Monday, August 24, 2020

A Positive Spin

Finally, after a lost day due to a migraine, and a chopped up weekend due to adulting and gorgeous weather that I didn't want to totally miss out on, A Positive Spin is done!
Another name popped in my head when I set up this shot (yay for a timer on my phone camera, as I am behind the quilt and the camera!) 'Twisting by the Pool".

This is my August challenge quilt for  Island Batik. They supplied the fabric, Hobbs Batting supplied the batting, Aurifil the thread for the entire project, Studio 180 Designs supplied the ruler, and Schmetz Needles supplied the needle I used to piece the quilt!
This was a bit different of a challenge in that I didn't get to decide what fabric to use; I was given a 10" stack of William's Garden, yardage of a dark purple Basic, and a light purple, Bubbles, along with a Deb Tucker tool. I added in Island Batik's white solid.

Oh how I love this line. I can see another quilt using it in my future with the leftovers.
I pieced it with that spool of purple Aurifil, also received in my second box for the year.

I was given Corner Pop 2 for my ruler from Studio 180 Designs. This is a quilt that I didn't design ahead of time on graph paper or in EQ; I just winged it as I went. I decided to actually keep it simple, Sandra. I love a plus block, and thought I could jazz them up somehow with stars made from the skinny triangles.

This ruler is a gem. It took me a bit to wrap my head around how to use it, but once I did get it, wow. So you pop off the corners with this ruler. My plus blocks were 10" finished, so I figured a 4" finished triangle would be about right. You could paper piece the corners, or use templates, but this ruler eliminates all that not-so-fun part! You use the same ruler, just a different alignment line (which is ahem, very important...ask me how I know...yep had to rip and reinsert a white corner on one of my blocks when I popped off the corner with the wrong alignment line, doh!)--anyhow, a different alignment line to cut the replacement triangles for those corners.

They are cut slightly oversize, so when you use the same ruler to trim up your block, they come out a perfect 10.5" square every time! You can see below the trimming. For my style of corner pop, I had to square up my block from the wrong side. The ruler can do two styles of corner pops, from 2 - 12"!

Even the trimmings of this line are so pretty!

We were required to make 16 units using our tool. So here is the finished flimsy, 16 plus blocks with a spin, in such vibrant colours. I want to eat them. I kept thinking popsicles while I sewed. Maybe it's the heat we've had all week and weekend.

Next was figuring out what thread to use to quilt it. I didn't want to change threads, and I had told myself I was doing an all-over design, keep it simple, Sandra... I almost went with the palest green, gosh I love that one, used it on another recent quilt and it's wonderful on white fabric. I thought, no, the quilt needs a little more punch with the thread since the fabrics are so vibrant, and you're keeping the quilting simple... The dusty pink was then a strong possibility because I was hesitating over the lime thinking maybe it's too much but my gut wanted it.

If you follow me on Instagram you'll know it was the Lime 1147 for the win!

I took it outside before I taught yoga Sunday morning for early morning sunshine on it to show up the quilting, which wasn't exactly an allover.

Here is the back, great angle to show up the quilting. I used the Bubbles in Periwinkle. Because the quilt is just 40.5", I didn't have to piece a backing. You can see I outlined the plus blocks and did back and forth vertical lines in them. I just did dot to dot ruler work in the stars. The meander looks a bit like bubbles at first on the back! Rather effective for pretty simple.
I loved working with the Silk Blend again. I used it last year in Ripples, the quilt I made for fellow yogi and a quilt teacher, Michael.

And as the sun was setting, me, myself and my quilt strolled down to the lake.

Yes, these fabrics are this incredibly vibrant. Hashtag no filter.

Quilt Stats: SOLD
Pattern: Original design
Size: 40.5" x 40.5"
Fabric: William's Garden A Signature Collection by Kathy Engle for Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design
Backing: Island Batik Bubbles in periwinkle
Batting: Hobbs Silk Blend 90/10 silk/polyester batting
Quilted: on Avril: 46 885 stitches
Threads: pieced on my Bernina with Aurifil; quilted with Aurifil 50 wt, The Bottom Line in the bobbin

So happy to let you know, too, that this post made both the Aurifil stories on Instagram, as well as their Sunday Showcase. 😎 It's certainly a well-received quilt!


39 comments:

  1. All I can say is WOW those colours really pop! Keeping it simple turned out fabulously! And yeah for the lime green thread.

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  2. That is gorgeous, Sandra. I love the simple, but effective, design you created. The quilting really sets it off.

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  3. You kept it simple Sandra but stunning!

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  4. I love the way the positive and negative spaces dance and duel for control over the viewer's eye!

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  5. What a fun spin on a plus block, and those fabrics are gorgeous!

