Billie-inspired Quilt

Well, that was fun. It's been awhile since I made a throw quilt. This one turned out just as I imagined it. 

While on vacation last month, I picked up a charm pack of Wallflower fabric by Tilda. I had seen a quilt on the foundry section of the Quiltfolk magazine website where they showcase quilts for sale made from old tops or blocks. The first quilt that was available for sale (for $900) was the Billie quilt. Take a minute to click the link here. It sold quickly. I knew I had to make one like it. I thought it was an old top, but it was actually made from old half square triangle blocks with new sashing. When I bought the charm pack, my plan was to use one of the free patterns from Tilda to make a quilt, but I realized that one pack was not nearly enough. Then I remembered the Billie quilt and thought the charms would be perfect. Except that I still didn't have nearly enough to make a quilt the size I wanted (99 blocks). So I looked to my fabric drawers, and it was surprisingly easy. I have a lot of old florals that I had avoided using over the years because I thought they were too old-fashioned in an era of modern geometrics. But now cute florals are back! My fabrics seemed just right. I chose a bunch along with some more modern ones as well as three turquoise prints I also bought on vacation. I cut two charms from each and had a delightful time coordinating them with my new charms. The colors were amazingly similar. 

Wallflower charms with my other fabrics on top

I trimmed the HST blocks to 4 1/2 inches for 4-inch finished blocks. The Billie quilt had dotted white fabric as sashing. I just happened to have some leftover white fabric with black dots on hand, so I laid out some blocks to test it out. 

And I learned something new (for me). My HSTs tended toward creamy, and I think the old me would have thought I needed off-white in my sashing. But the white set off all the blocks and brightened them up. 

When it was time to lay out the quilt, I divided the blocks into 2 identical piles, half for the top and half for the bottom of the quilt. Of course, as random goes, I kept switching blocks around trying for color/pattern balance. You know what that leads to--endless shuffling. 

Finally, I decided to lay out the blocks in a sort of mirror image starting at the upper left and lower right corners and laying identical blocks out across the quilt in opposite directions until they met in the middle, where I placed a final block. (There was one leftover block as the HST construction made 100 total blocks. That one will go into a placemat sometime soon.) I think the layout still looks random, but balanced. 

I cut my sash pieces at 4 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches except for the ones at the outer edges of the quilt. I was planning to use a 3/8 inch seam for the binding and didn't want to distort the shape/size of the sashes or cornerstones. So I cut those outer sash pieces at 4 1/2 by 1 5/8 inches. 

All that was left was duplicating the light blue cornerstones. I chose three different fabrics to place randomly, and as with the sashing, I cut the ones on the edges at 1 1/2 by 1 5/8 inches to accommodate the 3/8-inch binding seam, and the four for the outermost corners of the quilt at 1 5/8 by 1 5/8.

I needed to make a trip to the fabric store to find a backing that would work. It has a sweet vintage look, no?

I smooshed the top around on the batting to get it in place before basting it to the back.

Then it was time to put on my new socks. These are so comfy! They aren't compression socks, but give such good support while treadling.

I pretty much followed the Billie quilt for the quilting, straight(ish) lines from the upper left to the lower right through the points of the cornerstones. I added two more diagonal lines through each block for a bit more density. (My blocks might be slightly bigger than in the Billie quilt.)

The original quilt had black binding--which my eyes will NOT do. I dithered a bit about a black/white stripe or a navy print but settled on scrappy from four blues slightly darker than the cornerstones for a softer look. 

Here are the stats with some more photos.

Pattern inspiration The Billie quilt showcased in the Foundry section of the Quiltfolk magazine website.

Fabrics Wallflower charm pack by Tilda, with a variety of additional fabrics from my collection going back to the 1980's. Backing is Charmwood by Bernadett Urbanovics for FIGO.

 
Part Dimensions Finished blocks 4 by 4 inches; finished sashing 4 by 1 inches; finished cornerstones 1 by 1 inch. (1/8 inch added at quilt edges where needed to accommodate 3/8 inch binding seam.)

Quilt Dimensions 46 3/4 inches by 56 3/4 inches, sewn; 46 1/2 inches by 56 1/8 inches quilted. I haven't washed it yet. I may update with dimensions when I do.

Binding Scrappy, cut 2 1/2 inches wide; folded and sewn with 3/8 inch seam.

Batting Hobbs 80/20

Thread Superior--Masterpiece in Granite for piecing; King Tut in Temple for top thread and White Linen in bobbin for quilting and machine part of binding; Treasure in Little Prince for hand sewing binding.

Machines Singer Featherweight for piecing; Singer 115 Treadle with walking foot for quilting and binding.

I make quilts to give women in a postpartum therapy program and am always concerned about whether my designs/patterns will appeal to them. I hope I got this one right now that florals seem back in style. What do you think?

No location photos this time. It was too hot and humid. Then it rained. And then it was nice and cool, but the air was unhealthy (and ugly) due to wildfire smoke. (What a month.) No specific ranting today, although as I type this there are all kinds of egregious behaviors going on in the government of my country. Arrgghh. Making this quilt has been a spot of joy. 

I'm linking up this month with Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl for Favorite Finish July, with Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty for Brag About Your Beauties, with Andree at Quilting and Learning What a Combo for Free Motion Mavericks (although this one isn't free motion, just wobbly walking foot), with Frederique at Quilting Patchwork Applique (on Saturday), and with Cynthia at Quilting is more Fun than Housework for Oh Scrap (on Sunday). 

Keep quilting, keep making joy, keep expecting better from your country.

(Just a reminder: I'm not affiliated with any company, so when I mention products, services, or stores, I'm just documenting what I used or liked, not officially promoting anything. )