Friday, August 2, 2019

Mama Gypsy Quilt Along Fabric Choices!!!

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Alright! Here we go! I hope you are as excited as I am about this fun Mama Gypsy QAL - it is going to be fun!  So, for those of you who are still on the fence and haven't purchased your pattern yet, you still have time! Get your paper pattern here (with free collector pin) or if you want to just get started, purchase the PDF version here.

For those of you on Facebook - I have created a group to share what we are doing throughout each week. For those of you on Instagram - please use the #mamagypsyquiltqal to share your quilt process.

Read all the way down to see my sponsors ;-)


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Okay - talking fabric choices.  This quilt was a bit of a challenge for me because I took a different approach to the overall look of the quilt.  Most of the time I go safe and choose a few different colors that blend well and typically go with yardage instead of fat quarters.   However, this quilt is made entirely of fat quarters, except for the background fabric.  In that case, I used Peacoat - a fabulous Moda Bella Solids color - not quite black, not quite navy.
The idea for the quilt was to showcase the white (floral) printed fabrics.  When I am putting a quilt together, these large prints are not ever chosen for a quilt of mine because I typically focus on the quilting - large prints don't showcase well for that.  The idea to change the focal fabrics to the large floral prints created an opportunity for me to use the prints I love, but don't typically use in my projects.
I started with the center of the quilt picking 4 fat quarters that blended well together, then added 4 complimentary colors for the on-point squares accents and one print for the center. Picking the accent colors is as simple as pulling colors from the prints.

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I quilted the large white florals in the center with 1 inch squares.  This gives the quilt dimension without taking away from the printed design.


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For the outside large areas of the quilt, choose 12 fat quarters that blend well together. I went through all of my stash of fat quarters and auditioned several white background large prints and these were the final choices. You can see that there are several Moda designers represented in these choices.

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Once you have the printed fabric chosen, the accent colors need to be chosen.  You will need 16 different accent colors, I had fun choosing colors that I like, but also going dark to light.  I planned on using these accent colors for the border trim, but more on that in the coming weeks. 

Once you have all your fabric chosen, it is time to prepare your fabric for cutting. I like to spray my fat quarters with spray starch and let the fabric air
 dry.  After that I spray the fabric again and iron it.  Now, you are ready to cut your fabric.

So, this week - gather and prep your fabric, then start cutting. If you are doing a scrappy quilt like this one, then you will want to use the drawing page in the pattern to make a reference for fabric placement.  OR - you can start with the center blocks and the color placement and build on from there.

Next week I will share with you the first row and 4 blocks that I put together.  Please be sure to share your fabric choices with us on social media.

Also, next week I will announce the winner of the $50 gift card to Green Fairy Quilts for one lucky participant.  Please stayed tuned for another winner in the weeks to come for a prize from Moda Fabrics - I am so grateful that they have sponsored my fun QAL.

4 comments:

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Beautiful fabric collection, love those colors!

Peggy Stockwell said...

Starting in the center and working out is something my brain can comprehend. Thanks for the insight

Charlie said...

I bought the pattern because I have been wanting to use some corals and teals. Thanks for the explanation of how you chose your fabrics for your version.

Lynette said...

I've been out of the loop and just found this QAL. I'm excited to search through my stash and order some black/charcoal/midnight-blue (depending) so I can join in! :)