Friday, June 2, 2017

Avant Garde

I just completed my very first queen sized bed quilt, using the Avant Garde fabric collection that was almost too pretty to cut up. Almost ... so I cut it up into rather large pieces. I completed this quilt top a few months ago and waited until I had a longarm before quilting this quilt.

It was actually the thought of quilting this quilt that had me decide to look into a longarm machine to begin with. It might have sounded like a ridiculous idea at that point, but once the idea took hold, there was no shaking it. Suddenly, I found all sorts of excuses to justify why purchasing a longarm might be a good idea. (I even convinced myself at one point that I can make it pay for itself eventually. Some day. When my robot butler does everything else in the house.) But I'm so glad for that moment of insanity that started me down the path toward my longarm!

This quilt is fairly forgiving to quilt because the fabric is so busy and bright. I did a back and forth design on the sashing strips and practiced a lot of my favorite fillers in the wavy strips. Most of the quilt alternates between two designs: swirls / paisley allover and wonky spirals. I quilted it on a bigger scale than I normally do because this is a bed quilt and I didn't want it to be too stiff.

I highlighed a section of the quilt by quilting it differently, with pebbles and feathers. This is definitely my favorite section! I can't get enough of the texture, especially on this batting! For the first time ever, I used a polyester batting (Quilter's Dream Poly) and I'm in love with it. It's just as easy to quilt with, has a little more loft, and is cheaper than cotton.

I am so happy with this quilt! The fabric was stunningly beautiful, the pattern was interesting, and the quilting was so much fun. I think this quilt looks great on the guest bed, and every morning when I walk by the guest bedroom, I'll see it and smile.

***

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

17 comments:

  1. This is absolutely gorgeous! I love all of the different quilting motifs!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, your long arm skills are terrific! Gorgeous quilt, and your quilting really enhances it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow that looks awesome, I love it

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would smile every time I see this quilt, too. It is so cheery and uplifting. Congrats on your longarm!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love those saturated colors and the modern piecing! You quilted it beautifully and deserve to enjoy it every day :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fantastic finish! The quilting really adds to the whole feel of the quilt. And I noticed it all seemed to go along really well with those drapes in the room. You do a beautiful job with your quilting. --Andrea

    ReplyDelete
  7. It's stunning! And the quilting is wonderful. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hurry up and get your robot butler! You need to be in business so you can share your talent. This quilt is absolutely gorgeous. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! Gorgeous quilt and your quilting is so great. You are really going to town on that longarm!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful, beautiful quilt! The colors are so brilliant and you did an awesome job on the quilting. Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh wow isn't it just gorgeous! I love the way it ripples and you did a beautiful job on the quilting :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is a great design Liz and those fabrics are beautiful. The quilt looks great on your bed. You're doing so good on your longarm! Your pebbles look fantastic...circles are a struggle for me right now. Keep up the great work!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That is really cool! I love the side to side quilting on your sashing I totally relate to you about not wanting to cut into gorgeous fabrics, so I think you made a good choice with this pattern as it lets the fabrics show off. Good work!

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's a beautiful quilt! Love how you quilted it too! It's funny when an idea strikes, how it can take hold and not let go until you can accomplish it! Long arm...good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  15. nice finish. Your choice of quilting works really well on this design and fabrics. Excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a beauty! Great quilting and fabric choice.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting and for your comments! I try to reply to comments, so if you don't hear from me, check if you're a no-reply blogger. Have a nice day!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...