A Christmas quilt

My sister-in-law has been going through some difficult times of late.  Not eating properly and little sleep doesn't help either.  For the times you can't be there in person, a quilt shows you care by providing comfort and warmth.  When wrapped in a handmade quilt you really are surrounded by love and Christmas is the perfect time to give a gift of love.  

My sister-in-law loves autumnal colours and this Honeysweet collection by Fig Tree and Co contained all the colours she loves best.  The reds and greens also look suitably Christmassy.  

The pattern is from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott.  It is an easy design to put together and I love the way the blocks create an optical illusion, appearing to float in the background fabric.  

A cherry fabric from the Eden collection by Nel Whatmore was used for the backing and a stylised flower design was chosen for the long arm quilting.  

The binding fabric is from the Honeysweet collection.  I couldn't source this one in the UK and ended up ordering it from the USA.  I'm glad that I made the effort to find it as it tones perfectly with the Cherries fabric.  Being a perfectionist has its benefits.

My sister-in-law loved her quilt.  All of it.  She loved the colours and the design.  She loved the soft feel of it.  She loved the cosiness and warmth.  As soon as she pulled the quilt out of its wrapping, she curled up in the armchair, pulled the quilt over her and fell asleep for an hour.  The healing has begun.

Scrappy jelly roll quilt

How pretty is this fabric collection by Moda?  Called Fleurologie, it is a beautiful mix of aquas, greens, pinks and yellows with just a splash of a dark, bright blue to liven it up.  

I have been having a real thing with jelly rolls recently.  Not satisfied with one jelly roll, I used two of them to make this scrappy style quilt.  

The backing is a bird lover's delight incorporating images of small British birds.  A small stylised leaf was used for the long arm quilting; with cream thread used on the front and olive brown on the reverse.   

And for the finishing touch, I used my favourite squared elements fabric in yellow for the binding.  

At 173cm by 175cm this quilt is a very versatile size.  It would look fabulous on a sofa or bed and is the perfect partner for snuggling up with a good book or when watching tv.  

Jelly roll quilt

I love this quilt.  It's bright.  It's colourful.  It's cheerful.  Even the backing fabric, from the Happi range by Dena Designs, echoes the theme. 

The pattern is a traditional one called stacked coins but traditional doesn't have to mean old fashioned.  It looks very modern when made up in these bright, bold fabrics.  

I used this Honey Honey jelly roll, another Moda pre-cut, to make the quilt.  Jelly rolls contain 40 or 42 fabric strips, each two and a half inches wide and cut across the width of the fabric.  As with layer cakes, they are a good way to play with a full fabric collection as there is a least one strip of each design in the roll.  

After cutting, the jelly roll strips were sewn into long columns and then set within a jewel purple sashing which shows the colours off beautifully.  To complement the bright, cheerfulness of the quilt, it was long-arm quilted in a giant daisy pattern using a variegated pink and mauve thread.

The quilt binding, using the green checked fabric from the Honey Honey collection, is a little deeper than I generally use but I think it suits the larger size of this quilt.  At 184cm by 169cm, it makes a perfect picnic blanket or would make a fabulous gift for a young woman off to university.  And of course, it would look great on a bed or sofa too.