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  6. It's beautiful. Another win!!

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  7. Gorgeous, Sandra! I did not picture those star shapes when I saw your blocks on Instagram. What I like best is the contrast between the single-color stars in the central part of the quilt with the multicolored points in the “borders.” Beautiful photo shoot all by yourself!! I hope that headache left you for good. Summer headaches are the worst!

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  8. What a fun way to show off the tools and put a new spin on the classic plus block!

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  9. I love the positive zen! of this quilt. The colour palette is cheerful and the quilt feels so happy. I'm sure the studio 180 staff will be so pleased with how you've used their ruler! Happy monday.

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  10. You did a good job with your challenge. I really like how it turned out.

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  11. Those colors are really inviting. I can see why you had visions of popsicles running through your head! Love it!

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  12. Love this! Looks like a pretty handy tool. The colors are amazing!!!!!

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  13. That is really a neat quilt! Definitely puts a cool spin on the plus block quilt!

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  14. Love, love, love this quilt. You keep making such beautiful quilts. I will have to look up that ruler and read some more on it. The fabrics are so vibrant. Glad you had some fun time this weekend, too.

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  15. The fabrics are pretty, but your simple design shows them off so well. I love the lime quilting thread, too. Great job!

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  16. Outstanding. The colours are eye popping. 😍😍😍

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  17. Lovely!!!
    It's a beautiful quilt!!!

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  18. I just want to say: I love this! When you showed hints of it on Instagram, I couldn't quite figure out what was going to happen with those cut off corners. But now I see, and it's really a unique take on a plus block. Lovely finish!

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  19. Oh my, Sandra! That is absolutely GORGEOUS! Love those colors! And your quilting really sets it off!

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  20. Super design, beautiful fabrics! Another winner, Sandra. I love the corner "pops"! And wow did the simple quilting really work well for this one! Congrats on a fun and fab finish :)

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  21. Beautiful design and fabrics;) They sure are getting detailed with the challenges this year!

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  22. LOVE THIS!!! This is an awesome pattern. Well done.

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  23. Wow, I love the positive spin! I’m glad you photographed the back to highlight the beautiful quilting. Oh, and the photos by the water — the best!

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  24. I love Twisting In the Wind! Or whatever name you settled on...the corner pop is a fun tool; I must admit I am becoming more intrigued with her tools.

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  25. What a great quilt! It's almost like the crosses are dancing in a socially distant manner (joking). It sounds like there were a number of boxes to be ticked for this project, and you did it in fine style, producing a lovely, lively, happy quilt. It was a good move to take it to yoga for morning snaps because that quilting definitely needs to be shown off. It's a whole cloth quilt from the back.

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  26. Such a pretty finish and I love your backdrop.

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  27. Beautiful finish! The pattern may be simple, but it still has a lot of WOW factor.

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  28. Lovely quilt and the back looks equally wonderful!

    -Soma

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  29. Beautiful finish, Sandra! What a cool "instant star" effect you get with that corner tool. You really do a great job showing the fabrics, threads, and cutting tools to their best advantage in these projects. I can see why those manufacturers keep sending you their goodies!

    I am so inspired by your quilting on this one. I suppose you'd call this "light custom?" No stitching in the ditch, right? I love how the meandering encircles each plus sign like a wreath, and the contrasting straight line quilting on the plus signs themselves. I like it on the front of the quilt, and then I REALLY like it even more on the back. Thanks for walking us through the threads you considered, as well. I would have thought the lime green would be too harsh against the white, but I am so wrong there -- it's perfect.

    Remind me, what kind of machine is Avril that you use for quilting? I looked in your About Me to see if you talked about your machines there, and then I fell in love with your pibble and your rottie. :-)

    Thanks for linking up with Long Arm Learning!

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  30. A Positive Spin is one of my favorites that you've done.

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  31. These colors are fabulous! I love purple and green together! Wish I’d had that ruler 4 years ago when I did a similar spinning star with rail blocks for a QOV.

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  32. Hi Sandra, I'm not surprised that it was well received. It really looks great. Congratulations on your finish and thanks for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks. Take care.

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  33. Sandra your design for this quilt, and the beautiful quilting really showcases these vibrant colours. Another one of your quilts that I’m in love with! The corner pops really do add to the plus design so nicely.

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  34. Thanks for linking up to TGIFF - faithful friends are a gift.

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  35. I'm new to your blog and I love your A Positive Spin quilt. Will you eventually have a pattern available? Thank you.

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  36. Stunning! And love your positive themed quilt that also embodies the delightfulness of your digital presence. I can see how that tool could be amazing even with the occasional whoopsie. Thanks for linking to Clever Chameleon. Love your thread choice too, and the thought processes. I am a thread chicken but I am taking note. xx

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