There is nothing quite like the look and feel of homespun fabric. I don’t know a designer who doesn’t love working with it – myself included – so today I decided to talk a little bit about one of my newest books, “Urban Homestead Gatherings.” I put together this wonderful little mini-book of projects as a way to celebrate my love for these fabrics. The book features the new urban look of our classic Moda homespun wovens in eight simple, yet unique project designs. It offers easy and quick homespun-based quilts that make great gifts for friends and family, or to simply showcase as works of art in your own home.

My Urban Homestead Gatherings Wovens collection offers a neutral palette that includes woven stripes and plaids. These fabrics have a brushed side that makes cozy quilts and projects suited to an urban farmhouse style. The other side has a non-brushed finish that fits more contemporary home décor and accessories. This beautiful mix of colors and textures can be used on their own, or combined with prints to create your own unique and distinctive designs!

The Urban Homestead Gatherings book and fabric collection are designed to help you create heirlooms your family will cherish for years to come, without a huge time investment! With eight simple projects to choose from, there is something in this book for every occasion. To make it easy for you to get started, we have kits for each project ready to go on our website. If you need backings for your projects, those are available to order as well! Better yet, if you order your backing at the same time as the kit you’ll receive a 20% discount on the backing! Ahh, you’re welcome. 🙂

The first project in the book is a stunning 91″ x 112″ quilt I call, “Contribution.“ It features large blocks and lots of negative space, which gives this quilt a pleasant and calming feel. Colors include browns, gold and cream. The design is more on the simple side, so it’s great if you need something beautiful but fast.

Next in line is a smaller quilt called, “Quarter Mile.“ This grey and cream quilt has a finished size of 58″ x 66,” which makes it the perfect size for a smaller bed or to use as a throw for your favorite loveseat. I love these colors for wintertime décor!

If you’re also a fan of pillows like me, great news! Considering you will have left over squares from your quilt, we added a little something extra on this one as a bonus pillow (with or without a zipper) or table mat project! Why not make this design the theme of the whole room?

Another slightly smaller option is, “Journey.” Less is often more in the art world, and this charming piece is no exception. Using only two traditional fabrics, this simple striped quilt makes a perfect snuggle buddy for a new baby to love and grow with. Finished size on this one is 42″ x 56″.

If you’re looking for something a little more visually exciting but still on the simple side to make, “Well Organized” is your quilt! It uses an Urban Homestead Gatherings Wovens FQ tower (or 35 fat quarters). Stacked horizontal lines in a variety of colors guide your eye throughout the design, giving this quilt a sense of visual rhythmic motion. In other words, it’s simply fun to look at!

Are you in need of another project that’s pre-cut friendly? Try, “Rewind.” This stylish quilt uses two Urban Homestead Gatherings Wovens Layer Cakes (or 80 10″ squares) and has a finished size of 89.5″ x 111.5″. Its neutral color scheme and larger size make it a great option for that special guy in your life. If you’d rather keep for yourself, you can always show off this beauty as a bed spread or even a table runner – the possibilities are endless!

If you know me at all you know how much I love both stars and triangles. My quilt, “Star Rider“ is a perfect combination of the two! The simplistic beauty of this geometric design makes it easy to implement into the décor of any room. Finishing at 36″ x 48,” it’s a nice size for both a cozy lap quilt or table/buffet runner.

Looking for something on the larger side? “Winchester“ is a great pick. It combines browns, blacks, and creams into a wonderfully pleasing display of quarter-square triangles. At a finished size of 104″ x 124,” this big boy will even fit a California King sized mattress! Last but certainly not least is, “Windblown.“ I really love the windmill-like shapes that seem to rotate across this quilt. This time of year the weather in WI can be brutal with temperatures far below zero, and winds that will frostbite your skin in a matter of minutes. I can’t think of anything better than snuggling up under a soft, warm quilt like this after a long, hard day out in the world. It makes a perfect gift for any occasion, and at a finished size of 75″ x 85″ it works for just about anything.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this virtual tour of “Urban Homestead Gatherings.” If you’d like to learn more about the line and hear what I have to say about it first-hand, don’t miss my LIVE “Stitch with Lisa Bongean“ presentation today at 1PM! I will be going through this book pattern by pattern during my, “Urban Homestead Gatherings“ trunk show! Hit the link below to join us, you’re not going to want to miss this one. See you there. In the mean time, stay warm everyone!