Welcome to finish it up Friday! I hope your New Year is off to a great start!
I finished my quilt called "I like orange" this week! I started it in a class with Denyse Schmidt back in April of 2015.
Choosing just 2 colors for this quilt was challenging--I would have rather chose 122 colors. That's more my speed! Ironically, when we were given "permission" to add more colors, I chose to stick with just the two. I put my own spin on the pattern by piecing smaller blocks within the larger blocks. I LOVE those little blocks so much! (They are more visible in the last photo.)
For the quilting, I knew I wanted to straight line quilt it, but that isn't easy on a domestic machine, because there is always drag and distortion.
So, I actually took a long arm class this week! After class, I rented time on the machine and I straight line quilted it. It still wasn't easy, (I had a lot of thread breakage problems, so I had a lot of knots to bury) but the quilting looks much better than if I had attempted it at home.....and it's done!
I used two colors of Kona Cotton: tangerine and orange. I really do like the color orange!
The backing was very hard to choose. Thankfully, my friend,
brianne, helped me with the decision. I LOVE that the backing is bold and in a complementary color. I also love how the orange thread pops against the blue backing. It's almost electric! (The backing fabric is Cotton + Steel, by Melody Miller, from her Picnic line, 2015. I found it at
SR Harris!)
Here's a shot of the full back....
....and a shot of the full front of the quilt. My daughter helped me with these last two photographs. We took them at a nearby school last night when we went walking (indoors!) with a friend. When it's -10 degrees and the sun goes down at 4:30, you have to get creative with photo locations. By the way, one of the janitors at the school really liked my quilt! Ha!
The quilt measures about 60" x 73". I'm excited that I will be keeping this one!
Now, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a wonderful and safe weekend!
I love it!!! The orange is just so happy and the backing is such a fun pop!! What a perfect pick :) And how fun that you took a long arm class ;) Yippee!! Such a fun happy finish!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is beautiful! Love the small block in the big block!
ReplyDeleteI have really come to like orange - I just bought a polka dot orange I will be adding as a border this weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou would think with a long arm there wouldn't be any "performance" issues. Even with my cheapee Brother quilting machine, I don't get thread breakage.
Orange is my favorite color so I adore your double orange quilt! I'm impressed you took a long arm class. My niece and I always play with long arms at the Quilt Festival-she can doodle flowers and butterflies and her name while I generally make a rats nest.;-)
ReplyDeleteIt looks fantastic!!! Yes, long arming it is a lot faster (not necessarily easier when we are so used to quilting on our domestic machine)... I love the quilting. Awesome finish!
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt! I really love those little blocks that you added. They change up the whole feel of the quilt :) Love the back too! Thanks for hosting again this week :)
ReplyDeleteI really like the way the backing compliments the bright colors of the top. Bummer that you had thread breakage issues with straight line quilting. Do you think you will keep going back to rent time on the machine?
ReplyDeleteGreat finish. You are inspiring me to get out my UFOs and finish them up. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteOh, I like the orange! And the backing is just perfect! Great quilt!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteSo stunning! Orange is my favorite color, but I too would have trouble sticking to just 2 colors on a quilt. Yours look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite color - an awesome quilt, Amanda.
ReplyDeleteGlad you just stuck to the two it is so happy and I love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great quilt. Good decisions all around! Love you.
ReplyDeleteWow - stunning! You've made a beautiful quilt with the two orange colors.
ReplyDeleteLove the quilt and the story about the quilt! The janitor has good taste!
ReplyDeleteYummy! Amazing the impact and appeal of sticking to one colour in two values, for a quilt. I need to try this and break away from my need to make everything scrappy! lol I am smitten with this quilt, my friend. Great choice for the backing, too. A gorgeous finish!
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this quilt! Congrats on the long arm use! The quilting looks great!
ReplyDeleteoh, wow!!!! What a stunner! It's perfect in every way!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright, happy quilt!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I remember seeing the blocks when you made them because I love orange. The quilt is beautiful and vibrant, that's the perfect backing!
ReplyDeleteLove this so much! So my colors. Makes me (almost) want to clean my sewing room and start a quilt. Crib sized might be doable, while my kiddo is still crib-sized.
ReplyDeleteDid your thread break after switching directions? I don't have issues quilting left to right, but then when I head back right to left, it will often break, doing straight line. My long arm place said that's common, but I don't know why! When I'm doing loops or stipple, I have no trouble switching direction.
ReplyDeleteOh Amanda, this quilt is absolutely vibrant and cheerful! The pattern works so well with the different sizes and the two colors. You made all the right decisions.
ReplyDeleteI've tried adding my link to the linkup, but my internet has been acting up the entire week thanks to the crazy weather we've been having. https://fleurdelisquilts.blogspot.com/2017/01/camper-rug-finished-and-tutorial.html. Thanks for having your Friday linkup--it's always fun to see what others are up to.
