Our Paper Quilt Project in Country Living

Country Living likes our Paper Quilts! So much so that in the latest issue, they feature a DIY tutorial, complete with a pattern template as well as paper & frame sources. Check it out here.

Paper Quilt Contest: Winners!

Let me start off by thanking everyone who participated in the Paper Quilt Contest. I was so surprised by how many people signed up & have loved seeing all the quilts come in over the past week. This has been one of most fun things I've ever done at L&H, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Each of you inspires me. 

Choosing winners was not easy, let me tell you. I consider all of these to be works of art, so it seems a little strange to be judging them. But, this is a contest, so there have to be winners, even if they are chosen by me, without any real barometer of qualifications. Just one person's gut.

So without further ado: the grand prize winner is... Shannon! (quilt above & below) I love her selective use of color & well thought-out pattern. In using triangles to create the square shapes, she was able to gain more surface area of color, and therefore a more obvious pattern comes through. Well done & congrats, Shannon! 

Next, I chose three amazing paper quilts as Runner Ups in the contest, of which the creators will each receive the choice of a Birthday Calendar or the 2013 Letterpress Calendar.

Jen's quilt (above) is gorgeous & adds a three dimensional element with the folded edges. She punched the provided card stock to create a tactile lace effect. I love that she kept the colors minimal, allowing the texture to really shine. 

I love the graphic quality in Esther's quilt (above). I applaud her for only using one card colorway and allowing the white card stock to take the lead as the main graphic.

I love the simplicity and color of Jennifer's quilt (above). The lone star is a traditional quilt design, but done in these colors & tones keeps it feeling current, which I love.

And because there were a handful of quilts that deserved a shout out, we have the following Honorable Mention Picks, of which the creators will each receive a pack of our new quilt note cards.

I love Jamaica's minimal use of color & pop of neon,

that Marisol used the back of the post cards,

and Nancy's unique patterning & layering.

I am impressed by Sarah's cutting technique & folksy feeling quilt,

  

and was blown away with the sewing detail in Ann's quilt.

And in no particular order, all the pretty (and pretty intricate) paper quilts:

Quilts, above, by:

(from top to bottom, left to right)

Beth, SL, Lauren

Diana, Ilene (and her adorable daughter), Meaghan

J.R. White, Kaitlin, Katie

Amy, Andrea, Janice

Anna, Ariel, Julie

Ashby, Barbara, Kathy

Marcantonio, Nuri, Sarah 

Molly, Natalie Navales, Stephanie

Jessica, Cassandra, Rosemary

Thank you again to everyone who submitted a paper quilt! This was too much fun to only do once. So stay tuned!

From the {Studio} Fridays: Paper Quilt #2

Here is the other paper quilt I made recently - lighter & brighter than the other one. The custom-made oak frame from Bellboy is gorgeous & a perfect compliment in color & in form. I think this quilt could look great in a lot of different spaces - in a nursery or above a guest bed are my first thoughts, but I think it could really cozy up an otherwise sparse dining room or add color & warmth to an entryway. For now, it'll be warming up my mantle:)

I hope to continue making more paper quilts. These first two are about 2.5' x 2.5' but I hope to make some that are twice as big, if not bigger. The challenge will be to find a space to fit it, but I can't get it out of my head, so it's gotta happen. Stay tuned!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Paper Quilt #1

 

I've always loved quilts. I had one on my bed growing up that was from my mom's family & now have & treasure in my own home. I have a couple small ones framed from a dear friend & quilter, who also made one for Griffin. I love them on the walls, on the bed, on a side chair. Anywhere. I just love the way the patterns come together. So when our misprint bins (our big collection of unsellable paper) starting filling up, I started thinking about what to do with all that paper. We've made flower pins, tags, little book covers, sold them during Craft Bin Sales, & use them for writing thank you notes that we include in every order. Then I got an idea for paper quilts, as I call them, last summer. I've been thinking about, talking about, planning & swatch-prepping these quilts ever since.

Today, I'm very pleased to introduce to you one of my first finished & framed paper quilts made from this unsellable paper: The Seaside Quilt. It's got whales & sailfish from the 2012 Calendar, Blue Zig Zags from 2008, and Sailboat Flats from 2010. The quilt would not be complete without a proper home - a gorgeous walnut frame, custom-made from Bellboy - a good friend & Brooklyn-based woodworker.

It's always a little scary putting something new out there. Something you dream up in your head to be great. And when it's all said & done, you love it. It's exactly what you imagined. But will other people resonate with it as I do? (It's sort of how I feel going into the Stationery Show every year.)

I've got one more framed quilt that I'll show you later this week, as well as a finished but unframed "Baby Quilt" I did for Griffin. Not your traditional baby quilt, that is for sure. So stay tuned. And... do you like?? I'd love to hear what you think!

Paper Swatches

Finally working on a project I've been thinking about for over a year. Excited to share soon. Stay tuned.