RJR What Shade Are You? Blog Hop
What Shade Are You? Blog hop
Hi! I’m Joanna Marsh from Kustom Kwilts. I live in the Texas Hill Country with my husband and baby girl. I have been so captivated by all of the #whatshadeareyou projects and the RJR Cotton Supreme Solids, and I’m so excited to share mine with you on the RJR blog today–The Dreamer’s Star Quilt! You can check out my instagram @kustomkwilts to see what I’m up to. I’m so excited to be featured on the RJR blog today with their amazing cotton supreme solids! Check out the What Shade Are You? posts for some amazing inspiration here.
A little background on what brought me to quilting: In my previous career, I was a high school agriculture science teacher. My principal’s secretary was a quilter, and I mentioned to her that I was interested in starting to sew. I remember her telling me the secret to quilting was a consistent quarter inch seam allowance–and that as long as I remembered that, I’d be okay! I found a beginner’s quilting book in my teacher mailbox one morning with a sweet note of encouragement from Donna Jo (principal’s secretary), and that was how my sewing journey began. Both of my grandmothers were amazing seamstresses, but I had never learned to sew from them. One thing I’ve learned about the sewing community is that it’s full of people who want to share their love of the craft with others, and I love being part of such a giving community!
In 2016, I left my teaching job and committed to sewing and quilting full time.  At my 9-5 job (really more like 5-9), I would find myself thinking about sewing in spare moments.  The Dreamer’s Star Quilt is a quilt I drew while dreaming of doing the thing I love as a career, and I knew I wanted to use my favorite pattern for the What shade are you project. The design reminds me of the toy kaleidoscopes that produce different images just by turning the end, and how the images can be so bold and impactful. I love quilts that have a large central design and aren’t necessarily block based.  I also remembered that when I started quilting, I struggled with selecting lots of fabrics to coordinate within a quilt, and I wanted a design that would look great with a two-color scheme, but could also make a big impact with lots of colors. This is the original quilt that I used Michael Miller’s painter’s canvas with.
I knew that the Dreamer’s Star Quilt would just glow with RJR Cotton Supreme Solids, and wanted to use colors that would reflect the gorgeous sunsets that we sometimes see out in the Texas Hill Country.
There are so many amazing colors to choose from and I went with 11 of my absolute favorites:
292-Turks and Caicos
279-Purple Haze
274-Riviera
317-Jacaranda
391-Robin’s Egg
328-Bora Bora
422-Plum
371-Melody
333-Bougainvillea
287-Raging Ruby
378-Lilac Festival.
While I was browsing through the color card, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself about the clever names of the colors. Some of my color selections might tell you that I’m ready to take a vacation 😉
Piecing the quilt together was a breeze with lots of simple half-square triangles and chain piecing.
I love to use several shades of similar colors to create a little depth and dimensions to a quilt. For the backing I used Bougainvillea with a strip of Bora Bora down the middle, and Turks and Caicos for the binding. I loved seeing all the colors melt together, but still be distinctly different, just as in a sunset.
Once the top was completed, I loaded it on my longarm and quilted some simple straight lines with rulers and added some free motion accents in coordinating Glide threads.
I love using Quilter’s Dream Wool to keep the quilt lightweight–remember, I live in Texas–but still let the quilting pop. I had a lot of fun getting some pictures at the Cibolo Wilderness Trail in Boerne, Texas. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and my husband and mom were my professional quilt holders.
Check out other versions of the Dreamer’s Star on Instagram with #dreamersstarquilt and you can pick up your copy of the pattern here. The pattern comes with three different size options, and the color combinations you could choose are limitless! I had so much fun making this quilt and drooling over the Cotton Supreme Solids. Thanks for joining me in this quilting adventure, and a huge thank you to RJR for allowing me to participate and for the inspiration they bring with the #whatshadeareyou blog hop!
