Quilts, Uncategorized

Liberty Love Book and My Marcelle Medallion Quilt

Hello everyone! Today, and I am very happy to be taking part in Craft Book Month on Craft Buds. This event has been going on for a few years now, and it’s probably my favorite blog hop event; it is full of book reviews, interviews with people in the book industry, etc. It is just all around fascinating to me!

As part of my stop on the blog hop, I made a project from the book Liberty Love by Alexia Marcelle Abegg. I instantly knew that this was the book I would review and this was the project I would make, because I got the book early this summer with the express intent to make the quilt after seeing so many people making it over on Instagram. It is just a quilt with a lot of movement and a lot of possibilities.

A funny story about this quilt is that, while I did plan to make the quilt, once I looked at my sewing calendar for September, I thought I probably wouldn’t be able to finish the entire thing. “Oh,” I told my friend Kim, “I’ll probably just be able to make the center now. I’ll be happy if I make at least the center for my Craft Buds blog post.” Fifteen days ago, I got to talking to Linh from LiMa Sews (who, besides owning a fantastic Etsy shop, also does a longarming service), and she told me that, sure, if I finished the quilt, she’d longarm it and have it back to me in time for my blog post. Since she is not local, I had to subtract 10 days from that original fifteenth day, to account for the weekend and shipping time back and forth. Which left me 5 days to finish the quilt. Hmm. Making a detailed quilt in 5 days? Sounds like something crazy that I would do.

So, let me talk about the quilt pattern from the book! This quilt is composed of 8 borders (4 of which are solid fabric with a square set at each corner). The pattern pieces for all of the triangles and the center block are all in the back of the book on tissues paper. I didn’t want to cut my tissue out, so I put the tissue on my scanner and scanned all of the pieces. Honestly, the center block and each of the pieced borders do take quite a bit of time to make. I think that the last pieced layer with the ‘pluses’ probably took me the longest, just because each of the pieces were quite small! The instructions for the quilt are fantastic, though, because the cutting and piecing instructions are such that you can make a quilt from your scraps. Everything is well organized, and I also wrote a few notes down in my book while I cut so that I could stay on track. An intermediate quilter would have no problem navigating through this pattern.

Here’s a little close-up of the back of the quilt. I used Art Gallery Fabrics ‘Pure Elements’ solids (from Fat Quarter Shop) for my quilt (including the back), and the rest of the fabrics were various text fabric bundles that I purchased from Pink Castle Fabrics and Westwood Acres. As I mentioned, the quilting was done by LiMa Sews (and returned to me in lightning speed!). The finished quilt ends up at 59″ x 59″, which is a great size (and is now hanging on my dining room wall!).

So let me talk briefly about what I thought about the rest of the book! Liberty Love is full of 25 sewing and quilting projects, which is a fantastic value for your money. The range of projects is massive; from an electronic device holder to a necktie. Something, I think, for everyone (and also a great selection of things to make for handmade gifting!).

Here is a photo of the quilt from the book; it was made of a mixture of Liberty fabrics and other assorted graphic prints. It is beautiful and very eye-catching!

There are a few women’s dress patterns, including the Lulu Tunic, pictured below. There is also another great women’s dress in the book called Michelle My Belle, which I definitely want to make for myself! The dresses are great confident beginning-level sewing patterns for garments.

And this cute floral bag in the photo below is a quilted bag pattern that is included in the book. It has a zippered closure and looks very pretty with just about any outfit. See what I mean about these projects? They are just wonderful and such a nice variety. I did get the book for the Marcelle Medallion quilt pattern, but I will definitely make some more projects, which I think the necktie will be next on my list.

Thank you so much for having me for Craft Book Month, Lindsay! Pop on over to Craft Buds to see all the other posts for the event, including making your own project from a craft book to be entered to win some awesome prizes!!!

Week One
Monday 9/2: Fabric Mutt / LRstitched
Tuesday 9/3: Stitch This! The Martingale Blog / Stitched in Color 
Wednesday 9/4: Fabric Seeds / Pile O Fabric
Thursday 9/5: The Feisty Redhead / Rae Gun Ramblings
Friday 9/6: Sew-Fantastic / Clover + Violet
Saturday 9/7: A Prairie Sunrise / Small Town Stitcher 

Week Two
Monday 9/9: Hopeful Threads / Go To Sew
Tuesday 9/10: The Sewing Rabbit Sewing Mama RaeAnna
Wednesday 9/11: Marci Girl Designs / imagine gnats
Thursday 9/12: Sew Sweetness / amylouwhosews
Friday 9/13: Lindsay Sews / 13 Spools
Saturday 9/14: Inspire Me Grey / Angela Yosten 

Week Three
Monday 9/16: Sew Very / Craftside
Tuesday 9/17: The Littlest Thistle / CraftFoxes

9/1-9/30: Link up your craft book project at Craft Buds from your blog or Flickr account, and enter to win prizes. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October, 1!

