Another finish for June! I was hoping to have 3 quilts done, but it won’t happen….Diatom is close but it won’t turn into a top or a quilt this week, and that is fine. This beauty, however is finished and I am so pleased. I love Sandra’s patterns (mmmQuilts!) and this one was no exception.
My QALs with Sandra
Yes, I have done 6 of Sandra’s QALs since I met her in 2017, so I couldn’t skip this one, even if my plate was full. So, in between running a SAL for Fab Farm and doing the Diatom QAL, I added this one in. Now that it is done, I am really pleased that I did it. Befroe I get to this years quilt, I did want to share a gallery of all the quilts from prior years.
I only have one of these in my posession….Centred 2020. I used a wool batt and so I didn’t feel that it could go to a charity quilt. I will keep it until I find just the right home for it, and as they were some of my favorite fabrics, it may just get to stay with me. Now, on to this year’s creation!
Making the Rainbow Neighbourhood Quilt
I enjoyed this QAL as much as I have the others! This quilt was fun to sort through my scraps and just find perfect ones to use. Like many quilters, there are colors that are not prevalent in our stashes – yellows and oranges are those colors for me. I decided to do 3 each of the window styles and keep the windows all the same color, except on the yellow house where I used a few charm pieces of grey that I had.
I ran out of door fabric, selected another, then found more of the original door fabric that I was going to use. However, one house was already made, so my plan was to continue with the adjusted plan. I wanted to be sure as I laid out the quilt that the spacing of the windows and doors and skies and grasses worked. By some stroke of luck, it all worked out.
I used Hobbs 80/20 batting for the quilt and it just fit on my frame.
When it came time to picking a quilting pattern, I used Florence, by Anne Bright – a little leafy and had some scrolls – as it really needed some curves. I felt that clouds would be too childlike and that this could go to a woman or family leaving a shelter, one of the charities my guild gives to, so I think it was perfect.
The top thread was and the bobbin was Superior So Fine #403 Putty and the bobbin was So Fine #440 Lilac. The backing is almost entirely a solid blue, so I thought the purple would look nice on the back. There were so many colors on the front, a neutral seemed just right for the top.
The Finished Quilt
I was able to find enough black binding in my binding scraps for the scrappy binding. It was perfect with the rainbow colors – I think it helps bring them out in a nice way. We took the RN for a little tour…here it is in my backyard.
We then went to the ocean, well because we could. And finally, a picture in one of the other little neighborhoods. I love the rainbow flag and dolphins.
Quilt Stats
Rainbow Neighbourhood: 46″ x 54″ before quilting
48″ x 52″ after washing/drying
Batting: Hobbs 80/20
Piecing Thread: Aurifil Dove 50 wt
Quilting Thread: Superior So Fine 403 Putty and 443 Lilac
Pantograph: Florence, by Anne Bright
Coming Up on the Blog
I may be a little quiet on the blog in July. I will finish up Diatom and then I travel for about 10 days…returning after the linky party begins for Fab Farm. Now, I may get productive, but I have to look back and see what is next on the list…it has been so long since I have had the freedom to do that!
Diatom Finish
Fab Farm Quilt Top Party (7/16)
Tips and Tutorials on the 22nd (7/22)
Yoga Quilt #1
Linking Up
Rainbow Neighbourhood Linky Party
Finished or Not Friday
TGIFF
Free Motion Mavericks
Sew and Tell
Fabric Stash
Amazingly, I am still In the negative zone with this quilt and a visit to my old quilt shop, closing after 27 years due to redevelopment of the building they were in.
Fabric in this month: 9 (7.5 yards at my closing LQS 🙁 )
Fabric out this month: 11
Fabric in this year: 46.25
Fabric out this year: 52.25
NET Fabric: -6 yards
Your neighborhood looks fantastic and I love that you took it on a photographic tour around neighborhoods. Congratulations on the finish!!
What a beautiful quilt! I always love hearing which colors other quilters don’t have a lot of in their stash. I actively sought out yellows a few years ago to build it up, but it isn’t a common color in most lines. As for me, I have less brown fabric than any other color.
Kathleen!! I love your quilt so much! The black binding is just perfect to set off the bright happy colours. I really like the pantograph you used; I’m doing a swirl and hook over my quilt top, and it’s looking good. I especially love the gallery of previous quilts from my QALs—just WOW!! Such a thrill to see them and in your colours and style. I really like how you quilted Centred! Rainbow Neighbourhood will be a very special donation quilt. Thank you just so much for quilting along for the seventh year!
That is a fun neighborhood! Love the virtual quilt show today.
Way to finish off the month, Kathleen! Your version of Sandra’s QAL turned out great!
What a beautiful finish, I really like the offset houses and the fabrics you chose. I love the photo shoot! Your back yard and house are so pretty.
Your neighborhood looks so inviting, the quilt neighborhood and your picture background neighborhood. Great job on the houses, they are so bright.
What a great finish, Kathleen! I like the personality of each house! The photos in the neighborhood are so fun!
Loved the quilt show, Kathleen! Great idea to photograph your wonderful neighborhood out in the neighborhood, too! Congrats on the finish!
Love Love Love your Rainbow Neighbourhood!!! And such pretty pictures by the ocean and in the neighbourhood! 🙂
What a great collection of quilts you have made with her!! LOVE your houses!!! Its just so happy of a neighborhood
This is a sweet, sweet finish. The colors and the tiny quilt blocks used as windows. I love it. It has been lots of fun to see all of the variations made for this QAL. Really nice Kathleen!
I too am going to chime in with my admiration for your beautifully stitched and quilted houses, Kathleen. They just shone in those outdoors photo shoots. What a wonderful finish!