I mentioned in my last update on “Raise the Roof” that I was planning to tackle a second quilt this summer.  I think I’m so determined to get all my UFOs and wanna-sews done while I can because I know the fall is coming and the fact that I’ll be heading back to school to pursue my doctorate means that my spare time will be utterly non-existent.

This new quilt is a fun quilt (not that they’re not all fun but this one has a vibe that just says ‘let’s play!’).  The colours are cheerful and vibrant and definitely outside of my normal palette of maroon and deep browns and and tans.  I have an urge to put my hair up in a pony tail and skip whenever I look at them.

It’s all based around a discontinued fabric that I picked up from Connecting Threads, called Peppermint Forest.

I picked up 5yds, not quite sure what I wanted to do with it, but thinking it would make a good starting point for a quilt.  The problem was, I couldn’t find the right pattern.  Nothing seemed to work.  They all left me kind of blah.

Then while I was visiting Carrie Nelson’s site (the same Carrie Nelson who designed Raising the Roof), I clicked on her freebie page (or as she calls it the ‘Stuffus Gratis’ page :)) and found exactly what I was looking for.

Shiny Brite lives up to its name.  And it will work perfectly for the fabrics I’ve got chosen, which are all a bright mix of turquoise, lime, hot pink and brown dots, spots and polka-dot fabrics.  And the kaleidoscope pattern looks like peppermints.  When it’s right, it’s right.

I’m going to make a twin size version, so it will involve a lot more blocks (120 or so).  I’ve been collecting fabrics as I go the past several months.   Everything  has been washed and pressed and is ready to be cut. It’s funny how fabric colours  and print styles are so trend-driven.  I could find grey and mustard and cheddar and pale, pale pinks galore but teal blue and bright pink are definitely off the radar this season.

I don’t plan on piecing the border – I have enough of the main cream print with the children and the gingerbread to fussy cut the border to feature the little houses.

I’m also toying with adding some rick-rack along or on top of the border but I won’t worry about making a final decision until I’ve actually got the quilt pieced and I can play with some options.  The only thing I’m still looking for is the perfect binding fabric.  I want a medium scale hot pink and white candy cane stripe but despite all my searches, I can’t seem to find it. If you happen to spot any in your travels, let me know!