I’ve just finished my Tula Pink quilt! This one is going to be auctioned at a charity ball so I felt it need to be fairly striking, having said that I had lots of wobbles making it as the colours are brighter than my usual palette, so I have to give a huge thanks to everyone for your suggestions and encouragement, it kept me going forward! Now it’s finished I like it, yes there are changes I would make with hindsight, but everyone’s reactions to it since I finished it have been positive, so hopefully it will do well on the night.
To give a bit of a recap, it’s a free pattern on the Tula Pink website, it’s called Flower Market. I used predominantly Tula Pink fabrics, so there’s owls, racoons, squirrels, frogs, all sorts hidden within the designs. As a pattern it went together really quickly as some of the pieces are full block or even double block size. Arranging the fabrics and colours was more difficult as I had to fight my usual desire to have the colours fairly co-ordinating, the lime green really makes it pop but I did have to be pushed into using it!
I backed it with some plain fabric in a light blue/green colour which pretty well matches one of the fabrics on the front. In some lights it looked a bit bright but it works well now it’s all made up. It’s actually a lot lighter than it looks in the photo, you can see a peep of it in the photo of the quilt folded below.
I quilted it using a mixture of flower patterns and foliage of sorts. The flower design is one I found on the internet but I didn’t fancy using it all over so I also used my standard quilting pattern which is like meandering to a point! I found when I started free motion quilting that it was when I had to stop that I had a wiggle, so I decided to change direction at that point instead, much easier! My tension still isn’t perfect but it’s improved a lot, I haven’t got any ‘eyelashes’ from going too quick!
I used a variegated thread on the top which is purple and green, I think it nicely pulls it all together. The quilt is about 63″ square, so it was a bit of a handful when I was trying to quilt the centre as I’ve only got a standard size sewing machine.
I stitched teal green binding on, I always hand-stitch it down which takes quite a while but I’ve never managed to get a neat result with the machine. I understand a lot of quilters really dislike binding a quilt, but I see it as the last stage, it’s almost done and it’s actually quite relaxing. It took a few hours but it’s one of those activities where you can just let your mind wander and day dream away, before you know it you’ve stitched all the way round.
I just need to embroider the name of the quilt, my initials and the date on the back and it’s ready to be posted.
thecraftycreek 
Fabulous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
It’s wonderful! You did a good job with the quilting. That can be a real struggle on a domestic machine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sue, I think this is about the biggest I can comfortably quilt
LikeLike
Great colors on this quilt ~ hope it fetches a bundle. I like the use of the variegated thread too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I like using variegated threads, both for quilting and embroidery
LikeLike
Those colors are so yummy! I love a good Tula Pink quilt. Yours is no exception. Your thread choices are also just right. All in all I guess I love it. Great job!!❤️❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tracy, just got to hope enough people love it on the night 🙂
LikeLike
This is just adorable! Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
This came out really beautifully. The way it all came together is fantastic! I’m sure it will do well at the auction and will be a treasure for whoever gets it. You must be so proud!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mary, I hope so
LikeLike
Bravo, well done at overcoming your reservations about the colours and achieving a really gorgeous result. Nice work on the quilting, too – I’d have taken the easy way out and made a QAYG to avoid the heavy wrangling!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Kate, especially for your input on colours 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
very vibrant! hope it does well in the auction!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m just hoping it’s not too bright!
LikeLike
Gorgeous – until you said about the animals I hadn’t seen them – I especially love the owl. You have made a great quilt which I hope raises lots.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jane, fingers crossed it will do ok 🙂
LikeLike
It looks great, Margaret, and I love you thread choice. I do my quilting on my domestic machine, too, and I try to make sure I have plenty of recovery time in between quilts. I think this will do very well at the auction, it is so bright and cheery!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Kathy, I must admit my shoulders were complaining for a while, not helped that I quilted it all in one day
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hear you!
LikeLike
Those colours really zing, a wonderful quilt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful! I love the colours and your quilting is amazing! I am a basic quilter, like the piecing but my quilting is a lot (a lot, a lot!) more basic always.
LikeLike
It’s a gorgeous quilt! I’m sure it will be a big hit at the auction!
I love hand binding too… it’s my favourite!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is so pretty – I love all that color! Your quilting looks wonderful to me. I also like finishing off the binding by hand – it feels like the perfect last step!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s lovely. I’m sure it will make loads of money.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations! What a cheerful and bright quilt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done Margaret for getting over your reservations on the colour, I would be the same as I lean towards primitive and country colours. I’ve never tried handling a full size quilt on my machine, I’ve always done that by hand, on small items on the machine. I’m sure it will do very well at the auction and I hope you will report back. It’s a bright and cheerful quilt and the people will just love it. xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mandy, I’m just waiting to hear how it did at auction.
LikeLike