The whole quilt is made from just the one shape.
I've written about the process before; here (close ups of some of the blocks), here (where I asked for layout ideas and then ignored them all) and here (the quilt top all sewn together).
The original inspiration came from Material Obsession II - Jazz Hands.
Each piece was individually cut out (albeit through several layers at a time) and I tried to fussy cut some of the centre shapes.
I know you can EPP this and have seen it called Antique Star Rose on quilty blogland but I'm not a huge fan of EPP. I think it takes too long and I'm not sure why I would want to add more stages to the process (cutting/buying paper, tacking shape to paper, removing said paper) when you can (imo) achieve the same result just hand-sewing each individual piece together. I hugely admire EPP projects I have seen - they are just not for me.
As it was such a whopper of a quilt, I decided to hand-quilt inside all the little shapes and then machine FMQ around all the negative space.
And as the contrast between the low-volume background and the shapes and borders is so marked, I just grabbed any old scraps for the two dark borders so it was a fantastic scrap-buster. You don't need to ponder if a particular fabrics 'goes' with the others because it doesn't matter: you are cutting them quite small and as long as they provide enough contrast to the lights, they are fine, providing a nice homogenous mess.
Well what can I say?
I just totally love how one shape can create something so individual and scrappily delicious.
I do like a bit of portable hand-sewing to slowly do and this was most definitely it.
And now it's finished I've just discovered the next portable hand-quilting project :-)
Linking up to WIP Wednesday |
Absolutely amazing!!! Amazing! Love! Love! Love!!!
ReplyDeleteI’m speechless Alison! This quilt is soooo beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteIt is spectacular! What an accomplishment! I do love the scrappy borders! I'm almost finished with mine (EPP) and I only hope it looks as good as yours!
ReplyDeleteoh how i adore your scrappy border alison. i just finished block 15...makes me want to go pick up the next one right now!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a great finish! (i hadn't heard of the alternative name before!)
ReplyDeleteLove love love love love it!
ReplyDeleteThis one is stunning! And so inspiring too. I love the quilting, both the hand quilting parts and the machine parts. It is a quilt you can just keep looking at.
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOOOOOSH!! I'm gushing!! This is so totally awesome! I'm in EPP love here! Why did I start another Hexie quilt again??? Dang it!! I wish I had seen this before I cut all those stupid pieces :( I want to un-do it... go back in time and start over!! boooo hoooo! Oh well there will be more quilts.
ReplyDeleteSo incredibly gorgeous! A real work of art.
ReplyDeletesimply stunning
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Just love everything about this quilt, the lovely scrappiness which comes together to make such a beautiful whole quilt. Your choice of hand and machine quilting was a perfect choice!
ReplyDeleteOh Lordy it's gorgeous I'm ploughing my way through the same design. It's interesting to see how someone else has used their fabrics. I agree that's easy to hand sew rather than EPP.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until my son gets off the lap top so I can see your quilt better rather than on the small screen on my phone x
*sigh* another glorious quilt! you are a quilt rock star!
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Goodness. This is incredible!!
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary! I sure hope you enter this in a contest somewhere, somehow.
ReplyDeleteI am in love. This is just amazing, beautiful and brilliant.
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely wonderful. I am still on my first block - those pesky 72 pieces are not coming together as quickly as I had hoped. ALTHOUGH I have changed over to EPP method (using glue) as I cannot abide the dots and I cannot eyeball a straight 1/4 seam. Do you use dots and/or eyeballs and estimates!?
ReplyDeleteL
I eyeball...dots are a process too far for me!
DeleteThanks for the reply. I will have another go at eyeballing and see how it goes. I am always keen to try techniques others use especially if they are quicker and yours must be soooo much quicker than the EPP method.
DeleteThis is so gorgeous! I love everything about it. Especially all the fabrics. I think you covered it all -- plaids, stripes, florals, geometric, bold, quiet -- I could look at this for hours. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is fabulous! I am going to have to have someone tie me down so I don't start one of these before I finish something else. SIGH. PS Would you mind sharing the approximate size of the blocks you cut, as well as the finished size of the quilt? I just ordered a template for that shape and wonder if it would work.
ReplyDelete69" wide and 75" long. The actual kite shapes is 2 3/4" on the long sides and 1 3/4" on the shorter sides and you need 72 to make a block. You have to look on it as a slow burn project and take it one block at a time!
DeleteYou do THE most amazing work! Always a treat to visit your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love how you fussy cut the inner fabric to create a kalidascoppe effect. Your quilts are so beautifull and full of color.
ReplyDeleteI think you're officially insane! Lol! No way I would ever willingly do thousands of the same piece! Kudos to you! :)
ReplyDeleteit gorgeous... what shape is it called?
