Saturday 19 January 2013

Charming ...

... Country Charmer.

Last year my friend Lynn from Sew'n Wild Oaks Quilting showed a quilt on her blog that I just fell in love with.  It is called Country Charmer, and is her own design.
I decided that, although it is a scrappy (eeeekk) quilt, I just had to make it.  (I have "borrowed" the picture from Lynn's blog, without permission, I hope she doesn't mind.) I wanted to use Christmas fabrics, so I thought I'd wait until the start of the new year before I got going on it.  It turns out I am not the only person who wants to make it and another friend, Lesley, The Cuddle Quilter and Lynn cooked up a bright idea.  As a result, Lesley is running a Country-Charmer-sort-of-Quiltalong, and Lynn is going to post hints, tips and general useful bits on her own blog every other Thursday. So it'll be like having Lynn in the room with us as we sew, which is brilliant.     

You'll notice I called it a sort-of Quiltalong, and that's because, in Lesley's own words
This is a no frills, no pressure, no anxiety quiltalong! All you need to do is to purchase the pattern,  have your fabrics on hand, and you will be good to go. BTW, I am not affiliated in any way with the quilt shop. I just love the quilt and it would be a fun one to do with a group of friends. 
Lesley has divided the pattern into 7 steps, so that by the end of August we could all have completed tops, then there will be a final parade for December. There are no quilt police breathing down our necks here, but it should be fun and there are people from across the globe joining in.  You can read more about the plans, and where to get the pattern on Lesley's blog, in this post.

So, I'm all hyped up and ready to go, when I run into a problem.  Yes, already, before I even cut a single piece of fabric.  I have been having second thoughts about the fabrics I want to use.

 I like the idea of using Civil War repro fabrics, like these,








but I am also tempted to go really modern and use these,








or shall I stick with my original plan of Christmas colours?  It would be most appropriate really to use thees fabrics, as I actually won these on Lynn's blog when she was our Christmas QAL hostess last year.




See, I told you I had a problem!

By the way, don't forget to enter my giveaway, here.  You have until midnight GMT tomorrow, 20 January to enter to win two charm packs of Seasonal Little Gatherings from CrazyQuiltGirlFabricShop.

23 comments:

  1. What a beautiful quilt to start the year off, I just finish two charity quilt for the start of my year. Now, I need to do a small project for self.
    Enjoy your week end. Sally from Oregon

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  2. You've got a big decision to make - all of your fabrics are lovely! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this. :) How is Mr. FixIt?

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  3. Oh you DRATTED, EVIL TEMPTRESS! You Baggage!!

    I have to make that - it is just stunning . . .

    As for your fabric choices, difficult. Christmas fabrics would be gorgeous but restrict how much you will use it. But perhaps that is good, then it could be a 'special' quilt for December each year?

    Off to look at the pattern, whoosh.

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  4. Well, I don't want to sway your decision to any particular direction.....but.....it would be so much fun to see the pattern made in a really modern line of fabric! I've been having fun combining Civil War fabrics with anything that matches for my blocks. No matter what you decide, you will make it look beautiful Sue.

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  5. I know the feeling. Im having a hard time deciding what fabrics to use also.

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  6. I'm struggling with fabric selection - scrappy is out of my comfort zone. My quilt will be blues (navy range), mauve, greens and beige backgrounds Greens are in the mail and I'm off to the quilt shop looking for plaids checks and strips.

    I plan to make 2-3 blocks per month - cutting fabrics as I go. Hopefully seeing a block as a "completed unit" will give me scrappy (without driving myself insane!!). It is worth a try! because I love the look of scrappy.

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  7. I just got my pattern and now I have the job of picking my fabrics too. I do like your idea of civil war fabrics.

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  8. You're not the only one with this problem...I took pix of 3 different color options with a 4th one on the place where my mind used to be yesterday. Then I couldn't get them uploaded onto my blog! Forging ahead with some organizational ideas prior to the big decision and the first cut!

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  9. I see your problem! I am not a brights kind of gal, but I do love red and green quilts and the original just shines. However reproductions could be fab as well...hmmm, sorry cannot help you, just know I cannot start a new project! "Snowed" under here with WIP already! Enjoy!

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  10. I absolutely love this quilt, keep looking at it on Lynn's blog, can't wait to see yours. Hugs x

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  11. I don't think you have a problem at all! I think you should make three Country Charmer quilts....giggle! I think each bundle of fabrics would make a gorgeous quilt...and how lucky you are to have a unique specially-selected bundle direct from Country Charmer Queen Lynn! The idea of a slow, easy going schedule may be going out the window because the blocks are so much fun to make!

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  12. What a lovely quilt! I think the most difficult is to choose fabrics. I have just finished some NY Beauty blocks where some of the fabrics are Civil War... I think I had chosen that bundle, even if the two others will look great too!

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  13. Oh I love the one pictured so the Christmas fabrics would be what I suggest it is striking in the red and greens

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  14. That's a beautiful pattern. I'm sure either of your fabric stacks will make a lovely quilt. I'll enjoy watching your progress.

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  15. That is a gorgeous quilt. I am with your first idea the civil war reproduction prints. That quilt just screams at me something about days gone by. But I think most any fabric would be beautiful made up by that pattern. Can't wait to see the pictures as you make this quilt. Also thank you for a chance to enter your giveaway. That is very generous of you. Nothing like fabric to make everything feel right with the world. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. oh, I have always just LOVED that quilt!! Wish I didn't have so many projects going on so I could join you!!! Guess I will quilt vicariously through you!!!

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  17. What a great quilt pattern! It definitely makes a great Christmas quilt but it would also make a great Civil War quilt. This is a tough choice. I vote for Christmas. I don't think this quilt pattern lends itself to modern fabrics. Thank you for a chance to enter the giveaway.

    Have a super great sewing and stitching day!

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  18. Hey Sue! I see where you added a post about an hour ago and I can see a totally adorable button in my list of blogs I read designed for the Country Charmer QuiltAlong, but when I click on it, all that is visible is yesterdays blog entry. This button is so cute...can't wait to see the rest of the entry.

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  19. That is a lovely quilt, I can see why you want to make it....

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  20. Thank you for sharing this. I purchased the pattern yesterday and can't wait to get going on it!!

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  21. All your options are lovely.

    I am drawn to the reproduction and the Christmas choices more than the modern ones. I think the patches might be a tad small for the large prints in the modern fabrics.

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  22. I like the repro fabrics! Just sayin...... It is a great quilt.

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  23. I like all of the fabric but the civil war is my fav. a very pretty quilt.

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