I’m really excited about this quilt – it has all my favorite things! Scraps and color! And lots of them! I was inspired to make this when my son graduated from law school – got to me thinking about courthouses, so naturally the courthouse block came to mind. This version of Courthouse Steps uses the same fabric for each “step” rather than the more traditional version of having the only the fabrics opposite each other the same. And I love quilts done in spectrum order, it’s such a great way to use up scraps.
The center squares are a fun place to “fussy cut” some favorite fabric motifs. The thistle on the left I picked up in Scotland on a wonderful vacation, the mermaid in the center I got in Montana while visiting my son, and the little flower is the last tiny piece of a fat quarter bundle I found in Idaho while visiting my daughter.
Those are just two of the reasons I enjoy scrap quilting so much – getting to use the tiniest bit of a favorite fabric, or including a piece that will bring back memories every time you look at the quilt. I’m often asked where do I get my scraps? The short answer is I make a whole lot of quilts! So naturally I have left over fabric – I often buy a little extra on purpose just to add to my stash. But my favorite way to build up my collection is to buy fat quarters any time I stop in a quilt shop, which is often! We do a lot of travel by car, and I always google “quilt shops near me” whenever we set out on a road trip. Fat quarters work well because you can get a variety of prints or solids, and get specific colors you need to fill in some gaps – and not break the bank. And just like I mentioned above, I now have fabric that reminds me of a trip or a town or a visit!
With the center squares a good spot for fussy cutting, this could be a fun “I Spy” quilt to cuddle under with kids – you could include some of their favorite novelty prints or letters or any fabric with a graphic. You know the game I’m sure: I spy with my little eye… a mermaid! And the child finds the cute mermaid! A sweet bedtime ritual perhaps?
I have just completed the pattern for Right Angle Rainbow. It’s here on my website, and in my Etsy shop. It’s an easy make – kind of goes together like a puzzle. The quilt I made is a queen size, but the pattern includes both throw and baby quilt layouts, so don’t be overwhelmed by a big quilt.
I quilted an all over leafy sort of design and I am really taken with the texture it gives the quilt. I used Glide thread in white – I love the sheen Glide adds. The quilt in photos has already been washed (cold water please) and dried (low heat) to give it that lovely crinkly look of well-loved quits. I typically wash all my quilts – some exceptions, like wall hangings, but generally I make quilts to be used so they need to be washable. I usually throw in a Color Grabber sheet when I wash quilts the first time, just to help with color bleed.
And last but not least, here’s Frankie posing on Right Angle Rainbow as I laid it on the floor to sew on the last row. What quilt is complete until a sweet doggie sits on it?
As ever, thanks for reading. Drop me an email if you have questions or just want to chat about quilts! I’m all ears 🙂
Peace my quilty friends, Ann