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Friday, December 20, 2013

a custom quilt

Welcome to finish it up Friday!

Today I have a partial finish to share. This is a quilt top only, but it's an accomplishment nonetheless.
I don't often do custom work, but this is a custom quilt for my husband's co-worker's wife. It's based on this plain spoken quilt, which I made back in 2007. She does not like green (???) and did not want any in her quilt. That made it tricky, but I think the palette still works. (This is not in my color comfort zone....and I think it's screaming for a little pop of ugly-but good-olive green!)
The original quilt pattern is called plain spoken and is found in the Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. I enlarged the block sizes to make them proportionate to the finished quilt. I also thought ahead and based the block size on the width of fabric, so there wasn't much waste per strip. (Always a bonus!) There was still PLENTY of piecing to do.
I pressed all the seams open, which is against the norm for me, so I was happy that many of the intersections lined up so well. (They aren't ALL this perfect...so no need to hate me.) Lots of pinning. LOTS.
It measures 100.5" x 110". That's a whole lot of quilt top!
 
I've tracked the hours spent so far and plan to do so for the entire process....as long as I remember! I'm up to 14.75 hours already. (Does that seem like a lot?) That counts the math, pressing the fabric, cutting and piecing. It does NOT include the time I spent shopping for supplies. It'll be interesting to see how many hours it takes to complete it!
 
Now it's your turn. Please link up your finishes for the week! Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

44 comments:

  1. Congrats on your top! I love the colors (although I agree that someone must be insane to not like green!) Great job getting a pallette that works so well together. Also a big fan of that pattern. Simple and bold!

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  2. Wow - that is a huge quilt! I like the pattern.

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  3. Yep - hard to imagine not liking green, but the quilt top is GORGEOUS. Love the way the colors work together. To me, it feels very fall-ish, but that may be her colors all year long :D Beautiful!

    Julie

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  4. What a pretty color combo.

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  5. Beautiful! This is a favourite pattern of mine. You've done an amazing job with the colours, Amanda Jean (especially knowing that the colours are outside your comfort zone :o). Curious to know how many different colours are in this?

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  6. These certainly don't seem to be your colors, but they are still beautiful together. I'm sure she will love it. Can't wait to see how you quilt it.
    Amanda

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  7. That's an amazingly large quilt. And no, I do not think your hours are too much. For figuring the math, and cutting, and all of that piecing. That kind of seems low. But I have never tracked my hours before....

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  8. It's a beautiful quilt top! My mother would completely adore it. You certainly got a lot of colours in despite the narrow range - lovely!

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  9. Anonymous10:33 AM

    I'm so interested that you are tracking your hours! I'll be really interested to see your total--14.75 for a quilt with this many pieces seems super efficient. The math alone would take me an hour :-( Doing a commissioned work is interesting, right? It's constraining but also frees you up from some personal habits and conventions. Good luck with the rest of the project!

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  10. Green is my favorite color, but I have a couple favorites. This color palette is beautiful just as it is without green. As for the hours, 14 seems low to me, but I don't crank out quilts like you bloggers do, wish I could, just don't have the time. Beautiful work!

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  11. Very subtle, but pretty. I track the number of hours when I make samples for a shop and this seems like a very reasonable amount of time. I once did a top which took 24 hours, just for the top. That did include cutting and piecing.

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  12. Gorgeous quilt! I love the colors. And it is useful sometimes to check to see how long it takes for the process. It always surprises me!

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  13. This is gorgeous! And I find the close-up photo really soothing(?) :)

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  14. Although not my colors either, this is still a striking quilt top due to your perfect quilting skills! They will love it.

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  15. actually, 14.5 hours doesn't seem like a lot for such a big quilt -- but I assume there are many days of quilting ahead. I like the colours.

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  16. I love this quilt. The colors are lovely and I wouldn't change a thing. I recognized the pattern from the Craftsy class I am taking that Weeks Ringle did on designing modern quilts. It's a great class. On another note have a blessed Holiday with family and friends.

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  17. You've made a greenless color combination very attractive! Almost looks like red rock hues!

