Friday, January 06, 2017

i like orange-a completed quilt

Welcome to finish it up Friday! I hope your New Year is off to a great start!

I finished my quilt called "I like orange" this week! I started it in a class with Denyse Schmidt back in April of 2015.
Choosing just 2 colors for this quilt was challenging--I would have rather chose 122 colors. That's more my speed! Ironically, when we were given "permission" to add more colors, I chose to stick with just the two. I put my own spin on the pattern by piecing smaller blocks within the larger blocks. I LOVE those little blocks so much! (They are more visible in the last photo.)
For the quilting, I knew I wanted to straight line quilt it, but that isn't easy on a domestic machine, because there is always drag and distortion.
So, I actually took a long arm class this week! After class, I rented time on the machine and I straight line quilted it. It still wasn't easy, (I had a lot of thread breakage problems, so I had a lot of knots to bury) but the quilting looks much better than if I had attempted it at home.....and it's done!
I used two colors of Kona Cotton: tangerine and orange. I really do like the color orange!
The backing was very hard to choose. Thankfully, my friend, brianne, helped me with the decision. I LOVE that the backing is bold and in a complementary color. I also love how the orange thread pops against the blue backing. It's almost electric! (The backing fabric is Cotton + Steel, by Melody Miller, from her Picnic line, 2015. I found it at SR Harris!)
Here's a shot of the full back....
....and a shot of the full front of the quilt. My daughter helped me with these last two photographs. We took them at a nearby school last night when we went walking (indoors!) with a friend. When it's -10 degrees and the sun goes down at 4:30, you have to get creative with photo locations. By the way, one of the janitors at the school really liked my quilt! Ha!

The quilt measures about 60" x 73". I'm excited that I will be keeping this one!

Now, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you for joining me for finish it up Friday! Have a wonderful and safe weekend!
finish it up Friday, 1/6/17
1. Melissa@Happy Quilting  50. Ode to coffee  
2. AlyciaQuilts - Boo Boo Blocks  51. JanineMarie: Happpy New Year!  
3. Eva-Bambi_Johansson  52. Kristin @a little crispy  
4. My Imperfect Life  53. Sarah Goer Quilts  
5. Adaliza  54. DIY Quilted Jacket  
6. Celtic Thistle Stitches  55. Scrappy Trips Around the World @Pink Doxies  
7. Luna Lovequilts - Heart mini quilts  56. PackRat With A Plan  
8. Vicki in MN  57. Sue @ lappteknik  
9. DonnaleeQ  58. Everything is Awesome - Elm Street Quilts  
10. Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl  59. First Finish  
11. Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts  60. Sew Me Something Good  
12. Emily @ emsscrapbag  61. Handwrought Quilts - Gridded top done!  
13. It Takes a Village  62. Sandra @ mmm! quilts  
14. Izzy @ Dizzy Quilts  63. Helen  
15. Leanne @ Devoted Quilter  64. Johnna @ Yellow Bird Stitches  
16. Pattern Release @ Devoted Quilter!  65. tubakk Norway  
17. The Inside Stori  66. The lilac cat  
18. Татьяна  67. gretchen @ snug harbor quilts baby bibs  
19. Brooke@SillyMamaQuilts  68. Saija  
20. Smiles Too Loudly | Cloudy Skies Baby Quilt  69. Angela A: softball tshirts  
21. Katy @KatyQuilts  70. Lucy ~ Charm About You  
22. Karen  71. Taking the Challenge  
23. Quilting is more fun than Housework  72. Kelie of CraftNurseQuilt  
24. Holly and Berries @ QuiltFabrication  73. Quilting Gail  
25. 2017 Quilt Along Directory Link Up  74. Tanya Quilts in CO  
26. Finished or Not Friday Linky Party!  75. 2016 Showcase of Charity Quilts  
27. Janeen@QuiltArtDesigns  76. beth@lovelaughquilt  
28. Gretchen's Little Corner: Goals for 2017  77. Terri Faust Quilts  
29. Michelle's Romantic Tangle  78. dona@gratefulforquilting  
30. Gretchen's Little Corner: Tulip Square  79. Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict  
31. A new quilt called A Happy Place...  80. Anita @ Daydreams of Quilts  
32. Nordic Stars  81. Anita @ Daydreams of Quilts 2nd finish  
33. Rainbow Finishes  82. something rosemade  
34. Stash Bee  83. Anja @ Anja Quilts  
35. Amy  84. Tammy the traveler  
36. Elena - Cosiendo Sueños  85. Grace and Peace Quilting  
37. Three from a bag  86. Mary @ Fleur de Lis Quilts  
38. Carie @ Space for the Butterflies  87. Jasmine @ Quilt Kisses  
39. Children's Apron Tutorial  88. Ice Tapestries and Shibori Quilts  
40. Treadlestitches Bordering on Insanity  89. Deana  
41. Kris @SewSunshine  90. Kathy S. Kathy's Quiting Blog  
42. Shauna of Shauna's World  91. Vera @ Negligent style  
43. Snowcatcher  92. Susan's Quilt Creations  
44. Margaret Nelson  93. Herringbone Baby Quilt in Paris  
45. Scrappy Knitting Needle Holder  94. Monkey Needle  
46. The Life of Riley - Lady of Lake Lighthouse Quilt  95. Janice@singreadsew  
47. Kate  96. Emily- Pink Triangles  
48. JulieBagamaryArt-StitchingWithGranddaughter  97. Sew Preeti Quilts - Hello 2017!  
49. cath@wombat quilts  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

