I just realized that I never shared this quilt with you all!

For Spring Quilt Market, Heather Ross asked if I’d be willing to make a twin-sized quilt for the Windham Booth using her new Far, Far Away line. I of course jumped at the opportunity! (As it turns out, I have zero ability to tell Heather “no.” Hopefully she never uses this power for ill-gotten gains.)

She sent over a sketch of what she wanted as well as the fabrics, and I began working on making it a reality. (As a quick aside, the quilting cottons in this line are incredibly soft. The previous project I made used strike offs, so I was surprised at just how soft the actual fabric was.) I was somewhat constrained by time and the fabrics (all the solids needed to be Windham solids, and I only had a few on hand) but a few late nights and remembering a fabric bundle I had with some solids in it got me through the most stressful stuff!
The mattresses are all improv pieced. I took some elements from the drawing that I really liked and also added my own. The hardest part of this step is that my design wall was too small to fit all the pieces, so I had some trouble getting the top and bottom of the bed even so it didn’t curve one way or the other. The first time everything was sewn together, it leaned pretty heavily to one side. I pulled up the opposite side until it wasn’t leaning and made a crease there, leaving a large triangular-shaped pucker along most of the back. I sewed along the crease line I had created, so now the pucker was all in the seam allowance. I trimmed that off, and voila! Straight[-ish] bed!
As with all of Heather’s designs, there is always room for some fun embellishments. I decided to keep the bed skirt free hanging on one side, and bound it in the same fabric that we were planning to bind the actual quilt with. I thought it was a fun way to tie together this concept of a quilt with a bed on it that you’re going to put on a bed.
And of course embroidered details! There is a small pea embroidered in the design. It’s between the bedskirt and the bottom mattress, and I’m guessing only princesses will notice it. 🙂
Heather also really wanted the princess to look cranky, so it was really important to nail the expression. I actually had the most fun with this part! I was originally going to make the eyes the same color as the rest of the embroidered details (dark brown), but I decided to make the eyes blue and I love the way that turned out.

