Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Ka-Bloom

Ka-Bloom - Pattern testing

I don't know if you guys have any idea what goes into designing patterns, but it's not as simple as just creating the design.  It requires MATH.  Holy cow!  No thank you.  Not only do designers need a sense of style, color sense, artistic ability, a slight affinity for math, they also need to be able to put their directions into word combinations that the rest of us quilters can follow…

…Enter Pattern Testers

Testers have the fun job of following the directions exactly and offering suggestions/recommendations, making sure all the measurements work and fabric requirements are accurate.  Of course that assumes no mistakes by the pattern tester (more on that later).


A few weeks ago I saw this Quilt ------>
Ka-Bloom by EvaPaige Quilt Designs
and just loved it.  Shortly after, the designer (EvaPaige Quilt Designs) sent out a pleas for help.  She needed testers for the sashing and setting triangles portion of her pattern.  We were even told we could use "ugly" fabrics.  She just needed us to check measurements and fabric allotment.



My uglies (which may be your faves, and that's ok!




Perfect!  I responded immediately.  I'm in!!  I love the design and I love to help.  This business of quilting really is about sharing and lending a helping hand.  It's fun to be part of someone else's creative process.

I gathered my uglies.  So excited to use them for something and get them out of my stash.  My intensions were pure.  I swear!



But then this...


Sunnyside by Kate Spain for Moda
...kept taunting me! 

I swear Kate Spain's Sunnyside was speaking to me.  "Please, Ka-Bloom is perfect for us.  Put us to good use.  Don't put us in a drawer.  Make something beautiful."  What?  Doesn't your fabric speak to you?  So, pattern testing one portion of Ka-Bloom quickly turned into making the entire quilt.  Squeeee!!!  So exciting!





The pattern by EvaPaige Quilt Designs seen here has easy-to-follow directions, can be quite scrappy (as I have done with FQs) and comes together fairly quickly.  

It has a nice combination of strip piecing,


applique (done as easily or intricately as you'd like),


 and set on a diagonal with triangles corners and triangle setting border.  


Assembling Ka-Bloom was great fun!

And here's the really important part of my pattern review…this tester, ahem, was a little over anxious in creating this quilt.  Sometimes she does get a little ahead of herself and doesn't follow directions in order.  So said tester just might have mistaken a 12-1/4 inch cut for 12-1/2 inch and then found that sashing strips didn't quite match up and triangles had to be trimmed down.  I'm just saying…something like this may have happened.

Happy Days…because of Ka-Bloom's scrappy sashing, it was absolutely no problem to make adjustments and have my seams come together beautifully.
Check out those corners :)

I love a pattern that allows for some wiggle room.  A few nips and tucks later, the quilt came out perfectly aligned.

I give Ka-Bloom a huge thumbs up for design, flexibility, clear instructions, and as it so happens, Beth, owner and designer of EvaPaige Quilt Designs, is really, really sweet.  Bonus!!!

Please visit Beth at EvaPaige Quilt Designs or on Facebook if you're interested in purchasing the pattern for KaBloom or just to say hello.

Disclosure:  All opinions are my own and I was in no way compensated for this review.  In fact, I wasn't even asked to do a review (surprise, Beth!).  I'm just excited about this beautiful quilt pattern and want to spread the word.

Happy Quilting...

 photo CarrieHansonBlogSignature_zpse84e7dbe.png




16 comments:

  1. I could not love you more. Had I actually paid you there is no way you could have said everything so very much in my favor. Thank you for all your hard work and fabulous testing awesomeness! I hope to work with you again!

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    1. Seriously, I had fun putting this together, even with all my mess ups along the way. I shall not let excitement get the better of me again. haha…yah right! Thank YOU for the opportunity to test out the sashing and for just letting me go with it when I started going nutty for the whole thing. And, I hope to work with you again!

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  2. I am so glad you chose such a different color way to make up this pattern. It shows just how versatile this design is.

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    1. Absolutely Jan! I think part of what makes a pattern successful is its versatility, as we all have a different style and fabric loves.

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  3. It turned out beautifully!! I heart Beth, and her new pattern, and your color choices!!

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    1. Thank you. I heart Beth and her new pattern too. And I heart Kate Spain too, as it turns out :).

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    1. hahahaha!! I knew I could get you to visit me here when I mentioned math :).

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  5. Well, of course my fabric talks to me. You are certainly not alone in that respect! You did your Sunnyside proud with this one, Carrie. It is a gorgeous line and your Ka-Bloom is gorgeous! I love your version!

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    1. I'm so glad to know I'm not alone with the talking fabric. Phew! If I am crazy, at least I'm in good company :). And thank you for your kind words about the quilt. So glad you are here!

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  6. Carrie, your quilt turned out sooo beautifully! I was wondering if the subliminal messaging i tried to infuse into Sunnyside was working. Thanks for confirming that it does! All kidding aside, that is such a perfect pattern for the line and you are so wonderful to jump in and help. How right you are that quilting is about so much more than just fabric. xo

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    1. Good Lord! Please tell me you haven't infused your subliminal messaging into all your lines because I'm participating in a Kate Spain charm swap. I'll need to take antipsychotics if I'm to function properly once those charms arrive. And thank you for your nice comment about the quilt and pattern. I so appreciate you stopping by!

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  7. OMG, Kate Spain said my pattern was perfect for her line! :) :) :) Now I'm REALLY happy you ignored my advice to use uglies just for the testing!

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    1. I know!!!!!! Star struck over here!! It's nice that for a change, NOT following directions was the way to go!

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  8. What a stunner! I'm now re-thinking what I might do with a FQ bundle that's been sitting in my cupboard for ages...

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    1. Thank you Jeneta. Please send along a photo if you decide to use your bundle to make Ka-Bloom. I'd love to see it and I know Beth at EvaPaige Quilt Designs would as well.

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