Saturday, May 7, 2016

Race to Finish - Sunny Days

Getting two things in with one post: a Friday Finish and OMG for May.

Sunny Days is done!  Ironically, what with real life taking big bites out of my sewing time today, I had to photograph the finish in the setting sun, just as it dipped beyond the horizon.  As a result, there are some interesting lighting effects.
For anyone watching and/or reading Outlander, does this not whisper of Scotland?

On Avril:
I added curlicues here and there to the feathers, a little more feminine
I did the same quilting designs as on Blue Skies with two minor changes: first, I did Kathleen's, via Angela's "magic feathers" instead of echoing a feather, with a single spine, not a 1/4" spine with pebbles, and second, in the meandering, I threw in my favourite flower motif here and there.  I also used a very pale pink thread, Essential from Connecting Threads.  Love this thread!! Not one break through the entire quilt.
Hot off Avril in the daylight of the front entry Friday morning
Again, as I was quilting, I was beating myself up, worrying, thinking oops, that feather didn't round enough, oh, I missed a spot to meander, how will I work back in there, the spine of the feather is wobbly there, the tension isn't perfect here... but when I laid it down here and stepped back, I was SO happy with the overall effect.

Here's the back:
Thanks to Tish's daughter, who gave the definitive, as only a confident 16-year-old can do, 'that one', I went with my gut and put this on the back.  It's a fabulous Rowan Westminster Fibers print called Fairylyte Garden by Melissa White.  I'd had one other possibility, a soft yellow and pink plaid from Kona Bay that I also got at Alma Sue's the same time as I picked this one up.   The saleslady had said, "Do you mind if I ask what you are going to do with these?!" in a bit of 'seriously?' tone.  I told her bag linings or quilt backs.  I couldn't explain why I just LOVED this print, but I do.
In the garden at Lakeside Park; note the difference the light makes!
Below is the 'magic bridge' as seen by me, just before 9 pm Friday.  Pretty magical, I'd say.  The light was blue...so interesting.  Such a different light compared to the warm golden light of 7 am when I was photographing Colours of Alberta for TBT the previous morning.
I thought hmm, wonder what a shot on the bridge of the quilt under a lamppost would look like:

kinda cool...
Then crossed the bridge to one of 'my' favourite sentinels.
You know me, quilts in trees!  This is a 'back atcha' for Katy.
That quilt is 40.5" wide by 48.5"; looks pretty teeny against the huge much-hugged by moi tree.

Tried to get a full-on shot in the kitchen, and of course, it's another photo op opportunity for Miss Bella the diva.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Original design
Size: 40.5 X 48.5"; 39 3/8 X 47.25" after quilting
Fabric:  From stash; white is Leaf Lines from Connecting Threads, backing is Fairylyte Garden by Rowan Westminster Fibers
Batting: 100% polyester
Quilted: on my Avanté
Threads: pieced with Gütermann and Mettler 100% cotton and quilted with Essential thread in pale pink; binding stitched down with Essential magenta

This quilt will be for sale shortly in my Etsy shop, which is open, but has a rather lame appearance right now. :-(  I ran out of patience and steam earlier this week, got rather frustrated after spending way too much time on the computer.  Hope to spruce it up this weekend.  What did I name it??
sandrajanequilts
Oh, and I took all of your most helpful advice (thanks so much everyone) and doubled the price of Blue Skies.  From what I've seen after visiting several other quilt shops on Etsy with baby quilts this size, that is a very fair price.  That's $130 Canadian dollars, so LOL only $65 for you Americans after all!! ;-)

In shade, colours are true here
Texture!


Yay! the sun came out right about this point in finishing up this post Saturday morning, so here is a sunlight outside shot or ten for you of Sunny Days:
Sideways to sun, but had to show it against my rhodos :-)
A bit of a high haze, so not the golden sunlight of the other day, but still:



I'll have a pattern out very soon for this simple little quilt with two sizes and two methods of constructing the background.  I already have a mystery volunteer to pattern test!  I am SO excited about this!

OMG
I'm squeaking in my May OMG goal, which is to finish Dayna's grad quilt, only a year late.  This was taken in January.  I had hoped to finish it up in Florida on the Bernina, but that did not happen.  I think Avril and I are humming along merrily enough together now that I can get back to work on this, another original design. :-)
Linking up with
Crazy Mom Quilts
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF at Quilt Matters
Red Letter Quilts

Remember to check out Craftsy all month long, (hope you've signed up to get their blog updates, so you will be in the know!) as there are lots of freebies, and some good sales coming up; in fact, I just checked this morning and a TON of classes are marked down again, a few feathers classes, Angela's feather class among them, just sayin'...

29 comments:

  1. Well done...again! The quilt is lovely, the pattern is so versatile...it's a WINNER! Congratulations on the Etsy shop...I can hardly wait to "heart" your shop and get the pattern!

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  2. Really like your colour choices and the feathers are gorgeous!

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  3. This is such a pretty quilt Sandra! Oh, if only I could do feathers like you. The pink thread is perfect, and what is up with the sales lady - that backing is the absolute perfect choice for that quilt! :)

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  4. What a pretty quilt Sandra. The quilting looks just lovely. And the backing fabric --- so peaceful, pretty, feminine - really pretty. Great job!!

