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A quilt block of wedges tantalizes the senses using Shimmer and Toscana fabrics

A quilt block of wedges tantalizes the senses using Shimmer and Toscana fabrics

by Jean Boyd

Yesterday I showed you how to cut wedges from 2½” strips of Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer and Echoes fabrics and then sew them together to make blocks. Today we’re going to add some Northcott Toscana fabrics to these blocks to create a wonderful little quilt.

The Northcott website describes the Toscana fabric as “100% cotton – looks like suede – feels like silk”. And that’s exactly what it is!

Toscana captures the subtle tones and elegant textures of an Italian fresco. The kaleidoscope of 135 colors provides a comprehensive range in values from rich deep shades to delicate pales ideal for contrast in quilting. Many of the Toscana colors are also available in Toscana Flannel and Toscana pre-cuts.

Yesterday I made a total of nine blocks with eight wedges in each block. I’m now going to square-up the strip sets so they are each 8″ wide and 8″ – 10″ long.

The edges are trimmed in order to square up the block to 8" wide and 8" - 10" long.

Square up the block

For my quilt I decided to use a light gray from the Northcott Toscana collection for the sashing. You can check out all the colors from this great collection here.

First I sewed three blocks together with a light gray Toscana 2″ x 8″ strip between each of the blocks. I repeated this step to make a total of three long wedge strips. Since all of these strip sets were not the same length, I added a 3″ x 8″ rectangle to the top and bottom of each strip. I measured them to find the shortest one and then trimmed the remaining two strip sets, so they would all be the same length.

Gray Norhcott Toscana sashing strips are sewn between the wedge blocks to make three long strip sets.

Sashing strips sewn between the wedge blocks

Next I sewed 2″ Toscana gray strips between the strip sets and on each outside edge.

The 2" Toscana gray sashing strips are sewn between the strips sets and to the outside edges of the quilt.

Adding the long sashing strips

I added a 4″ Toscana dark gray border to finish off my little quilt.

I love making quilts in this style. It’s so easy to make them longer or wider just by making more strip sets!

Finished quilt top made with Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer and Echoes fabrics along with Toscana gray fabrics.

Finished quilt top made with Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer and Echoes fabrics along with Toscana gray fabrics.

I used this same technique to make my Wonky Strips quilts. These quilts were made with Northcott Stonehenge Brights fabrics in the Rainforest and Lagoon colorways. You can see all the colors in this collection here.

Jean Boyd's Wonky Strips quilt with sashing was made using Northcott Stonehenge Brights in Rainforest and Lagoon colorways.

Wonky Strips quilt with sashing using Northcott Stonehenge Brights

Another Wonky Strips quilt without sashing makes for an even more mesmerizing look. Northcott Stonehenge Brights in Rainforest and Lagoon colorways.

Another Wonky Strips quilt without sashing makes for an even more mesmerizing look.

So after my week of working with Northcott’s Artisan Spirit Shimmer and Toscana fabrics, I have a total of two completed placemats, a quilt top, some extra blocks for future projects and lots of scraps left over for even more projects!

I hope you’ll try working with these and other great fabrics from Northcott soon.

Quilt top and placemats made with Northcott's Artisan Spirit Shimmer, Artisan Spirit Echoes, and Toscana fabrics.

Quilt top and placemats made with Northcott’s Artisan Spirit Shimmer, Artisan Spirit Echoes, and Toscana fabrics.

This is part 5 of 5 in this series.
Go back to part 4: Easy to cut fabric wedges sew up quickly into a modern quilt block

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