I LOVE ME SOME CHOCOLATE BROWN SUEDE!

A few months back I picked up Kim Schaefer's Cozy Modern Quilts on a shopping trip in Annapolis.  I like many of the patterns in the book, but I was particularly drawn to one called Carousel, which is a basket weave with lattice.  I decided to make it in a variety of green prints with a chocolate brown lattice. 

I combed through my stash and supplemented with some fat quarters and a few prints from other quilts, then cut some ridiculous number of 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" rectangles (143 or so).  

The next time I was at City Quilter, I planned to pick up the chocolate brown fabric I wanted to use for the lattice...but I realized when I got there that I'd forgotten to write down how much fabric I'd need.  Grrr.  

The quilt in the book is a lap quilt, so I'd planned it out as a queen size (92" x 108") using EQ7.  According to the handy tool that tells you how much of each fabric you'll need to assemble your quilt, I needed 3-3/4 yards of chocolate brown to do the lattice for the queen size.  So, back I went to City Quilter...only to discover that they were out of the chocolate brown fabric I wanted.  They said it was on order, so I said I'd stop back the next time I had a class (usually a couple of times a month).  Unfortunately, the next few times I was in the store, they still hadn't received the order.  The fabric is called Suede, but I don't know the manufacturer, which makes it a challenge to find online.  (It's a marbled blender/backing fabric.  I used the bright and dark greens for my niece's Kaleidoscope Shadow quilt.)

Having been away from the store for a few weeks, I stopped by this past Friday hoping that they would have received their Suede order, so I could get stitching on the quilt.  They'd rearranged the store a bit in my absence, so I had to search to find the many colors of Suede.  There were various shades of green and taupe, but still no chocolate brown.  Such sadness.  I checked in with one of their wonderful staff and she offered to run downstairs and check the shipment that had just come in.  After several trips to the basement and consultations with other staff, they finally found it.  Oh, the elation!  Who knew I could be so happy to see chocolate brown fabric.

I bought the necessary yardage, and this morning very happily cut strips and assembled blocks.  I have 37 of the 143 blocks done (at least one of most of the fabrics I want to use) and I think it's going to look great.  (The colors really don't show well in this photo because of the nasty lighting in the kitchen, the only place in our tiny apartment with enough floor space to lay out the blocks.)

Now I just need to finish the other 106 blocks...and finish ironing all the new Washington fabric I pre-washed.  I particularly love the yellow and gray paisley toward the back of the basket.