Playing with Fossil Rim 2 by Deena Rutter (Riley Blake)

Morning/Evening/Afternoon all

I am so excited to share this quilt with you – crazy crazy excited! You know when a pattern and fabric range just fit together perfectly in your head and it feels so right you just immediately start cutting? Well that is exactly what happened to me when I saw the latest collection by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake, Fossil Rim 2.I am naturally a sucker for denim, mustard and grey so this range ticked all the boxes the minute I saw it. The fact it had dinosaurs was a bonus. I rarely find fabric ranges more oriented for boys that I love, so when I do I am super quick to grab hold and not let go. Within 24 hours of this range landing in my lap I had a quilt top ready to go using my next pattern to be released – The Missing Link Quilt.

It is easy to see why I was so excited – the range and quilt fit together perfectly in their classically modern way. As many of you would notice  with my patterns i am a huge fan of beginner friendly, quick sew quilts that look difficult so it is probably no surprise this one is exactly the same. I used Fossil Rim 2 to make the cot/crib size as this is such a cute nursery range but I think it would be equally as good as a single/twin size too. I will share more specific info about the pattern itself in its own blog post in a matter of days.
Side note: I was due to to release the pattern today with this post and my amazing testers have been working so hard to help me get it ready. But then I had a brainwave on how to make the pattern itself even easier for a beginner to follow so there are important tweaks to be made!

The other thing that came together instantly in my head was the perfect spot to take my pictures for this post. I automatically knew the ruins of the old Harbour Masters Cottage at my local beach was the perfect location. It was a bit of a walk to get there but so worth it. The cottage was built in 1880 and, while in disrepair now, was used until 1966. Port Willunga was a very busy port back in the day apparently! Sadly after a dry winter and a sudden burst of heat the site didn’t have much greenery around it but that said, it suited the theme of my photos very well.

I used striped binding from Riley Blake’s basic range in navy. Those of you who have been following me and my quilts for a while would probably not be surprised at that fact <<wink wink>>.

I loved creating the link blocks for this quilt. I kept the blocks large so the fabric could really be the star and the whole top came together in a matter of hours, the hardest part was planning the layout to be honest. I quilted in my new favourite wavy quilt style – it is so much fun and so easy once you learn to relax into it.

The backing for the quilt was made using all the leftover fabric from the top. I used a fat quarter bundle and yardage of solid white  so there was plenty left to create a fun scrappy back. I have never actually done that before but I loved it so much I will do it again!

I so desperately wish I had a little one of my own who would love this quilt, I think I will need to find the perfect candidate at a local childrens hospital – I bet there is a dino loving little one out there who would get a kick out of this. Stay tuned …

I used the more basic prints in the range (which are the PERFECT stash additions) and created a matching cushion. This pattern will be released in Make Modern Magazine on the 4 November and is a gorgeous quick sew. I really need to make one in liberty and linen for my couch. The Roar cushion comes from a cute cushion panel that is part of the Fossil Rim 2 range.

The thing I love about this fabric range is that it is classic enough to be loved for many many years, taking you beyond the nursery. The simpler prints in the range I would not hesitate to use for my husband especially considering how glorious the colours are. If you are looking for the perfect range for the modern home then be sure to look beyond the dinosaurs and dive into this range – you wont be disappointed.

You can see the fabric range on Riley Blake’s website here and I will update the post as soon as the pattern is released, which I am off to finalise right now! You can follow its hashtag #missinglinkquilt on social media to see the wonderful versions that have been made already, in fact if you were at Quilt Market you may have seen it in the Nerida Hansen Booth!

Sarah x