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  5. My favorite picture is the one with your rhodo's. GORGEOUS! And also love the quilting you've done--MMM! MMM!. Thanks for the heads up about the sale on feather classes!

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  6. Okay, I have a lot to say here.
    1) Love the backing for this quilt; it is perfect.
    2) You put it into my head, but those outdoor shots, especially the magic bridge, make me think of Outlander.
    3) I love Outlander. Read all the books but don't have access to the tv series. :(
    4) Bella ... it really is all about you, isn't it?
    5) This pink one is even more scrumptious and I love the little flower worked into the meandering.
    6) Are you KIDDING me? The quilting alone on Blue Skies is worth the price.

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  7. Have my copy of outlander to read next. I love your photos, that sky is so blue. Do the neighbours refer to you as "that mad woman who takes photos of material"? And the Westminster backing is gorgeous, great combination of flowers and birds

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  8. Those feathers are perfect in the white -- they really pop in the pink thread. Great location shots too! Thanks for linking up with TGIFF!

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  9. I love the feathers!! What great photos, they show the quilting so beautifully and the back is perfect for this quilt.

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  10. Hello again! Your quilting is fabulous! I love the pink thread on white - I'm never brave enough for that!

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  11. I have a technical quilting question ... when the quilt is loaded, you have several white diagonal strips to be quilted with feathers. Do you quilt each white diagonal strip as much as you can, then stop & tie off? That would allow you to quilt as much of the quilt that is exposed. Then, you'd need to advance the quilt, line up the feathers to where you had previously tied off and continue as before.

    OR ... do you quilt *one* white diagonal completely .. from top to bottom ... rewind the quilt to quilt the next diagonal white strip, etc, etc, etc.

    Whenever I have diagonal quilting to do, I always agonize about the "best" way to do it. I'd deeply appreciate your opinion.

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    1. Shelley, I'll put in my 2 cents, (I hope it's okay) but don't consider this the best way....it's just how I handle the problem. I like to hear from several people when I ask questions, so I thought I jump in.

      I load the quilt and do all of the quilting for one color moving the quilt up. When that color is done, I load the next color and quilt it rolling the quilt in the opposite direction. I keep doing that till all of the colors are quilted. Most important to me is that I don't roll or move the quilt any more than necessary and I don't change thread colors any more than necessary. I rarely have to deal with tucks on the bottom but I keep the quilt very taut. Hope it helps.

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  12. Oh, I love this quilt! I also loved Blue Skies. They have a fresh, clean feel but enough color to keep the eye moving. The backing is perfect, so great advice. I've discovered that we have lots of room for little mistakes and not-quite-right motifs in quilting. I rarely ever rip anymore--yes, I'm getting better, but mostly the little things hide in the middle of all the good things. Beautiful finish!

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  13. Love, love, love your feathers! And your pussy cat!

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  14. Now that is one amazing tree! I'm going to have to start looking farther than my backyard to find something like that! Seriously, I love all your pictures and I am fascinated by the way the light changes. Your feathers are gorgeous! I've never gotten the hang of this type of feather. Love the whimsical look with the little extra curls here and there. Do you quilt the spine first?

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  15. It turned out so pretty! Love all the backdrops for your pic's!

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  16. Beautiful! I love the texture and interest the feathers add to the background.

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  17. Beautiful patchwork, exquisite quilting and the picturesque backdrops makes this one perfect little quilt!!! The backing is lovely too. Congratulations on your new Etsy shop. I just favorited it :-)
    Hugs, Preeti.
    http://sewpreetiquilts.blogspot.com

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  18. Love the quilting! Again, you outdo yourself my friend!

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  19. Another out of the park finish, my friend. And the photo shoot is to dye for. You have quite the scenic little area close by. But you know my favorite picture is of Miss Bella all posed out on that quilt like she owns it and I'm really wondering if she thinks she does own it. Those feathers are to die for! The kiddo appreciated the shout out :) I think you were right in choosing that print. I could see a fun game of eye spy or how many birds do you see? Jen would have LOVED that as a little one.

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  20. I love your feathers with the curls. So beautiful! Your photos show it off so well. I think my favorite is the picture with your flowers.

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  21. Another beautiful post with gorgeous pics😀 amazing quilts, amazing scenery xx

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  22. Beautiful finish, Sandra. The lighting is so fascinating and moody. Light at 9pm? Amazing and wonderful!! And big congratulations for opening your store. I'm off to go have a look now. :)

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  23. Really stunning quilting, Sandra, and beautiful photos! The bridge really looks magical. Congratulations on your Etsy shop, that is a big step!

    -Soma

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  24. Your feathers are perfection. I'm in awe. Good luck with your shop!!

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  25. OK, you have convinced me, I MUST TRY FEATHERS!
    Beautiful
    Beautiful
    Beautiful

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  26. Oh how beautiful!! I especially love the outdoor shots and of course Miss Bella! ❤

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  27. Wow, so wonderful. Those feathers are perfect in the background space. Your quilt photos are fabulous and quite inspirational! I really love the quilt in the hip of the tree. Perfection.

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