Snowy Starry Night

I am so pleased to finally be able to share with you my Summer's secret sewing.

This is Snowy Starry Night. My first ever quilt pattern, published in the current issue of Fat Quarterly.

Back in June sometime the lovely Lynne posted on Instagram a gorgeous bundle of the Solstice collection by Kate Spain, asking for ideas for a Christmassy project. I don't consider myself to be a natural designer but I put forward an idea for a fun, simple, festive lap quilt. Happily my idea was chosen and very soon 16 FQs of the Solstice arrived on my doorstep.

This is just half of this gorgeous line

I love these prints. It is festive without being OTT. Perfect colours and a good variety of scale in the prints. I decided it needed a darker background to set off the lighter cream and pale blue prints and Kona Steel was the perfect choice. 

The pattern itself is about everything I love in a quilt. Big blocks (16" finished!). Traditional blocks with a contemporary twist. And starightforward piecing with lots of opportunity to chain piece!

This quilt comes together fast, If you start now, you can have one finished in time for Christmas snuggling, I promise. Use those festive FQs you've been hoarding since you bought them in the sale last year (everyone does that, right?). Go super scrappy. Go wild with Christmassy novelty prints - there are plenty of big cuts here to show them off. Or just pick a colour scheme that makes you think of the Holidays - or not. This would work in Spring-like colours too if you are even more of a humbug than me ;-)

I backed the quilt in the bright red spotty flannel that I bought at Festival of Quilts. It's the Remix flannel in cherry dots by Ann Kelle, I bought it from the Eternal Maker but they don't seem to have any left.  I absolutely LOVE a flannel quilt backing but it is essential to prewash as it really does shrink. My (other) local quilt store has a great new selection of Moda flannel in at £12.99 a metre which is pretty reasonable for flannel in the UK I think. 

Anyway. I am super proud of this quilt and I do hope you all like it too. The pattern is available now at www.fatquarterly.com. It's an online quilting e-zine and you can purchase your copy right away here. And you should, because as well as my pattern there are loads of patterns by other lovely designers including Emily, Sue, Fiona and so many more. Lots of smaller projects too, and this frankly awesome collaborative Christmas jumper quilt.

umm, wow?!

Truly, go check it out.

More pics of Snowy Starry Night. Come December this will be on our sofa for daily snuggles.

And the stats:

Pattern: Snowy Starry Night by ME!

Fabric: Solstice by Kate Spain

Backing: Remix Flannel by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman

Binding: Scrappy Solstice

Quilting: Diagonal wavy lines by me (for a change) in Aurifil 50wt #5007 which is a great blue-grey

Size: 60" square