Fall Irish Vortex | Time to bust open those fat quarter bundles!

Versatility – isn’t that one of the best things about a quilt pattern?

Being able to use the same steps, but come out with an entirely different look and feel?

Yes!!! Me too!

That’s what I love about the Irish Vortex quilt pattern – you have lots of options to play!

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Irish Vortex Quilt Pattern available in the shop!

Since I know you’ve got a fat quarter bundle kicking around your fabric stash, I say it’s high time you bust it out and start cutting into it so you can enjoy finally using them in a quilty journey! And the fun doesn't stop there! Then you get to snuggle under it for years to come!

So much better than just sitting on your shelf, right?!

Now that you’re primed to un-bundle that stack, here’s the latest Irish Vortex quilt I made from this fun fat quarter bundle that had been sitting in my fabric stash for welllll over a year!

These prints and colours give me all the fall vibes, which was perfect for when I initially started piecing this quilt back in the late summer/ early fall of 2018. Other projects took priority, but this pretty has been getting lots of love every time I share her with you, and I’m thrilled she’s finally done!!

To help harmonize those colours and bring in some added texture, I opted for this gorgeous linen that was leftover from my Double Windmill quilt. Linen is one of the best ways I know to add a lovely hand feel to my quilts. I’ve been sneaking it in since the very first one I pieced!

In order to really up the texture factor, I couldn’t resist pairing it with this linen in Eggplant for the backing. How gorgeous is that colour?!

When it came time to quilting, I really wanted to keep the focus on the prints and the movement inherent in the Irish Vortex pattern. So, I opted for organic wavy lines using 50wt Aurifil Thread in  natural white. The 50wt is less prominent than the 40wt and 28wt that I love working with, but that’s exactly what I wanted here. I wanted the added texture of the quilting, but without it looking too heavy. This was my second time using organic wavy quilt lines (see my first here) and it’s definitely one of my favourite quilting techniques.

It’s super quick and a pleasure to quilt. There is no marking lines involved, and the process is much more relaxed than when I quilt other designs. If you haven’t given it a go yet, I highly encourage you to try it out!

 I was a little torn when it came time to binding options. I knew I wanted a solid but was torn between peach and lilac. Either would have worked and since I was really on the fence, I opted to poll you! And you guys didn’t disappoint!

I particularly loved that so many of you reached out after voting on my IG stories to say that you were also torn and could see both colours working! I was so thrilled to hear that I wasn’t the only one struggling! In the end, I went with peach, which was not only my first instinct, but also the one that won out in the poll. I do love how the peach pops against the purple 😊

Since the back was quite simple with just the solid linen and the solid binding, I opted to go for big stitch hand quilted binding. This is a great way to add visual interest without overwhelming the design. And since I opted for this lilac thread, it gives a subtle contrast against the peach and coordinates quite nicely with the eggplant. A win-win in my books!

MATERIALS USED

I know you like knowing the exact materials I’ve used to make my quilts, so here’s the run-down 😉

Forest Fable fat quarter bundle from Leutenegger (some yardage still available) 

Linen in Chambray 

Linen in Eggplant

Solid Peach

Natural 100% cotton batting 

Natural white 50wt thread for piecing and quilting 
Lilac thread for binding

Irish Vortex quilt pattern 

I hope this pretty entices you to peek into your fabric stash and pull one of your favourite bundles out and finally bust her open so that you too can enjoy a fun quilty adventure!

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon

PS I’m thrilled this is the first project I’m officially knocking off my Q2 FAL 2019 list 😊 

PPS I'm also linking up for Favorite Finish Monthly Linkup over on Meadow Mist Designs.

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