used a very cool deco fan design.

We took the quilt along on our trip to Oregon and I took a few photographs at Diamond Lake.

I'd still like to take some photographs in front of a building in Fresno with an art deco design, but for now this is it.

Title: Deco

Pattern by: Brittany Lloyd of Lo and Behold Stitchery

Date Completed: 2022

Size: 56" x 68"

Quilted by: Darby Myers

Gifted to: Scott and LouAnn Wiens

224. Effervescence

Effervescence is a quilt that was started many years ago, and another one that I was determined to complete in 2022.

It began as a Scrappy Trip Around the World, which was a popular technique by Quiltville Bonnie. I tried a couple of different layouts.

Once I settled on a layout, I folded it up and put it in a box.

A few years ago I found a fabulous fabric by Robert Kaufman called Effervescence, and decided it would be the perfect border fabric for these blocks. It had a range of colors that did an ombre' effect from one selvage edge to the other. I tried to coordinate the border colors with the blocks.

I then had to increase the backing as well. Originally I only had the solid strip segments surrounded by some black. I added the strip of Effervescence and surrounded everything by more black.

Then it went to Darby.

We took a trip to Oregon in the summer of 2022, and while in Crescent City, we drove past an amazing mural that had so many colors that were in the quilt. So we stopped to get some tape and the next morning, before the business opened, we carefully taped it to the mural.

It was such a cool optical illusion of actually floating in the water.

Title: Effervescence

Pattern by: Block design by Quiltville Bonnie

Date Completed: 2022

Size: 50" x 50"

Quilted by: Darby Myers

223. Llama Love

I made these four blocks in 2011, using the super cute llama fabric by Laurie Wisbrun and a design by Scott of Blue Nickel Studios. Then it was folded up and put away from the next ten years.

I pulled it out earlier in the year, determined to make it at least a baby-sized quilt.

Borders were added.