Winner's Bouquet Quilt

For the last couple of years, I have received the best birthday present from my parents. I get to pick out the pattern and fabric to make a quilt! The rules are simple: I must finish the top of my birthday quilt from last year in order to get more fabric for my birthday this year. It keeps me focused on a project for a period of time - especially when there are so many projects that I can't wait to get my hands on!

This pattern is called Winner's Bouquet, and it is by Atkinson Design. It costs about $30 for the pattern because it includes the plastic template pieces. I also purchased a 45mm rotary cutter to use with the templates.

I have been trying to break my habit of always being drawn to the same style of fabrics (usually batiks), and I have been expanding into more novelty prints. I chose all blues, greens, and browns for this quilt. When unfolded on my bed, it kind of makes me eyes pop out because I feel like it is really bright. So, often times, I have it folded as a bed runner at the end of my bed. I am trying really hard to expand my color palette though!

This quilt is king size! I literally poked myself in the neck with pins as I was feeding this thing through my sewing machine. It is a beast!

It is also one of my first attempts sewing curved seams. The blocks themselves were pretty easy to assemble, as there is only five pieces of fabric within each block. They did require pinning in order to make sure all of the seams lined up correctly.

I like the look of having the light blue run throughout the quilt and in the inner border. I feel as though it almost makes it look like a window.

I think what makes this quilt is the stitching that I did on top. My grandma has a long-arm sewing machine, so we always have fun picking out how we want to sew our newest quilt. I feel like 90% of our quilts end up being a stipple stitch, but I knew on this quilt I wanted to do something that shows off each block. We chose to do a puzzle piece design. I think it just completes the quilt!

We measured the length of each block and divided it by two. We cut a half circle with a diameter that was half the length of the block. I traced across a row on the quilt, placing the template on one side of the block seam and then flipping it upside down and placing it on the other side of the block seam. I would then sew across an entire row on the quilt (12 blocks wide), sewing the curves like a wave from one end of the quilt to the other.

Once I completed all of the wavy lines going across the width of the quilt, we took it out of the long-arm machine. We put it back in the machine so now I could go across the quilt with wavy lines the long way (also 12 blocks long).

When completed all of the wavy lines met together at the corners of each block.

For the inner boarder, I did a thin wavy line (not my favorite thing about the quilt).

For the outer boarder, I used the template again, and sewed a wavy line that matches the rest of the quilt.

I feel as though these stitches really finished off the quilt beautifully!

Unfortunately, on the next quilt that I quilted, I went back to a stipple stitch...but I do feel a little bit braver after completing this quilt!

Don't you think everyone should get fabric for their birthday?!?

Blogs I link to: CraftOManiac, Brassy Apple, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Tip Junkie, Shwin and Shwin, Home Stories A to Z, Creative Itch, Sugar Bee Crafts, Coastal Charm, Not Just a Housewife, Hope Studios, Chef in Training, Mommy By Day Crafter By Night, Southern Lovely, Passionately Artistic, Sew Woodsy, Savvy Southern Style, Ginger Snaps, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, Rae Gun Ramblings, Delightful Order, House of Hepworths, The CSI Project, Remodelaholic, Tatertots & Jello, Shabby Nest, Chic on a Shoestring, Simple Home Life, 30 Handmade Days, Family Ever After, Craftionary, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Nifty Thrifty Things

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