Friday, May 26, 2017

Color Dash

I'm not a huge fan of rail fence quilts, but turns out I like rail fence inspired quilts. I made Snail Mail which is a rail fence pattern with a twist, and now this quilt is another rail fence variation. What makes this quilt interesting and striking to me, of course, is the play of the negative space with the colors. The pattern is Sweden by Brigitte Heitland, in her book Zen Chic Inspired.

The fabric bundle I used is Color Dash by Heather Jones. I'm a fan of Heather Jones, whose style is simple but striking, and her debut fabric collection did not disappoint. As soon as I saw Sweden and realized I wanted to make it, Color Dash flew to my mind, and I knew it was the perfect marriage.

I seem incapable of making strip sets without severely warping them, so what really helped in this case was pressing and coaxing the strip set straight with every seam I sew. I'm a steam fanatic! I wouldn't have been able to coax the blocks into shape without a lot of steam. And I mean, a lot.

I quilted this quilt with piano keys in the sashing, and I threw tons of linear designs on the blocks. I have to say my favorite design on this quilt is the square chain.

I also love my ribbon candies. Out of all of the designs I threw on there, ribbon candy is one I struggle with the most, especially this non-overlapping version. But when I step back, it looks much better. It's the magic of distance.

I meant to do one particular design, but somehow quilted something else. So I just went with it, and it ended up being another one of my favorites on this quilt. I will name it ... monster teeth. That's just what it reminded me of.

This is the first quilt I finished on my longarm, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out. Quilting on a longarm is even more fun than I imagined. Not having to baste is great, being able to use a ruler is awesome, but the best part ... no more drag!

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This post joined in the link parties at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Slice of Pi Quilts, Busy Hands Quilts, Cooking Up Quilts, and Crazy Mom Quilts. Link up and join the fun!

18 comments:

  1. Liz this is beautiful. I love the simple lines, but you have added such impact with the quilting. Nice job for your first longarm quilting.

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  2. This turned out great! I'm so glad that your longarm is cooperating now! I laughed when I read that you steamed the blocks a lot...I'm very anti-steam when quilting! Ha! Thanks for linking up to TGIFF!

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  3. Hi Liz,
    I think your quilt is beautiful, and I love the clean lines of it. Great job on your quilting too! The fabric choices are just perfect - love it all the way around. You probably know this already but when you sew your strips together are you alternating the direction of the seams? Since I have been doing that, I never have issues any longer with the strip sets warping. ~smile~
    Roseanne

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  4. This is gorgeous! The quilting is fantastic and this fabric line is a perfect choice for this pattern.

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  5. I love your version, so fun and pretty. Quilted just right too!

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  6. Congrats on a beautiful finish!

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  7. it is beautiful!! and the quitling is amazing!!

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  8. Beautiful quilting! Love the variety of stitches you did. You are a brave longarmer!!! BTW, I heart steam in my iron!

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  9. Liz, this is just beautiful, you are fearless and I am just so proud of you. Great work on your first quilt, you're only going to get better and better.

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  10. Gorgeous! I love how you did so many fun quilting designs in those narrow spaces. Ribbon candy isn't easy for me at all, so I admire yours :)

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  11. That's pretty stunning and the range of quilting patterns, just lovely.

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  12. A+ on the longarm quilting. Those many different designs show that you are going to be a pro! Already the lines are neat and even.
    The quilt pattern and fabrics really are pretty stunning. I love how the white gives the perfect amount of contrast. Great work all around!

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  13. I don't often leave comments but had to let you know how much I enjoyed seeing your quilt. I have to say your quilting is awesome!

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  14. Liz it looks great! I love the design and the simple strips, and then all that fabulous quilting! I think you did a wonderful job, and I don't see anything wrong at all with your ribbon candy. Beautiful!

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  15. Liz, a great quilt.. I love how some of the fabrics add to the negative space. Great job on the longarm quilting. I love it, and wish I had more access, so I could try some free motion.

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  16. This is a beautiful quilt! There are times when a lot of steam and a lot of starch are needed. Especially with skinny strips! Great job on the quilting too! So fun and beautiful!

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  17. Beautiful quilt. Love how light and airy it looks.

    -Soma

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  18. This is absolutely delightful!

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