You know, one of the things I love most about the online quilting community is getting to know amazing quilters. When one of my virtual quilting friends writes a book, of course I want to tell you about it. 🙂
Meet Amy Garro, the brilliant designer behind the book Paper Pieced Modern. (Remember, Amy was also the one who started the Quilty Little Secrets blog meme which made its rounds in blog-land awhile back).
Although all 13 designs from the book are fabulous, today I get to focus on one specific quilt, Apple Stars. Isn’t it stunning?
Apple Stars Quilt 50″ x 50″ by Amy Garro. Photography by C&T Publishing.
The blocks are a generous 14″ x 14″ and I love how they float on the background. That’s a great design aesthetic because you don’t have to stress about chopping off your points when piecing!
Here’s what Amy had to say about this specific design:
“I had been looking through Nani Iro’s fabrics and when I saw this spotted one, I just knew I had to use it for this project! It’s a double gauze, which I’ve never worked with before. I found it very tricky & shifty. I starched the heck out of it and really benefited from the paper foundations – they stabilized the blocks as I was sewing.”
Image courtesy of C&T
Amy continues,
“The other challenge I ran into with this fabric was the fact that the dots were very sparse along the outer edges of the print. I had to use modified cutting instructions and order extra yardage. I absolutely love how it turned out, but what you probably wouldn’t guess by looking at this quilt is that I spent $100 on just the dotted fabric alone! Crazy!”
Isn’t the quilting scrumptious? It was quilted by Emily Session of Emerson Quilting.
Image courtesy of Amy Garro.
I for one think her efforts were worth it. I love the effect of the white fabric among the dots. Can you just imagine it in other colors? I did, so I jumped on the computer and quickly re-sketched the block in EQ using scrappy Sunprints from Alison Glass.
Wouldn’t this be a great way to use up your colorful scraps?
Be sure to check out the schedule below to see the rest of the quilts from the book. I know Amy is going to QuiltCon (and Apple Stars will be there, too!) so I can’t wait to hunt her down and chat in person. 🙂
- Feb 5th – Lindsay @ Lindsay Sews
- Feb 6th – Charlotte @ Displacement Activity
- Feb 7th – Molli @ Molli Sparkles
- Feb 8th – Elise @ Lovelea Designs
- Feb 9th – Amy guest posting @ C&T Publishing
- Feb 10th – Darcie @ The Seam Allowance
- Feb 11th – Christa @ Christa Quilts — YOU ARE HERE!!
- Feb 12th – Amy guest posting @ Craft Buds
- Feb 13th – Amy @ 13 Spools
- Feb 14th – Chelsea @ Patch the Giraffe
- Feb 15th – Amy @ During Quiet Time
- Feb 16th – Wrap-up post back at 13 Spools
And Now for the Giveaway!
One of my readers will win a copy of Paper Pieced Modern by Amy Garro (hard copy for US addresses, E-copy for international folks). To enter, simply jump through each of the stops on the hop to see of all the quilts from the book.
Then, come back here to tell me which one of the quilts is your favorite! Of course, they haven’t all been revealed at the time of this blog post, so if you want to come back and leave a comment later after you’ve seen them all, that’s great, too!
The giveaway on my blog will remain open through midnight on Monday, February 16th. I’ll draw a winner’s name at random on Tuesday morning.
Christa Quilts 
I love the cover design. I have had it on my pinterest site for some time. Love the colours and the graduation from dark to light.
judybarr at iearn dot org dot au
Honestly, I like yours the best. I have never paper pieced before, but I would love to give it a try. You can create some awesome quilts it looks like.
Every quilt I’ve seen from this book looks stunning but apple stars are hands down my favorite.
I really like Ceiling Tiles, shown today at During Quiet Time. Looks to be a great book! I have done one quilt with Nano Iro’s double gauze and I was not brave enough to piece it. I did whole cloth and big-stitch quilted it.
I like Baby Jacks and Applestars for using up beautiful scraps, a passion of mine. The Squareburst appeals to me because it makes me look at different aspects of this common shape.