 

To participate in the month-long contest, just link up any project you’ve made from a pattern in a craft book. That easy! You’ll tell us a little about the book, the project, how you personalized it, etc.

Rules
1) One entry per person. 
2) Your craft book project must have been completed in 2013. 
3) Create a new blog post or Flickr photo (dated September 1, 2013 or later) and link back to Craft Buds/Craft Book Month in your post or photo description. In your post or photo description, make sure to list the craft book you used and provide a link if possible.
4) All winners chosen via Random.org. Some prizes available to international winners, so please join us!

Prizes 
Visit Craft Buds and link up your craft book project during the window of Sept 1-30 and you’ll automatically be entered to win some fantastic prizes from the Craft Book Month sponsors!

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24 thoughts on “Liberty Love Book and My Marcelle Medallion Quilt

  1. It’s beautiful Sara! So bright and happy – I’m SO impressed you made most of it in 5 days, I’ve just started one and it is taking a lot of thought and patience!

  2. Wow – amazing Sara! I don’t know anyone else that would even TRY to complete this quilt in five day. Beautiful.

  3. DeborahGun says:

    You are so amazing to make such a beautiful quilt so fast. This is on my wish list to make – one day!

  4. Debbie says:

    Just wow! Your medallion turned out just beautiful – cannot believe your time frame!!

  5. You deserve more than a super hero designation for this! Yikes! Such a beautiful, involved quilt in five days! Spectacular!

  6. Marci Girl says:

    I am now CONVINCED that you don’t sleep, eat or anything else! Five days, WOW! Beautiful quilt Sara! I also now MUST buy this book!

  7. Turned out great! Good idea to display it out in the open too. It will be a focal point anywhere you hang it. Beautiful! Cindy

  8. Beth says:

    The quilt is awesome! Love your fabrics. Can’t believe you did that so quickly.
    Glad you got it done in time to show us the finished quilt. 😉
    I have been having fun this morning hopping around to all the posts from last week.

  9. Lori says:

    Your quilt is stunning, amazing job in 5 days.

  10. Hilary says:

    gorgeous! I am making a Marcelle Medallion right now, and I love it. Liberty Love is an awesome book 🙂

  11. Five days… I am amazed at your persistence! I’m excited for you to have it all finished–it’s gorgeous! Thanks again for being a part of Craft Book Month. 🙂

  12. Ali says:

    I bought the book so I could make this but it’s so…MUCH that I’ve been intimidated. Your beautiful turnout has made me realize I should go start pulling fabrics and get started on it!

  13. Kelly says:

    It’s gorgeous Sara. I so wanted to make one when I got the book – but just never found the time. You are amazing!!

  14. suemac says:

    I bought the book for the same reason. I have accumulated a few Liberty Tana Lawn prints and some Kaufman London Calling 3 lawn prints so I just need the motivation to get started. I love the texty fabric in the background. I have accumulated quite a bit of the texty fabric and like the look of it as a background fabric.

  15. Katy Cameron says:

    Oh it’s absolutely fabulous, love the brights/texty mix!

  16. margaret says:

    what a great quilt, I think what i have learnt since starting my quilting journey is to see colour in a different light, this quilt shows me how so many colours can be combined that I would have never thought would work but they work perfectly.

  17. Elsa says:

    Your quilt is wonderful ~ I’ve been wanting to make this one too but what with so many other things to make I haven’t got to it yet. I’m so impressed that you got it done so quickly!

  18. Your Marcelle is just beautiful! I have the Liberty book too and I will make it at some stage (although I need to finish the Made to Measure medallion first). But the first project I’m going to make from it is the little girls dress for my sweet baby girl!

  19. @pril says:

    Your Medallion Quilt is totally gorgeous!

    @pril
    KoolBeenz Blog

  20. Kelli says:

    You are amazing! I haven’t even thought of making this quilt yet because the piecing seems so daunting and then you just whip it up! And not only that but it’s BEAUTIFUL!

    Great job!!

  21. I love your Medallion Quilt…..stunning.

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