Working at Connecting Threads, you can imagine that I see a lot of quilt designs that are absolutely beautiful coming through the doors. Because there isn't enough time in the world (or money) to make them all, you are forced to pick a few styles that you identify most with. When it came to the kits in Riviera II, just about every project I saw generated a "Oh-my-gosh-I-need-that-quilt" response. That is, until I saw the Gaggle of Geese quilt come in. I am in love.
The sunshine and blue seas of the French Riviera were the inspriation for the Azure Coast quilt pattern. The spirals of the Snail's Trail blocks mimic the waves of the ocean. Several blue and yellow fabrics from the lovely Riviera II collection and coordinating fabrics from Quilter's Candy are used to reflect these elements of nature. Nestled between the spinning Snail's Trail blocks are Friendship Stars; their Four-Patch centers add visual interest. The beautiful yellow floral focal fabric and lively multi-colored strip in the borders pull all the fabric together nicely. I hope this cheerful, refreshing quilt will remind you of relaxing times in the sun and sea.
I love Rivera II and had so much fun designing with it that I created six different color ways of my Island Holiday Quilt! The combinations of beautiful were endless! Rarely do I choose two focals for a quilt, however, the focal; Paradise is especially stunning, brimming with detail and color. It was very difficult to make a final choice.
You know the old adage you can never get enough of a good thing? Well in the case of Riviera, that is definitely true. I still have some of the original Riviera squirreled away (jealous?) and have been judiciously using it in small amounts in almost every scrap or applique project I do. When I heard that there was another Riviera collection in the making I admit I did a celebratory booty shake. Something about the colors and textures in these groups get my creative juices flowing. In the new Riviera collection, Riviera II, there are some new prints that have been added, as well as some old prints that we brought back in new colors.
There are some amazing projects out of this collection such as the Island Holiday Quilt, the Gaggle of Geese Lap Quilt, and the Russian Rubix Crib Quilt.
You may have noticed in our latest email that we have some great batik books on sale. In the past, we used to show you a few books that we enjoyed, but they didn't neccessarily coincide with the collection being featured in the email. Going forward, we have changed the way we do things a little bit. In every collection email, we will be featuring a book, or several books, that our staff has hand-selected as being great for the collection. We feel that this will create a more meaningful experience for you, and you can trust that the books you are buying are just right for your needs.
This week's email features our new, limited edition summer batiks. *Swoon*. The books we selected for the email are a great mix of our staff's go-to batik resources. Even better, all of the books featured in this week's email are 40% off now through May 16th.
The first book, Nature's Beauty in Applique, offers some incredible projects that were inspired by the author's stay in England. The table runners, placemats, and other fun projects use batik fabrics wonderfully, and really show off how batiks can make a project pop. Just look at this amazing wall hanging!
A blog dedicated to Connecting Threads' staff projects and special announcements.
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