Make a colorful quilted wall hanging to add a retro vibe to your home decor. Easy paper piecing and large blocks help you create this artwork in no time!
“On Broadway” was just published in the January 2021 issue of the American Quilter magazine by the American Quilter’s Society. I was inspired by the theaters on Broadway and love this photo setup! Lots of gold and bright colors, just as the ones we see as we walk the streets of Midtown Manhattan.
The quilt measures 60″ x 60″ and the blocks finish at 16″. Thus, the paper piecing is super easy due to its manageable size. The border blocks finish at 6-1/2″.
Paper piecing puts me in a Zen state due to its repetitive nature. You know the drill: place the quilting fabric on the back of the printed template, pin, flip and stitch on the printed side. Continue till all the pieces are stitched, then trim the block on the outside line to ensure a 1/4″ seam. If you need to brush up on this technique, check out this video tutorial. So fun!
Don’t you love these fabrics? They are from the Spirals Metallic collection by Blank Quilting. Gold or Silver – you choose the look for your project and the fabrics will lend brilliant hues to every block. There were plenty of colors and values to mix and contrast – something I always look for when I want to work with fabrics from the same line.
Here are the blocks on my design wall. The points look great, the papers are removed, and I am ready to add the borders. If you choose, you can make the background the same color on all corners of the blocks except one, then turn that one corner of all blocks toward the center to ensure the star in the middle does remains colorful.
I used lots of colors on this design. Bright and bold is the name of the game. Hang “On Broadway” on the wall of a room that needs a bit of pizzaz, or place it on the table with a vase with white flowers with long stems. Whether you display this quilted wall hanging as wall art or table cover, your guests might reminisce about their first tour of the Theater District in Manhattan or a famous production. Have the score of your favorite musical on cue!
The outer border reminds me of the gilded trim inside the theaters. It frames the quilt nicely, and the blocks next to the corners break the lines and add a twist to an otherwise simple striped finish. You can make this quilt in one weekend as I did, knowing that you will spend most of your time in the quilt center.
Look for the January 2021 issue of the American Quilter magazine at a store near you to get the instructions for my quilted wall hanging On Broadway, and to discover more wonderful projects to make in the new year. You can also see your copy online if you are a subscriber, a cool feature for when you are away from home and can’t flip through its pages, which is my case right now.
I have been in Brazil since November 25th and will return to the US at the end of January. I will continue to design quilts from this tropical climate while I enjoy the company of my family – a rare treat for me as we live so far away from each other. Above are some of the plants I see during my walks… Nature is totally saturated with gorgeous colors and I hope to reflect this beauty in my work while I am here.
I know Toby the dog would love to walk with me here, but he stayed back in the US with my husband and younger boys (boys… one is 20 and the other is 19!). The three of them got COVID one week after I arrived in Sao Paulo. Wasn’t it nice of them to wait until I skipped town? All joking aside, it was quite a learning experience to know they were sick and I wasn’t caring for them. I had to let go and trust they could take care of themselves. I am glad to report they recovered smell and taste, and are all fine.
My blog posts will be a bit infrequent while I am here, but I will stay in touch. If you subscribe to my newsletter, stay tuned for the final two blocks for our sampler quilt.
Have a fantastic week,
Glad everyone is well. Pictures of plants are beautiful.
Love quilt On Broadway. Hopefully I can find my magazine as couldn’t print from magazine online.
Enjoy your family and be safe
Hope you found your magazine!