Spring Sparkle - My Luminous Layers Quilt and Winners

Today I am so pleased to show you the finished quilt which I made with everyone for this year’s quilt along. I made the large throw, which is 72" square. We took it for a glamour video shoot to the marina in Leamington after supper last night (think setting sun ahhh). It's a favourite spot of ours, just ten minutes from home.

I’ve named the quilt Spring Sparkles because when I chose these rich fabrics, it was early spring and I was thinking of the magnolia pinks and crabapple deep maroons along with all the greens that were imminent. I couldn’t wait! Isn’t this line, Stonehenge Gradations, so rich with such depth?

As is often the case, I procrastinate when the quilting process feels a little daunting to me. Once I get it loaded and start going with my first thoughts, I’m usually off to the races. The quilt talks to me and I listen, always willing to follow where it wants to go. Like many others, this quilt had a few ideas of its own.

Off to a good start with a 2” wide row of ribbon quilting that follows the giant star points 

After several straight lines 1” apart the quilt wanted an echo of the ribbon quilting. I liked this!

Of course I repeated this in the deep ‘v’ of the giant star points. 

This deep V takes up 24 inches of the quilt top, so there was lots of rolling back-and-forth. I stitched in the ditch on all sides of the star points to stabilize the quilt.

Favourite rulers and chalk pencil for marking registration lines. 

I did 1” spaced apart lines in the giant green star points, which were echoed a quarter inch. I did this on the original quilt and really liked the look of it so why not repeat a good idea?

Hobbs sent me a roll of their Heirloom Premium 100% wool for the quilt. It’s not the first time I’ve used this batting of theirs and oh, it does not disappoint, in quilting definition and in perfect weight and warmth when sleeping under it.

My Oh, the Places You’ll Go!  suitcases quilt I made in 2019 uses this batting. It’s our January quilt on the bed, so lovely and warm, and this one will be the April one I think, though I may use it in July because, well, it’s new, right? I know it will be perfect because it’s light and airy, yes, lighter than 100% cotton.

All the threads! So Fine and Exquisite both polyester. The So Fine 402 blended perfectly into the light green, both pinks and the turquoise. Interestingly, I used a brown in the burgundy because of the gradation of colours from burgundy to brown and gold in that fabric. It was perfect.

Swirls with single and double hooks went into the light pink background of the large star, dot-to-dot and wishbones went into the large burgundy star points and the lines and more dot-to-dot work as well as a few curves in the centre medium and small stars. 

Again lots of stitch in the ditch stabilized the quilt so I could roll it back and forth a lot to work on different sections. Here I haven’t even started the centre 24 inch section, but I have several areas around it quilted.

Great light and great Hobbs 100% wool batting to show the finished quilting before trimming and squaring. Centre section complete.

I used the burgundy for the binding. It pulls it all together from the centre medium star through the large star to the edge.

It’s interesting, and a bit annoying, how the pink background looks several shades deeper than it is in real life. The indoor shot in natural light that precedes this one is actually more true to its actual colour. 

It was all done by machine, stitched to the front of the quilt so I could stitch an exact 1/4” in order not to lose any star points.

I folded it to the back and top stitched it down using So Fine 402 in the bobbin except where the giant star points are along the edge and there I used the same Exquisite green that I used for the quilting. 

Here is the cotton label and satin one stitched into the binding. 

And the back. Oh that fabric (drooling) and oh that batting (also drooling) to show off the quilting (grinning, dead chuffed with myself, I can hear my mum quip).

