Today I am here to talk about our Snow Day sample! My inspiration for this sample was to showcase our FQ + Yardage Design Style and for it to look like a snow speckled quilt or a snow globe. In the FQ Frenzy Design Style, like the Cover one, each block is made from 2 FQs. But, with the FQ + Yardage Design Style, each block is made from 1 FQ and then yardage. The yardage shows up in each block but it does alternate positions between the Diamond and Cross Blocks. It creates a quilt with slightly more cohesion and a beautiful sparkle effect. So of the mock ups I considered for this sample are as follows:
Okay this last one definitely doesn't scream snow day but it was just too fun to not include. I really want to make something like this soon! Okay but the winning mock up is here:
The solid fabrics are all Ruby + Bee Solids for Windham Fabrics and the HST Border plaid fabric is from Moda Fabrics.
This color palette is a little different for me but I really love it. It is whimsical and soothing and nostalgic. The yardage used is Ruby + Bee Cream Puff and it is the softest and warmest creamy white color. It reminds me a cloud and is the perfect backdrop to the FQ colors.
First you decide which FQs are going to become Diamond Blocks or Cross Blocks and then cut accordingly. Then you cut the yardage before mixing and matching all the pieces needed for the individual blocks.
These FQs are for the Diamond Blocks:
These FQs are for the Cross Blocks:
And then here are the 3 main yardage cuts. The teal blue and the grid are for the HST Border and the white is for the main blocks.
Now it's time to build our block piles!
Each Everett Star Block can be chain pieced and batch pieced to build a nice rhythm and process to the sewing. It also makes sewing and trimming all the flying geese in each block more manageable.
And seeing all the blocks together made me SO happy. The color palette makes me feel so joyful. And I love the cohesiveness the gradient center stars provide in this FQ + Yardage Design Style.
And here they are separated by the type of block - Diamond and Cross Block.
Adding the HST Border adds the final touch to the design. We went back and forth on the final solid color to use for the HST Border. We toyed around with a soft pink, a lime green, a dark green and landed on a teal blue.
We jumped outside for a few photos in front of our building and the building next door. It is really interesting how different the vibes of the quilt can change depending on a white or a black backdrop.
Emily of So Sunny Quilts quilted a fun snowflake style pantograph called Sweater Weather on this sample. We ended up going with a shinny light blue thread too!
When I am picking pantographs, I tend to follow two rules for picking a design. Rule 1 - if the piecing in the top is super angular, then I go towards a soft curved styled pantograph. OR Rule 2 - if the top has a lot of repetitive angles and the fabric is bold, I lean into the busy and I pick an intense fun pantograph.
So for this quilt top, the piecing is repetitive but I don't think the colors stand out as "bold" so I chose a pantograph that has some curved and angular movement but didn't distract or intentionally lean into a feeling. It falls a little bit in the middle of the road and the snowflake gives a sweet nod to the snow day effect we were going for.
We have quilt kits to make this Snow Day Quilt top in the shop! The colors are so soft and pretty.
We bound the quilt top in Kona Sea Glass and backed it in Bella Solids Bunny Hill Pink.
