Spiraling Petals in Simply Moderne 9 (Quiltmania)
I am really excited to share a new quilt with you today that is featured in the Summer edition / Issue 9 of Simply Moderne: Spiraling Petals. The magazine is currently published in French, and it was very exciting to get a few photos from friends who get the magazine. The editors have generously shared an image of the introduction of the pattern in the magazine, and I adore the modern and graphic layout they created!
Spiraling Petals as featured in Simply Moderne (photo credit: @ateliercocopatch)
Spiraling Petals is a design I created as part of the Quilt Design a Day group in April of 2015. At the time, I was very daunted by the curved piecing that would be required to make the quilt. Let me tell you that this large, graphic design allows for the curves to be pieced easily enough that even I pieced them with confidence.
Spiraling Petals
I will have to admit that I did not get very “exotic” when I took the finished quilt photographs before packing it up to ship to France. I was working right up until I packed for QuiltCon on this quilt and I hit a few snags along the way, which I am going to tell you all about! #HonestQuiltingConfessions
Spiraling Petals is another one of my designs that is based on the color value of the fabrics / a transparency design. In fact, there is also an article on transparency quilts written by the MQG included in Issue 9 of Simply Moderne. Color selection is very important to really bring these designs to life. I went to my trusty Kona Cotton color card and made my fabric selections.
Spiraling Petals – Pieced Top
I honestly knew as soon as I had the fabric in hand that the lightest two fabric selections were too close in value, but time was ticking and I was hopeful it would look better pieced. That was, however, wishful thinking as you can see in the image above.
Solution: Strategic Aurifil Thread Choices!
My solution was to densely quilt with a strategic selection of Aurifl thread colors. L to R: 4020 (Fuchsia), 2530 (Blossom Pink), 2423 (Baby Pink), & 2021 (Natural White). The goal of especially the lightest two threads was to lighten the lowest value fabric with thread and increase the value of the second lightest slightly. If quilting is the solution, well, that means some tiny quilting.
Spiraling Petals – Fresh Off the Frame
Overall, the technique worked pretty well and as soon as I got the quilting complete, I was relieved. My original quilting plan was for something much more simple, and the hours spent adding this micro quilting detail took a toll on my body (long hours of fine movement were hard on my arms and wrists) and greatly cut into the time I had to get the quilt shipped.
Spiraling Petals
I have developed an affinity for using transparency as a technique for achieving a balance and interest in my quilt pattern designs. One definition of transparency is “something… viewed by light shining through it.”1 In addition, transparency as a behavior implies openness, communication, and accountability.2 In Spiraling Petals, the goal was to merge both aspects of transparency together to create a modern, graphic quilt depicting an opening rose; hence the soft, round edges and sharp, crisp points merging together into a cohesive whole.
Spiraling Petals – View of Backing
Robert Kaufman provided the following Kona Cotton Solids for this project: Pearl Pink (Fabric A), Pink (Fabric B), Bubblegum (Fabric C), and Pomegranate (Fabric D, binding, and backing). If I were do it all again… I’d aim for a slightly darker value Fabric B like Medium Pink. 😉
Simply Moderne Issue 9
It’s very exciting to be able to say that I have a pattern that has been translated into another language! Simply Moderne is publised by Quiltmania and Issue 9 will be also available and published in English soon.
Spiraling Petals in Simply Moderne 9 (Quiltmania)
Linking up with Finish it Friday and TGIFF.
I hope you are recording all these achievements in the equivalent of the school progress report. Congratulations on tipping your quilting toes into France . The quilt life oks great but I now understand what you mean by closeness in value . I don’t have a kona card but have recently been building my pinks. I just ordered pink I liked but I fear some are very similar . Ah well it will all balance out I suppose
Congratulations on the publication – it is a beautiful design and I think your quilt turned out really lovely!
Oh, my goodness! That’s so exciting! Congratulations!
Tres Jolie!
Fun new quilt, Yvonne! And even though you wish you had used a darker colour for Fabric B, the intent of your style/ coloring still shines through! Congrats on the feature too!!
The quilting is stunning Yvonne, all your long hours were well worth it! Congrats!
