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Spring 2009 Quilt Market Reviews

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The International Quilt Market is the place to be for everything new and fabulous in the quilting world. Too bad you have to be a quilt shop owner (or equivalent) to attend. This is where store owners go to place orders for all the new fabrics and other products, as well as take classes and meet the designers. For those of us dying to get in and catch a glimpse of all those yummy new fabrics, cool new tools, and amazing designer celebrities, here is a round up of a few Spring 2009 International Quilt Market reviews from blogland.

The most comprehensive Spring Quilt Market review I’ve seen is from Checker, a Market vendor with the real inside scoop.

Store owner Kelly from I Have a Notion has a multiple-part series about her first trip to Quilt Market.

True Up offers a series from guest blogger Supafine.

Julie at Quilt Market is a blog started just to share Julie’s adventures at  Quilt Market!

Fabric and jewlery designer Genevieve Gail Swinford has a four-part series from a designer’s point of view.

And Fabric Worm has a great two-part blog post with lots of pictures of fun fabrics.

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A Blanket Knitting Pattern Where Yarn Selection is Everything

Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]