An Hourglass Quilt Top : :

This weekend we made time to photograph two new quilt tops and I'm so excited to share both of them here on the blog this week!

First up, a scrappy hourglass quilt featuring Bonnie Christine's latest collection with AGF, Hello, Ollie!



Hello, Ollie is the very first certified organic cotton fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics and the quality is absolutely amazing! These truly are the softest, most luxurious organic fabrics I have ever used. Hello, Ollie is a beautiful mix of soft & delicate hues with fun pops of color, and is packed full of sweet feathered creatures and garden blooms!



When this collection arrived we were in the thick of Summer break, where a week would quickly go by with little to no sewing time for this mama to three. In an effort to begin a new Hello, Ollie quilt with very high hopes that I might actually finish it up, I settled on one of my go-to pattern favorites for producing a pretty but speedy quilt using the hourglass block. The "make four at a time" method I use makes for quick work, and in no time I had all the blocks needed for a generous throw size quilt top!





There's a beautiful maple farm about forty minutes from our home that happens to have pond where two swans actually live. The moment I finished this quilt top I've been waiting for the chance to photograph it at this perfect spot, and then a week ago when we ventured there for brunch I completely forgot about it! I'm still kicking myself for that one, but this pretty tree shot from Saturday almost made me forget about it. It's my favorite photo from the bunch!



Isn't it dreamy! When it comes to photographing these light, feathery quilt tops the slightest bit of wind can make it impossible to take photos while my husband holds it steady. Seeking out special trees like this one and the split rail wood fencing we're so lucky to have throughout the areas surrounding my hometown are perfect substitutes!



I plan to back this quilt with a sea of swans using Bonnie's Swanlings Bevy in Nightfall print!



And, once it's completely finished I promise to find my way to those swans!

You can find this beautiful Hello, Ollie collection newly available at Fat Quarter Shop, Llama Fabrics, and on SALE at Lady Belle Fabric!

♡ Maureen  

Hello, Ollie!

Sometimes a new fabric collection arrives at my door and it's so good, I have to cut into it right away! That was the case with AGF designer Bonnie Christine's newest collection, Hello, Ollie! This is the very first Art Gallery Fabrics certified organic cotton fabric collection and the quality is absolutely amazing! These truly are the softest, most luxurious organic fabrics I have ever used. It's so exciting!



My favorite Hello, Ollie print is Dabbling Swan, which I set aside to admire a little longer with a different project in mind. For the remaining, beautiful eighteen prints, full of sweet feathered creatures and garden blooms, I couldn't wait to see them come together in a pretty, patchwork project!

It's been awhile since I've had the time to begin a new quilt top, and I definitely didn't want to start one only to struggle to find the sewing time needed to see it progress. After a little thought, I quickly settled on making an hour glass quilt. The "make four at a time" method I've always used for making hour glass quilt blocks produces fast results, and in no time I had all the blocks needed for a generous throw size quilt top!



These hour glass quilt blocks began with a stack of  7" charms squares,



sewn together into four-patch quilt blocks,



and after a little more sewing & cutting, emerged sixty-four 9" hour glass blocks!





Now, all that's left to do is arrange them into a harmonious pattern and to sew them together. I can't wait to see this finished and to share it here just as soon as it's done!

You can find Hello, Ollie available soon at Fat Quarter Shop, Llama Fabrics, Lady Belle Fabric, and The Intrepid Thread!

♡ Maureen  

A Scrappy Hourglass Quilt Top : :

In the early afternoon yesterday we decided to ignore the cloudy skies and took my finished scrappy hourglass quilt top using Alison's new Field Day collection to our favorite fields nearby for picture taking. Which in the end we all agreed made much more sense for this particular quilt than those beach photos I tried to get. It turned out to be the most perfect lighting for my pictures and was such a fun time for all of us!



We took our time walking along the stream that separates the two fields picking bouquets of wildflowers, turning over rocks, catching crayfish, all while snapping the occasional photo!











The light in this photo is my absolute favorite and really captures both the warmth and brightness of this collection!



My quilt top is made up of sixty-four hourglass blocks. I wanted to be sure that the overall look would be super scrappy, while still keeping symmetry & balance with my placement of a few prints, particularly the lightest & brightest white as well as the deepest purple X & + print!





Deciding on this place for these quilt top pictures truly was the most perfect way to showcase just how beautiful these fabrics are and for me to share all the reasons I love living right here in Pennsylvania!



♥ Maureen 

Back to Busy : :

Along with my Friendship Diamond quilt I had also planned to have Field Day quilt top photos to share with you all last week, but the strong winds that blow across the ocean and up the beach made it impossible for me to catch the lovely photos of my newly finished, delicate scrappy hourglass quilt top that I had envisioned. That glowing light illuminating each piece of patchwork that I had so hoped to catch again, this time at the shore, was nearly all blocked out by my sweet quilt holder husband's silhouette. Returning home to Pennsylvania, although wonderful, the gloomy overcast is still putting my plans on hold. So, it back to work for me today as I wait to take my pictures. I have lots of felt and fabric to order, etsy business to handle, a few mid-progress projects I'm eager to get back to, and lots of new ideas!

Wising you all a wonderful beginning to this new week!

♥ Maureen