Colorbrick!
First it was the fabric! I had to have Anna Maria Horner’s Good Folks collection – and the more the better! I purchased a 1/2 yard set and started making little projects around the house, like my patchwork rugs and computer chair pad.
Then, gradually, I came around and admitted I wanted to make a quilt. Colorbrick was born when Film in the Fridge posted a work-in-progress on her “Postcards from the Park” quilt (which coincidentally she submitted as her favorite to Blogger’s quilt festival!). I didn’t know how she had achieved that look, but I knew that I liked the way the large rectangle shapes present the fabric. Then one afternoon while reading, I glanced up to see some brickwork through my window. Instantly, I knew that was the feel I wanted. Isn’t that how it is sometimes – the right idea comes quickly like a gift from heaven!
Good Folks would show off in large brick shapes and natural linen would make a cool mortar. Not knowing what I was doing, I set to work making the blocks via a paper-piecing technique. Essentially, I was adding a strip of linen to the top and side of each rectangle. Well, it worked, but that was silly! Had I recognized that the top line was sashing, I could have cut one long strip to go all the way across each row of bricks, saving significant time in cutting and sewing.
I had planned from the beginning that I would use a thrifted wool army blanket (thanks, Mom!) as the batting and quilt the back in a stair step echo pattern that would emphasize the brick design. Loved the quilting process!
At first I finished Colorbrick with a bright yellow store bought binding. It was awful. I mean, just reaaaally bad! After ripping it out I made some binding from scraps and it came out alright. I machine attached it for a quick finish. Thanks to all of you who have made sweet comments about my Colorbrick quilt! That picture in the header was taken off the cuff, when we were finished photographing the rest.
The internet is a wonderful place! Thanks, Amy, for organizing such a fun way to share our favorite projects and meet new friends! I’m off now to check out the other quilts in the Blogger’s quilt festival!
Very nice
so simple and yet so effective. Love this quilt!
This is a fantastic quilt, it works so well and I love your story of how it developed – so I’m not the only one who works without a master plan!! Brilliant, thanks for sharing it, Lis x
Great choice for the Festival! I really love that quilt!
very beautiful quilt work!
Oh I love this. If we were voting for the best in show this would be my vote. I love this idea. I have some red and aqua bricks that I have been looking for a pattern.
OH I love it! I really love all AMH’s stuff… those bricks are perfect! 🙂
Sometimes the simple stuff is the best! 8^)
I included your beautiful quilt in my blogger’s quilt festival roundup post!
Wonderful quilt – great fabrics and lovely layout. A very effective design, loving the large bricks and how the fabrics are featured.
Great quilt back too!
oh and thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! I love what you said about the quilt looking good from far away. I think that is vital in a quilt and it took a lot of rearranging to get it just so.
Once again, just love this quilt.
love it!
margaret
http://www.quiltsoflove.blogspot.com
This is beautiful. i love how you used the linen. Did you use the voile or cotton fabric? I am so confused on what it comes in. I think this might be the first collection of fabric I buy in half yards!
Kristen, The Good Folks collection only comes in quilter’s weight cotton. That’s what I used! I think you may be thinking of AMH’s most recent collection, which is LITTLE Folks. That comes in only cotton voile, which feels like silk but is made of cotton. The linen I used was a medium-weight natural linen from Grayline Linen’s (the Judy line). Thanks for your comment!
love it! i agree that a simple design is the best way to show off gorgeous fabric
Just gorgeous! Scrappy quilts are my favorites, and you’ve got so many pretty fabrics in your Colorbrick quilt. Hard to believe it’s your first one. It turned out perfectly!
loved the fabrics
It is beautiful!
Good fabric choice and it was a learning experience for you. I really like this quilt.
Wow! This is such a cool way to showcase the beautiful fabrics.
LOVE IT! but who doesn’t love a quilt Anna Marie Horner fabric in it…..GREAT JOB!
Love it. Love the fabric.
That is a wonderful way to showcase favorite fabrics, and just a beautiful finished quilt. Was it difficult to quilt through an army blanket? Sounds so bulky, but warm.
That photo in the header is terrific.
Dolly – Surprisingly it wasn’t difficult to quilt through the army wool blanket at all. I was worried about that since other quilting bloggers never seem to talk about using repurposed battings. But, nope, it came together easily and my machine (which is not fancy) had no trouble. It was definitely important to give the quilt lots of support while quilting so that my machine didn’t get abused!
What a beautiful quilt! I love the quilting detail.
Really cute quilt. Lovely design, fabrics & color.
Thanks for answering about quilting through the blanket -glad it worked (just don’t try to hand quilt through one). What a great way to showcase your fav. fabrics.
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this is so gorgeous. i love the fabric, and the pattern ….well everything
What a fantastic quilt, Rachel! It looks as if it were made up of very colourful tiles. Wonderful!
Your quilt made me stop dead in my tracks! Simply wonderful!
What a gorgeous quilt, Rachel! The linen is perfect and I love the layout. Absolutely stunning!
It’s so gorgeous! I love that it showcases the fabric like that!! Just spectacular!
Sooo lovely!! One of my favorites 🙂
Love the design you made – great way to showcase the pretty fabrics! Great quilt…
; )
Congrats on a job well done on this quilt!
I LOVE it!!! What a great way to show off the fabrics.
that sure is a beautiful, and super fun quilt. i love it! the colors are so pretty and playful at the same time!
I love your brick and mortar quilt and the stair-step quilting works wonderfully!
[…] be posting step-by-step directions for how to make my Colorbrick quilt. It’s definitely my favorite quilt so far and so easy to make. Large pieces come together […]