55 comments:

Melissa Corry said...

I love it!!! The orange is just so happy and the backing is such a fun pop!! What a perfect pick :) And how fun that you took a long arm class ;) Yippee!! Such a fun happy finish!!!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I think it is beautiful! Love the small block in the big block!

Tami Von Zalez said...

I have really come to like orange - I just bought a polka dot orange I will be adding as a border this weekend.
You would think with a long arm there wouldn't be any "performance" issues. Even with my cheapee Brother quilting machine, I don't get thread breakage.

Kigwit said...

Orange is my favorite color so I adore your double orange quilt! I'm impressed you took a long arm class. My niece and I always play with long arms at the Quilt Festival-she can doodle flowers and butterflies and her name while I generally make a rats nest.;-)

Pieced Brain Quilt Designs said...

It looks fantastic!!! Yes, long arming it is a lot faster (not necessarily easier when we are so used to quilting on our domestic machine)... I love the quilting. Awesome finish!

Leanne Parsons said...

Great quilt! I really love those little blocks that you added. They change up the whole feel of the quilt :) Love the back too! Thanks for hosting again this week :)

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

I really like the way the backing compliments the bright colors of the top. Bummer that you had thread breakage issues with straight line quilting. Do you think you will keep going back to rent time on the machine?

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Great finish. You are inspiring me to get out my UFOs and finish them up. Thanks for hosting!

claudia said...

Oh, I like the orange! And the backing is just perfect! Great quilt!!!

Debbie said...

Absolutely stunning!

Liz said...

So stunning! Orange is my favorite color, but I too would have trouble sticking to just 2 colors on a quilt. Yours look fantastic!

Angie in SoCal said...

My favorite color - an awesome quilt, Amanda.

Kris said...

Glad you just stuck to the two it is so happy and I love it!

Di~ said...

What a great quilt. Good decisions all around! Love you.

Little Quiltsong said...

Wow - stunning! You've made a beautiful quilt with the two orange colors.

Patty said...

Love the quilt and the story about the quilt! The janitor has good taste!

Katherine said...

Yummy! Amazing the impact and appeal of sticking to one colour in two values, for a quilt. I need to try this and break away from my need to make everything scrappy! lol I am smitten with this quilt, my friend. Great choice for the backing, too. A gorgeous finish!

Unknown said...

I love everything about this quilt! Congrats on the long arm use! The quilting looks great!

Svetlana said...

oh, wow!!!! What a stunner! It's perfect in every way!

Chris said...

What a bright, happy quilt!

Lucy | Charm About You said...

Happy New Year! I remember seeing the blocks when you made them because I love orange. The quilt is beautiful and vibrant, that's the perfect backing!

Dana said...

Love this so much! So my colors. Makes me (almost) want to clean my sewing room and start a quilt. Crib sized might be doable, while my kiddo is still crib-sized.

Kate said...

Did your thread break after switching directions? I don't have issues quilting left to right, but then when I head back right to left, it will often break, doing straight line. My long arm place said that's common, but I don't know why! When I'm doing loops or stipple, I have no trouble switching direction.

Mary Marcotte said...

Oh Amanda, this quilt is absolutely vibrant and cheerful! The pattern works so well with the different sizes and the two colors. You made all the right decisions.
I've tried adding my link to the linkup, but my internet has been acting up the entire week thanks to the crazy weather we've been having. https://fleurdelisquilts.blogspot.com/2017/01/camper-rug-finished-and-tutorial.html. Thanks for having your Friday linkup--it's always fun to see what others are up to.

suzanprincess said...

I do like orange, but I LOVE your orange quilt! Every detail pleases me, from the colors, the design with the random blade sizes, the smaller blocks within the larger ones, to the quilting. Exquisite! I added its portrait to my Inspiration file (including its ancestry, of course, so I can go find your actual posting of this beauty).

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

A girl after my own heart. I LOVE ORANGE!!! I've been waiting to see this finish. I love the pattern and how you added the little blocks.

travelinsewl said...

Fun on so many levels!!!!

momhulk said...

