This finish is very exciting to me, mostly because it's been a long time coming (I started this baby in 2011!), but also because I had to dig deep to find the perseverance to get it done! As much as I wanted to quit some days, I stayed the course and finished it. Hurray! Finishing feels GOOD!!!
This is a machine quilting sampler, so each block is quilted in a different pattern. Some blocks are free motion quilted and some are quilted with a walking foot. Between this sampler and my first one, I only repeated one pattern (by accident). Combined, that is 43 unique quilting designs, which was quite a challenge in and of itself!
I love the big blocks of solid fabrics because they allow the texture of the quilting to shine. Since this was in progress for nearly 3 years, I noticed QUITE an improvement in my machine quilting skills. That was encouraging!
The blocks are joined with a quilt as you go method. It takes some time, because all the seams on the back are finished with hand stitching (!!!), but it was worth it. I also figured out a way to make the binding wider, so it finishes at 1/2". Matching the width of the binding to the width of the joining strips is a little detail that makes a big difference. Imagine a skinny binding around the outside edge...it just wouldn't be the same.
Because I know someone will ask (and many have already asked about this in the past), there is not a pattern or tutorial available for this quilt at this time, because I teach classes based on this quilt. I have thought about turning it into a class or pattern so it would be available on line, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe someday? I hope so! There JUST aren't enough hours in the day!
One more finish to celebrate this week...I updated my bright birch trees pattern and it is now in print! (Available for wholesale orders only at this time. Contact me if you are interested in carrying them in your shop.) I don't know how many hours it takes to get even the most straight forward pattern to this point...but it's a LOT! (Sometimes it's better not to know, or even think about!) But I'm pleased to have it DONE. Also, that herringbone quilting is one of my favorites of all time, inspired by this genius quilt by Latifah Saafir. I love it so!
Alright, that's all I have for today! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a great weekend!
51 comments:
I LOVE your sampler! The colors on the front are so mellow and really let the quilting shine. Great finish!
What a great samplers!
I really love this version. Maybe someday I will even have one of these quilting sampler quilts of my very own. Fingers crossed. The colors are so pretty in this one.
Wow your quilt is amazing! Love all the FMQ you've done too.
janeenvn@gmail.com
Oooohhh terribly inspiring!!! Great sampler!
Yes, finishing does feel good! A lovely sample of stitches you did. I can only hope to be able to quilt like that on my domestic some day : )
Oh I would love to figure out how to make the binding wider! Are you teaching this class anywhere in the area anytime soon?
My goodness, this is all kinds of awesome! I have a quilt-as-you-go project that's been hanging on the quilt rack for years and years and years. You've made me want to get that baby finished!
Spectacular quilting!
A terrific sampler! Thanks for sharing so much of your quilting with us.
WOW!! I am inspired! Wonderful quilt detailing - so beautiful!
Third row down, first square - medium bright blue: SWEET! How did you do that? Walking foot and elongated zigzag stitch?
Also, rain all week plus a humming machine equals a finished Scrapbasket Quilt Along top! Now to choose a backing...
Karen,
thanks! I did a post about my amoeba quilting here:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2012/06/machine-quilting.html
it's free motion quilting. hope that helps!
also, woohoo for a quilt top! way to go.
Amanda Jean
Colby,
Nothing scheduled at this time, but maybe we can remedy that?
AJ
There is so much I love about this one! Thank you so much for sharing. :-)
the color scheme of this quilt is so peaceful and serene. really very nice!!
That is gorgeous! I'm hand-quilting one right now that has several large blocks and I'm trying to make a different quilting pattern in each one- it's hard!
oh I love this! Such a great resource plus it's just downright beautiful!
What an awesome idea- a quilt that improves machine quilting skills at the same time! I'm totally putting that on my list to do (but, um, without the hand stitching on the back. So I might need to find a different way of doing that..one that doesn't involve the inevitable picking of fingers and blood).
Beautiful quilt!
Your quilting is absolutely stunning - just LOVE how they look all together :-)
Your sampler looks amazing!
Wow, that must have been so much work. It was totally worth it though - this quilt is amazing.
That is a lovely quilt!
