Friday, December 13, 2013

scrap vortex

Welcome to finish it up Friday!
On Wednesday I finished my scrap vortex quilt (!!!!) and I have about 95 photos to prove it. Don't worry, I won't share them all here, as tempting as that may be!
This quilt is MASSIVE, measuring about 105" x 95". When I made the top, one side measured 94" long and the other side was 95" long. After quilting, I'm pleased to report that it's nearly square (or rectangular). Amazing.
For the back, I picked several fabrics from my stash and pieced 10.5" squares together. There are 110 squares, with 107 unique fabrics. How's that for stash busting? It felt GREAT to cut into that much fabric at once. Folding the fabric afterwards was a different story.
The binding is scrappy, which is like icing on the cake. There are so many details to look at. It's SO FUN!
For the quilting, Cheryl suggested that I do one big spiral, to go with the name scrap vortex. We discussed how much work that would be, to which she responded, "that's what a long-armer is for." I prefer to quilt my own quilts, but with the ridiculous notion planted in my head, I knew I must try it. I had a plan B AND a plan C in mind if the spiral didn't pan out. Well, it took about 4 tries to get the center circle just right, but perseverance paid off. I quilted it in the span of 9 days, with 2 days off. Some days I quilted for 8 hours or more. But it was totally worth it!
When trying to find the center of the quilt, I discovered that this dot was within 1" of the center, so I centered the spiral around it. It would have been silly NOT to! I free motion quilted the center on my Juki, then I switched over to my Janome and used the walking foot for the remainder of the quilt. I used the edge of my walking foot as a guide, and the lines are about 1/2" apart. Yes, I turned this around in my machine about one million times. My back is a little worse for wear, if you could imagine!
With the pieced back, the sheer size, and the spiral quilting, I am shocked (and thrilled) that there is not a single pucker...back or front. There was very little pulling/drag...even though the last side I basted I was running quite low on pins. What a relief!

There are so many cute prints in this quilt...
pinwheels,
paper boats, LOTS of polka dots,
 little red riding hood,
 cute Japanese fabric,
 smiling submarines!
 egg beaters, cupid, rolling pins, apples, oh my!
 even cloths pin people,
little sheep!, vintage feed sack from my grandmother,
and even toilet paper! (that part is on my husband's side of the bed. ha!)
As soon as I finished the binding, I made a label and stitched it on, so this quilt is TRULY done, done, DONE! I'm so thankful that I blogged when I started the quilt, so I have a record of how long it took. I had no idea it would morph into this scrap masterpiece, but I'm delighted that it did.
It looks pretty dandy on my bed, doesn't it?

This is scrap project #28/101.

Now, finally, it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week! Thanks for joining me for finish it up Friday!

129 comments:

diplofam said...

Hi friend!
The link up isn't working or wasn't posted correctly :)
LOVE the zig zag quilt and everything else you do of course!!
Merry Christmas!!
Carin

Nicole said...

It's gorgeous, Amanda Jean! All those fabrics are such a delight to see! And I'm impressed that you did it on your domestic machine. Wow!

Lucy | Charm About You said...

WOW! That is really incredible!! Such gorgeous scraps and really cool quilting, worth the hard work! That is serious scrappy heaven!

Julia Graber said...

I really like your quilting on the Scrap Vortex. You've done well to keep the quilt square and not let it become skewed and wonky.

Melissa Corry said...

That quilt is absolutely stunning!!! Just amazing ;)

tara said...

Amazing, amazing!!

Pat said...

Wow oh Wow oh Wow!! That is totally amazing and no way ... EVER ... I would have attempted it on my Janome.

One question, though. How many scraps did you create from cutting the squares for the back? LOL

Anna said...

it is truly amazing!!! and the quilting is just perfect, so perfect. I love seeing all those scraps and can't have a better spot than on your own bed!

Janeen said...

Amazing! Quite the feat, way to go!

apple slice said...

you are amazing. it is insane. :) well done at all turns on this huge amazing quilt.

Glinda ♥ said...

