Urban views : 12 quilts inspired by city living

116 Pages·2013·60.94 MB·English

by  House, Cherri

12 Quilts Inspired by City Living
From best-selling author of City Quilts
CHERRI HOUSE
URBAN VIEWS
12 Quilts Inspired by City Living
CHERRI HOUSE
Text copyright © 2013 by Cherri House
Photography and Artwork copyright © 2013 by C&T Publishing, Inc.
Publisher | Amy Marson Page Layout Artist | Kerry Graham
Creative Director | Gailen Runge Production Coordinator | Jenny Davis
Art Director / Cover Designer | Production Editor | Joanna Burgarino
Kristy Zacharias
Illustrator | Jenny Davis
Editors | Cynthia Bix and Phyllis Elving
Photography by Christina Carty-
Technical Editors | Susan Nelsen and Francis and Diane Pedersen of
Nanette Zeller C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise
noted
Book Designer | April Mostek
Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456,
Lafayette, CA 94549
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be
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including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval
systems—without written permission from the publisher. The copyrights on indi-
vidual artworks are retained by the artists as noted in Urban Views. These designs
may be used to make items only for personal use. Donations to nonprofit groups or
items for sale or for display only at events require the following credit on a conspic-
uous label: Designs copyright © 2013 by Cherri House from the book Urban Views
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Attention Copy Shops: Please note the following exception—publisher and author
give permission to photocopy pages 91 and 98 for personal use only.
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DEDICATION
To Lizzy—thank you
for being the teacher.
To Rich—my dearest friend,
you are the best!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Cynthia Bix—I’m so happy
to work with you again!
To C&T Publishing—thank you so much
for the privilege of creating this book.
Thank you, Robert Kaufman—your
fabrics bring my quilting dreams to life.
Thank you to Ann, Brooke, and Melissa—
my sewing/ironing team
Thank you, Angela Walters, the
wunderkind of the quilting world!
Thank you, Phyllis Elving and
Susan Nelsen—your patience and
guidance are greatly appreciated.
Foreword by Kathy Mack 6
Preface 7
NEW CITY QUILTS 8
More Grids! 10 Working with Color 23
Color-Wise, 24
Expanding on the Theme 14
Playing with Blocks, 17 Elements of Design 25
Simplicity in Art by David Jones
Triangles
and Lisa Jones, 26
—Adding to the Mix 17
Quilting Makes the Quilt 28
Fabrics: Solids
The City Challenge 30
and Near-Solids 19
Creating Strips with Solids, 22
THE QUILTS 32
City Rain 35 City Hall 59 City Recycling 75
City Trail 41 City Traffic 63 City Beat 81
City Bridge 47 City Sky 67 City Electric 87
City Woods 53 City Loft 71 City Lake 93
QUILTMAKING ESSENTIALS 99
Useful Techniques 100
Pressing  •  Rotary cutting  •  Construction  •  Pinning
Finishing Basics 104
Borders  •  Backing  •  Batting  •  Layering  •  Basting  •  Quilting  •  Binding
Quilt Color List 108
Resources 110
About the Author 110
Teaching: A Two-Way Street, 111
Five years ago, I opened my fabric store the wall, but that is not the intent. They are
with 30 much-beloved colors of Kona made to be used, loved, and given freely.
Cotton. The grand scheme was to expand
Urban Views picks up where City Quilts left
that well-curated selection as interest in
off. It takes us farther into color theory and
quiltmaking with solids grew. Of course, I
teaches more advanced design techniques.
had ulterior motives. I love using solids in
The popularity of quilting with solids con-
my quilts and dreamed of having an endless
tinues to grow. Urban Views is a timely and
selection of color in my own backyard!
much-needed book for the new wave of
The next influx of new colors came in the quilters exploring what modern quilting
form of 20 bolts based on the supply list of means to them. Each project offers a lesson
Cherri House’s City Park quilt pattern, one in designing with solids. Cherri’s uncanny
of my all-time best-selling patterns and a ability to bring unexpected colors into
personal favorite. When the boxes arrived I harmony surprises, delights, and results in
stacked the fabrics all together on the table. spectacular quilts you’ll want to make and
What a display of color! It left no doubt in wrap around someone you love.
my mind that Cherri was blazing a trail in
The solids wall at Pink Chalk Fabrics now
contemporary quilt design using only solid
boasts more than 400 colors from a wide
fabrics. I appreciated that each of her pat-
variety of manufacturers. Yes, the interest
terns showcased a diverse color palette,
in quilting with solids is stronger than ever,
clever block construction, and expert place-
and it’s coupled with creative enthusiasm
ment of value with solids. This gal was onto
for exploring the possibilities of designing
something!
in the absence of prints. With this book, my
I eagerly awaited the release of Cherri’s first talented friend Cherri House welcomes us
book, City Quilts. Reading it cover to cover into her unique world of making exciting
left me amazed, inspired, and full of ideas solid quilts and teaches us by example what
about making quilts with solid fabrics. I also those possibilities can be … a valuable gift
discovered a like-minded soul, someone we can each take along on our own quilt-
who would soon become my friend, who making journey.
makes quilts from her heart. All of Cherri’s
—Kathy Mack
designs would look spectacular hanging on
Quilter and pattern designer Kathy Mack operates the 
online shop Pink Chalk Fabrics.
Urban Views
6
The journey that began with City Quilts continues! Thank
you so much for your warm reception of City Quilts, pub-
lished in 2010. Your stories of creating city quilts, whether
for yourself or for your loved ones, bring a smile to my
face. Many of you have begun using and loving solids for
the first time, which is awesome. Maybe best of all are
the emails and comments telling me about how you are
seeing your neighborhoods and cities as never before.
You’ve taken the everyday and ordinary, and turned them
into original works of art!
City Quilts was about my journey as a quilter, and the city
where I live—the inspiration that led to twelve abstract
interpretations of everyday scenes in Houston, Texas.
Urban Views picks up where City Quilts left off, exploring
new fabric choices, new blocks, new skills, and even some
new cities.
Urban Views is also a reflection of the comments and
questions I’ve received from you through my teaching
and speaking opportunities over the last year. Many
thanks to all of you who have shared your sincere
thoughts and feelings about your love of quilting, fabric,
color, and life. My life is richer for having met you!

Preface
7
When City Quilts was completed, I thought
it was finished. I thought, “I’ve created all the
city quilts I’m going to make; I’ll move on
to something new.” Not so. The new quilts
I was designing weren’t “me,” and the only
things I wanted to make were more city
quilts. Several months and about 50 less-
than-wonderful designs later, I gave up the
fight of trying to create something more
complex, with intricate pieced blocks, and
started putting on paper the quilts that I
loved. Why did I believe that something
more complex would be better? Why had
I been putting limitations on my creativity,
which is exactly what I preach against? So
much internal drama.
Once I gave myself permission to create
what I really wanted, the floodgates opened!
Along with the flood of ideas also came the
challenge of how to create a book that built
on the foundation of City Quilts but wasn’t
just more of the same. Among the ways I
chose to move forward were to add a variety
of triangles to the mix and to look at the
fabric options offered by near-solids, hand-
dyes, and cross-weaves. Another important
addition to this book is you! You’ve helped
to shape this book, and I thank you!
New City Quilts
9