First Peek At Primitive Threads!

Primitive Threads quilt ~ Designed by Pam Buda for Heartspun Quilts
and Marcus Brothers fabrics.

Introducing my Primitive Threads quilt!  

Boy...this feels so good!!  I tell ya....working in secret is hard sometimes, so when it's finally time to share....I can hardly contain myself!

This quilt features the entire Primitive Threads fabric collection (for Marcus Fabrics) and uses a black print as the neutral background.  I designed two taupe fabrics that I used in the pieced border of the quilt and another I used in all of the blocks.  (I have plans for even more quilts using these taupe fabrics.  I'm so in a taupe mood these days!)

When choosing fabrics for a primitive collection, I knew I wanted darker, muted colors....prints that had a folk art feel to them, and absolutely had to have some stars!  What's primitive without stars??  I also wanted the prints to fit in nicely with other historic prints.  So....let's take a look at some of the Primitive Threads fabrics and the antique fabrics that inspired them.

Several years ago, I acquired parts of a potholder quilt.  Just holding it is so sweet and dear.

I have several long pieces with six blocks, a couple of twin blocks and some single blocks...all with the same red binding print.  I'm not sure how old they are.  I think the fabrics in the blocks may be older than the binding, but I'm not sure.  All I know is.... they're old!  

This brown print has been one of my favorites since I've owned these historic pieces, and I thought it fit into the folk art theme I was going for.  I just love the whimsical feel of the flowers.

It was the perfect choice for the main black background print of the quilt I designed because that print needs to read as a 'solid', and could not have any direction to the pattern.  Yet...I didn't want a true solid....I wanted something more fun and interesting.  It was perfect!  It turned out so great, we printed it in four colors.  For the black version, the actual floral print is in a soft brown so it will be seen just a bit, but doesn't change the overall color of the black fabric.  The red is actually a darker cranberry color, blue is a navy and the light is a soft warm beige.  The red, blue and beige are all tone on tone and are much prettier than this photo makes them to be.  (You know me and my camera....sigh....so hard to capture what the colors really are!!)  This print is called Folk Art Flower.  

I used another print in the potholder quilt that I am just wild over!!  It's so faded, but you hope you can see how sweet the little star flowers are.  It just screamed folky and primitive to me!

Here's how that sweet print turned out!  I LOVE IT!!!  Honestly....please see these fabrics at your local quilt shop.  My photos just don't do them justice.  This print is called Folk Art Garden.

I thought I'd add this photo of the back of the potholder pieces for those of you who like to study old quilts.  The blocks do not have any batting in them, and the quilting is just along the edges of the crazy piecing.  I think it's just precious.  

Any guesses how old the potholder quilt pieces are??

I'll show you more Primitive Threads fabrics and their antique fabric inspirations in my next post.  Hope you like what you see so far.

Primitive Threads fabrics should be arriving to your local quilt shop in April....so please....be sure to ask for them there.  It's so very important that we support our quilt shops!!  

Better get to work on the new things I'm dreaming up for your stitching pleasure.  Be well....