Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Reflection - Modern Quilt Tutorial for Oakshott Lipari Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Oakshott Lipari blog hop! Thank you to Lynne of Lily's Quilts and Oakshott Fabrics for this opportunity. This simple, graphic quilt design had been sitting in my sketchbook for at least a year, and when I saw Lynne's call for makers, it automatically popped into my mind as the perfect quilt to show off Oakshott shot cottons.

Negative space and alternate gridwork - my favorite!

I made two other projects with Oakshott before {Scandinavia Table Topper} {Star Within Table Runner + Tutorial}, and I've always been dazzled by the fabric itself. The Lipari line features 18 shot cottons interwoven with black. Shot cottons always look different depending on how you turn them, because the warp and weft threads are different colors. I love that!

Ooh, shiny. Photo courtesy of Oakshott Fabrics.

"Reflection" is a play on repeating blocks, combined with negative space and a diagonal layout. Every block is in the same place on either side of the quilt, and each side is quilted identically.


I quilted Reflection with the overall design in mind - I wanted that to be the star. Quilting can be the perfect way to emphasize a design element, don't you think? For example, an all-over design like spirals or pebbles would have been okay, but it wouldn't have been a spectacular choice to emphasize how each block is reflected across the diagonal (I demonstrate more of that below in the tutorial, if you are curious).


I quilted on my domestic machine (my beloved Janome Memory Craft 6300, Elsa), using my walking foot for the lines and my free motion foot for the purposefully wonky boxes and lines in the gray background. I used Aurifil thread #1158, a beautiful Medium Gray/bluish gray to achieve the background texture. Doesn't it look gorgeous?! The straight lines were quilted with #2024 (White) and a dash of #2745 (Midnight). I do love when my quilting shows! Why hide all that hard work? :)


Isn't it amazing how beautiful the shot cottons shine? I chose Stromboli (Lipari #12) for the backing and it did NOT disappoint. I've developed a bit of a soft spot for red!


 

If you'd like to make your own Reflection quilt, read on!

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Reflection Quilt Tutorial 

This pattern is the perfect one to showcase large prints or beautiful shot cottons! You will create (2) blocks each of contrasting fabrics (small square and large square) to set opposite from each other in an alternate gridwork layout.

Level: Beginner and up!
Finished size: 54.5 x 54.5


Materials:
-Colored squares: 14 Oakshott shot cotton fat eighths - each should pair with another that contrasts (I recommend first splitting into darker and lighter colors, and pair up from there)

*A note: Oakshott fat eighths are 10" x 27", slightly larger than a typical quilting cotton 9" x 21" fat eighth. If you are using quilting cotton, you will need to use fat quarters (18" x 22").

-Background fabric: 1.5 yards (sample:  Lipari #1 Pollara or gray)

-Backing and binding: 2 yards (sample: Lipari #12 Stromboli or red)

Cut:
From 7 small square fabrics:
(1) - 5" x 10" strip from each - subcut into (2) - 5" squares

From each of the contrasting 7 large square fabrics:
(1) - 5" x 10" strip - subcut into (2) - 5" squares
(2) - 5" x 9.5" strips

From background fabric:
(12) - 9.5" squares
(2) - 9.5" x 18.5"
(2) - 9.5" x 27.5"  

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Directions
*Sew all seams using a scant 1/4 inch seam.

1. Sew (1) - 5" small square to (1) - 5" contrasting square.

2. Press seam allowances to the large square fabric. This will make the smaller squares stand out!

3. Sew a strip of coordinating large square fabric (5" x 9.5") to any side of the block. Press to large square. You should have a 9.5" square.


4. Repeat Steps #1-3 for all 14 square blocks.

5. Lay out rows as pictured in the diagram below. Each block that you just sewed should sit in the same place - opposite the other across the quilt's diagonal (see picture).


