Cue the fanfare: Another quilt finished! (That’s cherry #1.) It’s the wedding gift for my niece/goddaughter. I gave you a preview in past posts of the quilt-building process and my adventures commissioning a long-arm quilter. Well, it’s bound, labeled, and ready for wrapping, but I promised a peek and so I had to take advantage of a very pretty afternoon this week and a glorious stand of California oaks to take some al fresco photographs to share.
Yes, I know I have disembodied hands, but what can you do when a white quilt threatens to slide off a convenient boxwood hedge? Thanks to a quilting friend, Sue, and our mutual friend, Laurelle, for serving as hand models! Details about the Star pattern, Jelly Roll Starburst by Kimberly Einmo and Birgit Schuller, are available through Fairfield, the batting manufacturer.
Ah yes, the sublime Harajuku Ladies from Alexander Henry is dazzling as the quilt backing. I knew there was a reason I needed to buy excessive yardage–serendipity indeed, which I guess makes me a prescient fabric shopper! It’s the perfect backing for my young couple.
The binding is another Alexander Henry design, Meiji Mumm. I typically leave binding selection to the end of the quilt-building process because I’m not always sure what will make sense. Quite a number of options ran through my mind for this quilt, but really, once the top was quilted and I experienced the visual intensity of Harajuku Ladies, a black and white print with Japanese flair was my best option. The fabric offered an interesting duality; it was both strong enough and sufficiently lacy to embrace those stylish girls without overwhelming them.
Marla Monson demonstrated her deft skill on the long-arm machine with her execution of a rambling design across the quilt surface. It’s a free-form approach that adds frothy, upbeat textural details to the intense white of the quilt top.
(Cherry #2) Looking for the Giveaway Winner?
Thank you for all your comments about your favorite neutrals. It looks like gray and its smoky, foggy, and silvery variations are very popular nowadays. Many of our readers were drawn to the visual dance of Amy Ellis’s Placid Waves quilt–that’s the one I’m going to make first. The eBook winner is Duanne. Congratulations!
Don’t despair if you didn’t win the book today, I just checked Amy’s blog and she says the Fat Quarter Shop is featuring Modern Neutrals this month and it’s on sale! FYI: Amy’s post also details upcoming trunk-show stops for the book’s quilts. Who knows? Perhaps your favorite will be displayed at your local quilt shop.
‘Til next time, happy sewing!
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