A Dapper Gridlock

Things are looking quite dapper around here if I do say so myself! I finished up this quilt top recently and wanted to share. It's still in flimsy form as it's for my little sis for her birthday today and I thought I'd let her pick the backing fabric for it. I'm nice like that, haha!

I started with some prints from Tim Holtz's newest line, Dapper and added in some favourites, from all of his previous lines I think. And they play so nicely together!

I love when designers work that way don't you? This is the second quilt I've made my little sis using Tim Holtz fabrics, for some reason they just make me think of her. Though this one is a little more on the manly side and with reason... 

She has a lovely couch quilt that I made for her years ago but it's only big enough for one, so my brother in law is left to use the hot pink and green Amy Butler quilt that I made my sis for her birthday years ago. So not manly, haha! So while this one is for my sister, it's actually been made to live in her living room for her husband!

The number print was one of my faves in the collection and I wanted to design something that would use the scale and linear aspect of the print to it's full advantage. I think this design fits the bill, though it would be equally interesting to use a bolder print for the +'s and have them pop more! I'm going to play around with it a bit and then I'm thinking I may publish the pattern? Gridlock finishes at 72 inches square and I was wondering, when you buy a pattern do you like to have the measurements for multiple sizes or do you find it just as easy to alter the pattern to the size you want? What sizes of quilts do you like to be included in the pattern?

 Okay less technical details and more pretty stuff, those numbers! And the vintage receipts! They definitely feed my love of vintage ephemera, as does the script print. I love a pretty script!

I used these two prints, along with some others for the center squares in the quilt. The pattern allows for some great large scale prints to be used without having to cut them into small bits. Sometimes it's nice to just be able to display a large cut of fabric!

However, I need to be completely honest here friends, this print...

 The map print... was also supposed to be in the quilt. I couldn't cut it!! Has anyone else ever had this problem?  I got the idea for the quilt block pattern from the grid work streets and yet, I just couldn't include it. I considered using it in a full yard cut on the back of the quilt but then it would be wasted on the back! So instead what I've finally decided to do is make some whole cloth pillows, maybe hand quilted, or sketch quilted? Decisions, decisions. But this print, easily my fave of the whole collection!

I have a couple more smaller projects to share later in the week on Instagram (@snipssnippets) that I'm hoping you will like, one of which is also for my sister, I need to have some surprises for her birthday today! But here's a sneak peak, it's a really good sneak peak!

With sneak peaks like this clearly you can't trust me with your secrets, haha! But i did manage to cut a little bit of that map print! Yay me!

Thank you so much FreeSpirit and Tim Holtz for inviting me to play with your fabrics, I have enjoyed them immensely and have so many other plans for them!!

High fives to my little sis on her birthday today!! Love you Allison!
xo nicole

And one more shot on the train, because this fabric make me all nostalgic for time gone by! Not that I was around when the main method of long distance travel was steam trains, but you get the idea right! ;)