This year we decided to do a TCJ Make of the Month and so far I've only finished, photographed and shared the January Make - Meadowland. Well, I finally got February, March, April and May Makes all quilted and photographed. I am excited to start with what we just finished and then backtrack to share the other completed makes.
The May Make is Sun Flare in Kona Cottons. The Sun Flare quilt pattern I released in 2018 and it is an ode to my grandmother. I wrote a blogpost about the inspiration and about my grandmother. The Sun Flare quilt pattern comes in one generous throw size, it finishes at 71" x 84". We haven't made a Sun Flare quilt in over three years and I am so happy we tackled this pattern again.
When I was deciding what color palette I wanted to use for this Sun Flare, I knew I wanted almost the opposite of the cover quilt. That one is beautiful and soft and ethereal. It uses pastels and white for the background.
So instead, I went for a deep golden brown for the background and a mix of yellows, reds, pinks and a pop of aqua. I think I was subconsciously inspired by the desert. Here is the mock up I made to play with the color combos. I did this ONE time. And when I was done, I was like, really?! Did I just get this right in the first go? ha! That rarely happens but I took it as a sign that I was super inspired and to just let it be. I didn't mess with it anymore and ordered the fabric right away.
Because we have been sewing a lot to get the Color Chaos release ready for early June, I decided I needed help sewing this quilt up. I reached out to Maechen and was able to hire her to make this beauty. She did an AMAZING job and snapped tons of process photos so we could share them with you!
Let's get started! The Kona Cotton Colors we used are as follows:
-Background: Roasted Pecan
- 1/3 yard cuts: Robin Egg, Seafoam, Sassy Pink, Shell, Sienna, Flame, Canary, Goldfish, Bellini and Foxglove
I paired up the colors into 5 groups of 2 colors each. Each group is sort of paired as a saturated and non saturated combination of the same general color. For example - burnt red with a fire engine red (Sienna and Flame) and say a bright yellow with a golden yellow (Canary and Goldfish). It ends up creating a really fun glittering and glow effect - hence the Sun Flare name.
Once all the fabric is cut, it is a chain piecing heaven style quilt! You can work block by block or section by section, you kinda get to decide!
It is so fun to see the colors interact with the Roasted Pecan background fabric. There is a real cozy warmth to the color palette.
Maechen uploaded new photos of her progress every few days. It was like candy to me to be able to log in and watch it come to life in real time. I love love the combinations.
Then Maechen built all the blocks and snapped some more photos!
At this point I had to wait to see the quilt in person before seeing it fully finished! I was so giddy and anxious to get it. And let me tell you - these seams were so flat and pressed perfectly. Alysson and I marveled at how well this quilt top was sewn together. Maechen blew it out of the water.
It was a joy and honestly a massive relief to have help sewing this sample. It it not something I do often but whenever I do, I am always so thankful I can. Thank you Maechen for saving the day and our sanity!
I snapped so many photos, I couldn't help myself. Every angle of the quilt shows a different color combination and glow and I love that.
You guys, we aren't even to the quilted photos yet. ha! But, I HAD to snap this quilt outside in our yard with the fully bloomed Rhododendron bush.
You made it! Do you need a break? You can walk away and come back in a minute to see the finished quilt if you'd like.
OR
We can just move on ahead! I am excited to say that I found a new-to-me quilter here locally in Portland. Emily of So Sunny Quilts lives and works not far from me and she did an amazing job! Our sons were born in the same month and year so we also have a fun connection to June.
We were going through different pantograph ideas for Sun Flare and we landed on Simple Funky Orange Peel. I wanted a pantograph that played into the vintage vibes of the color palette. I also liked the ode to the Orange Peel which is classic but it breaks apart instead of being a completed design. I wanted to pantograph that danced over the quilt and this one does it perfectly.
We also decided to do hot pink thread, it shows up well on the colors but isn't too bold that it stands out harshly against the background fabric.
This quilt was the biggest we had at our photoshoot. You can definitely lay this on your bed or a couple people can snuggle up under it. We backed it in an Essex linen windowpane plaid and it adds an extra weight to it.
This Kona Cotton Sun Flare really photographed beautifully in this studio. Everything about it pops and sparkles. Don't forget, we have kits in the shop if you'd like to make one yourself!
