Groovy, Dude

This week I stitched up and finished a fun, easy quarter square triangle quilt I'm calling Groovy, Dude. The fabrics were a fat quarter bundle of batiks in deep, saturated autumnal colors. Even though they are classic batiks made with the wax method, they reminded me of tie dye fabrics from the '70s.

Here's a shot of the flimsy with the light behind it, like stained glass. I love these colors so much! After the fabric arrived, I spent a couple days thinking about what pattern I should use. Several much more elaborate designs swirled around my head, but the rich colors kept whispering, "Simpler, simpler."

Then I visited the historic Unitarian church in Charleston, and this beautiful stained glass window caught my eye. I don't think angels *actually* sang, but it felt a bit like a sign. OK, then, how about hour glass/quarter square triangle blocks?

I put the triangles together randomly and am happy with how the colors play together.

For the quilting, I kept it super duper simple as well. Stitch in the ditch along each seam combined with Quilters Dream wool batting made for poofy yummy goodness. This is the first time I've ever used wool batting and I LOVE it! It's a little fussy at the edges of the quilt sandwich, since the wool tends to get caught in the walking foot feed dogs, but other than that it stitched up so nicely.

The back used up the rest of the batik scraps, plus some linen yardage I had in more groovy colors. Avocado green, anyone? It's a bit hard to tell in these photos, but the binding is a nice tonal purple and the bobbin thread is a variegated red/green/yellow.

This quilt will be donated to Covered in Love. Which is only fair, because the fabrics were donated to Covered in Love! Kat, who coordinates the charity, was very happy to tell me that the organization is growing. I've committed to sewing up a number of quilts for CiL using some of the generously donated fabrics and batting. I'm excited to be able to help Kat out in this way. 

These donated butterflies are calling to be sewn next, I think. That muted blue on the bottom of the stack is gorgeous, and that's a true diagonal stripe in brown. Those are hard to find!

Another one of Kat's sponsors donated this line of coordinating cat fabrics. They are Henry Glass designs and so fun! Those are one third yard cuts plus a big panel. So generous! I'll add some Kona Snow from my stash and start racking my brain for the perfect pattern to use these soon.

Covered in Love has already provided over 220 quilts to grieving families, and it is lucky to have many hands to help keep it going. From a single block for the latest block drive (a fun, fall-themed Scrappy Susannah!) to finished quilts, there are many ways to get involved if you're interested. Learn more about the charity here.

I'm a big believer in doing the type of charity work that calls YOUR name. There are so many ways to give back to a world that needs our love and kindness: volunteer at the animal shelter, cook meals for seniors, lead a Girl Scout troop, pick up trash on the side of the road, plant a tree, knit caps for preemie babies, give blood, listen with compassion to a friend. Each small act adds up, and each act is important, so do what feels right for you. For me, that means making quilts. And for my husband, it means volunteering his time with the American Red Cross. He'll be traveling to the US Virgin Islands this week to work for most of October, helping to feed and shelter those who have suffered losses from the hurricanes. That's a great fit for his skills and interests, because, honestly, his quilting talents are minimal...

Linking up with Sew Some Love.