Saturday, April 28, 2012

Little Apples Stained Quilt top

It's been a little bit of a mad week here in Cork. We were away at a good friend's wedding for a couple of days, and when I got back this afternoon, I really wanted to get some pictures to show you my progress on the Stained QAL.



I did the last few sashing and border seams, and then pressed my top, anxious to get out into the lovely sunshine, but just as I got done, the sun disappeared..I was not impressed. Doubly so because just as I got my pics uploaded here and the post almost written, the sun came out again. But anyways, I have a few pictures to show you.

You will know I struggled with a bit of a dilemma about what colour sashing to use on this one, as there were so many white prints, and I was afraid that a grey or black would be too dark. Miss Hadley gave me a good push in the right direction when she suggested yellow, but even after making some blocks I wasn't convinced. Mostly because yellow is not my favourite colour.



But...but....thank you, oh wise one! You were so right. The yellow works perfectly, picking up the little yellow details in the other fabrics, and now that the quilt top is done, I am really thrilled with how bright and happy it is. I used a buttery, almost golden yellow dotty cotton for the sashing. It is probably most correctly called a poplin and the lighter weight compared to my quilting cottons did cause a few little hiccups for me. There are more than a couple of wonky seams in there, but I think it adds to the character. For me, it definitely hits the bill for a baby girl's quilt that is not at all pink or girlie. The fabric I used in this is Aneela Hoey's Little Apples collection, which I bought a Fat Eighth bundle of. The whimsical prints are just perfect. I debated leaving out the olive green, because I wasn't totally in love with the shade, but Sarah reckoned it would balance the quilt colours to leave it in, and I decided I would take our QAL mama's advice. You see, this is why I love quiltalongs - you get lots of opinions to help you decide on the best course of action, and you get ideas you never would have thought of yourself.


I love the stained glass effect, and am looking forward to basting and quilting this one. I just need to decide on a backing fabric!

29 comments:

Linda said...

Love it! love what the yellow does. Great job!

Di said...

Second opinions are invaluable. That is the beauty of having blogging friends. You quilt top has turned out really well. Di xo

needle and nest said...

Lovely! I really like the Little Apples line - those sprints really do work well with the yellow sashing.

Katy Cameron said...

It looks absolutely fab with the yellow and the olive green in, glad you persevered :o)

Ellen said...

The yellow looks marvelous! I've been working on a scrappy Nicey Jane & Pop Garden Kaleidoscope quilt for a while and I was at my wits end deciding what I wanted to be the dominant color. I went with a marbled, sunny yellow on a whim and I can't tell you how much I love it! Totally unexpected for me too.

Nicky said...

You got some good advice there! It looks great - love the stained glass look!

It will be a fabulous quilt - one to be proud of!

Sarah said...

It looks brilliant Sarah! So bright and cheery :-)

Leanne said...

It is wonderful! I like how each of your design decisions worked out so well.

**nicke... said...

oh i love the yellow best of all! it looks so bright and happy!

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Phew, credibility intact, and photographic evidence to prove it!! Love it xx

Jessica Kelly said...

Love it! The yellow is just perfect, and you were so right to leave in the greens...great job!!

Cherie said...

It looks great! The yellow sashing really makes the fabrics stand out =D

Lucy | Charm About You said...

Beautiful!!! Do you know how you're going to quilt it?

felicity said...

Yellow was indeed the perfect choice - gorgeous quilt top!

Kirsty said...

Oh my gosh, GORGEOUS! I have this fabric and it never occurred to me to team it with yellow. It is perfect! Well done. Love the pattern too. The way you've fussy cut the Little Apples looks grand. Well done. x

Erin @ Billy Button Design said...

I was admiring the yellow and thinking that you were brave in trying something completely different. I would have gone for a safe colour too. Well done Hadley! Looks fab Sarah. Can't wait to see it all quilted.

Melinda said...

Beautiful! It will be wonderful quilted!

Longvacation said...

So beautiful. The stained glass effect is great, and the yellow is perfect.

Annabella said...

I love that olive green in it and your top looks great - we`re in the same position. What backing to use...and what binding??

Canadian Abroad said...

Sarah and Hadley were both spot on with their advice and I love this quilt top. It just glows with colour and looks wonderful.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely gorgeous hon, seriously beautiful! HRL

my4lilgirls said...

Absolutely stunning, fab job!!!
Karen x

www.randomthoughtsdoordi.com said...

ok, all the stained quilts are popping up and each one I say is my favorite. I am not lying, they are all so lovely!

Live a Colorful Life said...

Such a cute quilt. Yes, yellow was the perfect choice!

Ashlea Tenner said...

Love it! Great way to show off the all of that cute fabric. And I think you made a good choice with the yellow sashing. Yellow isn't my favorite either, but it really works in this quilt! Great Job!

Annaliese said...

the yellow was a brilliant choice!

Cindy said...

It's beautiful! Super beautiful! Hadders was right, yellow is just perfect. What a great make, S!

Jennifer Salter said...

Its gorgeous! Love the colors :)

Archie The Wonder Dog said...

It's fabulous! Hadley and Sarah were right...they usually are!!