Thanks,
Beth
I did not see a single design on the hop that I did not like! The Bachelor was very neat and so was Ceiling Tiles. ALL are gorgeous.
My favorite is Squareburst.
I would love to own Paper Pieced Modern, as I’m fairly new to Modern quilting!
I like the Bachelor. Very graphic, modern quilt plus you can’t go wrong with the red and gray combination!
I love all the quilts but, I like the Diamonds & Emeralds the best.
Thanks so much for sharing and being a part of the reviews for this book, a book I can see being well used, but to choose a favorite, well, the ceiling tiles with the red background. Keep up the good work, Kathy in Colo
I think my favorite is Ceiling Tiles. I love the simplicity and also the colors. You really do a great job.
Such a tough decision……I thoroughly enjoyed them all! I’m going to have to go with Faceted Jewels I for my favorite. Although I can see myself making more than one of these beauties!
I’d pick Faceted Jewels I as my number one, but I’m wondering what Apple Stars would look like with a similar design treatment – just a few stars. Anyway, all of the quilts are gorgeous!
It’s so hard to decide but I really love the Squareburst quilt made by Darcie.
I love Faceted Jewels II. I am impressed with the clean lines in this quilt, and I also like that when one looks at it from different angles it appears to change the design.
Beautiful quilt, especially the scrappy version! Would love to win a copy, thanks!
I really like the Apple Stars pattern, but then I like them all!!
I really like the faceted jewels quilt.
My favorite quilt in this book is Faceted Jewels II. Apple Stars is also great! Thanks for a chance to win this book!!
Hands down my fav is the Minimalist version of Faceted Jewels. Love the color love the few blocks and the overall effect is grand!
I love The Apple Stars!
it is very hard to make a decision but I love stars and have to go with Apple Stars. Thanks so much for this awesome giveaway!
So many gorgeous, creative quilts! I think my favorite is Ceiling Tiles from 13 Spools. I am loving the modern twist.
Baby Jack is my favorite but there are many that I like.
Ceiling tiles is my favourite. I can hardly wait to make it.
fantastic quilt!
Apple Stars in white with the light print background is heavenly!!
So hard to pick a favourite, but I’d go with Ceiling Tiles. Thanks for the chance to win an e-copy.
I really like Square Burst, but I like all of the others as well. I’d love to win the book.
I love them all!
I follow Amy and I just love her work!! It’s so different and fresh!
Apple Stars is a fun quilt.
It’s a real toss-up between Squareburst and Apple Stars. What a great collection for us paper-piecing fools!!
Loving all the quilts so far… but really love the Football one in red & grey. 🙂
Ooops it’s called The Bachelor not football. 🙂
Icy Waters–all the blues I love! And right now here in Maine, as we brace for blizzard with hurricane force winds and 30 INCHES of snow, it seems really appropriate. Our POOR German Shepherd–running out of places to poop 😦
I think Faceted Jewels I is my very favorite, but I am loving all of these quilts!
I love the Apple Stars quilt. The white stars with the dotted fabric are stunning!
Since stars are my favorite, I will have to go with Apple Stars. This looks like a fantastic book.
I love Squareburst.
Icy Waters is still my favorite!
well maybe it’s the 5 feet of snow we currently have (and more to come sunday) but the squareburst with the bright green/yellow fabrics is my personal favorite….mmmm green grass and yellow sun….love it!
I love the Diamonds and Emeralds – my birthstone is the emerald 🙂
The one that Darcy showed on the 10th is my favorite so far, though this one with the floating stars is pretty rocking awesome too!
It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I like Diamonds and Emeralds.
I like Little Itty Bitties.
I really like the baby jack. But so far I kind of love them all. This is a gotta have book.
applestars. I see it with a navy backround and yellow an white stars
I like DIamonds and Emeralds – although there are many that I like as well.
Pauline
perry94022 at hotmail dot com
I’m loving Apple Stars… but then again, there’s another quilt being presented tomorrow and I’ve loved them all so far!