What a stunner! I cant believe you quilted this on a domestic machine either ... great work :)

Pinspot said...

This quilt is the shizzle.

Debbie said...

This is just awesome! I love the dot where you started your spiral quilting! ;-) Curious if you excluded certain colors or did you just sew up any scraps... I guess I should go back and reread some progress posts! ;-)

The Colorful Fabriholic said...

Stunning! Looks lovely on your bed. All that work, but so beautiful!

Kat said...

Brava!

nicole said...

This is the most gloriously scrappy thing i've ever seen! I could look at it for hours! And the quilting, oh my word, just amazing :)

Linda said...

That's fan-tas-tic! I am in love with it! :)

Missenota aka Kristin S. said...

Congratulations! After seeing it in person last night, it's all Sharon and I could talk about. What a masterpiece and what a great quilt story.

Anna said...

What a beautiful quilt! I love seeing all of the little "I Spy" moments. That's the best part when making a quilt like this.

Leanne said...

I LOVE your scarp vortex and wow the spiral quilting is just perfect. BEAUTIFUL!!!

RugratRodeos said...

There's so much about this quilt I love I hardly know where to start- but being a big fan of loo-rolls that fabric particularly appeals... Oh and the egg beater, paper boats, pinwheels...
Well done & I think you should label all your quilts like that for future generations. :0)

mama dub said...

Wow! I am so impressed. The quilt is beautiful and I can't believe that you quilted it by yourself. You did a wonderful job! Love the quilt and the spiral quilting. Thanks for sharing.

Leigh Anne said...

This is bloody amazing! I definitely can't pick a favorite part and I'm surprised you have scraps left LOL. I certainly wouldn't!!

As someone who has both done spiral quilting on a domestic machine and recently shoved a 72" quilt through the throat of my machine over and over again, I bow to you!

Jacque. said...

OHMYGOSH, AmandaJean...I am a huge fan of all of your work, but I must say that this just blows me away! Fantastic work with all that piecing and YAY that you persevered with the spiral quilting...it is the cat's meow, the icing on the cake (even though you think the scrappy binding is), it is all that...and more! Congratulations on a spectacular finish!!!

Snowcatcher said...

Spectacular! I love the circle quilting, and the back is awesome.

Katherine said...

Best scrap quilt - EVER! So much to love about this, Amanda Jean. It's so beautiful and looks just perfect on your bed. Bravo for an incredible finish. Now I think you need to reward yourself with a spa day (to massage out the kinks from all that quilting!!!) ;o).

Georgi said...

I'm just sitting here in awe of what you've accomplished! Wowee - that's a lot of work :) Love the spiral quilting and scrappy binding ~ it's perfect!!

Janet said...

This quilt is fantastic!! Is the front randomly pieced scraps or is there any kind of pattern to it?

Samantha K said...

WOW!!! This is an amazing quilt. I was so excited reading the post about it and seeing the pictures, I cannot imagine how excited you are to finish it and share. The front, the back, the quilting, the fact you quilted it on a domestic machine...it is all truly amazing!

Gemini Jen NZ said...

That is absolutely wonderful! What a great size - I am so impressed that you sat and fmq'd that spiral on your machine, what a mission! Well done!

sarah elizabeth :: {no} hats said...

Well isn't this truly a delightful array of scraptasticness!

Unknown said...

This is truly amazing, and gorgeous! What fun you both will have looking at all of those cute prints :o)

MaterialGirlQuilts said...

This is just gorgeous Amanda Jean and the quilting is perfect. You sure had a great week of finishes! I fee so unproductive now :)
Amanda

Vera said...

wow. Love the back as well and the quilting. WELL DONE!

Lauren Deel said...

This is AMAZING! Thanks for the inspiration and congrats!

Frog Quilter said...

It's so pretty!!!! Want my address? Lol.

Kar said...

Gorgeous!!! So worth all that hard work. :)

Lorna McMahon said...

Amazing finish! The quilting is the icing on the cake. Very nice job, Amanda Jean!

Kristen said...

Your quilt is amazing!

