Here it is - my finished Summer Sampler! I am really thrilled with how it turned out. Do you like the border?
This quilt is so different for me. It took me far, far outside my comfort zone. I've notice that when friends come to visit and ask to see what I'm working on, I feel the need to prepare them before unveiling this work. Is it the black? Or the traditional, piecy blocks? I'm not sure, but either way I wanted the border to cement all I love about the blocks: the sharp angles, heightened contrast, girlie magenta paired with hard black.
So, my border is scrappy, not solid. And, free of yellow too. Once it occurred to me to keep the yellow in the center only, I knew that was meant to be. It may be my imagination, but I feel like the slightly subdued border frames the quilt and the yellow in the blocks draws the eyes to the center. I like it anyways!
Backed in a lovely Ginsing print by Joel Dewberry and bound in Kona Cerise. Quilted with straight lines in an evenly spaced, but irregular pattern. With my 5" border, the finished size is 58" x 46", which I think will be lovely for the foster child I've imagined. To be donated in September to Epworth Children's Home in conjunction with Kate's 100 Quilts for Kids drive. Thank-you, Kate, for giving me a reason to enjoy the Summer Sampler Series quilt-along! And thanks also to Faith and Lee!
As you can see, our quiet old place is a beautiful cemetery. I hope you don't mind me taking you here! This particular one is over 100 years old and filled with majestic live oaks and interesting corners. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to explore much on this particular trip, but the kids are as eager as we to return sometime soon.
This time, with quarters.
Great quilt - I love the border; super photo-shoot location and I can imagine those little legs going as quickly as they could to make it!
ReplyDeleteThere will be one very happy recipient in the Autumn x
I love everything about it but the color and borders work especially well for me - not my usual colour choice either! It pays to jump outside our box!
ReplyDeleteLooks great...I love the border
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo shoot! Your quilt is super and someone will enjoy, love all the colors.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out incredible! I love the border and the richness of the cerise and the contrast with the black and, well, everything!
ReplyDeleteI like this design has been beautiful
ReplyDeleteThe quilt came out really beautifully! It was probably a smart move to keep the yellow in the centre, like you said, it draws the eye in, but also a small amount of yellow carries more attention-getting-weight than large amounts of any other colour, so it's really easy to cross over into YELLOW quilt territory, even when you're just aiming for it as an accent. I think you got it right though, proportionally. It's really beautiful. And like someone else said, the colour palette is very rich. Sophisticated.
ReplyDeleteReally lovely! The scrappy border is just so perfect!
ReplyDeleteI think it's exactly what it's supposed to be, and I love that some of the blocks look three dimensional. Whoever gets this is very blessed!
ReplyDeleteI love the border! It pulls all the different blocks together. Beautiful (:
ReplyDeleteThis quilt looks great, I love the colours you've used!
ReplyDeleteWow - this is gorgoeus, and I LOVE the border. Fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely! It's great when you go outside your comfort zone! the colors really work together.
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful!!! I love everything about it!!
ReplyDelete..and so you should be happy with it..it is simply gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWow, amazing! So dramatic!
ReplyDeletevery striking. So glad to hear you are donating it and to whom. That is so great!
ReplyDeleteIt's just gorgeous Rachel! Love your photoshoot :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I love the colors! :)
ReplyDeletereally very beautiful! Great fotos ☺
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt. My six year old loves cemeteries and will beg to stop and walk around one. Oh, and she wants her headstone to look like the statue of liberty. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely!
ReplyDeleteThat came out beautifully, and it looks very modern with those colours, not at all like a traditionally pieced quilt.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I was eyeing up our local necropolis as we drove past earlier, thinking it would be great for a photo shoot (that would be a cemetery on steroids, the biggest pissing contest ever in the form of 'headstones' and crypts all for the great and the good of Glasgow from several centuries ago)
I'll be honest: I couldn't get into this quilt while you were building the blocks, but in its' finished form, it is absolutely gorgeous! Great job, on everything - the borders are just perfect, too.
ReplyDeleteLOVE that scrappy border! It looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE LOVE LOVE this quilt, the colors, the prints you picked! it's definitely SWOON worthy.
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely! I really love the border and I may do the same for mine too ;-) Thanks for such inspiration!
