I’ve temporarily called my Kaffe Fassett quilt my Sunshine quilt, just because it’s so bright with it’s hot colours. The name might stick, or I might change it, as it’s a wedding present I quite fancy a name that denotes that too.
Last time I showed it to you I was having dilemmas over the block placements, after some very helpful comments, especially from Claire and Kate, I rearranged them to a point where I was happy. I did get to a point where I just had to stop fiddling and look at it as a whole, as every time you try and swop one pair of blocks it throws up all sorts of other problems!!
I stitched all the blocks together, I am pretty pleased with my points, there’s a few missing but not too many! I then had to decide on borders, my original plan was to do a piano key border using up all the left over fabric. When I looked at what I had left I really didn’t think I had anywhere near enough. I decided to bite the bullet and order another 2m fabric for the border. I chose one of the fabrics which I felt reflected the red and orange colour scheme the most.
The postman came with a squishy parcel on Monday lunchtime, so I immediately started cutting the borders. I cut the deep border a fraction narrower than the instructions as I wanted to be able to get a side out of two widths…yes it’s a pretty big quilt, about 85″ square (Well that’s big for me!)
Tuesday I sandwiched it in the morning and started quilting in the afternoon. I sandwiched it on the lounge floor with a sheet down to protect both the carpet (from the glue) and the quilt (from the doghair!!) I had a brainwave before I started that if I moved the settee into the bay window I would have a squarer area, it worked, I had plenty of room to work around it.
I love seeing the quilts all smoothed out on the batting. I do like this pattern, (Radiant by Cosy Quilts) it still gives me that Wow! feeling when I look at it! It’s such a simple block but so effective. It did look huge though when it was all laid out on the floor! The only way to photograph it was to stand on the coffee table with the camera up against the ceiling!
I tried a slightly different way of sandwiching this time, usually I smooth the backing out, spray baste the batting on top of it, get that nice and smooth before spray basting the top onto the batting. This time I basted the top to the batting first, cut round it generously and then turned it over and basted the backing on, I think it worked better, it also meant the colourful stripe I’ve got down the middle of the back could be centralised.
I started quilting yesterday afternoon, I’m using a Gutermann variegated quilting thread which I think picks up all the colours nicely without being too strident on the cream. I decided to be brave this time and use the same colour on my bobbin thread, in the past I would have used cream underneath, but invariably little dots of red show through anyway, so I may as well just use the same colour and hopefully make it neat!
I’m stitching either side of the red diamonds at the moment. I was a bit worried when I saw how big it was as to whether it would fit through my little sewing machine. It was with trepidation that I started in the middle, I knew that would be the worst bit as two thirds of the quilt has to go through in places. I needn’t have worried, it was a bit of a squash in places but just about manageable.
I had to stop at tea time as having had three vaccinations for our holiday early afternoon, my arms were getting decidedly uncomfortable! I feel I’m winning with this quilt now, it’s just a matter of deciding how much quilting I need or want to do and then bind it. At the moment I’m tempted to do a scrappy binding, I’ve never done one but I saw one on a quilt at Tea & Tents and it looked really good…it would also use those scraps up !
thecraftycreek 
Your Kaffe quilt is looking absolutely splendid! I love the pattern that you chose, and the border fabric is perfect! Did you notice that the larger flowers seem to make a casual sort of scallop on each side? Brilliant!
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I love it, and I think you’ve got the layout just right. As a name that combines the idea of both Radiant and Sunshine, how about Supernova? It’s a fabulous explosion of colour and there are radiating waves coming from the centre… I’m also loving the mental vision of you standing on the coffee table with your camera up at arm’s length, hoping for the best! I reckon you’ll have it ready in time for your trip, no bother, and yay for a scrappy binding!
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It’s beautiful – I think a scrappy binding would work wonderfully and a perfect way to dispose of your scraps – after all you’ve already had to buy another 2m for the border.
I was enjoying this post until the last photograph. The sight of that large quilt wrestled under the needle made me come over all unnecessary – it’s the part I can’t bear. I can’t keep my stitching where it’s supposed to be when I’ve got all that excess fabric either side – I don’t know how you manage it, especially if it’s going to be very visible on the other side.
As for the name – well I could certainly do with a bit of sunshine this morning (it’s snowing) but I do like Kate’s suggestion too.
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It’s incredible! I love it, the colours look so lovely together. I’m not a quilter and am amazed at how you can manage that much fabric!
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This is a very, very beautiful quilt!!!
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oh wow! this is looking such a fun quilt and the newly weds are going to treasure it forever! My initial thought for a name was “Funshine” (with the F in reference to the talented Kaffe Fassett).
And my input on the binding . . . I wouldn’t use scrappy binding up against that bold KF outer border, but would simply use the solid white/ivory that features in blocks.
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Thanks Claire, I think I need to play with some short strips and see what looks best 🙂
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I am completely in awe of all quilters and you (and this quilt) are no exception. It is amazing… and what a present it will be.
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It really turned out gorgeous–it just glows! But I’m with Tialys–the sight of it all scrunched up around the sewing machine gives me the heebies jeebies!
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It’s gorgeous ~ love that fabric in the borders!
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This looks beautiful! I’m sure the recipients will love it!
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Looking great Margaret! Quilting in your home machine is a little challenging, but it works with a little patience. I once had to do two queens back to back, and that was too much in one go, but one with a rest is quite possible. Some day I’ll find a way to trade favors with long arm quilter! Your border is a perfect way to frame this beauty, it emphasizes the geometric quality, and those red points now really bring out the 3-D quality of the pattern. While a scrappy binding initially sounds great, I am more and more drawn to a clean cream binding, to set off the border and not confuse it. An alternative might be longer sections of cream with a bit of color…maybe 10-12 inches of cream and 2-3 inches of scrap?
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Thanks Kathy, I had another thought of a scrappy border with a cream flange, so you get that 1/4″ of cream to separate it from the border!
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You know that might do the trick, Margaret, I like the sound if it!
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Oh oh I really do LOVE this one. Your layout is perfect:)!❤️❤️
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So pretty and you are so good with colorways and their placement! Beautiful work
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That quilt is wonderful and does seem like sunshine! I love the quilt thread you selected! Your new method to set up the quilt sandwich sounds great!
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I bought this pattern recently and seeing your quilt makes me want to get started on it immediately! You did a terrific job, it is absolutely gorgeous!
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