Astridka said...

Incredible! I'm not a quilter, only a sewing Grandma, and I love it.
Sincerely
Astrid
Cologne/Germany

LisaAnn said...

Every one of your projects are so fun, pretty and perfect but this one is amazing! I'm so impressed!

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

This is an amazing scrap buster! I'd give my husband the toilet paper side too;)

Farm Road Quilts said...

This quilt, and your choice of quilting, is stunning!! What a masterpiece.

Live a Colorful Life said...

Seriously amazing. SERIOUSLY.AMAZING.

Teresa S. said...

Wow, that is so fantastic! I am truly inspired. What great scraps you have in that quilt!

Michelle said...

All I can say is amazing! I love it. :-)

Donna~~ said...

Gosh, I love your Vortex, front and back. What a wonderful "scrapbook" of all your fabrics.

Tennjenny said...

Wow. I'm almost speechless. This is incredible. I think I love the back just as much visually, but the front is gorgeous and just jaw-dropping in breadth.

tink's mom said...

It is wonderful.Simply wonderful.

Ellomee said...

Beautiful quilt! Simply stunning! I love the quilting on it. Congrats on a (long) job well done!

Little Island Quilting said...

Incredible. And all the more incredible that you made such a professional job of quilting it on a domestic sewing machine. Kudos.

Julierose said...

Stunning finish, Amanda--did you just pull pieces randomly ? I really like how it turned out...WOW--2 years in the making...I don't feel so bad about my UFQ's now...very inspiring post...hugs, Julierose

Turid said...

I love your quilt! Can't get enough of it.

Teri said...

Now I know why you are "CRAZY" Mom!

Andi said...

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! Can't believe you did all that gorgeous quilting on a domestic machine. You are an inspiration!!!!!
A stunning quilt. Enjoy every last scrap of it!
Andi x

Baukje said...

An amazing quilt I am totally impressed that you quilted that huge quilt on your domestic machine, I absolutely love the spiral quilting.

Christine S said...

Great finish and I love your label! :)

Brenda said...

Your quilt is simply fun, fun, FUN! The quilting you did is mind boggeling, and matches the name perfectly!

Happy Quilting indeed!
Brenda

Catherine said...

I'm really just in awe of how many projects you must have done to generate so many scraps - and what a lovely result.

Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts said...

it's gorgeous! i love the quilitng. what a labor of love! it's wonderful.

Svetlana said...

wow, this quilt is stunning, absolutely gorgeous in every single way.

Svetlana said...

wow, this quilt is stunning, absolutely gorgeous in every single way.

Karen said...

Stupendous!!!!! The front is glorious, the back is fantastic but the quilting is AWESOME!!!!

April said...

This is amazing. I cannot believe u spiraled that on your machine. It's something I'd want to do but wouldn't be able to master. I am so impressed and happy for you and this beauteous beast! :)

Connie said...

I'd be tempted to call this three scrap projects: one for the quilt top, a second for the quilt back, and the third for the binding. Undoubtedly, that is cheating.

JoanG said...

This quilt is wonderfully beautiful. I can imagine generations of kids spending their bed time playing I spy with all the deliciously different scraps included here! Congrats on an amazing finish.

Joanie's Trendy Quilts said...

Whoa! that is one amazing and fun quilt. The circular quilting is awesome. I feel the pain on my shoulders, neck and back for you - LOL. Great job on the perseverance. Love all the tiny pieces and overall scrappiness.

Natalie said...

This is incredible!!! I have been dying the finished quilt since you posted the top. I wish I could see it in person! The pictures are amazing, but I'm sure it's waaaay more wonderful in real life. It's so beautiful! Maybe you should take it on tour! Let me know if you come to Texas:)

Becki said...

I love scrappy quilts. This one is the BOMB! Thanks so much for sharing the journey with us.

Patty said...

Now I really have to the circle quilting. I have been wanting to but thought it would be too hard. Yours is amazing. WOW!

simple :: dream :: quilts said...

what kind of marker did you use for the label? Is it washable?
Thanks,
lisa

Anonymous said...

