The name for my block, Snow Shoo, was inspired by two things. The fabrics have a ‘snow’ theme, and the basic grid is similar to the traditional shoofly block.
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, this block might look a little familiar. I designed it to show off fabrics I designed and had printed on Spoonflower, and blogged about it back in July. It’s a fun and quick block to piece, so when it came time to make my block for this special issue, I decided to use the same design.
Several of the blocks in this issue use fabrics from a single line by one manufacturer. Snow Shoo uses the Snow Days line by Mary Jo Tuttle for Connecting Threads. When you pick fabrics for a quilt, do you try to choose fabrics that you know will ‘go together’ because they were designed in the same line, or do you like to mix colors and styles from a variety of manufacturers? I’ll pick someone at random from the comments after 10 am MST on Friday morning 11/13 to win a 100 blocks issue.
And the winner is: #23, Wendy. Congratulations! Wendy will receive a copy of our 100 Blocks issue.
Love the block, I just join a block swap and love all the block you have shown very inspiring. Thanks
When I pick fabrics for a project I usually choose them from my stash which is a hotch potch mix with different designers and ranges. If my budget allowed, the easy option would be to pick them all from the same line or range.
I like mixing colors & styles but try to stay within a certain color group unless making a scrappy. I especially like the Christmas themed fabrics (Santas-Poinsettas-Snowmen & Faith)
As a scrap quilter, I choose fabrics across the ranges. I also like to include a signature fabric in my quilts or one that is carried through my quilts just snuck in here and there. As I have been a quilter for nearly 20 years I also like to use some of the older fabric scraps. I might like to add that my quilts are generally a controlled scrap.
Whenever I make a quilt, I usually check my stash first and then add to it with coordinating fabrics. I love to use a variety of fabrics within each color that I’m using. It also gives me an excuse to do more fabric shopping!
I may pick a few fabrics from the same line, but then add others to make the quilt less predictable.
I usually pick and choose fabrics that I like and I think go together well. A lot of times there’s a color that I like that isn’t one of the “main” colors in the line so I can’t get a coordinate in that color and turn elsewhere. And actually I just learned about lines of fabric this year!
I will say that I love all those precuts out there, so I do have a few projects with eitire lines of fabric, those are so cool!
I like to pick up fabrics in my travel..so when doing a project, I first go to what has grabbed me from the stores. I will mix things up. Then off to the store or web to augment and add to complete the needed requirements!
I usually mix and match for my quilts.
This block is very cool! I pick fabrics depending on the projects. Sometimes I use everything from a line and sometimes I just use fabrics from different lines. Sometimes it depends on my mood, too!
Because I’m a fairly new quilter I like to use collections that coordinate….but I hope to expand into my own matching in the future.
Sometimes I stick with a collection like the one I’m working on now and other times mix it up real good….especially love to dig into the scraps to make single blocks. The block above is perfect for novelties…I’ve got some! Woo Hoo
I like this variation of the shoofly. Usually I play with my stash to put colours together. I rarely use a collection.
the more fabrics the better
i hardly ever use fabrics from a collection together (does that make sense??!!)
I’d love to mix different lines, but I’m not very confident! Usually I stick with one designer.
I like to mix fabrics from different lines. Great block.
When I pick fabrics I love to use all of the fabrics from one line by a manufacturer. Cute block!
Love your block
looking forward to the magazine ready to get busy sewing
Wow, not only an original block but original fabric as well. You deserve to be one of those elite 100. Congrats.
I am excited to have a chance to win.
~a
Some things I use from the collection, some things I mix and match. It all depends on the overall look, and how much I like the whole collection… Since there are no rules, we can pretty much do what we want! LOL!
It depends on how adventurous I’m feeling and if I am making something for someone else. I love the challenge of using only fabrics from my stash and like the sometimes quirky look I get as a result, but I tend to play it ‘safe’ when making a quilt for someone else and stick to what I know works within the recipient’s color choices.
It’s all a mood thing. One day I’m in a organized one designer mode, the next project might be scraps only challenge in blue. I feel more creative that way and I like so many different styles of fabric, I have an excuse to keep buying more.
This is an interesting question. I haven’t bought fabrics together from the same line yet, but as the holidays have come, I think I will. I might make the gift giving deadlines.
Beautiful block!
