A Hint of Spring

The dreary gray days of January (and February) seem to be when we most need a glimpse of some spring warmth.
Something fresh, bright and cheery. Something like Reeze Hanson's "Calypso Carnival" quilt, featured in Easy Quilts Spring 2013.

"Calypso Carnival" by Reeze Hanson 

Reeze designed this quilt using Ro Gregg's Calypso line using simple four-patches and sashing. The quilt measures 72" x 96". She shares some of her thoughts about the quilt below.

Q. How did you come up with the design idea?

Reeze: I wanted a simple design which would allow the fabric to do the work.  Putting four-patches on point with a simple slashing added interest, and secondary designs that work with the bold colors and large scale prints.

Q. How did you choose what colors to use?

Reeze: I used Ro Gregg's Calypso line. The bright colors contrasted so nicely with the white dot/stripe.  I wanted to challenge myself to find a way to use all the colors in this flower print in one quilt and still keep it unified and simple.

Q. What do you like best about this quilt?  

Reeze: I love the way the colors blend in a diagonal progression across the quilt from corner to corner.

Q. What was most challenging about this quilt?

Reeze: Organizing the piecing was critical.  I needed to make lists of each color combination and then divide the quilt in rows for assembly.  A design wall was really helpful to stay organized.

Q. Who did you make this quilt for?

Reeze: When I get a grand baby, the quilt will go to him or her.  Hope hope!

Q. Tell us about the machine quilting.

Reeze: Brenda Weien of Brenda's machine quilting does a great job complimenting the design with simple but engaging quilting.  The pumpkin seed or melon design in the four patches breaks up the starkly geometric lines of the quilt and adds some softness to the design.

Click here to buy a kit for this project.

Click here to learn more about Reeze and her work.

Click here to find Easy Quilts spring 2013.

p.s. Psst! Ro has a follow-up collection to Calypso due out in February, called Calypso Frogs. Below is a sneak peek, but you can check out the entire line here.

Stained Glass Stars

This time of year, you see a lot of stars. Starry nights over snowy fields, stars on Christmas trees, star blocks in quilt and table runner designs. Designer Reeze Hanson has created a star quilt that is likely different than any you've seen before. We love it and thought you would too!

The quilt, made using Marblehead prints, is featured in the January/February 2013 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and the pattern is available for FREE online!

  

Q.  How did you come up with the design idea?

Reeze: I found star in a Roman floor mosaic in a book on ancient tile and mosaic designs and immediately thought it would make a great quilt.  I drafted the star in EQ7 in a variety of ways and then played around with dozens of setting ideas.  This was one I especially liked, although I have several others, including a table runner version that really appeal to me.  I knew I wanted to make it using "marble-like" fabrics to give it a feel of the ancient marble mosaics.

Q. How did you choose what colors to use?

Reeze: Since the illustration I originally saw was in black and white, I was free to play with color.  I love the textures and colors of Ro Gregg's Marblehead line, especially in the gray and green pieces.  It just reads "stone" to me and I love that. I tried colors I liked and worked with combinations of both muted neutrals and bold colors in contrasting shades of blues, purples and greens.  I love how those cool colors of the spectrum play together.

Q. What do you like best about this quilt?

Reeze: I love the color and texture of the fabrics.  They give me the mosaic marble effect I was going for.  It looks really complex but it was easy to make, which is the hallmark of my pattern designs.  I love rich colors, textures and strong design that looks way harder than it really is. 

Q. What was most challenging about this quilt?

Reeze: Actually, it was the sashing!  I had designed pieced sashing with a long rectangle in the middle using a very different fabric.  When I made up a few sashing pieces and put them up on the design wall with the blocks, I knew that both the design and the fabric would not work.  I simplified the design, and completely changed the colors.  

Q. What did you make this quilt for?

Reeze: I made this quilt as a challenge to myself.  I have designed a lot of quilts based on tile and mosaic inspirations and this was the most ambitious of those so far.  I wanted to make it and see if it would look as I had envisioned it. I am pleased with the result.  I think it may go to my new daughter-in-law who might just need a quilt made with love to let her know how happy I am to have her in our family.

Q. Tell us about the machine quilting.

Reeze: Brenda Weien of Brenda's Machine Quilting always makes my quilts look good.  I never tell her what to do.  At most I will tell her the "feel" that I would like in a quilt and she uses her incredible talent and experience to find just the right design to accent the piecing and color.  I especially like her curved cross-hatching in the alternate blocks.

To see all of the Marblehead prints, click here.

To learn more about Reeze Hanson, click here.

To download the free pattern for this project, click here.

To find the January/February 2013 issue of Love of Quilting, click here.