Monday, August 12, 2019

"April in Paris" - an August Finish!

"April in Paris" is finally a finished quilt!  The last binding stitch was put in over the weekend, and I immediately whisked it outside for a photo shoot.   It was a windy afternoon.


All these photos were taken before washing out the Crayola markers I used for tracing stencils and some freehand designs in the larger blocks.  I was pretty nervous about that first wash, partly because of the dark markers and also that bright claret used for the sashings.   A couple color-catchers in the pre-rinse came out bright blue-green, first thought to be from the markers, until I discovered the Printed Treasures label had been dyed the same blue-green. But no red bleed - whew!  After the pre-rinse in cold water I washed the quilt with a bit of laundry soap in cold water.  No bleed on anything except that label which seems to be permanently dyed.  It's the first time I've seen a Printed Treasures label take on dye like that.  Thinking now it must have been from the blue backing fabric, though that had been prewashed.  I'm just breathing a sigh of relief that the entire quilt didn't take on a blue hue.


The dog run finally has a purpose though it took a 3-step ladder to reach the line!

A bit closer

The back



My faithful photo shoot assistant, who was polite enough to not roll on the quilt!

And a finished quilt post deserves a shot by one of my favorite trees out back!

This quilt is based on a pattern by Tony Jacobson published in Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting.  My version's finished size after washing is 76 inches square. The quilt crinkled up nicely after quilting and its bath, though the shrinkage was far more than I'd expected.  The flimsy measured 80 inches square and I'd hoped it would remain close to the 80 inches, but I'm very pleased otherwise with how it turned out.  This quilt is destined for the benefit auction on August 31.

This was my One Monthly Goal for August and I'll be linking up with Patty at Elm Street Quilts here.

Til next time, happy stitching!  I see canning in my near future.  Tomatoes still green but the plants are heavy with fruit, with any luck we will see a huge harvest, some for us and some for sharing.


16 comments:

Wendy Caton Reed said...

It is gorgeous! I am surprised at how much it shrunk too. I love the crinkly look though!

Needled Mom said...

That looks so pretty. I'm surprised that the red did not bleed, but I always have more problems with blues too.

---"Love" said...

That's a very striking quilt! Absolutely beautiful! I feel sure it will do very well at the benefit auction.---"Love"

Debbie said...

Beautiful! Love the photos too. Did you use Dawn to wash it? Yes, I always use Dawn to wash quilts....it helps control the bleeding and set colors, plus it is gentle.

Chantal said...

Gorgeous quilt! I love this pattern. Have to put it in my to-do list. Love your photo assistant too. What a cutie! Glad to hear that all the bleeding got resolved. Phew! Now that your goal is achieved for August, will you tackle another goal or just appreciate the "time-off"? ;^)

Martha said...

It's lovely, so sweet!!! It looks like one of those favorite family quilts you can cuddle under and feel the hugs from the one who made it!

Cynthia@wabi-sabi-quilts said...

Such a nice finish! So good that the red didn't run! It's always stressful, that wash!

Kyle said...

What a great finish for August! I'm so glad you didn't have any trouble with the dyes. It's amazing how much the quilt shrunk. What kind of batting did you use?

FlourishingPalms said...

Oh my, but that's a pretty quilt! I appreciate you sharing your experiences with color bleeding. I've always been an advocate of pre-washing fabrics, and it's disappointing to see color catchers full of color when a finished quilt is washed. But I'm happy for you that only the label was affected. It probably looks even better! :-) In spite of the shrinkage, this is a nice-sized quilt to give away. Wow. I'm shaking my head in admiration for all the work you go to. You're an extremely giving person. Bless you.

Barb said...

What a nice finish and the backing is a great fabric. so summery and pretty.
what a beautiful collie! Coco jumps and rolls on everything - she's a monster.

Janet O. said...

It is a lovely finish, but so curious about the blue label. The backing doesn't appear to be the type of fabric that would bleed heavily. Go figure.
So has your assistant been to obedience school or something? :)

Barbara said...

What a beautiful finish! Your quilt looks so nice hanging on the line blowing in the wind. Your helper is so attentive--and cute!

audrey said...

Really like seeing this one with the after-wash crinkle look. That plaid look is very sweet and striking! So glad the label didn't end up ruining the entire quilt for you. I've had backing fabric that bled for days and almost ruined the whole front of a quilt. It all makes me so nervous now!

Ruth said...

Oooo! I love it!

Marly said...

Beautiful quilting! I always worry about the wash too; after all that hard work nothing must go wrong.

Patty said...

Lovely quilt top! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly goal and congrats on your finish.