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patterns by carolyn friedlander

Hunt QAL #14 ALL DONE!

By carolyn friedlander on September 25, 2020 in Featured on Home, my patterns, Quilt Along | Comments: 1

Hunt QAL #14. ALL DONE! My Hunt Quilt Along quilt is done, photographed and on my bed–a quilty miracle for sure.

hunt quilt along quilt . carolyn friedlander

Binding

With the binding, I was unsure of which direction to go for pretty much the entire time. After much auditioning, here is what I came up with.

An easy rule of thumb when you can’t decide on one binding is to go with all of them! This meant three fabrics in my case. I love that this satisfies all urges, and I think a scrappy binding suits many quilts nicely, especially this one. These choices are from Collection CF, Jetty and a Robert Kaufman gingham that might look black in the photo but is actually dark green. I love any gingham or grid in a binding, and the metallic adds just the right amount of sparkle.

scrappy binding in collection CF, Jetty and gingham

Hand Quilting

I don’t know what my favorite part about this quilt is, but the hand quilting is definitely up there. For a bed quilt it is massively cozy, and from a design standpoint I like how the high contrast thread stands out when you look at it.

The overall rows of straight lines in different directions is a pleasing contrast to the circular motifs.

Scrappy Backing

The backing is super scrappy, which you can see better in this post. Just like choosing multiple fabrics for the binding, scrappy backings are just as appealing. The snippet below is another Robert Kaufman gingham. It’s really soft, which is a great backing quality.

I’ve always considered this a two-sided quilt. I should get some shots of the other side too, but I’ll leave that for another day.

The fabrics for the blocks are scrappy, but the quilting thread is consistent throughout. I think this ties things together nicely.

The hand quilting makes it soft and cozy, and I’m really happy to have it finished.

Quilt Label!

Oh, one more thing! There’s a label! I’ve been way better lately at making and attaching labels to my quilts. I make a label (this one is definitely fancier than the usual ones I make) when making or attaching the binding. This way it’s ready to add after hand-stitching the binding. My labels include my name, the project name, project dates, contact info (if the quilt will be traveling), and the type of batting used. I’ve been all over the place with batting lately, and this helps me keep track.

Finished and in use!

I actually slept under it for the first time last night, and it was all kinds of special.

Pattern: Hunt Quilt (templates here, here and here)

Fabrics: Mostly mine from many collections including Jetty, Collection CF, Botanics, Instead, Gleaned, Friedlander

Quilting Thread: Sashiko thread from Upcycle Stitches

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Clay Mini quilt.

By carolyn friedlander on July 6, 2020 in Featured on Home, my patterns | Comments: 6

Despite this Clay mini quilt being my most recent Clay finish, it was actually the quilt where it all began.

It all started with a mini charm pack from a Quilt Market years ago. The pack included 2 1/2″ squares from my Doe collection as well as some Kona solids, Essex linen and other good stuff. It was at that time that I came up with these shapes and scattered them on to a gingham background. I loved how the gentle shapes could suggest different motifs while being perfect for layering. Plus the pops of color and overall variety sucked me right in.

I left the background large in order to give me options later. I didn’t know if I’d want to add more pieces or what size it ultimately should be. All of it sat pinned in place for years until recently. There have been so many times that I wanted to get back to it, and I’m glad that I now had the chance.

After appliquéing the pieces down, I had to decide what size to make the project. I seriously considered leaving the background piece large, because I like how appliqué doesn’t necessarily have to be used all over. In the end, I made it a mini, which I’m just as excited about.

The quilting was super fun. I used a gold/yellow Sashiko thread in a hand-quilted, diagonal grid. I wanted something bright and cheerful to complement the colorful pieces already there.

All of these years later, I still love these colors and shapes.

Pattern: Clay quilt pattern, mini size.

Fabric: Robert Kaufman Carolina Gingham, Doe Favorites mini charm pack (from the archives)

Hand Quilting: Upcycled Sashiko thread (#26) with Olympus needles

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Clay Quilt Pattern

By carolyn friedlander on July 2, 2020 in fabric, Featured on Home, my patterns | Comments: 7

With everything going on in the world today, I have to admit that it is hard not to acknowledge that. My goal continues to be to make this space one that is full of creative comfort and inspiration, as well as inclusion. That said, I’m excited to finally share with you my new Clay quilt pattern. I’ve been finding a lot of comfort in projects like this lately, and I hope you do too!

clay quilt pattern . carolyn friedlander

Clay is one of those projects ready for your own creative touch, which can take (literal) shape in all kinds of ways. Here’s just one of them.

If taking shape means creating a celebration of color–yes! It’s perfect for little bits of many different things that you may have been collecting. Or, if you want to focus on fewer colors while exploring the shapes and how they interact, then yes to that too!

Shape

The motifs and design is one that I’ve had rattling around for years. (I have proof of that, stay tuned.) It’s a simple idea, and I feel like the simple ideas can always say so much. Having looked at these shapes for so long, I like how there are so many different things to see. Sometimes the shapes feel like plants, sometimes they might be rocks and other times I just like how they seem to communicate with each other. They are round-ish, kind of pointy, big to small and even better–in my opinion–when layered. This scattering of shapes is playful and engaging not only in looking at the finished project, but when you cut and lay them out as well.

Color

There is a lot of color in this project. I used ALL of the current and incoming Collection CF prints, working from the charm pack. To give the range a bit more cohesion, you may notice a bit of a color gradation from the center out. (The size of the shapes graduate this way too, big to small.) Maybe the color gradation looks intimidating, but it’s really not that crazy to plan out. I just lined up my charm squares into a colorful order that I liked before cutting and laying out my project.

Fabric

In addition to Collection CF for the appliqué pieces (cut shapes), I used Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Lingerie for the background. I LOVE this fabric so much. The linen creates a good, sturdy texture for the prints to stand out and shine. Plus, I love how the linen quilts up. It’s just cozy and wonderful.

I used a bright yellow thread for the hand quilting, which you might remember a peek of awhile back.

I’ve been able to add a few spools to the shop if you’d like to add some to a project of your own. In fact, I’ve been adding lots of my favorite things to the shop over the last little while, if you’d like to check it out. (I’ll share more about all of it soon.)

Clay Quilt Pattern

The pattern includes several different size options with a coloring chart for each, as well as tips on color and composition. It’s a great beginner-friendly appliqué project as the (10) template shapes are a good size and feature gentle curves and points. If you’re super new to the technique, you can always start with the mini size option if you don’t want to feel too overwhelmed. Or, if a larger size is really speaking to you, then go for it! As another good hack, you can use more or less appliqué pieces in your project.

I have another sample that I finally finished up and will share with you soon, as well as more about the newest supplies in the shop…and my favorite needle-turn appliqué supplies.

Pattern: Clay quilt pattern, throw size.

Fabric: Collection CF plus Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in Lingerie.