Color Options from American Patchwork & Quilting February 2008

When she saw the variety of colors and values in Ro Gregg’s Sweet Bed of Roses collection for Northcott, quilt tester Laura Boehnke decided to do a study in contrast. The result? A romantic wall hanging whose four sizes of Churn Dash blocks are further differentiated by how much or how little their fabrics contrast. Laura added a 1-3/4"-wide-finished border to frame the piece.

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Using eye-popping prints, plaids, and florals, quilt tester Laura Boehnke took “Heart to Heart” for a walk on the wild side. Fabrics are from the Play from Moe 3 collection by Jackie Shapiro for Windham Fabrics.

Laura’s version, which sets six of her favorite small blocks atop one large heart block, would make a great door decoration or seasonal flag.

Bright yellow rickrack sets off seams between each block and inside the border.

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Whip up a trendy, all-cotton version of “Square Roots” like quilt tester Laura Boehnke did using fusible appliqué and the Wasabi collection from Timeless Treasures. A grid sewn with a flower decorative stitch repeats floral motifs from the 1-1/2"-wide-finished border. Laura used additional decorative stitches (blanket stitch and extra-wide zigzag) to attach each appliqué.

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Striped fabrics add another layer of complexity in quilt tester Laura Boehnke’s version of “Windy by the Lake.” By placing a stripe deliberately in the kite-shaped B pieces when cutting, Laura formed mesmerizing block centers. (All four edges will be on the bias, so be gentle when sewing.)

The design pops with a mix of Kaffe Fassett’s stripes and shot cottons (in these fabrics, one color of threads is the warp and another color is the weft, producing a solid fabric that looks different depending on the viewing angle) for Rowan by Westminster Fibers.

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Quilt tester Laura Boehnke’s graphic rendition of “Indigo & Gold” puts a favored print front and center. She drew extra attention to the center block by positioning stripe fabrics in each block center so they’re pointing at the central block.

“Red, white, and blue combined with stars, stripes, and anchors are a classic nautical combination,” Laura says. Fabrics are from The Hamptons collection by sisters Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson for Moda Fabrics.

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Quilt tester Laura Boehnke selected 100% silks in onyx, sapphire, burgundy, and gold from the Sleek and Silky line by Cosmopolitans for RJR Fabrics to make her version of “Rolling Stones.”

“The solid fabric gives the quilt an Amish feel,” Laura says. “But at the same time, it’s very contemporary and modern.” If you’re having trouble sewing with silks or silky fabrics, consider fusing a very lightweight interfacing to the silk wrong side before cutting.

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Using warm and cozy prints, stripes, and plaids from the Aunt Mable’s Mittens collection by Buggy Barn for Henry Glass Fabrics, designer and quilt tester Laura Boehnke’s square version exudes country charm.

“The quilt is the same width as the original, but I made it square instead of rectangular,” Laura says. “Instead of making Flying Geese units for the middle border, I sewed the triangle-squares back-to-back to make a sawtooth border. Then I made a pieced outer border with the leftover dark red fabrics.”

Click here to download a chart of materials needed to make this color option.