Color Burst in QUILT (June/July 2013)

Happy Friday, Friends!  I hope you have had a good week.  As promised, I am sharing with you my “Color Burst” quilt that is featured in the latest QUILT magazine issue (June/July 2013).

I nicknamed this quilt my “Iron Man” quilt because I felt like the Iron Man after making hundreds and hundreds of half-square-triangle units in order to finish the quilt top.

The little HST units finish at 1.5″ — and I don’t even like piecing!

Here is a little behind-the-scene tidbit… In order for me to make the photo shoot, I completed that quilt from start to finish in about 5 days!  Sometimes I really think I have a screw loose somewhere… ha!

Here you can see the very clever quilt layout better – and see the pinwheel secondary pattern.

All that said, this quilt was made with lots of affection because the design is based on an actual quilt in the DAR collection, shown in the following. Click here for the technical information.  So, can you imagine having to piece all those blocks by hand, as done by the un-named original quilt maker?  What a heroine she was!!

[image source: Quilt Index]

And you know I love re-making historical quilts with our contemporary palettes.  I feel connected to quilters of the past when I work on such quilt projects.  It is my way of paying tribute to the women that have gone before us generations ago for their contribution in the rich American quilting heritage.

I used Thimbleberries’ Block Party fabrics (by RJR) for my interpretation of the design for a sweet vintage flair.  Click here to view the full fabric range.  I love how the fabrics end up giving a spring palette to the overall quilt design.

It was a little nerve wrecking working on a borderless on-point quilt because the pieces of the large HST units at the edge were cut on the bias.  I was scared to death the quilt top was going to turn out wonky.  I press-starched the fabric stiff before cutting to avoid the distortion in the cutting and piecing processes.  That seemed to take care of the stretching on the bias problem, because my quilt top laid flat upon completion.

Quilting was kept very simple to keep the “antique” look – just quilting in the ditches along major straight lines.  As always, I used Aurifil Mako 50 Cotton threads to quilt over Hobbs Tuscany Silk batting.  Now that the quilt is returned to me… my little pea brain has been toying with the idea of going back to quilt the open area with feathers (of course!).

Honestly, as much as I am not crazy about piecing… I told the editor I would make the quilt AGAIN in a heartbeat using just red and white fabrics.  All that to say, those HST units shouldn’t deter you from attempting this quilt.  It is actually quite relaxing because there isn’t much variation to the piecing – just piece maybe a block a day, and don’t complete the entire quilt in 5 days like I did.  Kits to replicate Color Burst are available for purchase here.

Thank you for stopping by.  I hope you liked my springy Color Burst quilt!  Have a great weekend.

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Click here, and here for my other contemporary interpretations of antique quilts.

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Click here, here, here, here and here for my posts on DAR quilts.

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My 2013 lineup thus far besides “Color Burst” – click on the links for more information:

Annie’s Love Those Precuts Book (January 2013):  Apple of My Eye

Annie’s Sweet Layer Cakes (April 2013): Sunburst Melody, to be posted

Fons and Porter Easy Quilts (Spring 2013): Baubles, Baubles

Fons and Porter Easy Quilts (Summer 2013): Curious Cats

Fons and Porter Easy Quilts (Summer 2013): Fabrique Foursome

Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting (March/April 2013):  Now I know my ABC’s

Machine Quilting Unlimited (March/April 2013): Quilting Curvy Feathers

QUILT (June/July 2013): Pattern Play, to be posted

Quilt Trends (Winter 2013, Cover Quilt): Tango

Quilts and More (Spring 2013): 2 Wishes

Quilts and More (Spring 2013):  Watercolor Sketches

Quilter’s World (February 2013): New Life

Quilter’s World (April 2013): Monkey Around

Quilter’s World (Summer 2013): Garden Mist, to be posted

Quilter’s World QUICK & EASY QUILTS (Spring 2013): In & Out

Quilter’s World QUICK & EASY QUILTS (Spring 2013): Garden Maze

Simple Quilts & Sewing (Spring 2013):  Stained Glass

The Quilter (December 2012/January 2013): Not Too Square

The Quilter (April/May 2013):  In the Meadow

Benartex Free Pattern (March 2013): Pumpkin Patch/Autumn Fauna

Benartex Free Pattern (March 2013): Flora Linda/Catalina

Quilting Treasures Free Pattern (January 2013): Mediterranean Dream

Quilting Treasures Free Pattern (February 2013): Butterfly Kisses