Boo!

Since my disappearance from here nearly six months ago, there has been quilting activity going on - thought not quite as much as there used to be. And every now and then I think about blogging, but it's hard to get back in the habit - and the longer I leave it, the worse it gets. I have a few quilts ready to share, so it's time for a concerted effort.

Jacaranda is a large lap quilt (in hind sight, I probably should have made it a bit larger so it could be a single bed quilt) which is in the current issue (March 2015, No 142) of Australian Homespun magazine. In a lucky coincidence, their photography timeframe for this issue coincided with when the jacarandas were in bloom last October/November, so it has been styled outside and looks fantastic with a jacaranda tree.

The block I created looks unintentionally a bit like a bear's paw block. The centre diamond uses a Tula Pink scallop print which matches the bluey purples and greens perfectly and adds a tiny pop of musky pink and soft burgundy. I dithered for ages about whether to make this a scrappy quilt or use the same pairing of green and blue/purple for the outer part of all the blocks. I let my stash determine my decision, but I suspect I may have preferred a more consistent appearance.

After the plumes were quilted/appliqued, the quilting was done in a largely allover manner, although I did allow the arcs of plumes to guide me, and the centre appliques got a slightly different treatment:

I particularly enjoyed the combination of piecing and applique in this quilt. It'll be travelling around with Homespun for a while, and then I plan to add it to the pile we use on the sofas in winter - even if its white background doesn't make it the most practical for frequent use.