Pages

Thursday, February 28, 2019

TGIFF - Finish Report! "Ruffled Roses" - my best UFO ever, and February OMG

Hello!  Welcome to this week's Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday hosting!


This is where you can link up your finishes that you're excited/relieved/proud about! Show us your finished quilt, or complicated quilt top, or even a full set of intricate blocks that took you forever to do!

We appreciate your including a link to this event in the post that you're sharing, and when you link up, don't forget to use the URL for your particular post page, not the general URL for your blog/photo set.  :)



I am super excited to share my finished UFO, "Ruffled Roses," by Sue Garman, as it has been in the works for quite a long time. (I will edit this for a full-face shot of the quilt as soon as weather permits me to get it outside with holder-uppers.)



This was the 2011 Block of the Month quilt at The Quilt Show. I purchased their kit, because the spring colors appealed to me during my winter shopping. It started out that fall as a very long-term project in my hand applique tote. In February 2013, it went onto my BOM work rotation and the piecing got monthly attention, until the top was finished in February 2015. 



At that point, it was hung in the Quilt Top Closet until whichever time came first: My turn with a master longarmer, or I got my own longarm and felt ready to work on this. I'm really glad the line was too long to beat out my acquisiton, because quilting this up for my first 2019 UFO was supremely satisfying.  It took just under 87 intense hours. I needed a good 2 week break completely away from it after that, but yesterday I got the binding attached and all stitched down, keeping its track record of significant stages culminating in Februaries. For some reason, that quite tickles me.

By the way, this is my February 2019 project for the Elm Street Quilts OMG challenge!  
And I'm so excited about this finish, I'm linking up at Show Off Saturday, and Tish's UFO Busting, as well.


This is my best quilt that I've made so far. And I admit that I'm quite sad that it's leaving me. Last year, I promised my mother-in-law her choice of quilt tops in the closet to quilt up for her, and she chose this one. At least I know it's going to a great home where it 
won't be abused.  :)   


Most of the quilting comes from my own ideas, but the curved crosshatches and feather work encircling the baskets was a study of the work in those borders that Lisa Sipes did in 2012 on this Ruffled Roses




For the rest of the work, I knew I wanted to put a good bit of McTavishing on this quilt - for the applique background in the center, corner, and swag border areas, as well as for the basket backgrounds. 



I knew I wanted to try out some pumpkin seed work, which fit into the on-point round.



I knew I wanted to quilt feathers and roses that mimed the applique roses in the big central setting triangles that had so much untouched yellow. I actually quilted curved crosshatching in the first corner to reflect the curved cross hatching in the outer white border of the quilt, but it didn't look as great in the design as I wanted it to (with the nearby straight diagonals of the trellis round), so I spent almost 2 hours picking it out so I could switch to this straight crosshatching!



I had to think about what I wanted to do in the green border with the big purple dots - wanted something to tie those dots in a little better, so I tried this paisley-and-roses approach in a thicker variegated thread. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of the contrasting thread (pinks, purples, etc.) - but I love the effect!!  Particularly once I put in the figure-8s in the thin bands along either side. 



Roses got quilted into the outer piano-key colored border, as well, with meandering leaves filling in the rest. I had pressed all those seams open, so ditch work in each "key" wasn't an option. I really love the roses and vines, anyway, better than I probably would have liked the SID effect on this particular quilt.



I started marking roses into the trellis border, but they didn't completely float my boat, so I put some daisies in, instead. 



I needed something to tame down the big dark purple hearts in four of the applique blocks, so I came up with some detail work that I kind of reflected in the open hearts in the swag border corners. I also put some motifs with hearts or flowers in some of the large basket areas that needed "something" to break up their expanses. 



There are a lot of quilting themes on this quilt, but I tried to keep it cohesive by having each theme reflected somewhere. Some things were more successful than others, but overall, it came out wonderful!

The last border for me to figure out was the swags. I didn't know how I was going to quilt them until after everything else was done, including their McTavish background. I drew tons of ideas out on my overlay sheets, tried and picked out a couple, and finally stumbled on feathers for the top green and a sort of ruffle-miming approach for the bottom green. That one made me happy.




This was all done with double batting - Hobbs Premium Washable Wool on top of Hobbs Heirloom 80/20. I used all kinds of threads in about eight different colors - mostly So Fine and Monopoly, with that Superior Rainbow thread thrown in. Usually I change the bobbin color out to match the top thread, but with the double batt and the mostly-pastels threads on top, I kept with my white SuperBob prewound bobbins the entire way through. They worked wonderfully for all the top threads. Went through 28 bobbins on this baby. And that's a thin thread! Can't imagine how many MagnaGlides it would have used. . . 



~*~*~

So, now it's your turn!  Link up with a finish you would like to share, and enjoy a few moments browsing what others are celebrating! 

