plethora

It surprised me how much I enjoyed piecing together this scrappy purple quilt top. It turned out only 38" x 33", and though I rotated it around in every orientation, I really like the way I first created it on the design wall, though wider than tall is not my norm.

Happily, it's my sixth scrappy quilt finish of the summer, and apparently 'fits' for the QuiltCon 2027 American Patchwork + Quilting Pick-A-Color Scrappy Challenge. So that's cool! Might as well enter it and see what happens. No matter, I'm super happy with it, and happy to have found a good use for all those scraps.

Of course, a pieced quilt back was in order. I had a few scraps from making the front to start with, and needed just a few small pieces from stash to bring it up to size.

For quilting, I went with an uneven grid using Aurifil 50wt 5003 [Wine], 2515 [Light Orchid], 4225 [Eggplant] and 4020 [Fuchsia]. I also had a 40wt 2570 [Aubergine], and considering it was a heavier weight than the rest, I just stitched a few lines in each direction, specifically stitching over areas of Kona Raisin, the darkest fabric.

In fact, I used all five of those threads in both directions, often trying to 'match' them to the majority fabric in any one area. There were so many different fabrics used, though, that wasn't entirely possible. I think the multiple fabric and thread colors just add to the fun. A plethora, am I right?

Then, rather than a traditional binding, I went with a facing, using the Quilt Facing Tutorial by Audrey Esarey @cottonandbourbon. I really like the look of a facing on this particular quilt. Oh, and in trimming this quilt square, it shrunk just a tad, finishing at 38" x 33".

SO. Keeping it real here. Having this quilt finished has really encouraged me on. I find that what project I work on often depends on how much time or focus I have at a given time. So after machine-sewing the facing for plethora on Saturday afternoon, making a block for the Patchwork City project was a good next step forward. And Sunday morning, I was in the mood (yay!) to start remaking my block for my Bee Sewcial Courthouse Steps quilt, which I've been talking about doing for weeks. Hopefully I'll get back to that today, and move forward on that big project. AND today begins week two of our kitchen remodel, so I'll be back to making a block or few for the kitchen quilt each day. So at least I feel like I have some direction, and that's a good feeling for a Monday.

Linking up with Quiting JETgirl's Favorite Quilt Finish {August 2026}.

Linking up with Quilting & Learning's I Quilted This!

Pick-A-Color :: Purple

I don't really remember why I set aside some purple scraps months ago, but I happened across them as I began my 5th scrap quilt of the summer, and decided I'd just keep adding to them, mission unknown. So by the time I was ready to work with them, I had quite a nice quantity and variety. I tried my best to identify them, and whether one piece, or much more, I know that at least Kona Eggplant, Purple, Hibiscus, Noble Purple, Tulip, Raisin, Orchid, Orchid Ice, Petunia, Morning Glory, Amethyst, and Lupine; and Cotton Couture Amethyst, Blackberry, and Purple are represented among them.

Pulling out this mix was timely, as I'd just read The Power of Purple: Depth, Ambiguity and the Color Between Warm and Cool by Carolina Oneto @carolina_oneto. What an interesting read! Besides calling purple "The Only Color With Two Temperatures," she shares a lot of its history, and ways to explore using it. My current project will probably not be quite so intentional, but it's good info to consider.

Meanwhile, my purple scraps are also timely, as I was reminded about the QuiltCon 2027 American Patchwork + Quilting Pick-A-Color Scrappy Challenge. "Eligible quilts will use at least 10 different fabrics and feature one overarching hue in the design." Well, my current pile of scraps definitely fit the bill there. So we'll see. I have already begun to piece the smaller scraps together, and randomly put them up on the design wall. IE. the photo is definitely not a final layout. But it's a start. I have a handful of quarter-circles yet to piece, and then I'll be left with a few bit larger pieces. My (hopeful) goal is to create something in the spirit of my recent pieced quilt backs. I know. I know. We'll see where the scraps take me. And wherever it is may or may not be submission-worthy. But I'm going to head in that direction and take it from there.