ReplyDeleteThe actual one shape is a kite shape
DeleteThank you
Deleteit looks wonderful and well worth all your efforts xx
ReplyDeleteI have the same questions as LTT -though if I search back I'm sure you told us at some point.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I can't edit a comment on my ipad...I was trying to add that I need to take hand sewing with me on my travels and this looks an ideal project.....not sure if I would use EPP for the accuracy though?!??
ReplyDeleteIt's fabulous - I love the different way you've used fabric/colour in some of the centres so that they look different! Oh, and I'm completely with you on EPP!
ReplyDeleteAnother stunning quilt.
ReplyDeleteSuperb! Love the double border.
ReplyDeleteSo want to make one of these, but must finish a hexi undertaking first (3 years in, has not been worked on in months; feel motivated now, seeing this, to resurrect and attempt to finish it.)
And so you should love it! Gorgeous work, a piece of art.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love it too!
ReplyDeleteThis is truly fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWow! Wow! Wow! Stunning quilt!
ReplyDeleteThat is a beauty! So much movement and life.
ReplyDeleteNo idea of how you deem that 'portable' but it is bloody awesome!
ReplyDeleteHand. Pieced?! No. Way. Mega kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteIncredible. Love how your fabrics all play so nice together. Congrats on a great finish!
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous. Such a huge project to have hand pieced and hand quilted. Up to recently I have only hand-pieced my quilts (small projects!) and I was wondering why lots of people use EPP when pieces can just be hand-sewn together. I guess it is just a personal preference!
ReplyDeleteSO BEAUTIFUL! I shrunk this block down once and made it for a bag in a swap. Once was enough, never making it again, but your quilt almost makes me want to! This is absolutely amazing.
ReplyDeleteDelicious! It makes me smile and laugh feel joyful! It's amazing to think you used just one shape and I love how you fussy cut some of the centers. Looking at it reminds of how much I loved kaleidoscopes when I was a kid -- and I still do but the colors aren't as bright now, which makes looking at your quilt so much fun!
ReplyDeletewow!!!!!!! It is incredibly beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. Unlike many people who endlessly ponder whether a colour goes, I don't...it's a quilt!
ReplyDeleteI am in awe of this quilt! I want to make it! I love the way you used the low volume fabrics (something I do not have enough of) to make it all pop. If I order a template to make this do I just submit the sizes you mentioned earlier? Thank you for sharing all the information and the beautiful work you created!
ReplyDeleteActually amazing- I wouldn't have the confidence in my seam allowances not to EPP this!
ReplyDeleteThis is so fabulous. I absolutely love it <3
ReplyDeleteI love this and I love hand sewing. I recently began following your blog and wow, this is stunning!! I'm going back to read your other posts on the process. Thanks, you must be so proud of this piece!!
ReplyDeleteVery nice and cute!tender color!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love how you combine your hand quilting and machine quilting into the same quilt so effectively. Very impressive combination of scraps and beautiful design! Love it!
ReplyDeleteStunning quilt! I would have never guessed it was just one shape at first glance. Fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteI am incredibly inspired by this quilt. Just ONE shape?? Mind blown.
ReplyDeleteAnother stunner! You make the most amazing quilts! A Jazz hands quilts is also on my to-do list, but I've only finished one block.
ReplyDeleteSpeechless......You come up with the most spectacular quilts! What's your secret???? Please share!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that you hand stitched this quilt without the help of paper. I just finished a huge EPP project, it took me forever to remove the basting stitching and the paper templates, I have to try next time without paper.
ReplyDeleteI love the block with kaleidoscope effect and the borders adds a lot the design - you wouldn't say it is made only with one shape!
Fantastic! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteWell done! This really awesome! Maybe I should try that one shape pattern for my Rose Star EPP (a spring plan), instead of the other that seems much more complicated.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely wonderful! Love how it turned out.
ReplyDeleteThat is really stunning. I don't think I have another handsewn quilt in me at the moment, maybe in the future though and this would definately be something worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteIt's totally amazing! And mindboggling that it is made from just one shape...
ReplyDeleteCottilello x
KABOOM! That was the sound of my brain exploding. I just love everything about it, the border, the blocks, the background, the binding, the quilting. Oh, quilty love! I love all of the fussy cutting :-) All those little kite shapes! Well done!
ReplyDeletematerial obsession is RIGht !! love this ...hope it makes it from my to do list to DONE list xoxo pam
ReplyDeleteCan't remember if I commented on this previously and too lazy to sift though the above to check.....even so, worthy of multiple rounds of applause :)
ReplyDelete