That is one massive & amazing scrap quilt! And I love, love, love the back. So fun!

Sonia B said...

This quilt is absolutely stunning in every way. I've started to collect even my smallest scraps . . . someday. So so amazing.

Tehachap said...

Utterly awesome!!! I love the colors and the variety. I told my husband about your vortex quilting style and he suggested I do a triangle quilting pattern on my next quilt. I just might do that. Congratulations on finishing this gorgeous quilt! You did yourself proud!

Vicki said...

Amanda Jean, this is stunning! I love everything about the front and back. I can only imagine what your back and shoulders feel like.

eva said...

Beautiful!!!! gorgeous!!!
you are the epitome of a quilting mentor!!!!
did you make blocks of scraps, and then put the blocks together at the end??

coincidentally - you featured the same scraps-sewn together on your original posting......and on the finished product (little sheep)
sweet!!!

xo
eva

Betty said...

A modern Masterpiece

SharynB said...

Your scrap vortex quilt is simply beautiful - might have to follow you on this one!
Absolutely gorgeous

margaret said...

really wonderful, so many lovely fabrics and surely a labour of love.

Swedish Scrapper said...

Truly a labor of love!! What a fabulous sick day quilt, or quilt to have when everybody jumps up on the bed at once! I love it and want to thank you for sharing it with us! Also, I love the name you chose for this, as well as the perfect quilting, including around the polka dot :)

Karens Quilts, Crows and Cardinals said...

Amanda Jean I am in awe of this quilt - beautifully done. Not only all of the lovely piecing but the fact that you quilted it on a DSM and with a walking foot! How inspiring... I MUST now give it a try - I can guarantee it won't be a bed size quilt that I try with. Kudos!!

Kristin said...

Pretty outstanding quilt! Really cool bits of fabric in it. Love it.

Betty said...

That's one of the best quilts I've seen, ever. Now if I could just figure out if you followed some kind of methodology in assembling your pieces! Cannot find the link or threads :(

house on hill road said...

beautiful work, friend! xo.

Gunilla said...

Beautiful quilting, I just love the circle!
The quilt is great and I think you just made two quilts, the backing is also great.
Congratulations to that finish!

barbaradougherty126 said...

what an amazing quilt. LOVE it.

Carol E. said...

WOWOWOW!! LOVE it!!

claire said...

Oh how I love everything about this quilt!!!! The spiral is awesome and the fun prints could entice me to stare at it for hours.
WHERE DID YOU GET TOILET PAPER FABRIC???

Absolutely adorbs!

sansuey said...

So beautiful, so big..so much fabric, so many hours spent just quilting..I am truly amazed!,

SarahZ said...

Has any other quilt ever filled up it's name like this one?! I love the Scrap Vortex...and so thoroughly You!!! Enjoy!!!!!

dream quilt create said...

I love love love your quilt!!! It's funny, I recognized so many of my fabric stash in your quilt :)

Mihaela said...

A lot of work but it worth it!
The quilted vortex merges all the tiny little pieces in a very merry quilt!

Timtirim said...

What an amazing quilt! I can't find words to say how much I like it! I wish I could do something like this once... You can be very proud of yourself! Have a merry Christmas!

Karen's Vegan Kitchen said...

Wow, wow, and wow!

Rustic Barnyard said...

Oh my! this is beautiful. It makes me want to head to the fabric store and buy every colour and piece that I love. Maybe one day I can try something like this.

Anonymous said...

Wow!

This is truly amazing and it looks to be so worth the work! This is truly fabulous and I LOVE the quilting.

Karen said...

Amaaaaazing and wonderful. You have to be so proud and glad about this completion!

Suzanne said...

This quilt is the essence of who you are as a designer and quilter! If you ever change the layout on your blog, I can see this as the backdrop for a header or a thumbnail on a business card.

I would seriously look at all 95 photos. hat's off to you!

Cheryl Arkison said...

