I am so excited to share this Annabelle quilt! Breanna is one of my favorite quilters I've had the pleasure to work with and she kindly said yes to testing the Annabelle quilt pattern for me. But I'll let her tell you all about it!
When Fran asked me if I’d be interested in testing her Annabelle pattern, my response was an immediate ‘yes’. Honestly, who could resist those adorable faces? Definitely not me.
Most of my fabric pulls are inspired by what I have on hand, and my version of Annabelle was no exception. When I dove into my stash the first thing that caught my eye was a large cut of Kona Cotton in Spring that I picked up for a steal from a local fabric shop that closed this past year.
I tend to work with a lot of white and cream backgrounds, so I was a little hesitant to commit to using this bright green for an entire quilt. But I rationalized that if cows look natural in grassy fields then I couldn’t go too wrong putting my quilty cows into a field of their own.
Once I decided on my background color I dug through my solids and came up with Kona Cotton in Snow, Charcoal, Creamsicle and Lighthouse. I liked the idea of making all my cows with the same color combination, so at that point all I had left to find was the perfect color for my cow muzzles.
And I was completely out of options.
After going through my solids bin multiple times I admitted defeat and decided to see if I had any patterned fabric that might fit the bill. Sure enough, the Sand print in Peach from Ruby Star Society’s Florida Vol. II line was the exact color I needed. And it ended up adding a little bit of texture in just the right place.
I stayed up into the early hours of the morning a couple of nights in a row because once I started on this quilt I found it so hard to stop. Especially once I started to see the finished cows. These blocks come together surprisingly quickly and before I knew it I had all twelve blocks I needed for the small size. If I’d had enough leftover fabric I would have been very tempted to add to my herd and make the throw size instead.
When it came to quilting I wanted to use an open pantograph that secured all of the smaller seams while not overpowering the design of the quilt top. I went with a personal favorite: Bauhaus by Patricia E. Ritter, and I really like how the rounded corners soften the look of the whole quilt.
I had just the right amount of Halfmoon in Black from Ruby Star Society’s Sketchbook collection to use for the backing, and decided to keep things simple and use the background fabric for the binding. I don't have a specific destination for this quilt yet, but I know finding a home for it won't be hard. Like I said, who could resist those faces?
Meet The Maker: Breanna
 |
Hi there, my name is Breanna Gaudaur and I am an avid quilter, pattern tester and long arm quilter based in Ontario, Canada. I’ve been quilting since I was six years old, and it is still my favorite way to spend time. When I’m not quilting you’ll find me busy at my day job, reading, playing piano or baking. |
Quilt Information
Quilt Pattern: Annabelle by Cotton and Joy
Fabric: Robert Kaufman’s Kona Solids in Spring, Lighthouse, Snow, Charcoal and Creamsicle Ruby Star Society Florida Volume 2 - Sand in Peach
Backing: Ruby Star Society Sketchbook - Halfmoon in Black
Pieced and quilted by: Breanna Gaudaur of Rose Ivy Quilts
Panto Used: Bauhaus by Patricia E. Ritter
Purchase the Pattern
