Thank you, dear quilty friends, for weighing in on my idea to make every quilt in one particular book. Some of you sounded enthused to do the same, lots of you gave your opinion on which book I should use.
My two book options were Sunday Morning Quilts, or Simply Retro. These two books are fairly different from each other, and so I thought I’d do a short description of both, in how they would apply to my ‘project’.
After that I’ll reveal to you which book I decided to go with!
So first let’s look at Sunday Morning Quilts.
It’s written by two great bloggers, Crazy Mom Quilts – who was one of the first quilting bloggers I discovered. (This orange and gray quilt blew my mind in a good way back in 2008!) The other author is Cheryl Arkison, who lives in Calgary which at an hour from me is basically in my backyard!
I’ve made a few quilts from this book already, Scrappy Quartered Log Cabins being one of them. Oh, and Rainy With a Spot of Sun was another one.
So the benefit to this book is that I really like every single quilt in it. They are really my style, as I love laid back scrappy quilts.
Next let’s look at Simply Retro.
This book is written by another quilting blogger, Camille Roskelley, who I’ve followed from waaay back. I’ve made a lot of her patterns as well, including this one called Jelly Filled, which was a long time ago! (in fact that was my first blog post on my original blog).
I’ve never made a quilt from this book though. And I’d also say that not all of the quilts in this book would be ones that I would choose to make. These quilts are much more traditional block style, and would use more fat quarters and yardage, whereas Sunday Morning Quilts is much scrappier.
So which book did I decide on? Well, before I had even published my blog post, I was leaning towards Simply Retro. After so many of you chimed in with support for Sunday Morning Quilts, I almost changed my mind! In the end though, I’m going with my gut which says that the type of projects I’ve been looking for this time around are the quilts in Simply Retro.
They’re fairly simple, they’ll use up lots of yardage, and they are quite structured. When I analyze my reason for doing this project, it’s because I need the structure of something preplanned. So while I can choose to change up the colors as much as I want, it’s also very simple.
While I will continue to make scrappy quilts from Sunday Morning Quilts as the mood strikes me, right now I’m going to work my way through Simply Retro!
(here’s a stack I’ve already got bookmarked for one of the quilts!)
and I thought I’d leave a disclaimer that this is not all you will be seeing here! I wish I could just churn through these quilts and show you one per week. But there are of course other quilts constantly in the queue which will show up in between. And I’d make a guess this whole project might take me a year…
If you want to join me that’s awesome! Just start making quilts from this book (or any other book!) and blog about them, (or not!)
Wow! You surprised me! I thought for sure you were going to pick Sunday Morning. I LOVE Camille and everything she does. I would love to join along but I already have too many irons in the fire. I too love the idea of making every quilt in a book. Sometimes you just really need the structure of a plan like that. I can't wait to follow you on your journey. Keep us posted.
Good choice! I have Sunday Morning Quilts and love it. I have never read Simply Retro, love Camille's style. Looking forward to seeing your interpretation.
I've been in a quilting rut for over a year, I even bagged up a lot of my stash to give away but they are still sitting there as I can't bring myself to do it lol. I decided last week I would make some charity quilts with the fabrics and you have just inspired me to go through my books and make all the quilts from one of them. I'll keep you posted as to which book I choose.
you could link up with Weekend Doings as well for 'Sew the Library' – it is a monthly link up 🙂
I am so glad you decided on Simply Retro. Since those quilts are so traditional, I look forward to seeing you put your own spin on them. Sometimes I have a hard time envisioning how a quilt will look with different color/style fabrics. Wish I was brave enough to join the project. I will enjoy seeing what you instead.
You're off to a great start ; ) loving that pile of fabric for the next quilt
So happy that you choose Simple Retro, it's such a great book! And perhaps you'll give me the push I need to actually finish some of the quilt tops from this book on my WIPs (or are they UFOs already?) stash:-)
I am really looking forward to seeing all of your work. I have both of these books and already have some fabric ready to start some of the Sunday Morning Quilt quilts as I would love to do them all. x
Perfect choice for some stress-free sewing! I look forward to seeing your progress Jolene. I think I'll join you with my Denyse Schmidt book, I might take more than a year though 🙂
I love Denyse Schmidt's book, Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration, too and could make every quilt in it! It would take me awhile too since I am new to this and some of the quilts have small pieces, but it would be fun to go through the book — what a way to learn quilting.
You couldn't lose choosing between those two great books. I will enjoy watching you work through this book.
Think it's great that you are bringing your personal artistry to the more traditional block designs. This will be really fun to see!
I have decided to start making all the single patterns that I have bought. I bought these patterns because I liked them at the time. As I make each one and I realize I will not be making them again I will gift the patterns to my quilting friends. You have given me the inspiration to get quilting again. Thanks!!
What a fun project! I'm excited to see the quilts that come out of this and how you put your spin on them. I'd never heard of quilting through a book before, but I think I'd like to do it! It sounds like a fun and challenging prospect! Thanks for the inspiration.
I have already made 3 quilts from "Simply Retro". Great book! and I've used up lots of fabrics
This is going to be such an interesting project and is such a great idea. Happy sewing.
What a great bunch of fabric you have picked. I look forward to seeing your progress.
I put my 2 cents in for Simply Retro – so I think I'll join you and quilt along too!
You surprised me. I really thought you would go with Sunday Morning Quilts. I like both books for their differences and think you have made a good choice for where you are in you quilting adventure at this time. Sunday Morning Quilts will be there for the next lag of the journey. I look forward to seeing your posts.
