Thursday 25 June 2015

Happy - a Finished Quilt

It's a finish! I have not been quilting a lot lately, but every rare minute I have had to sew was spent on this quilt.


Because I don't make that many quilts, I am pretty selective when it comes to giving them away.  Not everyone who deserves a quilt will get one but I can't think of anyone more quilt-worthy than the recipient of this one.

As I mentioned in my last post, this quilt is for a very special lady who works at my kids' school and who is moving this summer.  For the last three years, she has been a strong presence in one of my kids' life, and I wanted to express my gratitude by giving her what amounts to a permanent hug.


The quilt is a generous 64" x 80".  It is made of twenty 16-patch blocks that finish at 16".  There are no real modern fabrics in there, in fact, there are quite a lot of oldies.  I was focused on colour rather than pattern or style.  I started with the three primary colours, then added the secondary colours but found that purple just wasn't working, so I stuck to cheerful fabrics in yellow, blue, red, green, and orange. Lots of florals, lots of dots, some stripes or gingham. Basically, things that make me smile.



I quilted loops in a bright yellow thread.  I am glad I did not go for white.

The Back

I love pieced backings.  I love the look of them, I love using scraps and leftover fabrics, and the fact that you can do whatever you want (well, technically you can do that with the front too).  What I don't like, however, is the amount of creative juice it usually take for what is "just a back".  Not the case here.  I did not overthink it, and it came together like a charm. Of all the pieced backs I have ever made, this was the easiest and the most fun to make. 


Of course, while proudly staring at the quilt back, I could not help but notice some unintentional puckers.  Oh well.  Despite its imperfections, it was made with a lot of love.


Here's a picture taken after the wash.  Can you see the texture?

All nice and crinkled!

Of course, I couldn't resist a nice big quilt roll...

Yum!

  I tried a few pictures of the folded quilt but, nah...  I'll get back to quilt rolls.

meh...

And I include this next one, just because.

How about that quilt holder ???

Goodbyes can be bittersweet, but I am looking forward to last day of school to give the quilt to its new owner.  I know she will appreciate it, and it gives me great joy to be able to thank her that way.

 Made with love and gratitude.
 
Linking up to TGIFF, hosted this week by Adrienne at Chezzetcook Modern Quilts and to Finish Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

17 comments:

  1. I love this quilt! I love the simplicity of the design and how it really lets you appreciate the fun mix of fabrics. Definitely makes me want to make a 9-patch or 16-patch, too! Beautiful photos too! :)

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  2. Beautiful quilt - simple but effective and lots of different fabrics to study too. I love the way quilts crinkle up when they are washed. A great finish. xx

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  3. Well done, Dom! I know what you mean about the back! I'm sure the recipient will love it!

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  4. Great finish. I'm sure she will love it. I remember when you started piecing this.

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  5. What an amazing gift. She will be so pleased.

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  6. Every time I see a 16 patch quilt I am enamored and I want to make one!!! Yours is gorgeous!!!! My comments don't usually carry through so just in case, here's my email and blog address: sunshineintheattic@yahoo.com and sunshineintheattic.blogspot.com

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  7. An awesome quilt! So thoughtful! It will be loved for sure.

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  8. It is absolutely lovely! And I know what you mean about giving quilts away. My sewing time has become pretty limited, as well as my budget, so only special people receive homemade gifts.

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  9. The name suits it perfectly! I wish for it to have many happy snuggly years.

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  10. Très belles couleurs. Très "été". Et une bonne idée d'écarter le violet.

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  11. A lovely finish! I really like the way you have mixed up the fabric ranges, a bit of everything including a few 'oldies' ... it's a really wonderful scrappy result and heaps to look at!

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  12. You are a sucker for a good quilt roll pic! You've got me taking them too now! This is a lovely, cheery quilt and is sure to be treasured by it's recipient.

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  13. I love your description: a permanent hug! That is why we do this right?

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  14. Really a nice quilt finish - no doubt the recipient will absolutely love it!

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  15. This is so pretty, I love it!

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  16. Absolutely love the backing!

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  17. I simply love this quilt Dominique, what I love about you as a quilter is the thoughtfulness you put into your projects. I was so happy to be able to see this beauty in person. Cannot wait to see what you come up with next. Your scrappy bits inspire me! Thank you for lynking up with me for TIGFF!

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