Monday, September 30, 2013

Finally another finish!

I had to look back through the labels, it was back in April that I last posted a finish! It's not like I have done no sewing since then, but after I had gotten through lots of UFOs last year, there were less UFOs for 2013 (and at the rate I am going, there will be even fewer for 2014 - real life is intruding too much!).

I started this project a year ago, I had just resigned from a very stressful job through which a friend and colleague kept me sane. I decided I would make her a bed quilt, and somehow I deluded myself I would get it done by Christmas 2012!

Sidetracked with a few other projects, including a wallhanging that was accepted as finalist for the AQC Challenge, I finally returned to this project in June. However, my beloved Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 at just one year old gave me major troubles during fmq. The service made little difference, but with the technician, who gave it another hour of his time for free, I started to get an idea how to get it back to working order (my theory is that the machine struggled with the combination of batik on back, sheeting on front as well as Aurifil top and Signature for bobbin. Perseverance paid off and I finally got it finished this month and delivered it to the recipient today.
On my bed which is a bit larger than my friend's. Finished size is 86"square.

Detail of quilting

The same block from a different angle, now you can see the four patch

I have washed it a couple of times, I like how the cotton wrinkles up (you better don't enlarge this photo, could have done with some ironing ;D)

I pieced a disappearing four patch into the back, too :) (no matter what I couldn't get a photo in focus for the back!)


The pattern is a disappearing four patch, I need to look back through my posts from a year ago to remember on which blog I saw it I had found it on Janet's blog What comes next? here. My friend had not seen it before today, her only requests were 'bright' and to include a pillow flap. I knew she liked feathers so I definitely wanted to incorporate them. With all the bias edges, the piecing was a challenge. I was fascinated by the secondary pattern evolving while piecing, so this determined where the feathers would go:)

I am not a fan of winter, and a lot of my work on this happened during this winter so I named the finished quilt [I wish it was] Summer All Year Long. My friend was very happy, it's on her bed already - I hope you like it, too!

Happy Sewing!

6 comments:

miss~nance said...

Beautiful quilt. have never seen a disappearing 4 patch b4 (have done it with 9 patch), might have to go for a google looksy.

Gail

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

I love your quilt....great finish!!!
I've done that pattern, but with wool flannels; dark colors...and it doesn't pop like yours....great job

Quilting Chemist (Danette) said...

Love your colorful quilt!

Susan said...

Excellent work - and Congrats on your AQC entry. Disappearing any patch always create such interesting patterns.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

Oh my goodness!!! Seriously, what a wonderful friendship to have ...definitely a lot of work you placed in this beautiful quilt.

Blessings & Aloha!

Chris H said...

What an amazing quilt! Well done Chick.