Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ta-da!



I'd been wanting to make this quilt for a long time.  I thought it might take all winter, and it did!  Hence the name, "Spring Equinox."   87" x 87"




































The inspiration came from this 1930's string quilt in Gwen Marston's Liberated String Quilts Book.  
Sarah Fielke made a similar quilt in the book, Material Obsession Two, by she and Kathy Doughty.  I started off by using the instructions in the book, which are great.  But I decided to try making it without foundation piecing.  





Wanda suggested I make the webs with strips, and I tried it.  I found I could get two and a half webs from two sets of four strips.  Half webs go on the edges.  The kaleidoscope ruler was key.  





To get pinwheels in the middles, I sewed the pinwheel fabrics on after the strips were cut.





And cut them again. 





I made the connecting pieces 15 minutes play style and cut them with a template.  I had to figure out a  template size that would fit with the pie shape pieces.  First I tested it with muslin.





Here are the pieces for one block. 




First you sew them into triangles...





Then squares, using lots of pins...







Then rows.  10 rows x 10 blocks each = 100 blocks = 1 queen size quilt!

Any ideas on quilting it?










93 comments:

Supergoof said...

I Love this quilt, it's so HAPPY!
I want to make it too,....
It's *B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L*!!!!
Groetjes uit Nederland!

Sarah Martin said...

Fantastic! What a stunner!!
Thanks for the process notes too...Very cool!

audrey said...

absolutely beautiful! what a perfectly stunning quilt.

Maree said...

You have done a fabulous job of this quilt -it is stunning.

Bonnie Hull said...

Woohoo the flames rule! Gorgeous. Mybe in spirals...slightly off, but in each circle..no matter...it's fantastic. xo

antique quilter said...

OMG I am speechless, just soooo beautiful.
Thanks for all the close-ups just love seeing the fabrics you chose.
perfect name!
not sure how I would quilt it maybe just right down the middle of each strip following the design.
Kathie

Cathy @ CabbageQuilts said...

Wow wow wow wow wow! Your quilt is A*MAZ*ING!!! I love it and want to make one too! Love the fabrics you have used. Thanks for showing how you did it too. As for quilting, wow, it would look incredible by hand but how long would that take?!! xo

Teodo said...

It's bellissimo, meraviglioso, fantastico. Bravissima!
I's beautiful, wonderful, fantastic. You are very good!
ciao ciao linda

Marit said...

Congratulations on a beautiful top!
Love the name you choose, too. There's a balance between chaos and order, and the wheels keep turning (towards summer...)
I am into quilting by hand right now. Those wheels might be quilted in rounds? It's a big top, so maybe a long term project?

Jitka said...

I love it. So many colours.

Vesuviusmama said...

Smply brilliant! I could look at this quilt for hours and not get bored. Great job!

Julie Fukuda said...

What a perfect name for a perfect quilt!It is far better than the one that inspired it.

Unknown said...

Oh my, my, my, my, my!! I am soooo in love with it!! It is absolutely stunning. Now I need to put this on my list of to dos. GORGEOUS!! So here is an idea for quilting... you could send it to me to quilt, however I can't guarantee it would make it back to you... LOL! But seriously, quilting on this one will be difficult to see as the pattern and fabric is so busy. I say you keep it simple, nothing elaborate you really don't need it.

sheila 77 said...

This is just amazing. I like the combinations of the matching strips and pinwheels with the made fabric. It's hugely effective and beautifully made.

Lori R. said...

Wonderful - the ultimate scrap quilt! I have been pretty interested in string quilts this past year also, but haven't done anything this ambitious. Love it!

Sujata Shah said...

I can stay on your page all day looking at this quilt! It's gorgeous!!! I just wrote to another friend very recently that she makes me want to expect more out of myself. You do the same for me!
I like Bonnie's suggestion on quilting.

Marie said...

So, so beautiful! And a perfect name too. Thanks for the details on how to put this one together...I think it might have to go onto my ever-growing TO DO list.

Jan said...

I didn't need my coffee this morning...this quilt woke me right up! Words escape me. FANTABULOUS!!!

Karen said...