Quilt Details:
Pattern: ‘Dreamer’s Star’ by Kustom Kwilts
Fabrics: RJR Cotton Supreme Solids (full list above)
Backing: Bougainvillea and Bora Bora RJR Cotton Supreme Solids
Binding: Turks and Caicos RJR Cotton Supreme Solids
Quilting: Long arm quilted by Joanna Marsh of Kustom Kwilts
Finished Size: Approx. 80″ x 80″
Churn Dash Quilt – Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue 54
Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue 54
Who doesn’t love a little churn dash quilt? I know I can’t seem to get enough of the traditional block that basically represents butter being churned! Have you peeked in issue 54 to check it out? I’ll tell you a little bit about the design…
I’m so excited to share my most recent quilt with you from the Love Patchwork and Quilting Issue 54. I’m inspired by bright, saturated colors–and that’s typically the palette I use. But for this quilt, I opt for a more subtle palette. The cheery sherbet colors and hints of greys that are sure to make you swoon! This quilt- “Sorbet Shades” in the mag, is inspired by one of my favorite traditional quilt blocks–the churn dash. This block is so rich in history and I love that it can be interpreted in a modern way. I have a great appreciation for the traditional quilt blocks and the colors they typically have. I also love seeing them updated in a more modern way.
One of the first quilts I made when I was learning to sew was a traditional churn dash quilt. My mother and I gave this special quilt to my grandmother prior to her passing. The churn dash block represents so much more to me than just a traditional quilting block. The simplicity of the block lends itself to being altered in construction in so many ways. The possibilities for this block are limitless! I quilted this quilt with swirls on the white background and simple straight lines on the colored blocks.
For this project, I use some delightful Kona Cotton Solids and create a coordinating pillow to go with the quilt. The colors in these projects really make me want some ice cream and macaroons–or really any other cute little pastel dessert! I hope you’ll checkout the issue (digital issues are available here). Don’t be afraid to try your hand at breaking out of the traditional box to create a modern spin on traditional. (photos above provided by Love Patchwork and Quilting).
Sewing for littles – Superhero cape and mask tutorial
If you’re on the hunt for a sweet project to keep your little super hero busy this summer, pick up some satin and felt and sew up this easy superhero cape and mask. Â I used the Janome MC9400 to put this project together, and you can find the full tutorial HERE.
This isn’t a difficult project, and you can practice some basic applique skills to put a great finishing touch on it. Â Personalize this project with your kiddo’s favorite colors to really make this project pop!
This tutorial was made for approximately 3T-5T. Â The mask will fit larger children as well.
My best friend allowed me to have her precious little girl model this for me, and you can tell she’s ready to take on the world 🙂  Happy sewing!
Summer Picnic Quilt
Summer Picnic Quilt tutorial
When summer arrives, I always get the itch to make a quilt. Nevermind the fact that I live in Texas and it is sweltering, to say the least. Also, disregard the fact that I have quilts coming out of my ears…what is that saying…you can’t swing a cat without hitting a quilt? (Surely that isn’t the saying, but I think you catch my drift!) So when I am thinking about making a new quilt…I need to have a reason for it, aside from just being functional to keep you warm. I also love to sew with materials that are a little unexpected. So I teamed up with Janome and American Quilter’s Society to bring you a free tutorial for a great summer picnic quilt.
This pattern is great for many reasons. It’s layer cake friendly, which makes it a super quick sew. The blocks are large enough to feature those great prints you’ve been holding on to for a special quilt. The quilt is large enough to accommodate a family picnic at the park. The backing can be made from laminated cotton (or regular quilting cotton, if you choose), so it won’t pick up dirt as easily as standard quilting cotton. You can just as easily throw it in the wash as you can a regular quilt (line dry to be on the safe side). So grab two layer cake packs and your favorite sewing and quilting notions and get ready to sew your socks off! Follow the link to the American Quilter’s Society blog to get started on your picnic quilt.
This is a great quilt to fold up and keep in the back of the car for unexpected outings (and if you have a little one in diapers, you can always use the laminated cotton side as a quick changing station on the go!).
I quilted this with some large meandering loops on my Janome MC9400, and was done with the quilting in under two hours.
