Marcelle Medallion: a love story

Over on instagram, a new quilt-along has emerged. It was unintentional, but pictures of the Marcella Medallion quilt, from Alexia Abegg's new Liberty Love book, are popping up. This, combined with purchasing her book (and getting it signed! yay!) at Quiltcon, made me do it.

I cut my first pieces yesterday, and sewed the center block together. There are some partial seams which I have little experience with, but I just went for it.

I added my first border today.

I am going to spend the afternoon cleaning my sewing room (disaster!) and choosing fabric for the next border.

Truthfully, this type of quilt is my favorite.
Maybe because you get to choose so many fabrics?
I don't know what it is, but it is happy. Maybe this will encourage me to return to my Modern Medallion project from Rachel's handstitched class last summer.

I stalled out and haven't returned to it.

Soon, I want to share a full-disclosure WIP list, along with a few "needs fixing" projects. I think it will help me achieve some difficult finishes to be accountable. But for today, for this week, I'm going to bask in the glow of Marcelle.

Wonky Bee, Traveling Edition

I have lots to say about Quiltcon, but I'm still processing some things. I hope to share my thoughts in the next few days. I'm embarrassed to say that I took very few pictures. I have a few from my cell phone, at least. Luckily, there are lots of people that were better than I. It was a really wonderful experience.

Today, I wanted to show some progress on round three of the Wonky Bee. As you may remember, this is a traveling round. Along with basic guidelines or desires, you send a stack of fabric and a starter block(s) to the next person. It's been lots of fun so far! We are working on our third rotation.

I received Nicke's quilt first. Her block is on the top; I added two blocks below, and of course, some Dear Stella stars. I loved the embroidery, especially!

Melissa's quilt was next. Her project consists of (mostly) gradient strips at varying widths.

I just finished my first word for Jessica's quilt. I just love the scrappy neutral look. I hope to make another word, and assemble some of the blocks (since we're past the halfway point).

You may remember this stack of fabrics, which I selected for my quilt.

I started with these blocks, and both Sara and Amanda have added some fun things!

Amanda's progress, photo by Amanda

Sara's additions, photos by Sara

I'm excited to see how this quilt turns out!

FO(s): Two duffels

Quiltcon! It's here! By the time you read this, I will already be in Austin. I made a new duffel bag for the occasion, and an extra for my friend, Rhonda.

I made this one for Rhonda. I used a Dear Stella print, Flea Market Fancy seeds, and a Stamped print for the outside.

I decided to use a little Aviary 2 for the inside, as well as some Innocent Crush woodcut and more seeds.

As for my bag, I went with Cosmonaut Pearl Bracelets, a stripe from Out to Sea, and a pink/white pinstripe. Classy!

I used this Gingercake pattern. I really love the resulting bags. I had a little trouble with the pattern, but I definitely recommend it. Just be patient, and read through before you start cutting. I ended up wasting some fabric because of my hastiness. The bottom of the bag is quilted for durability, which I appreciate! I might add extra reinforcement in the sides next time, but other than that, perfection!