Made and Found Quiltalong: Fabrics

We’re doing a free quiltalong with a bunch of other Andover designers, and you should join us.

Here’s what you need to know. Each week starting February 15th, we’ll share instructions for a 9″ block. Make it, post it, share it with your friends. No limits! There are five hosts:

• Us, hiiiiiiii
• Sarah Maxwell
• Max and Louise
• Renee Nanneman
• Gail Kessler

Each host will post the block on their site and post to their social media accounts. We’ve also put together a hopping Facebook group if you want to join in there, and if you want to follow along on Instagram make sure you check out the #madeandfoundquilt and #madeandfoundquiltalong hashtags.

As far as getting started and picking out fabrics, we’re saying grab 3 yards of a background. Then, we’re putting the word out to all of our shop friends to make some starter bundles for you, 15-18 fat quarters to start and then another 12 or more as a fabric refresher this summer. Depending on how scrappy or not scrappy you want to go, you can definitely get by with less. But we’re of the more is more mentality, quilting maximalism, and there’s too much pretty fabric in the world to leave any out.

Here are the pretty bundles I’ve found that include some Eye Candy Quilts Fabric:

Then I spent way too much time trying to figure out my color scheme. Because of course I did. Originally, I was going to make this to go on my bed (spoiler alert, my setting instructions will make it bed sized.). But The Man told me he already liked the quilt that was on the bed and didn’t want a new one. Ok, fine. Then I’m making it a couch quilt. Then The Man said we already have quilts on the couch and we don’t need another one. So then I gave him a side eye and we’re having another couch quilt.

One of my quilty soapboxes is the quilt does not have to match the couch, the baby quilt doesn’t have to match the nursery, you can just make things because you like them. So even though this is a couch quilt, it really doesn’t have to match anything in my living room. Cue the over thinking because anything is possible HA. I finally settled on a pale peachy pink, orchid, teal, aqua, nutmeg, and golden yellow combo. And a dash of grey neutrals.

Originally, I was going to use the beautiful navy blue from Dottir as the background. But then I got an unexpected shipment of Mellow Drama, aka our upcoming line of neutral blenders, sample yardage and I had to use it. It’s not my fault! I got new fabric! Really it’s Andover’s fault for being so fast lol.

Then I wanted to put together a little swatch planner for your blocks to help you avoid orphan blocks. If you’re like me, you’ll either get a couple blocks in and think your color scheme is awful and nothing is working or you’ll realize your quilt that’s supposed to use five colors has only used two and mostly that one fabric you really like. So this little worksheet lets you see either the colors or snips of fabric you’ve used previously so you can make sure you spread your colors across your quilt. It’s a 5 page pdf with just black and white printing so it should be easy to print out at home or upload to your phone.

Made and Found Organizer

Make sure you check back each week, either here in Candyland or with one of the other lovely hosts. And lemme see those fabric pulls!