Judy's Bloom Project Hop for Benartex Designer Fabrics

Welcome to my stop on this week's fun little jaunt around QBL (Quilt Blog Land) showing off a beautiful new line, 'Judy's Bloom' by Eleanor Burns for Benartex Designer Fabrics. I sure got some spring in my step when Stephanie asked if I'd like to be a part of this Fabric Feature. The fabrics are just lovely! I chose to make myself a new spring tote bag.

After all a girl can never have too many bags, right?

If this is your first visit here, welcome! I hope you'll poke around a bit, and see what I get up to in my patch of the world. If you decide to follow me, see my sidebar to get my posts in your email inbox. I am also on Instagram, @mmmquilts. If you are a long-time reader, the welcome is just as warm because I appreciate you for returning again and again! There is a giveaway at the end of my post, so be sure to check it out.

Thank you so much to Benartex for supplying the beautiful fabrics for my bag.

Eleanor Burns is one of those famous quilters who has influenced so many, myself among them, over the 25 or so years I've quilted. Her stripping is legendary, lol. Seriously, her strip-piecing methods blew my, and many others', minds, and let's not forget the No Waste Flying Geese - genius. This new line is dedicated to her sister who she lost ten years ago. I had the opportunity to attend Benartex's Virtual Fabric Showcase earlier this week, and how interesting and inspiring was it to hear from the designers behind the beautiful fabrics Benartex makes, hear their voices, and see their new and upcoming lines. Was Eleanor there? You bet she was!

There are 21 fabrics in Judy's Bloom, and three colour ways: pink, which I chose, lavender, and blue.

I used my pattern, Positive Flow, which you can find in my Etsy shop, SandraJaneQuilts.

The pattern has two sizes of quilts, baby and throw, as well as the tote bag within it. I've made this tote bag, oh, six times now. So one would think I could do it with my eyes closed. (Foreshadowing there, didja catch it?)

I started with the back, 'webbing' the rows together. It's a great way to keep everything in order. I learned a similar method, which I call "Book it", from Judy Villett, a fabulous quilt artist, when I took her colourwash quilt course in the late 90s. That method has you chain piece (web) columns first into pairs, and then into columns. I often assemble my quilt tops using this method, and I've taught several others how to do it, since it's just so slick.

The front side went together lickety-split, and in no time I was quilting, straight lines with my walking foot on my Bernina. I got a little bit fancy, when the idea came to me to throw in a few FMQ blossoms along those lines, echoing the dogwood blossoms of the fabric. 

I went to square up the front, and thought, wait, it seems to be a little short on height, (kind of like the maker). And then I realized😖...

I'd forgotten to sew the upper front band onto the finished plus blocks section of the flimsy! Talk about 'eyes closed'... short on, uh, brain cells?!

I'd already trimmed three sides when it hit me. How to fix this?

I sandwiched the quilted section between the front band, a strip of muslin backing, and a strip of batting, and sewed through all thicknesses with a 1/4" seam. I pressed the two bands up and away from the quilted section, and then quilted through the layers of the band. It looks just like the other five bags I've made except for a seam on the muslin backing, which should've been just one big rectangle. It will be hidden under the lining so no one will ever know. (except for all of you, ha) Yay me, and dumb me, both!

I quilted the backing a little differently than the other bags, all of which I've done on my longarm.

I love the look! It also connects to the front, with the use of straight lines, and the criss-crossing effect. I used the above three Aurifil colours.

Here is the back a week ago. It's amazing how slowly the magnolia blooms unfurl (compare the first photo to the one below). Well, to be honest, each spring my husband and I comment on how slowly spring happens here as compared to in Alberta where we lived ten years ago. There, you notice buds, and within two weeks max, full-on leaves. Here in southern Ontario, I noticed buds on the lilacs a month ago, and today they are baby leaves, not fully out for another couple of weeks. Fall is just as gentle and slow here, the opposite again of Alberta.

I used the white on white that is a part of the fabric line for the lining. I opted to make contrasting pockets and inside bottom. A magnetic closure completes the bag, though I've yet to use it since the quilt I take to yoga usually comes to the top of the bag!

The bag has a boxed bottom.

As you can see, it's a healthy size! I've already used it to take my stuff to teach yoga a couple of times, and got some nice compliments on it. 

Quilt Stats:

Pattern: Positive Flow

Size: 20.5" x 16.5"
Fabric: Judy's Bloom by Eleanor Burns for Benartex Designer Fabrics

Backing: as above

Batting: Quilter's Dream 100% wool
Quilted: on my Bernina, walking foot and FMQ

Threads: pieced with Aurifil; quilted with Aurifil

Giveaway - two prizes! 

Benartex is giving away a bundle of these beautiful fabrics to one lucky reader in the US only due to shipping expense. My apologies to all my Canadian and UK, French, Aussie and Kiwi friends, so for you I have a copy of my Positive Flow pattern to a second winner not in the US. Also, if you are quilting along with my Pop Star QAL, (that link explains the free QAL and has the links to the posts thus far) I have a strippies pack (2.5" strips) of one of Benartex's current lines for one of you!)

All you need to do is leave me a comment that answers this question: have you made yourself a quilted tote bag and what country do you live in? One comment per person; please leave me your email if you are a no-reply. Due to the high volume of comments during giveaways I won’t be responding but I will be reading each one! One comment per person please. Doubles will be deleted. 

I'll choose the winners by random number generator on Sunday and announce it next week. Good luck! If you've missed some of the posts, fear not; the links are below. There are giveaways at each stop and a free pattern coming on Friday!

Kathy R won the fabric bundle from Benartex

Cathy B won the Positive Flow pattern

Fabric Feature on the Benartex site

Tuesday

Carol at Just Let Me Quilt

Tammy at Tamarini's

Thursday

Sandra (that's me!) at mmmquilts (you are here!)

Lisa at Love to Color My World

Friday Free Pattern

Linking up

AlyciaQuilts

My Quilt Infatuation