Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Flowering Snowball Top is Done! Plus a Pin Trick.


Phew!  I've been working on this all summer, that is, during the little snatches of sewing time I've had.
Many thanks to Mary at Molly Flanders Makerie for giving us the pattern and quilt along!



  
This quilt top is a nice big queen size--99" x 99"--the biggest one I've ever made.  
That's 121 9" blocks.





I made each block a different color.





I love the combinations of prints where the blocks intersect.  






I wanted it to have a retro look.  
I used 1930's reproduction fabrics from my stash and several Denyse Schmidt fabrics.  
I added a few larger contemporary prints for variety.  






I completely enjoyed sewing the curves and matching up the seams.  
Not always my style, but it's fun to pay attention to precision sometimes.  
The curves and matching seams required the use of pins. 





Here's a trick I learned from a friend many years ago.
Place your pins pointing northwest as you sew.  






Then you can sew right up to the seams you're matching and 
easily pull out the pin from under the pressure foot.  


There are many more beautiful Flowering Snowball quilts over at Molly Flanders blog.
Click here to see the round up!


If you want to see more about my process, click here.

I ordered my templates here.




  




50 comments:

  1. Great job matching seams. Thanks for sharing the pin tip.

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  2. Such a wonderful, beautiful, eye catching quilt. I love this pattern. xo

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  3. It's lovely! You accomplished a lot this summer--that's a large quilt with all that matching and curves, and your pieces even match! :)

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  4. I absolutely love your quilt! The color choices are gorgeous and your piecing is spot on! I like sewing curves also.

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  5. I am in awe . . . this quilt is like nothing that I have ever seen. It is amazing!

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  6. Oh my goodness- look at all that scrappy goodness! This is by far my favourite flowering snowball so far! Gorgeous! Did you use purchased templates? (I need to get myself some, I think!)

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  7. Thank you - it's beautiful! What an inspiration! Take care, Pam

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  8. oh its just beautiful, I Love seeing all the close ups of the fabrics, wow. very fun. I love the look and retro it is! thanks for sharing.
    Congrats on another great finish.
    Kathie

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  9. It's just wonderful. Congratulations. I know what you mean about many, many blocks. I once made a drunkard's path about a zillion 4" blocks. But the curves got easier and easier as I went along.

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  10. I absolutely love this quilt! Those colors, those fabrics, so fresh and happy! I admire that you did this on the machine. And thank you for the pin tip, will definitely use that in future!

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  11. fabulous! aren't you thrilled?
    I love your fabric choice and those little red centers. Your piecing is perfection - wow!
    How will you quilt it?
    off to see the others -
    congrats on your summer finish!

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  12. Gorgeous! That is a big quilt. I love that you chose red for all the little square center block. Will you hand quilt it?

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  13. Beautiful finish! I love your fabrics, colors and prints.. everything shines against the white background. it's a huge quilt!!! I am curious to know if you will hand quilt it.

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  14. Your quilt is magnificent! The scrapyness just makes me smile!!!
    How are you quilting it?

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  15. Gorgeous! The fabrics and piecing are perfect.

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  16. What NiftyQuilts did on her summer vacation. :-)
    It is scrappy fabulousness! Well done!

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  17. This quilt design would be a good way to use up some fabric in the scrap basket. Nicely done!

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  18. This is just so pretty and fun! The great selection of scraps just dances off the white fabric, and those circles (great piecing!) just keep everything spinning. Love it!

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  19. Another fabulous quilt from Nifty! Love your colour combinations. I should try this block. did you use acrylic or paper templates?

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  20. It's charming. It is such a beautiful quilt!

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  21. Marvelous and wonderful! I love all the fabrics and your perceiving is perfection! thanks for sharing your pin trick too - I will have to try that.

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  22. How striking and fun! Thanks for the pinning tip - I'm going to try that today!

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  23. I so want to make one of these. Yours is fabulous!!!!

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  24. How I love this pattern. I haven't started mine yet, but I will. Yours is fabulous! How will you quilt it?

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  25. Absolutely wonderful quilt! Your fabrics look awesome and I love big quilts.

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  26. Just beautiful! I love the mix of fabrics for that retro look. Your work is always so stunning! oxox

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  27. This is one of the best quilt I have seen. I love love the scrappy fabric you use in it. I might have to borrow the pattern one day - Hugs Nat

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  28. Love love love! You captured the vintage look perfectly. That is such an accomplishment to make that many curved blocks!

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  29. Thanks for the close-up views. I have been thinking about making something like this and was surprised to see where the blocks were joined because I was thinking of joining with the white piece as one.

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  30. Oh wow! Its spectacular, I love everything about it!

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  31. You have done it again! Outdid yourself, I mean. This one knocks my socks off and makes me want to curl up in it forever.

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  32. Ohhhhh! I love this! So scrappy good!
    THank you so much for adding it to the parade of Snowballs!

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  33. Fantastic LeeAnn! It just shines.

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  34. LOVE IT!! Scrappy makes me happy!!

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  35. Oh my Golly!! Your Flowering Snowball is a feast for the eyes, such wonderful fabrics and the pattern is a whorl of beautiful curves. Thank you for that clever pin trick.

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  36. Your Flowering Snowball top is just a delight to look at! You did an amazing job on it! Thank you so much for the pin tip!

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  37. It is very pretty! Congratulations on finishing the very generous size top. These blocks do look quite intimidating before I have tried making one.

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  38. Oh darn, now I want to make one! It's beautiful!

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  39. Love this retro style quilt. It looks so happy!

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  40. This is one of the nicest scrappy quilts I have ever seen. You certainly have a knack when it comes to putting scraps together. Thanks for the pin trick, too. I will be using it soon.

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  41. What a delicious feast for the eye's. I could spend all day looking at the various fabrics and beautiful piecing! And what a great little pin trick, never heard that before, thanks for sharing! :)

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  42. Stunning! A feast for the eyes!

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  43. Beautiful! I think your flowering snowball is my favorite.:) Great color combo and the vintage vibe is perfect!

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  44. Your seams match up so perfectly!! Yours is one of my Snowball Favorites....no big surprise as I love all of your projects!

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  45. Beautiful and inspiring! Love your fabrics and thanks for the tip...

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