TGIFF Link-Up for February 28, 2019:


Inlinkz Link Party

39 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous! I hope your MIL lets you borrow this quilt occasionally to enter in some shows!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your quilting is gorgeous! And I appreciated following your quilting design decisions.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my gosh, Lynette, what a beautiful quilt! There's so much work just in creating the top and then you've enhanced it all with your beautiful quilting. Amazing! Thank you for hosting TGIFF.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow! What an amazing quilt! Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Breathtaking quilt! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm SO GLAD you didn't get to the front of that longarmer's wait list! How long have you had your own longarm, Lynette? The quilting is stunning. EIGHTY SEVEN HOURS -- uff da!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow!!! The applique! The QUILTING! Your MIL knows how to pick them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your quilt and quilting are stunning! Lol on it going to a good home where it won't be abused. :D Your MIL is a lucky woman.
    You have a Quilt Top Closet - OMG! I'm going to check out some more posts on your blog to see what kind of longarm you have.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Phenomenal stiching work, you should be proud! Before your MIL takes possession, any plans to enter this in any shows? At the very least, that should be a condition of her ownership: to allow you to periodcially give the rest of the world a chance to view and enjoy this one. A stunner and a real compliment to the memory of Ms. Garman's design work!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gosh! That is eye-popping beautiful. I love every aspect of your quilting - i need to come back and look at it closely again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. wow what a beautiful quilt! and the quilting is amazing!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!! This is so amazing I love the kit colors. Your piecing, quilting and applique is fantastic but the quilting knocks the socks off of me. That is a master, master quilt deserving of all accolades. It has really brightened my drab snowy day in NJ.

    ReplyDelete
  13. WOW! Your quilt and the quilt are mindblowingly wonderful.

    My appliqué skills are very basic...and my long arm quilting skills are just slightly better.

    Your work is outstanding. Thank you for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just wow. I see my first reaction of "you have to show this quilt" has been echoed many times, and I hope you will. Amazing

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congratulations, it's an amazing quilt! I love love it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. So tickled I discovered your blog...What a stunning finish for you...everything from the precise piecing to the exquisite quilting sends it over the top....and your fabric choices send announce that Spring is just around the corner.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is absilutely STUNNING!! i think I might convince my MIL to choose another one!! Or be visiting it a LOT!! The quilting - wow!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is incredible. Had no idea what a treat I was in for when I popped over here. You are quite obviously a master stitcher/quilter. I may never blink again...soooo much beauty to take in.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a stunning job you did on the quilting! Bravo! How long have you had your quilting frame?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Woohoo for the finish! It really is stunning and shows how advanced your long arm skills have developed already.

    ReplyDelete
  21. WOW - This quilt is awesome. Your machine quilting is perfect as is your piecing and applique. Your mother in law is a very lucky lady.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Outstanding. You have created a treasure here. Fave detail for me was the tiny ruffle stitch in the lower half of the green swags...perfection.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on being chosen for Sew Can She's "Friday Spotlight" today! I've been taking a look this morning at all of the quilting you did on this one ~ and the word "Breathtaking" doesn't even begin to describe it. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful quilt! Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Toutes mes félicitation Lynette
    All these hours came out as a glorious spring day.
    You are honored by your peers.
    Yolande

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow this is an incredible quilt! All the piecing and the applique and then the glorious quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for sharing this. I was feeling a bit down this morning, but this totally cheered me up. I really like the curvy feathers around the on point basket squares, too. Now I want to make something with on point squares, to do the same quilting. But first I have to quilt my own spring colour quilt, a Splendid Sampler I made in 2016-2017. ( http://meynensoutenboom.blogspot.com/2017/06/my-splendid-sampler-is-ready-for.html ). I started hand quilting it, but that (in combination with daily clarinet practice) gave me tendonitis. So I bought a new sewing machine, took a course on FMQ and now I'm ready to get started (after I finish a baby quilt, for a nephew that is due in July). I will leave this tab open to have a quick look every now and then, to keep my spirits up ! Your MIl is very lucky!

    ReplyDelete
  27. OMG you made an already stunning quilt sing to the heavens above!

    ReplyDelete
  28. You are soooo clever, well done! This amazing, I can see why u were drawn to the colours. Your have done yourself proud in all phases of this quilt, what a beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  29. speechlessly wonderful. thank you so much for sharing i just can't get enough of all this beauty

    ReplyDelete
  30. When I make this quilt, and I will make this quilt, I hope I can quilt it as beautifully as you did. I have had the patterns printed for years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi can you share the pattern name and where I can get it. Or if there is still a kit available? Thank you Sandy

      Delete
  31. Your Quilts are out of the ball park, Absolutely gorgeous!! I am starting a quilt at the moment. I plan to use the border you sewed. The quilt you gave to your Mother inlaw. I am in awe with your quilting pattern, I can dream of quilting so beautifully. Thanks for sharing a photo, it is a great inspiration to me.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm a little late to the show, but this quilt is absolutely stunning! I love the bright colors and your detail work is amazing! Awesome quilt and quilting!

    ReplyDelete
  33. OM gosh, your quilt is outstanding especially when it was quilted by you being a newish quilter. Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow... your work: out of this world... and humbling enough to let us quilting-muggles know that take years to make such a beautifull piece of art.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Is there instructions on how to do the border? Would like to make that for a project!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Oh my gosh, I just love the multiple borders that you put on this quilt. A total labor of love. thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by! I answer each comment via email. Sometimes, though, the system fails to notify me that a comment has been left, and if you are a "No-Reply" commentor, I cannot respond. Also, I apologize for having to block anonymous users - too much uncivil spam was coming through to leave the comments completely open.