Oh my word!!! How did you ever had the patience to do this?? It's a fabulous quilt. No ideas on quilting, it probably won't matter. Would love to see this one in person :)!

Margaret said...

Congratulations! This is a wonderful visual treat ... a feast for the eyes! Thanks for the close ups & notes, too.

Debra said...

What a fantastic quilt. The fabrics and colours are great. What fun it would have been to make. I'd like to make one too love string quilts.



Good luck with the quilting I think I'd have to get it done professionally if I did it myself I know it would never be finished. I find hand quilting quilts that size is very cumbersome.

Kathy said...

Congratulations! Like Sujata, I could spend all day looking at this quilt. The close ups are terrific. This is going on my list of all time favorites. Thanks too for explaining your process.

regan said...

This quilt is AWESOME in every way! I want to make one now! I have no suggestions for quilting it, but I'm guessing with so many seams, it's NOT a hand quilting project! lol

Jessica said...

Nifty,
Congratulations on this amazing finish. so much to look at in this quilt! what a great display of your stash~

Chris said...

Hi Nifty, What a stunner - of course your workmanship is superb, but this quilt wouldn't have its zing without your amazing eye for color and design! Fabulous! And on such a riot of color and pattern, simple quilting would be best imho. Thanks so much for sharing the quilt, and your journey. :)

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

Congratulations on sticking with it and thanks for the great tutorial for the pinwheel centers! It has so much to look at and certainly qualifies as a 'happy quilt'.

Karen said...

An explosion of color!

Donna~~ said...

Oooohhh so gorgeous! You did it very quickly too! Glad to see that method worked--I may restart mine following that, once I dig out of a few ongoing projects...well maybe! But yours is beautiful!

Quiltdivajulie said...

OH MY GOODNESS this is utterly awesome! Thank you SO much for including the how to for the center pinwheels (I've been so curious how you pulled that off).

EXCELLENT post and AMAZING quilt ... Congratulations!!!

Thanks for sharing this journey with all of us.

Vivian said...

Ooohh, so wonderful! And I love that the pieces connect to reate a square block. Going to check back through your posts--are all the strips done same size? I'm like everyone else, I want to make one too!

The quilting? Depends on what you are doing for the back. If it's busy too just stipple but if not you might want to do more playing to create another view on the back.

Cheryl Willis said...

I have enjoyed watching your progress, this quilt is beautiful! Thanks for the mini tutorial. I have tried doing the spiderweb paper pieced and got board too quick. I think my biggest problem is I want to 'see' the blocks and don't like waiting for the reveal. This was way worth waiting for!!

beth said...

Congratulations on an AMAZING quilt finish!

Barb said...

woo hoo
wonderful quilt. So many fun fabraics to study! thanks for all the great photos!
can't wait to see how you quilt it.

Tonya Ricucci said...

love love love love love LOVE it. sooo fabulous and inspiring. congrats!!! I look at it and know that it's yours. very warm. love it! Machine quilted in some kind of all over pattern. how helpful was that.

sallgood said...

CONGRATS!! Love your quilt!

fiberchick said...

This quilt is positively JUICY!!! LOVE it!!!

Brenda said...

a great web of colour and craziness. thanks so much for sharing the process and the finished quilt.

Patricia said...

I love your quilt. This is quilt is on my "bucket list" as well. I have both books you mentioned, but just haven't gotten the UMP to start it. I will consider though your techinique of making a strata first. Would you share your measurements for the blocks? Again--beautiful work!

Kim said...

WOW!
And I agree with all those comments ahead of me plus simply WOW.

Nice info and an ahhhhh moment for me
honestly I couldn't figure it out on my own.

This is a huge quilt, would you consider sending it out to be machine quilted?

What ever you decide it is just GREAT!

happy Sewing

Carla said...

I'm about to fall off my chair because I'm so excited about your quilt! It makes me want to get started right now and be a copycat!! Thank you for sharing how you went about making it. I have Sarah's book and have looked at that pattern many times oogling over it. Yours is one of the best I've seen. I'm going to say do a simple overall quilting design...maybe circles to accentuate the "web". Congratulations!

Dora, the Quilter said...

