A Quilt with Appeal!

Pardon our pun...we couldn't resist! 
The "Orange Peel Two Step" quilt has so much appeal! 
Barb Eikmeier made this quilt, featured in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting, using her Kick Off Your Boots fabrics. Below, Barb talks about how she created these orange peel blocks.

"Orange Peel Two Step" designed by Barbara J. Eikmeier
and quilted by Theresa Ward;
featured in Love of Quilting March/April 2018

Q. Why did you decide to use orange peel templates?

BE: I knew this quilt was going to be featured on the tv show, and I thought I could offer some valuable teaching points using the templates.

Q. What makes this orange peel quilt different?

BE: It uses a pieced background and a pieced peel. That’s where the two-step idea in the quilt name comes from. When I sewed the pieces, I did them in two steps. Basically I strip pieced the two fabrics and then used the template to cut. As an added bonus, if you press the seams correctly, the seams will match in the middle, and that’s easier for piecing the curve. It makes the curved piecing less intimidating.

Q. How did you choose the fabrics?

BE: I used two different blues in the orange peels. There’s a subtle difference between them, but it’s enough to show up. I like the contrast between the cream background and the red print. The red creates a churn dash look, and it’s really interesting.

Q. Tell us about the hidden sashing strips.

BE: If you look at the quilt, you might not see the second set of sashing strips. The have light blue cornerstone squares and are surrounded by blocks with the same cream print background.

The two different blue cornerstones make little centers for the orange peel flowers. Even with the sashing, you still get the curved feel of the orange peel design.

Q. How did you select the outer border?

BE: My original design had a different, darker border. After I pieced the quilt center, I changed my mind. The border carries out the lightness out from the center of the quilt.

Q. What else should we know about cutting and piecing these pieces?

BE: The magazine has a paper template, but Fons & Porter also sells an acrylic template. With these templates, I could cut the shapes entirely by rotary cutter, which was great.

This quilt was also featured on the Love of Quilting Series 3100 tv series. Check with your local public television station for viewing times, or find the DVD here. 


See the entire Kick Off Your Boots collection here.
Find the quilt kit here.
Find the Love of Quilting March/April 2018 issue here.

Looking for another Kick Off Your Boots quilt? Download Barb's FREE pattern, "Cowboy Quilt," here.

Fall Quilt Market Recap

You may have seen sneak peeks of our Houston Quilt Market booth on Facebook or Instagram; we're offering the full recap here! 

First, an overview: 

Much of our booth's focus was on our Painter's Palette Solids (168 colors!). The booth included a Pop Up Shop where quilt shop owners could purchase precuts or yardage to take home and sell in their shops.

We collaborated with Indygo Junction on a booth this year. If you're not familiar with Amy Barickman and all the patterns Indygo Junction has to offer, check out her website! All of their displays are made from our fabric.

Now, the close-ups of the quilts...what you've been waiting for!

"The Lion & the Paintbrush" by Valerie Funk, made using our Painter's Palette Solids.

 Maria Pate's bug jar quilt, made using the You Bug Me! collection:

More quilts featuring Painter's Palette Solids:

Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill with her "Sun Salutations" quilt made from Painter's Palette Solids (gorgeous--it glows!). Purchase the pattern here.

Valerie Funk's "Gypsy" quilt--love the colors on the giraffe!

Barbara J. Eikmeier's Cowboy Quilt featuring her Kick Off Your Boots fabric collection. Find the free quilt pattern here.

This zigzag quilt features the solids and coordinates from our Mayfair collection. 

These fun Painter's Palette Solids quilt made a reappearance! Download the free quilt pattern for the Hashtag quilt (right) here.

Hello to Amy Barickman! 

Hope you enjoyed our booth recap!

Kick Off Your Boots!

Your favorite little cowboy or cowgirl will love these prints! Barbara J. Eikmeier's Kick Off Your Boots collection has western flair in a patriotic color palette. We asked Barb to tell us about the inspiration for her new fabric line.

 

Q. Where did the inspiration for Kick Off Your Boots come from?

BE: I have a huge bag of scrap fabrics, and I found a small piece of a western fabric in there—probably from the 40s or 50s. When I pulled it out, I got this big smile on my face and thought it would be a cute reproduction line.

Q. Tell us about the color palette.

BE: The colors are red and blue so that the fabrics can cross over into patriotic. The idea for the green came from the original western print. I like the addition.

Q. Can you talk to us about the coordinating prints?

BE: Reproduction print collections typically fall into eras, but this one doesn’t. I like to say this collection has three different eras.

The horseshoe print was an indigo print from sometime between 1880 and 1910. The original had a little vine swirling in the background with leaves on it; in this fabric it’s stars instead.

The bandana print is probably from the 1970s.

Stars help with the patriotic feel for the line, but stars always go well in western collections.

The plaid has a little star in it as well, and it’s a second print that brings in the green. The original plaid we looked at was much larger and straight, rather than on the diagonal.

Q. Do you have a favorite print?

BE: I love the paisleys and the handkerchief. And the cowboy print, and the plaid. I guess I really like them all—I think the fabrics are whimsical and fun.

Barb designed a free quilt pattern for this project, The Cowboy Quilt. 

It uses all the SKUs from the collection and measures 78" square. 

Find the free quilt pattern here.

See the entire collection here and ask for it at your local quilt shop.