hot summer or wishful thinking quilt

How ironic that I should finish my Hot Summer quilt on a lovely, hot, sunny, summer's day. For this could also be called the Wishful Thinking quilt. We have had such a miserable, grey, wet and cool summer that I decided to quilt myself a better one. Then, finally, on the very day my ironically tilted quilt is completed, nature grants my wish.

It's a version of Kaffe Fassett's Floral Columns quilt in his and Liza Prior Lucy's V&A Quilts. It all began with the wonderfully kitsch, hot ladies fabric which I realised could ruin a tasteful quilt, or get lost in a busy quilt. So this design with nine 9" wide strips allowed the fabric to show off but not dominate. It took me ages to find eight fabrics to enhance and complement my buxom beauties, but eventually I worked out that the combination of tangerine orange and deep teal was what I wanted to play with.

All are large-scale prints and it's a real treat to let such lovely flowers and leaves and bosoms show off in good-size pieces for a change, rather than cutting them up small. Actually, this was the real attraction of the design in the first place - the opportunity to use fabrics I really love and want to be able to admire fully in a quilt. 

I decided a border wasn't necesary and chose a Kaffe Fassett blue and orange polka dot fabric for the binding; you don't see a lot of it but its aptness and jollity makes me smile.

I didn't have enough of any one fabric to back the quilt and couldn't wait for a delivery of one of them from the US, so I went to The Quilt Room and found this brilliant orange fabric with a tiny pattern which was perfect for suggesting a scorching hot day.

The quilt measures 74" x 80" / 188cm x 204cm and is machine-pieced and hand-quilted with a teal cotton thread using relatively large stitches. The fabrics are from eQuilter, Glorious Color and Purl Patchwork.

This quilt is for Phoebe. She claimed it early on when she first saw me playing with the strips on the floor. She helped me with the placement order, chose the binding fabric with me and came to Dorking to advise on the backing fabric. It looks stunning in her bright orange bedroom, and she happily put it on and twirled round and round in the garden for me.

It was difficult to get her to stand still for a moment (top photo), because she was soon off doing a Mexican wave or Hawaiian dance as the ladies might do if ever they came to life.

Fortunately, she was reading when I did the morning photos (all the other photos) - the quilt is far less wriggly on a tree.

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Thank, you, thank you, thank you for all the encouraging and supportive comments on my last post. You are such wonderfully philosophical souls.

Comments

[sooz]

It's stunning! And how lovely that your little girl dances in the sunshine with it!

[yvette]

It is simply gorgeous, what fabulous sunny fabrics, perfect on a sunny day but I bet it will be even better when its cold and grey outside.

[Jackie]

Jane, I have no idea how to make a quilt. However, now I feel as though I have to have a go! (I hadn't done any knitting for twenty years until I came here either)!

[linda]

The whole quilt is full of jollity and gorgeousness(as all your quilts are).

[Sally]

Mmmm, lovely happy colours and fabrics - it's no wonder the lucky recipient wants to dance with it!

[Maryjo]

I am one of those rare creatures that adores orange in quilts, so yours is quite fabulous.

Also, in this day and age of "no time," the KF books appeal to me more and more as the fabrics do the work... versus the not quite finished but crisp very small feathers of feathered quilt blocks that are a major UFO of mine! Maryjo

[Glaucia Bürgi-Martins]

Wow! It became really gorgeous!!!
Thank you for sharing this with us from the beggining. The place where I live is hot and sunny almost all the time (even in "winter"), so, your idea for a (so beautiful)summer quilt gave me another way to look at quilting. Thanks a lot!

[michele]

Phoebe is a lucky girl...what a fabulous quilt! I think you're amazing as is the blog. I read it regularly (I don't comment regularly - I'm sorry)...Any and all content is fine and I can't wait for the first book and congrats on the second. One question...what is the sock yarn in yesterday's post...I love those colors. Take care :)

[Sarah R]

Aloha, Mama! That's some zaftig quilt! That will brighten up even the grayest English day, I'm thinking. It's just lovely and I have to admit, I wasn't thoroughly enamored with the fabrics when you first showed them to us. But wow, it's stunning.

[Patricia]

I'm going to throw conservative 'out the door'. All of my quilts - about 9 of them - are 'nice and lovely'. But yours shouts alive, colour, happy. And I am going to make me an 'alive quilt' I have never been attracted to florally prints all that much, or even the Kaffe Fasset style. But I do love this one of yours. It is the first, truly the first of floral quilts that I really do love. It is singing, and bursting with happiness. So 'happiness quilt' here I come.

[Leslie]

The quilt is fantastic! My daughter would love it as well.

[Kathleen]

The quilt is stunning and so is Phoebe. I love the orange and blue together!

[kate]

Wow, that is fun! Wouldn't match my decor, but who cares? That quilt would brighten any home. You may have mentioned this in the past, but I don't remember - what is your hand quilting method? Do you just lap quilt or use a hoop or frame? How do you avoid puckers in the back?

[sherry]

Those winsome senoritas are too much fun! Love it!

[Eve Shepherd]

Beautiful, just beautiful. The colors are adorable and everything ties together so nicely!

[Jennifer]

Your display of the backing fabric explains a lovely quality I noticed in the second picture ...with the sunlight providing backlighting the bright orange glows through the lighter portions of the fabrics. Check out the panel of the Katie Jump Rope ribbon fabric. That is really a beautiful effect - like stained glass windows.
Beautiful quilt!

[aurora Fox]

lovely quilt--the simple strip quilt sets off the large prints nicely! I love the bright colors....

[Peg]

I love the colour combinations, and it is beautiful on the tree, but the model gives it that 'joy' factor!

[Tracy]

That quilt is stupendous and colossal, like they used to say in those old movies. I love your yarn projects, but I'm a quilter and your quilts make me very happy. I don't know why we're all supposed to be so limited. It's more fun to do it all. Thanks for the pretty blog. You add color to my day when ever I read it. Tracy Leppold

[sandi @ the whistlestop cafe]

Those colors are perfect, you can't help but smile! It really starts up some wishful dreaming =D

[tayloe]

What a wonderful quilt-its beautiful. Thanks Jane for your blog -no matter the content. It is a joy to read.

[Zélia]

I wish i could quilt... i must try, but i just don't know where to begin. This summer quilt looks adorable...

Zelia

[Risa]

What a beautiful gift! I'm working on a version of this quilt pattern- sans dancing ladies though I'm afraid. I hope my version makes me jump for joy as much as your version does for Phoebe.

[charlotte]

Gorgeous quilt! I love your eye for colour and fabric combinations. You've inspired me to look at quilting differently and to make some quilts with my 3 daughters. I have been reading your blog for months and never commented before. The pictures are always a feast for the eyes and your words are wonderful too. Thanks!

[Dorothy B]

I love the quilt. The bright happiness it calls out with, is fabulous. There could be no grey days with that wrapped around a body. I think of all the quilts you have made, that one would be my favourite thus far.

If you never knit or crocheted another stitch, I would still be here. Baking, quilting, wine tasting and child rearing are all as fascinating and colourful as knitting and crochet. I only wish I had the sewing skills you do for the days when I just don't feel like knitting anything.