I have several Big Deals to talk about today! (Hint: One of them involves a book giveaway!)
Nancy Zieman has been a big deal to me ever since was a teenager. Her television show, Sewing with Nancy, is currently celebrating its 30th year on public television. That’s a whole lot of teaching, writing, and sewing. With Nancy’s help, I have learned about fitting, easing, gathering, binding, sewing, and, most of all, teaching.
I am very excited to have the opportunity to participate in a blog tour about Nancy Zieman’s new book and television series, Quick Column Quilts: Make 12+ Bold & Beautiful Designs in Half the Time. Not only did I have the opportunity to write about one of my most favorite and influential teachers and businesswomen, but I also got to choose a quilt to make from her book!
It turns out that choosing a quilt pattern from the book was one of the most difficult parts of the project. Quick Column Quilts is full of beautiful patterns that could be made in both modern and traditional styles. I was particularly drawn, however, to the pattern called “Wind Chimes,” both because of its graphic, asymmetrical style, but also because of the fact that Nancy wrote that it is ideal to use as a stashbuster. Considering my current preoccupation with stash reduction, it seemed a perfect fit for me.
My stash selection: Aged to perfection
First, I had to choose my fabrics. I had a lovely collection of British-themed fabrics that I purchased while visiting my stepdaughter in London a few years ago while she was studying at the London School of Economics. Most Americans have little idea how lucky we are to obtain affordably priced fabrics in this country. We may consider $12 a yard to be top dollar for quilting cotton, but that is a bargain in the quilt shops of London, where I could only justify purchasing a yard or less of each feature fabric in my quilt.
My fabric, being precious, had plenty of time to age to perfection in my stash before telling me it belonged in this spirited quilt. I bought five yards of coordinating fabric from Berry Patch Fabrics in Fort Worth, Texas, and then proceeded to cut the quilt strips to Nancy’s specifications…the day before I left for AQS Quilt Week in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Strips cut up, packaged for TSA, and ready to fly to Michigan!
Wait, what? I was leaving town for two weeks, right when I was supposed to be making a quilt top? Oh, yes. Yes, I was. I had an ace in the hole, however. That was… my mother.
My mom, who lives very near Grand Rapids, Michigan, is one of the most good-natured souls you could ever meet. She is also a quilter. We plan our visits around major quilt shows. I go to Grand Rapids for AQS Quilt Week, then she comes to Texas for International Quilt Festival. There is nothing like quality mother/daughter time spent trying to find a chair in a convention hall. When I asked her to help me make a quilt top with me, she heartily agreed. I cut, read instructions, and laid the quilt out on her bedroom floor while she sewed what I marked and pinned. We were like a well-oiled machine. Well, she was like a well-oiled machine. I was like a rickety machine that needed its knees repaired.
“Wind Chimes” is a quilt that does not have precise instructions for cutting every single piece. This is one of the pattern’s appealing features, since I have never met a quilt pattern I haven’t changed. Nancy’s detailed cutting and assembly instructions explain the process of cutting the quilt in a manner that reduces fabric waste to a very small amount. She also recommends the use of a design wall – something my mother does not own – in order to finalize quilt layout.
My layout, ready to be filled in with background pieces
The floor works very well, as long as there are no four-footed helpers involved. The intrusion by our furry critics was kept to a minimum, but even my own movements over the quilt made it challenging. I really did miss my studio design wall for this very large (80″x88″) quilt.
The finished top, untrimmed on the bottom
We finished this quilt top in less than two days! We had a great time chatting while marking, sewing, arranging, and trimming our columns. There were no points to match, and even some iffy cutting on my part (due to rushing through the process the night before my flight) was tolerated in this fun, funky quilt.
My mom joked that she was going to bring a quilt for us to make together when she came to visit me in Texas to make up for all her hard work. I am looking forward to it!
Almost ready to come off the frame…
I had planned to finish this quilt before writing this post, but I decided that I liked the quilt so much that I would give it the royal treatment (pun intended) on the frame. It is getting swirls in the background and ribbon candy in the chimes. How could I skimp on something this special?
And now, for our book giveaway:
Two lucky readers will be chosen at random to receive a brand new hard copy of Nancy Zieman’s new book: Quick Column Quilts! All you have to do is reply to this post before 12:01AM Wednesday, September 10, 2014, telling me about the fabrics you would use from your stash to make this awesome quilt for yourself. I will post the names of the winners on my blog at noon on that day.
So, let’s hear about your perfectly aged stash pieces that you want to see blowing in the wind!
Everything About Wool Felting
A Woman A Day 
I won a fat quarter bundle of Amy Butler fabric and have not found the right pattern for it. This pattern would be perfect! Lucky you being able to have your mom help make this quilt.
Laura, this quilt would work wonderfully with a fat quarter bundle. It’s even more fun with a friend, like my Mom. 🙂
I love column quilts. Thanks for sharing yours.
I have been yearning to make a citrus-y quilt lately. I think I would go with clear yellows/oranges/limes with stark white for the ‘borders’ where you used blue. Love your quilt. This book intrigues me.