Reflection Quilt Top Row Assembly



6. Sew blocks together in rows. Press seams open.

7. Match up the seams of the 9.5" blocks with pins to sew the rows to each other. Press seams open.

8. Baste, quilt, and bind as desired! Enjoy!

Please let me know if you make a Reflection quilt! Thank you again to Oakshott for providing the fabrics for this project! Make sure to check out the rest of the amazing Lipari projects:

5 May     Allison Dutton       allison-sews.blogspot.com
10 May   Nicholas Ball         quiltsfromtheattic.wordpress.com 
12 May   Helen Purvis          archiethewonderdog.blogspot.com
17 May   Lynn Harris            thelittleredhen.typepad.com
19 May   Kitty Wilkin           nightquilter.com (now moved to 2 June)
24 May   Jessica Skultety      www.quiltyhabit.com 
26 May   Karin Jordan           www.leighlaurelstudios.com
31 May   Elisabeth Vaughan  sharksdinner.com

http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/



25 comments:

  1. Lovely quilt, thank you for sharing. Guida

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  3. I love Lipari, it is my favourite ever fabric for quilting. Your quilt is lovely, I especially like the quilting, perfect. I also like the colour of the binding which works great. Funnily enough I have just finished my City Lights quilt using it and I love how it has turned out. If you would like to see it I just posted it a few hours ago on smilesfromkate.blogspot.co.uk I'd love to know your opinion.
    Smiles
    Kate

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  4. Those colors are just gorgeous! I've never used Oakshott before, but it has been on my list for a good long time!

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  5. What a beautiful quilt and finish, Jess. I love how the name of the quilt immediately had me looking for the reflection line and how your quilting emphasizes your design idea. :)

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  6. Love your quilt and it really shows off the quilting too..... ty for the idea... happyness04431@yahoo.com

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  7. Awesome quilt! I love the backside - it really shows off the quilting!!! Lovely!!

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  8. The center blocks look like they are kissing and there is a lineup of more that want to kiss. I like it.

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  9. The quilting is amazing on this one! I am really blown away.

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  10. Neat project ! Thanks for sharing!
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

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  11. This is GORGEOUS!!!! I love the simplicity of the quilting... it's hard to remember, but sometimes less really is more. :) Very nice job!

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  12. Neat Jess! I like the way you quilted it.

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  13. What an inspired marriage of materials, design and craftsmanship. And now you've left me wondering exactly where my budget might allow for some of that cool fabric, too.

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  14. The Oakshott colors you choose are beautiful.

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  15. Your quilt looks awesome!!! Love the rich lustre of the Oakshott fabrics and the quilting is beautiful!!

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  16. oh man you were right that red is gorgeous! This quilt is really great, I love how it is mirrored on the diagonal, and those lines emphasize it so well! Those fabrics are just beautiful! And I think you totally made the right call with using a bright thread for the quilting!

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  17. This is so gorgeous - love love love it! XXX

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  18. What a wonderful design! It is a perfect match for those fabrics!
    AND the quilting from the back! (yes another exclamation mark) Wow.
    Thanks for sharing the design. This is one I might just have to try. I have a nephew that is turning 16 this year and this is just right up his alley.

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  19. Oh, I love this quilt. And your quilting is absolutely gorgeous. It's just perfect!

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  20. Oh, I love this quilt. And your quilting is absolutely gorgeous. It's just perfect!

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  21. Wow, it's really beautiful! I love that you have the patience to make this quilt. I know, just look at the other side to remember what you need to do, but that's not so easy when the quilt is under the machine! You did a fabulous job of making the two sides reflect each other. I'm really impressed!

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  22. Thanks for a great tutorial and linking to TGIFF. Your quilting is the bomb too, very inspiring

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  23. Wow! love it! Love the quilting too! (Sorry I've been absent for such a long time -- I was full-time carer for my mother who has dementia from March 2015 till April 2016; she has now gone into full-time care and hopefully my life as a blogger will resume!)

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Let's start a conversation! I love comments and I'd be happy to reply to all who have an email address accessible. Thanks for commenting!

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