Friday, October 24, 2014

Watercolour Steps - A Friday Finish!

I finally can link up to TGIFF with this finish!  Lots of pics, minimal words (I think).  Sorry it's only out this afternoon, but I had A) menopausal melon issues, meaning I forgot to write the post last night, only remembered when I got into bed, and B) had computer issues, downloading iTunes to the iPad while plugged into the laptop to import the photos somehow made everything freeze, and had to go play pickleball, then do yoga...okay minimal words! You get the picture.  You WANT the pictures.. Here they are:


This one might make you a bit seasick; tried to get a funky angle...only thing funky is what it's doing to my stomach... but don't you love our mum?


This is Star Steps, a pattern by Joanne of Canuck Quilter, that I tested for her.  It was my first experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed both challenging myself to create something with a different feel than the original pattern, as well as carefully checking each step of the pattern.  Sidenote:  Joanne had one error, yep, one:  a typo.  After years and years of marking (aka grading) English papers, proofreading and editing and correcting French stories, paragraphs and tests, etc, this was a dream.  And look at my reward!

Crinkly yumminess...

Bella had to get her two furs' worth onto the quilt as it finished drying by being laid out flat.  The first time I wash my quilts, I put them in the dryer for 10-15 minutes and then finish drying them flat when they're damp so I can block them nice and square.  After that first wash, I just lay them out flat to dry.


Contortionist extraordinaire...


Here are a few more inside shots from yesterday:
Freshly bound

I did different straight line quilting in the pale zigzags: double in one, single in the other

I machined-stitched the binding down onto the back, faster, but I prefer the handstitched look.
This morning I took a few outside shots.  Interesting to note the difference between sunlight and shade, and, for that matter, inside fluorescent lighting, on the quilt with respect to colour.

Against the Russian sage, and the Paniculata Hydrangea trees
The back:
The 6-foot rule applies because of my tension issues...
I used up some leftovers here and pieced in another leftover tulip fabric piece as I didn't have quite enough of the floral.
Okay 3-foot rule

This shows the detail I did in the starburst, as well as gives an idea of the feathers
I sort of did Angela Walters' dot to dot method of quilting in the starburst to give it more angles and general burstiness.  I had fun with the feathers in the border too, well, fun if you don't count all the tension and thread issues.  Angela has a video on paisley feathers, which I tried, and loved, and she and others are adding little curlicues here and there, which I also did, loving it.  I LOVE quilting feathers.

Front shot of feathers, kind of showing the navy and dark purple YLI thread.  Love it.  Have to figure out what bobbin thread it will like... not prewound The Bottom Line
Folded up - the colours look great in this shot do they not?
Too bad I don't know how to, or if I can, rotate this to a diamond shape on the page... Again, the colours are richer in the shade, no?


Hanging at the door is my little witch hat quilt I made many moons ago.

Linking up with Izzy of Dizzy Quilts, who is hosting TGIFF this week.

8 comments:

  1. Beautiful finish!! The colors are great and the quilting looks fine from here!! Your photos are fab as usual :)

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  2. Very pretty finish! And beautiful pictures... Love the cat! :-). Thank you for linking up at TGIFF.

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  3. A what a fun use of florals! I love the black star and how it draws your attenion.

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  4. Lovely quilt, love that border fabric, so pretty

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  5. Absolutely stunning! The back (starburst) reminds me of a kaleidoscope!

    Yes, I love your mum! And my mum too, which is your mum too. Oh! You mean that plant? Oh heavens, yes!! It's so full looking, LOVE it! Also love those cool hydrangea mini trees! And of course ....LOVE Bella <3.

    Yes the lighting changes the depth (is that the right quilting term lol???), the richness of the colours.
    It's beautiful in every light.

    That little mini witch hat quilt is adorable! Was the witch hat a pattern or did you just use your own hat as a model?
    BAHAHAHA!
    Make that: Mwahahahahahahaha!! ;p

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  6. I love your use of colors in this one Sandra! Thanks for linking up for Oh Scrap!

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  7. Hi Sandra, just found this one of yours from last month, via Scrap. It's gorgeous! And what a cat - very amusing. Lovely to see.

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