The second quilt I made using Driftless was Crossroads, a pattern by my friend Emily Dennis of Quilty Love. When I was deciding what quilts I should make, I kept coming back to this one, I was curious how the collection would look in smaller pieces and I really love how it turned out. It was a fun change of pace to do a lot of the strip piecing and borders that make up this quilt. Seeing each block come together in the end was so rewarding!

I took my time and tried to plan out each block, doing what Emily recommends, by sorting out which fabrics were dark and light. I loved being able to add in the Interweave Chambray, for the accent, as I think it gives a really nice resting place for the eye and looks so good with Driftless, too. I think it worked out well! Plus I think this quilt is fun to look at close up, there’s always an interesting fabric combination to catch your eye!

I chose Kona Haze as my sashing and my backing is Cambridge Lawn in Nude (sorry I managed not to get a picture of the back!).

Of course I was under a deadline with the samples, so I was lucky enough to get this quilted quickly at my local quilt shop, Olive Juice Quilts. It was fun to try and figure out the quilting design in a rush. I always start thinking about the quilt design as I piece the blocks and rows together. This one didn’t really stand out to me, so I waited until I walked in to Olive Juice to decide. They have so many beautiful examples and we decided on this nested figure eight design. I think it works!

Pattern: Crossroads by Quilty Love
Fabrics: Driftess, Interweave Chambray, Kona Haze for the sashing, Kona Smoke for the binding and Cambridge Lawn in Nude for the backing.

Back View

I love a roomy tote! This Fika Tote was so fun to sew up. I love the variety of fabrics that make up this tote, and it was a pleasure using Driftless for making this sample!

I think some folks might be intimidated to start a large tote like the Fika. There are quite a few pieces, but I think if you take the steps in small chunks you’ll be surprised how that makes everything less stressful! There’s nothing that makes me more frustrated than to have a nice long sewing session, but at the end finding myself tired and just not ready to tackle any more steps. Resist that temptation to push yourself, even a short 30 minute break for a snack does wonders. Also, going to bed instead of those late night sessions and waking up refreshed the next day is really a thing!

Front View

Back View

The Fika Tote is one of my favorite ways to feature a favorite fabric, do you sense a theme here? I really enjoy giving fabrics the spotlight they deserve and I am biased, but I think this one is a good opportunity for that!

Interior

I paired my Lily print with the ‘wrong’ side of Indigo Denim 8 oz. fabric and it just is so dreamy! Lovely to sew and not too bulky either! The lining is my Algea print which is such a nice petite design that I think is lovely in this application.

Pattern: Fika Tote
Fabrics: Lily and Algea from Driftless and Indigo Denim 8 oz. by Robert Kaufman Fabrics
Zippers for the top optional recessed zipper can be found in my shop!

I got to try out the ever popular Wiksten Shift Dress finally! I loved seeing all of Jenny’s samples and was just itching to use the pattern paired with Driftless. As you may not already know, Driftless is overprinted on Essex, Essex Yarn Dyed, and Essex Yarn Dyed Homespun fabrics. They’re all a cotton linen blend which is an awesome substrate with lots of flexibility as far as what projects it’s perfect for. I have made approximately one million things over the years that use it and have always loved the results. I’ve used it on so many projects from bags to garments to home decor and quilts!!! So sewing up this shift dress seemed like the perfect occasion.

I love the simplicity of this style dress. It really allows the fabric design to show through. I paired it with my Meadow print and think it’s so fun and soft. I didn’t have time to try a muslin, with the waist tie I think it looks great. I’m sure if I made one again I can size down a size or two even. It’s very forgiving in the size department!

Back View

This pattern also includes the top version, I might have to give that a whirl as I’m not one to wear dresses all too often (although for hot, humid days I make an exception). I think it makes a fun layering piece under a cardigan, so hmmm, maybe I should add that to my list!

Frida wanted in on the photoshoot, so why not?!

Pattern: Wiksten Shift (dress option) by Wiksten Patterns
Fabric: Driftless, (Meadow)