At the beginning of July, I taught an online workshop about using freezer paper for paper piecing (it's like magic!). During the workshop I made two blocks for a mini quilt using my Burst pattern. You can get the Burst pattern as a PDF or a printed pattern in my Etsy shop.
I have a counter where I put sewing things when I can't be bothered to put them away and last week the mess finally hit that critical mass where it gets overwhelming and I have to clean it up. At the very back of the pile, I found those two blocks, along with the cut pieces and the fabric pulled but not yet cut and I decided that I'd just finish the quilt top rather than putting the various bits away. Since it's a mini quilt, it came together really quickly. It makes me wonder why I put it aside for so long!
I love how the bright yellows and oranges look against the Riley Blake solid navy. They just glow against the dark background.
I love working with scraps from previous quilts. These swirls were part of a bundle I bought from Connecting Threads years ago, back when the Canadian dollar was strong enough that ordering from the States was a possibility. I love a good swirl fabric!
There are lots of Island Batik scraps in this mini, like these circles. This one isn't quite so neon in real life, but I could not get the colour right in the pictures at all.
This one that reminds me of fireworks is also an Island Batik scrap. The same print in yellow is in the quilt, too.
I can't even remember where this floral print came from, but I know I've had it for years and years. It's fun to mix those older prints in with the newer ones.
Speaking of newer ones, here's a piece of the yellow from Kristy Lea's Create line. I used it as the center of the plus blocks in my Level Up quilt.
It was a bit windy this morning when I was trying to get these pictures on the front deck of the Airbnb we're in this week, so I taped the quilt top to the wood. The wind was still trying to take it 😄
This is the last week before Paul and I go back to work, so we took the week to go across the province for some hiking and other fun. We took a puffin and whale watching tour - our first one even though Paul grew up in the province and we've lived here now for 15 years. It was amazing! The puffin colony is home to more than half a million puffins, so they were flying everywhere and floating all around the boat. I didn't bother trying to take pictures, because it was so much fun to just take it all in.
As for the hiking, that has been wonderful, as always. I love the ocean views in Newfoundland. We hiked out to North America's most easterly point, the Cape Spear lighthouse. You can drive there, too, but hiking it is more fun. You can just barely see the lighthouses (old and new) on the point in this picture.
I've never seen so many blueberries on trails before! They're everywhere! It's almost painful to walk past them and not stop to pick them all, lol. I have probably eaten close to my own weight in blueberries this week, just picking them and snacking as I hike along.
We'll be headed home on Sunday and then I have to decide how to quilt my Burst mini. My original Burst quilt has my first attempt at spiral quilting and I think I want something different this time. I'm not sure yet what that will be, though.
Don't forget, if you want to get the Burst pattern, it's available in my Etsy shop in either PDF or print versions. I offer free shipping on the print version, too.
I'm linking up with TGIFF, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop and Beauties Pageant.
The quilt is beautiful and has an amazing glow, Leanne. I'm so glad you are having a nice week; getting to see that many puffins sounds pretty magical!
ReplyDeleteKudos on finishing the mini quilt. Sounds like you're enjoying your vacation.
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt and it really is quite the eye catcher. I think it reminds me of sparklers, but I am not sure how I would quilt it. Look forward to seeing what you do.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice little quilt top! I like that you chose a strong, dark-colored background to highlight the "burst" pieces. I agree that the yellow swirl fabric is really good - my favorite of all of them. I am picturing a sort of jig-jag straight line quilting that echos the bursts, going from the center outward... but that's just me. Your day trip looks so inviting - those gorgeous views! I need a change of scenery like this. I wish you the best as you and your hubs return to work. No doubt your days will return to a different routine, and one that includes different "bumps along the road." Everyone who's returning to school is facing new challenges. Be well!
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt and how the bright yellows sparkle next to the navy! Burst is a great name for this quilt!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing how you will quilt this one!
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