I think if I was lucky enough to win this book it would require going out and buy new fabric.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I have a jelly roll I bought that is out of my comfort zone, and it would look great in one of these patterns!
I have a lot of black and white prints left over from a quilt I made last year and they would be perfect for one of these quilts!
My brother in-law has quite a collection of wind chimes. I would make him one in greens, I think I have plenty of the color in my stash.
I have some novelty fabrics that I think would be cute for a grandson’s quilt.
My jewel toned batiks!
Must say first that I oh so identified with your comment about being “preoccupied with using your stash” I collected a bunch of building and architectural fabrics that I’d like to try in the windchimes quilt.
I have some 30’s scraps or some Batiks scraps I could put with a tone on tone. Better yet I have some brights that would look great with a black background.
I would use some Bonnie Christine Reminisce 1/2 yards that have been languishing in my closet! I’d love to use a navy solid in backdrop.
I think a Christmas theme would be great. I have some that I keep looking at and can never decide on a pattern.
would LOVE to make in “count down to Chrismas” that I been (saving for awhile)
I would use some bright colored prints a friend gave me.
I have a variety of purple strips left over from a quilt I started years ago. I think some of these would be perfect for these quilts! My Granddaughter would LOVE it!
I absolutely love wind chimes. All kinds and this looks like an awesome quilt to make to compliment my collection. I can picture it made in all the intense colors of the rainbow, with a baby blue background to represent the sky. Thanks for offering such a great book by one the my most loved PBS sewists. I have watched Nancy for a number of years and she is finally back my local PBS Station this season. Hoorah.
I’ve been dreaming of a Stainglass looking quilt and this would work ideally for this pattern. Happy colors to make one smile. Possibly yellow, red and bright blue.
I would love to make this with my Christmas stash with a black background.
I love Wind chimes! My hubby got me a set for my birthday a couple years ago for my front porch. I enjoy sitting out there listing to it. It’s tuned to the key of C and it makes the most beautiful music when the wind blows. I know what fabrics I would use to make this pretty whimsical quilt. My mother-in-law game me her fabric stash, it has so many shades and colors, It would make a very pretty quilt that would be a treasure to pass on to the grandkids and tell them that Grammy made this quilt using Great Grammy’s fabric.
I am very disappointed that I don’t get the channel that Nancy has her show on. It would be great to win this wonderful book. Thank you so much for giving us a chance to win it. .
I have some brightly colored prints that I have been saving that would make a fun quilt in this pattern. I don’t remember the name, but they are very bright, summery colors. Perfect to sewing this winter!
I have just gone through my scraps and cut them all up in to usable pieces and strips. I think this would make a great scrap quilt!
I would love to use this in a black and white and ?? quilt from all those leftovers from another project……Love these quilts.
I have a collection of black, grey, chartreuse, and white that I would like to use in this quilt.
I have a jelly roll just begging to be used!
I haven’t heard about column quilts before this blog hop. I have also never done a blog hop. I am intrigued by both. I love tulips and all the colors they come in. I am picturing all my batiks in a background of green.
I’ve been hoarding some fabrics from Zen Chic’s Comma line — I think they would be great for this pattern! The book looks like fun, thanks for the chance to win!
I have odds and ends fat quarters and ai would love to use them in this row quilt. I love the darker background used as well and ai am sure ai have something in my stash that will work well with my fat quarters. Looking forward to endulging in Nancy’s book.
I would use blues and reds – my favorite colors
I have some ice cream colored batiks that I would use to make the wind chime quilt and they have aged for over 10 years. It’s time to use them up.
I have a large collection of Christmas fabrics that would look great made up like this.
I love Wind Chimes, your colors are so pretty! I have some very *vintage* Pat Sloan fabrics I would use,they are in an autumn palette of golds, muted greens, wine and navy. Nancy’s new book is a must have!
I have Laurel Birch cat fabrics and solids which would make a great quilt.
I have a Jelly Roll waiting for the perfect quilt and I know one of these from this book would be perfect for it.
What a great use of precious fabrics! I have fat quarters and yardage from Cape Town that has been aging gracefully waiting for just the right project.
Oh, jeez…reading the comments above, I thought, “Yes, me too!” to several of them….the batiks, the Christmas groups, the black-and-whites…..so MANY fabric groups waiting earnestly for their turn to go into some pattern! Oh, yeah, and I have one group with birds in light teals and greens – would be GREAT in this pattern!! I love this one, and love the way you put it together. This book definitely looks like a useful, inspiring addition!
I think I would us Christmas fabrics to create this beautiful quilt. I also have some baby prints that would be great and I would probably use yellow as the background for the baby quilt.
I’ve been saving pink fabrics for years to make my two daughters a quilt each (they are 28 and 33 yrs old, now). This would be a perfect design for the daughter that teaches music! Thanks for showing us yours!
