Ruby Sue Quilt - The Sea Glass Version

I’m back with another Ruby Sue quilt…and I’m so excited to share about the inspiration, the colors, and the very special quilting.

The Ruby Sue pattern so far

We launched the Ruby Sue pattern just a couple months ago, back in early June. The pattern is named after our beloved Chief Security Pup, Ruby Sue…so naturally our color palettes were inspired by her too! 🥰

First, I made the Cover Quilt version, with girly pinks and purples and blues. Then I showed you the super bright and playful Beach Day version.

Today’s quilt was also inspired by a day at the beach…but with a totally different look!

Liz’s Sea Glass Ruby Sue

This gorgeous sample was sewn up by Liz from Team Lo & Behold. Back when we were coming up with quilts kits for the Ruby Sue launch, we started playing around with a blue-based color palette, and Liz fell in love. (Blue is her favorite color!)

When it came time to start sewing up Ruby Sue samples, Liz immediately volunteered…and I’m so grateful she agreed to share her beautiful quilt with you! Buckle up...it's a good one!

FABRICS

Liz used the fabrics that became our Sea Glass colorway. Like you can probably guess from the name, we took inspiration from the beautiful frosted sea glass you can find along our beaches…like the beach where Ruby Sue fell in love with the ocean. 🥰

In the spirit of real sea glass, we stuck to calm blues and light mint/teals. Liz sewed up the throw size (60” x 70”), which meant she used nine different AGF PURE Solids in her quilt:

Aero
Denim
Fresh Water
Icy Mint
Lake Front
Nova
Ocean Waves
Tranquil Waters
White Linen

While previous Ruby Sue versions used more hues, this version keeps things a little more simple. We played around with value and saturation instead to add interest and movement. And of course, the pattern itself has plenty of playfulness in any color!

Liz loves how her bluesy quilt turned out, and so do I! It seems like plenty of y’all like this color palette too…we sold out of kits almost as soon as we launched them! But Sea Glass quilt kits are back in stock, so you can easily sew up your own.

QUILTING

This quilt would have looked great with all kinds of quilting (including the straight lines suggested by the pattern itself). But Liz really took this quilt to the next level with her gorgeous free motion quilting.

She quilted feathers in the columns made by the Ruby Sue blocks. It gives this quilt such an ethereal, peaceful feeling…like the feathers are floating in a peaceful sea.

I absolutely loveeeee this quilting. And I have good news…you can learn to do it yourself! Liz teaches how to quilt feathers like these in a bonus lesson of our Quilt Finishing Fellowship. And the Ruby Sue pattern is the perfect pattern to try them on, thanks to all the columns in the piecing.

One more thing: Enrollment for Quilt Finishing Fellowship starts next month, but you can get on the waitlist now! We’ll even send you an exclusive discount when registration opens.

BACKING AND BINDING

We wanted to lean into the sea glass theme with our backing, and luckily we found the perfect fabric: Terrazzo Apatite from AGF’s “Twenty” collection. Doesn’t it tie everything together perfectly?

For the binding, we went with Button Balls Somber, also from the “Twenty” collection. It brings out some of the darker shades in the quilt and sets off the lighter ones beautifully. Plus, I like that it’s a very subtle print…it adds a little extra interest without calling attention to itself.

It all came together to create this wonderfully relaxing but still interesting quilt. It gives me the same vibes as a calm walk along the shoreline…the perfect quilt for resting and recharging.

Liz was kind enough to send her finished quilt to North Carolina so we could take some pictures…but I’ll be sending it back her way ASAP. I’m sure she can’t wait to use this beauty in her home! I’ll just have to make another one for myself. 😉

Make your own Ruby Sue quilt

I feel like I have to say this every time we talk about the Ruby Sue pattern, but it’s such a fast and fun sew! It’s a simple enough pattern for beginners to tackle, but the piecing is enjoyable enough for quilters of all skill levels.

And remember, you can use your Ruby Sue quilt to make a pet bed!

QUILT KITS

We have four quilt kits for Ruby Sue:

Sea Glass Quilt Kit (the one we’ve been talking about today)
Cover quilt kit (with ruby, pinks, and purples)
Beach Day quilt kit (our brightest, most playful colorway)
Clover quilt kit (for earthy browns and greens)

Just like with most of our kits, you can order only the fabric for the quilt top, or you can add on backing and binding fabric too!

DESIGN YOUR OWN

I love the color palettes in our kits, but I also love seeing your unique takes on the Ruby Sue pattern! You can mock up your Ruby Sue on PreQuilt or use our free quilt coloring pages.

I’m such a fan of Liz’s Ruby Sue, and I can’t wait to see yours too. Make sure you tag @loandbeholdstitchery and use the hashtags #loandbeholdpatterns and #rubysuequilt.

Happy quilting!