Hello from “snowed in” country!! We are snowed in, and Miss Baby’s school is canceled for the second day. It’s cold and a little frightful outside post-snow, but we are warmed in the heart by just being together at the Ivory Spring household.
I am MOST MOST MOST excited to start off my 2014 with my first ever feature in McCall’s Quilting magazine! It’s a dream come true!!! Without further ado, here is Spiral Squared, featured in the January/February 2014 issue of McCall’s Quilting!
As you can see, this is another one of my “gray” quilts. But the effect of yellow and gray is such that the gray really brings out the cheeriness in the sunshiny yellow, don’t you think?
Spiral Squared uses rectangular strips to create the spiral effect, thus the construction is relatively simple. You may purchase the magazine issue which contains the instructions for making Spiral Squared here and here.
The quilt uses fabrics from Benartex’s Zest collection. The fabrics in this collection have a shiny sheen to them, and I had the most fun turning them into a quilt top!
Oh, I would be remiss not to show you the very cool fabric I used, also from Zest, for the backing fabric.
Quilting was done using Aurifil Mako 50 cotton thread over Hobbs Tuscany silk batting! The silk batting gave the large quilt a nice and soft feel, despite the fact the quilting tended toward the dense side. Notice how the negative space is perfect for textured quilting!!!
Since this is a two-color quilt design, I think it would look great in a number of color combinations: orange/green, black/red, brown/blue etc. Curious mind wants to know what color combination(s) you would use…
Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have enjoyed Spiral Squared. I know that some of you are attempting this quilt — so, please send me pictures of your finished quilt. I would love to see your version. I shall say goodbye for now… as more work awaits. Have a blessed day, Dear Friends!
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My 2014 line-up so far:
Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting (January/February 2014): Hurry Home
McCall’s Quilting (January/February 2014): Spiral Squared
Quilt Trends (Winter 2014): Enchanted Forest
Quilt Trends (Winter 2014): Urban Stars
Quilter’s World (Spring 2014): Urban Oasis
The Quilter (December 2013/January 2014): Farm Crossing
The Quilter (December 2013/January 2014): Boxing Day
January Free Pattern: View on Lexington using Gramercy by Benartex
January Free Pattern: Midori’s Place using Gramercy by Benartex
January Free Pattern: Everything’s Coming Up Rosey using English Rosey by Benartex
Ivory Spring 
I just found you and subscribed to your emails! Your quilts are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing all your talent and knowledge!!
Stay warm! I, too am in this crazy blizzard! :)
Thanks again, Ann-Marie
Sent from my iPad
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This is just looking awesome! I love it!
Love it! It is one of my favorites!
Love the spiral, and so simple. As for your temps, that is coming here tonight and tomorrow but thankfully WITHOUT snow, just windy and cold. Stay warm.
Very Pretty. This just might be the answer I’m looking for in a fast, but interesting quilt for a man. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on being published by McCall’s. Guess being snowed in will give you undivided time for quilting :-) Stay warm!
Red and blue!! Our quilt group will be doing Quilts of Valor and this is perfect, thanks.
That is gorgeous!!! I can’t wait to get my magazine. I have always loved that color combination.
I was just reading that magazine while I exercised this morning. I turned to that page and glanced at the quilt and thought “that looks like a Wendy quilt”. I could tell it was really well thought out and planned!
Wow Wendy, I sure love the spiral squares!
Funny thing I use to believe I was a pro on the topic before seeing your site but it turns out, I am still a student. Do you ever list sources for your writing? I would like to see what inspires you. This has been such a really great time! Oh my goodness! A excellent article. What is the secret formula for creating success?
I have been drooling over this quilt since I got the magazine!! For colors I am thinking black background with solid colors to give it kind of a modern Amish look.
Snow toady here as well. Then more cold……..
Congratulations on your McCall’s debut!! Love the color combo in this one, too! Brrr…stay warm inside!
This a is a lovely pattern. Snowed in, it amazes me how we have opposite weather, here in NZ it is HOT hot summer!
Keep warm & safe.
I’m thinking Kaffe Fassetts!!
Love the Quilt! Congrats on being published in McCalls, one of my favorites.
Sorry about all you cold weather . . .hate to say, but I’m in CA. Southern CA, we’re praying for rain, seriously!
Keep well and warm
A very cool looking quilt! On my monitor it looks like the grays are navy blue, but I like that color combination also. Congratulations to you! And the feather quilting looks really cute in the white strips!
What a neat quilt concept, Wendy! I can see why McCall’s chose it — it’s really unique and versatile and would look great in so many fabrics. I’m sure it will appeal to lots of quilters. Congratulations on your dream come true — you deserve it!
I really like this one Wendy – and as usual, your quilting is to die for! Now, would you consider this to be a ‘modern’ quilt? I am still trying to wrap my head around this whole modern quilting thing lol
When I saw the photo for this in my feed reader, it reminded me of an old ad for the Hitchcock movie Vertigo, LOL! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it, though.
WOWWW! i love this!
Just gorgeous. I love the design. And I so understand about the bitter cold. It is still frigid here too. It was -9 when I got up this morning. Brrr!
Wendy I just LOVE this design — it’s such a great way to show off beautiful colors, fabric and quilting. My granddaughters will swoon over it too! Congratulations on your DREAM come true – what an awesome magazine to be published in — but then you are the BEST — how can they turn you down? Hugs… Karen oh – PS. Burgundy and Taupe or Gray ; )
That is a very beautiful quilt!! It’s particularly lovely hanging on the bridge with the trees and filtered light. It was fun seeing a fan’s version in blue too.