I have a suggestion to get rid of the hand work. Marguerita McManus and her daughter has a quilt-as-you-go system that does not involve any hand sewing. The book is called Crazy Shortcut Quilts plus she has several others. It has been a God-sent for getting large quilts done without handling large amounts of quilt in my standard sewing machine. Or the time consuming process of hand-quilting with my hands going to sleep from holding that tiny needle.
That's such a good idea to make a sample quilt, my samples are just in a box and I don't take them out often.now I will have a go at joining them together so I can see them every day and get rid of another box too. Thank you for the inspiration Amanda and sharing your idea.
Well done on finishing your long time WIP. I really like the concept!!
Your work is always inspiring and this finish does not disappoint. Love the detail of the quilting samples from the front and the vintage prints on the back. The matching width for the binding was a brilliant idea and looks fabulous. Well done!
That's a very clever idea to do a sampler quilt like that. It must be pleasing to see an improvement in your quilting over the time that it's taken to make the quilt. I like projects that take time - I tend to remember other things that were going on around me while I making the quilt. It's too good for a picnic quilt at the moment - wait a few year for that!
I could see a baby loving this quilt because of all of the textures! an excellent make and nice to see your improvement!
Frankie
http://www.knitwits-owls.blogspot.co.uk/
Love this. What a great way to try out so many fmq designs without the pressure of doing a whole quilt. Check out "thequiltingedge" for a fabulous qayg technique all by machine. It works beautifully. No hand sewing the back. Yea!!!!
I started doing something like this years ago. Now I see yours I am inspired to pull out my one and only block and actually make a sampler quilt. What a fab idea.
A memory quilt of quilting! I love those DS prints and the quilting patterns all look great! Congratulations on finishing your pattern update too :)
I absolutely love this idea of a quilting sampler. Something I really should do because I can use all the help I can get with free motion. My first time linking up too. Had a big finish to a project I was struggling with too.
Sounds like you dug deep and finished some things that weren't always so "fun" to work on. Thats gotta feel good. Really interesting quilt. Great job.
I am a shop in Wishek ND Rumpelquiltskin :) I have to order this pattern for my shop. I have been following your blog for a couple years now, it is so gooood!!
Please email me how I can get this pattern, ok info@rumpelquiltskin.com Thanks
This quilt is very beautiful! Love the colors to!
Congrats on getting the pattern in print, that is a very big deal.
This is indeed a FANTASTIC Friday Finish. Kudos! I still would like to try a QAYG with blocks. Someday.
Lovely sampler! This is a very stunning quilt.
I love your quilting sampler. These are super great ideas.
Love the pattern and colors! Wonder what a border would be like.]?
what a beauty and today at our MQG they did a lesson on quilt as you go then I come home and see yours, how good that was as I would not have understood yours without the lesson
what a beauty and today at our MQG they did a lesson on quilt as you go then I come home and see yours, how good that was as I would not have understood yours without the lesson
What a fun quilt. Quilting sampler or not, I like the big solid blocks with those borders between them.
Amazing! And inspired so much :)
Beautiful quilting! And such a great idea to practice your quilting.
Love this! Making a FMQ sampler quilt of some kind is definitely on my bucket list. Maybe one day...
This is one of the prettiest quilts I've seen! I love all of your quilting patterns, and to me this quilt has two fronts, both sides being equal in beauty. I have done this QAYG technique several times, and I agree it is very timing consuming, but always worth the work. Congrats on a beautiful finish!
Love your quilt! Your blog is such an inspiration to me!
I'm really regretting that I haven't been following your blog until today, especially since I feel like I know you through IG. Your free motion quilting is wonderful, Amanda! All you put into your Quilting 101 series of posts is just great. I sense you're a quilter who's much like me. You're just way younger! :-) This sampler quilt is marvelous. I can really appreciate the time you put into it, and I'm sure it will be a fabulous example to share with your students. They should be very grateful to have you as their instructor.
I would really love to take a class built on this quilt with you. I hope you offer it online soon. This is a less intimidating way for me to learn to quilt on my machine. And I'd love to learn how to quilt as I go. Please do consider making a class soon.
Oh please make this into an online class people far away from you can take! I'd love to gain some confidence with my FMQ and this quilt really is an attractive way to do that! It could be a block of the month QAL!!!
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