A few photos to prove that I’ve finished this beast, yes?
At 64” x 84”, if this isn’t the biggest quilt I’ve ever shoved through the Janome, it’s definitely close.
You can see the straight-line quilting a bit better here. I chose to follow the pattern of some of the zigs, rather than just go up and down the quilt. It turned out okay, but there was some teeth-gnashing as I turned those corners, and got folds of fabric caught under the walking foot filling in middle spaces.
And good news for my husband, who has to move all these quilts this winter (we ARE moving out of this tiny apartment, no matter what!): I am giving this one away.
Yep. My professor friends who live in Phoenix have only a very small throw-size quilt that I made in my early quilting days (completely hand-pieced and hand-quilted, hand-sewn binding and all). He is very tall, and I felt so sorry when they sent me a photo of him trying to nap under the little quilt. He definitely needed a bigger one. And they needed one that both of them could snuggle under! Their anniversary was ten days ago, and her birthday is two days from now, so a perfect excuse.
I backed the quilt in scraps. The spirit of a scrap quilt is “buy nothing new,” yes? I tried to carry the rainbow idea onto the back. The other side is sky, sun, grass, earth.
The quilt is bound in the white Memoir print from Violet Craft’s Madrona Road, which I have now stashed and re-stashed. Now I need to re-re-stash it. Ha!
(P.S. If this is the first time you’re reading about this quilt, please know that I used Rachel @ Stitched in Color’s Ziggy Strings tutorial to construct the blocks, and just laid out the blocks differently. Easy peasy!)
Thanks again for putting up with so many photos of this one. I’m proud of it–but I’m MORE than ready to bundle it into the mail and move on to the next thing! Onward!
little and lots 
Lucky lucky lucky friends! Exciting about your move – that’s always a task! I’m planning to STOCK up big time on the memoir print in grey for bindings. I’m pretty much obsessed with it so I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Wow – I don’t use this word often but the first word that comes to mind is stunning – it really is just stunning!
There’s just not enough words to say. I like the follow up with the back as well… It’s like a more downplayed rainbow, or the palette where the zigs and zags came from. It all just makes me think about what a rainbow would look like coming through a textured glass window. So inspiring… Okay, I’ll stop gushing now!
This is such a gorgeous quilt, and I’m sure your friends will love it. Your quilting looks amazing, and it gives the quilt such wonderful texture. What really sets your quilt apart though, is the layout of the string blocks. It is so unexpected!
-Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
fab finish. Onward and upward. I love the memoir binding.
Congrats on the finish! This is a wonderful quilt. I love your rainbow colours and the picture on the Rhinoceros, below, is especially fab 🙂
I am just so in awe and envy over this quilt – the quilting and back and the perfect complements to the top. Beautiful job and very lucky friends!
it’s still beautiful! so glad it won. and i love the back, too. perfect.
Love this quilt. It is scrappy fabulous.