Spin - Ta Da!

Let me tell you about Spin. After a wash and dry, she is about 56" x 58", drawing in a bit more in one direction than the other it seems. The math for the pattern gives you an un-quilted quilt top of 60" square. If you wanted it bigger it would be a simple thing to add more of the background squares.

Spin is a version of my own design - a pattern I call Twirl. A minimalist medallion using the Allium block I designed when I made Echoes. This pattern will be available to purchase very soon. In the meantime, if you are impatient, feel free to just make your own version if you are able to figure her out, although I would love it if you would let me know and credit me for your inspiration.



I waited just a bit too late for the best photo light, but that one above is probably the closest to right. Spin was made with some wonderful orange bits and lots of low volume neutrals. There are a lot of Carolyn Friedlander prints in this quilt but several others too. I have to say that orange is my current favourite quilting colour.



I quilted and quilted Spin. I have already written about the quilting here and here. All the quilting was done on my Millenium Longarm machine. I drew every line free hand, without the help of rulers or channel locks or markings on the fabric, and with no computer or panto either.

I used 100% cotton thread for the quilting. The top and the bottom, as I quilted her used a medium orange Superior Threads King Tut - that close up above is the orange thread. The middle portion uses a Star variegated orange, pink/red thread. I used the same thread in the bobbin as on the top.



I consider my style - this style - to be modern industrial - think warehouse, brick wall, rough and functional - organic, not precise. I filled the spaces with lines, every which way.  For the orange curvy bits, I echoed the curves. The final step to show off this style of quilting is to wash and dry the quilt so that the 100% cotton batting and thread draws in a bit and adds some texture. I prewash all my fabrics so the draw in is not from the fabric shrinking.



For her back, I used four prints that I love. Two by Zen Chic, one by Denyse Schmidt and one by Suzuko Koseki. You can see the quilting well on the light prints on the back. The binding is scrappy, made of 7 different Carolyn Friedlander orange prints.



The above photo is before I washed this quilt. You can see the flatness in the quilting and the stiffness in the drape. There is just no way for me that the quilt is finished at this stage, this is not the look I am seeking.



Here is a close up of the unwashed quilting. The quilting is easier to see but it is so less textured and dynamic.



Here is another photo after the wash and dry. You can see that the cardboard-y stiffness has gone and the quilt is drapey like a blanket. This photo also gives you a bit of proportion.



I am so smitten with this quilt. I am going to enter her in the Quilt Canada National Juried Show - the entry must be in by noon tomorrow. I am going to try for one more photo shoot first thing in the morning to see if I can get a better full on shot for the entry, but either way, I am hoping that she will be accepted into that show.

I am off to the Lethbridge Modern Quilt Guild meeting - they will be the first quilters to see Spin in person.

Thank you to all of you here and on Instagram for all the encouragement and enthusiasm about this quilt. I am already keen to make another, but I have some other designs using this block in mind too.

I've linked this post up to some excellent and inspiring, sharing posts: Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Hearts, Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story, Finish it up Friday with Amanda at Crazy Mom Quilts, and maybe I'll add some more links as the week goes along.

By the way, Spin was on my Q1 FAL List too, so I have one finish already!

Best,

Leanne

I quilted a lot on Saturday

The quilting is done! I used all the moments available to me yesterday to quilt. Today I will trim and start binding this quilt. Also I have to mend in all those thread ends from the thread breaks - a couple of them are from bobbins emptying too. Mostly I was able to just transition from one quilting area to the next without cutting the thread.



I am sure there are several names for this ariel view, linear graffiti, industrial line style of quilting - these are mine. It is all freehand - no rulers, no computer, no channel locks used on my longarm. The lines wobble, the spacing varies, the turns and travelling are often jiggly - and it gives an overall organic, industrial feel. Sort of like a warehouse or a rough brick wall. It is fun and easy to do on any kind of sewing machine, maybe you will give it a try too.

It is exactly the look I intended. I am pretty certain that washing and drying will also improve it and the wobbles and jiggles will melt into the design and the planned texture will be the feature. We will know soon.



I realized that I could also go back and add a bit of matchstick quilting, so I did that in a couple of places. I was hesitant to add too many really dense patches as that might affect the drape of the quilt.

If you were part of the instagram cheerleaders, thank you and thank you for not being tired of seeing photos of the quilting of this project. And yes, there are many Carolyn Friedlander fabrics in this quilt, along with others. Yes, the quilting was inspired by Carolyn's fabric, her work, her quilting in her book, and also inspired by others, including Krista Withers - I have been lucky enough to take classes from both of these talented women. I have quilted like this many times before, it is also just my own journey to use straight lines for quilting because I love them.

Today it is binding, mending threads and I want to work more with my scrap boxes too, and maybe some other project will call my name. Oh and there are the chores I neglected yesterday, sigh.

Have a lovely day!

Best,

Leanne