Since the back of my quilt uses laminated cotton, I slipped a Supreme Slider onto the bed of the sewing machine and it really helped glide the fabric easily under the needle. This isn’t something you have to do, but it certainly makes the task a little easier. I tend to use one anytime I’m quilting something larger than a mini quilt. Put on your favorite podcast/Netflix and get ready to sew up a storm! Happy sewing 🙂
Summer fun and a DIY first aid kit
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| DIY first aid kit |
Now that summer is here, many people are planning day outings or vacations with the kiddos. It’s a good idea to have a first aid kit with you in case something happens, and I know I haven’t even kept one in my car (I’m learning, though!). So this pattern has a free zipper pouch tutorial and a free foundation paper piecing tutorial in it. Two for the price of one! But not really, because they’re both free 😉 Head over to the AQS Blog and get your free tutorial HERE!
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| finished foundation block |
If you don’t feel like messing around with the band aid block and the paper piecing, you can totally skip that part and just cut two slid pieces of fabric for the front and back. But those little band aids are so cute!
I filled my little kit up with band aids, some antiseptic spray and wipes, bandage tape, gauze, and antibiotic ointment. You can personalize yours however you’d like and maybe sew up an extra one for a friend (or for dad’s car). The little band aids are a great way to use up small scraps of fabric. I know I have a hard time throwing any fabric away, so I’ll keep this block pattern close at hand for teacher gifts or whatever! Happy sewing until next time!
Quilting on unconventional fabrics – Quilted Notebook bag tutorial
Today, I’m excited to share a free tutorial that I created with the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9400 for an awesome project bag. I’m always scouring the house for bags to load up with notebooks, sketch pads, folders, or whatever I’m currently working on to squeeze in a few extra minutes of work on the go, and this bag has a little extra depth to really protect all those items. It’s also reversible, so you can make one side to go with the fall season and the other a little brighter to work with spring and summer!
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| Reversible Notebook Bag |
Plus…we’ll take a look at quilting on a thicker fabric than your usual quilting cotton. I do a lot of quilting and embroidery on leather and faux leather fabrics, and there is a lot of hesitation when it comes to that from some. When I started sewing, I didn’t take a bunch of classes…rather, I just dove in and experimented to find what worked for me. I didn’t have anyone there to tell me I shouldn’t try something, or that it wouldn’t work, so I think that was a huge benefit. For this tutorial, break out that walking foot (or your free motion foot) and try your hand at some geometric quilting.
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| Janome Dual Feed Foot quilting geometric lines on faux leather |
If you haven’t tried quilting on leather or faux leather before, I’d recommend getting a few scraps of some cheap faux leather–my local Joann’s has lots of remnants on clearance that I grab whenever I can–and do some quick samples. I usually do my best work on “trash” fabric when there’s no pressure to mess up expensive fabrics. I’ll make sure my pieces are big enough to make a little cosmetic bag or something with later on, because 9 times out of 10, I end up wishing I could save my sample!
This really is a quick sew–and you can easily alter the bag measurements to make the bag any size you like, upgrade it to add some pockets on the interior and exterior, or whatever your needs are. Check out the full tutorial on the American Quilter’s Society Blog and have fun with it! Go and conquer your fears of quilting on some different fabrics, and happy sewing!
Gifts for mom – the generational pillow
A few weeks ago around Mother’s Day, I was contemplating what handmade gifts would be truly appreciated by mom. As a new mom, I was excited to celebrate my first mother’s day, but didn’t really care about getting any gift (I honestly wanted some house chores done as a gift, and maybe some honey-do’s!), so I was thinking about gifts with meaning. I was seeing lots of advertisements on social media for jewelry and diamonds and just lots of STUFF. I’m not much of a jewelry person, but the diamonds got me thinking about birthstones and some of the jewelry I had seen a few years ago. I remembered one of my friends receiving a ring that had her kids’ birthstones set in it, and how much she loved it. How could you translate that representation into a quilt? And how many people have time to whip up a “quick” quilt, by the time they are pondering mother’s day gifts?
I thought a decorative pillow for the couch or bed might be more practical and manageable on a short time frame. So I teamed up with Janome to create a generational pillow that would be a great design for using the birthstone jewelry idea and making something for the home. You can view the free tutorial on the Janome Projects Website
I used the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9400QCP to sew this project, and sewing the curves was a breeze. I’m completely spoiled by this machine and will be hard pressed to sew on anything else ever again. It even has an additional light that you can pull out for a better lit area when sewing. It’s extremely helpful, especially if you are sewing dark fabrics and using dark thread. Another favorite perk from this machine is that when you stop sewing, the needle remains in the down position. Which is absolute heaven when you are sewing anything tricky that you don’t want to shift too much when the presser foot is lifted.
