Bottled Rainbows: Materials for Finishing

This post is part of a series Bottled Rainbows {ticker tape quilt along}. You can join in anytime. We're going at a leisurely pace and using up our scraps! Please see this page for links to all posts.

Welcome to my weekly edition of Bottled Rainbows!  I'm finding that one block a week is such a nice pace.  Delicious, leisurely stitching - continuity without cramming.  Lovin it!

This week I stitched up the Eggplant block.  It's a dark, slightly warm purple that bridges over to dark Indigo blue on the Bottled Rainbow Color Grid.  I used Kona berry for sashing. 

Although eggplant is a favorite color of mine, making this block was the first time I felt the fabric "pinch".  Not a lot of scraps to choose from and no stashed yardage to fill in holes.  Thank goodness a friend sent me these lovely scraps a few weeks back:

Aren't they pretty?!?!  If you haven't already seen it, these are from Joel Dewberry's new release, Aviary 2. Sparrows on Lilac wants to be a sundress, I say.  And that Bloom print would be perfect for contrast.  Did I already make Aria's Easter dress?  Darn.  Well, the entire green/eggplant colorway is on my wish list.  The tone is perfect for a Bottled Rainbow Eggplant block, so if you need an excuse to by a fat quarter or two...

OK all you purple-dislikers, can you resist?

Alright, didn't mean to get all confrontational.  You can dislike purple if you want.  The truth is, I can't seem to find a color that I squarely dislike.  At first I thought I might dislike peach, but Dottie Angel convinced me otherwise.  And then I said, well, not black then.  After all, black is NOT a color (or so I tell my husband).  But lately I'm starting to see how black can be just as vital as white in the mix of color, color.  So call me a color-ambassador.  I'm just trying to spread the craze.

finished quilt-top by AquaKnits

Can you believe that it's been 2 months since I first shared Bottled Rainbows with you?!?  It has!  I never guessed that so many people would jump on board.  Since some of you are lightyears ahead of me on this quilt-along, I figured I'd better put out some info on materials needed for finishing.

Border

A border is completely optional of course!  I'm planning to add one to contain all this color and bring the Bottled Rainbows quilt to a twin bed size.  A neutral border in natural linen, gray or white would be lovely.  Mine will be 5" wide with mitered corners.  For a 5" border, buy 1 1/2 yards of 44" wide fabric.

Backing

Ok, a backing is not optional (wink).  A border-less Bottled Rainbow Quilt-Top should measure 64" x 80".  Buy 4 1/2 yards of a 44" wide backing fabric and plan to piece your backing together with the seam running parallel to the shorter side of your quilt. 

A bordered Bottled Rainbow Quilt-Top should measure 74" x 90".  Buy 5 1/2 yards of a 44" wide backing fabric and plan to piece your backing together with the seam running parallel to the longer side of your quilt.  You may also consider sourcing a 108" wide fabric, such as solid colored broadcloth or natural flannel, if you are certain this quilt is going to be used on a bed.  After all, the back of a bed quilt is almost never seen and you would only need to buy 2 1/2 yards of 108" wide fabric!

Binding

Most binding is cut 2.25" or 2.5" wide.  On either method and whether for a bordered or border-less version of Bottled Rainbows, buy 3/4 yards of any 44" wide fabric for your binding.  Or, you could simply use leftovers of your Kona solids to make a rainbow binding!  After all, this quilt is all about scraps (and color). 

For each of these finishing processes, I'll give detailed instructions here at Stitched in Color when I reach that point in the quilt-along!  Let me know if you have any questions on the finishing supplies. Happy weekend, friends!