I thought it would be fun to write up little book reports of sorts after I complete a quilt pattern. It's of course fun to talk about making a quilt with those who have also been bitten by the quilting bug, but I also figured it when choosing a project it’s nice to have some insight into what you're getting yourself into before you commit your time and cut into your precious fabric!

The campfire glow quilt first caught my eye on instagram when the author (Meghan of Then Came June) posted the same quilt featured on the pattern cover. It was so bright and happy I was in love. It also looked so simple, but the colors used made it a fresh new take on a simple nine patch block. When Meghan announced a quilt-along that happened to coincide perfectly with opening the store, I knew it was the perfect quilt for my first shop display. 

Choosing Fabric:

For this quilt I had the challenge of only using fabrics available in the shop, which at the time was very little. But I had Lori Holt’s Flea Market Line in stock and was quite smitten with the vintagey florals so I chose them for my main fabrics. I had fat quarters of several solid colors so I decided to add them in to make monochromatic blocks that coordinated with the florals I had chosen. That left the stars, I decided to make them from the Flea Market Receipts print from this line and use a bunch of warm yellow, oranges, & greens for the star backgrounds. 

Construction:

Then Came June’s instructions are very simple & thorough, the pattern is super easy to follow. I love that she includes the directions in which to  iron your seams so everything “clicks” together  when you sew your blocks and quilt top together. 

Finishing Up:

For a background & binding I chose a floral and a gingham from Moda’s Blooming Bunch Line. It had just arrived at the shop and I was once again in love with the vintage florals! The avocado green paired nicely with some of the greens used in the star backgrounds. 

This was also the first time I decided to quilt on my own. The small squares made it easy to quilt diagonally without having to mark any lines. I just started on one corner and sewed diagonally across each block until I got to the other side, rotating the quilt as I worked. Kitchen Table Quilting is a great follow on instagram, she posts tons of helpful tutorials and her explanation of her organic grid quilting is fantastic and gave me the confidence to do my own quilting. No fancy machine required, just roll tightly and go for it!

Materials used for finishing: Backing Fabric / Binding Fabric / Batting / Curved Basting Pins / Aurifil 40 weight thread in Mint Ice 

So happy with how this turned out, it looked great in the front table display for the shop’s opening and has gotten lots of attention. I think it’s a sign that a pattern is a great one when you start scheming your next quilt right after finishing the first one! I'd love to make a Campfire glow that is campfire inspired with dark night sky type colors and orangey yellows for the stars.