In the free tutorial, there are three options for the pattern–you can select birthstone colors for 3, 4, or 5 people (or even more-but you’ll have to do the math for that on you own 😉
If you have a couple of people with the same birthstone, you can use different tones of that stone for a little variety. Some months even have multiple birthstones (or so I was told in my reading up on different months…), so you could go that route as well. Happy sewing, and see you next time!
The Lorelei dress: Gemma’s first Easter dress
I’m not a die hard mom that makes every little thing for the baby, but I did want to make one special occasion dress for Gemma as a baby–her first Easter dress. I opted for the Lorelei Pattern from E-Beth Designs because I know Elizabeth and love, love, love the dress she made for her adorable little girl. Plus, I purchased the mommy and me package to make matchy matchy dresses, but I was a little ambitious and didn’t leave myself enough time before Easter got here. One of these days I’ll get to it, but I’ll make it in a print I love instead of matching my baby girl! Also, there is a fantastic petticoat under the dress, and the pattern is so well written that there really isn’t any chance you can mess it up. I was so happy with the results. You can purchase the pattern on Elizabeth’s website and sew it up for any special event that you have coming up. The only suggestion I would make is to use a cotton lining fabric instead of polyester, especially if sewing for a young child. Our church is kind of hot and Gemma was a sweaty little baby by the end of the service, so a more breathable weave might be a better option if you know you’ll be in warmer temperatures.
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| Photo of the Mommy and Me bundle- from E-Beth Designs website |
For the fabrics, I just went with some regular quilting cottons that I had on hand and had already prewashed for another project. Sometimes I get too excited to sew a new garment pattern and don’t want to wait or go through the hassle of making sure the fabrics are pre-shrunk, so I was happy to use something already prepped. I used a purple gingham for the accent pieces and a very light purple and cream floral fabric that I thought was really sweet. I usually am not such a reserved person when it comes to fabric selection, but I wanted baby girl to look sweet!
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| Front |
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| Back |
And here is the finished dress-I made the 6 month size, even though Gemma was only 4 months and it worked out well. I wanted her to be able to wear it for a little bit before she outgrows it completely, and the sizing was pretty spot on. She’s a little over 6 months now and can still fit in it comfortably, which makes this momma extremely happy! I was pleased at how professionally the dress finished–sometimes in children’s clothing patterns, steps are skipped or the patterns aren’t very well written, but this dress finishes with a petticoat and is fully lined. I really enjoyed each step in the pattern and even learned some new things along the way. Happy sewing until next time!
Penelope Dress with Double Dutch by Latifah Saafir
Latifah had sent me the raspberry waffle cone print and the white ice cream print with some matching tulle to use as the skirt. The ice cream print is so adorable–and detailed! I was blown away with the attention to detail of each different kind of ice cream treat. It took me back to my childhood and thinking about ice cream trucks and summery treats. This print was perfection in the Penelope dress, but I can’t help but think of how amazing it would look after being fussy cut and put into a quilt project. It’s definitely on my to-do list!!
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| Ice cream print-photo from Hoffman Fabrics website |
Here’s an in-progress picture of the skirt from sooooooo much tulle. And there was a layer of glitter tulle as well. I will have glitter on me permanently after sewing this, but it was so worth it!
And then a finished picture of the front and back of the dress:
The raspberry waffle cone print was used as an accent for the collar and sash, and the ice cream print was used for the bodice, sleeves, and ties. Latifaah has a picture on her Instagram account of her gorgeous niece modelling the dress, and her adorable nephew modelling some garments embellished with the fabrics.
The Penelope dress was a pretty straight forward pattern, and I love Violette Field Threads’ patterns. They are always a good choice for little girl outfits and are very well written-even for a beginner sewist. You can make the dress with tulle, or you can opt for a standard garment fabric (or even quilting cotton). It is a little bit time consuming, but totally worth it and a great dress for spinning in 😉
Be on the lookout for Latifah’s line and make sure to snatch some up before it’s gone! Happy sewing 🙂