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 like StarBurst, Apple Stars……….most all of them!
Great book and projects!
I am liking them all, but Squareburst just makes me smile!!!
I’ve been following this blog hop and every day the featured quilt becomes my new favorite, lol. So my new favorite is today’s Apple Stars! Thanks for a chance to win!
I like the quilt Darcia @the seam allowance made
So far I love the Baby Jacks! This book looks great 🙂
I love Squareburst!
I’ve followed this whole blog hop. I can’t get Squareburst out of my mind, so that’s my favourite so far. Sad to have to pick only one!
All the patterns I’ve seen so far are beautiful but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the one on the cover of the book.
I am a new follower, love your blog. I am in for Little Itty Bitties looks like a great book, thanks for a chance to WIN!
I can’t decide what my favorite is. I like, Apple Stars, Faceted Jewels II, and Little Itty Bitties.
I love the Baby Jacks quilt, but I have a thing for blue and orange. This book looks great!
Apple stars is terrific. As you did, I can imagine it in different fabric. I also loved little itty bitties. The quilting on it is very inspiring. Thanks for the chance.
I really do love the Apple Start quilt. I would make it in Christmas colors. Thanks!
I really do love the Apple Stars quilt. I would like to make it in Christmas colors. Thanks!
My favorite so far is Apple Stars, I love the way that you mocked it up with the scrappy prints!
My favorite is the Squareburst …lovely. Thanks for the chance to win
I really love Little Itty Bitties from the ones I have seen so far. I’m really hoping to take one of Amy’s classes when she is in Canada this summer.
They are all so different and unique, but my favorite, to date, is Baby Jacks Quilt from ‘Paper Pieced Modern’. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
I liked them all but I think Little Itty Bitties is my favorite.
Love that Little Itty Bitties quilt and thanks for the chance.
I love all of the so far! Squareburst is amazing as is Apple Stars! I love paperpiecing and this book looks amazing!!
The Baby Jacks design is so interesting to me. I love how the mood changes with the use of different colors and fabrics.
Faceted jewels by Molly sparkles! Or the cover photo which has yet to b featured. I will buy that book just for those two quilts … if I don’t win it first!
I loved the Diamonds and Emeralds! Very pretty! akronne17 (at ) gmail (dot) com
Apple Stars by far
Faceted Jewels 2 over at Molli Sparkles. Love! Thanks for sharing.
I love Squareburst. I can picture it done in ocean colors-blues and greens
I like little itty bitties
Such graphic and beautiful quilts! They kind of scare me to attempt!! I love them! But …shivers! :0)
“Squareburst” that Darcie showed really appealed to me with its bright sunny colors. But the cover quilt on the book may be my very favorite, Amy showed it when she first announced the book and I’ve been smitten with it ever since.
I love the Square burst with Faceted Jewels II a close second. Thanks for exposing me to these great quilts!
I like Apple Stars but everything is pretty. Thanks for a great giveaway. The book looks great. (debbie at wowilikethat dot com)
Squareburst is my favorite. There is something about those fresh and striking colors that appeal to me!
I love the Little Itty Bitties that was on Elise’s blog – I’m definitely going to give that a go with my hoarded favourite scraps!
I love Diamonds and Emeralds – what girl could resist!
So far, I will have to go with Little Itty Bitties so far. Though it was very hard to decide, and I reserve the right to come back with another choice later!
I have liked all the quilts, but this one with the large apple stars – especially in your colors is really speaking to me tonight! The quilting is scrumptious! Hats off to Emily Session of Emerson Quilting! Thanks so much for putting my name in the hat for this drawing Christa!
Icy Waters got my attention right away, but Little Itty Bitties comes in a close second! Then I saw Apple Stars. I really need this book!
My favorite is Diamonds and Emeralds. Thanks
I think I like ‘Little Itty Bitties’.
Thanks for the chance!
Greetings from Germany, Rike
It’s the one on Loveleadesigns.blogspot.com. It’s shown in a library which is a great setting as it’s different sized triangles with a white background. The triangles form circles and start small in the center and grow in size as they come out from the center. I’ll keep looking each day but this one really speaks to me.
Now I’m really inspired to take up paper piecing! Those quilts are amazing 😀
I am really enjoying this blog tour and was tickled to see your blog as one of our stops! I am falling hard for each of these quilts but so far, my favorite, the one I see making first, is Faceted Jewels II!
If I’m not lucky enough to win one of the free copies, I am definitely going to seek out my own copy! Thanks for hosting!
I like the ‘Little Ittie Bitties quilt on the Lovelea website. I am not overly fond of paper piecing, but think it would be a fun quilt to make. Thanks for the chance.
Faceted Jewels II is just stunning…but really, every single quilt I’ve seen from this book is great!
Amy’s book looks amazing! Can’t wait for yours. Looking forward to meeting you this weekend. Yep. You count as an amazing quilter I’ve wanted to meet since I started quilting two years ago!
I like this one a lot but Squareburst is so simple and unique I will definitely do it.
I really liked “Apple Stars” best, not just because it was first but because of all of the dots. I was drawn by the author’s saga of the dots.
I especially love Apple Stars and Squareburst. Would love to win the book!