Here is my quilt for the Pantone Radiant Orchid Quilt Challenge. Normally I don't find out about these kinds of things until after the fact, but a couple weeks ago I happened to see a post about this years challenge. I was a little bit excited about this one since I am a huge fan of the color! Just ask my favorite shirt...or my handbag...or my roll of masking tape. :) Usually it takes me the whole year to warm up to the "color of the year" --so by the time I get around to making a quilt using it...there's a new color of the year! :) This year, that was not a problem! I already had some good fabrics in my stash so I figured I could whip out a Mini in no time flat...but let's talk about it...I am finishing this up with less than one hour to spare. Woah. That was close.
This mini quilt is 21" x 27". It actually took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do. Surprise, surprise. I thought about it a lot and even came up with what I thought was a really good idea. I mocked it up in Inkscape and showed my husband and he looked at it kinda funny and said "I don't get it." So that kinda ruined my enthusiasm for the whole project...since it was Sunday night-- I had less than a week to get it done and I was now back to the drawing board. I got all frustrated and decided I would probably just forget it. I went upstairs and held the baby for a while. When I came back downstairs I just started messing around in Inkscape, looking at old files...and found a quilt design I made last year...the Circles and Rings Baby Quilt. Somehow, ten short minutes later I had come up with this design. And I totally loved it. Luckily, my husband did as well. (Good thing too or I might have fired him again for killing team morale).
This quilt is entirely appliqued using fusible web (I use Pellon 805). I stitched around all the shapes using a blanket stitch in matching thread. Then, rather than drive myself crazy trying to figure out a cool way to quilt it, I decided to just do a grid (similar to the original quilt) only I decided to make an imperfect grid that I drew on with disappearing ink before quilting it. Then I bound it in my favorite black Alexander Henry June bug dot. It's the same fabric I used when I made my small wall quilts a few years ago...I am hoarding that fabric...but I think it was perfect for this quilt so I figured it would be ok to use a little bit of it!
I haven't decided what the fate of this quilt will be yet...I have a friend who just had a birthday who might like it, and one of my daughters wants it on the wall in her room. And I made a crib/baby size pattern for it!! I made one for the Circles and Rings Quilt but loved this one so much I added a bonus layout to the pattern so you can make either quilt (or both!) with the same pattern (get it HERE)! Glad I didn't give up on this challenge!!
This is great! I"m so glad you finished in time to enter. I love the design and the use of purple. I'm like you - lots of purple in my wardrobe!
ReplyDeleteSO cute! This is one of the cutest quilts you've ever made.
ReplyDeleteGreat design and perfect execution!
ReplyDeleteLove it!!!
Esther
esthersipatchandquilt at yahoo com
ipatchandquilt dot wordpress dot com
OUTSTANDING, love it glad you got it finished.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely! I love the little black polka dot pinwheels!
ReplyDeleteOooohhhh!!! Aaaaahhhhh! is all I can say. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
I'm glad you persevered because you have an outstanding quilt. The quilting is beyond perfect!
ReplyDeleteGreat design... and I love the quilting!
ReplyDeleteI knew this was yours as soon as the photo came up in my feed. It's fantastic! I love your style!
ReplyDeleteLove this!! I just voted for you.
ReplyDeleteWow! This quilt is spectacular!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous! I love the design and colors and the quilting!!! Looks like a winner to me.
ReplyDeleteI love it!!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love this!!! The addition of those asterisk appliques just makes this design pop! Amazing quilting. Such precision! Just gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteStunning. I'm still bumbling around trying to understand what "modern" quilts are, but I think this is a wonderful example. Have you thought about publishing a pattern?
ReplyDeleteI have! :-) It is here: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/other/circles-and-rings-baby-quilt-pattern/90434
DeleteI love the color. And your design. And the quilting. The bits of black (dots) and grey (dots) just make the color pop. Great job!! And fast work.
ReplyDeleteso cute! love your design, and the quilting - so glad the hubster liked it so that we could get to see it!
ReplyDeleteAh so cute! Good job Cynth! Just looking at that quilt makes me feel happy :) It is SOOO cute!
ReplyDeleteVery cool
ReplyDeleteThat is so beautiful! Orchid is my favorite color too! :)
ReplyDeletewow. Looks amazing. I love it.
ReplyDeleteLove the circles.
ReplyDeleteEpic. Don't tell the others, but this could be my favourite! :-)
ReplyDeleteI had faith that you would complete it in time!! I didn't know what it would look like but I knew you could do it! I absolutely LOVE it! Perfect quilting too.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely gorgeous :-)
ReplyDeletereally adorable quilt !
ReplyDeleteJust love it.....you have great ideas.
ReplyDeleteI just love it too!
ReplyDeleteJust stunning!!
ReplyDeleteOK - *This* is my all-time favorite of the challenge quilts! LOVE. :D The grid quilting is perfect for it, as is the binding!
ReplyDeleteObviously you work extremely well under pressure. Even in the husband vetoed idea #1. Because this little quilt? Is totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I love the colors, the fabrics, the contrasts, the whole design. Very, very awesome!!!
ReplyDeletesuch a fabulous quilt, I love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is so cute! Very fresh and fun
ReplyDeleteHolding that baby must have worked because you did a beautiful job! I vote for you!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful and I just adore the grid quilting in the background!
ReplyDeleteI love it!!!
ReplyDeleteSuper cool! I love the grid quilting you did, too, it's the perfect contrast to all the circles!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful quilt! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and very creative! Congratulations, Cynthia.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your win! I really love this and your quilting just makes it!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you won, this is awesome! The quilting is perfectly fitting too, love it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on double win! This is awesome!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I am so, so happy you won! I totally love the cleanness of your quilt and quilting ~~ and apparently a lot of others do too!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the wins, Cynthia!! It's a really gorgeous mini!!
ReplyDelete-Soma
Congratulations on winning the challenge. You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the win. It is a stunning quilt.
ReplyDeleteThis is just so so fabulous. That dense grid quilting really is the perfect complement to your appliqué design.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Cynthia! What a neat design : )
ReplyDeleteLove it! Such a great design! Congrats on winning!
ReplyDeleteLove, love your quilt. And I love the story behind it. I saw that it won Viewer's Choice so congrats!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous congratulations! You may have hooked me on attempting applique. Wow, your work is terrific.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is beautiful. I am glad I came across it.
ReplyDeleteI am a beginner and I'm just wondering... did you quilt the "background" first and then appliqué?
ReplyDeleteNope! The whole top was appliquéd first and then the background was quilted.
DeleteI love it, wow, but gosh, having to avoid the circles while you quilt the background must've been a pain!!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a diamond ring when I first saw it. So cute - I love it. All my favorite colors :)
ReplyDelete