This is a really wonderful quilt. You've done a spectacular job--clearly the months you worked on this were well spent.
I'd love to know how you decide to quilt it.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Wonderful! Oh My!

Helen said...

DAZZLING!!! I have watched this evolve into a masterpiece. Your fabric placement has made this very scrappy quilt into a very successful design. Love those center pinwheels so much!

barbara woods said...

i love that quilt

Ann Champion said...

Oh my heart just skipped a beat! Wowie..wow..wow! I LOVE this quilt.
I could just sit and study it for hours.

For quilting..I think I'd just do an all over patern and let the fabrics do the singing? :)

Pinkadot Quilts said...

Super fabulous quilt. I saw this one in Gwen's book a long time ago and have always admired it!
Congratulations!!!

Julia said...

Speechless...all I can say is "amazing"

Cakes said...

Wow. This is an incredible feat. Although it is a work of great precision, it looks so liberating!

patricia belyea said...

This quilt top is as vibrant as you are. What a fun and wonderful combination of fabrics.

meli B said...

That sure deserved a ta-da! What a massive job. Each block stands on it's own 2 feet. I don't know how you did it - at least I do now, because of your little tutorial. I didn't realise they were made in square blocks because your progress photos showed completed wheels rather than the squares. Anyway it is a masterpiece and you should be very pleased with yourself.

Janet said...

That's one very big ta da moment, it looks sensational. Congrats on the piecing marathon and the amazing quilt. I want one now but not sure I have the stickability.

Anna said...

Simply amazing, its a work of art.
Quilting may I suggest the old standard of baptist fans, if hand quilting - baptist fans a la Tonya Ricucci, or a simple grid there is movement in the design and colours.
Anna

Anonymous said...

Really appreciate that you told us how you did this quilt. And LOVED how you did the template all labeled for where what and ect. I will REMEMBER that and just make templates knowing that I will not "loose" it before quilt is finished. Great quilt.l

IHaveANotion ~ Kelly Jackson said...

Absolutely beautiful!!! Quilting can be anything at all...the fabrics will be the focus so the quilting can just be simple..in my opinion.

Great job!

Smiles,
Kelly

One Minnesota Quilter said...

Oh My Goodness! I am speechless. This is an absolutely fantastic quilt. Fabric choices and everything - just wonderful! Your directions for how you made it are so very clear also. Thank you for sharing them.
Judy

Cindy said...

Fabulous!! Words just cannot express how wonderful your quilt is! Thank you for your directions. I'm going to bookmark this page because it's on my list of quilts I need to try.

Anonymous said...

WOW, that's a beautiful quilt. And thanks so much for showing how you put it together.
cindy

Maureen said...

Awesome! I agree with rounds or spirals for the quilting. Thanks for sharing your process.

Bonnie said...

Wow !!! Fantastic quilt.

Mary Keasler said...

What more can be said. Bravo and congratulations!

O'Quilts said...

Great job on this awesome quilt!! Good for you:)

smazoochie said...

This is why you've been so quiet -- you've been chained to your sewing machine! WOW! Everything there but the kitchen sink!
Quilting? Hmmmm maybe simple in-the-ditch with some perl cotton big-stitch for accent?

Candace said...

Ditto ditto. Love your fabric choices and how you put them together. My hat's off to you!

Anonymous said...

Stunning! Absolutely S T U N N I N G!!! Perle thread, big stitch... circles?...Baptist Fan?

Purple Pam said...

Your quilt is fantastic! Such a riot of color! I love the color combinations you made. Absolutely phenominal!

MulticoloredPieces said...

Hi, LeeAnn. Looks like everybody LUVS your quilt! Me, too! Smashing! You've proved that good things take time.
best, nadia

Lynn Dykstra said...

just wonderful

Cynthia@wabisabiquilts said...

This is one awesome quilt! I don't know what to add comment-wise except to say "WOW"! I love it - I keep coming back to look at it. I wish I could study it in person! It is very photogenic though:).

Unknown said...

Wow, this is one GORGEOUS quilt! Did you use your scraps only? I want to make one too!!!!!

Chris said...

