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photo shoot at cause creative

photo shoot at cause creative

Polka Dot Chambray Log Cabin Quilt by Salty Oat

Something I've enjoyed doing the past few years is working with local photographers to photograph my work. Through doing this, I've been able to meet other local creative women, have my work photographed in a number of beautiful spaces, and create a high-quality visual archive of my quilts.

My most recent photoshoot took place last February, in the Cause Creative space in Essex, MA. I drove out there with a handful of my quilts and a pair of pillows and handed them over to Ashley Brooks (the owner of Cause Creative), who styled them in her beautiful space, and Jesika Theos, who photographed them. 


Amish Hourglass Quilt by Salty Oat

The resulting images are some of my favorites. Because the space was so large, I was able to bring my larger throw quilts to be photographed---something that's harder for me to do on my own. Among the work I brought that day were an Amish Hourglass Throw Quilt (pictured above); a Chambray Log Cabin Throw Quilt (featured in the beginning and end of this post); and the Minimal Stripes Throw Quilt pictured below.

I also brought along two improvisationally pieced lumbar pillows, made from an assortment of neutral scraps, including treasured hand-printed fabrics from Cotton & Flax and Maze & Vale

Having my work photographed so beautifully in such a warm space meant so much to me, and I hope you enjoy the images as much as I do. If you're interested, you can shop all of the pieces that were photographed that day here

All photos in this post by Jesika Theos

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solid improv throw quilt

solid improv throw quilt

solid improv throw quilt by salty oat

I have a new quilt to share with you today! Pulling entirely from my bin of solid fabric scraps, I pieced this quilt top bit by bit, without a set plan, over the course of a few months. My only guideline was to match up scraps of similar lengths whenever possible. 

solid improv throw quilt by salty oat

I stopped piecing once I reached a size I was happy with, which in this case was approximately 57 inches x 77 inches, an excellent size for a throw quilt.

solid improv throw quilt by salty oat

I selected a wool batting for the quilt's inside, to give it a bit of loft; made a super soft backing from voile and Swiss dot fabrics; and finished the quilt with diagonal quilting lines and a scrappy binding. 

solid improv throw quilt by salty oat

I predict this quilt will be in heavy rotation on our couch this fall and winter!

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maker maker wall quilt

maker maker wall quilt

Maker Maker Wall Hanging by Salty Oat
Sarah Golden is an amazing painter (I especially love her Plant Series!) and surface pattern designer based in California. Earlier this year, she released her very first fabric collection with Andover Fabrics titled Maker Maker
Maker Maker Wall Quilt by Salty Oat
The collection includes a number of block-print-inspired designs, printed onto a linen-cotton blend. I love the look of hand-printed fabrics (as evidenced here and here), so I was more than happy to accept Andover Fabric's offer of a fat quarter bundle of the collection in exchange for making a wall quilt for their booth at this past February's QuiltCon.
When designing the quilt, I wanted to keep the piecing minimal so that the focus would stay on the prints (I love those golden yellow cats in the center block!). I took inspiration from Heather Jones's Homage quilt block (which itself was inspired by the work of Josef Albers) and my Framed Houses baby quilt for the design of this piece, since both designs are perfect for spotlighting special cuts of fabric. 
Maker Maker Wall Quilt by Salty Oat
It was fun to spot the quilt hanging in Andover Fabric's QuiltCon booth back in February, among the other projects made from Sarah's fabrics. The quilt has since returned to me, and is now available in the shop. A wooden dowel is smartly tucked into its top edge, so it ships ready to hang. 
Maker Maker Wall Quilt by Salty Oat
All photos by Jane Cuthbertson
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free double dash quilt pattern now available!

free double dash quilt pattern now available!

This past spring, I had the opportunity to design a quilt for Robert Kaufman Fabrics using the awesome new fabric line, Arroyo, by Erin Dollar of Cotton & Flax. The quilt is named Double Dash, and the design is based on one of the prints in the collection of the same name---one that Erin said was inspired by envelope liners and features scattered dashes. 

One of the fun parts of designing and making this quilt is seeing it pop up in different places, including in promotional images for Robert Kaufman...

Stack of Robert Kaufman Quilts

...and on the cover of Erin's thread box for Aurifil!

And the best part for you is that the pattern for the quilt is now available on Robert Kaufman's website and it's free! The finished quilt measures 60" x 60," and is an excellent project for anyone new to quilting. If you make a quilt using the pattern, please be sure to share it with me; I'd love to see!

Double Dash Pattern Page

Double Dash Pattern PDF

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a running t-shirt quilt

a running t-shirt quilt

From time to time, I take on commissions for custom memory quilts. Most recently, I created this t-shirt quilt for my cousin who is an avid runner. This large throw (65" x 65") features many of the t-shirts she collected over the years from running clubs and track and field events. 

T-shirt Quilt by Salty Oat

Since the t-shirts are quite busy on their own, I opted not to add any additional fabrics to the quilt's top. Instead, I stabilized the t-shirts, cut them into squares, arranged them in a simple 5 x 5 grid.

T-shirt Quilt by Salty Oat

I did, however, opt for a stripy binding with a pop of coral, to add my voice to the quilt. I pieced together a back from a navy blue solid and a Japanese elephant print. 

T-shirt Quilt by Salty Oat 

If you're interested in commissioning your own custom quilt, for yourself or a friend, simply fill out this request form to get started! 

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