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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Solids Quilt Finished!


Oh, this quilt. It was a roller coaster of loving it, hating it, hating it some more, then really loving it, then sending it off to a new home.

It was supposed to be a mini. It ended up about 46" by 48". Whoops. I guess that's what happens when you stray from your original plan.



It's hard to tell in the pictures, but there is an outer ring of navy around the off-centered snowballs, and then the background is a dark purpley-maroon called "grape." 


I'm actually kind of hating these pictures now because it all looks close to black. There is no black, just more navy and grape on the back.


 I did contrasting quilting in natural colored thread


It's now on the way to my partner in the For the Love of Solids swap. I'm really hoping she loves it and doesn't hate getting a much bigger item than she anticipated. I just got excited about my off-center snowball idea (which I don't remember seeing anywhere else before, but I'm sure someone has done it), and I needed to make it big enough to have that empty space along with the balls. And then I decided it needed that linen to soften it up because it was looking so dark and modern. I have no idea what that linen is, I have an obscene amount of yardage that someone gave me a while back. But I love the balance it adds.

The quilting is my favorite part. At first I thought I might regret choosing a light thread on all that dark grape, but after it crinkled up in the wash I absolutely loved the effect. It echoes the shape of the blocks, but begins in two emptier spaces, rather than matching up perfectly with the snowball block sections. I also really love the cheery blue binding.


This was my first Flickr swap and I enjoyed it so much. There were definitely moments (1 a.m.-ish moments) when I thought, "why did I sign up for this again?" But having the specific challenge and timeline set out made me create something I love that I wouldn't have made otherwise. And I learned a ton about design and improv piecing.


Now I cannot wait to see what I get in the mail in the next day or two!










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16 comments:

  1. KendasCraftsSeptember 15, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Very cool!

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  2. aedinSeptember 15, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    Girl, I am calling you when it's time to quilt my little guy. I dread all those visible lines...I think I can put the top together where my cruddy sewing won't show, but your seams look so good!

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  3. JennySeptember 15, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    Love the quilting! It adds a wonderful second element to an already awesome design. :)

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  4. DebbieSeptember 15, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    Oh my goodness, this is amazing. Your first paragraph was exactly how I felt about mine! And mine uh...sort of grew too. Glad I wasn't alone!
    Anyway, yours is fantastic - love the quilting - the colors. She will love it!

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  5. TaraSeptember 15, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    That quilt is so gorgeous!

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  6. OliviaSeptember 15, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    My favorite yet. I think. No, I KNOW. So what is a quilt swap?

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  7. Heather JonesSeptember 15, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Beautiful! Great job, Jessica!

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  8. ErinSeptember 15, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    That is incredible! I haven't ever seen anything like it before. So original. The quilting pattern shows up great with the contrasting thread. Well Done :)

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  9. Lindsay ConnerSeptember 15, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    You did such a fab job! I can't imagine anyone would be sad and wish for a smaller quilt... the bigger, the better, I think :)

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  10. JaceySeptember 16, 2011 at 8:28 AM

    I ADORE this mini. It is so fun. The design is great and the colors are fun. You rocked this!

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  11. Rachel at Stitched in ColorSeptember 16, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    I literally said "wow". There's a lot to admire here, but the quilting stands out to me the most. Both the pattern and placement are spectactular.

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  12. Elizabeth DacksonSeptember 19, 2011 at 3:29 AM

    Wow, this is SO awesome! I'm so glad you joined the swap and that you enjoyed it :)

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  13. Riel NasonSeptember 19, 2011 at 5:31 AM

    Very cool quilt! The quilting is great.

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  14. MeganSeptember 19, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Gosh, I LOVE this! :) From the design, to the colors, to the quilting--it rocks! Your partner will LOVE it! Thanks for linking up to {Sew} Modern Monday and have a great week!

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  15. Rene'September 19, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    Jessica, I hope you receive a package from your swap partner worthy of the one you sent to ME!!!! I absolutely love the mini quilt you made for me! You did a fabulous job with the improv piecing, and I adore the quilting lines. Thanks for including my Caribbean blue ;-) Believe it or not, it isn't too big, and I already have it hanging in my studio! I plan to show off all the lovely goodies on my blog tomorrow! Thanks again!!!

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  16. CarlaSeptember 20, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    Fantastic quilt! Lovin the solids.

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