Absolutely love your quilt! Love the oranges! When I was a teenager, for some oddball reason my parents bought an orange ( bright orange) Chevy Nova. I loved that car! I also appreciate the fact that you took a long arm class and rented time on the machine. That is something I want to do this year after I have finished my En Provence top. I also have huge tops I made for my small children who are now in their thirties. About time these get quilted, but I don't want to take the time to hand quilt, and using my little Singer isn't feasible. Also can't justify $12,000 to $18,000 for a long arm set up! Would love to have your orange quilt.

elizabethdee said...

My goodness! I absolutely love it!

Cheryl Arkison said...

This is a beautiful finish!

Kathy S. said...

LOVE the orange! Congrats on an awesome finish!

Kaydeerouge said...

Love the orange, and the discipline of only two colours - and looks amazing against the snow!

Anonymous said...

You have such a gift for color and style that I truly envy. That bi-colored quilt is gorgeous not only in color choices but block placement. And I'm glad you took that class. I'm sure it won't be too long before you invest in your own. I just recently bought my own King Quilter through SewingMachinesPlus and I'm still working on the learning curve to finish my own quilts too. Good luck!

Heide said...

Stunningly simple! love the two colors together and the fun colorful backing. I should go over to my HS and walk, it is way too cold for me to get outside right now, BURRRRR!

piecefulwendy said...

I love, love, love this quilt! I could sit and look at it for hours. The colors are just so much fun (and the backing is great -- can't believe you found it at SR). Hope you wrapped yourself in it for the trek home in this lovely, downright cold, Minnesota weather we're having. This season definitely makes photography a challenge, doesn't it? Thanks for sharing your completed project! Wendy at piecefulthoughts@gmail.com

Nancy said...

This is my favorite of yours. I too LOVE the color orange and seek it out for everything i buy. I even have an orange in box at work! I also am a huge fan of Dentse Schmidt.

Linda N said...

It is easy to find good orange fabric now. It used to be hard to find but it has gotten popular now. Is this a pattern available to buy? It is gorgeous and fun. You did a great job.

Material Girl said...

Love your orange quilt. I have quilted 2 quilts with straight lines on my domestic machine. I did one on the diagonal- lets just say that the lines were supposed to be straight! The second one I used Blue painters tape and it was much enter. I had tried it on the quilt that was done giagonally but it just wouldn't stick. I found if I used shorter pieces it adhered better. I wish we had a quilt shop to try new things. I live vicariously from the blogs I read. Thanks for sharing!

Linda N said...

It is a gorgeous and fun quilt. You did a great job. Is the pattern available to buy? It used to be hard to find good orange fabrics but it has gotten popular over the years with the move to more modern designs. Thanks for sharing.

Lies Koster said...

Though orange is NOT my favourit colour, I do like your quilt. I like the unrulyness of it. I can see the patchwork police didn't came by.
About taking photos on these short days, I took a photo of my quilt hanging at the fence of the football playground in front of my house. Since I cannot place a photo here, you can see the result on my blog, huisvlijtigliesje.blogspot.com

Jen said...

Stunning quilt! I really like the contrasting backing fabric, too.

Janina said...

Great quilt and the color choice. The small blocks within the large ones are fun and really mix things up. Does the pattern have a name?

Anonymous said...

That's a really fabulous quilt. I've never been able to stick to a very limited palette, let alone just 2 colours, but yours is really effective. I think those little blocks within blocks totally make it. Happy New Quilting Year!

pennylanequilts said...

Oooh, my favorite color! Good job on taking the longarm class. You have finished so many quilts lately, and now there will be even more finishes in your future.

Jan said...

Love!!

Kort og Søm said...

That is gorgeous! :)

Karen said...

I didn't know I was so fond of orange until I saw this :) And the backing is such a perfect complement to the front. A real beauty!

Annemieke said...

This is a beauty!!!All of : front,colours, small within the big blocks and the back. One of the best you made 😊
Groetjes
Annemieke

Anonymous said...

That is brilliant! I love the backing as well. It has such charm and character!

Bernie Kringel said...

A cheerful finish for winter quilting!! Walking indoors at the school is a great idea.

I took a long arm class last year and have rented time at the shop two times since then. I have a third top ready to go. It is a great way to access a long arm without having to spend the money on purchasing a machine. Also, they are quite large to have at the house. So, I feel like its a wonderful way to be able to quilt bigger projects.

The backing was the perfect choice - great contrast.

Happy Sunday Amanda!!

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

What a great quilt, and the backing IS perfect!

Emma Smith said...

Buy a computerised Gamill Statler if you would like to have options for quilting. I have got one. 😊

SewPsyched! said...

oh my goodness!!! What a lovely shot of cheer!
XX!

lindak21 said...

Your quilt is delightful and absolutely yummy. The smaller blocks really a punch!

Live a Colorful Life said...

I'm pretty sure this will be my choice to take to Grubers. Just sayin' It's FABULOUS!!