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
I took one look at that one in the magazine and said “no way”! Actually, (for me) it would be a do-able thing in one color and white (or some such). The “multi” idea just isn’t ‘me’. And your feather idea is one that I had when opening the pages…….you go, girl! (Maybe in your, um,………… ‘spare’ time???) We are still in the ugly midst of that winter storm……pouring rain on snow and 33F!!!!! Words fail me!! This post brings a bit of Springtime to this sad place………sigh…
Unbelievably beautiful!!! i truly love this one Wendy!!
The quilt turned out beautiful. What a great place to take pictures of the quilt, because the natural setting just enhanced all the colors. Great job, but done in 5 days? What an accomplishment!
It’s gorgeous Wendy!!! I love that your quilts all have their own flavor and design. With some designers you can tell immediately as soon as you see it that it is theirs. Brava to have braved all those little HST’s when you don’t even like to piece :*D
Really a wonderful quilt Wendy!
By hand? I can’t imagine by machine. Too many little pieces for me but it is gorgeous! And with a small child too, how do you do it!
Wendy, five days??? Maybe you have got a screw loose………just kidding, haven’t all quilters when we set our minds to something?
So very pretty, I see you wanting to put feathers in those ‘open’ spaces.
“Ironman” indeed – wow! That’s got to be some kind of a record. Love the quilt.
Colorburst is a perfect name for this cheerful quilt that does “burst” with beautiful colors. I do remember when you were sewing oodles of HST. All your points look great. I hope you one day do make this quilt design again in red/white. Definitely worth making this beautiful design again. Love it.
SewCalGal
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
what was the original name of the quilt? I love your colors and I love the way you remade the quilt. It reminds me of “lady on the lake pattern” but i’m not sure.
It’s a gorgeous quilt! I have the issue and it’s very tempting but somehow I doubt I have it in the accuracy department yet.
Your quilt is incredible! The accuracy of your piecing is awe inspiring. Brava!
Beautiful work.
Wow, Wendy, I can see doing this with paper piecing. I hope you didn’t cut all those triangles & then stitch! Love this quilt.
How intricate that is! I can’t imagine doing it in 5 days. I love the historical connection.
How gorgeous this quilt is!! I would not have the patience to do this quilt but I sure do love it and red and white–even navy and white would be pretty. Thank you so much for sharing. Carol
This quilt is a real beauty. A wonderful tribute to the quilt maker of the original quilt.
I picked up this magazine to keep occupied for a long car ride. In just flipping through I immediately spotted this as a “must spend some time with” quilt. You are a talented artist designer, and craftsman with a wonderful eye for color and geometric shapes. Lovely!
Gorgeous! And your time frame is impressive. Thank you for sharing your talents.
Five DAYS?!! That would take me five MONTHS! For someone who dislikes piecing, you sure do it well. This is a beautiful quilt, and the soft colors remind me of an ice cream social. :-)
Once again an amazing quilt! I think feathers in the empty spaces would be fabulous!!
When I opened the post to read my eyes were so drawn to the quilt. It is just beautiful! What a great job!
I can’t believe you cut sewed and pressed all those HST and put it together in 5 days. It is beautiful. Great job. Bunny
5 days? That’s a miracle to me! That’s a lot of hst. You must have been cross-eyed by the time it was done. It is beautiful, though! This is a kind of modern I can get behind.
Love the way it was photographed! Blessings…
WOWWW! love this! it’s really really pretty!
That is one amazingly gorgeous quilt!!!
I guess you can say I cheat with HST. I am likely to make this quilt because of the small pieces. I use the paper method, Triangulations to make them. Beautiful…and yes to the feathers :)
Wendy, you are an amazing quilter. As soon as I saw this quilt, I knew I needed to make one. I finished mine in October, but just posted it today. I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed a photo of your quilt to show in my post. I gave full credit to you, of course. Also, I can’t believe how quickly you made yours. It took me about six weeks, and that was a crazy pace for me. Anyway, thank you for the inspiration and thank you for sharing your wonderful talent.
xo -E
Wendy, since this is a DAR inspired quilt, can I interest you in DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution)? If you are not already a member, I would be DELIGHTED to help you join. I am a Registrar and would be simply delighted.