Recreating Antique Quilts blog hop (+ giveaway!)

I was thrilled when my quilting and blogging friend Wendy Sheppard asked me to be part of the blog hop celebrating her new book, "Recreating Antique Quilts" from Landauer Publishing. I've enjoyed seeing Wendy's work for years--she's amazingly prolific and has a wonderful eye for design--so I couldn't wait to see what was in her book. 

Wendy takes inspiration from five antique museum quilts and gives them her own interpretation in ten different projects. Some quilts have a more traditional feel, some are just bright and happy (like the "Oh Happy Stars!" quilt I chose), some use the inspirational block in ways you'd never expect, and some have a decidedly modern feel. All feature Wendy's phenomenal quilting--inspiration in itself!

The best part about this book? No matter your style, you can make these patterns work for you. Make the quilt as Wendy shows it, or play around with color palettes, fabric choices and layouts to change things up.

The second best part? All the projects are do-able, with plenty of diagrams and instructions to help you along the way, as well as useful tips to improve your skills.

I'll be honest--the project I chose to recreate isn't even my favorite in the book--my favorite would be a very cool two-color modern version of a Baltimore Album quilt, shown here:

"Ivory Baltimore Wallhanging"
Photo credit: Landauer Publishing 

However, I had an idea for a version of "Oh Happy Stars!" that I was really excited to try. So I'll have to save that Baltimore Album quilt for another day...maybe when I learn to like actually doing applique instead of just admiring it! :) 

The cover quilt and the project I chose to use: "Oh Happy Stars!"
Photo credit: Landauer Publishing

Here's the second version of this design in Wendy's book:

"Stars & Snowflakes Table Topper"
Photo credit: Landauer Publishing

And here's my version:

I wanted to play up the modern feel this pattern can so easily have, so I sewed a wonky star for the center and used a variety of low-volume and text prints for the surrounding patchwork. Wendy has some great tips for piecing small squares accurately too. 

Here's a close-up of the block from Wendy's quilt; I simply added some pieces from the alternating (non-star) blocks to complete my wall hanging.

My version needed a pop of color, so I used an orange flange inside the black border.

I really enjoyed making this low-volume version of Wendy's colorful "Oh Happy Stars!" quilt--I do love seeing how a pattern can look so different based on color and fabric choices!

Make sure to check out the other stops on the blog hop today--I can't wait to see how these talented ladies interpreted Wendy's work!

Kay: http://kayharmon.blogspot.com/

Doreen: http://treadlemusic.wordpress.com/

Karen: http://karensquiltscrowscardinals.blogspot.com/

Stop by Wendy's blog as well! 

To read Wendy's post about "Recreating Antique Quilts," click here.

You can purchase the book here and find out how to get a signed copy here.

But...thanks to Landauer Publishing, you also can win a copy of Wendy's book right here on my blog! For a chance to win the book, leave a comment letting me know which of Wendy's versions of this quilt (Oh Happy Stars! or Stars & Snowflakes) you like best and make sure I have a way to contact you. US entries only, please. The giveaway will remain open through March 12 and the randomly drawn winner will be announced on March 13.

*International readers, here's how you can find the book: Consumers will need to contact their patchwork shop and let them know that they are interested in the book and urge the shop buyer to bring them into stock.  They can also order directly from us online or they can also order them through Amazon.