Carnival Glass – Posh Penelope Quilt

Some fabrics have a way of stirring up memories. The Carnival Glass Expressions Batiks collection does that for me, it instantly reminded me of a shimmering glass dish my grandmother kept in her china cabinet. That piece always caught the light in the prettiest way, shifting from warm amber to deep green to blue, depending on where you stood. The fabrics in this line feel the same… rich, glowing, and a little bit nostalgic.

For this project, I paired Carnival Glass with a few coordinating Hand-Dyes with the quilt pattern Posh Penelope by Sew Kind of Wonderful. You can find the pattern by clicking here. Posh Penelope is a design full of curves and flowing movement, just like the iridescent glass dish in my grandmother’s cabinet. Each swooping line and gentle curve in the quilt seems to capture a bit of that shimmer and glow, making the fabrics feel alive as they catch the light.

Stepping Outside My Color Comfort Zone

Hey there it’s Kelly Renay here, and I’ll be honest, this quilt has stretched my limits. The palette leans into warm oranges, deep greens, and oceany blues… like a coastal sunset in the fall, which is very different from my usual bright and bold style.

And Posh Penelope is not a quick sew! Curves take time, and there are a lot of pieces. I’ve found myself needing to pause and remind myself why I started, because the design is beautiful, and because it’s okay to grow through projects that don’t come easy.

The Joy of Sewing with Batiks

One of the things that has helped me keep going is working with batiks themselves. There’s no obvious right or wrong side, which makes piecing curves a little smoother. And the hand-dyed quality means each block feels like its own tiny iridescent glass piece, glowing with subtle shifts of color and texture. As I piece each curve, I can almost see echoes of that glass dish dancing in the light, and it keeps me inspired to keep sewing.

Progress, Not Perfection

Right now, I’ve made it through half the blocks, so I’m sharing tossed blocks and half the quilts layout. If you’d like to sew your own Posh Penelope, you can find the pattern here on Sew Kind of Wonderful website.

This quilt is reminding me that making doesn’t always have to be fast or easy. Sometimes, the process is the point… the patience, the persistence, and the joy of seeing something unexpected unfold.