Oh my goodness! So incredibly awesome. So proud of you.

leanne said...

that is just the most awesome quilt - love that you kept going with the quilting too ! love every one of the detailed photos :)

Susie said...

Just fabulous

janequiltsslowly said...

I adore this quilt. Thank you for the inspiration. I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

Unknown said...

Wow this quilt is amazing I love it

Carla said...

Pretty dandy, indeed! The spiral quilting is such a great idea...you should be so proud of this quilt!!

Michelle said...

I loved it from the beginning.....and more so at the end
I love how you quilted it too..... a
massive job fantastically done !
Looks great on your bed .....

Lori said...

It does look great on your bed. I love scrap quilts. All the pretty quilts are wonderful. But there is just something authentic to what quilting started out as in a scrap quilt. It speaks to my frugality. He he- though if you seen my stash you would never call me frugal.

Quilter Kathy said...

A spectacular quilt... wow and wow!

Louise Marie said...

After i read this blog, i sat back in my chair and said, "Wow!" a number of times. This quilt is so incredible from the fabrics to the symmetry to the size to the fact that you did it on your own sewing machine to the free motion design to the absence of puckers. I am so impressed. I have not been this impressed in a very long time. Thank you.

Deb@asimplelifequilts said...

I will be coming back to look at this post again and again... stunning!!!

Svarta Malin said...

Amazing!
Love the circular quilting!
The top, backing and binding too!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I love it! And I am impressed that it is already on your bed!! Labeled too. Thanks for sharing!

Betsy said...

In awe!!! Amazing.

Caroline said...

That is amazing. And CRAZY!!! And my back hurts just thinking about the quilting... Good job!

Flaun of I Plead Quilty! said...

I can't even tell you how tickled it makes me to see little bits from my scraps in your quilts. Such a lovely finish!

Rachel said...

Beyond awesome! Your work is inspiring.

Zura said...

SO pretty!! I have tons of scraps and I still doubt if I quilt them it will be half as good as yours...I am always drooling at your amazing work!!

Unknown said...

This quilt is the bombdiggity! The back is almost as pretty as the front with that spiral quilting. This quilt should count as more than ONE scrap finish. ;) Merry Christmas!
~Susannevb

Thimbleanna said...

Oh. Em. Gee.

I think you know my love for this quilt. WOW. I know you've told us, but I can't remember. Is the technique for the blocks in your quilt book? There must've been some sort of method to the madness? And that quilting! PERFECT!!!!

I LOOOOOVE it!!!!

{Swoon}

Veronica said...

Amanda, I rarely, rarely post on blog comment pages, but I had to after seeing your quilt. This is truly amazing!! I admire your perseverance to finish this huge beast of a quilt!! It is beautiful, front and back!

Annalia said...

Oh! I love the back so much that I'm not sure I'd ever put it right-side-up! Nice job. (...and it's so big!)

Unknown said...

Simply gorgeous!! In all aspects; fabrics, re-use of scraps, pattern, quilting (!!), everything is gorgeous. Yes, super beautiful!

Shannon said...

Beautiful!! I hope that some day I can make a quilt like yours!! The quilting is amazing!

kmodich said...

Your vortex quilt is AMAZING! And you are so crazy. I can't believe you could put all those tiny scraps together and the quilting?!??! WOW.

Mary Jo said...

What a fantastic quilt. What fun for kids to find the different items over and over again. Really lovely.

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

It is amazing! The quilting is just perfect! I cannot wait to start one. I may start it out as a leader and ender project as I am so excited to begin.

patchworkdelights said...

Another beauty! Really the size of it! It's huge, love it!

Allison said...

I am absolutely speechless. I showed these pictures to my husband, who just smiles and nods and gets a far away look whenever I talk quilting, and even he was amazed. Seriously you not only have talent, but you have an amazing amount of patience and perseverance. I'm thinking that the government should harness all that for some sort of secret mission or something because you have some serious skills woman. You can put me down as officially impressed and amazed.

Unknown said...

absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

Renee said...

This quilt is fantastic! The quilting is a great compliment to all those pieces, and the label really shows the labor of love this was!