The Purple Rain

I finally finished up the binding on my Pantone Radiant Orchid Quilt that I am lovingly calling "The Purple Rain." I used the custom dyed fabric from Vickie Welsh for some of my raindrops, the binding and the back.  I used Superior King Tut variegated thread for the rain.  If I do something like this again the rain quilting will go on first and the raindrops will be appliquéd on afterward.  Starting and stopping the quilting for each raindrop was kind of a pain.  The quilt is 20" X 23".

I loved making this quilt.  The appliqué and the quilting were new techniques.

The Purple Rain

The third raindrop on the left on the top is from the sample fabric I ordered that is the official "Radiant Orchid".

I have some radiant orchids of my own just starting to bloom.  

Radiant Orchid Pantone Color of the Year Quilt Contest

I decided I would try something new to me.  Freezer paper appliqué was it.  I had an idea for raindrops on a purple background.  I looked at all the freezer paper appliqué tutorials on Google.  I did the double freezer paper and starch method.  It was not as easy to go around the curves as I thought.  Hmm.  Room for practice.  Points were also an issue especially when I when to slip stitch the raindrops onto my quilt.

I got as far as getting most of the raindrops sewn onto my background.  I am going to have to come up with some awesome quilting to make this quilt come to life.  I did an on-line trip to Sew Modern and ordered some perle cotton.  Hope it is going to work for me.  I also have some metallic and variegated thread from Superior to work with.  It was a cloudy day today so the color is not so great.  I have to have it finished by next weekend so I need to be a speedy quilter when I get back into town.

The fabric I used is mostly from my basics fat quarter bundle from Pink Castle.  I also had some ombre fabric, some Melody Miller linen and some custom fabric ordered from Vickie Welsh.  I sent her the Radiant Orchid sample I got from Amazon. She has an etsy shop.  The radiant orchid raindrops that I made from her fabric are my inspiration.