Finished quilt: the One Block Wonder "Mary-Anne Under the Sun"

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Quilt details

Name, Recipient, Size, Start/Finished date, Pattern and Fabrics used

  • "Mary-Anne Under the Sun", previously knows as the One Block Wonder quilt, or the OBW quilt
  • For Marianne
  • 173 x 185 cm (length x height).
  • started on 17.4.2015. Pieces for the blocks were cut 6.6.2017. Quilt top got done on 4.10.2018, and quilt was finished 22.10.2018.


  • my own improvised pattern; a center medallion out of OBW-blocks, with surrounding borders made out of the bonus triangle pieces that came from the OBW-blocks.
  • About the fabrics used:
    • The yellow fabric was actually a curtain I bought second hand sometime before April 2015.

Batting, backing and binding fabric:

  • Single layer of (80 g) polyester batting from Kruunun Kangas, pieced together to become wide enough.
  • Backing was pieced together from some white cotton fabric from Kruunun Kangas, and a donation fabric from Annikki or Frida (I'm not actually sure here) with a white background and lots of flowers. The same I cut up to use for the second Kingfisher quilt I want to make.
  • Binding was made out of 5 cm wide fabric strips out of the same flowery backing fabric.

Quilting pattern:

  • I did walking foot outline quilting on and around the center and the borders of the quilt. Then, to sort of create blocks in the white background in the center medallion, I did free motion quilting motifs.

Top thread:

  • For piecing the top: Gutermann Mara 120, 100% polyester, 1000m, color 800 (white)
  • For piecing the back: Gutermann Mara, color 800
  • For walking foot quilting: Gutermann Mara, color 800
  • For free motion quilting
    • Gutermann Sulky (300m, 100% variegated cotton thread) in color 4003 (light to dark yellow)
    • Gutermann Mara 120, 100% polyester, 1000m, color 800 (white) for the center medallion.

Bobbin thread:

  • For piecing the top: Gutermann Mara, color 800
  • For piecing the back: Gutermann Mara, color 800
  • For free motion quilting: Gutermann Mara, color 800.
  • All in all, it took about 9 full bobbins to quilt the whole quilt and bind it.
Blogged about it on:
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This quilt took a long time to make.

 Like, more than 3 years.

 Probably because I first misplaced the fabric (that I had bought maybe 2 years ago before that) while we were moving into our house back in November of 2014. Then, when I just aligned the pieces in April 2015 to be cut out, laid them aside....and misplaced them again. They were found again in June of 2017.







I worked on the blocks for the center, managed to get them and the center nearly done when August of 2017 came. Then, I didn't have money to buy more white cotton fabric for the surrounding areas in it, and the project just laid waiting in a box.
Finally, something in me must have snapped back in June and July of 2018, because I realized I had left it as a UFO for far too long and had white fabric on hand. 

I started fixing the "friendliness" (waves) the top made, by shortening the white surrounding fabric with inset seams. It worked well.

Then, it was time for the borders.

(the photo shows three of them already attached)


Then, finally, in the beginning of October I had gotten the center and all the borders done on the quilt and the top was complete. Those borders were the bane of my existence for a while, because the bias in them and the center kept the top from laying flat. I have no idea how much thread I wasted just ripping and resewing seams on them! All I can say is that it was A LOT.

(in the photo, the pieces of the outer border is still missing on the left and right side)


 While I was making the borders, the living room table was a real mess.
 

But, they got done, and the top was as flat as I could make it.

I ironed and ironed it, using so much steam it was crazy.


As you can see, the borders were STILL very friendly...


But I thought, "that will quilt out".


Then, during the rest of October, I pieced the backing, made a label, and quilted the whole quilt. I'm so glad we have a large kitchen table and floor!


Piecing together that backing was a whole mornings work.


But then, I could start spray basting it. (I use Prym textile glue spray, because it's what they sell at the local sewist store and on my favorite online store).

I baste my quilt via the "rolling pin" method. (No, I have no idea what it is truly called, if anything, but you roll the fabrics on a cardboard or foam roller and spray baste it on either the batting or backing laying flat under it on a table or the floor). On our table, which I then clean so no glue is left behind. Because I don't need sore knees on top of having quilt top wrestled.


Tad-aah! Here it is, basted and ready for stay stitching.


That day, I rolled it up and wrapped it in plastic, having it ready for the evening sewing course at Arbis.


After that outline quilting, I made some bias binding and and machine stitched in to the quilt.


It gave a sneak peak at what the backing might look like, and actually gave the whole front of the quilt some depth.


Then, at the next time I went to the quilting course, I started doing some filler free motion quilting motifs inside the all white borders.



Quilting that border in the photo took two whole bobbins with thread.

The next border, just as much. Then, just one bobbin for the outline in the next-to-outer one.

I finished up the waking foot quilting at home. Here's some photos of the back, because you can see it much better on there.



I sketched out the motifs, those I wanted to use for the free motion quilting details, with one of those Prym vanishing fabric markers. They write in violet, and if you leave them for a while in the sun they absorb humidity from the air and disappears. Or, if you're impatient, you can spritz a little water on them and they vanish in front of your eyes. (Never put your iron on them though, that makes them stay...)


Tad-aah! One done quilt roll.


This is the label I made for it, out of one of the left over OBW-blocks.


I hand-stitched them on the back where I had pieced the one remaining motif from the remainder of the fabric I had used.


Here's a photo of the whole backing.


Some detail photos of the free motion quilting.






And a final photo of the free motion quilted border motifs.


Then, I only had to wait a few days before the one I was going to gift the quilt to came for a visit.

She seemed really happy to get it, judging from her smiles and exclamations of how "happy and bright" it was. Good thing that, because while I was making it I thought of her and how sunny her personality is.


The kaleidoscope effect, that one gets when making a one block wonder in such a limited color palate as me, is that you can interpret it as showing an idea of how many facets a person really can have. Even thought they have just one outer shell (the original print on the fabric). The whole can be sunny personality, even if the person under the surface is complex and fascinating and ever changing.



I'm glad I got it finished, and I'm glad it was well received.



So, here's to hoping I won't have any more of these quilts that will take years between start and finish.

But even if so, getting them finished sure feels really great.

Happy sunny quilting to you all :)
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