I've been a bit short on finishes this quarter - the focus has been on blocks. But I have what must be a final finish to share with you today. And it was the most important from my list at the start of the quarter. It's the quilt for the new Baby.
The pattern: this is heavily inspired by a pattern by Lee at Freshly Pieced called Wavelength. Unfortunately I'm unable to buy the pattern as I live in the EU, so instead I drafted my own foundation template at a size that would give me the right size finished quilt.
The colours: this palette has been knocking around my head for nearly a year - we get some spectacular sunrises on the North East coast in the UK, and the colours really are stunning: white, yellows, oranges, corals, pinks, purples, blue and navy. This seemed nice and girly and the idea of a sunrise also appropriate.
The fabric: I cut all the fabric at once. I didn't have enough of the light blue Botanics cross hatch for the background in my stash but knew it was just right - luckily I found some online in the UK, and bought enough to bind the finished quilt too. A couple of the navy prints I used may have fallen into my basket at the same time... The other fabrics are all from my stash and some of them marked the end of my stash of that particular print. Whilst I'm sad I've run out of a few of the prints, I couldn't think of a better project to use them on!
The fabrics I can identify include.... Navy: Timeless Treasures cross hatch; Figures by Zen Chic for Moda; Grunge by Moda; Domino Dots; two Cotton and Steel prints; Color Me Happy by V&Co; and prints from Architextures and Doe by Carolyn Friedlander. Purple: Emma's Garden by Patty Solinger for Michael Miller; Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander; Pearl Bracelets; prints from Kate Spain; Summersville Spring for Moda; and a print by Me and My Sister for Moda. Pink: prints from Tilda, Art Gallery including Lace Elements, Jungle Avenue and Emmy Grace, Alison Glass including Sunprint Mercury; Pam Kitty Picnic. Corals: Figures from Zen Chic; prints from Art Gallery and Cotton and Steel; Tula Pink; Painter's Canvas; Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander. Orange: Pearl Bracelets; Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander and Comma by Zen Chic. Yellow: Pearl Bracelets; prints from Art Gallery and Cotton and Steel, Sunprint Mercury by Alison Glass; Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander; Happy Mochi Yum Yum; Comma by Zen Chic. White: Doe by Carolyn Friedlander; Pearl Bracelets.
I pieced the 143 foundation units over the course of five-six weeks. I chain pieced 8 at a time and it actually went quite fast. But it wasn't the most interesting piecing, so I confess I often ignored it in favour of more exciting piecing. Until a couple of recent trips to the hospital with various worries about the baby - I didn't want her to arrive before the quilt is finished otherwise the quilt might never have got finished! A final push and the units were finished - why is it always the case that you think you are done only to find out you need ONE more?
The quilting: this was one of those quilts where I knew exactly how I wanted to quilt it as soon as I started: a spiral starting from the centre of the "sun". I free motioned the centre of the spiral and then got my walking foot out. There were a few places where I got skipped stitches but generally where a lot of seams came together at a point. In the past I've had issues with puckers on the back of the quilt when I spiral quilt... this went much better. There is still the odd pucker on the front which I couldn't avoid (and I wasn't unpicking) but once it's been washed a few times they will barely be noticeable. I used a very pale pink Aurifil 50w that blends nicely with a lot of the fabrics.
I took a bit of a chance with the backing and ordered the butterflies on cream print from Tiger Lily by Heather Ross. I got it on sale and took a chance on the colours. But it works and is nice and girly! The binding was a choice of more light blue cross hatch or Doe dark blue large cross hatch. I decided to go with a binding that merged with the quilt rather than framed the quilt.
The quilt is finished, Gran has finished knitting her coming home cardi. I've spent the last few days walking far more than I have in months in the hopes it will jiggle her out. Michael cooked curry last night... and now we wait.
This will be my final finish for the Finish Along this quarter. My only other finish was my pixelated heart quilt which I finished back at the end of January. I imagine most of my next quarter list will be very familiar! I'll be linking up with the Finish Along ladies next week!
