Contessa Blocks in '30's fabrics: Now 2 tops

Good day, and welcome to my blog.

I am reporting the progress I made this week on my Contessa project.  This pattern is free from Moda's website.  It was the Sew a Jelly Roll pattern for 2024. 

I picked 1930's reproduction fabric and a Kona snow background, and cut and sewed with wild abandon, no counting of blocks.

Beginning of the project is described HERE.

I had a pile of blocks:

Each block finishes at 10 inches square.  I made two tops 6 by 6 blocks in size, and counted how many blocks were left.  I had enough to make two tops 60" by 80" or 6 blocks by 8 blocks, and I had 2 blocks left over!

Top #1:

And top #2:

Yes, they are different, in the placement of the fabric strips.

I hope to quilt these myself on my trusty Kenmore.  They are at a good size for charity giving.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Quilt done: Contessa pattern in bright batiks, for Mom

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.

I am a reporting a finish from this year, a project I started in August and blogged about HERE.

It is a pattern called Contessa and I chose it and the fabrics in consultation with my mom, as the quilt is for her.

The overall quilt, after washing:

I washed it with 5 color catchers and it's a good thing too, as the catchers were bright pink when they came out of the washer.

A view of the backing:

I have to say I'm a little disappointed with the long arm quilting.  The top thread over all the quilt is too tight and is pulling the bottom thread up to the top.  On the points of the leaves in the quilting pattern, it's pulling the bottom thread way up.

Look at the leaf shape nearest the center of the picture.

There is not much to be done about it now.  I have added the binding (same eggplant batik as the outer border) by machine.  Then washed it as noted above.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss (she featured by Over and Down Under top - thank you!), Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Contessa pattern (again), in 30's repro prints

 Good day, and welcome to my quilting blog.

Today I am hemming corduroy slacks I just purchased, but I have been busy this last week, working on a new iteration of the Contessa pattern.  I used this pattern in making a top for my mom, shown in This Post.

I enjoyed the process, so started cutting into my 1930's to 1940's scraps and fat quarters, for another version.  This does not always happen to me.  I cut fabric with wild abandon, not counting.  So I now have enough strips to make two quilts!  And I bought more Kona Snow for the background fabric needed.  

Here are some blocks, laid out on the design floor:

The slight creaminess of the Kona Snow fabric makes a nice background.  Many of my reproduction fabrics have leaves, flowers, or geometric patterns.

But I made an effort to include novelty fabrics with dogs, cats, kids playing, children's toys, etc. for fun.

As soon as I am done with hemming, I will get back to this project.

Oh! but later this week (Sept. 20) it's National Sew a Jelly Roll Day!  Of course I have a new project lined up for this too.  I'll be using the Over and Down Under pattern and some bright batik fabric strips.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Contessa pattern: a quilt for Mom

Good day, and welcome to my blog. 

I have been busy in my sewing room!  I am making a quilt (now a top) for my mom, and have been consulting with her every step of the way.

She likes bright colors: yellow, orange, red, even to magenta.  I found a set of 2.5 inch strips in these colors, and bought other fabrics to match, as my initial pick of a pattern required extra fabric for background and borders.

The package of strips is from CinBarDesigns on Etsy, and the other matching fabric, including the eggplant batik, came from Creekside Quilts.  CinBar Designs doesn't have this fabric set any more, but she has lots of other pretty batiks.  And Creekside Quilts has a great selection of batiks, and great customer service!

The pattern I chose, with Mom's input, is the Contessa pattern, available for free from Moda.  

I used the eggplant-colored batik, not white, for the background.

The pattern as written makes a top finishing at 60 inches by 70 inches, but I added borders.  A thin eggplant-colored border, then a warm yellow, then a wider eggplant border.  Here is what the top looks like now.

And a close-up of a corner:

I also consulted with Mom as to backing fabric.  The back of this quilt will be as bright as the front.  Our pick, from Backside Fabrics:

This will be arriving this week or next, and then it's off to the Long arm quilter I use.  I have plenty of time to get this project done for Christmas.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian