It's always exciting to see newly released fabrics and what is 'trending'. The flip side is that over time fabrics go out of print and become "rare". I found the timeless quality of Moda's Thicket worth investing in for future quilts.
You can't beat a baby quilt using these lovely animal panels. The simple black and white designs make it perfect for a boy or girl.
Batting and white minky give this quilt weight but not so much that it feels bulky. Following the seam lines to quilt in a wavy stitch makes a nice 2" grid throughout. Aurifil 50wt. worked like a charm as always for piecing & quilting .
This is my 4th Thicket quilt and the design still feels fresh and current. A previous post here has more sewing details on how to make a baby Thicket quilt.
Shown above is an 'adult' version using lots of small panels. There is a stash of fabric waiting for me to make two more blankets like this. I love these critters and so does my family & friends. For more on this quilt - the link is here.
While Thicket fabric may not be as available as it once was - the artwork of Stacie Bloomfield (aka Gingiber) can be found in fabric lines called Catnip & Savannah. Creative credit for the original baby quilts goes to the talented Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter.
Materials:
Thicket by Gingiber / Moda
Warm & White batting
Aurifil 50wt. #2311 & #2024
Dimple dot minky / white
Size: 38" x 44"
May 2018
Thicket by Gingiber came out in 2016 - beautiful stuff. I made two baby quilts here and knew it was the perfect fabric for someone who loves photography and animals.
The accent fabric is Tribal is by Snow Leopard Designs.
Originally I was going to combine HST's with smaller squares - but after a few rows of 2" (finished) half square triangles cut with this Accuquilt die, it became obvious that the HST's would look great throughout. The entire quilt is a combo of Thicket & Tribal fabrics together.
Animal panels were cut 8.5" x 8.5". Next came 20 HST units surrounding each panel. Then the whole block was trimmed to 12" x 12". After all 24 blocks were sewn together - I added a half square triangle border and 3.5" of black fabric on the left and right sides. Lastly, a smaller black border of 2.5" on the top and bottom to completely frame all the critters.
Even though there are tons of small pieces, this pattern is worth a try with all sorts of fabric designs. The backing is a beautiful black dimple dot minky and it is quilted with Aurifil 50wt. in a simple grid pattern.
Looking forward to 2018 are two more baby quilts and two more Tribal quilts to make with this beautiful Thicket fabric. I am so grateful for generous quilters like Amy Everon & Amy Smart for sharing their Thicket quilts which are so inspiring.
Materials:
Thicket by Gingiber for Moda
Tribal collection (Alexandria Terra, Bukhara Terra, Kira Terra) from Snow Leopard Designs / Free Spirit
Wintergreen Aged Solids / Ebony / Moda
Aurifil 50wt thread #2000 / #2692
Warm & White batting
Dimple dot minky / black
Accuquilt die #55063 HST 2" finished square Multiples
Size: 59" x 76.5"
Date: December 2017
Total creative credit (and any other credit you can think of) for these two baby quilts goes to Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter. When I saw her Thicket quilt, it was obvious that she nailed how to use these beautiful black & white modern fabrics.
Yes, I did the cutting and sewing, but Amy was generous in her post to explain how she made her quilt. Judging by all the enthusiastic comments - I am not the only one who wanted to make one (or two) just like hers.
The squares are 2.5" and cut from pre-washed & starched fat quarters. I was worried about any black bleeding so with a few Shout Catchers and a pre-wash I felt better. No bleeding after assembly and final washing.
I sewed the squares first that framed the critters and then cut the panels to that size - my modus operandi because my seams are never mathematically correct and I always need to trim to fit. Amy's quilt was made with a jelly roll - and her method is here.
White minky on the back and quilting on the seams with a wavy stitch in Aurifil 50wt. Muslin (#2311) on top and White (#2024) on the bottom. A new #14 needle and it was fun, fun, fun to make blankets so small.
These quilts represent all that is good in the internet world of quilting. I started teaching myself to quilt in 2012 with no real experience - just a semester of sewing in 7th grade back in the Dark Ages. One of the first blogs I found was Diary of a Quilter and it was love at first read. It is quilters like Amy Smart that in real life & on line, teach, share, inspire and support sewers like myself ... giving us the benefit of their expertise and the tools so we can make quilts ... just like theirs.
Materials:
Design & instructions: Amy Smart / Diary of a Quilter
Thicket by Gingiber for Moda
Aurifil 50wt. Muslin / White
Warm & White batting
Wintergreen Aged Solids Ebony / binding
Sizes: 38" x 44"
February 2017