I do like orange, but I LOVE your orange quilt! Every detail pleases me, from the colors, the design with the random blade sizes, the smaller blocks within the larger ones, to the quilting. Exquisite! I added its portrait to my Inspiration file (including its ancestry, of course, so I can go find your actual posting of this beauty).
ReplyDeleteA girl after my own heart. I LOVE ORANGE!!! I've been waiting to see this finish. I love the pattern and how you added the little blocks.
ReplyDeleteFun on so many levels!!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love your quilt! Love the oranges! When I was a teenager, for some oddball reason my parents bought an orange ( bright orange) Chevy Nova. I loved that car! I also appreciate the fact that you took a long arm class and rented time on the machine. That is something I want to do this year after I have finished my En Provence top. I also have huge tops I made for my small children who are now in their thirties. About time these get quilted, but I don't want to take the time to hand quilt, and using my little Singer isn't feasible. Also can't justify $12,000 to $18,000 for a long arm set up! Would love to have your orange quilt.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! I absolutely love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful finish!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the orange! Congrats on an awesome finish!
ReplyDeleteLove the orange, and the discipline of only two colours - and looks amazing against the snow!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a gift for color and style that I truly envy. That bi-colored quilt is gorgeous not only in color choices but block placement. And I'm glad you took that class. I'm sure it won't be too long before you invest in your own. I just recently bought my own King Quilter through SewingMachinesPlus and I'm still working on the learning curve to finish my own quilts too. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteStunningly simple! love the two colors together and the fun colorful backing. I should go over to my HS and walk, it is way too cold for me to get outside right now, BURRRRR!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love this quilt! I could sit and look at it for hours. The colors are just so much fun (and the backing is great -- can't believe you found it at SR). Hope you wrapped yourself in it for the trek home in this lovely, downright cold, Minnesota weather we're having. This season definitely makes photography a challenge, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing your completed project! Wendy at piecefulthoughts@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite of yours. I too LOVE the color orange and seek it out for everything i buy. I even have an orange in box at work! I also am a huge fan of Dentse Schmidt.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to find good orange fabric now. It used to be hard to find but it has gotten popular now. Is this a pattern available to buy? It is gorgeous and fun. You did a great job.
ReplyDeleteLove your orange quilt. I have quilted 2 quilts with straight lines on my domestic machine. I did one on the diagonal- lets just say that the lines were supposed to be straight! The second one I used Blue painters tape and it was much enter. I had tried it on the quilt that was done giagonally but it just wouldn't stick. I found if I used shorter pieces it adhered better. I wish we had a quilt shop to try new things. I live vicariously from the blogs I read. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is a gorgeous and fun quilt. You did a great job. Is the pattern available to buy? It used to be hard to find good orange fabrics but it has gotten popular over the years with the move to more modern designs. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThough orange is NOT my favourit colour, I do like your quilt. I like the unrulyness of it. I can see the patchwork police didn't came by.
ReplyDeleteAbout taking photos on these short days, I took a photo of my quilt hanging at the fence of the football playground in front of my house. Since I cannot place a photo here, you can see the result on my blog, huisvlijtigliesje.blogspot.com
Stunning quilt! I really like the contrasting backing fabric, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt and the color choice. The small blocks within the large ones are fun and really mix things up. Does the pattern have a name?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really fabulous quilt. I've never been able to stick to a very limited palette, let alone just 2 colours, but yours is really effective. I think those little blocks within blocks totally make it. Happy New Quilting Year!
ReplyDeleteOooh, my favorite color! Good job on taking the longarm class. You have finished so many quilts lately, and now there will be even more finishes in your future.
ReplyDeleteLove!!
ReplyDeleteThat is gorgeous! :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know I was so fond of orange until I saw this :) And the backing is such a perfect complement to the front. A real beauty!
ReplyDeleteThis is a beauty!!!All of : front,colours, small within the big blocks and the back. One of the best you made 😊
ReplyDeleteGroetjes
Annemieke
That is brilliant! I love the backing as well. It has such charm and character!
ReplyDeleteA cheerful finish for winter quilting!! Walking indoors at the school is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI took a long arm class last year and have rented time at the shop two times since then. I have a third top ready to go. It is a great way to access a long arm without having to spend the money on purchasing a machine. Also, they are quite large to have at the house. So, I feel like its a wonderful way to be able to quilt bigger projects.
The backing was the perfect choice - great contrast.
Happy Sunday Amanda!!
What a great quilt, and the backing IS perfect!
ReplyDeleteBuy a computerised Gamill Statler if you would like to have options for quilting. I have got one. 😊
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness!!! What a lovely shot of cheer!
ReplyDeleteXX!
Your quilt is delightful and absolutely yummy. The smaller blocks really a punch!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure this will be my choice to take to Grubers. Just sayin' It's FABULOUS!!
ReplyDelete