Kirsty Cleverly is a quilter-turned-pattern-designe
Browsing Tag
diamonds in the deep
I am so excited and proud to share with you my finished orange-version of the Bonjour Quilts pattern Diamonds in the Deep. This quilt has taken up the better part of 2014, and it has been a huge learning experience for me. It was my first time working on a queen-sized quilt, my first time testing a pattern, my first time experimenting with value, and my first time collaborating with a long-arm quilter. And I can say, I am a better quilter for having been through the experience!
I plan to elaborate on my experience working with a long-arm quilter in the future, but for now, I just want to emphasize how amazing Shelly Pagliai of Prairie Moon Quilts is to work with, and, as the pictures clearly show, how amazingly talented she is! I feel so lucky to have *met* her and to have had the stars align so that we could work together on this quilt. Shelly custom quilted the entire quilt using hand-guided free-motion. Each block is quilted with a total of five separate patterns, to complement and highlight the piecing.
The binding on the quilt is Denyse Schmidt’s Voltage Dot in black, and the design of the fabric is echoed in the outermost layer of each block.
I could not be happier with the end result. As hard as it was to make a quilt of this size, I also feel a queen-sized sense of accomplishment and pride for having tackled this challenge. So many hours and so much love went into the making of this quilt (both mine and Shelly’s!) — I think it’s the perfect embodiment of our efforts!
Thanks for hanging out with me while I bask in the glory of this finish! I hope that everyone in the states had a wonderful holiday weekend!
Linking up (later this week) with Needle and Thread Thursday, Finish it Up Friday, and, as this is one of my Q4 Finish Along goals, The Littlest Thistle.
I am excited to tell you, all of the blocks for my orange-y, queen-sized quilt top have been completed! There are a few left to square off before I can choose my layout and start assembling, but the end is near, and I’m not sure if I’m more excited. . . or my husband! Ha! He’s been living this quilt right along with me and I think he’s (rightfully) exhausted! You may remember, I’m making this quilt using a pattern I’m testing (that you are going to LOVE, by the way!!) for the talented Kirsty at Bonjour Quilts. It’s the largest project I’ve ever taken on, to date, and with a timeframe to work in, I’ve been sewing until late each evening to make sure I finish on time! (er, uh, relatively on time?)
I’m not usually an “orange person” but this year, I don’t think I’ve made a single quilt that didn’t have at least some orange fabric in it. Which leads me to my blocks for June’s do. Good Stitches. It’s a very cool globe-shaped log cabin, which you can see in its entirety by Cath at Wombat Quilts. Doesn’t that look fantastic? Here’s where I’m at so far:
Clearly, I need to hustle!
So how about you, do you find yourself in an orange haze this year? Or is it just me? I know Pantone picked Radiant Orchard as it’s color of the year for 2014, but I am convinced it should have been some kind of orange! Amiright?
Okay, and last but not least! At the suggestion of Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty, I’m going to try linking to Lee at Freshly Pieced! My first link party ever. . . so wish me luck!
I thought it was time to share just a glimpse of the project I’ve been stitching away on over the past few weeks. I’m so excited to be working on a project with Kirsty over at Bonjour Quilts! I’m testing the queen-sized version of her soon-to-be-released pattern, and I can tell you for certain, it is just lovely! I’m not going to give away the complete picture (because there’s no fun in that!), but I wanted to share a taste of how things are coming along, and maybe — just maybe — get you excited to purchase the real deal when it becomes available in the near future!
Because the quilt is queen-sized, this picture doesn’t even show where the blocks are laid on the carpet underneath my couch! It’s HUGE! I’ve never made something so big before, and it’s both daunting and fun in an am-I-crazy?!?! kind of way! So far, the pattern has been a breeze to follow. The instructions are so clear, with picture tutorials on how to cut and construct the blocks as well as for construction of the final quilt (once I get to it!). My biggest challenge is finding time to fit in sewing now that it’s the perfect weather to be . . .
here.
But it’s raining today, which is a good thing for the garden and my sewing goals. I can’t wait to share the finished project with you! The final reveal will have drama and impact, and I promise, you’ll be totally in love!
Okay, so here’s my progress report! I finished the From the Heart block for Gypsy Wife last night, only to realize that (a) I was supposed to start the next block as well, and (b) I was also supposed to start working on the “filler” blocks for the quilt. Oh well, there is only so much time in the day, between soccer games, grocery store visits, birthday parties and the likes!
I also finished my paper-pieced block for LIMOD, but the sun is already too far down to allow me to get a decent picture of it, so I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to show you.
Finally, the last, and most exciting (scary, terrifying, thinking-about-it-when-I-can’t-sleep) thing to share is my fabrics which arrived for my first-ever queen-sized quilt. I was worried that the orange would be too orange-y, if you know what I mean, but I am very happy that they lean toward the papaya/cheddar side of the orange spectrum.
Whaddya think?!?! I added just a pop of peacock blue in there and may add a speck of ash grey if it works, but there is lots and lots of white to keep it fresh and light, and I think this quilt is going to remind me of sunshine and citrus as I work! Okay, that’s all for now! Happy Day!
