Celtic Crossing 2.0 Quilts - Forest & Grizzly Versions
I’m getting ready to start another session of Beginner Quilting Academy (can’t wait!), which reminded me…I never shared about my latest Celtic Crossing quilts!
The Celtic Crossing quilt pattern so far
Celtic Crossing was my third quilt pattern, launched all the way back in 2018! It was also my first pattern to get a facelift…I released the updated Celtic Crossing 2.0 pattern in 2021, so the pattern you see today isn’t exactly the same as that original. (The updated version works with precuts, and it has more sizes. 👏)
Since its release, Celtic Crossing has always been my easiest pattern, designed for true beginners. In fact, this is the pattern we use inside Beginner Quilting Academy! But as someone who’s made a dozen of these, I can tell you that Celtic Crossing is fun even for very experienced quilters. Plus, they make a great option for showing off prints or creating an ombre quilt.
I think it’s safe to say that I’ve made more Celtic Crossing quilts than any other pattern. I’ve featured at least six of them on the blog already…and that’s only counting the updated Celtic Crossing 2.0 pattern!
And today, I’m going to show you not one, not two, but THREE more of them!
My Celtic Crossing - Forest and Grizzly versions
Last year, we completely revamped Beginner Quilting Academy with a new workbook and new video, which meant that I had to make a new Celtic Crossing quilt to use in the videos.
I actually ended up making several samples (all baby-sized at 46” square), because…movie magic! ✨ We filmed the entire course over just five days, and I needed the quilt to be at different stages of the process, just like a cooking show. 😅
Plus, I wanted to make both a light and a dark version so I could show students how different the same quilt can look with a different background.
By the end of filming, I had two light quilts, which I’m calling the “Forest” versions, and one dark quilt, which I named the Grizzly version. Now I don’t know which one is my favorite, but I do love how they each have their own distinct vibe!
FABRIC COLORS
All three quilts have the same foreground colors. The palette actually came from my attempt to be scrappy. I had some leftover greens for another project that I wanted to use up, and then I added in some neutrals and light peaches to brighten things up a little.
My final pull had these Kona solids:
- Biscuit
- Desert Green
- Forest
- Ice Peach
- Latte
- OD Green
- Peach
- Seafoam
For the Forest version, I used Kona Snow as the background. If you’ve been around a while, you might remember that I’ve used Kona Snow on a lot of quilts. I always describe it as the perfect off-white that works with any colors…and you can see how beautifully it works here!
I knew I wanted my other version to have a darker background, but it took a while to find the perfect shade. I settled on Kona Grizzly, a warm brownish gray. It really makes the foreground browns and peaches sing!
One thing I love about these samples is how grounded they are. Since I tend to use lots of pinks and purples, I often get asked about alternatives that feel a little more neutral or masculine. These colorways show that you can achieve that vibe in a fresh, unexpected way.
Like I said, I can’t decide which version I like better…so we’re offering kits for both! You can find the Forest quilt kit and Grizzly quilt kit in our shop. Note that unlike most of our quilt kits, both kits include backing, binding, AND batting. Speaking of which…
BACKING AND BINDING
I backed both of my Forest samples with the same Art Gallery Fabrics print: Wooly Three. It’s from the Season of Tribute - Roots of Nature collection, and it’s such a fun twist on a traditional gingham! The organic lines add a little extra interest to the backing…plus they make a fun contrast to the straight lines of the quilt top.
For the Grizzly sample, I went with an old favorite: AGF’s Trouvaille Routes Sparkler (from the Sparkler Fusion collection). A while back I used it to back my Ivory Deco quilt, and just a few weeks ago I used it on my Cascade Mountain Horizon 2.0 sample. Just like the other backing fabric, it uses playful organic lines…and I love how it works so well with three very different quilt patterns!
I bound one quilt quilts with Kona Leather and the other quilt with Kona Seafoam. I wanted to add just enough color that you notice the binding, but it doesn’t distract from the lovely colors of the quilt tops.
QUILTING
Since I made these for Beginner Quilting Academy, of course I quilted them myself!
For my Grizzly sample, I kept things super simple with a 2” diagonal cross hatch. It’s the kind of quilting anyone can do, but it still looks so good!
I wanted to show what denser quilting could look like, so on my first Forest sample, I used a 1” diagonal cross hatch instead.
Then, for the last sample, I used a 2” cross grid but added in vertical and horizontal lines. It’s still a super doable quilting design, but I do love the extra texture from the denser quilting.
Make your own Celtic Crossing 2.0 Quilt
My Forest and Grizzly versions are the latest in a long line of Celtic Crossing quilts, but I still loved making them…and seeing how beautifully they turned out. I’m confident you can make your own beautiful version too, even if you don’t have quilting experience!
For added support, you can make your Celtic Crossing quilt with me in Beginner Quilting Academy! I share everything you need to know about quilting, from supplies to techniques. You’ll end up with a strong foundation of quilting skills…plus your own Celtic Crossing quilt to prove it! Enrollment closes this Sunday night (September 14th) at 11:59 PT, so enroll in Beginner Quilting Academy now. I can’t wait to quilt with you!
Since these quilts were what I used to film the latest version of Beginner Quilting Academy, I got some progress photos from the film crew that I thought would be fun to share here. 🥰 It was also my "back-drop" for the entire course, which was really special!
QUILT KITS
Whether or not you end up taking BQA, you can use one of our many Celtic Crossing quilt kits!
We have the Forest quilt kit and Grizzly quilt kit featured above, if you want to recreate my quilts. Or, if you’d like a classic two-color quilt, try our Charcoal quilt kit or Fern Garden quilt kit. And if you’d rather work with prints than solids, we have several choices: a light Duval and a darker Duval kit, and a sweet Gayle Loraine kit.
DESIGN YOUR OWN
You can do so many fun things with the Celtic Crossing 2.0 pattern, so I always love seeing the pulls you come up with! We’ve put Celtic Crossing 2.0 on PreQuilt, and it’s one of our free quilt coloring pages, so you can easily plan your quilt.
I’m looking forward to seeing your own Celtic Crossing quilts…and hopefully to seeing you in Beginner Quilting Academy!
Happy quilting!
