March 1, 2015

Custom King Size Rainbow Sparkler Quilt {Finished!!}

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support!


This quilt is one of my Quarter 1 Goals for the 2015 Finish Along.  HERE is my original post.

Meet Mr.Sparkles, a king-sized beauty!

The grass is growing, and the flowering trees are in bloom!

This calls for a clothesline photoshoot!

Oh, drat!  Did you see the block that is turned wrong?  
Just kidding - they can be turned any direction and still be correct!  Gotcha!!
I love it all jumbled up.  If I made this quilt for myself, I'd lay the blocks out totally random ... maybe ... if I had enough courage to break out of the expected! 

The quilt finished at 108" square and shrank to 104.5" x 106.5" when washed and dried in cool temperatures.  This is not much shrinkage at all for this size of quilt.  I've had queens shrink 5" each direction which is a big deal with today's thick mattresses where every inch of the quilt counts.  This one likely didn't shrink "squarely" due to the pressure put on the quilt by the rollers in the quilting process when it is stretched in only one direction.  I like the quilt top and backing snug when quilting.  
Finding extra extra wide solid black backing proved difficult, and the only one I found was at Fabric.com, but it had a 1-star rating!!  UGH!  I bought it anyway because it was my only 118" wide option, and I am so glad I did!  I ♥ this backing!  It is Fabri-Quilt Cotton Sateen in Black.  It is super soft, has sheen on one side {which I put inside the quilt}, and is a nice substantial weight.  Many backings are thin and scratchy, but this one is so soft, even softer than the front Kona Solids!

Whoops - a blech-y colored picture, but it shows the back.
Here's a close-up of the allover meandering stitch.  Mrs.Singer can do this stitch and an organic side-to-side stitch.  Nothing fancy but sure effective!
Hobbes approves!   Did you see his tail above?  He walked all around the quilt, checking it out.  {His tail just hangs after it was run over by a car.}

Quilt Stats:
  • Pattern:  Sparkler by Lee at Freshly Pieced
  • Size:  King, 104.5" x 106.5" 
  • Fabric:  Kona Solids
  • Batting:  Black Hobbs 80/20 cotton/poly
  • Backing:  118" Fabri-Quilt Cotton Sateen Black (LOVE IT!)
  • Quilting:  Allover meandering in black polyester thread on Mrs.Singer, my antique 31-15 mounted on a long-arm quilting frame.
  • Binding:  Kona Black, double fold, attached by machine
  • Value:  Stunning happiness!
This quilt was a custom order in my Etsy shop, Busy Hands Quilts!

Get a Free Quilt Pattern!

Get a free pattern when you sign up to receive the latest info on what's happening in my studio, new quilt patterns, subscriber-only sales and Giveaways, quilty window shopping, and other fun news!

Click here to sign up!

23 comments :

Jasmine said...

Wow! Congratulations on the big finish. It looks amazing. No wonder why I couldn't see a block turned the wrong way.

Preeti said...

Kudos to you on that AWESOME finish. It indeed sparkles. Oh, my cat Jonesie looks so much like Hobbs!!!

Kathy S. said...

Gorgeous, Myra! You're going to have a super happy customer for a long time. I love the large stippling on it. Fun, fun, and congrats on another finish.

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

Myra!!!!!! it is stunning! I so wish I could see grass here..lol. Buried in snow I'm afraid.

Julie Kaye from KS said...

It's a great quilt. Your spring like weather sounds terrific.

Shannon said...

Wonderful! I knew it would be - you can't go wrong with a rainbow of colors!

Mari said...

Beautiful quilt! And huge! Good thing you found that extra wide backing. I would have mixed up the colors too, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough either! Congrats on your finish.

Allison said...

So beautiful! It is so eye-catching. And I love fabric.com--I can almost always find that one missing item there at a great price. So glad your 1-star gamble paid off for you because it is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

molly b quilts said...

AWESOME! SO much piecing! So so much piecing. Great work--it's beautiful!

Rachel said...

Congrats! That is one big, bright, pretty quilt. Also, I'm jealous of your grass and flowering trees. I'm sure it's time for Lady Spring to come visit my way too! :)

Paula said...

Congratulations on your finish. What a lovely quilt, beautiful colors.

Micki @ 2 Dogs Studio said...

Turned out beautiful. Great job. Love the dark background. It really makes the colors pop.
Micki@2dogsstudio.us

Mihaela said...

I simply love your huge cheerful quilt!
Congratulations!

TheItinerantChemist said...

Fantastic, you gotta love a rainbow! Great quilt, great finish. :)

Anonymous said...

I love bright fabrics with black. Your quilt is fabulous! Thanks for NOT embedding your comment box. Then I couldn't tell you how terrific I think this is. =)

Kate said...

Beautiful finish! Love the brights with the black background.

Laura said...

that is amazing! has Molli Sparkles seen it?!

Jill Fisher said...

Well, if there is a block turned wrong, I sure can't see it...and I looked! Congratulations on a beautiful finish. What a treasure.

Anonymous said...

LOL!
I stared at this quilt for about 2 mins looking for the wrong turned block, hehe.
That was a late April Fools on me :D
I didn't mind staring at it, that colors are lovely

Carie @ Space for the Butterflies said...

Ah more rainbows - how pretty :)

Pieced Brain Quilt Designs said...

Beautiful quilt! I need a colorful quilt for my king size bed. Perhaps I should send you my address? :-)

Gemini Jen NZ said...

Fantastic work!

Adrianne @ On the Windy Side said...

Beautiful work - so bright and fun!