I am in for this book of beauties. And the benefit of seeing the same patterns in different colorways is always instructive to me to keep my eyes open! This will be great, thank you for sharing your goal with us and providing us with some umph to join in.
I am in for this book of beauties. And the benefit of seeing the same patterns in different colorways is always instructive to me to keep my eyes open! This will be great, thank you for sharing your goal with us and providing us with some umph to join in.
You will enjoy the quilts in Simply Retro. I have made Playground and Adorn. Will you start from the beginning and work through or just pick a quilt at random?
I can't remember if I weighed in and actually voted, but I would have voted for Sunday Morning Quilts. I am delighted that you chose Simply Retro though! I am a big fan of Camille and her work so I look forward to seeing your spin on her quilts.
Really looking forward to seeing what you do with these quilts. Like you, I lean more towards Sunday Morning Quilts-type projects but I do like some of the Simply Retro designs. I'd make along with you but I find myself drawn to attempting some kind of Civil War type quilt design, so maybe I will buy The Blue and the Grey and make them instead.
I receive your blog via email and today I tried to open the other 24 emails in my inbox first so I could savour yours last, but I couldn't wait. You are truly the best quilt blogger of them all, I reckon.
Working your way through a book is such a great idea! I am inspired to look through my own bookshelf.
Exciting news about your project and realized that I have a little fabric kit that I bought awhile back that is for a baby quilt for the Fresh quilt on page 89 of Simply Retro. The pattern in the book is for a larger quilt 96×96 but the kit is for only four squares and is 48×48 since each block is 24"x24". The fabrics are unusual florals in pinks, aquas, blues, reds, greens and kind of an ochre yellow — I'll start it when you get to that quilt and really looking forward to it. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have both of these books and love both of them. I'm really looking forward to seeing your quilts made from the Simply Retro book. I made a quilt from Growing Up Modern a couple of months ago and it was was fun to follow a pattern for a change. I tend towards the making-it-up-as-I-go-along style of quilting. Maybe I'll pull out my Simply Retro book and make something with you!
I did not see that coming! But that's a good thing 🙂
I'm reading Simply Retro and like her idea of adding an extra length of binding and keeping the left over in a roll to make a scrappy binding later on. There is a lot of useful information in her book. I'm reading Sunday Morning Quilts also and it's full of useful quilty information as well. I want too make a few quilts along with you, but probably won't have time to do all of them since I am just learning how to quilt!
What a great idea. Thanks for sharing! I totally need to finish all my quilts in progress and one day this could be a great adventure!
You can always use your scraps from this project to work through ideas from Sunday Morning Quilts! Even make a single slab for the scraps from each project for one giant version of The Missing U. Good luck with this challenge.
I will be quilting along. Probably with the same book. You brought up good points about it. While I do love SMQ's for, I suspect, the same reasons as you (scrappy heaven), I too have not made a single quilt from my Simply Retro book. It's also refreshing to hear that it will take you a long time and you're not worried about that. 🙂 I know with 3 young ones and a 4th on the way I will not be quick either.
It is certainly an intriguing prospect to make every single quilt in a particular book. There is a book of baby quilts that called to me in that way, and I have made several quilts in that book already. Somewhere along the line, I got sidetracked. I think I was feeling guilty that this book so much attention when I have many books that I haven't made a single pattern. I decided that I wanted to move on and do other things, but I may eventually go back and do more in that book. Sunday Morning called to me that way too. I haven't heard of Simply Retro, but will have to look into it.
I like Cheryl's idea of making slabs from the scraps. Whatever you do, it will be fun to follow along. I have always wanted to make a mini of every single pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew. Some day…
I hope you don't mind if I join in? I've already cut my fabric for the first quilt and even remembered to take pictures for my blog :-). Thanks for the inspiration. I can't wait to see your quilts. Amber, http://thepepperedgoat.blogspot.com/
I LOVE the idea of working my way through a quilting book. And would like to go with you in this challenge – but not with any of the books you decided. Yesterday i found "Quilt-Opedia" in my local book shop, and will work my way through that one. It is smaller projects that suits my minimal sparetime… So thank you for the challenge, I am in =0) And look forward to doing this =0)
Dorrit
Such a great idea, though untill now I’ve never owned a quiltbook that I love so much that I want to make all the quilts featured.
I’m hopping over from Rachel’s Wooden Spoon quilts blog and I’m following her in making quilts from the book Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration from Denyse Schmidt. Can’t wait to lay my hands on a copy!
What a brilliant idea. I know 2 ladies here in Australia that did the same with that book. I made the Vintage pattern out of it and it's great. I can't wait to see you work your magic!
I was going to quilt along with you, but wanted to make a quilt for my niece as a graduation present. When I sent her images of quilts to pick from, she chose one that was totally unrelated to Simply Retro. But that's ok, I can still follow along with you. Her Mom is going to help me piece the quilt and after that I'm making quilts for my nephews, one of which just graduated from college and the other about two years away from graduation. They all seem to be excited about the quilts and the youngest nephew's face lit up when I asked him if he wanted a quilt — so the journey will be worth it. I wanted my niece and nephews to have quilts because I love to wrap up in quilts that my aunt and grandmother made — there’s nothing like wrapping up in a quilt made by someone who loves you.
Wonderful idea, I'm quilting my way through Quilts Made with Love by Rachel Griffith! Just finished up my first quilt top this afternoon.
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