ReplyDeleteGreat quilt, and the border is perfect!!
ReplyDeleteThe quilt has a wonderful blend of these colors. The pictures of you holding the quilt are great!
ReplyDeleteOMG I just love this quilt!! I totally agree with b78ayers; I also was kind of "ho hum" about the individual blocks. But it came together so beautifully!! Perfect color combinations and I love the scrappy borders especially (with a mini bit of yellow there, I see). I wish I were brave enough to step away from traditional quilts.
ReplyDeleteThat is very very awesome and your decision to leave the yellow out was inspired. It works very well! Love the finished product.
ReplyDeleteFantastic quilt! I know it will bring comfort to some who needs it.
ReplyDeleteit's great. I love your stuff it is very inspirational. And i love that you are donating it to such a great cause. Well done again!
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful quilt! makes me almost wish i was a foster child... well, not really but it is really beautiful and i also love the yellow in the center. it does draw the eye.
ReplyDeleteGreat colour selection and the border is just right.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is amazing, love your color choise and the scrapy border!
ReplyDeleteThe border was a great choice. This quilt is one of my favorite types of modern quilting: traditional blocks made modern by color, fabric, and extras (like a piece-y border).
ReplyDeleteit's just completely beautiful and i love your pictures! and good for you for donating it, someone will definitely give it a lot of love!
ReplyDeleteI love it. You might not think it's very "you" but I think the color pallette you chose is very Rachel - the deep saturated bold colors. The peicing maybe not, but that is what is great about projects like this - being a new learning you. What is the finished size? The blocks are bigger than I thought they were from individual shots - this size really makes me want to dive in and try this sampler!
ReplyDeleteWonderful quilts with a wonderful border! Well done, great work! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHave a super great sewing and stitching day.
I love the way it turned out! It is sure to be loved by whomever receives it! Great job Rachel!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, all! The border is my favorite part, but only because I designed it. Isn't that the way it goes? It just feels so good to create!
ReplyDeleteJune - With my 5" border, the finished size is 58" x 46". Each block finishes at 12". There are 12 blocks in the QAL, but I cheated on 2 and repeated my favorites =). Thank-you for telling me it's still "me". I think that's what I needed to hear!
Ah! I, love. it. This is such a beautiful quilt. Your border is fun and unexpected. It's definitely a favorite!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to find a free parking spot. You must keep an incredibly clean car to not have change in the console!
Your quilt is beautiful! The fabric colors are so rich. What a fantastic job : )
ReplyDeleteRachel, I LOVE your finished quilt. I mean, I really, really, love it. I Think my favorites are the two blocks, second row down that blend together with their white. The boarder is awesome too. And, like others have said, this quilt is very much you. Maybe not the traditional piecing, but the colors for sure express you.
ReplyDeleteGreat job and ..... inspiring. I'm waiting for my local shop to get in some of my black material to finish mine. Once done, I may, just may, quilt it myself. I was going to send it out, but seeing yours gives me the thought that maybe I can do mine. Then again, my strong black element may make me send it out after all......
Thanks for sharing.
Bravo! Absolutely stunning! I'm just back from DC/NYC, so I'm catching up on my missed blogs and 686 emails!
ReplyDeleteLeAnn aka pasqueflower
I love this quilt! I kept reading the blog as you were making the blocks thinking eh, this is not going to be something I like but it looks great! Everything looks so perfect together. Because of this I may actually try a sampler quilt. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteRachel, I really love it. It's not colors I would choose when making a quilt because I'd worry that they were too bold and I'd chicken out. But you have proven how well they all work together!!! Absolutely beautiful!!
ReplyDeletep.s. At least you venture out for different quilt photo backgrounds. ALL of my shots involve pine trees because that's what's outside my front door!!
Loving the patchwork border. (I think I may steal that idea!)
ReplyDeleteI love how yours turned out. I wish I had your eye for color!
ReplyDeleteI love the borders and keeping the yellow in the center was definitely the right instinct!
ReplyDeleteStunning! I too am slightly outside the comfort zone for quilts like this (I always seemt to choose prints over solids and rarely use black), but you've inspired me to branch out! I think I've had dreams about these colors- absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous. Your border is wonderful, too!
ReplyDelete