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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

candy bar road


My Christmas candy bar road quilt is done!

This pattern is so quick, easy and fun!
I love how the pattern really lets the fabrics shine.
I used this fabulous striped fabric (Holly Jolly by Moda) for binding. Again.

To quilt it, I stippled an all over random pattern.
Such a surprise, I know! ;)

More apple green polka dot for the backing...

...and here it is, fresh out of the dryer.
Of course, I LOVE IT!
A few things to note:

1. The quilt is much more vibrant in real life. The photos aren't really conveying just how much the fabrics pop in this quilt.

2. This is a 100% stash quilt-which is just icing on the cake!

Since I've had some problems with quilts bleeding in the wash recently, I'm becoming a little paranoid to wash them. So, this time I used Kristie's tip of adding one cup of table salt into the wash and it worked perfectly-no color bleeding at all. That's what I'll be sticking to from now on-no more expensive color catchers for me.

89 comments:

  1. That's a great tip! Your quilt looks cozy and super festive - enjoy :)

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  2. Your quilt is beautiful! I can't wait until I have some time to makes some of these projects!

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  3. love that wuilt! what a great tip about the salt. i will remember that.

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  4. It's wonderful! I love it. I have a bunch of Merry & Bright to wash, so maybe I'll try that salt technique.

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  5. It's wonderful! I love it. I have a bunch of Merry & Bright to wash, so maybe I'll try that salt technique.

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  6. I love your Candy Bar Road !

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  7. I really like the pattern. Maybe it will be my first quilt!

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  8. How do you DO that? You're amazing!
    Great tip on the sale, too!

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  9. I really like this pattern.. it reminds me of a bunch of Christmas presents stacked on top of each other.

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  10. Super tip! Thanks for passing it along and I love the quilt. It's awesome!

    Jen :)

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  11. Salt. Don't everybody get all excited, I just can't type today. No sale that I know of, sorry!

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  12. Anonymous1:05 PM

    love love love it! And that striped binding... just perfect!

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  13. Ya know - I'm running out of adjectives for your quilts. I'm going to have to start making up words.

    But again - stunning, my friend!

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  14. That is just beautiful and I love it when they are fresh from the dryer!! Wonderful work! I might have to try that pattern!!!

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  15. Quick question, did you use layer cakes and jelly rolls or just cut it yourself? thanks!

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  16. Great quilt!! I love it in the Christmas modern fabrics!

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  17. Great tip-great quilt! Love the pattern and colors!
    ~Tam :D

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  18. Anonymous1:42 PM

    What a lovely quilt and what fantastic fabrics - just the thing to finish off decorating a christmas living room

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  19. I'm in love! Great tip too.

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  20. I love it! It is made even better that you were able to pull from your stash! Thanks for the tip about the salt-my last tree skirt bled a little too..:( with those expensive color catcher things added to the wash, no less.

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  21. Anonymous2:09 PM

    Love it, love it, love it!!!

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  22. Ooh, I'm excited about the table salt tip. I'm going to have to get a big bag of it at Sam's! Your quilt is amazing!

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  23. very nice quilt amandajean, see you knew you wanted to start a Christmas quilt last week! good job! and thanks for the tips!

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  24. Just gorgeous!!

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  25. Oh, your quilt is so pretty.

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  26. Beautiful!! I love that binding.

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  27. Another beautiful and inspiring quilt Amanda, I just finished a little doll quilt crazy mom-ish. Keep up the good work!

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  28. Anonymous2:53 PM

    Oh, WOW! It's so pretty! Great tip for washing it too! You sure are fast!

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  29. 2 questions about the salt.

    Iodized or plain?

    Do you use detergent with that?

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  30. I'd love to hear your tips on free motion quilting. Your stipling is so even and nice!

    The salt tip is one to remember for sure!

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  31. Gorgeous. It just shows that the simplest patterns look fantastic with the right fabrics.

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  32. Anonymous3:41 PM

    THis is SOOOOO beautiful. What? You have a 2 year old? How on EARTH do you have time to do all of this? Really!

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  33. AMazing! How quickly you finished that quilt! What is the table salt supposed to do? I have found that just by washing in cold water with woolite either for colors or whites in gentle cycle really help. I also just tumble dry or just hang dry.....haven't had any problems "knock on wood" but i too do not like to wash my fabrics first. Absolutely beautiful quilt. I love reading your blog.

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  34. The graphic patterns of the fabrics you used are so cool and modern. Love the polka dots... and the whole quilt!

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  35. Another Beauty, CrazyMom!!!

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  36. did you use a pattern or just go for it? any measurements you could share? like what size are your candy bars?

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  37. Awesome quilt! Where is the pattern from?

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  38. So very pretty and lively! :)

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  39. I think it's fabulous! I used to stick things in a salt soak to set the colors in my sink. I always stick in 2 color catchers just for good measure and they always do the trick for me.

    I might have to try this pattern for some of the fabrics too.

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  40. I love it! So pretty!

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  41. I'm going to have to remember the salt trick...I love stash busting crafts!!

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  42. How holly and jolly! I just love it.

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  43. Beautiful! I just love the pattern and the Christmas spirit. Thanks for the salt tip.

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  44. Another fabulous finished quilt. WooHoo for you...love it! That is a great pattern & the fabrics are very festive. Great job.