Quilt Stats:

Pattern: Luminous Layers available here

Quilt Stats:

Size: 72”x 72" 
Fabric: Stonehenge Gradations by Northcott Fabric

Batting: Hobbs Heirloom Premium 100% wool

Backing: Stonehenge Gradations wide backing by Northcott Fabric

Quilted: on Avril 161 452 stitches

Threads: pieced on my Bernina with Gütermann; quilted with So Fine 402, Exquisite polyester; Bottom Line in the bobbin

And now for the winners! There were 12 quilts in the final parade, 13 counting mine, and I'm so grateful to you twelve sweet souls who participated, most of you repeat offenders, I mean, participants, grin! Quilters in Canada, United States, Scotland, England, and Germany made the pattern this year, wow! Jean in New Zealand had full intentions of joining in, but life got in her way as it does from time to time. Know that she and any of you can make this whenever you like as the instructions will always be on the blog here. Just click the Quilt Alongs tab at the top of this page and you'll see all the previous QALs with links to each step of instructions.

I used the Random Number Generator to choose the winners from 1 - 13. There is no #2 because someone deleted their link, no worries, I allow that, but I can't change the numbering, so when it chose 2 I hit the generator again! I also took the time to go back to the previous three QALs and make a list of who won what in order to not give the same prize to the same person, hence, the extra-long time it took to get it just right.🤪😇 Beyond three years, if you do get the same prize, I am pretty certain the pattern designers have put out new patterns in the ensuing three years😉 and the fabric, batting and gift certificates are always welcome even if repeated, correct?!

Here are all the sponsors, and again I am so grateful to each and every one of them for being so generous for another year.

But first, a little hooray for Lisa of Quilty Zest who just released her first fabric line, Find Your Way, for Benartex Designer Fabrics!

Love it!

Sponsors! 

Northcott is my main sponsor. They supplied the fabric for the quilt I made along with everyone, and they are offering a fabric bundle of the Stonehenge Gradations fabrics I used for my quilt.  Tish

Canuck Quilter Designs is offering one winner a free PDF pattern of their choice.  Eva

Devoted Quilter is offering one winner their choice of two PDF patterns. Eva

Fat Quarter Shop has been a past sponsor a couple of times, and they're back this year with a $25 gift certificate to their online shop. Rose

Hobbs Batting is offering a batt of their wool batting to a US winner. They are also supplying the batting for the quilt I will be making with you. Wendy 

Mad About Patchwork has been a sponsor of several of my QALs as well as the two Postcard from Sweden QALs I hosted (psst! they have kits at a terrific price for it) and they are back this year with a $50 gift card to their shop! Kathy

Make Modern is offering a 6-month magazine subscription. Trudy

Meadow Mist Designs is offering two winners (now just one winner) their choice of two PDF patterns. Michelle

Quiltinator is offering free longarm quilting services of one quilt, up to 70” x 90”. The quilter must supply their own batting and send their quilt to Gale within six months of June 15. Anja

Quilting Jetgirl is offering a $24 coupon to her shop. Diann

Quilty Zest is offering one winner a free PDF pattern of their choice. Michelle

Sew Fresh Quilts is offering a $50 gift certificate to her shop. Kathleen

Stitchin' at Home is offering one winner their choice of two PDF patterns. Rochelle

Zipper Valley (new sponsor this year!) is offering a $45 gift card to their store. Tracie

mmmquilts (that's me!) is offering two winners their choice of a free PDF pattern. Rochelle and Diann

Note that I had more prizes than participants, so everyone wins something,🤩🥳 and I tried to make the PDF patterns as even in value as I could, roughly three patterns per winner!

People will be emailed shortly to notify them of what they’ve won and how to claim their prize. Thank you again for another wonderful quilt along. 

Early this morning. The colours are very true to real life here.

Luminous Layers Lite!

But wait! There's more and this is just so wonderful on a few levels. Rose of somethingrosemade always is up to test my patterns, and I love how willing she is to do that. She came up with another idea for this pattern, a baby play mat, simplifying the centre section with one 16" sawtooth star. As she said,  "You don't want baby spitting up on the beautiful pieced five star block, do we?"

Isn't it just absolutely gleeful?!

Linking up

My Quilt Infatuation

Alycia Quilts

From Bolt to Beauty

Songbird Designs

Quilting Jetgirl