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Friday, December 3, 2021

Cottage Garden Quilt - Riley Blake Block Challenge Finish

I named it "Cottage Garden" because that is the vibe I get from it!

I first read about this challenge on Amy Smart's Diary of A Quilter blog and am so glad I joined in because the blocks were truly fun! Amy designed the windmill block, one of sixteen varied blocks. I am discovering that I really love sampler quilts, because I never experience the boredom of doing the same thing over and over. These patterns were, for the most part, fun to sew and satisfyingly pretty; so much so that I became impatient when I had to wait for the next pattern!



Instead of solids, I chose mostly prints similar to the colors on the RBD fabric requirements page, and the resulting variety of colors and blocks was a happy surprise. At first the suggested sashing layout seemed too busy to me, but in the end I loved it, because it tied everything together and gave a pretty finish to the quilt blocks. Strip piecing the sashing was mind-numbing, but it got the job done quickly!


I quilted the sashing with a preset curvy stitch on my Janome 7700 and set the stitch length and width as high as they would go - would love to set it even higher but have not figured that out! Then I got the bright idea to "big stitch" the individual blocks. Well that didn't work out - hurt my hands! - so I loaded it up on the Simply Sixteen and quilted the blocks.


I hadn't intended to do a contrasting binding, but I love this fabric!

The backing is a Laura Ashley fabric from the early 1990s that reminds me of a vintage sheet

Cottage Garden Quilt Details:
Finished Size: 62" x 62"
Finished size laundered: 59" x 59"
Pattern: Block patterns here by various designers for Riley Blake

Block Fabrics
Various yardage from stash

Sashing
Larkspur in Straw by 3 Sisters for Moda
Green Hobby Lobby Print
White Hobby Lobby Grunge-ish solid

Backing
1991 Laura Ashley yardage

Binding
Maywood Studios "In Stitches"

Superior Threads
50wt So Fine #503 Genoa Gray
40wt Magnifico #2068 Ingot
40wt Living Colors #515 Raspberry

I'm linking my post to Alycia's Finished Or Not Friday! Go read about all the hats Alycia has been knitting - it's amazing!


12 comments :

  1. I have enjoyed making sampler quilts too! Isn’t it interesting how they all go together! I like the sashing here, but understand about the mind-numbing part!

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  2. Linda, you're amazing - two finishes in one week! I love this one - all the different blocks make it interesting to look at. Such elegant colors,too, and the sashing design is so pretty with the 9 patches and stripes. Are you keeping this one - I would have a hard time giving it away!

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  3. What a wonderful finish!! You are having so much fun with that machine!!

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  4. I love what you did with this! It is a fun quilt and doing a block a month is just a nice way to make a quilt! Your quilting is fab - congrats on getting another finish in before the end of the year.

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  5. How fun!! all those blocks look amazing!!

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  6. I’m not a fan of sampler quilts for myself, but I think that’s only because I get stuck on how to quilt them. I like everyone else’s, and I especially like yours. You obviously knew what to do to quilt! The colors are so lovely and work so well together. And the sashing is amazing.

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  7. What a beautiful quilt - I love the fabrics!

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  8. Sampler quilts look great. I love looking at your creations.

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  9. Beautiful job Linda! Love the Sampler and the red binding! Hugs

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