Hi LeeAnn, I just had to take another look at your terrific spiderweb. It's just soooo beautiful, and fun too - I can tell from the comments that many others feel the same way. How about you, is it special to you?

Pauline said...

Weeks ago when I first saw what you were doing with scraps I HAD to do it too! I've only got a few pieces done as I really try to make myself finish what I've started before starting something else. So my few blocks and the "kites" are on my design board to inspire me. Your quilt is absolutely georgous and I hope mine will look as good. Thanks so much for sharing this one.

Pam said...

Amazing! Thanks for sharing this. I think this will definitely be added to my list of must-do projects.
Please send it to me and I will quilt it for you! Love it!

Jenni said...

Fantastic, what a stunner!

The Rx quilter said...

Amazing, what an awesome quilt! Great job and great persistence for staying with a huge project! Lisa in Texas

Sharon said...

Oh. My. Goodness! That is one amaaazing quilt! Just beautiful. It knocks my socks off! Great name for it too.

Thanks for the tutorial on how it's made. I sure couldn't figure it out. Love the pinwheels. I'll bet it would be really tough - almost impossible! - to do this without a design wall!

I think it needs all-over Baptist Fans, but then, I think most every busy quilt needs that! hee hee! I know, I'm no help.

Shelly said...

Amazing! And I love it! Nuthin' much else to be said . . .

doni said...

Holy Moly!! That's a gorgeous quilt. Congratulations!!

doni @ Oregon coast

Quilter Kathy said...

That is spectacular! I LOVE it! What a lot of work in that quilt!

Kristin L said...

I love it! Such a great balance of whimsy and order, and scrappy with control.

Abby and Stephanie said...

Holy Smokes that's amazing! My eyes just kept moving all over the place. Totally fantastic.

Theodora quilts said...

That is such an impressive quilt I wish I had the courage to make one I also love your tutorial thank you I also made one and I hand stitched it I sort followed the shapes and echoed them ,I will be in Oregon,for two weeks I am flying on the 9th and I will be busy helping my mom pack for movers and doing some paperwork that needs to be done I am a bit nervous and hoping that all goes smoothly it would be nice to see you but the distance doesn't make it easy since I will be also a bit busy getting things organized and ready, take care. theodora

Pauline said...

Hi, I hope you won't mind a second comment? I lost your email so had to contact you this way. While surfing yesterday, I ran into this blog: http://www.15minutesplay.com/. The quilter used her crumbs to make larger pieces, then made HST's from them! Brilliant! So, this afternoon while watching Nascar with DH, I began making large squares, (I say sqyares loosely as they aren't really square). From these I'll carefully lay out my "kite" template and try to get several pieces from each square. I think it'll work, don't you?

Andrea said...

Love how this turned out! Hooray for your diligent efforts!

Rachaeldaisy said...

This might just be the most beautiful quilt ever made!!!

Elisa said...

I think this is my most favorite quilt EVER seen on the internet. You did a fabulous job! Loved learning the assembly technique.

How about some traditional all over quilting like Baptist Fans?

cityquilter grace said...

stunningly beautiful and deliciously scrappy

Em said...

Holy camole! I cannot wait to see in person! Beautiful.

Ailsa (Cape Pincushion) said...

This is the most incredible quilt I have ever seen! Your colour choices are so perfect, all I can say is WOW and congratulations!

Lynn Dykstra said...

Wonderful, just wonderful.

Karen H said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Some day I hope to make one of these as well. I can only imagine how much work it was. Well done!

Carole said...

Beautiful! I've been working on a similar spiderweb for a long time, paper-piecing, and wish I had started off without the paper! Also have no idea how to quilt it whenever I finish. Found your blog today and love it!

Karen said...

Hi. I am just popping over from Blue Mountain Daisy blog where she featured your very cute house block. I just had to say what a stunning quilt you have made. Your quilt is the true embodiment of scrappy. truely wonderful.

imquilternity said...

That is one, absolutely gorgeous quilt! WOW! I want to make one of these quilts, but don't know if I have the patience. Thanks so much for the great tutorial...that looks much easier than any other method I've seen for these blocks. Your fabric choices are outstanding!!