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  45. Beautiful! I love the design and fabric selection.

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  46. WOW! That is so COOL! It really turned out great!

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  47. What a fun quilt!

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  48. Wonderful! Thanks for the tip regarding the color running. My Xmas quilt has a lot of white in it and I'll just die if the color runs.

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  49. Beautiful!! I just love it. I am thinking about trying the salt trick...just worried if that will harm my machine, though? Any thoughts? --Jen in NY

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  50. Anonymous7:52 PM

    I love this quilt and this pattern so much I want to marry it. But, since I'm already married, I just ordered the pattern today instead.

    The dots are so great. Well done!

    Tina

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  51. I just love this quilt! This is a must-do for me!

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  52. Love it! I need more time in the day!!

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  53. This is gorgeous. Such a great pattern!

    Does anyone know if I could do the table salt trick in a front-loading washer?

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  54. I love it! I love your quilts. You are quite an inspiration to me.

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  55. oh, this is beautiful!!

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  56. Very cool pattern! i love how this quilt screams Christmas, but without using any real "Christmas" prints. Nice work!

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  57. Do you just wash the quilt with salt or do you use detergent as well?

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  58. Anonymous4:52 AM

    LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Thanks for the tip! Merry Christmas! Libby

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  59. wow, this is so fantastic! i love the quilt! such a great pattern and i love that it was all stash :)

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  60. Your quilts are beautiful! What type of machine do you use?

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  61. I LOVE this quilt!! Amazing job...can't believe you are already finished! Thanks for the tip about preventing bleeding.

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  62. candy bar road...fab name. i'm definitely trying the salt tip. i've got that red and white quilt that i'm fretting over washing.

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  63. karen,

    I think i used iodized (whatever I had in my cupboard) and yes, I did use detergent with it, also.

    aj

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  64. What a beautiful quilt! I love the binding fabric! it goes with the rest sooooo well!

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  65. How do you do this? I mean, each new quilt you come up with is gorgeous! Your candy bar road quilt is a knock-out. Just looking at it has me thinking of peppermint candy canes and pine boughs. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better... you had to say that this beauty came from your stash???? Amazing.

    ***thanks for the tip for the washer to prevent fabric bleeds...***

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  66. Beautiful quilt - I'm sure it will be very hard to put away after Christmas!

    Thanks for the Salt Tip that you passed on. Did it smell salty after washing it? I'm wondering if it would be ok to wash it again after the salt wash, or would it bleed again.

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  67. I use Color Catcher sheets (availbale in the laundry isle) in the washer if I'm worried colors will run. You're suppose to need only one, but if I'm worried I use a couple. I've had really good luck with them.

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  68. So so pretty! Love the dotty goodness.
    Thanks for the tip, for catching color.

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  69. Anonymous5:22 PM

    It is DONE!!??? NO WAY!!!! It turned out so fabulous. I think everyone needs such a bright and cheery quilt for dreery wintertime!

    I am much more paranoid than you. I wash, dry, starch and iron everything I sew on. I know it probably doesn't scrunch as well in the end, but I can't help myself, I hate bleeding colors. ~ Jan

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  70. Anonymous10:34 PM

    Fun, fun, fun quilt !!! Is your washer a front or top loader? I'm wondering how the salt would do in a front loader. If that's what you have. My washer is front loading, which makes some "soaking" duties rather impossible due to the constant "tumbling" of the drum...Pros and cons to everything!

    McDeb1@aol.com

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  71. I keep thinking about this quilt. It is just so beautiful. I want to make it really bad. Now I know what is meant by having Christmas in July. . . I'd have to start then to have it by Christmas. You continue to amaze me by how FAST you are!

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  72. I love this, especially all the polka dots. I want to make one!

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  73. wow thats pretty !!!!!

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  74. it's really beautiful, amanda jean. thanks for the salt tip -- i am going to try to remember that one!

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  75. I absolutely love this quilt. I can't wait to make one with my own stash. :) Thanks again for the inspiration.

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  76. I am amazed how fast you get a quilt done. I am so slow and for sure not good but I am trying.

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  77. Another gorgeous quilt. You are a machine, girl!

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  78. one cup of table salt...wow...what a good thing to know...i have two or three quilts that need washing, but i was avoiding it. ill give it a try!
    in the meantime...that is an absolutely beautiful quilt!!! thanks for sharing!

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  79. Anonymous9:47 AM

    What a beautiful quilt. I love it. It looks so cozy.

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  80. about the salt tip...

    I don't know if it's bad for your washing machine or not. I have an old washing machine, so I'm personally not worried about it. I think it should work in a front loading machine, too. give it a shot!

    also, I still wash the quilts in cold with detergent. all that I do differently is add the one cup of salt at the beginning of the load, then I wash as normal.

    I hope this helps!

    aj

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  81. this is so so cute and fun!

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  82. I have used Color Catchers by Shout. they are like dryer sheets that you throw in the wash and they catch all the extra dye that is released in the wash water. It's amazing that they come out full of color. I love them! I don't pre-wash my fabric either.

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  83. Beautiful! I see on your side bar you have 'in progress' a spider web... is that the same as a cobweb block? I've been searching for a pattern everywhere! :) K

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