Custom King Size Rainbow Sparkler Quilt {Finished!!}

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!

Linking to:

~ Modest Monday ~ Keep It Simple Make It Fun ~ Making Monday ~ Monday Funday ~ Quilt Story ~ Linky Tuesday ~ Show and Tell Tuesday ~ Sew Cute ~ {Too} Cute Tuesday ~ Handmade Tuesdays ~ Let's Bee Social! ~ Fabric Frenzy Friday ~ Link a Finish Friday ~ Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?  ~ Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday ~ WIPs Be Gone ~ Creative Goodness ~ My Quilt Infatuation ~ Crazy Mom Quilts ~

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