Purple Orange Peels

Sunday, March 31, 2019

I am knee deep in Quilt Market prep. Contracts, logistics, writing new quilt patterns, booth design, quilt making, marketing...the list is a mile long. So March's Island Batik ambassador quilt got squeezed in at the end of the month among a lot of other things!


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics


The March challenge topic was "Vintage Reimagined." I hunted for inspiration in lots of places, but ultimately, I chose this vintage quilt that was sewn by my great grandmother as a gift for my parents many years ago. I decided I would make a few jumbo blocks for a modern version of the quilt.

Vintage purple and white orange peel quilt

I started by pulling out all the purple Island Batik fabrics. I was shocked at how many I had! I sorted them from light to dark to try and pick out which would work best for my version of my great-grandmother's quilt.


Island Batik purple fabrics light to dark

However, this is when the fabric told me it wanted to do something else. That it didn't like my idea for the challenge. I argued. Hard. I didn't have time for anything else. Despite my best efforts, the fabric won. I chose 15 Island Batik purples that together created an ombre effect.

I used EQ to print out a template for an orange peel, then traced it 256 times onto Lite Steam-A-Seam 2. Then I pressed those onto the purple fabrics. A few of the fabrics were definitely small scraps, so I had to be quite creative in placing the orange peels in order to get enough of each color! Then I hand cut each orange peel with scissors.


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

I mocked up the quilt in EQ so I could try a few different options for the background color. I wanted to use white (which I still love!), but when I switched it to black, I audibly gasped! I knew I had to use the black!


Purple ombre orange peel quilt by Slice of Pi QuiltsPurple ombre orange peel quilt by Slice of Pi Quilts

I cut the background fabric (the solid black by Island Batik) about 44" long. I cut it the same as the width of fabric to make a square. Then using a white water soluble pencil, I drew lines onto the background fabric to create 2 1/2" squares.


Water soluble white pencil on Island Batik solid black fabric

Creating the quilt top was SO easy! I just peeled the paper off each orange peel and placed it on the background fabric. Each orange peel fit perfectly inside the drawn squares! (Thanks to EQ for making that work!) Pressing it was all it took to finish the top!


Applique orange peels

I sewed two pieces of Island Batik fabric together for the back, then made the quilt sandwich using Hobbs black batting. After using it in this quilt, I'm hooked! It really does work well, and I knew it was perfect for this quilt too! I pin basted so I could quilt it on my domestic Juki machine.


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Black Hobbs batting

I picked light, medium, and dark purple Aurifil threads for quilting (#2562, #2540, and #4225), then free motioned 1/8" inside the edge of each orange peel. This would applique the peels onto the quilt, but also quilt it at the same time! I started in the center with the lightest thread, and moved from peel to peel in a way that enabled me to start in one spot and end in the exact same spot! (If you're not familiar with Dorie Hruska's "one start, one stop" method, I highly recommend her book!)


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

Once all the peels were sewn on, I machine stitched the binding (tutorial here).


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

I made the quilt from start to finish in just three evening sewing sessions!


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics
Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

The hardest and longest part was actually taking photos of the finished quilt! I finished the quilt a few days ago, but it's been raining non-stop since then! It was finally sunny today, so we ventured out!

Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

This is my 16th quilt finish for the year, and my 253rd quilt since I started quilting 9 years ago! In fact, the baby that inspired me to make my very first quilt just turned 9 last week! (You can read about that quilt here.)


Purple ombre orange peel quilt with Island Batik fabrics

I hope you're buckled up, because April is going to be a whirlwind of quilty things around here! It's six weeks until Market, and I'll be sharing as much as I can with you here beforehand. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook, as I'll be sharing all of the behind the scenes work in my stories there.

Next week, I'll be releasing the first of four new quilt patterns in preparation for Market, and you definitely won't want to miss it! It's a collaboration between me and a *sweet* friend! (That's a clue!)


Island Batik Ambassador challenge

Linking up with Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt, What I Made Monday at Pretty Piney Quilts, Favorite Finish at Meadow Mist Designs, Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter, Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication, Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting.

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40 comments:

  1. Your quilt is stunning! I certainly understand needing something quick and easy, but the fabric refusing to let you go that way. The quilt you came up with is absolutely incredible. It's such a creative use of orange peels, and the black background really makes it. If it weren't for all that cutting, it would even be quick and easy!