Another great quilt in a great publication. Congratulations! And, yes, the overquilting did help the fabrics! I love this transparency technique. Joen Wolfrom was also a great teacher of this (you probably knew that).
Congrats, Yvonne! Lovely design and beautiful quilting!
Congrats! I just love all of the pink! Would definitely be tempted to steal this quilt from you! 🙂
A pattern in French! That is exciting! I love how thread can be a life saver in achieving a look we are going for. I remember seeing all the dense quilting on Instagram and wondering what you were up to. I know that it probably took a bit longer to do all that quilting, but it was well worth it. Absolutely stunning.
Wow! These colors are so unlike you but the design definitely screams Yvonne! Great idea to use quilting to emphasize specific parts of your quilt. Thanks for being honest about your process and sharing about how vital colors can be in the quilt. Despite what you’ve said, the transparency theme really shines through.
Congratulations on your pattern being published in such a cool publication! The quilting is fabulous, and I can only imagine how much time it took to do all that tiny stitching. It looks great! And, it’s pink!!! 😉
Congratulations Yvonne, that is a great achievement =)
Your quilting was such a perfect solution! Too bad you were working on a deadline…that is sometimes hard in our bodies! Congratulations on the publication of your pattern.
Congrats Yvonne! I enjoy transparency quilts too.
It’s a lovely design, and I’m really impressed with how your quilting helped balance the value issue – good thinking and note to self! I really admire your work with transparency! I find it intriguing but haven’t yet dabbled much with it myself. Nicely done and oh yes, love the photo they sent you!
This is amazing Yvonne…Congrats! Your transparency quilts always wow me. The quilting on this is amazing!
What a great quilt and the quilting is just amazing!
I love this! It’s so simple but absolutely stunning! The quilting just really makes it POP!
Congrats Yvonne 🙂 !! I love the pattern, I noted your advice for the colors!Modern quilt begins in France, thank you to participate to our education!!
This quilt is so beautiful and such itty bitty quilting!! Amazing !! Congratulations on being in the magazine! Very cool !!
this is stunning! and Pink! Just love it. Congrats on the publication!
Brilliant solution to use the quilting thread color to adjust the value. Looks terrific! Congrats on being published internationally.
I know these colors were outside your comfort zone, so kudos for taking the leap. You made it work – with lots of extra work! You are amazing!! I love how the people in France saw a flamingo in this. Great pairing!
I love this quilt and and I’ll look for the magazine. I really like your honesty in explaining the quilting solution. I learn so much from you Yvonne. Much appreciated.
This quilt is a wonderful example of all of your talents, quilt design, writing, and definitely your quilting which is amazing; I am in awe. Congratulations on being published again and I know there’s going to be more for you in the future.
Another stunning transparency quilt! And your quilting is so intricate and so tiny. Did you know that “pink” in French is “rose”?
It’s great Yvonne! Thanks for the honesty; we are all mere humans. I think when the upper echelons of any given field admit to their trials and foibles, it makes the ‘minions’ feel that much more confidence! Incredible fine quilting and La France! I need to investigate this magazine…
This is absolutely beautiful Yvonne! I know that the quilting must have taken hours and hours and it is just so effective. Congrats on getting it published – and in French too! How cool is that. 🙂
That is beautiful. I very rarely make someone else’s quilt pattern (block, yes), but this may be one I need to make. I may even use your colorway! I will be watching for the pattern.
It’s beautiful, Yvonne! I love the design and the tiny quilting 🙂 I’m so glad the thread choice combined with the tiny quilting helped fix the too-close colour problem.
Congratulations – what a great magazine to be published in. I love that you used quilting to adjust the value of your pale fabrics; that’s just a good idea it’s worth doing it on purpose.
It looks amazing, and the micro quilting definitely works and really boosts up the colour of the palest pink – what a gorgeous finish!
I love this design Yvonne, it is simply stunning. I love the magazine’s styling for the photograph!
Great design, lovely combo and awesome quilting! Welld one Yvonne!
Beautiful design. You made the best of your design decisions and ended up with a fun and easy design.
What a difference the quilting made in showing off your design. Love it.
Oh to have a professional photographer and stylist for all our quilt photos! Congrats on going bi-lingual! Love the quilt!