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  18. Here in this house they don't really like green either. This color palette is perfect for me! I soo soo love it! Well done!

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  19. Beautiful ... I like it without the green. Save your self instead of pins just a dot of Elmer's washable glue and press. works great and you can force those intersections to perfect.

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  20. I love green, so that would be out of my comfort zone, too. The quilt top looks great! I finished a quilt this week:

    http://carriebee.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/grand-junction-quilt/

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  21. I actually love your color palette! I'm a huge fan of olive green, so I get why you feel it's missing, but I think the palette you've used and your placement of the colors works beautifully.

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  22. Nice work. I made a few potholders this week and managed to get my Christmas cards out to the aunts and uncles...but not anything major to show off as a finish.

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  23. The palette reminds me of Indian corn. Personally, I love green, but I think this quilt works very well as is. Beautiful.

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  24. It seems really fast to me. That's a lot of quilt.

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  25. Wow. That's impressive!

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  26. Anonymous10:35 PM

    Fabulous quilt I am sure it will be loved!! Given the size I think you have completed this amazingly quickly. Amanda Jean thank you so much for all your kindness in hosting this linky party and all the others throughout the year. It has brought me lots of fun. Wishing you and your family all that is good over the holiday season and best wishes for the New Year. Marie (mlismore@optusnet.com.au)

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  27. Reminds me of doctor who. Similar colors to the 4th doctors scarf. Love it. Have to say personally I love green, it's my favorite xxx

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  28. 2 things...14.75 hours seemed like you're a speed sewer to me! And though I LOVE LOVE LOVE green, I think the quilt is good as is. In fact, I think green in it would not look right. It's a modern monochromatic! Thanks for the name of the pattern, another book I need to look for!

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  29. I think your color palette is gorgeous in this one! And boy what a lot of work!! I'm sure it will be well-loved. :)

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  30. I think it is a Beautiful quilt! The lady wil be verry pleased.

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  31. That quilt is actually gorgeous! Not colors I live with, but the balance is great - good job!

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  32. The colors are lovely! Beutiful.

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  33. It is a nice pattern, but I need more colors. :) Beautiful though. And nice and big!

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  34. I just had to say as soon as I seen this quilt, it reminded me of the fourth's Doctor scarf from Doctor Who. If you did add the green you wanted to, then it would have been pretty much spot on :-)

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  35. That IS a very large quilt! But the recipient will love it, I am sure. I think the hardest part about making one for someone else is accepting what THEIR likes and dislikes are. They aren't always what WE like. Beautiful job!

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  36. This top is very very beautiful! It's my favorite colors! Great performance! Congratulations and greetings from Poland !

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  37. Anonymous1:59 PM

    That doesn't seem like that much time for a quilt that size. I think it would take me much longer! I like your original version better, but I like green and I don't like orange. LOL Both versions are very attractive.

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  38. I just love the color scheme on this quilt! My son in law has asked in the past for a quilt in browns and now I want to do it like this. (And the lack of greens didn't make me squirm at all. ;-))

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  39. Anonymous7:35 PM

    I think your hours spent on the quilt are low!!! Just cutting and pinning take a long time. Then the pressing! I agree a little blue or green would warm this quilt up. I always thought browns were warm, but you prove that is not ironclad. Great job.

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  40. colours work very well together, can`t understand anyone not liking green so many wonderful shades to play with. Interesting the hours taken, when I did my C & G embroidery we had to keep a record of hours spent on all our pieces and price them out, was amazed at how long some took.

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  41. I liked your quilt so much, I bought the book! Thanks for introducing me to it!

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  42. Thank you for hosting this Linky Part each week! i have loved everey minute of it and made many new friends! Thank you!
    Happy holidays!
    Esther
    esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo com
    ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com

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  44. I don't know how I missed this post, but just wanted to add my 2 cents.
    LOVE the quilt-my colors, good job you for going out of your comfort zone and taking on a custom piece (stress!!)
    14 hours doesn't seem like a lot of time, you must pin and sew an warp speed!
    Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

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