Vintage Jewel Block of the Month quilt

Don’t miss the sign-up at your local quilt store for the Vintage Jewel Block of the Month quilt that I designed for Blank Quilting. Must-make!

Here is Vintage Jewel right before I delivered it to Melissa from Sew Shabby Quilting for quilting. I designed it for and made it with the Jot Dot collection by Blank Quilting. How do you like the bright colors I chose?

Vintage Jewel measures 72″ x 86″ with blocks that are very easy to make. Follow the monthly program and put together a few blocks at a time. After 10 months, your quilt will look as pretty as mine!

This photo shows you my progress. What I like the most about this project is that the Jot Dot collection is part of Blank Quilting’s basics lineup, which means it will be available for quite a while.

The fabrics in the Jot Dot I and II collections have fantastic hues. Vintage Jewel mixes the two iterations of this line to achieve a rich palette. The block sizes are 12″, 8″, 6″, and 4″ and all of them use basic machine piecing so you don’t have to learn a new piecing technique. You will also not need any special rulers or tools. Yeah!

As I assembled the blocks and wrote the pattern, I ensured all the blocks fit well together without the need for fudging, stretching, taking in, etc. That is also the reason why I used standard sizes for each of them. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow.

The Vintage Jewel Block of the Month quilt would be a perfect complement to any home decor. If you fancy a traditional style, the blocks I used will fit right in. If you lean towards the modern school, the geometric details will guarantee this is an ideal accessory for your home.

The fun thing about Block of the Month programs is that you are usually working on the project with other quilters: local friends or virtual pals. You can cheer each other on every month and finish the project around the same time.

Just in case you do not find it locally, I know that Keepsake Quilting will begin shipping the monthly kits in May (pattern for the block (s) by month and all the fabrics required). They are also selling a Fat Quarter Pack in case you make a mistake and need additional fabrics (these are not affiliate links).

I finished the quilt in November and the day I took these photos was a particularly dark one. Yet, the amazing colors show through so well. It was very difficult to part with Vintage Jewel…

The design was entirely worked on EQ8, the only software I use when designing my quilts. I could not even imagine coming up with Vintage Jewel by hand with pencil and paper. Have you used EQ?

Melissa selected a cool quilting motif to match my design. I like the quilting to have negative space in between the lines which guarantees a quilt that will feel soft and not stiff when you snuggle under it.

It is a difficult decision to make: custom quilting or not? I prefer custom quilting on projects that will hang on the wall or be displayed on the table. That is a very personal choice, though… and I’ve seen wonderful bed quilts that were custom quilted very densely. Those are meant to cover the bed and not your bones, I think.

As I look outside my office window today, I see gray and brown everywhere, except the sky – its blue is remarkable! Writing about this quilt and its colors helps infuse my day with all the brightness it needs. What a wonderful opportunity I have to design quilts for these beautiful fabrics – color therapy of the best kind.

Do you see the subtle dots on each color? The tone-one-tone circles add a fun texture to the design, read like solid colors but are much more interesting to look at. About two years ago I designed a cool quilt for the Jot Dot collection and the pattern is free. I bet after you finish the Vintage Jewel Block of the Month quilt you will make this other one!

Show me photos of your blocks as you make them. I would love to showcase them here or on Instagram (@piecedbrain). Have a great rest of the week,