Friday, September 8, 2023

Peace and plenty of color

 Hi all! How has your week been? We have moved on from hot and dry to extremely hot and just about to storm like crazy. We broke temperature records four days in a row this week. Try to imagine college students in a classroom in a building built in the 1890s when it's 100 degrees outside. Zero fun, do not recommend.

I have a fun finsh to show off today, though-- I have finished the top of the Peace and Plenty quilt! Take a look and see if you think it's as gorgeous as I do:


Wow, that's a lot of color! This was one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects for this year. We're finishing off with aqua for this year, and after I made those blocks it was only a short step to completing  the top. That idea of making a few blocks a month really works out!


Above are the aqua blocks by themselves. Aren't they pretty? Aqua is such a great color and I tried to choose one that was 'greener' and one that was 'bluer' and one I just liked. The truth is I love them all, of course. And that pink rose is a lovely contrast!


I love how this turned out, but I do recognize that all the colors kind of break up the pattern and the movement in the top. If all of the blocks were in one color there would be a lot more secondary patterns across the quilt top. There are plenty of secondary patterns in here, though, and all the color is definitely more fun. If you'd like to make some blocks yourself, the directions and cutting sizes are right HERE. I made my blocks in the 12-inch size.


I wasn't going to add a border, but I added the very colorful one just to finish off all those raw edges. Why not? It was all the perfect colors and finished everything off nicely. I think I have enough for the binding in that same fabric, too. My top finished at just about 66 by 78, a nice cozy size.


Now that this top is done I've started getting last year's projects ready to send out for quilting. I love long arming, but it would work so much better for me if I could load a quilt one day and stitch it over the next few days instead of having to get two quilts done in the space of less than 6 hours, including loading. It's time to admit I'm not going to do that and get these tops sent out so a real longarmer can finish them up.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I am going to try not to get too wet in the storms and I also have to take my main machine to the machine-fixer-people. I was stitching away happily and hit a pin, which broke the needle, which then fell into the machine. I couldn't get it out, and the timing is off now too, so time to call in the pros. Hope that never happens to you! I'll close with a picture of a volunteer coleus that sprung up in one of my pots. It's so pretty-- and it kind of goes with the quilt!


Sharing at soscrappy for RSC23 and the Patchwork and Quilts linkup at Quilting Patchwork Applique.

17 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

it sounds like you have had all the heat that we just got over with. Finally here it is cooling off a little bit I hope it heads your way - the quilt turned out great.

Kate said...

Oh I can't imagine classes in that heat with no air conditioning. Congrats on a very pretty and colorful finish.

Sara said...

Oh my - so pretty! That border fabric is just perfect. I can imagine perfectly how your classroom felt. I spent 18 years in a similar HS classroom - old building, no AC, second floor. Miserable those first couple of weeks of school in the fall and last few in the spring.

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Gorgeous quilt indeed, I love all these colors together, and the floral border is perfect! Really cute aqua blocks.
Your coleus is beautiful, mine just died during the hot summer... :(
Thank you for sharing your finish and your block tutorial, and linking up ;)

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I LOVE all the color in this one!!! and the addition of the Teal blocks is amazing!!!
Hope it cools down for you some!!! I went to HS in an old college building on the 3rd floor - no ac ( and 110deg days) i DO not envy you at all....

scraphappy said...

It is a beautiful quilt. I do see how something more monochromatic would give secondary patterns, but oh the colors! So sorry to hear about your machine. It will be good to get a solid cleaning and check up though, and having a backup machine is so handy! It is nice to load up a quilt and be able to quilt it out a bit at a time, but finishing is still sweet no matter how it happens.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That is so pretty, Mari! I have loved those Peace and Plenty blocks all the way along. Great border, too. Sending some cool breezes your way!

Cathy said...

What a beautiful, colorful quilt, Mari! You outdid yourself on this one!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Congrats on finishing up your RSC quilt top, Mari, and it looks SEW good with that colorful border print!! Sorry about your wilting students and the machine woes you experienced this week. Here's hoping some cooler weather and calling in the pros will make everything better in the weeks ahead!

Gwyned Trefethen said...

Love the border fabric you chose to finish your top. It's perfect for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Jenny said...

Such lovely quilt blocks and the border is perfect.

grammajudyb said...

Wow! That certainly is a colorful top! I really like the added border. Thanks for the link to the directions! Hope you get some cool down soon! I must be awful to try to teach in such conditions and awful for you students who are trying to learn!

Sylvia@Treadlestitches said...

Such a pretty quilt top, nice work! Sorry about the heat, it's been ridiculous this year. How nice that a coleus volunteered to spring up in your flower pot!

Danice G said...

Another beautiful quilt. 'Hoping your main machine is repaired soon.

The Cozy Quilter said...

I think your colourful blocks look great together. I like making quilts this way too. very manageable and at the end of the year, your have some quilts! (I usually do two or three RSC projects each year.)

Preeti said...

This is such a happy scrappy finish. Love the border. Any craps left?
I want them, please.
Looks like the worst of the summer is behind us. I am ready for fall! Hugs.

Nann said...

Wonderful! The border is perfect.