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  2. What a gorgeous quilt! You certainly manage to complete projects quickly...and with three kids. Congratulations. I look forward to the rest of your reveals in the coming weeks.

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  3. Stunning quilt! You added a new dimension with the ombre colors. The tunnel picture is of course priceless!

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  4. Absolutely love your quilt!! I have a great deal of teal...now to find an orange peal pattern!

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  5. Stunning, Laura! I love how it came together and think it looks amazing on the black background. I hope that market prep goes smoothly for you and you have a great time. :)

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  6. This is such a beautiful quilt, you nailed it again, Laura!

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  7. Just wow!!! Not only you are a quilting machine, you also make such beautiful quilts!!!!

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  8. Accuquilt have an orange peel die I'm sure which would've made this even quicker but you didn't have time to wait for that to arrive in the post since your fabric put up such a good fight 🙂 It's fab, as your initial gasp indicated.

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  9. My jaw is dropping! Incredible Laura!!!

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  10. Black was the perfect choice for the background!

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  11. Kathy R.
    I agree with all of the other comments. Your quilt is beautiful. I love to read your posts, always an inspiration.

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  12. Out of the ballpark, Laura, as usual! ♥

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  13. Wow...you did that very quickly and it looks amazing! The purples on the black look fantastic.

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  14. Absolutely gorgeous. I'm glad the fabric won. :)

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  15. Love the way you reimagined your grandmother's quilt. The purples are gorgeous and you pulled it off! you are amazing. So great when our tools help us to accomplish something wonderful! Good luck with market and prep work- it is so much work but I am sure you will do well.

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  16. Laura I'm convinced you have a way to sew in your sleep... Sixteen quilts in three months?! This one is genius, on the construction and design. I love Hobbs black batting too, used it before they gave us some this year and was in love. Great finish and will be following along with your whirlwind leading up to Market.

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  17. Gorgeous. I love the design, the inspiration, and the speed! Great job.

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  18. The white background would have been pretty, but the black is absolutely stunning. The ombre effect makes the purples seem to glow. I think I want to walk on the trail, too, to get to see that tunnel. What a great place for quilt pictures!

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  19. I love how the light at the end of the tunnel echoes your quilt! Fantastic job, I know how pressed you were for time on this one. Thanks for linking up to What I Made Monday!

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  20. Could you tell us, in an upcoming post, the size of this quilt? (inches)

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    1. Ooh! I did forget to add that in to the end of the post! I started with a piece that was the same length as the width of fabric (so about 44" square), then after quilting I trimmed it up to just about 40" square.

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  21. Wow! Stunning quilt. Super fast finish. You make it sound simple. The luminosity is wonderful.

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  22. Beautiful quilt! And so simple too. I probably would have cut the black background into squares, sewed the orange peels on, then sewed them together. What a goof! You're way is so much simpler and the results are stunning. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  23. This quilt is amazing!!! Love how it turned out. What a great use of EQ to help work it out. Well done.

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  24. Love the gradient effect. Beautiful quilt and the photo shoot is amazing.

    -Soma

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  25. Amazing how the change in background fabric made this quilt sing! Beautiful finish!

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  26. This is amazing. The colours are so bright and rich. Well done.

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  27. Awesome design! The orange peels pop so much on the black background.

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  28. Isn't it amazing how a black background can make batiks just sing?! I remember seeing this in my feed earlier this year, and I'm so glad the Show Me Something Purple linkup brought me back to it!

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  29. Beautiful, beautiful finish! If you kept this quilt yourself, have you washed it yet? I don't do any raw-edge applique and would be interested in how it holds up in the wash.

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    1. I have washed it! The edges outside of the stitching on each orange peel released from the background and frayed ever so slightly. Since batiks are the same saturation on the front and back, and batiks are a higher thread count than typical quilting cotton, the fraying isn't bad and doesn't distract from the design at all. A tight zig zag around the pieces will prevent any fraying and release, but I don't have the patience for that typically! I just stitch 1/8" inside the raw edge and let it be. You definitely should try it!!

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  30. I enjoyed this one when you made it, but it's a delight to see it again. Thank you for linking up to Show Me Something Purple!

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  31. Wow!!! I don't usually go to the blogs when viewing the link ups but yours was so amazing I had to see more!!! Such a perfect design for the batiks.

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  32. I am curious as to what the pattern is of your grandmothers quilt? it looks like cathedral windows? I would love to make a quilt like hers!! Love the purples in both

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    1. I believe it is a "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" pattern!

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