I’m with a bunch of other commenters….use some of those special, can’t-cut-them-up Christmas fabrics! I’d use a just-the-right green for the background.
I only have Aunt Gracie’s and some batiks that aren’t already tagged for other projects.
Having recently returned to quilting now that I have retired, my quilting stash is not so big. So, I’d just HAVE TO go out fabric shopping to make this lovely quilt.
I have some great Halloween fabrics that have been aging for 15+yrs. They would be great for this with a black background. Love your quilt.
I, too, have been trying to use up some of my stash but as long as I keep making children’s nap quilts I’m not going to make a dent! It’s time to make a large quilt and this book has the answers!
I have so much in my stash! But; the length of fabric a lovely lady gave to me about 4 years ago; it’s time it was used!
I have been collecting Liberty fabrics and am now looking for a suitable pattern to show them off. The quilt on the cover looks ideal and as I have always loved stripes there are sure to be others to use too
You are one of the book winners, Maye! Congratulations! Send me your contact information via email at Lisa (at) Yarost (dot) com so we can mail your book to you.
I recently had to leave my job due to a heart condition. The lady’s at my church quilting group gave me fabric. I haven’t had a chance to go through it all but I’m sure I could find something in there to use to make that gorgeous quilt! Thank you the giveaway. What a blessing to have your mom share in your experience!
I recently got a Kumari Garden fat quarter bundle by winning RPQ giveaway from Southern Fabrics, I think that would be a perfect candidate for one of these quilts.
I have some beautiful fabrics that were one of my first purchases, before I had the sense to write down the names or even the designer. Very Persian influenced florals and medallions and twirls in jewel tones (purples, gold, navy and emerald). This might be the pattern that would show them off beautifully!
allisonpogany@gmail.com
Cannot wait for you to post a picture of it completed, the one on the frame is so tantalizing! The quilting is amazing on it, the entire thing is gorgeous.
Definitely a stash project, and it would be blues and greens.
I have some wonderful stash fabrics that I am itching to get into… these quilts would be a fast way to showcase them in a fast quilt. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
This would be perfect for all those flannel scraps that have somehow made their way into my stash! A nice cozy blanket will be perfect with the weather cooling down.
I have some Kaffe Fasset fabric that I would like to use….or one of my several jelly rolls. ;). Thanks so much!!
Thank you for the opportunity to win! I would use my cowboy (alexander henry) quarters which would make my son happy as he could use it for a TV snuggler. Many thanks.
Such a lovely quilt. I have 4 granddaughters for whom I’ve made quilts. I have lots of left over fabrics in pinks and lavenders. Tied together with a beautiful batik it would make a beautiful quilt. Can’t wait to get the book and get started.
I just wax resist dyed a bunch of fabric ala Malka Dubrawsky on Craftsy 🙂 I think this might be the perfect project!
I am thinking pink for my new granddaughter, with a collection of my daughter’s favorite Hello Kitty prints scattered as the [meow] chimes.
I’d use some of my Alison Glass fabrics!!
A close friend (a quilter, of course…) gave me a 6 1/2 cuts of coordinating fabric. They have been aging gracefully, waiting for the perfect moment to come and shine forth. I think they would make a beautiful wind chimes quilt.
I have really cute purple and pink fabrics that are leftovers from previous quilts. Would make a great quilt with this pattern.
Purple is one of My favorite colors.
I would make a patriotic column quilt.
I have so many flannel scraps (make new Jamma’s for Kiddo’s every year…and now have added some Grankiddo’s too…so scraps multiply quick! lol) Definitely a scrappy Flannel quilt would be cozy by the Woodburner, with Hot Chocolate!
I have a new niece and lots of novelty prints…a column quilt would be perfect!
Hmmm I think something really bright…pastels though might be different and pretty..so hard to choose! Love!
Love how your quilt top turned out and it will be so great quilted with swirls and ribbon candy!! I have so many collections in my stash – would need to dig for the perfect one!
I can certainly relate to how lucky we are to have relatively inexpensive quilting fabric. Last year my husband found out his brother in Australia had Leukemia, and he was the only donor match out of 4 siblings. So in December we flew to Sidney, Australia, and he donated his stem cells, and saved his brother. I could not leave without a huge stash of Australiana fabric. I’ve made a couple camp shirt and sundress out of some, but I want to make a quilt for my hero/hubby with what remains to remind him of how wonderful he is.
I think that this would make a great guy quilt, so perhaps in teals and browns or school colors. I love the idea of the column quilts!
I have some black and white prints to use up and maybe a red background. Nice job!
I have some southwest and Day of the Dead fabrics that need special attention.
I have been collecting sunflower fabrics for several years now. They might make this quilt nicely, or i might have to search for more hot air balloon fabric…we have The Balloon Fiesta here each October, but not much variety in fabric choice. However I do have some ‘older’ fabric that would blend well with it Thanks!.
i would use aboriginal prints from a quilt show in brooklyn this past summer.
I’ve got some reds, blacks and whites I’ve been holding waiting for the right pattern. This will work!!