I vary. Sometimes I use fabrics from the same line, but sometimes I like to mix and match from different lines. Sometimes,like in the string quilt I’m working on, the scrappier the better and I’ll use hundreds of different fabrics!
I usually mix and match. I love the challenge of finding different things that go together. I love your block and how your showcase the words in the center of each star.
I love the block. I usually try to stay in the same line of fabric, but if there are just a few then I will mix and match. Some lines of fabric are easier to match than others.
I like mixing different fabrics from the same designer. They won’t match perfectly but will still look like they belong together.
I love this block made up in those fabrics!
Laura T
After picking my focus fabric, I like to wander through the quilt shop, and go with what “feels good” to me. But, those charm packs are SO much fun, too!
I usually pick colors and patterns that go together, from several lines of fabric. Right now I’m trying to stay with what’s in the stash.
I choose fabrics from several sources usually unless the line really speaks to me and says buy all of us
I buy fabrics that I simply must have, no matter the manufacturer. Sometimes, that does mean buying an entire line.
I mix and match all styles and colors. Only very rarely do I use only one line.
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i guess my answer would be “yes” – i do both!
I do both. My stash is small but growing, so I often go with a line of fabric at this point. For small projects, like at Christmastime, I use fabrics from my Christmas stash; I have a great variety of fabrics in that bin!
I do it both ways. There are a few projects where I have used all from the same line, but mostly I mix and match.
I think I do it both ways.
I like to pick my own colors most of the time. I’ll pick a focus fabric and then pull other colors from within the print as well as complimentary colors
Sometimes I mix, sometimes I use part of a design line and then add other fabrics from my stash and then sometimes I buy a charm pack or layer cake and make something from all one line. I just LOVE fabric!
I have never bought fabric from a line until I bought those exact fabrics from Connecting Threads! How cool! I loved these fabrics and can’t wait to make something with them and now you have inspired me.
I almost always use lots & lots of fabrics from different lines.
I tend to do what I call “controlled scrappy.” I use lots of differnt fabrics.
I’m a picker and chooser – across designers and lines and from my stash.
I’ll say a “secret word” for this one, and it’s nieve, lol, beautiful blog, I still have faith in win a magazine!!!
When I choose fabric I look to my stash, which doesn’t usually include all the fabrics of any one collection. So it is a mix and match of what I think looks good together. I don’t like it too “matchy”
SheilaC
I’m still new to quilting so I have been staying with fabric collections.
I love the snowshoo block! I do both. Sometimes I buy fabrics from one line, but more often I like to mix and match fabrics from different designers. I just put things together that look good to me. It’s fun and they usually turn out good!
Love your block! The design and the fabric are both great. (Spoonflower is so cool.) I don’t usually used a collection because I rarely have enough of a collection to make anything. And I also tend to buy fabric randomly, and not really for any specific purpose, so I always have stuff in my stash. I’ll usually have some sort of color palette in mind, and then see what I have in my stash, and then supplement. I’ve been planning an aqua/red quilt in my head for quite awhile and I keep buying random pieces of fabric that I think would go well, and now I probably have enough for three quilts, LOL!
Very cute block! I like to use all from one line if I’ve got it – I love the pre-cuts – but sometimes I like to put together things from lots of different fabrics, basically scraps, depending on the pattern.
I may use a few from a particular line but I always add in other fabrics from my stash to make a quilt unique. I purchase fabric randomly when on sale but usually have several quilts in my head that I plan to make so purchase with those in mind. More fun for me that way! Thanks for the opportunity to win the book! Awesome!
I do both, but mostly mix and match.
I can’t remember that I ever made a block sticking to the fabrics of a specific manufacturer or designer. I just look through my stash for the fabrics that coordinate, in my color choices.
I also don’t tend to stick to a particular line. I have made a few quilts with “charm packs” or “jelly-roll” type collections and have found that they are very dull. Things are too matchy-matchy and the quilts lack spark. I like to dig through my stash or wander around a shop and put things together in a way works for me–often high contrast with an unexpected fabric for zing! If all else fails, use black. It solves most quilting problems beautifully.
Cute block; cute fabric
I love this block, and the fabric really makes the block. How fun to design it yourself.
I may occasionally use fabrics from the same line, but not too often. When I do, I always throw in something else to liven it up.
i have started to use more from the same line as my exposure to all the fabulous fabrics has increased from the interent … previously i would spend hours at the fabric store just putting things together that i liked … karen ca