When Circles Meet Stripes

This is an updated post I ran in 2014 when I was challenged to make something for Fall Quilt Market by Windham Fabrics. They had little scraps (actually 1/8 yard cuts) that were part of their upcoming Broken Stripes Collection. They're called "Strike offs" because the fabric mill wants them to approve the colors, etc, before they print thousands and thousands of yards! Aren't these beautiful?!

Broken Stripes Collection by Windham Fabrics

THEY SAID: Laura and I were just talking about you yesterday!  Do you remember all the mini quilts we had hanging in the booth at Spring Market (2014)?  We are hoping to do the same for this Fall
and wondered if you would be interested in sewing a mini quilt for us with one of the new collections? Rules are 18 x 18 inches, and be as IMAGINATIVE as you want!  :)

I SAID: Sure. Just send some companion fabrics (which I ended up not using).

Solids from the New Colonies Collection

See those samples in the first picture? About 1/8 yard each (maybe)! That meant that I had to make sure my cuts were intentional. No mistakes allowed. But I love a challenge! I get a LOT of inspiration from vintage quilts. The Picardy Rose was mine for this.

Vintage Picardy Rose quilt

I cut out and interfaced 6 circles from those Broken Stripes fabrics.

Interfaced circles ready for a modern Picardy Rose

Here's a closeup of my stitching - by machine, of course.

Stitching by machine

What did I come up with? I call it Tight Knit Circles. A single Picardy Rose block. Those freeform curved borders are something I've been using for at least 25 years. I share all those photos in my Tight Knit Circles Zoom class.

Tight Knit Circles by Debby Kratovil

Now, WHAT DID THEY SAY?

WOW!! I am amazed!  I thought for sure you couldn't do anything that would look good with all those fabrics together, and boy have you proved me wrong! 

Thanks Debby!  This is excellent!  :)

I had to laugh! It's like that cereal commercial where 3 little kids are sitting at the breakfast table with a bowl of new stuff and two of them argue back and forth as to which one should take the first taste.

"You eat it."
 
"No, you eat it."

"Let Mickey eat it!" and they push the bowl over to Mickey who takes the plunge.

I chose NOT TO USE those New Colonies solids and opted for a creamy white instead. Simple is the way to go.

I've been sewing for Windham Fabrics for about 16 years. Sometimes I create flops, but as long as they don't tell me WHAT to sew, but just to put the fabrics together, I'm really able to let the fabrics dictate what they want to become.

The little quilt was shipped off to Fall Market to display in their booth. I had such a happy time making and quilting this. Hope you enjoyed seeing it! It's in my Etsy store, too.

I've taught this as a workshop since 2014. You can read about it here: Tight Knit Circles workshop. I actually taught it as a Zoom class for Road to California last year - it works with all my samples and lots of camera work, too!