The quilting itself was done by a long-arm quilter, and it went straight to market from there, so I haven’t actually seen this quilt finished in person. However, it was really fun watching it pop up on instagram during market, and Leanne @ she can quilt was kind enough to send me pictures of it and my play mat hanging in the Windham booth.
Details
Dimensions: 65-ish x 90-ish? It was trimmed by the long-armer so I am not sure what size it ended up at.
Fabrics: Far, Far Away by Heather Ross, plus some solids from Windham’s 1930’s solid line, Cream & Sugar line, and Paint line.
Binding: Unicorns in red-orange.
Methods: Improv piecing, appliqué and embroidery.
Time for completion: 6 days.
Number of corners cut: Literally – 1 (upper right, but it turned into a fun improv detail when I fixed it), Metaphorically – Let’s just not put that in writing, shall we?
58 thoughts on “Finish: Princess and The Pea”
you have some serious talent my friend
Thanks, Katy! Although I feel like Heather deserves quite a lot of the credit for coming up with the design! 🙂
Well, I was wondering where the pea was, but, really, how can a girl sleep with all those unicorns in her bed????
OMG that is the funniest thing I’ve read all week! I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything! Hahahahaah indeed. No wonder she’s so grumpy!
ZOMGamazingsauce!
That is so very very cute. Love how you translated her sketch.
And I totally want that hanging on my bedroom wall, regardless of what my significant other may or may not want 🙂
Thank you so much, Erin! 😀 I’m sure your partner would get used to it. 😉 And yellow isn’t even overly girly, so I think you’d be okay. 😀
This is adorable!!! I need to get me some of this line, I know a little princess who absolutely needs a cranky princess quilt =) great job! That pea is perfect!
Thanks Stacey! I hear there’s a pattern coming out for it in June. 😉 I love that Heather sketched the princess cranky. It’s such a perfect detail. 🙂
This is absolutely amazing and totally adorable. You’ve done a really super job of translating from sketch to reality. I love how you have incorporated the pea, left the bed cover freee hanging and made the princess a bit grumpy. Perfect.
Thanks so much, Paula! The bed cover being free is honestly because I didn’t want to face curved piecing at that point in the process. lol Necessity is the mother of invention and all that. 😉
It’s totally adorable.
Thanks, Jenny! I think Heather should get most of the credit, though. Her design is ridiculously cute.
First thing, I am completely jealous! I love this fabric line, and wouldn’t ever want to turn down Heather either. Secondly, you did a fantastic job, so I can see why she asked you to put together this quilt top. The details are brilliant!
Awww, I can complain about how it was kinda insane to make a quilt in 6 days if that will help with the jealousy factor? (It was kinda insane!) 😀 I hope you’re able to get some of the fabric when it’s out, it’s super soft and the colors are really pretty. 🙂
Total work of art. Perfect interpretation, Heather’s lucky to have you in her corner
Dang, thanks Karen! It’s funny when I sent it off I was so disappointed in the quality of it because I’d had to cut so many corners. Now I can’t even remember what I was unhappy with. I think maybe I need to stop being so hard on myself!
It looks amazing! This design is fantastic for Heather’s fabric 🙂
Thanks Leigh Anne! Although Heather should really get the credit for the design. It is so flippin’ adorable!
This is just so stinkin perfect! My favourite is the ladder! I am fascinated by the fact that your background, with all it’s chops and changes, continues through the gaps in the ladder. I am also, of course, in awe of your little princes and in love with the little unicorns frolicking here there and everywhere, but I am fascinated by that ladder! 😀
E xx
Thank you so much Erin!! And I almost don’t want to tell you the secret of the ladder because you’re going to be FAR less impressed with it.. But the truth is it’s just appliquéd on top of the background. 🙂 I pieced together the fabrics to form a long strip and the cut that out for the appliqué. Super fast and easy. 🙂 And no lining up crazy patchwork background!
This is just the cutest quilt ever! What a fun project and such fun fabrics. Will you get to see it in person?
Thanks Paula! 😀 I’m not sure if I’ll get to see it in person. Probably not, unless it shows up at a workshop or something. 🙂 It was a commission, so they get to keep it. 🙂
It’s awesome, I love it.
Thanks so much, Sarah! I actually was super disappointed in it when I sent it to the quilter because I didn’t have time to do all the little touches I wanted to do. Now I can’t even remember what those things were. lol
It is great. I really like that free bed skirt. Fun! I was looking at the pea on Leanne’s blog but I couldn’t see it so I’m glad you shared there really is one 🙂
Thanks, Vera! 🙂 The bedskirt was done that way because I wasn’t in the mood to deal with curved piecing when I got to that step. 🙂 I sort of wish I’d been able to make the pea more visible, but I’m not sure how I could have done that, so instead I’ve decided to enjoy the subtlety of it. lol
I saw this in market photos and loved it. I didn’t realise it was yours – you rock!
Thanks Charlotte! It was weird seeing it show up on instagram! It was almost like getting some of the benefits of being at market without all the travel. 🙂
Love it!
Thank you, Anne! 😀
Amazing!
Thanks, Julie! Every time I see your name pop up in my inbox, I think of beads, and so now my brain wants princess and the pea as beads. It might be fun as a set of beads with each bead a mattress, and then a princess as the top bead. The princess bead would be totally easy, right?
I was wondering who made this! It looked so fun and cool in all the booth pictures. The little hanging skirt and pea are great 🙂
Thanks so much! It was really exciting and fun and a little weird to see the photos of it start showing up. 😀 It was kinda like getting to be at market without having to travel. lol
It is such a cool quilt! You are incredibly clever :o)
Thanks so much, Jess! Although really Heather should get the credit for being clever. Her design is adorable!
Whoa! My favorite part is the bed skirt. How clever!
Thanks Amanda! 😀 I did that because it was late at a sew day and I didn’t want to deal with curved piecing at that point. Funny how some of the more creative things I do are because I’m avoiding doing something else…. 😉
holy moly, the things we say ‘yes’ to!!! looks awesome, but i think that unicorn is going to eat that pea!!!
Well if you were sitting around in fabric all day, you’d get pretty hungry, too! 😉
OMG, this is amazing! What a perfect quilt for that line. I LOVE it!
Eee, thanks Christine! 😀 I think the pattern is going to be released sometime next month for it!
I hope this will be a pattern of some-sort? My little princess would love one of these quilts!
I believe the pattern is scheduled to be available next month. 🙂 I’m pretty sure it’ll be free and available through Windham’s site. I’ll post about it when I get the information about it being live. 🙂
I’m so glad you (finally) blogged about this quilt – it’s even more awesome than I originally thought, knowing the backstory and being able to see all the great little details you included. I’m super impressed that you pulled together this gorgeousness in only six days, and how well you interpreted Heather’s sketch. I can imagine it was quite a challenge! I really hope you get to see it in person someday!
Thanks Adrianne! It was just the top that I did in 6 days, and I pretty much didn’t get anything else done. The worst part of the timing was I was heading to Gillian’s wedding right after it was done, so I was trying to pack and prep for that as well! Kinda nuts.
Interpreting Heather’s sketch was fairly easy since I just blew the image up to the quilt size, printed it out and traced it for the appliqué. It sorta felt like cheating, honestly! Maybe I shouldn’t admit I did that. o.O
Wow that is so cool!
Thank you! 😀 It was a fun (if hectic) project!
Amazing. Love the quilt hanging off the bed. Brilliant!
Thank you, Beth! 😀 That bit was added because I didn’t feel like piecing the curve. Creativity by laziness! 😉
Anne, this is just so cute! You really do have an amazing talent 🙂
Amanda
Oh man, thanks Amanda! 😀 In classic overly-dramatic mode, I was practically despondent when I sent out the quilt because there were things I had wanted to do but didn’t have time for (I honestly can’t remember what those things are now). I have /really/ got to learn to chill out. LOL
Kudos to Heather for the design but don’t be passing all the love along. Your execution of the sketch is amazing, great job!
Thanks so much, Jessica! 🙂 I enjoy working with Heather’s designs, they’re always so whimsical!
Love this! Just got a fat quarter pack of the line and am seriously considering this pattern–except that I need a full-size quilt. Guess I’ll be adding several inches to my solid strips, hope things don’t end up too wonky!
It’s a wonky/improv kinda pattern, so adding some width or length shouldn’t be an issue! 🙂 I’d love to see your quilt when you finish if you feel like sharing it! I’ve loved seeing them show up. 😀
This is absolutely one of my favorite quilt designs of all time! You captured Heather’s sketch just perfectly! It’s just so fun!
I have a one-and-only granddaughter turning one year old soon and since my bundle of the fabric just arrived, I am eager to start sewing. So I printed the pattern at 100% and the crabby princess seems bigger than I imagined. Guess I am having some difficulty imagining the scale. If I printed correctly, she’d be just over 13 inches from the bottom of her gown to the tip of her crown. Is that correct? I am so excited to get started!
Thanks so much!! I’m so glad you like it, Heather is so talented. 😀
The scale is correct, she’s pretty big! Trust me, it’s easier to do the embroidery at that scale. 😉 You can kind of get a sense of scale in this photo here as it includes the chair:
http://thimbleanna.com/images/2014/Travel/Pittsburgh72.jpg
I hope that helps! I can’t wait to see your quilt! Please feel free to share photos with me when you make it. 🙂 I love seeing other versions of it!