New Quilt Pattern!
Hopewell by Sharon Holland
Hooray, there's a new pattern for purchase! Meet Hopewell. You may remember seeing this quilt hanging on the wall in my Art Gallery Fabrics Bountiful booth for Spring Quilt Market. See my Shop Patterns page. Right now this pattern is only available through my Craftsy patterns (see link to Craftsy on Shop Patterns page.)
Bountiful booth Spring Quilt Market 2017
I wanted a statement quilt for my booth and I love how this one came together. I don't normally do medallion type quilts but because I wanted something that looked more like an Indian blanket or woven rug design, a medallion was just the thing. Once I started thinking about Indian blankets it made me think of the time my kids and I visited Fort Ancient in Ohio. The earth mounds stuck in my mind and although this quilt design is completely original and uses no Indian culture motifs (that I'm aware of) it has a definite Southwest or Native vibe to it. The central medallion, the colors, and prints I used are really representational of topography and the mounds than any actual references (other than the name for the quilt).
Mounds at Fort Ancient County Park in Oregonia, Ohio. Photo by Sharon Holland
I know, it's a stretch but I love how I took some basic quilt blocks, moved and flipped them around to come up with this design. My Bountiful fabrics and AGF Smooth Denim made the perfect rustic combination of colors and prints that pulled everything together. See shops that carry my fabrics on my Shop Fabrics page.
Recently, I've done a bit of what I call "bandaid decorating" to my family room. The reason I call it that is because instead of address the hard stuff like repainting the walls, replacing the nasty carpeting, and getting a new sofa and chairs I've instead made some simple quick fixes to spruce up the place and buy myself some more time before I can't stand it any longer.
Most of my furniture I've had for years (and it probably shows :). Not many are new and most I picked up thrifting. I just don't have the time to change my decor and since the items I have are for the most part really neutral, I just don't get tired of them either. But, this room was looking a bit sad and needed a little pick-me-up. So, for just a smidge over $400 I got the pouf (upper right corner), the coffee table, and the rug from Target. No affiliates here, it's just really nice stuff, shipped for free to the house and I'm so happy with all of it. The new throw pillows ($15 each) are from HomeGoods. Again, no affiliate just love them, especially the pops of teal that bring out my pottery collection of vintage aqua to teal pieces. I'm kinda mad about the rusty orange and teal combo! That's why when I was working on getting this new quilt pattern prepared as a PDF I could have hit my hand on my forehead with a Dah! moment--the colors were perfect for this room!
I'm really enjoying my space now and with the chilly evenings it's fun to snuggle under my quilt--now, if there was just something good to watch on TV, I'd be all set. Maybe time to find a good book to read instead!
Speaking of good reads, have you seen the first edition of Curated Quilts?
I was so honored to be asked to write an article for this amazing publication. The entire issue is ad-free and printed with incredible quality. It's more like getting a book than a magazine and definitely one you'll want to reference time and time again. Go explore their website and maybe you'll want to take part in the various quilt challenges!
My article is for the Creative Reset and is a regular feature they will have with issue.
Photo courtesy of Curated Quilts
It was an absolute blast writing this article and coming up with a quick project you can try for a creative reset. I especially loved taking the photos for the step outs and think the Curated Quilts team did a tremendous job putting it all together for the article.
Fall is my most favorite time of year and I always get a burst of energy as well. Does that happen for you too? These quilt projects are just a drop in the bucket for what I can show you right now. There will be plenty more in the next few weeks so stop back and visit me soon! Till then, I hope you can find ways to reinvent and recharge your world too.