Hey there! I’m so excited to show you my latest quilt top! Alison Glass sent me some Field Day fabric and some of Andover’s textured solids to play around with. I knew I wanted to use them together, and quickly decided they must become a churn dash quilt. The decision happened a little faster than the assembly, but thankfully this design can be streamlined very easily since almost everything can be done with chain piecing.

I do love the way the solids play with the vibrant and bold colors in Field Day. The line looks cool in pictures (like the ones from Market you’ve no doubt seen!), but let me tell you, in person the colors are absolutely stunning. If you don’t have this line, you need it.

Anyway, about those solids…. Had I been pairing solids with this quilt based on my own choices, I certainly would not have been drawn to browns. I’m never drawn to browns. But I really think they do well with this line. Also, they’re called Textured Solids because they really are heavily textured. In fact, I would not have ever thought to pair them with quilting cotton had they not both been sent to me together. The threads that are woven into the fabric vary in thickness, and that’s what give the fabric its texture. Also, its not tightly woven, so the fabric has quite a bit of fluidity. It does pair nicely with the quilting weight, but I would certainly suggest careful and accurate cutting, and keeping an eye on it as you’re sewing to keep in line.

And speaking of keeping fabric in line, the one part of this project that I wasn’t a fan of (though I am a big fan of the result), was the trimming of all those half square triangles. My word is that a tedious step. But its so rewarding to have perfectly even pieces to work with!

See this print? Isn’t that mint color good enough to eat? I think it might be my most favorite print just because the color is so delicious.

But this print… the design is so amazing. I think when I quilt this one, this is the fabric I’ll use for the back. But I do so love the minty one. Decisions, decisions.

I don’t really know what I was thinking when I chose this Timeless Treasures Crosshatch Sketch for the background fabric. I still don’t know what I think of it, but I don’t dislike it. I guess I’m deciding if its possibly a bit harsh for the pretty colors in Field Day. Or maybe its because I have black touching brown. I really don’t know. I like it. But it feels sort of rebellious.

I’m thinking of circular quilting for this baby. Its actually not a baby, though. I want to machine quilt it, and if I go through with it, it will be the largest quilt I’ve ever [properly] machine quilted at 72″ x 90″ (twin size). I might have to take baby steps and spiral it rather than doing concentric circles so I don’t lose my mind. I’m pretty sure it would take like two weeks worth of Wallace nap times to do concentric circles without the quilt warping like crazy. And if you have circular quilting suggestions, throw them at me. Please. Also, wouldn’t it be amazing done up with the colors from Alison’s Aurifil set (by the way, its on sale right now)? I love the colors so much, and I need to expand my teensy collection, but I really want them in the 28 wt for quilting. I think it would be sooo gorgeous quilted in those pretty colors.

Anyway, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand time. Alison Glass is amazing. Inside and out, everything she does is just beautiful. It would be so great to support such a talented and genuine artist. So if you don’t have any of her new stuff, please go browse her shop. She has all sorts of goodies, and not only that, she has a big giveaway going on on her blog right now. You can head over there to check it out and hopefully win some awesome stuff! Good luck!

-Meredith