Today is my day on Bea’s blog hop, Dust Off A Book. In someways, I dusted off two books. The first was Quilts from The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Joanne Larsen Line. I was. hoping to find fabric in my stash and I did. It had to be an easy quilt, and the one on the cover fit the bill. One of the reasons I love this book is that it has quilts of different sizes and that is always a welcome help to any quilter.
Now, here’s where the second book came in. I happened to have this fabric that is based on the book Busytown by Richard Scarry. As I am typing this, it feels to be a very ironic quilt in that towns have been anything but busy! This is not a quilt about covid, but a quilt that will go to a child with an inquisitive mind!
And, since the quilt book is based on The Quiltmaker’s Gift, I guess this could be a three book, dust off the book blog!
Now, onto the fabric. I had this Busytown fabric, which was by Quilted Treasures. I don’t know the year, but I stashed it and now it is in a quilt.
The blocks go together quickly. I like using these pins* I have to number the rows and indicate which direction to press the rows which makes them nest nicely.
When it came to quilting, I chose a geometric pattern. Funny, I now think looks like a great path through the quilt that toy cars or animals could easily travel. The pantograph is a design by Susan Schmieden call “Easy Geo” and is a standard one for my HandiQuilter Sweet Sixteen with ProStitcher. The quilting thread was Superior So Fine #403, a favorite for the way it blends so nicely.
Honestly, it took me longer to find fabric that I liked as a border in my stash. I had light fabric but that felt boring. If I had orange or yellow, that might have been a good choice, but alas I don’t have lots of any of that. This green border is fun because there are really both shades of green – the kelly green in the grassy lattice and the sage green in the border are in a lot of the blocks. It’s a fun quilt, with no destination at the moment, but it will have a home one day.
It is a vibrant quilt and I love that about it. It finished up to be a nice child’s lap quilt size at 48 x 60 and would even work nicely on the top of twin bed.
For the back, I had this blue which I liked and decided to add the little swath of the fabric uncut so the child could see the whole scene all together.
Here are all the bloggers who contributed to this great hop! Thanks Bea for sponsoring and check them out if you haven’t already, there are so many great projects, eye candy and forgotten books.
Monday 3/1
Words and Stitches | Samelia’s Mum |High Road Quilter
Tuesday 3/2
Karin’s Crazy World | Lemon Tree Snippets | Anjaquilts
Wednesday 3/3
Beaquilter | Cynthia’s Creating Ark | A Quilting Readers Garden
Thursday 3/4
Kathy’s Kwilts and More | Quilting Patchwork Applique
The Darling Dogwood | Creatin’ in the Sticks
Friday 3/5
Beaquilter |Quilting at the farm| Kathleen McMusing
Now, next week should be a big sewing week for me. I have a couple of hops to get underway – Salt and Sand and In the Kitchen are the next two coming up. Also, there is some behind the scenes work with the Partners in Design crew, as we make plans for our 2021 QAL. And, life has returned to normal after the move. Below are two scary pictures of my study in our apartment…I believe there were 14 crates of sewing and office materials that we moved. The organization is yet to come but we will spend the better part of a week there soon and it will become livable/workable then. The rest of the apartment is in much better shape. Below is a picture of the view, the crates and the closet. YIKES!
A Busy Town Quilt
48″ x 60″
Quilter’s Dream Select Batting ( Natural Select on Sale 3/7 & 3/8Natural Select on Sale 3/7 & 3/8 Natural Select on Sale 3/7 & 3/8
ONhttps://www.battingsupersale.com/products.asp?id=1&afid=561615FB-BF38C9F24-9)
Coming Up on the Blog:
Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd – 3/22
Sand and Surf – 3/24
In the Kitchen – 4/19
Linking Up:
TGIFF
Finished or Not Fridays
Friday Foto Fun
Great Quilt! I Like the blues & greens. Richard Scarry books were one of my sons favorite over 20+ years ago. The quilt and a book would make a special gift. Any boy or girl would enjoy it.
I love your quilt, and especially love the border – it really makes it all come together! Glad you have your actual move behind you – now comes the “fun” part – lol!
Cute quilt, Kathleen! I like how it looks like the viewer is looking at the scene through a window. LOVE the fact that you included the complete scene on the back of the quilt! Best of luck in organizing your beautiful new space.
What a fun quilt that someone will love and enjoy for years! You have a lovely view from that room, and those crates will be gone soon. So glad the move finally happened!
This is a great quilt! I love the greens and blues together!! And, I really love the border fabric! You have a great view from your studio. Glad you are in your new place. I’m sure you’ll have it whipped in shape soon!
I love what you did with the Busy Town fabric! The quilting is perfect too! Hope you get settled soon!
What a cute quilt and that quilt designs is nothing short of perfect for it!!!!
Beautiful quilt, I love these green and blue, and the border is perfect! 3 books, yay!! 😉
Such a wonderful quilt that someone will get to love. I agree, the quilting does look like little cars could drive around just like Busytown. This looks like a book I would enjoy as well. Have fun with your unpacking. It will be so nice when you are finished.
Delightful quilt. I have that book but have not made anything from it yet. Thanks for sharing!
That’s fantastic! Where did you get the Busy town fabric?? that’s awesome, my kids don’t know it much but I do! It was like a precursor to Where’s Waldo, I’d always find fun things on the pages. I think I have one English book around here (I grew up with them in Danish but obviously they are not) Thanks for participating!
Kathleen, I love this SO MUCH! I loved Richard Scarry’s illustrations as a child and loved reading them to my own kids 15+ years ago. This fabrics brings back good memories, and what a great way to showcase the print! Your green borders may not have been your first color choice, but to me, they give the impression that the viewer is up in a tree, peering down at the town from above with a bird’s-eye view. So, I’m glad there wasn’t any suitable orange in your stash! ;-). I have both The Quiltmaker’s Gifts as well as one of the companion pattern books — maybe I have “More Quilts From the Quiltmaker’s Gifts?” At the time I bought it, I wanted to know how to make the Storm at Sea quilt from that book. As a total quilt rookie, though, I found the instructions to be way too sparse and never attempted it. Thanks for linking up your Richard Scarry finish to TGIFF!
Oh my gosh, Bea — YES!! I was thinking the same thing as I was looking at Kathleen’s quilt photos, remembering how I’d scrutinize every illustration in Richard Scarry’s books and make up biographies and plot lines for all of the little animal characters, where they were going, what they were thinking. Definitely a precurser to Where’s Waldo in that Scarry’s illustrations made you want to soak in EVERY detail. Mom or dad would try to turn the page too quickly and I’d say “WAIT!” 🙂
What a fantastic quilt!! and the quilting pattern you used is just perfect – I can see a kid with their little toy cars driving all over, and then snuggling up init!! Perfect!
I think the quilt is wonderful! My kids enjoyed Richard Scarry too. Thanks for the tip about pins for pressing direction! I spend too much time running back and forth from ironing board to sewing machine, trying to remember which way to press!
Such a great idea for a hop (I may need to join this next time around) and such a fabulous quilt. I have those two books and NEED to make at least one quilt out of it too! Love your colours and the quilting motif and the back, great idea!
It’s a triple book score!!! This is fabulous! I love the Busy Town fabric and it looks great as a featured print in this. We’re big Richard Scarry fans here! I love the blues and greens of the sashing on this, too! Looks like a fun pattern!