The pattern: this is heavily inspired by a pattern by Lee at Freshly Pieced called Wavelength. Unfortunately I'm unable to buy the pattern as I live in the EU, so instead I drafted my own foundation template at a size that would give me the right size finished quilt.
The colours: this palette has been knocking around my head for nearly a year - we get some spectacular sunrises on the North East coast in the UK, and the colours really are stunning: white, yellows, oranges, corals, pinks, purples, blue and navy. This seemed nice and girly and the idea of a sunrise also appropriate.
The fabric: I cut all the fabric at once. I didn't have enough of the light blue Botanics cross hatch for the background in my stash but knew it was just right - luckily I found some online in the UK, and bought enough to bind the finished quilt too. A couple of the navy prints I used may have fallen into my basket at the same time... The other fabrics are all from my stash and some of them marked the end of my stash of that particular print. Whilst I'm sad I've run out of a few of the prints, I couldn't think of a better project to use them on!
The fabrics I can identify include.... Navy: Timeless Treasures cross hatch; Figures by Zen Chic for Moda; Grunge by Moda; Domino Dots; two Cotton and Steel prints; Color Me Happy by V&Co; and prints from Architextures and Doe by Carolyn Friedlander. Purple: Emma's Garden by Patty Solinger for Michael Miller; Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander; Pearl Bracelets; prints from Kate Spain; Summersville Spring for Moda; and a print by Me and My Sister for Moda. Pink: prints from Tilda, Art Gallery including Lace Elements, Jungle Avenue and Emmy Grace, Alison Glass including Sunprint Mercury; Pam Kitty Picnic. Corals: Figures from Zen Chic; prints from Art Gallery and Cotton and Steel; Tula Pink; Painter's Canvas; Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander. Orange: Pearl Bracelets; Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander and Comma by Zen Chic. Yellow: Pearl Bracelets; prints from Art Gallery and Cotton and Steel, Sunprint Mercury by Alison Glass; Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander; Happy Mochi Yum Yum; Comma by Zen Chic. White: Doe by Carolyn Friedlander; Pearl Bracelets.
I pieced the 143 foundation units over the course of five-six weeks. I chain pieced 8 at a time and it actually went quite fast. But it wasn't the most interesting piecing, so I confess I often ignored it in favour of more exciting piecing. Until a couple of recent trips to the hospital with various worries about the baby - I didn't want her to arrive before the quilt is finished otherwise the quilt might never have got finished! A final push and the units were finished - why is it always the case that you think you are done only to find out you need ONE more?
The quilting: this was one of those quilts where I knew exactly how I wanted to quilt it as soon as I started: a spiral starting from the centre of the "sun". I free motioned the centre of the spiral and then got my walking foot out. There were a few places where I got skipped stitches but generally where a lot of seams came together at a point. In the past I've had issues with puckers on the back of the quilt when I spiral quilt... this went much better. There is still the odd pucker on the front which I couldn't avoid (and I wasn't unpicking) but once it's been washed a few times they will barely be noticeable. I used a very pale pink Aurifil 50w that blends nicely with a lot of the fabrics.
I took a bit of a chance with the backing and ordered the butterflies on cream print from Tiger Lily by Heather Ross. I got it on sale and took a chance on the colours. But it works and is nice and girly! The binding was a choice of more light blue cross hatch or Doe dark blue large cross hatch. I decided to go with a binding that merged with the quilt rather than framed the quilt.
The quilt is finished, Gran has finished knitting her coming home cardi. I've spent the last few days walking far more than I have in months in the hopes it will jiggle her out. Michael cooked curry last night... and now we wait.
This will be my final finish for the Finish Along this quarter. My only other finish was my pixelated heart quilt which I finished back at the end of January. I imagine most of my next quarter list will be very familiar! I'll be linking up with the Finish Along ladies next week!
Comments
P.S. Fear not, you're not alone in the 'this quarter's FAL list is almost an exact copy of last quarter's' camp!